Planck intermediate results. XIX. An overview of the polarized thermal emission from Galactic dust

This paper presents an overview of the polarized sky as seen by Planck HFI at 353GHz, which is the most sensitive Planck channel for dust polarization. We construct and analyse maps of dust polarization fraction and polarization angle at 1 degrees resolution, taking into account noise bias and possible systematic effects. The sensitivity of the Planck HFI polarization measurements allows for the first time a mapping of Galactic dust polarized emission on large scales, including low column density regions. We find that the maximum observed dust polarization fraction is high (p(max) = 19.8%), in particular in some regions of moderate hydrogen column density (N-H <2 x 10(21) cm(-2)). The polarization fraction displays a large scatter at NH below a few 10(21) cm(-2). There is a general decrease in the dust polarization fraction with increasing column density above N-H similar or equal to 1 x 10(21) cm(-2) and in particular a sharp drop above N-H similar or equal to 1.5 x 10(22) cm(-2). We characterize the spatial structure of the polarization angle using the angle dispersion function. We find that the polarization angle is ordered over extended areas of several square degrees, separated by filamentary structures of high angle dispersion function. These appear as interfaces where the sky projection of the magnetic field changes abruptly without variations in the column density. The polarization fraction is found to be anti-correlated with the dispersion of polarization angles. These results suggest that, at the resolution of 1 degrees, depolarization is due mainly to fluctuations in the magnetic field orientation along the line of sight, rather than to the loss of grain alignment in shielded regions. We also compare the polarization of thermal dust emission with that of synchrotron measured with Planck, low-frequency radio data, and Faraday rotation measurements toward extragalactic sources. These components bear resemblance along the Galactic plane and in some regions such as the Fan and North Polar Spur regions. The poor match observed in other regions shows, however, that dust, cosmic-ray electrons, and thermal electrons generally sample different parts of the line of sight.Peer reviewe

Planck intermediate results. XXI. Comparison of polarized thermal emission from Galactic dust at 353 GHz with interstellar polarization in the visible

The Planck survey provides unprecedented full-sky coverage of the submillimetre polarized emission from Galactic dust. In addition to the information on the direction of the Galactic magnetic field, this also brings new constraints on the properties of dust. The dust grains that emit the radiation seen by Planck in the submillimetre also extinguish and polarize starlight in the visible. Comparison of the polarization of the emission and of the interstellar polarization on selected lines of sight probed by stars provides unique new diagnostics of the emission and light scattering properties of dust, and therefore of the important dust model parameters, composition, size, and shape. Using ancillary catalogues of interstellar polarization and extinction of starlight, we obtain the degree of polarization, p(V), and the optical depth in the V band to the star, tau(V). Toward these stars we measure the submillimetre polarized intensity, P-S, and total intensity, I-S,I- in the Planck 353 GHz channel. We compare the column density measure in the visible, E(B - V), with that inferred from the Planck product map of the submillimetre dust optical depth and compare the polarization direction (position angle) in the visible with that in the submillimetre. For those lines of sight through the di ff use interstellar medium with comparable values of the estimated column density and polarization directions close to orthogonal, we correlate properties in the submillimetre and visible to find two ratios, R-S/V = (P-S/I-S) = (p(V)/tau(V)) and R-P/p = P-S/p(V), the latter focusing directly on the polarization properties of the aligned grain population alone. We find R-S/V = 4.2, with statistical and systematic uncertainties 0.2 and 0.3, respectively, and R-P/p = 5.4 MJy sr(-1), with uncertainties 0.2 and 0.3 MJy sr(-1), respectively. Our estimate of R-S/V is compatible with predictions based on a range of polarizing dust models that have been developed for the di ff use interstellar medium. This estimate provides new empirical validation of many of the common underlying assumptions of the models, but is not yet very discriminating among them. However, our estimate of R-P/p is not compatible with predictions, which are too low by a factor of about 2.5. This more discriminating diagnostic, R-P/p, indicates that changes to the optical properties in the models of the aligned grain population are required. These new diagnostics, together with the spectral dependence in the submillimetre from Planck, will be important for constraining and understanding the full complexity of the grain models, and for interpreting the Planck thermal dust polarization and refinement of the separation of this contamination of the cosmic microwave background.Peer reviewe

Impact of clinical phenotypes on management and outcomes in European atrial fibrillation patients: a report from the ESC-EHRA EURObservational Research Programme in AF (EORP-AF) General Long-Term Registry

Background: Epidemiological studies in atrial fibrillation (AF) illustrate that clinical complexity increase the risk of major adverse outcomes. We aimed to describe European AF patients\u2019 clinical phenotypes and analyse the differential clinical course. Methods: We performed a hierarchical cluster analysis based on Ward\u2019s Method and Squared Euclidean Distance using 22 clinical binary variables, identifying the optimal number of clusters. We investigated differences in clinical management, use of healthcare resources and outcomes in a cohort of European AF patients from a Europe-wide observational registry. Results: A total of 9363 were available for this analysis. We identified three clusters: Cluster 1 (n = 3634; 38.8%) characterized by older patients and prevalent non-cardiac comorbidities; Cluster 2 (n = 2774; 29.6%) characterized by younger patients with low prevalence of comorbidities; Cluster 3 (n = 2955;31.6%) characterized by patients\u2019 prevalent cardiovascular risk factors/comorbidities. Over a mean follow-up of 22.5 months, Cluster 3 had the highest rate of cardiovascular events, all-cause death, and the composite outcome (combining the previous two) compared to Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 (all P &lt;.001). An adjusted Cox regression showed that compared to Cluster 2, Cluster 3 (hazard ratio (HR) 2.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.27\u20133.62; HR 3.42, 95%CI 2.72\u20134.31; HR 2.79, 95%CI 2.32\u20133.35), and Cluster 1 (HR 1.88, 95%CI 1.48\u20132.38; HR 2.50, 95%CI 1.98\u20133.15; HR 2.09, 95%CI 1.74\u20132.51) reported a higher risk for the three outcomes respectively. Conclusions: In European AF patients, three main clusters were identified, differentiated by differential presence of comorbidities. Both non-cardiac and cardiac comorbidities clusters were found to be associated with an increased risk of major adverse outcomes

Alfabetizar letrando : uma experi?ncia de sucesso por meio dos textos liter?rios.

Uma das grandes preocupa??es que surge a partir da implanta??o do Ensino Fundamental de Nove Anos diz respeito aos processos de alfabetiza??o e letramento. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral investigar e ampliar o di?logo sobre o que muda efetivamente na pr?tica pedag?gica e na sala de aula quando se passa a falar em ?alfabetizar letrando?. Nossos referenciais te?ricos basearam-se nos estudos sobre alfabetiza??o e letramento(s), fundamentados e desenvolvidos por pesquisadores da ?rea. Tamb?m nos fundamentamos nos estudos consecutivos ao desenvolvimento das diferentes formas de letramento, como o conceito de letramento liter?rio. A presente investiga??o ? resultado de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, utilizando-se o estudo de caso como procedimento e foi realizada em uma escola p?blica do munic?pio de Ouro Preto - MG. Metodologicamente, este estudo desenvolveu-se por meio da observa??o da sala de aula de uma turma de seis anos e de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com a professora participante, seis pais e seis alunos da turma pesquisada. Analisamos alguns projetos de trabalho com a literatura, dentre eles a ?Semana na Biblioteca?, desenvolvidos com os alunos da turma pesquisada, que possuem como objetivo principal incentivar a leitura liter?ria, proporcionando ?s crian?as a viv?ncia de situa??es de letramentos por meio da abordagem de diferentes manifesta??es. Os resultados apontam para pr?ticas situadas de letramento liter?rio que consistem o eixo do alfabetizar letrando na turma observada, formando uma comunidade de leitores ativos e aut?nomos, a partir de uma ?escolariza??o adequada? da literatura.A major concern that arises from the Nine Year Basic Education regard to literacy and literacy processes. This research aimed to investigate and broaden the dialogue about what actually changes in pedagogical practice and in the classroom when it comes to speaking in literacy letrando. Our theoretical references were based on studies on literacy and literacy (s), founded and developed by researchers. We also based our studies on consecutive development of different forms of literacy, such as the concept of literary literacy. This research is the result of a qualitative research, using the case study as a procedure and was conducted in a public school in the city of Ouro Preto - MG. Methodologically, this study was developed by observing classroom of a group of six and semi-structured interviews with the participating teacher, six parents and six students of the studied group. We have analyzed some literature projects, including the "Week at the Library", developed with the students researched class, which have as main objective to encourage literary reading, providing opportunities for children to experience of literacies situations by different manifestations approach. The results indicate situated practices of literary literacy consisting shaft alphabetize letrando in the observed group, forming a community of active and independent readers, from a proper education literature

Atitudes e opini?es de profissionais envolvidos na aten??o ? mulher em situa??o de viol?ncia em 10 munic?pios brasileiros.

This research aimed to analyze opinions and attitudes of professionals of the network of care to women in violence situation in 10 Brazilian cities. It is a quantitative cross-sectional study, carried out through semi-structured interviews with the participants of the workshops in these cities, totaling 438 individuals. A descriptive analysis was performed with frequency distributions, bivariate analysis and correspondence analysis. The number of professionals working on the suspected cases is higher than the number of those working on the confirmed cases of violence against women. Less than half of the professionals who attended the suspected cases has taken action on the matter of the fact. The adoption of some attitudes by the professionals was more common ? even also being less than half of the majority of actions ? in the face of the confirmed cases. Underreporting occurs in suspected cases and confirmed cases. Most of the interviewed people consider to be responsibility of the public health sector to develop preventing actions toward violence against women, with a high rate of unanswered cases. It is concluded that there is a long way for care to women in violence situation to be properly offered; professionals routinely refer more than address the cases, they poorly report them, they do not feel qualified, and sometimes do not even see themselves as the responsible for this care.Esta pesquisa objetivou analisar opini?es e atitudes de profissionais da rede de aten??o ?s mulheres em situa??o de viol?ncia em 10 munic?pios brasileiros. Estudo transversal quantitativo, realizado mediante entrevistas semiestruturadas com os participantes de oficinas realizadas nos munic?pios em estudo, totalizando 438 sujeitos. Realizou-se an?lise descritiva com distribui??o de frequ?ncias, an?lise bivariada e an?lise de correspond?ncia. O n?mero de profissionais que atenderam casos suspeitos ? maior do que o n?mero dos que atenderam casos confirmados de viol?ncia contra a mulher. Menos da metade dos profissionais que atenderam casos suspeitos adotou alguma atitude frente a eles. A ado??o de alguma atitude pelos profissionais foi mais comum ? embora tamb?m abaixo da metade para a maioria das a??es ? diante dos casos confirmados. Subnotifica??o ocorre nos casos suspeitos e nos casos confirmados. A maioria dos entrevistados considera ser papel do setor sa?de desenvolver a??es de preven??o da viol?ncia contra a mulher, com elevada propor??o de respostas deixadas em branco. Conclui-se que falta muito para que a aten??o ? mulher em situa??o de viol?ncia seja devidamente ofertada; os profissionais rotineiramente encaminham mais do que abordam os casos, notificam pouco, n?o se sentem capacitados e, ?s vezes, sequer se veem como respons?veis por essa aten??o

International and Institutional R&D Spillovers: Attribution of Benefits among Sources for Brazil's New Crop Varieties

Reported rates of return to agricultural R&D are generally high, but they are likely to be biased, particularly because of attribution problems—mismatching research benefits with costs. The importance of attribution biases is illustrated here with new evidence for Brazil. During 1981–2003, varietal improvements in upland rice, edible beans, and soybeans yielded benefits of $14.8 billion in present value (1999 prices) terms. Attributing all of the benefits to Embrapa, a public research corporation accounting for more than half of Brazil's agricultural R&D spending, the benefit-cost ratio would be 78:1. Under alternative attribution rules, the ratio drops to 16:1. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.