793 research outputs found
Gaia: Organisation and challenges for the data processing
Gaia is an ambitious space astrometry mission of ESA with a main objective to
map the sky in astrometry and photometry down to a magnitude 20 by the end of
the next decade. While the mission is built and operated by ESA and an
industrial consortium, the data processing is entrusted to a consortium formed
by the scientific community, which was formed in 2006 and formally selected by
ESA one year later. The satellite will downlink around 100 TB of raw telemetry
data over a mission duration of 5 years from which a very complex iterative
processing will lead to the final science output: astrometry with a final
accuracy of a few tens of microarcseconds, epoch photometry in wide and narrow
bands, radial velocity and spectra for the stars brighter than 17 mag. We
discuss the general principles and main difficulties of this very large data
processing and present the organisation of the European Consortium responsible
for its design and implementation.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of IAU Symp. 24
Gaia Data Processing Architecture
Gaia is ESA's ambitious space astrometry mission the main objective of which
is to astrometrically and spectro-photometrically map 1000 Million celestial
objects (mostly in our galaxy) with unprecedented accuracy. The announcement of
opportunity for the data processing will be issued by ESA late in 2006. The
Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) has been formed recently
and is preparing an answer. The satellite will downlink close to 100 TB of raw
telemetry data over 5 years. To achieve its required accuracy of a few 10s of
Microarcsecond astrometry, a highly involved processing of this data is
required.
In addition to the main astrometric instrument Gaia will host a Radial
Velocity instrument, two low-resolution dispersers for multi-color photometry
and two Star Mappers. Gaia is a flying Giga Pixel camera. The various
instruments each require relatively complex processing while at the same time
being interdependent. We describe the overall composition of the DPAC and the
envisaged overall architecture of the Gaia data processing system. We shall
delve further into the core processing - one of the nine, so-called,
coordination units comprising the Gaia processing system.Comment: 10 Pages, 2 figures. To appear in ADASS XVI Proceeding
Pralidoxime in Acute Organophosphorus Insecticide Poisoning-A Randomised Controlled Trial
Background: Poisoning with organophosphorus (OP) insecticides is a major global public health problem, causing an estimated 200,000 deaths each year. Although the World Health Organization recommends use of pralidoxime, this antidote's effectiveness remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether the addition of pralidoxime chloride to atropine and supportive care offers benefit. Methods and Findings: We performed a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of pralidoxime chloride (2 g loading dose over 20 min, followed by a constant infusion of 0.5 g/h for up to 7 d) versus saline in patients with organophosphorus insecticide self-poisoning. Mortality was the primary outcome; secondary outcomes included intubation, duration of intubation, and time to death. We measured baseline markers of exposure and pharmacodynamic markers of response to aid interpretation of clinical outcomes. Two hundred thirty-five patients were randomised to receive pralidoxime (121) or saline placebo (114). Pralidoxime produced substantial and moderate red cell acetylcholinesterase reactivation in patients poisoned by diethyl and dimethyl compounds, respectively. Mortality was nonsignificantly higher in patients receiving pralidoxime: 30/121 (24.8%) receiving pralidoxime died, compared with 18/114 (15.8%) receiving placebo (adjusted hazard ratio HR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval CI] 0.88-3.26, p = 0.12). Incorporating the baseline amount of acetylcholinesterase already aged and plasma OP concentration into the analysis increased the HR for patients receiving pralidoxime compared to placebo, further decreasing the likelihood that pralidoxime is beneficial. The need for intubation was similar in both groups (pralidoxime 26/121 21.5%], placebo 24/114 21.1%], adjusted HR 1.27 95% CI 0.71-2.29]). To reduce confounding due to ingestion of different insecticides, we further analysed patients with confirmed chlorpyrifos or dimethoate poisoning alone, finding no evidence of benefit. Conclusions: Despite clear reactivation of red cell acetylcholinesterase in diethyl organophosphorus pesticide poisoned patients, we found no evidence that this regimen improves survival or reduces need for intubation in patients with organophosphorus insecticide poisoning. The reason for this failure to benefit patients was not apparent. Further studies of different dose regimens or different oximes are required
The carbocyanine dye DiD labels in vitro and in vivo neural stem cells of the subventricular zone as well as myelinated structures following in vivo injection in the lateral ventricle
Carbocyanines are fluorescent lipophilic cationic dyes used since the early 1980s as neuronal tracers. Several applications of these compounds have been developed thanks to their low cell toxicity, lateral diffusion within the cellular membranes, and good photostability. 1,1\u27-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3\u27,3\u27-tetramethylindodicarbocyanine 4-chlorobenzenesulfonate (DiD) is an interesting component of this family because, in addition to the classic carbocyanine properties, it has a longer wavelength compared with its analogues. That makes DiD an excellent carbocyanine for labeling cells and tissues with significant intrinsic fluorescence. Drug encapsulation, drug delivery, and cellular transplantation are also fields using DiD-based systems where having detailed knowledge about its behavior as a single entity is important. Recently, promising studies concerned neural stem cells from the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle in the brain (their natural niche) and their potential therapeutic use. Here, we show that DiD is able to label these stem cells in vitro and present basilar information concerning its pharmacokinetics, concentrations, and microscope protocols. Moreover, when DiD is injected in vivo in the cerebrospinal fluid present in the lateral ventricle of rat, it also labels stem cells as well as myelinated structures of the caudoputamen. This analysis provides a database to consult when planning experiments concerning DiD and neural stem cells from the subventricular zone
Presence of a new microtubule cold-stabilizing factor in bull sperm dynein preparations
The Lick Planet Search: Detectability and Mass Thresholds
We analyse 11 years of precise radial velocities for 76 solar type stars from
the Lick survey. Eight stars in this sample have previously reported
planetary-mass companions, all with mass (m sin i) less than 8 Jupiter masses
(MJ). For the stars without a detected companion, we place upper limits on
possible companion mass. For most stars, we can exclude companions with m sin i
> 0.7 MJ (a/AU)^1/2 for orbital radii a < 5 AU.
We use our results to interpret the observed masses and orbital radii of
planetary-mass companions. For example, we show that the finite duration of the
observations makes detection of Jupiter mass companions more and more difficult
for orbital radii beyond 3 AU. Thus it is possible that the majority of solar
type stars harbor Jupiter-mass companions much like our own, and if so these
companions should be detectable in a few years.
To search for periodicities, we adopt a "floating-mean" periodogram, which
improves on the traditional Lomb-Scargle periodogram by accounting for
statistical fluctuations in the mean of a sampled sinusoid. We discuss in
detail the normalization of the periodogram, an issue which has been of some
debate in the literature.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal (50 pages, LaTeX, including 11
figures
Gaia: organisation and challenges for the data processing
Gaia is an ambitious space astrometry mission of ESA with a main objective to map the sky in astrometry and photometry down to a magnitude 20 by the end of the next decade. While the mission is built and operated by ESA and an industrial consortium, the data processing is entrusted to a consortium formed by the scientific community, which was formed in 2006 and formally selected by ESA one year later. The satellite will downlink around 100 TB of raw telemetry data over a mission duration of 5 years from which a very complex iterative processing will lead to the final science output: astrometry with a final accuracy of a few tens of microarcseconds, epoch photometry in wide and narrow bands, radial velocity and spectra for the stars brighter than 17 mag. We discuss the general principles and main difficulties of this very large data processing and present the organization of the European Consortium responsible for its design and implementatio
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