2,864 research outputs found
The 492 GHz emission of Sgr A* constrained by ALMA
We report linearly polarized continuum emission properties of Sgr A* at
492 GHz, based on the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations.
We used the observations of the likely unpolarized continuum emission of Titan,
and the observations of C\textsc{i} line emission, to gauge the degree of
spurious polarization. The Stokes I flux of 3.60.72 Jy during our run is
consistent with extrapolations from the previous, lower frequency observations.
We found that the continuum emission of Sgr A* at 492 GHz shows large
amplitude differences between the XX and the YY correlations. The observed
intensity ratio between the XX and YY correlations as a function of parallactic
angle may be explained by a constant polarization position angle of
1583. The fitted polarization percentage of Sgr
A* during our observational period is 14\%1.2\%. The calibrator quasar
J1744-3116 we observed at the same night can be fitted to Stokes I = 252 mJy,
with 7.9\%0.9\% polarization in position angle P.A. =
4.14.2. The observed polarization percentage and
polarization position angle in the present work appear consistent with those
expected from longer wavelength observations in the period of 1999-2005. In
particular, the polarization position angle at 492 GHz, expected from the
previously fitted 1677 intrinsic polarization position
angle and (-5.60.7)10 rotation measure, is 155,
which is consistent with our new measurement of polarization position angle
within 1. The polarization percentage and the polarization position
angle may be varying over the period of our ALMA 12m Array observations, which
demands further investigation with future polarization observations.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 1st referee report received and revise
Left atrial diverticulum - An unexpected finding in routine transesophageal echocardiography
We report a 55-year-old male patient with lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent routine transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) at our institution. In a mid-esophageal 125 degrees three-chamber angulation, a distinct thinning of the left atrial (LA) wall was observed, forming a 7 x 4 mm canal with only a small membrane separating the LA from the pericardial space. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging diagnosed a small LA diverticulum. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first manuscript describing detection of a small LA diverticulum via TOE
Impact of EMA regulatory label changes on systemic diclofenac initiation, discontinuation, and switching to other pain medicines in Scotland, England, Denmark, and The Netherlands
Purpose: In June 2013 a European Medicines Agency referral procedure concluded that diclofenac was associated with an elevated risk of acute cardiovascular events and contraindications, warnings, and changes to the product information were implemented across the European Union. This study measured the impact of the regulatory action on the prescribing of systemic diclofenac in Denmark, The Netherlands, England, and Scotland. Methods: Quarterly time series analyses measuring diclofenac prescription initiation, discontinuation and switching to other systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), topical NSAIDs, paracetamol, opioids, and other chronic pain medication in those who discontinued diclofenac. Absolute effects were estimated using interrupted time series regression. Results: Overall, diclofenac prescription initiations fell during the observation periods of all countries. Compared with Denmark where there appeared to be amore limited effect, the regulatory action was associated with significant immediate reductions in diclofenac initiation in The Netherlands (−0.42%, 95% CI, −0.66% to −0.18%), England (−0.09%, 95% CI, −0.11% to −0.08%), and Scotland (−0.67%, 95% CI, −0.79% to −0.55%); and falling trends in diclofenac initiation in the Netherlands (−0.03%, 95% CI, −0.06% to −0.01% per quarter) and Scotland (−0.04%, 95% CI, −0.05% to −0.02% per quarter). There was no significant impact on diclofenac discontinuation in any country. The regulatory action was associated with modest differences in switching to other pain medicines following diclofenac discontinuation. Conclusions: The regulatory action was associated with significant reductions in overall diclofenac initiation which varied by country and type of exposure. There was no impact on discontinuation and variable impact on switching
insights for ecological applications from the German Biodiversity Exploratories
Biodiversity, a multidimensional property of natural systems, is difficult to
quantify partly because of the multitude of indices proposed for this purpose.
Indices aim to describe general properties of communities that allow us to
compare different regions, taxa, and trophic levels. Therefore, they are of
fundamental importance for environmental monitoring and conservation, although
there is no consensus about which indices are more appropriate and
informative. We tested several common diversity indices in a range of simple
to complex statistical analyses in order to determine whether some were better
suited for certain analyses than others. We used data collected around the
focal plant Plantago lanceolata on 60 temperate grassland plots embedded in an
agricultural landscape to explore relationships between the common diversity
indices of species richness (S), Shannon's diversity (H'), Simpson's diversity
(D1), Simpson's dominance (D2), Simpson's evenness (E), and Berger–Parker
dominance (BP). We calculated each of these indices for herbaceous plants,
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, aboveground arthropods, belowground insect
larvae, and P. lanceolata molecular and chemical diversity. Including these
trait-based measures of diversity allowed us to test whether or not they
behaved similarly to the better studied species diversity. We used path
analysis to determine whether compound indices detected more relationships
between diversities of different organisms and traits than more basic indices.
In the path models, more paths were significant when using H', even though all
models except that with E were equally reliable. This demonstrates that while
common diversity indices may appear interchangeable in simple analyses, when
considering complex interactions, the choice of index can profoundly alter the
interpretation of results. Data mining in order to identify the index
producing the most significant results should be avoided, but simultaneously
considering analyses using multiple indices can provide greater insight into
the interactions in a system
Метафорична картина світу та її місце у системі світів
Статья посвящается исследованию понятия метафорической картины мира, целесообразность выделения которой автор объясняет тем, что по аналогии с языковой и концептуальной картинами мира, термин "метафорическая
картина мира" содержит информацию о сложной структуре многосмысловых
значений, которые в силу своей метафорической природе гармонически объединяются.У статті йдеться про поняття метафоричної картини світу, доцільність
виділення якої авторка пояснює тим, що за аналогією до мовної й концептуальної картин світу, термін "метафорична картина світу" вміщує інформацію про
складну структуру багатосмислових значень, що завдяки своїй метафоричній
природі гармонійно поєднуються.The article deals with the notion of metaphorical world picture connected with the
general principle of conceptualization. The term "metaphorical world picture" consists
of a complex structure of various meanings harmonically combined due to their
metaphorical nature
Psychiatric disorders, myoclonus dystonia and SGCE:An international study
OBJECTIVE: Myoclonus-dystonia (M-D) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder, typically alcohol-responsive upper body myoclonus and dystonia. The majority of autosomal dominant familial cases are caused by epsilon-sarcoglycan gene (SGCE) mutations. Previous publications have observed increased rates of psychiatric disorders amongst SGCE mutation-positive populations. We analyzed the psychiatric data from four international centers, forming the largest cohort to date, to further determine the extent and type of psychiatric disorders in M-D.METHODS: Psychiatric data from SGCE mutation-positive M-D cohorts, collected by movement disorder specialists in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany, were analyzed. These data were collected using standardized, systematic questionnaires allowing classification of symptoms according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) criteria. Based on motor findings and SGCE mutation analysis, participants were classified into one of three groups: manifesting carriers, nonmanifesting carriers and noncarriers.RESULTS: Data from 307 participants were evaluated (140 males, 167 females, mean age at examination: 42.5 years). Two-thirds of motor affected mutation carriers (n = 132) had ≥1 psychiatric diagnosis, specific, and social phobias being most common followed by alcohol dependence and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Compared to familial controls, affected mutation carriers had significantly elevated overall rates of psychiatric disorders (P < 0.001). The most significant differences were observed with alcohol dependence (P < 0.001), OCD (P < 0.001), social and specific phobias (P < 0.001).INTERPRETATION: M-D due to SGCE mutations is associated with specific psychiatric disorders, most commonly OCD, anxiety-related disorders, and alcohol dependence. These suggest either a potential pleiotropic function for SGCE within the central nervous system or a secondary effect of the motor disorder.</p
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