Do quasar broad-line velocity widths add any information to virial black hole mass estimates?

We examine how much information measured broad-line widths add to virial BH mass estimates for flux limited samples of quasars. We do this by comparing the BH mass estimates to those derived by randomly reassigning the quasar broad-line widths to different objects and re-calculating the BH mass. For 9000 BH masses derived from the H_beta line we find that the distributions of original and randomized BH masses in the M_BH-redshift plane and the M_BH-luminosity plane are formally identical. A 2D KS test does not find a difference at >90% confidence. For the MgII line (32000 quasars) we do find very significant differences between the randomized and original BH masses, but the amplitude of the difference is still small. The difference for the CIV line (14000 quasars) is 2-3sigma and again the amplitude of the difference is small. Subdividing the data into redshift and luminosity bins we find that the median absolute difference in BH mass between the original and randomized data is 0.025, 0.01 and 0.04 dex for H_beta, MgII and CIV respectively. The maximum absolute difference is always <=0.1 dex. We investigate whether our results are sensitive to corrections to MgII virial masses (e.g. Onken & Kollmeier 2008). These corrections do not influence our results. Moreover, the mass residual - Eddington ratio correlation discussed by Onken & Kollmeier is more directly attributable to the slope of the relation between H_beta and MgII line width. Our results imply that the measured quasar broad-line velocity widths provide little extra information, after allowing for the mean velocity width. In this case virial estimates are equivalent to M_BH L^alpha, with L/L_edd L^(1-alpha) (with alpha~0.5). This leaves an unanswered question of why the accretion efficiency changes with luminosity in just the right way to keep the mean broad-line widths fixed as a function of luminosity. (abridged)Comment: 9 Pages, 9 figures. Accepted by Astrophysical Journa

Bifurcations of families of 1D-tori in 4D symplectic maps

The regular structures of a generic 4D symplectic map with a mixed phase space are organized by one-parameter families of elliptic 1D-tori. Such families show prominent bends, gaps, and new branches. We explain these features in terms of bifurcations of the families when crossing a resonance. For these bifurcations no external parameter has to be varied. Instead, the longitudinal frequency, which varies along the family, plays the role of the bifurcation parameter. As an example we study two coupled standard maps by visualizing the elliptic and hyperbolic 1D-tori in a 3D phase-space slice, local 2D projections, and frequency space. The observed bifurcations are consistent with analytical predictions previously obtained for quasi-periodically forced oscillators. Moreover, the new families emerging from such a bifurcation form the skeleton of the corresponding resonance channel.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures. For videos of 3D phase-space slices see http://www.comp-phys.tu-dresden.de/supp

Catching the "Local" Bug: A Look at State Agricultural Marketing Programs

State Marketing Program, Local Foods, Consumer Awareness, State-Sponsored Logos, Mid-Atlantic Region, Marketing,

The Peacock Dress: The Language of British Imperialism in India, 1899-1905

This essay aims to discuss the actualization of the imperialist language through the Peacock Dress of Lady Mary Curzon, the new viceroy’s wife in the British colonial India. As the essay argues, the Peacock Dress holds within it a history of appropriation, not appreciation. It highlights the unique colonizing language of the British rule, the racist cloaked as ‘civilizing’ sentiments of the West, the subjugation of the Indian textile industry, and the manifold ways that the British turned their Indian subjects into a colonial Other

The Peacock Dress: The Language of British Imperialism in India, 1899-1905

Imperialism exists in tandem with colonialism. Empires seek out colonies for their resources so they can take the wealth in those countries for their own. Rarely do empires admit this, so they require a language with which to reframe their practices. The British Raj in India exemplifies this. A narrative of exploitation is at first hard to discern, because while the British drained India of its resources and broke down its industries, they appreciated Indian art and objects too, to the point of clothing themselves in Indian textiles, as in the case of the titular Peacock dress. But this appreciation was framed through the lens of British imperialist culture and without proper accreditation to the Indians who created those works, which makes it an appropriation of Indian craftsmanship, not appreciation. By the time Lord George Curzon became Viceroy of India in 1899, this imperialist program was well ingrained. But the question remains: what was the language of this program? This paper is meant to examine how the British Raj, rooted in an imperialist language of representation and civilization, used exploitative appropriation of distinct Indian craftsmanship to continue their denigration of Indian industry and culture. Thus, I will first explain how the work of postcolonial theorist Roxanne Doty offers a framework through which to view the imperialistic appropriation of the British Raj. Then, I will use Curzon’s tenure as a case study for this exploration of imperialist language because of how entrenched it had become; Curzon himself epitomizes this, since he had claimed since his days as the British Under-Secretary of State for India that Britain was on a ‘civilizing mission,’ a deeply racist perspective. Furthermore, the treatment of the textile industry by both Lord and Lady Curzon shows not only how the British took from India, but how they rationalized it

Contracted Tendons in Foals

On April 12, 1945, a three day old Shetland filly was admitted into the Stange Memorial Clinic. The colt was born with contracted flexor tendons of all four legs, the condition being extreme in the rear legs. This congenital defect is not infrequent, although it is not commonly seen in thoroughbreds, or shetlands. It was formerly attributed to infection of the tendons in utero, but today it is believed to be due to a recessive genetic factor appearing in closely bred individuals

Strategic Global Mass Customization: Supporting Generic And Global Strategies

Production processes have moved beyond mass production to more customized approaches.  Global mass customization moves beyond Woodward’s models of production to create business models that allow customers to get what they want, although not quite when they want it.  This paper explores Woodward’s approaches to production processes, extends mass production to include global mass customization and discusses the process as it supports generic and global strategies

Bloodstream infections and antimicrobial resistance in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with special focus on typhoid fever and malaria

Bakgrunn: Globalt bidrar infeksjonssykdommer signifikant til sykdom og død, og lavinntektsland er uforholdsmessig rammet. Ved livstruende infeksjoner som blodbaneinfeksjoner kan rask behandling med adekvate legemidler redde liv. Bruk, overforbruk og feil bruk av antibiotika har ført til en bekymringsfull global økning av antibiotikaresistens som truer behandlingsmulighetene for alvorlige infeksjoner globalt, særlig i ressurssvake områder. Informasjonen som er tilgjengelig om både etiologi av blodbaneinfeksjoner og antibiotikaresistens i Afrika sør for Sahara, inkludert Zanzibar, er utilstrekkelig og setter pasienter i fare for mangelfull behandling og død. Mål: Denne studien tok sikte på å undersøke både etiologi ved blodbaneinfeksjoner i Zanzibar, Tanzania, og resistensforholdene til de påviste bakteriene for å bidra til den kliniske håndteringen av pasientene. Metoder: Kliniske og mikrobiologiske data ble samlet inn i prospektive observasjonelle tversnittsstudier av hospitaliserte pasienter mistenkt for blodbaneinfeksjoner. Dette inkluderte blod for dyrkning, identifikasjon og resistensbestemmelse av de isolerte mikrobene. Salmonella Typhi stammer ble helgenomsekvensert i to perioder (2012/2013 og 2015/2016). Malaria ble diagnostisert ved hjelp av hurtigtest (rapid diagnostic test, RDT), mikroskopi og polymerasekjedereaksjon (PCR) i 2015/2016. Resultater: I 2012/2013 (469 pasienter, artikkel I), fant vi at Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter species og Staphylococcus aureus var de bakteriene som oftest forårsaket blodbaneinfeksjoner. For første gang ble betalaktamase med utvidet spektrum (extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, ESBL) produserende bakterier oppdaget i Zanzibar, både ved infeksjoner som har oppstått utenfor sykehuset og i sykehuservervete infeksjoner. I 2015/2016 var Salmonella Typhi den hyppigste årsaken til bakterielle blodbaneinfeksjoner (61 av 1037 pasienter, artikkel II), med høy prevalens av multiresistente S. Typhi med lavgradig resistens for ciprofloxacin, og alle isolater tilhørende 4.3.1 genotypen som dominerer i Øst-Afrika. Malaria ble funnet hos 9% (63/731) av pasientene (artikkel III). Sammenlignet med PCR var sensitiviteten av malaria hurtigtest og mikroskopi henholdsvis 64% (36/56) og 50% (18/36), og spesifisiteten 98% (561/575) og 99% (251/254). Konklusjon: Den høye andelen av multiresistente S. Typhi med lavgradig ciprofloksacinresistens som forårsaker blodbaneinfeksjoner i Zanzibar medfører at det er få behandlingsalternativer igjen. Funn av ESBL-produserende bakterier i blodbaneinfeksjoner ervervet utenfor sykehus er bekymringsfullt fordi det betyr at disse mikrobene allerede har spredd seg i samfunnet. Infeksjoner forårsaket av disse mikrobene er vanskelig å behandle og kan i praksis være umulig å kurere i den lokale situasjonen. Hurtigtester og mikroskopi er nyttige verktøy i rutine diagnostikk av malaria, men negative resultater må tolkes med forsiktighet. Funnene understreker behovet for videre overvåkning av etiologi av blodbaneinfeksjoner og forekomst av antibiotikaresistens, og for å etablere strategier for å bekjempe den videre spredningen av antibiotikaresistens. Studien kan bidra til å etablere lokale behandlingsretningslinjer og til å peke på behovet for forebyggende tiltak mot enterisk feber inkludert vaksinering, og på behovet for å vedlikeholde og styrke malaria kontroll programmet på Zanzibar.Background: Infectious diseases contribute significantly to the global burden of diseases, with low-income countries disproportionately affected. In life-threatening infections such as bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs), rapid treatment with appropriate drugs can save lives. Use, overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to a worrying global increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), threatening the successful treatment of serious infections globally, particularly in low-resource areas. The insufficient information available on both etiology of BSIs and prevalence of AMR in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Zanzibar, puts patients at risk of inadequate treatment and death. Aims: This study aimed at investigating the etiology of BSIs in Zanzibar, Tanzania, and the AMR patterns of the bacteria detected, to guide clinical management. Methods: In two prospective observational cross-sectional studies of hospitalized patients suspected to have BSIs (2012-13 and 2015-16), clinical data were collected, and blood obtained for culture, identification and susceptibility testing. Salmonella Typhi isolates were whole genome sequenced. Malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT), microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done in 2015-16. Results: In 2012/2013 (469 patients, paper I), we found Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter species and Staphylococcus aureus to be the most frequent bacteria causing BSIs. For the first time, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria were detected in BSI in Zanzibar, both in community- and in hospital-acquired infections. In 2015/2016, Salmonella Typhi was the leading cause of bacterial BSIs (61 of 1037 patients, paper II), with a high prevalence of S. Typhi with multidrug resistance and low-level ciprofloxacin resistance, and all isolates belonging to the 4.3.1 genotype which dominates in East Africa. Malaria was found in 9% (63/731) of the patients (paper III). In comparison to PCR, the sensitivity of the malaria RDT and microscopy was 64% (36/56) and 50% (18/36), and the specificity 98% (561/575) and 99% (251/254), respectively. Conclusions: The high proportion of multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. Typhi with low-level ciprofloxacin-resistance causing BSI in Zanzibar limits treatment options. The detection ESBL-producing bacteria in community-acquired BSI is worrying, as these difficult-to-treat microbes can be practically incurable in the local situation. RDTs and microscopy are useful tools in the routine diagnostic of malaria, however, negative results must be evaluated with caution. The study highlights the need of further surveillance of BSIs and AMR and of establishing strategies to fight the further spread of AMR. The study results can inform local treatment guidelines and imply the need of prevention measures against typhoid fever including vaccination, and for maintenance and strengthening of the malaria control program in Zanzibar.Doktorgradsavhandlin