Multiband gravitational-wave event rates and stellar physics

Joint gravitational-wave detections of stellar-mass black-hole binaries by ground- and space-based observatories will provide unprecedented opportunities for fundamental physics and astronomy. We present a semianalytic method to estimate multiband event rates by combining selection effects of ground-based interferometers (like LIGO/Virgo) and space missions (like LISA). We forecast the expected number of multiband detections first by using information from current LIGO/Virgo data, and then through population synthesis simulations of binary stars. We estimate that few to tens of LISA detections can be used to predict mergers detectable on the ground. Conversely, hundreds of events could potentially be extracted from the LISA data stream using prior information from ground detections. In general, the merger signal of binaries observable by LISA is strong enough to be unambiguously identified by both current and future ground-based detectors. Therefore third-generation detectors will not increase the number of multiband detections compared to LIGO/Virgo. We use population synthesis simulations of isolated binary stars to explore some of the stellar physics that could be constrained with multiband events, and we show that specific formation pathways might be overrepresented in multiband events compared to ground-only detections.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures. Database and python code available at https://github.com/dgerosa/spops - Published in PR

Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and enteric protozoa among homosexual men in western Sicily (south Italy)

Introduction. In recent years an increase in the number of sexu- ally transmitted infections (STIs) in men who have sex with men (MSM) has been reported in different industrialised countries. Because few epidemiological data on the STIs/MSM population in Sicily are available, a survey was conducted to assess the preva- lence of STIs/enteric protozoa and risky sexual behaviours among MSM in western Sicily. Methods. In 2010, 74 MSM with median age of 30 years old, were recruited via networks. All participants to the study were interviewed by anonymous self-administered questionnaire in order to collect social/demographic information, clinic data and STI-related risky sexual behaviours. After completing the ques- tionnaire, blood samples were collected to determine HIV, HCV, HHV8 and Treponema pallidum antibodies; presence of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium parvum was also investigated in faecal samples by immunofluorescence assay. Results. HIV, HHV8, T. pallidum and Giardia prevalence were 8.1%, 16.2%, 21.6% and 16.4% respectively; all patients were negative for HCV and Cryptosporidium infections. The median values of sexual anal intercourse and oral sex per week were 2 and 1, respectively. 7% of participants always had unprotected anal sex, 50.7% sometimes used condom during sexual anal inter- course and 42.3% always had protected anal sex. All MSM-HIV+ and 7 (43.7%) syphilis seropositives were unaware of their own infection. Discussion. MSM in western Sicily are a high risk group for important STIs. It seems necessary that continuous interventions for preventing HIV/AIDS and other STIs and for improving the level of knowledge of symptoms are needed

Decreased Serum Free Testosterone in Workers Exposed to High Levels of Di-n-butyl Phthalate (DBP) and Di-2-ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP): A Cross-Sectional Study in China

BACKGROUND: Observations of adverse developmental and reproductive effects in laboratory animals and wildlife have fueled increasing public concern regarding the potential for various chemicals to impair human fertility. OBJECTIVE: Our objective in this study was to assess the effect of occupational exposure to high levels of phthalate esters on the balance of gonadotropin and gonadal hormones including luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, free testosterone (fT), and estradiol. METHODS: We examined urine and blood samples of 74 male workers at a factory producing unfoamed polyvinyl chloride flooring exposed to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and compared them with samples from 63 male workers from a construction company, group matched for age and smoking status. RESULTS: Compared to the unexposed workers, the exposed workers had substantially and significantly elevated concentrations of mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP; 644.3 vs. 129.6 μg/g creatinine, p < 0.001) and mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP; 565.7 vs. 5.7 μg/g creatinine, p < 0.001). fT was significantly lower (8.4 vs. 9.7 μg/g creatinine, p = 0.019) in exposed workers than in unexposed workers. fT was negatively correlated to MBP (r = −0.25, p = 0.03) and MEHP (r = −0.19, p = 0.095) in the exposed worker group. Regression analyses revealed that fT decreases significantly with increasing total phthalate ester score (the sum of quartiles of MBP and MEHP; r = −0.26, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: We observed a modest and significant reduction of serum fT in workers with higher levels of urinary MBP and MEHP compared with unexposed workers

MicroRNAs: shortcuts in dealing with molecular complexity?

Recent studies from Clarke's group published in the journal Cell indicate that miRNAs may be the elusive universal stem cell markers that the field of cancer stem cell biology has been seeking. Distinct profiles of miRNAs appear to reflect the state of cell differentiation not only in breast cancer cells, but also in normal mammary epithelial cells. Moreover, they are conserved across tissues and species. The authors of this work also show evidence that downregulation of miRNA-200c in normal and malignant breast stem cells and in embryonal carcinoma cells has functional relevance, being responsible for the proliferative potential of these cells in vitro and in vivo

Ultra-Widefield Imaging of the Retinal Macrovasculature in Parkinson Disease Versus Controls With Normal Cognition Using Alpha-Shapes Analysis

Purpose: To investigate retinal vascular characteristics using ultra-widefield (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy in Parkinson disease (PD).Methods: Individuals with an expert-confirmed clinical diagnosis of PD and controls with normal cognition without PD underwent UWF imaging (California, Optos). Patients with diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, glaucoma, dementia, other movement disorders, or known retinal or optic nerve pathology were excluded. Images were analyzed using Vasculature Assessment and Measurement Platform for Images of the Retina (VAMPIRE-UWF; Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee, UK) software which described retinal vessel width gradient and tortuosity, vascular network fractal dimension, as well as alpha-shape analysis to further characterize vascular morphology [complexity (Opαmin) and spread (OpA)].Results: In the PD cohort, 53 eyes of 38 subjects, and in the control cohort, 51 eyes of 33 subjects were assessed. Eyes with PD had more tortuous retinal arteries in the superotemporal quadrant (p = 0.043). In eyes with PD, alpha-shape analysis revealed decreased OpA, indicating less retinal vasculature spread compared to controls (p = 0.032). Opαmin was decreased in PD (p = 0.044), suggesting increased vascular network complexity. No differences were observed in fractal dimension in any ROI.Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that retinal vasculature assessment on UWF images using alpha-shape analysis reveals differences in retinal vascular network spread and complexity in PD and may be a more sensitive metric compared to fractal dimension.Translational Relevance: Retinal vasculature assessment using these novel methods may be useful in understanding ocular manifestations of PD and the development of retinal biomarkers

Cost-Effectiveness of Vaccination of Older Adults with an MF59®-Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine Compared to Standard-Dose and High-Dose Vaccines in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden

Individuals aged 65 years and above are at increased risk of complications and death from influenza compared with any other age group. Enhanced vaccines, as the MF59®-adjuvanted quadrivalent influenza vaccine (aQIV) and the high-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine (HD-QIV), provide increased protection for older adults in comparison to the traditional standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccines (SD-QIV). This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of aQIV compared to SD-QIV and HD-QIV in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden for adults aged ≥65 years. A static decision tree model was used to evaluate costs and outcomes of different vaccination strategies from healthcare payer and societal perspectives. This model projects that compared to SD-QIV, vaccination with aQIV could prevent a combined total of 18,772 symptomatic influenza infections, 925 hospitalizations, and 161 deaths in one influenza season across the three countries. From a healthcare payer perspective, the incremental costs per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained with aQIV versus SD-QIV were EUR 10,170/QALY in Denmark, EUR 12,515/QALY in Norway, and EUR 9894/QALY in Sweden. The aQIV was cost saving compared with HD-QIV. This study found that introducing aQIV to the entire population aged ≥65 years may contribute to reducing the disease and economic burden associated with influenza in these countries.publishedVersio

Universal nonequilibrium properties of dissipative Rydberg gases

We investigate the out-of-equilibrium behavior of a dissipative gas of Rydberg atoms that features a dynamical transition between two stationary states characterized by different excitation densities. We determine the structure and properties of the phase diagram and identify the universality class of the transition, both for the statics and the dynamics. We show that the proper dynamical order parameter is in fact not the excitation density and find evidence that the dynamical transition is in the “model A” universality class; i.e., it features a nontrivial Z2 symmetry and a dynamics with nonconserved order parameter. This sheds light on some relevant and observable aspects of dynamical transitions in Rydberg gases. In particular it permits a quantitative understanding of a recent experiment [C. Carr, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 113901 (2013)] which observed bistable behavior as well as power-law scaling of the relaxation time. The latter emerges not due to critical slowing down in the vicinity of a second order transition, but from the nonequilibrium dynamics near a so-called spinodal line

An 800-million-solar-mass black hole in a significantly neutral Universe at redshift 7.5

Quasars are the most luminous non-transient objects known and as a result they enable studies of the Universe at the earliest cosmic epochs. Despite extensive efforts, however, the quasar ULAS J1120+0641 at z=7.09 has remained the only one known at z>7 for more than half a decade. Here we report observations of the quasar ULAS J134208.10+092838.61 (hereafter J1342+0928) at redshift z=7.54. This quasar has a bolometric luminosity of 4e13 times the luminosity of the Sun and a black hole mass of 8e8 solar masses. The existence of this supermassive black hole when the Universe was only 690 million years old---just five percent of its current age---reinforces models of early black-hole growth that allow black holes with initial masses of more than about 1e4 solar masses or episodic hyper-Eddington accretion. We see strong evidence of absorption of the spectrum of the quasar redwards of the Lyman alpha emission line (the Gunn-Peterson damping wing), as would be expected if a significant amount (more than 10 per cent) of the hydrogen in the intergalactic medium surrounding J1342+0928 is neutral. We derive a significant fraction of neutral hydrogen, although the exact fraction depends on the modelling. However, even in our most conservative analysis we find a fraction of more than 0.33 (0.11) at 68 per cent (95 per cent) probability, indicating that we are probing well within the reionization epoch of the Universe.Comment: Updated to match the final journal versio