An Eye-Tracking Methodology for Testing Consumer Preference of Display Trays in a Simulated Retail Environment

Display trays have traditionally been used to support distribution packaging and retail stocking. Yet, it is becoming increasingly common to find display trays as devices to garner attention and increase the shelf presence of packaging. This paper presents a method for testing consumer preference of display trays for liquid dish soap and canned tomatoes in CUShop™, a consumer experience laboratory, using eye-tracking technology. It was hypothesized that display trays would increase total fixation duration and decrease time to first fixation on the respective products tested. However, it was determined that attention to products in a display tray was less favorable to products not in a display tray. Experimental results are limited because of the many variables that exist for display trays. If further studies were to be conducted on a larger variety of display trays using the methodology described, the appeal and attention value of display trays could be comprehensively understood

The Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) I. Overview and the diverse environments of Lyman limit systems at z<1

We present initial results from the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS). CUBS is designed to map diffuse baryonic structures at redshift z<~1 using absorption-line spectroscopy of 15 UV-bright QSOs with matching deep galaxy survey data. CUBS QSOs are selected based on their NUV brightness to avoid biases against the presence of intervening Lyman Limit Systems (LLSs) at zabs~ 17.2 over a total redshift survey pathlength of dz=9.3, and a number density of n(z)=0.43 (-0.18, +0.26). Considering all absorbers with log N(HI)/cm^-2 > 16.5 leads to n(z)=1.08 (-0.25, +0.31) at z<1. All LLSs exhibit a multi-component structure and associated metal transitions from multiple ionization states such as CII, CIII, MgII, SiII, SiIII, and OVI absorption. Differential chemical enrichment levels as well as ionization states are directly observed across individual components in three LLSs. We present deep galaxy survey data obtained using the VLT-MUSE integral field spectrograph and the Magellan Telescopes, reaching sensitivities necessary for detecting galaxies fainter than 0.1L* at d<~300 physical kpc (pkpc) in all five fields. A diverse range of galaxy properties is seen around these LLSs, from a low-mass dwarf galaxy pair, a co-rotating gaseous halo/disk, a star-forming galaxy, a massive quiescent galaxy, to a galaxy group. The closest galaxies have projected distances ranging from d=15 to 72 pkpc and intrinsic luminosities from ~0.01L* to ~3L*. Our study shows that LLSs originate in a variety of galaxy environments and trace gaseous structures with a broad range of metallicities.Comment: 26 pages, 14 figures, MNRAS in pres

The Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) V: On the Thermodynamic Properties of the Cool Circumgalactic Medium at z<1z < 1

This paper presents a systematic study of the photoionization and thermodynamic properties of the cool circumgalactic medium (CGM) as traced by rest-frame ultraviolet absorption lines around 26 galaxies at redshift $z\lesssim1$. The study utilizes both high-quality far-ultraviolet and optical spectra of background QSOs and deep galaxy redshift surveys to characterize the gas density, temperature, and pressure of individual absorbing components and to resolve their internal non-thermal motions. The derived gas density spans more than three decades, from $\log (n_{\rm H}/{\rm cm^{-3}}) \approx -4$ to $-1$, while the temperature of the gas is confined in a narrow range of $\log (T/{\rm K})\approx 4.3\pm 0.3$. In addition, a weak anti-correlation between gas density and temperature is observed, consistent with the expectation of the gas being in photoionization equilibrium. Furthermore, decomposing the observed line widths into thermal and non-thermal contributions reveals that more than 30% of the components at $z\lesssim 1$ exhibit line widths driven by non-thermal motions, in comparison to $<20$% found at $z\approx 2$-3. Attributing the observed non-thermal line widths to intra-clump turbulence, we find that massive quenched galaxies on average exhibit higher non-thermal broadening/turbulent energy in their CGM compared to star-forming galaxies at $z\lesssim 1$. Finally, strong absorption features from multiple ions covering a wide range of ionization energy (e.g., from Mg II to O IV) can be present simultaneously in a single absorption system with kinematically aligned component structure, but the inferred pressure in different phases may differ by a factor of $\approx 10$.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRA

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p&lt;0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (&lt;1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (&lt;1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

Community response of deep-sea soft-sediment metazoan meiofauna to the Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout and oil spill of 2010 released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Spill-related contaminants that sank to the seafloor pose risks to benthic fauna living within bottom substrates that are unable to avoid exposure due to their relatively sedentary existence. Metazoan meiofauna are abundant and diverse members of deep-sea soft-sediment communities and play important roles in ecosystem function. We investigated the deep-sea metazoan meiofauna community response to the DWH blowout and oil spill at 66 stations ranging from <1 km to nearly 200 km from the Mississippi Canyon Block 252 wellhead. Metazoan meiofauna abundance, diversity, and the nematode to copepod ratio (N:C) varied significantly across impact zones. Nematode dominance increased significantly with increasing impacts, and N:C spiked near the wellhead. Conversely, major taxonomic diversity and evenness decreased in zones of greater impacts that were in closer proximity to the DWH wellhead. Copepod abundance and the abundance of minor meiofauna taxa decreased where impacts were most severe, and at these severely impacted stations the abundance of ostracods and kinorhynchs was negligible. Increasing abundance and dominance by nematodes with increasing impacts likely represent a balance between organic enrichment and toxicity. Spatial analysis of meiofauna diversity and N:C at 66 stations increased our spatial understanding of the DWH benthic footprint and suggests expanded spatial impacts in areas previously identified as uncertain.Publishe

Discovery of a Damped Lyα Absorber Originating in a Spectacular Interacting Dwarf Galaxy Pair at z = 0.026

International audienceWe present the discovery of neutral gas detected in both damped Lyα absorption (DLA) and H I 21 cm emission outside of the stellar body of a galaxy, the first such detection in the literature. A joint analysis between the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey and the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey reveals an H I bridge connecting two interacting dwarf galaxies (log (M star/M ⊙) = 8.5 ± 0.2) that host a z = 0.026 DLA with log[N(H I)/cm-2] = 20.60 ± 0.05 toward the QSO J2339-5523 (z QSO = 1.35). At impact parameters of d = 6 and 33 kpc, the dwarf galaxies have no companions more luminous than ≍0.05L * within at least Δv = ±300 km s-1 and d ≍ 350 kpc. The H I 21 cm emission is spatially coincident with the DLA at the 2σ-3σ level per spectral channel over several adjacent beams. However, H I 21 cm absorption is not detected against the radio-bright QSO; if the background UV and radio sources are spatially aligned, the gas is either warm or clumpy (with a spin temperature to covering factor ratio T s /f c > 1880 K). Observations with VLT-MUSE demonstrate that the α-element abundance of the ionized interstellar medium (ISM) is consistent with the DLA (≍10% solar), suggesting that the neutral gas envelope is perturbed ISM gas. This study showcases the impact of dwarf-dwarf interactions on the physical and chemical state of neutral gas outside of star-forming regions. In the SKA era, joint UV and H I 21 cm analyses will be critical for connecting the cosmic neutral gas content to galaxy environments

The Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) – IV. The complex multiphase circumgalactic medium as revealed by partial Lyman limit systems

ABSTRACT We present a detailed study of two partial Lyman limit systems (pLLSs) of neutral hydrogen column density $N_\mathrm{H\, I}\approx (1-3)\times 10^{16}\, \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$ discovered at $z$ = 0.5 in the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS). Available far-ultraviolet spectra from the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and optical echelle spectra from MIKE on the Magellan Telescopes enable a comprehensive ionization analysis of diffuse circumgalactic gas based on resolved kinematics and abundance ratios of atomic species spanning five different ionization stages. These data provide unambiguous evidence of kinematically aligned multiphase gas that masquerades as a single-phase structure and can only be resolved by simultaneous accounting of the full range of observed ionic species. Both systems are resolved into multiple components with inferred α-element abundance varying from [α/H] ≈−0.8 to near solar and densities spanning over two decades from log nH/cm−3 ≈ −2.2 to &amp;lt;−4.3. Available deep galaxy survey data from the CUBS program taken with VLT/MUSE, Magellan/LDSS3-C and Magellan/IMACS reveal that the $z$ = 0.47 system is located 55 kpc from a star-forming galaxy with prominent Balmer absorption of stellar mass ${{M_{\rm star}}}\approx 2\times 10^{10}\, {{M_{\odot}}}$, while the $z$ = 0.54 system resides in an overdense environment of 11 galaxies within 750 kpc in projected distance, with the most massive being a luminous red galaxy of ${{M_{\rm star}}}\approx 2\times 10^{11}\, {{M_{\odot}}}$ at 375 kpc. The study of these two pLLSs adds to an emerging picture of the complex, multiphase circumgalactic gas that varies in chemical abundances and density on small spatial scales in diverse galaxy environments. The inhomogeneous nature of metal enrichment and density revealed in observations must be taken into account in theoretical models of diffuse halo gas.</jats:p

The Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) – I. Overview and the diverse environments of Lyman limit systems at z < 1

We present initial results from the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS). CUBS is designed to map diffuse baryonic structures at redshift z ≲ 1 using absorption-line spectroscopy of 15 UV-bright QSOs with matching deep galaxy survey data. CUBS QSOs are selected based on their NUV brightness to avoid biases against the presence of intervening Lyman limit systems (LLSs) at zabs 16.5 leads to n(z)=1.08+0.31−0.25 at zabs < 1. All LLSs exhibit a multicomponent structure and associated metal transitions from multiple ionization states such as C ii, C iii, Mg ii, Si ii, Si iii, and O vi absorption. Differential chemical enrichment levels as well as ionization states are directly observed across individual components in three LLSs. We present deep galaxy survey data obtained using the VLT-MUSE integral field spectrograph and the Magellan Telescopes, reaching sensitivities necessary for detecting galaxies fainter than 0.1L∗ at d ≲ 300 physical kpc (pkpc) in all five fields. A diverse range of galaxy properties is seen around these LLSs, from a low-mass dwarf galaxy pair, a co-rotating gaseous halo/disc, a star-forming galaxy, a massive quiescent galaxy, to a galaxy group. The closest galaxies have projected distances ranging from d = 15 to 72 pkpc and intrinsic luminosities from ≈0.01L∗ to ≈3L∗. Our study shows that LLSs originate in a variety of galaxy environments and trace gaseous structures with a broad range of metallicities.ISSN:0035-8711ISSN:1365-2966ISSN:1365-871

Intracellular versus extracellular iron accumulation in freshwater periphytic mats across a mine water treatment lagoon

Despite the importance of periphyton–metal interactions in bioremediation schemes and in phosphorus (P) cycling, the processes controlling metal accumulation in periphytic mats are still poorly understood. Iron (Fe) accumulation in periphytic mats was examined across a Fe settlement lagoon receiving mine drainage in Scotland, UK, between March and June 2008. Quantification and mapping of intracellular and extracellular Fe concentrations in periphyton samples using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy suggested that Fe accumulation was dominated by the association of Fe-rich precipitates with the extracellular polymeric substances matrix, rather than biotic uptake. Intracellular Fe concentrations were significantly higher in periphyton samples exposed to the highest dissolved Fe concentrations. Neither intracellular nor extracellular Fe concentrations were significantly affected by light availability or cell density. While diatoms dominated the periphyton communities there was no significant association of diatom functional groups with Fe accumulation, indicating that community composition may not affect the function of periphytic mats with respect to Fe removal. Scale-up calculations based on the mean measured Fe accumulation rate by periphyton substrates of 0.021 g m−2 day−1 showed that exposure of large surface areas of periphyton substrate in the settlement lagoon would only increase the Fe removal efficiency of the lagoon by c.1%