Search for AGN counterparts of unidentified Fermi-LAT sources with optical polarimetry: Demonstration of the technique

The third Fermi-LAT catalog (3FGL) presented the data of the first four years of observations from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. There are 3034 sources, 1010 of which still remain unidentified. Identifying and classifying gamma-ray emitters is of high significance with regard to studying high-energy astrophysics. We demonstrate that optical polarimetry can be an advantageous and practical tool in the hunt for counterparts of the unidentified gamma-ray sources (UGSs). Using data from the RoboPol project, we validated that a significant fraction of active galactic nuclei (AGN) associated with 3FGL sources can be identified due to their high optical polarization exceeding that of the field stars. We performed an optical polarimetric survey within $3\sigma$ uncertainties of four unidentified 3FGL sources. We discovered a previously unknown extragalactic object within the positional uncertainty of 3FGL J0221.2+2518. We obtained its spectrum and measured a redshift of $z=0.0609\pm0.0004$. Using these measurements and archival data we demonstrate that this source is a candidate counterpart for 3FGL J0221.2+2518 and most probably is a composite object: a star-forming galaxy accompanied by AGN. We conclude that polarimetry can be a powerful asset in the search for AGN candidate counterparts for unidentified Fermi sources. Future extensive polarimetric surveys at high galactic latitudes (e.g., PASIPHAE) will allow the association of a significant fraction of currently unidentified gamma-ray sources.Comment: accepted to A&

Search for AGN counterparts of unidentified Fermi-LAT sources with optical polarimetry Demonstration of the technique

Context. The third Fermi-LAT catalog (3FGL) presented the data of the first four years of observations from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. There are 3034 sources, 1010 of which still remain unidentified. Identifying and classifying gamma-ray emitters is of high significance with regard to studying high-energy astrophysics.Aims. We demonstrate that optical polarimetry can be an advantageous and practical tool in the hunt for counterparts of the unidentified gamma-ray sources (UGSs).Methods. Using data from the RoboPol project, we validated that a significant fraction of active galactic nuclei (AGN) associated with 3FGL sources can be identified due to their high optical polarization exceeding that of the field stars. We performed an optical polarimetric survey within 3 sigma uncertainties of four unidentified 3FGL sources.Results. We discovered a previously unknown extragalactic object within the positional uncertainty of 3FGL J0221.2 + 2518. We obtained its spectrum and measured a redshift of z = 0.0609 +/- 0.0004. Using these measurements and archival data we demonstrate that this source is a candidate counterpart for 3FGL J0221.2 + 2518 and most probably is a composite object: a star-forming galaxy accompanied by AGN.Conclusions. We conclude that polarimetry can be a powerful asset in the search for AGN candidate counterparts for unidentified Fermi sources. Future extensive polarimetric surveys at high Galactic latitudes (e.g., PASIPHAE) will allow the association of a significant fraction of currently unidentified gamma-ray sources

How can photo sharing inspire sharing genomes?

People usually are aware of the privacy risks of publish-ing photos online, but these risks are less evident when sharing humangenomes. Modern photos and sequenced genomes are both digital rep-resentations of real lives. They contain private information that maycompromise people’s privacy, and still, their highest value is most oftimes achieved only when sharing them with others. In this work, wepresent an analogy between the privacy aspects of sharing photos andsharing genomes, which clarifies the privacy risks in the latter to thegeneral public. Additionally, we illustrate an alternative informed modelto share genomic data according to the privacy-sensitivity level of eachportion. This article is a call to arms for a collaborative work between ge-neticists and security experts to build more effective methods to system-atically protect privacy, whilst promoting the accessibility and sharingof genome

Concern for information privacy:a cross-nation study of the United Kingdom and South Africa

Individuals have differing levels of information privacy concern, formed by their expectations and the confidence they have that organisations meet this in practice. Variance in privacy laws and national factors may also play a role. This study analyses individuals’ information privacy expectation and confidence across two nations, the United Kingdom and South Africa, through a survey of 1463 respondents. The findings indicate that the expectation for privacy in both countries are very high. However, numerous significant differences exist between expectations and confidence when examining privacy principles. The overall results for both countries show that there is a gap in terms of the privacy expectations of respondents compared to the confidence they have in whether organisations are meeting their expectations. Governments, regulators, and organisations with an online presence need to consider individuals’ expectations and ensure that controls that meet regulatory requirements, as well as expectations, are in place

A framework for designing cloud forensic‑enabled services (CFeS)

Cloud computing is used by consumers to access cloud services. Malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities of cloud services to attack consumers. The link between these two assumptions is the cloud service. Although cloud forensics assists in the direction of investigating and solving cloud-based cyber-crimes, in many cases the design and implementation of cloud services falls back. Software designers and engineers should focus their attention on the design and implementation of cloud services that can be investigated in a forensic sound manner. This paper presents a methodology that aims on assisting designers to design cloud forensic-enabled services. The methodology supports the design of cloud services by implementing a number of steps to make the services cloud forensic-enabled. It consists of a set of cloud forensic constraints, a modelling language expressed through a conceptual model and a process based on the concepts identified and presented in the model. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is the correlation of cloud services’ characteristics with the cloud investigation while providing software engineers the ability to design and implement cloud forensic-enabled services via the use of a set of predefined forensic related task

Search for AGN counterparts of unidentified Fermi-LAT sources with optical polarimetry: Demonstration of the technique

Context. The third Fermi-LAT catalog (3FGL) presented the data of the first four years of observations from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. There are 3034 sources, 1010 of which still remain unidentified. Identifying and classifying γ-ray emitters is of high significance with regard to studying high-energy astrophysics. Aims. We demonstrate that optical polarimetry can be an advantageous and practical tool in the hunt for counterparts of the unidentified γ-ray sources (UGSs). Methods. Using data from the RoboPol project, we validated that a significant fraction of active galactic nuclei (AGN) associated with 3FGL sources can be identified due to their high optical polarization exceeding that of the field stars. We performed an optical polarimetric survey within 3σ uncertainties of four unidentified 3FGL sources. Results. We discovered a previously unknown extragalactic object within the positional uncertainty of 3FGL J0221.2+2518. We obtained its spectrum and measured a redshift of z = 0.0609 ± 0.0004. Using these measurements and archival data we demonstrate that this source is a candidate counterpart for 3FGL J0221.2+2518 and most probably is a composite object: a star-forming galaxy accompanied by AGN. Conclusions. We conclude that polarimetry can be a powerful asset in the search for AGN candidate counterparts for unidentified Fermi sources. Future extensive polarimetric surveys at high Galactic latitudes (e.g., PASIPHAE) will allow the association of a significant fraction of currently unidentified γ-ray sources

RoboPol: AGN polarimetric monitoring data

We present uniformly reprocessed and re-calibrated data from the RoboPol programme of optopolarimetric monitoring of active galactic nuclei (AGN), covering observations between 2013, when the instrument was commissioned, and 2017. In total, the dataset presented in this paper includes 5068 observations of 222 AGN with Dec > -25 deg. We describe the current version of the RoboPol pipeline that was used to process and calibrate the entire dataset, and we make the data publicly available for use by the astronomical community. Average quantities summarising optopolarimetric behaviour (average degree of polarization, polarization variability index) are also provided for each source we have observed and for the time interval we have followed it.Comment: Accepted to MNRA

Increased Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Acne Inversa

BACKGROUND: Acne inversa (AI; also designated as Hidradenitis suppurativa) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, localized in the axillary, inguinal and perianal skin areas that causes painful, fistulating sinuses with malodorous purulence and scars. Several chronic inflammatory diseases are associated with the metabolic syndrome and its consequences including arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infraction, and stroke. So far, the association of AI with systemic metabolic alterations is largely unexplored. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A hospital-based case-control study in 80 AI patients and 100 age- and sex-matched control participants was carried out. The prevalence of central obesity (odds ratio 5.88), hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio 2.24), hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (odds ratio 4.56), and hyperglycemia (odds ratio 4.09) in AI patients was significantly higher than in controls. Furthermore, the metabolic syndrome, previously defined as the presence of at least three of the five alterations listed above, was more common in those patients compared to controls (40.0% versus 13.0%; odds ratio 4.46, 95% confidence interval 2.02 to 9.96; P<0.001). AI patients with metabolic syndrome also had more pronounced metabolic alterations than controls with metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, there was no correlation between the severity or duration of the disease and the levels of respective parameters or the number of criteria defining the metabolic syndrome. Rather, the metabolic syndrome was observed in a disproportionately high percentage of young AI patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows for the first time that AI patients have a high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and all of its criteria. It further suggests that the inflammation present in AI patients does not have a major impact on the development of metabolic alterations. Instead, evidence is given for a role of metabolic alterations in the development of AI. We recommend monitoring of AI patients in order to correct their modifiable cardiovascular risk factors