Septic Arthritis Caused by Legionella dumoffii in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-Like Disease

We describe a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like disease on immunosuppressive treatment who developed septic arthritis of the knee involving Legionella dumoffii. Cultures initially remained negative. A broad-range 16S PCR using synovial fluid revealed L. dumoffii rRNA genes, a finding that was subsequently confirmed by positive Legionella culture results

The GAINS Model for Greenhouse Gases - Version 1.0: Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Many of the traditional air pollutants and greenhouse gases have common sources, offering a cost-effective potential for simultaneous improvements of traditional air pollution problems and climate change. A methodology has been developed to extend the RAINS integrated assessment model to explore synergies and trade-offs between the control of greenhouse gases and air pollution. With this extension, the GAINS (GHG-Air pollution INteraction and Synergies) model will allow the assessment of emission control costs for the six greenhouse gases covered under the Kyoto Protocol (CO2, CH4, N2O and the three F-gases) together with the emissions of air pollutants SO2, NOx, VOC, NH3 and PM. This report describes the first implementation (Version 1.0) of the model extension model to incorporate CO2 emissions. GAINS Version 1.0 assesses 230 options for reducing CO2 emissions from the various source categories, both through structural changes in the energy system (fuel substitution, energy efficiency improvements) and through end-of-pipe measures (e.g., carbon capture). GAINS quantifies for 43 countries/regions in Europe country-specific application potentials of the various options in the different sectors of the economy, and estimates the societal resource costs of these measures. Mitigation potentials are estimated in relation to an exogenous baseline projection that is considered to reflect current planning, and are derived from a comparison of scenario results for a range of carbon prices obtained from energy models. A critical element of the GAINS assessment refers to the assumptions on CO2 mitigation measures for which negative life cycle costs are calculated. There are a number of options for which the accumulated (and discounted over time) cost savings from reduced energy consumption outweigh their investments, even if private interest rates are used. If the construction of the baseline projection assumes a cost-effectiveness rationale, such measures would be autonomously adopted by the economic actors, even in the absence of any CO2 mitigation interest. In practice, however, it can be observed that various market imperfections impede the autonomous penetration. Due to the substantial CO2 mitigation potential that is associated with such negative cost options, projections of future CO2 emissions and even more of the available CO2 mitigation potentials are highly sensitive towards assumptions on their autonomous penetration rates occurring in the baseline projection. Assuming that all negative cost measures would form an integral part of the Energy Outlook developed in 2003 by the Directorate General for Energy and Transport of the European Commission that has been developed with a cost-minimizing energy model, CO2 emissions in Europe would approach 1990 levels in 2020, even in absence of any specific climate policy. Beyond that, GAINS estimates for 2020 an additional reduction potential of 20 percent. With full application of all mitigation measures contained in the GAINS database, the power sector could reduce its CO2 emissions by 550 Mt, the transport sector by 400 Mt, industry by 190 Mt, and the residential and commercial sector by 50 Mt below the baseline projection. Total costs of all these measures would amount to approximately 90 billion Euro/year

An optical parsec-scale jet from a massive young star in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Highly collimated parsec-scale jets, generally linked to the presence of an accretion disk, are a commonly observed phenomenon from revealed low-mass young stellar objects. In the past two decades, only a very few of these objects have been directly (or indirectly) observed towards high-mass (M > 8 M$_{\odot}$) young stellar objects, adding to the growing evidence that disk-mediated accretion is a phenomenon also occurring in high-mass stars, the formation mechanism of which is still poorly understood. Of the observed jets from massive young stars, none is in the optical regime (due to these being typically highly obscured by their native material), and none are found outside of the Milky Way. Here, we report the detection of HH 1177, the first extragalactic optical ionized jet originating from a massive young stellar object located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The jet is highly collimated over the entire measured extent of at least 10 pc, and has a bipolar geometry. The presence of a jet indicates ongoing, disk-mediated accretion, and together with the high degree of collimation, this system is therefore likely to be an up-scaled version of low-mass star formation. We conclude that the physics governing jet launching and collimation is independent of stellar mass.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Carina's Pillars of Destruction: the view from ALMA

Forming high-mass stars have a significant effect on their natal environment. Their feedback pathways, including winds, outflows, and ionising radiation, shape the evolution of their surroundings which impacts the formation of the next generation of stars. They create or reveal dense pillars of gas and dust towards the edges of the cavities they clear. They are modelled in feedback simulations, and the sizes and shapes of the pillars produced are consistent with those observed. However, these models predict measurably different kinematics which provides testable discriminants. Here we present the first ALMA Compact Array (ACA) survey of 13 pillars in Carina, observed in $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO and C$^{18}$O J=2-1, and the 230 GHz continuum. The pillars in this survey were chosen to cover a wide range in properties relating to the amount and direction of incident radiation, proximity to nearby irradiating clusters and cloud rims, and whether they are detached from the cloud. With these data, we are able to discriminate between models. We generally find pillar velocity dispersions of $<$ 1 km s$^{-1}$ and that the outer few layers of molecular emission in these pillars show no significant offsets from each other, suggesting little bulk internal motions within the pillars. There are instances where the pillars are offset in velocity from their parental cloud rim, and some with no offset, hinting at a stochastic development of these motions.Comment: 24 Pages, 19 figures. Accepted to MNRA

Record RF performance of standard 90 nm CMOS technology

We have optimized 3 key RF devices realized in standard logic 90 nm CMOS technology and report a record performance in terms of n-MOS maximum oscillation frequency f/sub max/ (280 GHz), varactor tuning range and varactor and inductor quality factor

Relating jet structure to photometric variability: the Herbig Ae star HD 163296

Herbig Ae/Be stars are intermediate-mass pre-main sequence stars surrounded by circumstellar dust disks. Some are observed to produce jets, whose appearance as a sequence of shock fronts (knots) suggests a past episodic outflow variability. This "jet fossil record" can be used to reconstruct the outflow history. We present the first optical to near-infrared (NIR) VLT/X-shooter spectra of the jet from the Herbig Ae star HD 163296. We determine physical conditions in the knots, as well as their kinematic "launch epochs". Knots are formed simultaneously on either side of the disk, with a regular interval of ~16 yr. The velocity dispersion versus jet velocity and the energy input are comparable in both lobes. However, the mass loss rate, velocity, and shock conditions are asymmetric. We find Mjet/Macc ~ 0.01-0.1, consistent with magneto-centrifugal jet launching models. No evidence for dust is found in the high-velocity jet, suggesting it is launched within the sublimation radius (<0.5 au). The jet inclination measured from proper motions and radial velocities confirms it is perpendicular to the disk. A tentative relation is found between the structure of the jet and the photometric variability of the source. Episodes of NIR brightening were previously detected and attributed to a dusty disk wind. We report for the first time significant optical fadings lasting from a few days up to a year, coinciding with the NIR brightenings. These are likely caused by dust lifted high above the disk plane; this supports the disk wind scenario. The disk wind is launched at a larger radius than the high-velocity atomic jet, although their outflow variability may have a common origin. No significant relation between outflow and accretion variability could be established. Our findings confirm that this source undergoes periodic ejection events, which may be coupled with dust ejections above the disk plane.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Strong Pinning in High Temperature Superconductors

Detailed measurements of the critical current density jc of YBa2Cu3O7 films grown by pulsed laser deposition reveal the increase of jc as function of the filmthickness. Both this thickness dependence and the field dependence of the critical current are consistently described using a generalization of the theory of strong pinning of Ovchinnikov and Ivlev [Phys. Rev. B 43, 8024 (1991)]. From the model, we deduce values of the defect density (10^21 m^-3) and the elementary pinning force, which are in good agreement with the generally accepted values for Y2O3-inclusions. In the absence of clear evidence that the critical current is determined by linear defects or modulations of the film thickness, our model provides an alternative explanation for the rather universal field dependence of the critical current density found in YBa2Cu3O7 films deposited by different methods.Comment: 11 pages; 8 Figures; Published Phys. Rev. B 66, 024523 (2002

Contact tracing for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE):evaluation of the Dutch policy of quintuple screening cultures

Detection of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) is hampered by low sensitivity of rectal swab cultures. This study aimed to define the number of screening cultures needed to increase sensitivity to detect VRE transmission, and to determine time from presumed exposure to detectable colonization. In a tertiary care setting, we retrospectively analyzed data from 9 VRE outbreaks. As a proxy or estimation for time to detectable colonization, the time between first positive culture of the presumed index patient and that of their contacts was determined. Only 64% of secondary cases were positive in the first out of five cultures. By using the first three out of five rectal swabs, 89% (95%CI: 78–95%) of all secondary cases would have been identified. The median number of days between the positive culture of the index patient and the first positive culture of secondary cases was 9 days. Eleven percent of secondary cases would have been missed if only three rectal samples would have been obtained. Furthermore, our results show that one or more rectal swabs taken around day 9 after presumed exposure should at least be included in the screening approach. In our setting, obtaining a fourth and a fifth rectal swab showed a relevant additional value compared to only one to three swabs. Our findings are useful for determining the most effective VRE contact tracing approach to prevent transmission.</p