A Neural Network Gravitational Arc Finder based on the Mediatrix filamentation Method

Automated arc detection methods are needed to scan the ongoing and next-generation wide-field imaging surveys, which are expected to contain thousands of strong lensing systems. Arc finders are also required for a quantitative comparison between predictions and observations of arc abundance. Several algorithms have been proposed to this end, but machine learning methods have remained as a relatively unexplored step in the arc finding process. In this work we introduce a new arc finder based on pattern recognition, which uses a set of morphological measurements derived from the Mediatrix Filamentation Method as entries to an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). We show a full example of the application of the arc finder, first training and validating the ANN on simulated arcs and then applying the code on four Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of strong lensing systems. The simulated arcs use simple prescriptions for the lens and the source, while mimicking HST observational conditions. We also consider a sample of objects from HST images with no arcs in the training of the ANN classification. We use the training and validation process to determine a suitable set of ANN configurations, including the combination of inputs from the Mediatrix method, so as to maximize the completeness while keeping the false positives low. In the simulations the method was able to achieve a completeness of about 90% with respect to the arcs that are input to the ANN after a preselection. However, this completeness drops to $\sim$ 70% on the HST images. The false detections are of the order of 3% of the objects detected in these images. The combination of Mediatrix measurements with an ANN is a promising tool for the pattern recognition phase of arc finding. More realistic simulations and a larger set of real systems are needed for a better training and assessment of the efficiency of the method.Comment: Updated to match published versio

Optical Emission Model for Binary Black Hole Merger Remnants Travelling through Discs of Active Galactic Nucleus

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been proposed as plausible sites hosting a sizable fraction of the binary black hole (BBH) mergers measured through gravitational waves (GWs) by the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra (LVK) experiment. These GWs could be accompanied by radiation feedback due to the interaction of the BBH merger remnant with the AGN disc. We present a new predicted radiation signature driven by the passage of a kicked BBH remnant throughout a thin AGN disc. We analyse the situation of a merger occurring outside the thin disc, where the merger is of second or higher generation in a merging hierarchical sequence. The coalescence produces a kicked BH remnant that eventually plunges into the disc, accretes material, and inflates jet cocoons. We consider the case of a jet cocoon propagating quasi-parallel to the disc plane and study the outflow that results when the cocoon emerges from the disc. Here we focus on the long time-scale emission produced after the disc outflow expands and becomes optically thin. The bolometric luminosity of such disc outflow evolves as $L\propto t^{-7/2}$. Depending on the parameter configuration, the flare produced by the disc outflow could be comparable to or exceed the AGN background emission at near-infrared, optical, and extreme ultraviolet wavelengths appearing $\sim$[20-500] days after the GW event and lasting for $\sim$[1-200] days, accordingly.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to MNRA

Nickel induced endogenous dermatitis: two cases report

A sensibilização ao níquel representa uma das principais causas de dermatite de contacto alérgica. Um número significativo de doentes apresenta lesões cutâneas, em locais que não estão em contacto directo com este metal. Nos últimos anos a influência do conteúdo em níquel da dieta na evolução da dermatite ao níquel tem merecido particular atenção. Descrevem-se os casos de duas doentes com dermatite de contacto ao níquel em que, apesar da evicção total do contacto com este metal, persistiam lesões de dermatite eczematosa, predominando nas zonas de maior sudação. Com a exclusão da dieta de alimentos com alto teor em níquel observou-se uma redução progressiva da intensidade do eczema, conducente ao desaparecimento total das lesões. As doentes foram, então, submetidas a prova de provocação oral com sulfato de níquel. Na primeira doente estudada observou-se aparecimento de eritema, prurido e reacção eczematosa, generalizados, doze horas após a ingestão de 20 mg de sulfato de níquel. Concomitantemente verificou-se a ocorrência de eritema pruriginoso e pequenas vesículas, no local de aplicação do patch teste ao níquel. No segundo caso a reactivação da dermatite ocorreu seis horas após a ingestão de 10 mg de sulfato de níquel. A manutenção de dieta restritiva em alimentos com alto teor em níquel permitiu o desaparecimento total da dermatite e estabilização clínica que se mantém desde há 6 meses. O diagnóstico de dermatite endógena induzida pela ingestão de níquel foi demonstrado através da realização de prova de provocação oral. A excreção de níquel através do suor parece ser relevante. A redução da ingestão diária de níquel, permitindo a menor concentração deste elemento no suor poderá explicar a melhoria da dermatite, particularmente, nas zonas cutâneas de maior sudação

A simple prescription for simulating and characterizing gravitational arcs

Simple models of gravitational arcs are crucial to simulate large samples of these objects with full control of the input parameters. These models also provide crude and automated estimates of the shape and structure of the arcs, which are necessary when trying to detect and characterize these objects on massive wide area imaging surveys. We here present and explore the ArcEllipse, a simple prescription to create objects with shape similar to gravitational arcs. We also present PaintArcs, which is a code that couples this geometrical form with a brightness distribution and adds the resulting object to images. Finally, we introduce ArcFitting, which is a tool that fits ArcEllipses to images of real gravitational arcs. We validate this fitting technique using simulated arcs and apply it to CFHTLS and HST images of tangential arcs around clusters of galaxies. Our simple ArcEllipse model for the arc, associated to a S\'ersic profile for the source, recovers the total signal in real images typically within 10%-30%. The ArcEllipse+S\'ersic models also automatically recover visual estimates of length-to-width ratios of real arcs. Residual maps between data and model images reveal the incidence of arc substructure. They may thus be used as a diagnostic for arcs formed by the merging of multiple images. The incidence of these substructures is the main factor preventing ArcEllipse models from accurately describing real lensed systems.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Clinical and immunological patterns in patients with shrimp hypersensitivity and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus cross-reactivity

Objectivos: Investigar padrões clínicos em doentes com hipersensibilidade a camarão e a ocorrência de reactividade cruzada a Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp). Caracterizar as principais proteínas envolvidas na reactividade a camarão, em estudos de immunoblotting. Métodos: Avaliaram-se 20 doentes com clínica de hipersensibilidade imediata, após ingestão de camarão. Aplicou-se um questionário estandardizado, foram efectuados testes cutâneos por prick a alimentos e aeroalergénios e procedeu-se à determinação de IgE específica a camarão e Dp por UniCap e immunoblotting. A existência de eventual reactividade cruzada imunológica entre camarão e Dp foi investigada por estudos de inibição de immunoblotting. Resultados: A média de idades dos doentes era de 33±16 anos, sendo 13 do sexo masculino. As manifestações clínicas após ingestão de camarão foram urticária e/ou angioedema generalizados em 8 doentes, síndrome de alergia oral em 9 e anafilaxia em 3. Para além do camarão, foi detectada em todos os doentes sensibilização a outros crustáceos com sintomas semelhantes. Outros alimentos reportados em que se confirmou sensibilização foram moluscos -12 doentes e ovo -1. Em todos os doentes foi detectada sensibilização a Dp e sensibilização associada a barata em 12, a pólenes em 13, a cão em 5 e a gato em 5. Doseamentos de IgE específica a Dp e camarão superiores ou iguais a 3,5 KU/l foram encontrados, respectivamente, em 15 e 12 doentes. Considerando os estudos de immunoblotting a camarão, observou-se uma maior intensidade de ligação a bandas com peso molecular (PM) de 35 -40 KDa em 14 doentes, 17 KDa em 2, 22 KDa em um e 43-50 KDa nos restantes 3. Os estudos de inibição de immunoblotting evidenciaram reactividade cruzada em 15 doentes, recíproca camarão - Dp em 10 e não recíproca em 5, não sendo possível demonstrar a sua existência em 5. Conclusões: O PM encontrado para as bandas de maior intensidade nos estudos de immunoblotting a camarão sugere o envolvimento de tropomiosinas na maioria dos doentes, reforçando o papel destes panalergénios como alergénios major na hipersensibilidade a camarão em doentes sensibilizados a ácaros. Sensibilização simultânea a camarão e Dp pode ocorrer na ausência de reactividade cruzada e diferentes padrões de sensibilização deverão ser considerados

Clinical and immunological patterns in patients with shrimp hypersensitivity and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus cross-reactivity

Objectivos: Investigar padrões clínicos em doentes com hipersensibilidade a camarão e a ocorrência de reactividade cruzada a Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp). Caracterizar as principais proteínas envolvidas na reactividade a camarão, em estudos de immunoblotting. Métodos: Avaliaram-se 20 doentes com clínica de hipersensibilidade imediata, após ingestão de camarão. Aplicou-se um questionário estandardizado, foram efectuados testes cutâneos por prick a alimentos e aeroalergénios e procedeu-se à determinação de IgE específica a camarão e Dp por UniCap e immunoblotting. A existência de eventual reactividade cruzada imunológica entre camarão e Dp foi investigada por estudos de inibição de immunoblotting. Resultados: A média de idades dos doentes era de 33±16 anos, sendo 13 do sexo masculino. As manifestações clínicas após ingestão de camarão foram urticária e/ou angioedema generalizados em 8 doentes, síndrome de alergia oral em 9 e anafilaxia em 3. Para além do camarão, foi detectada em todos os doentes sensibilização a outros crustáceos com sintomas semelhantes. Outros alimentos reportados em que se confirmou sensibilização foram moluscos -12 doentes e ovo -1. Em todos os doentes foi detectada sensibilização a Dp e sensibilização associada a barata em 12, a pólenes em 13, a cão em 5 e a gato em 5. Doseamentos de IgE específica a Dp e camarão superiores ou iguais a 3,5 KU/l foram encontrados, respectivamente, em 15 e 12 doentes. Considerando os estudos de immunoblotting a camarão, observou-se uma maior intensidade de ligação a bandas com peso molecular (PM) de 35 -40 KDa em 14 doentes, 17 KDa em 2, 22 KDa em um e 43-50 KDa nos restantes 3. Os estudos de inibição de immunoblotting evidenciaram reactividade cruzada em 15 doentes, recíproca camarão - Dp em 10 e não recíproca em 5, não sendo possível demonstrar a sua existência em 5. Conclusões: O PM encontrado para as bandas de maior intensidade nos estudos de immunoblotting a camarão sugere o envolvimento de tropomiosinas na maioria dos doentes, reforçando o papel destes panalergénios como alergénios major na hipersensibilidade a camarão em doentes sensibilizados a ácaros. Sensibilização simultânea a camarão e Dp pode ocorrer na ausência de reactividade cruzada e diferentes padrões de sensibilização deverão ser considerados

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry: Development, Features, and Data Sharing Policies

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry (Registo de Asma Grave Portugal, RAG) was developed by an open collaborative network of asthma specialists. RAG collects data from adults and pediatric severe asthma patients that despite treatment optimization and adequate management of comorbidities require step 4/5 treatment according to GINA recommendations. In this paper, we describe the development and implementation of RAG, its features, and data sharing policies. The contents and structure of RAG were defined in a multistep consensus process. A pilot version was pretested and iteratively improved. The selection of data elements for RAG considered other severe asthma registries, aiming at characterizing the patient's clinical status whilst avoiding overloading the standard workflow of the clinical appointment. Features of RAG include automatic assessment of eligibility, easy data input, and exportable data in natural language that can be pasted directly in patients' electronic health record and security features to enable data sharing (among researchers and with other international databases) without compromising patients' confidentiality. RAG is a national web-based disease registry of severe asthma patients, available at asmagrave.pt. It allows prospective clinical data collection, promotes standardized care and collaborative clinical research, and may contribute to inform evidence-based healthcare policies for severe asthma.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

the portuguese version of rhinitis and asthma patient s perspective rapp validation and assessment

Abstract Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are two common chronic diseases that often coexist. There is a need for a validated tool to evaluate HRQoL of Portuguese speakers with asthma and/or rhinitis patients in clinical practice. Objectives To adapt and validate RhinAsthma Patient Perspective (RAPP) in Portuguese. Methods The RAPP questionnaire was translated into Portuguese. Asthmatics with comorbidities and rhinitis attending the allergy department of Coimbra University Hospital were asked to complete the Portuguese translation of RAPP, in addition to the SF-12, ACT, and a Symptomatologic VAS twice, with a 4-week interval between visits. During Visit 2, a Global Rating Scale (GRS) was completed to assess any change in health status. Scale dimensions, internal consistency and convergent validity, reliability, discriminant ability and responsiveness to change, as well as Minimal Clinical Difference were assessed. Results Factor and confirmatory analysis confirm the unidimensional structure of the questionnaire. Internal consistency has been shown to be satisfactory (0.82 visit 1 and 0.86 at visit 2). The tool is able to discriminate between patients on the basis of asthma severity, asthma control level, and rhinitis severity; convergent validity showed a significant correlation with SF-2 Physical component (r = −0.46 and 0.42, p at Visits 1 and 2). An ICC of 0.97 and a CCC = 0.94 indicate that the tool is highly reliable. Responsiveness was shown in detecting a significant association with GRS changes (r = 0.41, p Conclusions The Portuguese version of RAPP has been demonstrated to have good measurement properties and sensitivity to health changes, which will provide a valid, reliable and standardized HRQoL measurement in patients with asthma and comorbid allergic rhinitis in clinical practice

Sensitisation patterns in legume hypersensitivity. A study from the central region of Portugal

Background: Foods from the legume family are used in the Mediterranean diet as a source of protein. In some cases, their ingestion triggers potentially life -threatening reactions. A high degree of immunological cross-reactivity has been described, but its clinical relevance is controversial. Aim: To carry out a clinical and laboratory characterisation of patients sensitised to leguminosae who had symptoms after the ingestion of at least one food from the leguminosae botanical family. Methods: We selected 13 consecutive patients from a food allergy outpatient clinic with allergy symptoms after the ingestion of leguminosae during the year of 2006. Case history data, skin prick tests (SPT) with commercial extracts of white bean, green bean, pea, chickpea, soya bean and peanut, and prick-to-prick (PP) tests to these legumes, both raw and boiled, and also to lupini bean and black -eyed bean were performed. Serum specific IgE and immunoblotting assays were also carried out. Results: Most patients had had symptoms with more than one legume (mean 3 legumes) with bean the most reported. The first culprit leguminosae reported was chickpea in 4 patients, bean in 4 patients and lupini bean in 3. Sensitisation to other legumes without clinical symptoms also occurred (mean 2 legumes). Anaphylaxis was described in 3 patients, to bean, soya and lupini bean, respectively. Asthma was connected to chickpea (2 patients) and to bean (1). One or more of the following symptoms: urticaria, angiooedema and oral allergy syndrome were reported by other patients. Symptomatic patients always had positive PP tests to leguminosae and most SPT were also positive. Conclusions: Lifethreatening reactions to leguminosae were found. PP tests used alone to raw and boiled legumes seem to be the most reliable diagnostic tests as in the case of other vegetable foods. However, immunoblotting assays are still important in the identification of new allergens