Prospects of long-time-series observations from Dome C for transit search

The detection of transiting extrasolar planets requires high-photometric quality and long-duration photometric stellar time-series. In this paper, we investigate the advantages provided by the Antarctic observing platform Dome C for planet transit detections during its long winter period, which allows for relatively long, uninterrupted time-series. Our calculations include limiting effects due to the Sun and Moon, cloud coverage and the effect of reduced photometric quality for high extinction of target fields. We compare the potential for long time-series from Dome C with a single site in Chile, a three-site low-latitude network as well as combinations of Dome C with Chile and the network, respectively. Dome C is one of the prime astronomical sites on Earth for obtaining uninterrupted long-duration observations in terms of prospects for a high observational duty cycle. The duty cycle of a project can, however, be significantly improved by integrating Dome C into a network of sites.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, accepted by PAS

Experimental investigations of interactions between saltwater and ultramafic rocks in hydrothermal systems

Fluid circulation and serpentinization in ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems occurs mostly at slow- spreading mid-ocean ridges, where tectonic processes promote fluid ingress into the crust. This is a fundamental process that impacts transfer of energy and affects the chemical composition of both the ocean lithosphere and the hydrosphere. Experimental investigations of sulfide-bearing serpentinization systems can help further our understanding of the sulfide phase relations at temperature conditions relevant for natural systems. The purpose of the research presented in this dissertation is to simulate fluid-rock interactions in ultramafic-hosted systems and to investigate reaction pathways, hydrogen generation, elemental exchange during reaction progress between rock and fluid, and formation of alteration minerals. The focus lies on the activities of H2 (aq) and H2S (aq) and changes in the assemblages of Fe-Ni-S mineral phases, which had never been tested by experimental work prior to this study

Results from the Exoplanet Search Programmes with BEST and TEST

Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (TLS) has started to operate a small dedicated telescope - the Tautenburg Exoplanet Search Telescope (TEST) - searching for transits of extrasolar planets in photometric time series observations. In a joint effort with the Berlin Exoplanet Search Telescope (BEST) operated by the Institut fuer Planetenforschung of the "Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)" at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP), France, two observing sites are used to optimise transit search. Here, we give a short overview of these systems and the data analysis. We describe a software pipeline that we have set up to identify transit events of extrasolar planets and variable stars in time series data from these and other telescopes, and report on some first results.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, contributed paper to the "Solar and Stellar Physics Through Eclipses" conference, eds. O. Demircan, S.O. Selam, B. Albayrak (Turkey, March 2006

Environmental Justice in Western Europe

In this chapter we aim to provide an overview of the variety of topics and methods that characterise the evolving set of environmental justice discourses in Western Europe. In the first section of this chapter the range of discourses on environmental justice in Western Europe is introduced through an overview that focuses on the forms of concern and normativity that have been central to environmental justice claim-making. This is followed by an overview of similarities and differences in methodological approaches and results regarding distributional inequalities, based on selected studies. In the second section the role of spatial and environmental planning and the involvement of citizens in planning processes and access to information will be dealt with, focusing therefore on questions of procedural justice. Decision making in this context will be focused on the specific context of implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the European Union. In the final section we take the dimension of future generations into account and discuss the relation between environmental justice and sustainability using the example of the energy sector and ways of dealing with nuclear power

Diversity und Diversity Management in Berliner Unternehmen: im Fokus: Personen mit Migrationshintergrund ; Ergebnisse einer quantitativen und qualitativen empirischen Studie

"Das vorliegende Buch befasst sich mit der betrieblichen Integration von Personen mit Migrationshintergrund. Im Zentrum stehen die Ergebnisse einer telefonischen Befragung von Personalverantwortlichen in 500 Berliner Unternehmen sowie von 40 darauf aufbauenden Tiefen-Interviews mit verschiedenen betrieblichen Akteuren aus sechs Unternehmen, die zu Fallstudien verdichtet wurden. Damit wird aus Diversity-Perspektive beleuchtet, inwieweit sich die Vielfalt auf dem Berliner Arbeitsmarkt in der Personalstruktur der Unternehmen widerspiegelt und welcher personalpolitische Umgang damit verbunden ist. Auf der Basis der empirischen Befunde sowie weiterer Konzepte zur Förderung von Chancengleichheit werden zudem Ansatzpunkte für das Personalmanagement aufgezeigt: Durch eine entsprechende Organisationsanalyse kann der Handlungsbedarf ermittelt werden. Gezielte Maßnahmen können dann darauf hinwirken, dass die Vielfalt im Unternehmen erhöht wird, Personen mit Migrationshintergrund besser integriert und die Potenziale der Vielfalt genutzt werden." (Autorenreferat

Tissue MicroRNA profiles as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and periampullary cancers

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to validate previously described diagnostic and prognostic microRNA expression profiles in tissue samples from patients with pancreatic cancer and other periampullary cancers. METHODS: Expression of 46 selected microRNAs was studied in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (n = 165), ampullary cancer (n=59), duodenal cancer (n = 6), distal common bile duct cancer (n = 21), and gastric cancer (n = 20); chronic pancreatitis (n = 39); and normal pancreas (n = 35). The microRNAs were analyzed by PCR using the Fluidigm platform. RESULTS: Twenty-two microRNAs were significantly differently expressed in patients with pancreatic cancer when compared to healthy controls and chronic pancreatitis patients; 17 miRNAs were upregulated (miR-21-5p, −23a-3p, −31-5p, −34c-5p, −93-3p, −135b-3p, −155-5p, −186-5p, −196b-5p, −203, −205-5p, −210, −222-3p, −451, −492, −614, and miR-622) and 5 were downregulated (miR-122-5p, −130b-3p, −216b, −217, and miR-375). MicroRNAs were grouped into diagnostic indices of varying complexity. Ten microRNAs associated with prognosis were identified (let-7 g, miR-29a-5p, −34a-5p, −125a-3p, −146a-5p, −187, −205-5p, −212-3p, −222-5p, and miR-450b-5p). Prognostic indices based on differences in expression of 2 different microRNAs were constructed for pancreatic and ampullary cancer combined and separately (30, 5, and 21 indices). CONCLUSION: The study confirms that pancreatic cancer tissue has a microRNA expression profile that is different from that of other periampullary cancers, chronic pancreatitis, and normal pancreas. We identified prognostic microRNAs and microRNA indices that were associated with shorter overall survival in patients with radically resected pancreatic cancer. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40364-017-0087-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

NGTS: a robotic transit survey to detect Neptune and Super-Earth mass planets

NGTS is a new ground-based transit survey aimed at detecting sub-Neptune sized exoplanets around bright stars. The instrument will be installed at the ESO Paranal observatory in order to benefit from the excellent observing conditions and follow-up synergy with the VLT and E-ELT. It will be a robotic facility composed of 12, 200 mm telescopes equipped with 2Kx2K NIR sensitive detectors. It is built on the legacy of the WASP experience