40 research outputs found
Close encounters of a rotating star with planets in parabolic orbits of varying inclination and the formation of Hot Jupiters
(abbreviated) We extend the theory of close encounters of a planet on a
parabolic orbit with a star to include the effects of tides induced on the
central rotating star. Orbits with arbitrary inclination to the stellar
rotation axis are considered. We obtain results both from an analytic treatment
and numerical one that are in satisfactory agreement. These results are applied
to the initial phase of the tidal circularisation problem. We find that both
tides induced in the star and planet can lead to a significant decrease of the
orbital semi-major axis for orbits having periastron distances smaller than 5-6
stellar radii (corresponding to periods days after the
circularisation has been completed) with tides in the star being much stronger
for retrograde orbits compared to prograde orbits. We use the simple Skumanich
law for the stellar rotation with its rotational period equal to one month at
the age of 5Gyr. The strength of tidal interactions is characterised by
circularisation time scale, defined as a time scale of evolution of
the planet's semi-major axis due to tides considered as a function of orbital
period after the process of tidal circularisation has been completed.
We find that the ratio of the initial circularisation time scales corresponding
to prograde and retrograde orbits is of order 1.5-2 for a planet of one Jupiter
mass and four days. It grows with the mass of the planet, being
of order five for a five Jupiter mass planet with the same . Thus, the
effect of stellar rotation may provide a bias in the formation of planetary
systems having planets on close orbits around their host stars, as a
consequence of planet-planet scattering, favouring systems with retrograde
orbits. The results may also be applied to the problem of tidal capture of
stars in young stellar clusters.Comment: to be published in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronom
Young and Intermediate-age Distance Indicators
Distance measurements beyond geometrical and semi-geometrical methods, rely
mainly on standard candles. As the name suggests, these objects have known
luminosities by virtue of their intrinsic proprieties and play a major role in
our understanding of modern cosmology. The main caveats associated with
standard candles are their absolute calibration, contamination of the sample
from other sources and systematic uncertainties. The absolute calibration
mainly depends on their chemical composition and age. To understand the impact
of these effects on the distance scale, it is essential to develop methods
based on different sample of standard candles. Here we review the fundamental
properties of young and intermediate-age distance indicators such as Cepheids,
Mira variables and Red Clump stars and the recent developments in their
application as distance indicators.Comment: Review article, 63 pages (28 figures), Accepted for publication in
Space Science Reviews (Chapter 3 of a special collection resulting from the
May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space
Age
Severe asthma: One disease and multiple definitions
Introduction: There is, so far, no universal definition of severe asthma. This definition usually relies on: number of exacerbations, inhaled therapy, need for oral corticosteroids, and respiratory function. The use of such parameters varies in the different definitions used. Thus, according to the parameters chosen, each patient may result in having severe asthma or not. The aim of this study was to evaluate how the choice of a specific definition of severe asthma can change the allocation of patients. Methods: Data collected from the Severe Asthma Network Italy (SANI) registry were analyzed. All the patients included were then reclassified according to the definitions of U-BIOPRED, NICE, WHO, ATS/ERS, GINA, ENFUMOSA, and TENOR. Results: 540 patients, were extracted from the SANI database. We observed that 462 (86%) met the ATS/ERS criteria as well as the GINA criteria, 259 (48%) the U-Biopred, 222 (41%) the NICE, 125 (23%) the WHO, 313 (58%) the Enfumosa, and 251 (46%) the TENOR criteria. The mean eosinophil value were similar in the ATS/ERS, U-Biopred, and Enfumosa (528, 532 and 516 cells/mcl), higher in WHO and Tenor (567 and 570 cells/mcl) and much higher in the NICE classification (624 cells/mcl). Lung function tests resulted similarly in all groups, with WHO (67%) and ATS/ERS-GINA (73%), respectively, showing the lower and upper mean FEV1 values. Conclusions: The present observations clearly evidence the heterogeneity in the distribution of patients when different definitions of severe asthma are used. However, the recent definition of severe asthma, provided by the GINA document, is similar to that indicated in 2014 by ATS/ERS, allowing mirror reclassification of the patients examined. This lack of homogeneity could complicate the access to biological therapies. The definition provided by the GINA document, which reflects what suggested by ATS/ERS, could partially overcome the problem
137 ancient human genomes from across the Eurasian steppes
Descriptive and Comparative Linguistic
The Cholecystectomy As A Day Case (CAAD) Score: A Validated Score of Preoperative Predictors of Successful Day-Case Cholecystectomy Using the CholeS Data Set
Background
Day-case surgery is associated with significant patient and cost benefits. However, only 43% of cholecystectomy patients are discharged home the same day. One hypothesis is day-case cholecystectomy rates, defined as patients discharged the same day as their operation, may be improved by better assessment of patients using standard preoperative variables.
Methods
Data were extracted from a prospectively collected data set of cholecystectomy patients from 166 UK and Irish hospitals (CholeS). Cholecystectomies performed as elective procedures were divided into main (75%) and validation (25%) data sets. Preoperative predictors were identified, and a risk score of failed day case was devised using multivariate logistic regression. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to validate the score in the validation data set.
Results
Of the 7426 elective cholecystectomies performed, 49% of these were discharged home the same day. Same-day discharge following cholecystectomy was less likely with older patients (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), higher ASA scores (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), complicated cholelithiasis (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.48), male gender (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58–0.74), previous acute gallstone-related admissions (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.48–0.60) and preoperative endoscopic intervention (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.34–0.47). The CAAD score was developed using these variables. When applied to the validation subgroup, a CAAD score of ≤5 was associated with 80.8% successful day-case cholecystectomy compared with 19.2% associated with a CAAD score >5 (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
The CAAD score which utilises data readily available from clinic letters and electronic sources can predict same-day discharges following cholecystectomy
Application of constraint-induced movement therapy in hemiplegic subjects\u2014EMG analysis of muscle recruitment
The constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) in the last 15 years has accumulated a lot of scientific evidence on the recovery of the upper paretic arm in subacute hemiplegic patients [1]. Our research hypothesis was to determine: (1) if CIMT can show more improvement than a task-intensive rehabilitation therapy without immobilizing the unaffected arm; (2) if that improvement be due to a compensatory muscle activity or of a previous selective movement's recovery. With the present study we used dynamic electromyography, stereophotogrammetric system using a new protocol proposed for shoulder and humerus kinematic [2] and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to discover any changes in cortical mapping