Gas signatures of Herbig Ae/Be disks probed with Herschel SPIRE spectroscopy

Herbig Ae/Be objects, like their lower mass counterparts T Tauri stars, are seen to form a stable circumstellar disk which is initially gas-rich and could ultimately form a planetary system. We present Herschel SPIRE 460-1540 GHz spectra of five targets out of a sample of 13 young disk sources, showing line detections mainly due to warm CO gas.Comment: to be published in proceedings of IAU symposium 299 (Victoria, BC, Canada, June 2013

The detached dust shells around the carbon AGB stars R Scl and V644 Sco

Detached shells are believed to be created during a thermal pulse, and constrain the time scales and physical properties of one of the main drivers of late stellar evolution. We aim at determining the morphology of the detached dust shells around the carbon AGB stars R Scl and V644 Sco, and compare this to observations of the detached gas shells. We observe the polarised, dust-scattered stellar light around these stars using the PolCor instrument mounted on the ESO 3.6m telescope. Observations were done with a coronographic mask to block out the direct stellar light. The polarised images clearly show the detached shells. Using a dust radiative transfer code to model the dust-scattered polarised light, we constrain the radii and widths of the shells to 19.5 arcsec and 9.4 arcsec for the detached dust shells around R Scl and V644 Sco, respectively. Both shells have an overall spherical symmetry and widths of approx. 2 arcsec. For R Scl we can compare the observed dust emission directly with high spatial-resolution maps of CO(3-2) emission from the shell observed with ALMA. We find that the dust and gas coincide almost exactly, indicating a common evolution. The data presented here for R Scl are the most detailed observations of the entire dusty detached shell to date. For V644 Sco these are the first direct measurements of the detached shell. Also here we find that the dust most likely coincides with the gas shell. The observations are consistent with a scenario where the detached shells are created during a thermal pulse. The determined radii and widths will constrain hydrodynamical models describing the pre-pulse mass loss, the thermal pulse, and post-pulse evolution of the star

Decrease in Propagation of Interictal Epileptiform Activity After Introduction of Levetiracetam Visualized with Electric Source Imaging

Different neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, spectroscopy, PET) are being used to evaluate candidate drugs in pharmacological development. In patients with epilepsy fast propagation of the epileptiform activity between different brain areas occurs. Electric Source Imaging (ESI), in contrast to the aforementioned techniques, has a millisecond time resolution, allowing visualization of this fast propagation. The purpose of the current project was to use ESI to investigate whether introduction of an antiepileptic drug (levetiracetam, LEV) would change the propagation patterns of the interictal epileptiform activity. Thirty patients with epilepsy were subject to an EEG recording before (pre-LEV) and after (in-LEV) introduction of LEV. Interictal spikes with similar topographic distribution were averaged within each subject, and a distributed source model was used to localize the EEG sources of the epileptiform activity. The temporal development of the activity within 20 regions of interest (ROIs) was determined, and source propagation between different regions was compared between the pre-LEV and in-LEV recordings. Patients with epileptic seizures showed propagation in 22/24 identified spike types in the pre-LEV recordings. In the in-LEV recordings only 7/15 spike types showed propagation, and six of these seven propagating spikes were recorded in patients with poor effect of treatment. Also in patients without seizures LEV tended to suppress propagation. We conclude that the observed suppression of source propagation can be considered as an indicator of effective antiepileptic treatment. ESI might thus become a useful tool in the early clinical evaluation of new candidate drugs in pharmacological developmen

Design criteria for structural design of silage silo walls

Existing Swedish design guidelines (JBR) cover silo wall heights up to about 3 m. These guidelines presumably overestimate the forces and pressures exerted by silage juice when silo walls are more than 3 m high, which could result in over-sizing, material waste and increased capital costs. This study determined silage physical properties in terms of horizontal wall pressure and evaluated silage juice levels in silos with a wall height of 3 m or more.Wall pressure was measured by transducers mounted on a steel ladder rack placed vertically along the internal silo wall. The ladder rack also permitted measurement of silage juice levels in slotted steel pipes. The pressure on the transducers was recorded by a data acquisition system displaying static and total loads (pressures imposed by silage material without and with the compaction machine, respectively).The static pressure at the bottom of the silo wall (4 m) was 16 kPa during filling and compaction, and 22 kPa 1-4 months after filling. The silage juice did not interact with compaction. The wall pressure increased by 30% after filling, but the increase was only significant at 1 m from the silo bottom. The dynamic load was 17 kPa when the compaction machine passed 0.1 m from the silo wall.New guidelines are proposed based on the results and on the Eurocode for ultimate limit states (ULS) for two stages; filling and the utility period. The design bending moment for ULS was 21% lower than specified in JBR. (C) 2014 IAgrE. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Primary care physicians’ experiences of carrying out consultations on the internet

Background The internet is increasingly used for health matters, including consulting a doctor. Primary care physicians (general practitioners) will probably be involved in performing text-based consultations on the internet as a complement to physical meetings. In the present study, we explored the experiences of GPs already performing consultations on the internet: the challenges, worries and educational demands of the task. Materials and methods A questionnaire was given to 21 GPs performing consultations on the internet for a public, non-commercial ‘ask the doctor’ service. The questionnaire was carried out at a meeting or sent by mail. The doctors answered a total of 28 questions, 12 of which included graded alternatives. Results The participating GPs were stimulated and challenged by performing consultations on the internet with previously unknown enquirers, in spite of limitations caused by the lack of personal meetings and physical examinations. The participants experienced a high educational value as a result of the problem-based learning situation induced by unfamiliar questions. The asynchronous feature was appreciated as it allowed time to reflect and perform relevant information searches before replying. Prior training and long-term experience as a family doctor were recommended before embarking on this method of consultation. Conclusions We conclude that the GPs studied experienced their new role as internet doctors mainly in a positive way, with some limitations. With the increase in consultations on the internet, training in this technique should be integrated into the curricula of medical schools and of continuous professional development (CPD)

Swedish upper secondary school teachers’ experiences with coping with emergency remote teaching (ERT) – emerging pedagogical issues in pandemic times

Acknowledgements and funding This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council [No. 2014-1762].Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The multifunctional FUS, EWS and TAF15 proto-oncoproteins show cell type-specific expression patterns and involvement in cell spreading and stress response

Background: FUS, EWS and TAF15 are structurally similar multifunctional proteins that were first discovered upon characterization of fusion oncogenes in human sarcomas and leukemias. The proteins belong to the FET ( previously TET) family of RNA-binding proteins and are implicated in central cellular processes such as regulation of gene expression, maintenance of genomic integrity and mRNA/microRNA processing. In the present study, we investigated the expression and cellular localization of FET proteins in multiple human tissues and cell types. Results: FUS, EWS and TAF15 were expressed in both distinct and overlapping patterns in human tissues. The three proteins showed almost ubiquitous nuclear expression and FUS and TAF15 were in addition present in the cytoplasm of most cell types. Cytoplasmic EWS was more rarely detected and seen mainly in secretory cell types. Furthermore, FET expression was downregulated in differentiating human embryonic stem cells, during induced differentiation of neuroblastoma cells and absent in terminally differentiated melanocytes and cardiac muscle cells. The FET proteins were targeted to stress granules induced by heat shock and oxidative stress and FUS required its RNA-binding domain for this translocation. Furthermore, FUS and TAF15 were detected in spreading initiation centers of adhering cells. Conclusion: Our results point to cell-specific expression patterns and functions of the FET proteins rather than the housekeeping roles inferred from earlier studies. The localization of FET proteins to stress granules suggests activities in translational regulation during stress conditions. Roles in central processes such as stress response, translational control and adhesion may explain the FET proteins frequent involvement in human cancer

Human liver RNA-programmed in vitro synthesis of a polypeptide related to human apolipoprotein B

AbstractIn an in vitro synthesizing system programmed with RNA from human liver a polypeptide with an estimated Mr of 80000 (80 kDa)±1400 (mean±SD, n=5) was synthesized. This polypeptide could be precipitated with antiserum to a narrow density cut of LDL (d=1.030-1.055) or antiserum against the high-Mr form of apoB (apoB 100 [4]). The synthesized protein is immunologically related to a 75 kDa protein isolated from LDL. We suggest that the 80 kDa protein represents a primary translation product of apoB synthesized in human liver

The surprisingly low carbon mass in the debris disk around HD 32297

Gas has been detected in a number of debris disks. It is likely secondary, i.e. produced by colliding solids. Here, we report ALMA Band 8 observations of neutral carbon in the CO-rich debris disk around the 15--30 Myr old A-type star HD 32297. We find that C$^0$ is located in a ring at $\sim$110 au with a FWHM of $\sim$80 au, and has a mass of $(3.5\pm0.2)\times10^{-3}$ M$_\oplus$. Naively, such a surprisingly small mass can be accumulated from CO photo-dissociation in a time as short as $\sim$10$^4$ yr. We develop a simple model for gas production and destruction in this system, properly accounting for CO self-shielding and shielding by neutral carbon, and introducing a removal mechanism for carbon gas. We find that the most likely scenario to explain both C$^0$ and CO observations, is one where the carbon gas is rapidly removed on a timescale of order a thousand years and the system maintains a very high CO production rate of $\sim$15 M$_\oplus$ Myr$^{-1}$, much higher than the rate of dust grind-down. We propose a possible scenario to meet these peculiar conditions: the capture of carbon onto dust grains, followed by rapid CO re-formation and re-release. In steady state, CO would continuously be recycled, producing a CO-rich gas ring that shows no appreciable spreading over time. This picture might be extended to explain other gas-rich debris disks.Comment: accepted for publication in the Ap