264 research outputs found
Noto Station Status Report
The Noto VLBI station was fully operational in 2012, and the upgrade projects could be restarted, involving mainly the receiver area. Another important improvement was the activation of the 1 Gbps network
ARCADE 2 Observations of Galactic Radio Emission
We use absolutely calibrated data from the ARCADE 2 flight in July 2006 to
model Galactic emission at frequencies 3, 8, and 10 GHz. The spatial structure
in the data is consistent with a superposition of free-free and synchrotron
emission. Emission with spatial morphology traced by the Haslam 408 MHz survey
has spectral index beta_synch = -2.5 +/- 0.1, with free-free emission
contributing 0.10 +/- 0.01 of the total Galactic plane emission in the lowest
ARCADE 2 band at 3.15 GHz. We estimate the total Galactic emission toward the
polar caps using either a simple plane-parallel model with csc|b| dependence or
a model of high-latitude radio emission traced by the COBE/FIRAS map of CII
emission. Both methods are consistent with a single power-law over the
frequency range 22 MHz to 10 GHz, with total Galactic emission towards the
north polar cap T_Gal = 0.498 +/- 0.028 K and spectral index beta = -2.55 +/-
0.03 at reference frequency 1 GHz. The well calibrated ARCADE 2 maps provide a
new test for spinning dust emission, based on the integrated intensity of
emission from the Galactic plane instead of cross-correlations with the thermal
dust spatial morphology. The Galactic plane intensity measured by ARCADE 2 is
fainter than predicted by models without spinning dust, and is consistent with
spinning dust contributing 0.4 +/- 0.1 of the Galactic plane emission at 22
GHz.Comment: 10 poges, 9 figures. Submitted to The Astrophysical Journa
A network study to differentiate suicide attempt risk profiles in male and female patients with major depressive disorder
Suicide attempts are a possible consequence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), although their prevalence varies across different epidemiological studies. Suicide attempt is a significant predictor of death by suicide, highlighting its importance in understanding and preventing tragic outcomes. Researchers are increasingly recognizing the need to study the differences between males and females, as several distinctions emerge in terms of the characteristics, types and motivations of suicide attempts. These differences emphasize the importance of considering gender-specific factors in the study of suicide attempts and developing tailored prevention strategies. We conducted a network analysis to represent and investigate which among multiple neurocognitive, psychosocial, demographic and affective variables may prove to be a reliable predictor for identifying the 'suicide attempt risk' (SAR) in a sample of 81 adults who met DSM-5 criteria for MDD. Network analysis resulted in differences between males and females regarding the variables that were going to interact and predict the SAR; in particular, for males, there is a stronger link toward psychosocial aspects, while for females, the neurocognitive domain is more relevant in its mnestic subcomponents. Network analysis allowed us to describe otherwise less obvious differences in the risk profiles of males and females that attempted to take their own lives. Different neurocognitive and psychosocial variables and different interactions between them predict the probability of suicide attempt unique to male and female patients
Advanced modelling of the Planck-LFI radiometers
The Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) is a radiometer array covering the 30-70
GHz spectral range on-board the ESA Planck satellite, launched on May 14th,
2009 to observe the cosmic microwave background (CMB) with unprecedented
precision. In this paper we describe the development and validation of a
software model of the LFI pseudo-correlation receivers which enables to
reproduce and predict all the main system parameters of interest as measured at
each of the 44 LFI detectors. These include system total gain, noise
temperature, band-pass response, non-linear response. The LFI Advanced RF Model
(LARFM) has been constructed by using commercial software tools and data of
each radiometer component as measured at single unit level. The LARFM has been
successfully used to reproduce the LFI behavior observed during the LFI
ground-test campaign. The model is an essential element in the database of LFI
data processing center and will be available for any detailed study of
radiometer behaviour during the survey.Comment: 21 pages, 15 figures, this paper is part of the Prelaunch status LFI
papers published on JINST:
http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/-page=extra.proc5/jins
The Low Frequency Instrument in the ESA Planck mission
Measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) allow high precision
observation of the cosmic plasma at redshift z~1100. After the success of the
NASA satellite COBE, that in 1992 provided the first detection of the CMB
anisotropy, results from many ground-based and balloon-borne experiments have
showed a remarkable consistency between different results and provided
quantitative estimates of fundamental cosmological properties. During the
current year the team of the NASA WMAP satellite has released the first
improved full-sky maps of the CMB since COBE, leading to a deeper insight in
the origin and evolution of the Universe. The ESA satellite Planck, scheduled
for launch in 2007, is designed to provide the ultimate measurement of the CMB
temperature anisotropy over the full sky, with an accuracy that will be limited
only by astrophysical foregrounds, and robust detection of polarisation
anisotropy. Planck will observe the sky with two instruments over a wide
spectral band (the Low Frequency Instrument, based on coherent radiometers,
from 30 to 70 GHz and the High Frequency Instrument, based on bolometric
detectors, from 100 to 857 GHz). The mission performances will improve
dramatically the scientific return compared to WMAP. Furthermore the LFI
radiometers (as well as some of the HFI bolometers) are intrinsically sensitive
to polarisation so that by combining the data from different receivers it will
be possible to measure accurately the E mode and to detect the B mode of the
polarisation power spectrum. Planck sensitivity will offer also the possibility
to detect the non-Gaussianities imprinted in the CMB.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in "Proc of International Symposium on
Plasmas in the Laboratory and in the Universe: new insights and new
challenges", September 16-19, 2003, Como, Ital
The 2.3 GHz continuum survey of the GEM project
We present a partial-sky survey of the radio continuum at 2.3 GHz within the
scope of the Galactic Emission Mapping (GEM) project, an observational program
conceived and developed to reveal the large-scale properties of Galactic
synchrotron radiation through a set of self-consistent surveys of the radio
continuum between 408 MHz and 10 GHz. The GEM experiment uses a portable and
double-shielded 5.5-m radiotelescope in altazimuthal configuration to map
60-degree-wide declination bands from different observational sites by
circularly scanning the sky at zenithal angles of 30 deg from a constantly
rotating platform. The observations were accomplished with a total power
receiver, whose front-end High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) amplifier
was matched directly to a cylindrical horn at the prime focus of the parabolic
reflector. The Moon was used to calibrate the antenna temperature scale and the
preparation of the map required direct subtraction and destriping algorithms to
remove ground contamination as the most significant source of systematic error.
We used 484 hours of total intensity observations from two locations in
Colombia and Brazil to yield 66% sky coverage from DEC = -51.73 deg to DEC =
+34.78 deg. The zero-level uncertainty of the combined survey is 103 mK with a
temperature scale error of 5% after direct correlation with the Rhodes/HartRAO
survey at 2326 MHz on a T-T plot. The sky brightness distribution into regions
of low and high emission in the GEM survey is consistent with the appearance of
a transition region as seen in the Haslam 408 MHz and WMAP K-band surveys.
Preliminary results also show that the temperature spectral index between 408
MHz and the 2.3 GHz band of the GEM survey has a weak spatial correlation with
these regions; but it steepens significantly from high to low emission regions
with respect to the WMAP K-band survey.Comment: 20 pages, 21 figures, 6 tables. Extensively revised and enlarged
version accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Smaller figure
QUADRO COMPLESSIVO DELLE ATTIVITA’ EFFETTUATE NEL CORSO DEL BIMESTRE Aprile-Maggio 2005 E PROGRAMMAZIONE PER IL BIMESTRE Giugno- Luglio 2005
The dynamic interaction between symptoms and pharmacological treatment in patients with major depressive disorder: the role of network intervention analysis
Introduction: The Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a mental health disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable. MDD is a major public health concern and is the leading cause of disability, morbidity, institutionalization, and excess mortality, conferring high suicide risk. Pharmacological treatment with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) is often the first choice for their efficacy and tolerability profile. However, a significant percentage of depressive individuals do not achieve remission even after an adequate trial of pharmacotherapy, a condition known as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Methods: To better understand the complexity of clinical phenotypes in MDD we propose Network Intervention Analysis (NIA) that can help health psychology in the detection of risky behaviors, in the primary and/or secondary prevention, as well as to monitor the treatment and verify its effectiveness. The paper aims to identify the interaction and changes in network nodes and connections of 14 continuous variables with nodes identified as "Treatment" in a cohort of MDD patients recruited for their recent history of partial response to antidepressant drugs. The study analyzed the network of MDD patients at baseline and after 12 weeks of drug treatment. Results: At baseline, the network showed separate dimensions for cognitive and psychosocial-affective symptoms, with cognitive symptoms strongly affecting psychosocial functioning. The MoCA tool was identified as a potential psychometric tool for evaluating cognitive deficits and monitoring treatment response. After drug treatment, the network showed less interconnection between nodes, indicating greater stability, with antidepressants taking a central role in driving the network. Affective symptoms improved at follow-up, with the highest predictability for HDRS and BDI-II nodes being connected to the Antidepressants node. Conclusion: NIA allows us to understand not only what symptoms enhance after pharmacological treatment, but especially the role it plays within the network and with which nodes it has stronger connections
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