449 research outputs found
Correction to: Economic evaluation of AbobotulinumtoxinA vs OnabotulinumtoxinA in real-life clinical management of cervical dystonia.
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40734-020-0083-0.]
Limits on surface gravities of Kepler planet-candidate host stars from non-detection of solar-like oscillations
We present a novel method for estimating lower-limit surface gravities log g
of Kepler targets whose data do not allow the detection of solar-like
oscillations. The method is tested using an ensemble of solar-type stars
observed in the context of the Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium. We then
proceed to estimate lower-limit log g for a cohort of Kepler solar-type
planet-candidate host stars with no detected oscillations. Limits on
fundamental stellar properties, as provided by this work, are likely to be
useful in the characterization of the corresponding candidate planetary
systems. Furthermore, an important byproduct of the current work is the
confirmation that amplitudes of solar-like oscillations are suppressed in stars
with increased levels of surface magnetic activity.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 35 pages, 10 figures, 5 table
Ages and fundamental properties of Kepler exoplanet host stars from asteroseismology
We present a study of 33 {\it Kepler} planet-candidate host stars for which
asteroseismic observations have sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio to
allow extraction of individual pulsation frequencies. We implement a new
Bayesian scheme that is flexible in its input to process individual oscillation
frequencies, combinations of them, and average asteroseismic parameters, and
derive robust fundamental properties for these targets. Applying this scheme to
grids of evolutionary models yields stellar properties with median statistical
uncertainties of 1.2\% (radius), 1.7\% (density), 3.3\% (mass), 4.4\%
(distance), and 14\% (age), making this the exoplanet host-star sample with the
most precise and uniformly determined fundamental parameters to date. We assess
the systematics from changes in the solar abundances and mixing-length
parameter, showing that they are smaller than the statistical errors. We also
determine the stellar properties with three other fitting algorithms and
explore the systematics arising from using different evolution and pulsation
codes, resulting in 1\% in density and radius, and 2\% and 7\% in mass and age,
respectively. We confirm previous findings of the initial helium abundance
being a source of systematics comparable to our statistical uncertainties, and
discuss future prospects for constraining this parameter by combining
asteroseismology and data from space missions. Finally we compare our derived
properties with those obtained using the global average asteroseismic
observables along with effective temperature and metallicity, finding an
excellent level of agreement. Owing to selection effects, our results show that
the majority of the high signal-to-noise ratio asteroseismic {\it Kepler} host
stars are older than the Sun.Comment: 25 pages, 17 figures, MNRAS accepte
Autonomous UAS-Based Agriculture Applications: General Overview and Relevant European Case Studies
Emerging precision agriculture techniques rely on the frequent collection of high-quality data which can be acquired efficiently by unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The main obstacle for wider adoption of this technology is related to UAS operational costs. The path forward requires a high degree of autonomy and integration of the UAS and other cyber physical systems on the farm into a common Farm Management System (FMS) to facilitate the use of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for decision support. Such a solution has been implemented in the EU project AFarCloud (Aggregated Farming in the Cloud). The regulation of UAS operations is another important factor that impacts the adoption rate of agricultural UAS. An analysis of the new European UAS regulations relevant for autonomous operation is included. Autonomous UAS operation through the AFarCloud FMS solution has been demonstrated at several test farms in multiple European countries. Novel applications have been developed, such as the retrieval of data from remote field sensors using UAS and in situ measurements using dedicated UAS payloads designed for physical contact with the environment. The main findings include that (1) autonomous UAS operation in the agricultural sector is feasible once the regulations allow this; (2) the UAS should be integrated with the FMS and include autonomous data processing and charging functionality to offer a practical solution; and (3) several applications beyond just asset monitoring are relevant for the UAS and will help to justify the cost of this equipment.publishedVersio
The Transiting System GJ1214: High-Precision Defocused Transit Observations and a Search for Evidence of Transit Timing Variation
Aims: We present 11 high-precision photometric transit observations of the
transiting super-Earth planet GJ1214b. Combining these data with observations
from other authors, we investigate the ephemeris for possible signs of transit
timing variations (TTVs) using a Bayesian approach.
Methods: The observations were obtained using telescope-defocusing
techniques, and achieve a high precision with random errors in the photometry
as low as 1mmag per point. To investigate the possibility of TTVs in the light
curve, we calculate the overall probability of a TTV signal using Bayesian
methods.
Results: The observations are used to determine the photometric parameters
and the physical properties of the GJ1214 system. Our results are in good
agreement with published values. Individual times of mid-transit are measured
with uncertainties as low as 10s, allowing us to reduce the uncertainty in the
orbital period by a factor of two.
Conclusions: A Bayesian analysis reveals that it is highly improbable that
the observed transit times is explained by TTV, when compared with the simpler
alternative of a linear ephemeris.Comment: Submitted to A&
Kepler-432: a red giant interacting with one of its two long period giant planets
We report the discovery of Kepler-432b, a giant planet ()
transiting an evolved star with an orbital period of days. Radial velocities (RVs) reveal that
Kepler-432b orbits its parent star with an eccentricity of , which we also measure independently with
asterodensity profiling (AP; ), thereby confirming
the validity of AP on this particular evolved star. The well-determined
planetary properties and unusually large mass also make this planet an
important benchmark for theoretical models of super-Jupiter formation.
Long-term RV monitoring detected the presence of a non-transiting outer planet
(Kepler-432c; days), and adaptive optics imaging revealed a nearby
(0\farcs87), faint companion (Kepler-432B) that is a physically bound M dwarf.
The host star exhibits high signal-to-noise asteroseismic oscillations, which
enable precise measurements of the stellar mass, radius and age. Analysis of
the rotational splitting of the oscillation modes additionally reveals the
stellar spin axis to be nearly edge-on, which suggests that the stellar spin is
likely well-aligned with the orbit of the transiting planet. Despite its long
period, the obliquity of the 52.5-day orbit may have been shaped by star-planet
interaction in a manner similar to hot Jupiter systems, and we present
observational and theoretical evidence to support this scenario. Finally, as a
short-period outlier among giant planets orbiting giant stars, study of
Kepler-432b may help explain the distribution of massive planets orbiting giant
stars interior to 1 AU.Comment: 22 pages, 19 figures, 5 tables. Accepted to ApJ on Jan 24, 2015
(submitted Nov 11, 2014). Updated with minor changes to match published
versio
Fundamental Properties of Kepler Planet-Candidate Host Stars using Asteroseismology
We have used asteroseismology to determine fundamental properties for 66
Kepler planet-candidate host stars, with typical uncertainties of 3% and 7% in
radius and mass, respectively. The results include new asteroseismic solutions
for four host stars with confirmed planets (Kepler-4, Kepler-14, Kepler-23 and
Kepler-25) and increase the total number of Kepler host stars with
asteroseismic solutions to 77. A comparison with stellar properties in the
planet-candidate catalog by Batalha et al. shows that radii for subgiants and
giants obtained from spectroscopic follow-up are systematically too low by up
to a factor of 1.5, while the properties for unevolved stars are in good
agreement. We furthermore apply asteroseismology to confirm that a large
majority of cool main-sequence hosts are indeed dwarfs and not misclassified
giants. Using the revised stellar properties, we recalculate the radii for 107
planet candidates in our sample, and comment on candidates for which the radii
change from a previously giant-planet/brown-dwarf/stellar regime to a
sub-Jupiter size, or vice versa. A comparison of stellar densities from
asteroseismology with densities derived from transit models in Batalha et al.
assuming circular orbits shows significant disagreement for more than half of
the sample due to systematics in the modeled impact parameters, or due to
planet candidates which may be in eccentric orbits. Finally, we investigate
tentative correlations between host-star masses and planet candidate radii,
orbital periods, and multiplicity, but caution that these results may be
influenced by the small sample size and detection biases.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ;
machine-readable versions of tables 1-3 are available as ancillary files or
in the source code; v2: minor changes to match published versio
Stellar Spin-Orbit Misalignment in a Multiplanet System
Stars hosting hot Jupiters are often observed to have high obliquities,
whereas stars with multiple co-planar planets have been seen to have low
obliquities. This has been interpreted as evidence that hot-Jupiter formation
is linked to dynamical disruption, as opposed to planet migration through a
protoplanetary disk. We used asteroseismology to measure a large obliquity for
Kepler-56, a red giant star hosting two transiting co-planar planets. These
observations show that spin-orbit misalignments are not confined to hot-Jupiter
systems. Misalignments in a broader class of systems had been predicted as a
consequence of torques from wide-orbiting companions, and indeed
radial-velocity measurements revealed a third companion in a wide orbit in the
Kepler-56 system.Comment: Accepted for publication in Science, published online on October 17
2013; PDF includes main article and supplementary materials (65 pages, 27
figures, 7 tables); v2: small correction to author lis
γ-Secretase modulators show selectivity for γ-secretase–mediated amyloid precursor protein intramembrane processing
The aggregation of β-amyloid peptide 42 results in the formation of toxic oligomers and plaques, which plays a pivotal role in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Aβ42 is one of several Aβ peptides, all of Aβ30 to Aβ43 that are produced as a result of γ-secretase–mediated regulated intramembrane proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein. γ-Secretase modulators (GSMs) represent a promising class of Aβ42-lowering anti-amyloidogenic compounds for the treatment of AD. Gamma-secretase modulators change the relative proportion of secreted Aβ peptides, while sparing the γ-secretase–mediated processing event resulting in the release of the cytoplasmic APP intracellular domain. In this study, we have characterized how GSMs affect the γ-secretase cleavage of three γ-secretase substrates, E-cadherin, ephrin type A receptor 4 (EphA4) and ephrin type B receptor 2 (EphB2), which all are implicated in important contexts of cell signalling. By using a reporter gene assay, we demonstrate that the γ-secretase–dependent generation of EphA4 and EphB2 intracellular domains is unaffected by GSMs. We also show that γ-secretase processing of EphA4 and EphB2 results in the release of several Aβ-like peptides, but that only the production of Aβ-like proteins from EphA4 is modulated by GSMs, but with an order of magnitude lower potency as compared to Aβ modulation. Collectively, these results suggest that GSMs are selective for γ-secretase–mediated Aβ production
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