Mathematical Evaluation of Community Level Impact of Combining Bed Nets and Indoor Residual Spraying upon Malaria Transmission in Areas where the main Vectors are Anopheles Arabiensis Mosquitoes.

Indoor residual insecticide spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) are commonly used together even though evidence that such combinations confer greater protection against malaria than either method alone is inconsistent. A deterministic model of mosquito life cycle processes was adapted to allow parameterization with results from experimental hut trials of various combinations of untreated nets or LLINs (Olyset, PermaNet 2.0, Icon Life nets) with IRS (pirimiphos methyl, lambda cyhalothrin, DDT), in a setting where vector populations are dominated by Anopheles arabiensis, so that community level impact upon malaria transmission at high coverage could be predicted. Intact untreated nets alone provide equivalent personal protection to all three LLINs. Relative to IRS plus untreated nets, community level protection is slightly higher when Olyset or PermaNet 2.0 nets are added onto IRS with pirimiphos methyl or lambda cyhalothrin but not DDT, and when Icon Life nets supplement any of the IRS insecticides. Adding IRS onto any net modestly enhances communal protection when pirimiphos methyl is sprayed, while spraying lambda cyhalothrin enhances protection for untreated nets but not LLINs. Addition of DDT reduces communal protection when added to LLINs. Where transmission is mediated primarily by An. arabiensis, adding IRS to high LLIN coverage provides only modest incremental benefit (e.g. when an organophosphate like pirimiphos methyl is used), but can be redundant (e.g. when a pyrethroid like lambda cyhalothin is used) or even regressive (e.g. when DDT is used for the IRS). Relative to IRS plus untreated nets, supplementing IRS with LLINs will only modestly improve community protection. Beyond the physical protection that intact nets provide, additional protection against transmission by An. arabiensis conferred by insecticides will be remarkably small, regardless of whether they are delivered as LLINs or IRS. The insecticidal action of LLINs and IRS probably already approaches their absolute limit of potential impact upon this persistent vector so personal protection of nets should be enhanced by improving the physical integrity and durability. Combining LLINs and non-pyrethroid IRS in residual transmission systems may nevertheless be justified as a means to manage insecticide resistance and prevent potential rebound of not only An. arabiensis, but also more potent, vulnerable and historically important species such as Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus

Extragalactic Zeeman Detections in OH Megamasers

We have measured the Zeeman splitting of OH megamaser emission at 1667 MHz from five (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies ([U]LIRGs) using the 305 m Arecibo telescope and the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. Five of eight targeted galaxies show significant Zeeman-splitting detections, with 14 individual masing components detected and line-of-sight magnetic field strengths ranging from ~0.5-18 mG. The detected field strengths are similar to those measured in Galactic OH masers, suggesting that the local process of massive star formation occurs under similar conditions in (U)LIRGs and the Galaxy, in spite of the vastly different large-scale environments. Our measured field strengths are also similar to magnetic field strengths in (U)LIRGs inferred from synchrotron observations, implying that milligauss magnetic fields likely pervade most phases of the interstellar medium in (U)LIRGs. These results provide a promising new tool for probing the astrophysics of distant galaxies.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal v680n2, June 20, 2008; corrected 2 typo

HI absorption in radio galaxies: effect of orientation or interstellar medium?

A search for HI absorption has been made in 23 radio galaxies using the ATCA, the VLA and the WSRT. In five galaxies HI absorption was detected. We investigate how the detection rate is distributed among galaxies with different radio and optical properties. Among the Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type I radio galaxies, only one object (10% of total) was detected. The HI absorption in these objects is likely to come from a nuclear disk, as found for other galaxies of this type. The low detection rate is consistent with the hypothesis (as suggested by optical and X-ray data) that the ``standard'' pc scale, geometrically thick torus is not required in low-luminosity radio galaxies. In the case of FR type-II powerful radio galaxies, no HI absorption has been detected in broad line radio galaxies, while three out of four narrow-line radio galaxies have been detected (the one non-detection having quite a high upper limit). All these are compact or small radio galaxies. To first order this is consistent with the predictions of the unified schemes, assuming that the HI absorption is due to an obscuring torus. However, the indications of this being the only cause of the absorption are not very strong. In particular, we find that in two of the three detected objects that the HI is blueshifted compared to the systemic velocity. In the third galaxy (PKS 1549-79) two redshift systems (from the optical lines) are found. The uncertainty in the systemic velocity derived from optical lines is discussed. Finally, we find a tendency for radio galaxies with a strong component of young stellar population and far-IR emission to show HI absorption. The overall richer ISM that is likely to be present in these galaxies may be a factor in producing the absorption

The ATCA/VLA OH 1612 MHz survey. III. Northern Galactic Plane

We present observations of the region between 5deg < l < 45deg and |b| < 3deg, in the OH 1612 MHz line, taken from 1993 to 1995 with the VLA. These observations are the last part of a larger survey, covering |l| < 45deg and |b| < 3deg, with the ATCA and the VLA. The region was systematically observed on a 30'x30' grid in (l,b) and the resulting coverage was 92%, with 965 pointings. We found 286 OH--masing objects, 161 of which are new detections and 207 have reliable IRAS point-source identifications. The outflow velocity was determined for 276 sources. A total of 766 sources were detected in the combined ATCA/VLA survey, of which 29 were detected in two regions of the survey. The source tables and spectra may be downloaded from http://msowww.anu.edu.au/~msevenst/pubs.html In this article we analyse the data statistically and give identifications with known sources where possible. The efficiency of this VLA survey is 75% of that of the ATCA Bulge survey. This efficiency was determined by comparing the detections in the region where the two surveys overlap. The completeness- and error characteristics are similar, though less homogeneous, except for the much larger errors in the flux densities. The relatively large surface number density found in the northern disk, suggests that we can see the Bar extending to higher longitudes on this side of the galactic Centre.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figs, LaTeX, A&A (accepted), table+spectra on htt

Configuration of the high‐latitude thermosphere neutral circulation for IMF B y negative and positive

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94946/1/grl2864.pd

Neutral motions in the polar thermosphere for northward interplanetary magnetic field

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94648/1/grl2865.pd