SiS in the circumstellar envelope of IRC +10126: maser and quasi-thermal emission

We present new Effelsberg-100 m, ATCA, and VLA observations of rotational SiS transitions in the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of IRC +10216. Thanks to the high angular resolution achieved by the ATCA observations, we unambiguously confirm that the molecule's J=1-0 transition exhibits maser action in this CSE, as first suggested more than thirty years ago. The maser emission's radial velocity peaking at a local standard of rest velocity of -39.862$\pm$0.065 km/s indicates that it arises from an almost fully accelerated shell. Monitoring observations show time variability of the SiS (1-0) maser. The two lowest-$J$ SiS quasi-thermal emission lines trace a much more extended emitting region than previous high-J SiS observations. Their distributions show that the SiS quasi-thermal emission consists of two components: one is very compact (radius<1.5", corresponding to <3$\times 10^{15}$ cm), and the other extends out to a radius >11". An incomplete shell-like structure is found in the north-east, which is indicative of existing SiS shells. Clumpy structures are also revealed in this CSE. The gain of the SiS (1-0) maser (optical depths of about -5 at the blue-shifted side and, assuming inversion throughout the entire line's velocity range, about -2 at the red-shifted side) suggests that it is unsaturated. The SiS (1-0) maser can be explained in terms of ro-vibrational excitation caused by infrared pumping, and we propose that infrared continuum emission is the main pumping source.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. A high-resolution version can be found at https://gongyan2444.github.io/pdf/cw-leo-sis.pdf 3D movies of SiS cubes can be found at https://gongyan2444.github.io/movie/sis10-3d.avi and https://gongyan2444.github.io/movie/sis21-3d.av

A study of the variability in the hydrochemical factors in the Baltic Sea on the basis of two anchor stations September 1967 and May 1968

The present study was undertaken to investigate the physical and chemical variability in the eastern Gotland Basin. This can serve as an example for the variability in the inner part of an adjacent sea with small tidal influence. Two anchor stations of about four days duration were made, with R.V. "Alkor" in September 1967 and with F.R.V. "Anton Dohrn" in May 1968. On the basis of variations in the physical parameters, and also from continuous recordings of salinity and temperature, c.f., of oxygen and temperature, the presence of internal waves is demonstrated. The variability in the chemical data not only indicate internal waves but also proves the patchlike structure of the water masses with regard to biochemical parameters. The two anchor stations were made during periods of partial and of total stagnation in the deeper parts of the Gotland Basin. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist eine Beschreibung der physikalisch chemischen Veränderlichkeit im östlichen Gotland-Becken, und zwar als Beispiel für die Veränderlichkeit im inneren Teil eines gezeitenarmen Nebenmeeres. Zwei viertägige Ankerstationen wurden durchgeführt, im September 1967 und Mai 1968, mit "Alkor" und "Anton Dohr". Auf Grund der Variationen in den physikalischen Parametern und auch von den kontinuierlichen Registrierungen von Salzgehalt und Temperatur, bzw. von Sauerstoff und Temperatur, werden interne Wellen nachgewiesen. Von der Veränderlichkeit der chemischen Parameter werden neben internen Wellen auch wolkenartige Strukturen der Wassermassen im Bezug auf biochemische Eigenschaften demonstriert. Beide Dauerstationen fielen in einer Periode von teilweiser und von voller Stagnation im Gotland-Becken

Correlations, deviations and expectations: the Extended Principle of the Common Cause

The Principle of the Common Cause is usually understood to provide causal explanations for probabilistic correlations obtaining between causally unrelated events. In this study, an extended interpretation of the principle is proposed, according to which common causes should be invoked to explain positive correlations whose values depart from the ones that one would expect to obtain in accordance to her probabilistic expectations. In addition, a probabilistic model for common causes is tailored which satisfies the generalized version of the principle, at the same time including the standard conjunctive-fork model as a special case

Pegfilgrastim ± ciprofloxacin for primary prophylaxis with TAC (docetaxel/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide) chemotherapy for breast cancer. Results from the GEPARTRIO study

Background: TAC (docetaxel/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide) is associated with high incidences of grade 4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia (FN). This analysis compared the efficacies of four regimens for primary prophylaxis of FN and related toxic effects in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant TAC. Patients and methods: Patients with stage T2-T4 primary breast cancer were scheduled to receive 6-8 cycles of TAC. Primary prophylaxis was: ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally twice daily on days 5-14 (n = 253 patients; 1478 cycles), daily granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (filgrastim 5 μg/kg/day or lenograstim 150 μg/m2/day) on days 5-10 (n = 377; 2400 cycles), pegfilgrastim 6 mg on day 2 (n = 305; 1930 cycles), or pegfilgrastim plus ciprofloxacin (n = 321; 1890 cycles). Results: Pegfilgrastim with/without ciprofloxacin was significantly more effective than daily G-CSF or ciprofloxacin in preventing FN (5% and 7% versus 18% and 22% of patients; all P < 0.001), grade 4 neutropenia, and leukopenia. Pegfilgrastim plus ciprofloxacin completely prevented first cycle FN (P < 0.01 versus pegfilgrastim alone) and fatal neutropenic events. Conclusion: Ciprofloxacin alone, or daily G-CSF from day 5-10 (as in common practice), provided suboptimal protection against FN and related toxic effects in patients receiving TAC. Pegfilgrastim was significantly more effective in this setting, especially if given with ciprofloxaci

Ökologische Untersuchungen zur Nitrifikation in Nord-und Ostsee

Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate were regularly estimated at several stations in the Kieler Bucht (western Baltic Sea) since November 1964. There are considerable seasonal changes in the contents of these 3 nitrogen compounds with impressive maxima of nitrite and nitrate in February or at the beginning of March. The great increase of nitrite and nitrate during the winter and also a smaller increase in summer are mainly caused by oxidation of ammonia, first to nitrite and then to nitrate, by nitrifying bacteria. In consequence chemoautotrophic nitrite- and nitratebacteria could be found in the water as well as in sediments all over the Kieler Bucht and also in the North Sea around the isle of Helgoland. These nitrifying bacteria are able to oxidize ammonia or nitrite in salinity conditions typical for the western Baltic Sea and the North Sea

Research perspectives in the etiology of congenital anorectal malformations using data of the International Consortium on Anorectal Malformations: evidence for risk factors across different populations

Contains fulltext : 89406.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)PURPOSE: The recently established International Consortium on Anorectal Malformations aims to identify genetic and environmental risk factors in the etiology of syndromic and nonsyndromic anorectal malformations (ARM) by promoting collaboration through data sharing and combined research activities. METHODS: The consortium attempts to recruit at least 1,000 ARM cases. DNA samples are collected from case-parent triads to identify genetic factors involved in ARM. Several genetic techniques will be applied, including SNP arrays, gene and whole exome sequencing, and a genome-wide association study. Questionnaires inquiring about circumstances before and during pregnancy will be used to obtain environmental risk factor data. RESULTS: Currently, 701 ARM cases have been recruited throughout Europe. Clinical data are available from all cases, and DNA samples and questionnaire data mainly from the Dutch and German cases. Preliminary analyses on environmental risk factors in the Dutch and German cohort found associations between ARM and family history of ARM, fever during first trimester of pregnancy and maternal job exposure to cleaning agents and solvents. CONCLUSION: First results show that both genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the multifactorial etiology of ARM. The International Consortium on Anorectal Malformations will provide possibilities to study and detect important genes and environmental risk factors for ARM, ultimately resulting in better genetic counseling, improved therapies, and primary prevention.1 november 201

Bayesian D-Optimal Choice Designs for Mixtures

__Abstract__ \n \nConsumer products and services can often be described as mixtures of ingredients. Examples are the mixture of ingredients in a cocktail and the mixture of different components of waiting time (e.g., in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle travel time) in a transportation setting. Choice experiments may help to determine how the respondents\' choice of a product or service is affected by the combination of ingredients. In such studies, individuals are confronted with sets of hypothetical products or services and they are asked to choose the most preferred product or service from each set. \n \nHowever, there are no studies on the optimal design of choice experiments involving mixtures. We propose a method for generating an optimal design for such choice experiments. To this end, we first introduce mixture models in the choice context and next present an algorithm to construct optimal experimental designs, assuming the multinomial logit model is used to analyze the choice data. To overcome the problem that the optimal designs depend on the unknown parameter values, we adopt a Bayesian D-optimal design approach. We also consider locally D-optimal designs and compare the performance of the resulting designs to those produced by a utility-neutral (UN) approach in which designs are based on the assumption that individuals are indifferent between all choice alternatives. We demonstrate that our designs are quite different and in general perform better than the UN designs