607 research outputs found
Comment on âTumour-infiltrating inflammation and prognosis in colorectal cancer: systematic review and meta-analysisâ
No abstract available
Global asteroseismic properties of solar-like oscillations observed by Kepler : A comparison of complementary analysis methods
We present the asteroseismic analysis of 1948 F-, G- and K-type main-sequence
and subgiant stars observed by the NASA {\em Kepler Mission}. We detect and
characterise solar-like oscillations in 642 of these stars. This represents the
largest cohort of main-sequence and subgiant solar-like oscillators observed to
date. The photometric observations are analysed using the methods developed by
nine independent research teams. The results are combined to validate the
determined global asteroseismic parameters and calculate the relative precision
by which the parameters can be obtained. We correlate the relative number of
detected solar-like oscillators with stellar parameters from the {\em Kepler
Input Catalog} and find a deficiency for stars with effective temperatures in
the range \,K and a drop-off in
detected oscillations in stars approaching the red edge of the classical
instability strip. We compare the power-law relationships between the frequency
of peak power, , the mean large frequency separation,
, and the maximum mode amplitude, , and show that
there are significant method-dependent differences in the results obtained.
This illustrates the need for multiple complementary analysis methods to be
used to assess the robustness and reproducibility of results derived from
global asteroseismic parameters.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Societ
Cancer and systemic inflammation: treat the tumour and treat the host
Determinants of cancer progression and survival are multifactorial and host responses are increasingly appreciated to have a major role. Indeed, the development and maintenance of a systemic inflammatory response has been consistently observed to confer poorer outcome, in both early and advanced stage disease. For patients, cancer-associated symptoms are of particular importance resulting in a marked impact on day-to-day quality of life and are also associated with poorer outcome. These symptoms are now recognised to cluster with one another with anorexia, weight loss and physical function forming a recognised cluster whereas fatigue, pain and depression forming another. Importantly, it has become apparent that these symptom clusters are associated with presence of a systemic inflammatory response in the patient with cancer. Given the understanding of the above, there is now a need to intervene to moderate systemic inflammatory responses, where present. In this context the rationale for therapeutic intervention using nonselective anti-inflammatory agents is clear and compelling and likely to become a part of routine clinical practice in the near future. The published literature on therapeutic intervention using anti-inflammatory agents for cancer-associated symptoms was reviewed. There are important parallels with the development of useful treatments for the systemic inflammatory response in patients with rheumatological disease and cardiovascular disease
A multidimensional examination of marital conflict and subjective health over 16 years
Guided by stress process perspectives, this study conceptualizes marital conflict as a multidimensional stressor to assess how three aspects of conflictâfrequency of disagreements, breadth of disagreements, and cumulative disagreementsâimpact subjective health. Longitudinal data of married couples spanning 16âyears (n = 373 couples) were analyzed using multilevel modeling. For husbands, more frequent disagreements than usual within a given year were associated with poorer subjective health. For wives, the greater cumulative effects of disagreements over 16âyears were harmful for subjective health. We discuss how gendered selfârepresentations and relationship power issues help explain the findings. This research demonstrated the importance of examining multiple aspects of marital conflict to reveal that their subjective health consequences function differently for wives and husbands.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151831/1/pere12292_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151831/2/pere12292.pd
Verification of the Kepler Input Catalog from Asteroseismology of Solar-type Stars
We calculate precise stellar radii and surface gravities from the
asteroseismic analysis of over 500 solar-type pulsating stars observed by the
Kepler space telescope. These physical stellar properties are compared with
those given in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC), determined from ground-based
multi-color photometry. For the stars in our sample, we find general agreement
but we detect an average overestimation bias of 0.23 dex in the KIC
determination of log (g) for stars with log (g)_KIC > 4.0 dex, and a resultant
underestimation bias of up to 50% in the KIC radii estimates for stars with
R_KIC < 2 R sun. Part of the difference may arise from selection bias in the
asteroseismic sample; nevertheless, this result implies there may be fewer
stars characterized in the KIC with R ~ 1 R sun than is suggested by the
physical properties in the KIC. Furthermore, if the radius estimates are taken
from the KIC for these affected stars and then used to calculate the size of
transiting planets, a similar underestimation bias may be applied to the
planetary radii.Comment: Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letter
Solar-like oscillations in cluster stars
We present a brief overview of the history of attempts to obtain a clear
detection of solar-like oscillations in cluster stars, and discuss the results
on the first clear detection, which was made by the Kepler Asteroseismic
Science Consortium (KASC) Working Group 2.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Astronomische Nachrichte
Temporal trends in mode, site and stage of presentation with the introduction of colorectal cancer screening: a decade of experience from the West of Scotland
background:Â Â Population colorectal cancer screening programmes have been introduced to reduce cancer-specific mortality through the detection of early-stage disease. The present study aimed to examine the impact of screening introduction in the West of Scotland.
methods:Â Â Data on all patients with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer between January 2003 and December 2012 were extracted from a prospectively maintained regional audit database. Changes in mode, site and stage of presentation before, during and after screening introduction were examined.
results:Â Â In a population of 2.4 million, over a 10-year period, 14â487 incident cases of colorectal cancer were noted. Of these, 7827 (54%) were males and 7727 (53%) were socioeconomically deprived. In the postscreening era, 18% were diagnosed via the screening programme. There was a reduction in both emergency presentation (20% prescreening vs 13% postscreening, P0.001) and the proportion of rectal cancers (34% prescreening vs 31% pos-screening, P0.001) over the timeframe. Within non-metastatic disease, an increase in the proportion of stage I tumours at diagnosis was noted (17% prescreening vs 28% postscreening, P0.001).
conclusions:Â Â Within non-metastatic disease, a shift towards earlier stage at diagnosis has accompanied the introduction of a national screening programme. Such a change should lead to improved outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer
The solar-like CoRoT target HD 170987: spectroscopic and seismic observations
The CoRoT mission is in its third year of observation and the data from the
second long run in the galactic centre direction are being analysed. The
solar-like oscillating stars that have been observed up to now have given some
interesting results, specially concerning the amplitudes that are lower than
predicted. We present here the results from the analysis of the star HD
170987.The goal of this research work is to characterise the global parameters
of HD 170987. We look for global seismic parameters such as the mean large
separation, maximum amplitude of the modes, and surface rotation because the
signal-to-noise ratio in the observations do not allow us to measure individual
modes. We also want to retrieve the stellar parameters of the star and its
chemical composition.We have studied the chemical composition of the star using
ground-based observations performed with the NARVAL spectrograph. We have used
several methods to calculate the global parameters from the acoustic
oscillations based on CoRoT data. The light curve of the star has been
interpolated using inpainting algorithms to reduce the effect of data gaps. We
find power excess related to p modes in the range [400 - 1200]muHz with a mean
large separation of 55.2+-0.8muHz with a probability above 95% that increases
to 55.9 +-0.2muHz in a higher frequency range [500 - 1250] muHz and a rejection
level of 1%. A hint of the variation of this quantity with frequency is also
found. The rotation period of the star is estimated to be around 4.3 days with
an inclination axis of i=50 deg +20/-13. We measure a bolometric amplitude per
radial mode in a range [2.4 - 2.9] ppm around 1000 muHz. Finally, using a grid
of models, we estimate the stellar mass, M=1.43+-0.05 Msun, the radius,
R=1.96+-0.046 Rsun, and the age ~2.4 Gyr.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Prospects for asteroseismology
The observational basis for asteroseismology is being dramatically
strengthened, through more than two years of data from the CoRoT satellite, the
flood of data coming from the Kepler mission and, in the slightly longer term,
from dedicated ground-based facilities. Our ability to utilize these data
depends on further development of techniques for basic data analysis, as well
as on an improved understanding of the relation between the observed
frequencies and the underlying properties of the stars. Also, stellar modelling
must be further developed, to match the increasing diagnostic potential of the
data. Here we discuss some aspects of data interpretation and modelling,
focussing on the important case of stars with solar-like oscillations.Comment: Proc. HELAS Workshop on 'Synergies between solar and stellar
modelling', eds M. Marconi, D. Cardini & M. P. Di Mauro, Astrophys. Space
Sci., in the press Revision: correcting abscissa labels on Figs 1 and
Asteroseismology of solar-type stars with K2
We present the first detections by the NASA K2 Mission of oscillations in
solar-type stars, using short-cadence data collected during K2 Campaign\,1
(C1). We understand the asteroseismic detection thresholds for C1-like levels
of photometric performance, and we can detect oscillations in subgiants having
dominant oscillation frequencies around . Changes to the
operation of the fine-guidance sensors are expected to give significant
improvements in the high-frequency performance from C3 onwards. A reduction in
the excess high-frequency noise by a factor of two-and-a-half in amplitude
would bring main-sequence stars with dominant oscillation frequencies as high
as into play as potential asteroseismic targets for
K2.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASP; 16 pages, 2 figure
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