Photometry of the Chromospherically Active Binary HD 197010

For the past several years we have been conducting a study of the spectroscopic and photometric characteristics of a sample X-ray emitting stars from the Einstein Observatory Medium Sensitivity Survey identified as probable binary systems by Fleming (1988) and Fleming, et al.(1989). One of these stars, HD 197010 ( = 1E2038.3-0046 = SAO 144692 = BD -1degree 4025) was discovered to be a short period eclipsing binary by Robb, et al.(1990). The ephemeris he presented was based on observations in 1989 and 1990, but only the 1990 observations included points at eclipse minimum. We report here on first results of almost a year of observations at Gettysburg College Observatory and the National Undergraduate Research Observatory, permitting a new determination of the photometric ephemeris of HD 197010

SAO 23229: A New Double-Lined Spectroscopic Eclipsing Binary

The discovery of eclipses of the bright star SAO 23229 (HD 14384; V=6.9; Spectral Type F5 V) by Indiana observer Dan Kaiser was described in a recent article in Sky and Telescope magazine (MacRobert, 1990). Photoelectric observations by H. Landis and D. Williams, reproduced in that article, show eclipses of 0.55 mag depth and period of 2.111 days. No secondary eclipses are reported, leaving open the question of whether the system contains a very dim secondary or whether it consists of two identical stars with an actual period of 4.2 days. We report here observations that favor the latter interpretation. [excerpt

Subjective health legacy of the Chornobyl accident: a comparative study of 19-year olds in Kyiv

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since the Chornobyl accident in 1986, the physical health of exposed children in Ukraine has been monitored, but their perceived health has not been studied. This study examines health perceptions of Ukrainian adolescents exposed to radioactive fallout <it>in utero </it>or as infants, and the epidemiologic and Chornobyl-related influences on self-reported health.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>We assessed three groups of 19-year olds in Kyiv: 262 evacuees from contaminated areas near the plant; 261 classmate controls; and 325 population-based controls. The evacuees and classmates were previously assessed at age 11. Structured interviews were conducted with the adolescents and their mothers (N = 766), followed by general physical examinations (N = 722) and blood tests (N = 707). Proportional odds logistic regression and multi-group path analysis were the major statistical tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The examination and blood test results were similar across groups except for a significantly elevated rate of thyroid enlargement found by palpation in evacuees (17.8%) compared former classmates (8.7%) and population-based controls (8.0%). In addition, four evacuees and one population control had had a thyroidectomy. Compared to controls, the evacuees rated their health the least positively and reported more medically diagnosed illnesses during the 5 years preceding the interview, particularly thyroid disease, migraine headache, and vascular dystony. The consistent risk factors (p < 0.001) for these subjective health reports were evacuee status, female gender, multiple hospitalizations, and health risk perception regarding Chornobyl. All three groups of mothers rated their children's health more negatively than the adolescents themselves, and maternal ratings were uniquely associated with the adolescents' health reports in the adjusted models. In the longitudinal evacuee and classmate subsamples, path analysis showed that mothers' health ratings when the children were age 11 predicted their later evaluations which in turn were associated with the adolescent self-reports.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The more negative self-evaluations of the evacuees were linked to a number of risk factors, including multiple hospitalizations, health risk perceptions, and epidemiologic risk factors. The increased rate of thyroid cancer and other diagnoses no doubt contributed to the evacuees' less positive subjective health. The strong effect of the mothers' perceptions argues in favor of developing risk communication programs for families rather than for mothers or adolescents as separate target groups.</p

The IPBES Conceptual Framework - connecting nature and people

The first public product of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is its Conceptual Framework. This conceptual and analytical tool, presented here in detail, will underpin all IPBES functions and provide structure and comparability to the syntheses that IPBES will produce at different spatial scales, on different themes, and in different regions. Salient innovative aspects of the IPBES Conceptual Framework are its transparent and participatory construction process and its explicit consideration of diverse scientific disciplines, stakeholders, and knowledge systems, including indigenous and local knowledge. Because the focus on co-construction of integrative knowledge is shared by an increasing number of initiatives worldwide, this framework should be useful beyond IPBES, for the wider research and knowledge-policy communities working on the links between nature and people, such as natural, social and engineering scientists, policy-makers at different levels, and decision-makers in different sectors of society

Undergraduate Research for Majors and Non-Majors

It is becoming well recognized that undergraduate participation in the research process is an important part of the educational experience of students in the sciences mcluding astronomy. In the past, some colleges ran outstanding pro~rams of involving their undergraduates in astronomical research by using the facilities of the national observatories. Unfortunately these facilities are no longer available. Institutions desiring to involve undergraduates in astronomical research have adopted several means of replacing these facilities including refurbishing telescopes at Kitt Peak and other observatories for use by consortia of smaller institutions. Another approach which we have adopted is to augment campus facilities with both an automatic telescope at a prime site and membership in the National Undergraduate Research Observatory

Partial associations of dietary iron, smoking and intestinal bacteria with colorectal cancer risk

Item does not contain fulltextSmoking and high red meat intake have been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Increased iron exposure may be a common factor, favoring the colonization of certain bacterial pathogens that preferentially grow in an iron-rich luminal environment. We analyzed the data from a population-based case-control study of CRC and measured antibody levels against flagelin of Salmonella (FliC), one of the irontrophic bacteria, in 2 independent blood collections. The risk of CRC synergistically increased by combined exposures to heme iron intake and pack-yr (PY) of cigarette smoking (P value for the interaction = 0.039 on the continuous scale). There was a marginally significant interaction between heme iron intake and PY in increasing FliC antibody in the U.S. control subjects (P = 0.055), although no iron or smoking data were available for Dutch samples. Furthermore, FliC antibody levels were significantly higher in patients with colorectal polyps and cancer than in controls in both Dutch (3.93 vs. 2.23) (P = 0.014) and U.S. samples (6.65 vs. 4.37) (P < 0.001). Potential roles of iron from cigarette smoking and dietary heme in CRC through altering irontrophic luminal bacterial population may warrant further investigation

Multiple modernities or varieties of modernity?

10.1177/0011392106058835Current Sociology54