High-contrast imaging constraints on gas giant planet formation - The Herbig Ae/Be star opportunity

Planet formation studies are often focused on solar-type stars, implicitly considering our Sun as reference point. This approach overlooks, however, that Herbig Ae/Be stars are in some sense much better targets to study planet formation processes empirically, with their disks generally being larger, brighter and simply easier to observe across a large wavelength range. In addition, massive gas giant planets have been found on wide orbits around early type stars, triggering the question if these objects did indeed form there and, if so, by what process. In the following I briefly review what we currently know about the occurrence rate of planets around intermediate mass stars, before discussing recent results from Herbig Ae/Be stars in the context of planet formation. The main emphasis is put on spatially resolved polarized light images of potentially planet forming disks and how these images - in combination with other data - can be used to empirically constrain (parts of) the planet formation process. Of particular interest are two objects, HD100546 and HD169142, where, in addition to intriguing morphological structures in the disks, direct observational evidence for (very) young planets has been reported. I conclude with an outlook, what further progress we can expect in the very near future with the next generation of high-contrast imagers at 8-m class telescopes and their synergies with ALMA.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysics and Space Science as invited short review in special issue about Herbig Ae/Be stars; 12 pages incl. 5 figures, 2 tables and reference

Marketing Intelligence in SMEs: Implications for the Industry and Policy makers

Purpose - This paper seeks to demonstrate empirically the relationship between firm characteristics and information use within a small and medium sized enterprises (SME) context, proposing that firm characteristics are a catalyst of information use. With marketing information it is intended all data usable within for a marketing purpose. Design/methodology/approach - First, firm characteristics and their impact on information use amongst SMEs were identified in the literature. After that, a quantitative study was performed analysing the data through multivariate data analysis techniques, specifically principal component analysis (PCA), canonical correlation analysis and regression. The results of the analysis are discussed and the paper ends with the conclusions, implications for practitioners and policy makers, limitations of the study and indications for future research. Findings - The results of this study show the importance of the association between firm characteristics and information use amongst SMEs, demonstrating that strategic approach, firm size and resources allocation are catalysts of information use. Originality/value - Different firm characteristics have an impact on information use. Understanding better what firm characteristics are potential catalysts of information use may empower practitioners’ with better marketing intelligence and policy makers with a measure to assess potential risk when subsidising small businesses

Urinary tissue factor in glomerulonephritis: a potential marker of glomerular injury?

AIM: To investigate the significance of urinary tissue factor (uTF) concentrations in patients with glomerulonephritis. METHODS: Urine samples were collected from normal subjects (n = 57), patients with uncomplicated renal stones (n = 30), and patients with glomerulonephritis (n = 150). Samples were then centrifuged and the pellets solubilised in n-octyl-beta-glucopyranoside. uTF concentrations were determined using a one stage kinetic chromogenic assay. RESULTS: The uTF concentration was higher in patients with glomerulonephritis than in normal controls (p < 0.01) or in patients with renal stones (p < 0.05). uTF activity correlated with the protein creatinine index (PCI, r = 0.41, p < 0.001) and seven patients with glomerulonephritis and a PCI < or = 0.1 g/mmol had raised uTF. Glomerulonephritis patients were subdivided into two groups depending on the PCI: < 0.2 g/mmol creatinine (mild to moderate proteinuria, group I) and > or = 0.2 g/mmol creatinine (heavy proteinuria, group II). In group I, uTF concentrations were higher in patients with either immune complex (IC) glomerulonephritis (p < 0.01) or non-IC (p < 0.05) glomerulonephritis than in normal controls. In group II, the IC glomerulonephritis group had higher uTF concentrations than normal controls (p < 0.001) or patients with renal stones (p < 0.01); and non-IC glomerulonephritis patients had higher uTF than normal controls (p < 0.01). When the glomerulonephritis groups were divided into broad WHO subtypes, the significance level varied with the type of glomerulonephritis. CONCLUSIONS: uTF is increased in patients with glomerulonephritis, and its concentration may reflect the aetiopathogenesis of glomerulonephritis