978 research outputs found
Diabetes insípida central e hipotiroidismo secundario debidos a un macroadenoma hipofisario en un perro
Se expone el caso de una perra que presentaba inicialmente midriasis unilateral como único signo clínico. A los 12 meses apareció también midriasis en el otro ojo junto con poliuria, polidipsia, letargia y alopecia bilateral troncal. Tras distintas pruebas se diagnosticó diabetes insípida central e hipotiroidismo secundario, presuntamente debidos a un tumor hipofisario posteriormente confirmado mediante necropsia.
Potential for Carbon Storage and Technology Transfer in the Southeastern United States
As the concern over global warming grows, interest in sequestering carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is expected to intensify. Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners in the southeastern United States can play a major role in sequestering atmospheric carbon. Sequestering carbon through reforestation/afforestation incentive programs requires participation by university Extension personnel to effectively communicate knowledge to landowners. This article discusses above and belowground carbon sequestration, carbon sequestration programs available to nonindustrial private forest landowners, and activities university Extension personnel may engage in to facilitate the implementation of such programs
Finding Strong Gravitational Lenses in the Kilo Degree Survey with Convolutional Neural Networks
The volume of data that will be produced by new-generation surveys requires
automatic classification methods to select and analyze sources. Indeed, this is
the case for the search for strong gravitational lenses, where the population
of the detectable lensed sources is only a very small fraction of the full
source population. We apply for the first time a morphological classification
method based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for recognizing strong
gravitational lenses in square degrees of the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS),
one of the current-generation optical wide surveys. The CNN is currently
optimized to recognize lenses with Einstein radii arcsec, about
twice the -band seeing in KiDS. In a sample of colour-magnitude
selected Luminous Red Galaxies (LRG), of which three are known lenses, the CNN
retrieves 761 strong-lens candidates and correctly classifies two out of three
of the known lenses. The misclassified lens has an Einstein radius below the
range on which the algorithm is trained. We down-select the most reliable 56
candidates by a joint visual inspection. This final sample is presented and
discussed. A conservative estimate based on our results shows that with our
proposed method it should be possible to find massive LRG-galaxy
lenses at z\lsim 0.4 in KiDS when completed. In the most optimistic scenario
this number can grow considerably (to maximally 2400 lenses), when
widening the colour-magnitude selection and training the CNN to recognize
smaller image-separation lens systems.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figures. Published in MNRA
Potential for Carbon Storage and Technology Transfer in the Southeastern United States
As the concern over global warming grows, interest in sequestering carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is expected to intensify. Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners in the southeastern United States can play a major role in sequestering atmospheric carbon. Sequestering carbon through reforestation/afforestation incentive programs requires participation by university Extension personnel to effectively communicate knowledge to landowners. This article discusses above and belowground carbon sequestration, carbon sequestration programs available to nonindustrial private forest landowners, and activities university Extension personnel may engage in to facilitate the implementation of such programs
Searching for galaxy clusters in the Kilo-Degree Survey
In this paper, we present the tools used to search for galaxy clusters in the
Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS), and our first results. The cluster detection is
based on an implementation of the optimal filtering technique that enables us
to identify clusters as over-densities in the distribution of galaxies using
their positions on the sky, magnitudes, and photometric redshifts. The
contamination and completeness of the cluster catalog are derived using mock
catalogs based on the data themselves. The optimal signal to noise threshold
for the cluster detection is obtained by randomizing the galaxy positions and
selecting the value that produces a contamination of less than 20%. Starting
from a subset of clusters detected with high significance at low redshifts, we
shift them to higher redshifts to estimate the completeness as a function of
redshift: the average completeness is ~ 85%. An estimate of the mass of the
clusters is derived using the richness as a proxy. We obtained 1858 candidate
clusters with redshift 0 < z_c < 0.7 and mass 13.5 < log(M500/Msun) < 15 in an
area of 114 sq. degrees (KiDS ESO-DR2). A comparison with publicly available
Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-based cluster catalogs shows that we match more
than 50% of the clusters (77% in the case of the redMaPPer catalog). We also
cross-matched our cluster catalog with the Abell clusters, and clusters found
by XMM and in the Planck-SZ survey; however, only a small number of them lie
inside the KiDS area currently available.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication on Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Development of a Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Neo-Epitope Assay for the Detection of Intra-Thecal Tendon Disease
The diagnosis of tendon injury relies on clinical signs and diagnostic imaging but imaging is subjective and does not always correlate with clinical signs. A molecular marker would potentially offer a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool that could also provide objective assessment of healing for the comparison of different treatments. Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP) has been used as a molecular marker for osteoarthritis in humans and horses but assays for the protein in tendon sheath synovial fluids have shown overlap between horses affected by tendinopathy and controls. We hypothesized that quantifying a COMP neoepitope would be more discriminatory of injury. COMP fragments were purified from synovial fluids of horses with intra-thecal tendon injuries and media from equine tendon explants, and mass spectrometry of a consistent and abundant fragment revealed a ~100 kDa COMP fragment with a new N-terminus at the 78th amino-acid (NH2-TPRVSVRP) located just outside the junctional region of the protein. A competitive inhibition ELISA based on a polyclonal antibody raised to this sequence yielded more than a 10-fold rise in the mean neoepitope levels for tendinopathy cases compared to controls (5.3 ± 1.3 µg/mL (n = 7) versus 58.8 ± 64.3 µg/mL (n = 13); p = 0.002). However, there was some cross-reactivity of the neoepitope polyclonal antiserum with intact COMP, which could be blocked by a peptide spanning the neoepitope. The modified assay demonstrated a lower concentration but a significant > 500-fold average rise with tendon injury (2.5 ± 2.2 ng/mL (n = 6) versus 1029.8 ± 2188.8 ng/ml (n = 14); p = 0.013). This neo-epitope assay therefore offers a potentially useful marker for clinical use
Earth-Moon Lagrangian points as a testbed for general relativity and effective field theories of gravity
We first analyse the restricted four-body problem consisting of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun as the primaries and a spacecraft as the planetoid. This scheme allows us to take into account the solar perturbation in the description of the motion of a spacecraft in the vicinity of the stable Earth-Moon libration points L4 and L5 both in the classical regime and in the context of effective field theories of gravity. A vehicle initially placed at L4 or L5 will not remain near the respective points. In particular, in the classical case the vehicle moves on a trajectory about the libration points for at least 700 days before escaping away. We show that this is true also if the modified long-distance Newtonian potential of effective gravity is employed. We also evaluate the impulse required to cancel out the perturbing force due to the Sun in order to force the spacecraft to stay precisely at L4 or L5. It turns out that this value is slightly modified with respect to the corresponding Newtonian one. In the second part of the paper, we first evaluate the location of all Lagrangian points in the Earth-Moon system within the framework of general relativity. For the points L4 and L5, the corrections of coordinates are of order a few millimeters and describe a tiny departure from the equilateral triangle. After that, we set up a scheme where the theory which is quantum corrected has as its classical counterpart the Einstein theory, instead of the Newtonian one. In other words, we deal with a theory involving quantum corrections to Einstein gravity, rather than to Newtonian gravity. By virtue of the effective-gravity correction to the long-distance form of the potential among two point masses, all terms involving the ratio between the gravitational radius of the primary and its separation from the planetoid get modified. Within this framework, for the Lagrangian points of stable equilibrium, we find quantum corrections of order two millimeters, whereas for Lagrangian points of unstable equilibrium we find quantum corrections below a millimeter. In the latter case, for the point L1, general relativity corrects Newtonian theory by 7.61 meters, comparable, as an order of magnitude, with the lunar geodesic precession of about 3 meters per orbit. The latter is a cumulative effect accurately measured at the centimeter level through the lunar laser ranging positioning technique. Thus, it is possible to study a new laser ranging test of general relativity to measure the 7.61-meter correction to the L1 Lagrangian point, an observable never used before in the Sun-Earth-Moon system. Performing such an experiment requires controlling the propulsion to precisely reach L1, an instrumental accuracy comparable to the measurement of the lunar geodesic precession, understanding systematic effects resulting from thermal radiation and multi-body gravitational perturbations. This will then be the basis to consider a second-generation experiment to study deviations of effective field theories of gravity from general relativity in the Sun-Earth-Moon system
Efectos del vibrado del pino piñonero (Pinus pinea L.) en el vigor de los árboles: densidad de copa, crecimiento de guías y parásitos de debilidad
In the Northwest of Spain the mechanized harvesting of pine cones is more and more frequenIn order to quantify the effects of vibration on the vigor of the trees, parcels of stone pine were planted in plateau and countryside. Both the mechanized and manual harvests were analyzed in adult and young trees. The growth of the tree shoots was measured. The presence and abundance of three insect plagues was analyzed in those same trees: Tomicus piniperda, Rhyacionia buoliana and Thaumetopoea pityocampa. The average shoot length of those trees manually harvested was superior to that of those mechanically harvested. The difference was very significant in young trees (40-50 years old) in the countryside and in adult trees (more than 80 years) on the plateau. Rhyacionia buoliana was more abundant in adult trees that young trees, but the relation of its abundance with the harvest method was not seen. The presence of Tomicus piniperda was rare and was only detected in mechanically harvested stands. Thaumetopoea pityocampa was more frequent in trees harvested by hand than those harvested mechanically and was more abundant in young stands. The percentage tree of defoliation was low in all stands independent of harvest method.En el noroeste de España es cada vez más frecuente la recolección mecanizada de piña. Para cuantificar los efectos del vibrado sobre el vigor de los árboles se instalaron en montes de páramo y de campiña parcelas donde se realizó cosecha mecanizada y manual en arbolado adulto y joven. Se midió el crecimiento de los brotes y se analizó la presencia y abundancia de tres insectos plaga sobre estos árboles, Tomicus piniperda y Rhyacionia buoliana, considerados parásitos de debilidad, así como Thaumetopoea pityocampa. La longitud media de los brotes fue superior en árboles cosechados manualmente. La diferencia es importante en árboles jóvenes (40-50 años) de campiñas y en árboles adultos (más de 80 años) de páramos. Rhyacionia buoliana fue más abundante en árboles adultos que en arbolado joven, pero no se vio relación de su abundancia con el método de cosecha. Tomicus piniperda fue escaso y sólo se detectó en rodales cosechados mecanizadamente. Thaumetopoea pityocampa es más frecuente en rodales cosechados manualmente, y en rodales jóvenes lo que indica que selecciona los árboles de crecimiento más vigoroso para alimentarse. Los porcentajes de defoliación fueron bajos en todas las parcelas
The galaxy environment in GAMA G3C groups using the Kilo Degree Survey Data Release 3
We aim to investigate the galaxy environment in GAMA Galaxy Groups Catalogue
(G3C) using a volume-limited galaxy sample from the Kilo Degree Survey Data
Release 3. The k-Nearest Neighbour technique is adapted to take into account
the probability density functions (PDFs) of photometric redshifts in our
calculations. This algorithm was tested on simulated KiDS tiles, showing its
capability of recovering the relation between galaxy colour, luminosity and
local environment. The characterization of the galaxy environment in G3C groups
shows systematically steeper density contrasts for more massive groups. The red
galaxy fraction gradients in these groups is evident for most of group mass
bins. The density contrast of red galaxies is systematically higher at group
centers when compared to blue galaxy ones. In addition, distinct group center
definitions are used to show that our results are insensitive to center
definitions. These results confirm the galaxy evolution scenario which
environmental mechanisms are responsible for a slow quenching process as
galaxies fall into groups and clusters, resulting in a smooth observed colour
gradients in galaxy systems.Comment: 14 pages, Accepted to MNRA
The Fornax Deep Survey with VST. II. Fornax A: a two-phase assembly caught on act
As part of the Fornax Deep Survey with the ESO VLT Survey Telescope, we
present new and bands mosaics of the SW group of the Fornax cluster. It
covers an area of square degrees around the central galaxy
NGC1316. The deep photometry, the high spatial resolution of OmegaCam and the
large covered area allow us to study the galaxy structure, to trace stellar
halo formation and look at the galaxy environment. We map the surface
brightness profile out to 33arcmin (kpc ) from the galaxy
centre, down to mag arcsec and mag
arcsec. This allow us to estimate the scales of the main components
dominating the light distribution, which are the central spheroid, inside 5.5
arcmin ( kpc), and the outer stellar envelope. Data analysis suggests
that we are catching in act the second phase of the mass assembly in this
galaxy, since the accretion of smaller satellites is going on in both
components. The outer envelope of NGC1316 still hosts the remnants of the
accreted satellite galaxies that are forming the stellar halo. We discuss the
possible formation scenarios for NGC1316, by comparing the observed properties
(morphology, colors, gas content, kinematics and dynamics) with predictions
from cosmological simulations of galaxy formation. We find that {\it i)} the
central spheroid could result from at least one merging event, it could be a
pre-existing early-type disk galaxy with a lower mass companion, and {\it ii)}
the stellar envelope comes from the gradual accretion of small satellites.Comment: Accepeted for publication in Ap
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