UBVRI Light Curves of 44 Type Ia Supernovae

We present UBVRI photometry of 44 type-Ia supernovae (SN Ia) observed from 1997 to 2001 as part of a continuing monitoring campaign at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The data set comprises 2190 observations and is the largest homogeneously observed and reduced sample of SN Ia to date, nearly doubling the number of well-observed, nearby SN Ia with published multicolor CCD light curves. The large sample of U-band photometry is a unique addition, with important connections to SN Ia observed at high redshift. The decline rate of SN Ia U-band light curves correlates well with the decline rate in other bands, as does the U-B color at maximum light. However, the U-band peak magnitudes show an increased dispersion relative to other bands even after accounting for extinction and decline rate, amounting to an additional ~40% intrinsic scatter compared to B-band.Comment: 84 authors, 71 pages, 51 tables, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. Version with high-res figures and electronic data at http://astron.berkeley.edu/~saurabh/cfa2snIa

Sammenheng mellom strømpriser og luftforurensning

Formålet med denne studien er å belyse sammenhengen mellom strømpriser og luftforurensning, med fokus på vedfyring. I Norge brukes vedfyring som substitutt for elektrisitet, og fordi vedfyring bidrar til luftforurensning, kan økte strømpriser føre til økt luftforurensning. For å besvare problemstillingen ble en økonometrisk analyse utført ved hjelp av minste kvadraters metode, hvor hensikten var å undersøke sammenhengen mellom strømpriser på Østlandet vintrene 2018 til 2023 og utslipp av nitrogenoksid. Nitrogenoksid fungerer som en proxyvariabel for vedfyring og luftforurensning. Analysen finner at det er en statistisk signifikant, temperaturkorrigert sammenheng mellom strømpriser og luftforurensning for det undersøkte geografiske området: En økning i strømpris på 1 prosent forventes å øke nitrogenoksidutslipp mellom 0.068 og 0.099 prosent. Fordi luftforurensning har helse- og miljøkonsekvenser, kan funnene i denne studien ha implikasjoner for politiske tiltak rettet mot å bedre luftkvalitet. Studien bidrar også til å utforske kunnskapsgapet mellom luftforurensning og strømforbruk under nordiske klima- og energiforhold. Imidlertid står studien ovenfor noen begrensninger, da flere antakelser som må ligge til grunn for at resultatene skal være gyldige ikke overholdes i det gitte datasettet, samt utfordringer knyttet til valg av nitrogenoksid som proxyvariabel for vedfyring. Resultatene må derfor sees i lys av disse begrensningene.The purpose of this study is to shed light on the relationship between electricity prices and air pollution, with a focus on wood burning. In Norway, wood burning is used as a substitute for electricity, and because wood combustion contributes to air pollution, increased electricity prices might lead to increased air pollution. To answer the research question, an econometric analysis was carried out using the ordinary least squares method, where the purpose was to investigate the relationship between electricity prices in Eastern Norway in the winters of 2018 to 2023 and nitrogen oxide emissions. Nitrogen oxide functions as a proxy variable for wood burning and air pollution. The analysis finds that there is a statistically significant, temperature-corrected relationship between electricity prices and air pollution for the investigated geographical area: An increase in electricity prices of 1 percent is expected to increase nitrogen oxide emissions between 0.068 and 0.099 percent. Considering the health and environmental implications of air pollution, these findings may have implications for policy measures aimed at improving air quality. The study also contributes to exploring the knowledge gap between air pollution and electricity consumption under Nordic climate and energy conditions. However, the study has certain limitations. Several assumptions necessary for the validity of the results were not valid in the given data set. Additionally, challenges arise from the use of nitrogen oxide as a proxy variable for wood burning.The results must therefore be seen in the light of these limitations

Hilfsmittel und Verfahren für zellbasiertes high content imaging

Cell-based high content imaging has become a versatile and powerful method for studying e. g. cellular viability, morphology or physiology. However, high content imaging and its various applications require complex as well as expensive hardware and consumables, limiting its utility and usability. To broaden the applicability of cell-based high content imaging, we have developed tools and assaying techniques being exemplary portrayed in this article

Kurzfassungen der Agrarumwelt- und Naturschutzprogramme

Das vorliegende Forschungsvorhaben "Kurzfassungen der Agrarumwelt- und Naturschutzprogramme nach der ELER-Verordnung - Fortschreibung und Aktualisierung" (FKZ 807 88 030) aktualisiert die Ergebnisse zweier vorhergehender Vorhaben. Eine Aktualisierung war notwendig, weil die ELER-Verordnung der Europäischen Union, die die neue Förderperiode einleitete, einen völlig neuen Rahmen für die EU-kofinanzierten Agrarumwelt- und Naturschutzprogramme vorgegeben hat. Allein dieser Umstand führte zu erheblichen Veränderungen in den Agrarumwelt- und Naturschutzprogrammen, die in Deutschland aufgrund der föderalen Struktur von den Bundesländern gestaltet werden. Gleichzeitig haben die Bundesländer bei der Überarbeitung ihrer Programme auf die Ergebnisse der Evaluierungen, auf positive wie negative Erfahrungen (Akzeptanz, Effizienz etc.) sowie auf veränderte finanzielle Spielräume reagiert. In Kapitel 2 erfolgt eine Definition bzw. Abgrenzung derjenigen Maßnahmen, die in die vorliegende Datenbank aufgenommen wurden. Kapitel 3 enthält eine aktuelle Übersicht über die Agrarumwelt- und Naturschutzprogramme der Bundesländer, die in der Regel als Richtlinien vorliegen. Eine Übersicht über die konkreten Inhalte dieser Richtlinien und die einzelnen Maßnahmen enthält Teil II dieses Berichts (tabellarische Kurzfassungen). Kapitel 4 gibt einen differenzierten Überblick welche Maßnahmen die Bundesländer in den Bereichen Ökologischer Landbau, Ackerbau, Gemüsebau und Dauerkulturen, Grünland, Schutz der Genressourcen, Umwelt- und tiergerechte Haltungsverfahren, Teichwirtschaft sowie bei den Pflege- und Naturschutzprogrammen (Erhalt des natürlichen Erbes) anbieten und wie sich die Gestaltung der Maßnahmen weiterentwickelt. Kapitel 5 fasst die Entwicklung sowie ihre Ursachen und Hintergründe zusammen, bewertet die Entwicklung und versucht einen Ausblick auf künftige Entwicklungen zu geben

Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

New Oleoyl Hybrids of Natural Antioxidants: Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation as Inducers of Apoptosis in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Nowadays, the beneficial role of a healthy lifestyle, particularly emphasizing the quality of foods and cancer management, is accepted worldwide. Polyphenols and oleic acid play a key role in this context, but are still scarcely used as anti-cancer agents due to their bio-accessibility limits. Therefore, we aimed to synthesize a set of new oleoyl-hybrids of quercetin, morin, pinocembrin, and catechin to overcome the low bioavailability of polyphenols, throughout a bio-catalytic approach using pancreatic porcine lipase as a catalyst. The in vitro assays, using a wide panel of human cancer cell lines showed, mainly for two novel regioisomer oleoyl-hybrids of quercetin, a remarkable increase in apoptotic cell populations. We suggested that the DNA damage shown as ɣH2AX signals might be the major cause of apoptotic cell death. Finally, we demonstrated convincing data about two novel polyphenol-based hybrids displaying a highly selective anti-cancer cytotoxicity and being superior compared to their reference/parental compounds

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Reconstruction of primary vertices at the ATLAS experiment in Run 1 proton–proton collisions at the LHC

This paper presents the method and performance of primary vertex reconstruction in proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment during Run 1 of the LHC. The studies presented focus on data taken during 2012 at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=8 TeV. The performance has been measured as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing over a wide range, from one to seventy. The measurement of the position and size of the luminous region and its use as a constraint to improve the primary vertex resolution are discussed. A longitudinal vertex position resolution of about 30μm is achieved for events with high multiplicity of reconstructed tracks. The transverse position resolution is better than 20μm and is dominated by the precision on the size of the luminous region. An analytical model is proposed to describe the primary vertex reconstruction efficiency as a function of the number of interactions per bunch crossing and of the longitudinal size of the luminous region. Agreement between the data and the predictions of this model is better than 3% up to seventy interactions per bunch crossing