The Data Processing Pipeline for the Herschel-HIFI Instrument

The HIFI data processing pipeline was developed to systematically process diagnostic, calibration and astronomical observations taken with the HIFI science instrumentas part of the Herschel mission. The HIFI pipeline processed data from all HIFI observing modes within the Herschel automated processing environment, as well as, within an interactive environment. A common software framework was developed to best support the use cases required by the instrument teams and by the general astronomers. The HIFI pipeline was built on top of that and was designed with a high degree of modularity. This modular design provided the necessary flexibility and extensibility to deal with the complexity of batch-processing eighteen different observing modes, to support the astronomers in the interactive analysis and to cope with adjustments necessary to improve the pipeline and the quality of the end-products. This approach to the software development and data processing effort was arrived at by coalescing the lessons learned from similar research based projects with the understanding that a degree of foresight was required given the overall length of the project. In this article, both the successes and challenges of the HIFI software development process are presented. To support future similar projects and retain experience gained lessons learned are extracted.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

First measurement of gravitational lensing by cosmic voids in SDSS

We report the first measurement of the diminutive lensing signal arising from matter underdensities associated with cosmic voids. While undetectable individually, by stacking the weak gravitational shear estimates around 901 voids detected in SDSS DR7 by Sutter et al. (2012a), we find substantial evidence for a depression of the lensing signal compared to the cosmic mean. This depression is most pronounced at the void radius, in agreement with analytical models of void matter profiles. Even with the largest void sample and imaging survey available today, we cannot put useful constraints on the radial dark-matter void profile. We invite independent investigations of our findings by releasing data and analysis code to the public at https://github.com/pmelchior/void-lensingComment: 6 pages, 5 figures, as accepted by MNRA

Molecular interpretation of pharmaceuticals' adsorption on carbon nanomaterials: Theory meets experiments

The ability of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNM) to interact with a variety of pharmaceutical drugs can be exploited in many applications. In particular, they have been studied both as carriers for in vivo drug delivery and as sorbents for the treatment of water polluted by pharmaceuticals. In recent years, the large number of experimental studies was also assisted by computational work as a tool to provide understanding at molecular level of structural and thermodynamic aspects of adsorption processes. Quantum mechanical methods, especially based on density functional theory (DFT) and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were mainly applied to study adsorption/release of various drugs. This review aims to compare results obtained by theory and experiments, focusing on the adsorption of three classes of compounds: (i) simple organic model molecules; (ii) antimicrobials; (iii) cytostatics. Generally, a good agreement between experimental data (e.g. energies of adsorption, spectroscopic properties, adsorption isotherms, type of interactions, emerged from this review) and theoretical results can be reached, provided that a selection of the correct level of theory is performed. Computational studies are shown to be a valuable tool for investigating such systems and ultimately provide useful insights to guide CNMs materials development and design

Weight loss surgery in adolescents corrects high-density lipoprotein subspecies and their function.

Background/objectiveYouth with obesity have an altered high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subspecies profile characterized by depletion of large apoE-rich HDL particles and an enrichment of small HDL particles. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that this atherogenic HDL profile is reversible and that HDL function would improve with metabolic surgery.MethodsSerum samples from adolescent males with severe obesity mean±s.d. age of 17.4±1.6 years were studied at baseline and 1 year following vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). HDL subspecies and HDL function were evaluated pre and post VSG using paired t-tests. A lean group of adolescents was included as a reference group.ResultsAfter VSG, body mass index decreased by 32% and insulin resistance as estimated by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance decreased by 75% (both P<0.01). Large apoE-rich HDL subspecies increased following VSG (P<0.01) and approached that of lean adolescents despite participants with considerable residual obesity. In addition, HDL function improved compared with baseline (cholesterol efflux capacity increased by 12%, HDL lipid peroxidation potential decreased by 30% and HDL anti-oxidative capacity improved by 25%, all P<0.01).ConclusionsMetabolic surgery results in a significant improvement in the quantity of large HDL subspecies and HDL function. Our data suggest metabolic surgery may improve cardiovascular risk in adolescents and young adults

Cuprate addition to a 6-substituted pentafulvene: preparation of sec-alkyl substituted titanocene dichlorides and their biological activity

The copper-catalysed (10 mol-% CuBr·SMe2, CuCN·LiCl or CuI/PPh3) addition of RMgBr to the pentafulvene 1-(cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-ylidenemethyl)-2-methoxybenzene allows the formation of cyclopentadienyl derivatives with α-CHR(2-MeOPh) sidechains (R = Me, Et, nBu, iBu, allyl, Ph) without H– transfer. The deprotonation of these sec-alkyl-substituted cyclopentadienyls followed by the addition of TiCl4 allows the isolation of TiCl2{η5-C5H4CHR(2-OMePh)} as rac/meso mixtures that show activity against human colon, breast and pancreatic cell lines (GI50 2.3–42.4 μM)

Theory of pixel lensing towards M31 I: the density contribution and mass of MACHOs

POINT-AGAPE is an Anglo-French collaboration which is employing the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) to conduct a pixel-lensing survey towards M31. In this paper we investigate what we can learn from pixel-lensing observables about the MACHO mass and fractional contribution in M31 and the Galaxy for the case of spherically-symmetric near-isothermal haloes. We employ detailed pixel-lensing simulations which include many of the factors which affect the observables. For a maximum MACHO halo we predict an event rate in V of up to 100 per season for M31 and 40 per season for the Galaxy. However, the Einstein radius crossing time is generally not measurable and the observed full-width half-maximum duration provides only a weak tracer of lens mass. Nonetheless, we find that the near-far asymmetry in the spatial distribution of M31 MACHOs provides significant information on their mass and density contribution. We present a likelihood estimator for measuring the fractional contribution and mass of both M31 and Galaxy MACHOs which permits an unbiased determination to be made of MACHO parameters, even from data-sets strongly contaminated by variable stars. If M31 does not have a significant population of MACHOs in the mass range 0.001-1 Solar masses strong limits will result from the first season of INT observations. Simulations based on currently favoured density and mass values indicate that, after three seasons, the M31 MACHO parameters should be constrained to within a factor four uncertainty in halo fraction and an order of magnitude uncertainty in mass (90% confidence). Interesting constraints on Galaxy MACHOs may also be possible. For a campaign lasting ten years, comparable to the lifetime of current LMC surveys, reliable estimates of MACHO parameters in both galaxies should be possible. (Abridged)Comment: 21 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to MNRA

Effective Product Placement

Mit der zunehmenden Verbreitung gezielter Produktplatzierungen in amerikanischen Unterhaltungsprogrammen wächst auch das Interesse der deutschen Werbeindustrie an einer Nutzung dieses Instruments zur werblichen Kommunikation. Bis dato mangelt es jedoch an wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen, welche die in der Marketingpraxis bestehenden Unsicherheiten hinsichtlich eines effektiven Einsatzes von Product Placements beseitigen. In der Forschungsliteratur existiert bislang noch keine umfassende wissenschaftliche Betrachtung potentieller Determinanten und Konsequenzen der Werbewirkung von Product Placements. Das Erkenntnisziel dieser Studie liegt darin, einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur Schließung dieser Forschungslücke beizusteuern. Zunächst erfolgt eine ausführliche Darstellung des Forschungsstands zur Werbeeffektivität von Product Placements. Auf dieser Basis werden die Determinanten der Einstellungswirkung zur platzierten Marke und der damit verbundenen Kaufabsicht identifiziert. Die erarbeiteten Wirkungszusammenhänge werden in ein komplexes Hypothesensystem integriert und anhand der Analyse von empirisch erhobenen Daten (n= 309) unter Verwendung eines linearen Strukturgleichungsmodells überprüft. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung belegen, dass die Einstellung zur platzierten Marke und die daraus resultierende Kaufabsicht in hohem Maße durch die Gestaltung der Produktplatzierung beeinflusst werden. Darunter erweisen sich mehrere vom Marketing-Management direkt beeinflussbare Gestaltungsdeterminanten der Werbeeffektivität als signifikant. Die Werbewirkung ist umso effektiver, je höher die wahrgenommene Kongruenz zwischen Marke und Film sowie zwischen Marke und Hauptfigur ausfällt. Weiterhin übt die wahrgenommene Attraktivität der Hauptfigur einen positiven Effekt auf die Einstellung zur platzierten Marke aus. Schließlich kann auch ein positiver Einfluss der durch den Film induzierten Stimmung auf die Werbeeffektivität von Product Placements nachgewiesen werden

Resistenz gegenüber Online-Werbung - Einflussfaktoren und Konsequenzen der Werberesistenz im Internet

Die weltweit wachsende Akzeptanz des Mediums Internet führt zu einem steigenden Interesse der Werbeindustrie an der Nutzung des Mediums zur werblichen Kommunikation. Parallel wird in der sich verschärfenden wissenschaftlichen und öffentlichen Diskussion deutlich, dass beim Rezipienten erhebliche Widerstände gegen Werbung im Internet auftreten. In der Konsumentenverhaltensforschung mangelt es jedoch an wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen, die sich mit der Thematik Werberesistenz detailliert auseinandersetzen. Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich daher zunächst mit der konzeptuellen Erarbeitung des Konstrukts Werberesistenz durch eine umfangreiche Analyse bisheriger Konzeptualisierungsansätze. Die Auswertung impliziert ein Resistenzverständnis, das sich durch die Kombination einer Einstellungs- und einer Verhaltenskomponente auszeichnet. In einem komplexen Hypothesensystem werden anschließend persönlichkeitsbezogene sowie vom Management beeinflussbare Determinanten der Werberesistenz modelliert. Die empirische Prüfung des Hypothesensystems erfolgt mittels der LISREL-Kausalanalyse (n=316). Die Ergebnisse der Studie bestätigen die Konzeptualisierung des Konstrukts Werberesistenz. Im hergeleiteten Bezugsrahmen kann die Relevanz der allgemeinen Werbeeinstellung, der persönlichkeitsbezogenen Merkmale Extraversion und Neurotizismus sowie die wahrgenommene Freiheitseinengung durch zu häufige Werbekontakte als Determinanten der Werberesistenz identifiziert werden. Abschließend werden konkrete Maßnahmen erläutert, wie das Marketingmanagement Resistenzen gegenüber OnlineWerbung unterbinden kann