138 research outputs found
Metal Abundances in the Magellanic Stream
We report on the first metallicity determination for gas in the Magellanic
Stream, using archival HST GHRS data for the background targets Fairall 9, III
Zw 2, and NGC 7469. For Fairall 9, using two subsequent HST revisits and new
Parkes Multibeam Narrowband observations, we have unequivocally detected the
MSI HI component of the Stream (near its head) in SII1250,1253 yielding a
metallicity of [SII/H]=-0.55+/-0.06(r)+/-0.2(s), consistent with either an SMC
or LMC origin and with the earlier upper limit set by Lu et al. (1994). We also
detect the saturated SiII1260 line, but set only a lower limit of
[SiII/H]>-1.5. We present serendipitous detections of the Stream, seen in
MgII2796,2803 absorption with column densities of (0.5-1)x10^13 cm^-2 toward
the Seyfert galaxies III Zw 2 and NGC 7469. These latter sightlines probe gas
near the tip of the Stream (80 deg down-Stream of Fairall 9). For III Zw 2, the
lack of an accurate HI column density and the uncertain MgIII ionization
correction limits the degree to which we can constrain [Mg/H]; a lower limit of
[MgII/HI]>-1.3 was found. For NGC 7469, an accurate HI column density
determination exists, but the extant FOS spectrum limits the quality of the
MgII column density determination, and we conclude that [MgII/HI]>-1.5.
Ionization corrections associated with MgIII and HII suggest that the
corresponding [Mg/H] may range lower by 0.3-1.0 dex. However, an upward
revision of 0.5-1.0 dex would be expected under the assumption that the Stream
exhibits a dust depletion pattern similar to that seen in the Magellanic
Clouds. Remaining uncertainties do not allow us to differentiate between an LMC
versus SMC origin to the Stream gas.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX (aaspp4), also available at
http://casa.colorado.edu/~bgibson/publications.html, accepted for publication
in The Astronomical Journa
Dr. Conway et al reply
We thank Sauret et al for their interest in our systematic literature review that explored potential diagnostic confusion between giant cell arteritis (GCA) and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This was a particularly important consideration during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when community testing for SARS-CoV-2 was limited and diagnostic tests for GCA were restricted or unavailable due to redeployment of staff.</p
Giant Cell Arteritis and COVID-19:Similarities and Discriminators. A Systematic Literature Review
OBJECTIVE: To identify shared and distinct features of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) to reduce diagnostic errors that could cause delays in correct treatment. METHODS: Two systematic literature reviews determined the frequency of clinical features of GCA and COVID-19 in published reports. Frequencies in each disease were summarized using medians and ranges. RESULTS: Headache was common in GCA but was also observed in COVID-19 (GCA 66%, COVID-19 10%). Jaw claudication or visual loss (43% and 26% in GCA, respectively) generally were not reported in COVID-19. Both diseases featured fatigue (GCA 38%, COVID-19 43%) and elevated inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP] elevated in 100% of GCA, 66% of COVID-19), but platelet count was elevated in 47% of GCA but only 4% of COVID-19 cases. Cough and fever were commonly reported in COVID-19 and less frequently in GCA (cough, 63% for COVID-19 vs 12% for GCA; fever, 83% for COVID-19 vs 27% for GCA). Gastrointestinal upset was occasionally reported in COVID-19 (8%), rarely in GCA (4%). Lymphopenia was more common in COVID-19 than GCA (53% in COVID-19, 2% in GCA). Alteration of smell and taste have been described in GCA but their frequency is unclear. CONCLUSION: Overlapping features of GCA and COVID-19 include headache, fever, elevated CRP and cough. Jaw claudication, visual loss, platelet count and lymphocyte count may be more discriminatory. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of diagnostic confusion. We have designed a simple checklist to aid evidence-based evaluation of patients with suspected GCA
Dr. Conway et al reply
We thank Sauret et al for their interest in our systematic literature review that explored potential diagnostic confusion between giant cell arteritis (GCA) and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This was a particularly important consideration during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when community testing for SARS-CoV-2 was limited and diagnostic tests for GCA were restricted or unavailable due to redeployment of staff.</p
FUSE Observations of Atomic Abundances and Molecular Hydrogen in the Leading Arm of the Magellanic Stream
We present Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer observations of the atomic
and molecular absorption in high velocity cloud HVC 287.5+22.5+240, which lies
in front of the ultraviolet-bright nucleus of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3783. We
detect H2, N I, N II, Si II, and Fe II absorption and set limits on the amount
of absorption due to P III, Ar I, and Fe III. We extend the earlier metallicity
and dust-depletion measurements made by Lu and collaborators by examining the
relative gas-phase abundances of Si, P, S, and Fe. Corrections to the derived
gas-phase abundances due to ionized gas in the HVC are less than 15%. The HVC
has a metallicity of 0.2-0.4 solar, similar to that of the Small Magellanic
Cloud. The relative abundance pattern for the elements studied resembles that
of warm gas in the SMC, which supports the idea that this HVC is part of the
tidally stripped Leading Arm of the Magellanic Stream. The abundance pattern
implies that the HVC contains dust grains that have been processed
significantly. It is likely that the grain mantles have been modified or
stripped back to expose the grain cores. We have identified more than 30 lines
of H2 arising in the HVC from rotational levels J = 0 to J = 3. Synthetic
spectra and a curve-of-growth fit to these lines with b = 12 km/sec indicate
that log N(H2) = 16.80+/-0.10 and f(H2) = 2N(H2)/[N(H I)+2N(H2)] = 0.0016. From
an analysis of the H2 rotational populations, we find an absorption rate (at
1000 A) that is less than one-tenth the average value in the solar
neighborhood. The presence of molecular gas in the HVC requires that either the
H2 formed in situ or that molecules formed within the SMC survived tidal
stripping. We favor the latter possibility because of the long formation time
derived for molecules in this HVC.Comment: 28 pages (includes 6 figures). AASTeX preprint format. Accepted for
publication in the February 2001 issue of the Astronomical Journa
Social media for research discourse, dissemination, and collaboration in rheumatology
Social media has become an important venue for rheumatologists, patients, organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss recent research advances in diagnosis and management of rheumatic disorders. In this article, we describe the current state of how social media may enhance dissemination, discourse, and collaboration in rheumatology research. Social media may refer to social platforms like Twitter and Instagram or digital media like podcasts and other websites that are operated for providing as free, open-access medical education (FOAM). Twitter has been one of the most active social media venues and continues to host a vibrant rheumatology community. Examples of research discussions on Twitter include organic user tweets, educational threads ( tweetorials ), live-tweeting academic conferences, and journals posting recently-accepted articles. Some research collaborations have been initiated through social media interactions. Social media may also directly contribute to research by facilitating the recruitment of study participants and the collection of survey-based data. Thus, social media is an evolving and important tool to enhance research discourse, dissemination, and collaboration in rheumatology
The Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) I. Overview and the diverse environments of Lyman limit systems at z<1
We present initial results from the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS).
CUBS is designed to map diffuse baryonic structures at redshift z<~1 using
absorption-line spectroscopy of 15 UV-bright QSOs with matching deep galaxy
survey data. CUBS QSOs are selected based on their NUV brightness to avoid
biases against the presence of intervening Lyman Limit Systems (LLSs) at
zabs~ 17.2 over a total
redshift survey pathlength of dz=9.3, and a number density of n(z)=0.43 (-0.18,
+0.26). Considering all absorbers with log N(HI)/cm^-2 > 16.5 leads to
n(z)=1.08 (-0.25, +0.31) at z<1. All LLSs exhibit a multi-component structure
and associated metal transitions from multiple ionization states such as CII,
CIII, MgII, SiII, SiIII, and OVI absorption. Differential chemical enrichment
levels as well as ionization states are directly observed across individual
components in three LLSs. We present deep galaxy survey data obtained using the
VLT-MUSE integral field spectrograph and the Magellan Telescopes, reaching
sensitivities necessary for detecting galaxies fainter than 0.1L* at d<~300
physical kpc (pkpc) in all five fields. A diverse range of galaxy properties is
seen around these LLSs, from a low-mass dwarf galaxy pair, a co-rotating
gaseous halo/disk, a star-forming galaxy, a massive quiescent galaxy, to a
galaxy group. The closest galaxies have projected distances ranging from d=15
to 72 pkpc and intrinsic luminosities from ~0.01L* to ~3L*. Our study shows
that LLSs originate in a variety of galaxy environments and trace gaseous
structures with a broad range of metallicities.Comment: 26 pages, 14 figures, MNRAS in pres
The HIPASS Catalogue - II. Completeness, Reliability, and Parameter Accuracy
The HI Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS) is a blind extragalactic HI 21-cm
emission line survey covering the whole southern sky from declination -90 to
+25. The HIPASS catalogue (HICAT), containing 4315 HI-selected galaxies from
the region south of declination +2, is presented in Meyer et al. (2004a, Paper
I). This paper describes in detail the completeness and reliability of HICAT,
which are calculated from the recovery rate of synthetic sources and follow-up
observations, respectively. HICAT is found to be 99 per cent complete at a peak
flux of 84 mJy and an integrated flux of 9.4 Jy km/s. The overall reliability
is 95 per cent, but rises to 99 per cent for sources with peak fluxes >58 mJy
or integrated flux > 8.2 Jy km/s. Expressions are derived for the uncertainties
on the most important HICAT parameters: peak flux, integrated flux, velocity
width, and recessional velocity. The errors on HICAT parameters are dominated
by the noise in the HIPASS data, rather than by the parametrization procedure.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 12 pages, 11 figures. Paper with
higher resolution figures can be downloaded from http://hipass.aus-vo.or
Experience with telemedicine among rheumatology clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international survey
Objective: The aim was to assess rheumatology clinicians' perceptions of telemedicine and their experiences before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey and collected responses from rheumatology clinicians worldwide, between November 2020 and February 2021, regarding use and perceptions of telemedicine in rheumatology. We summarized data with descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis for free-text responses. Results: The survey was completed by 349 rheumatology clinicians from 49 countries; 59% were female and about two-thirds were in the 30-50 years age group. Academic affiliations were held by 55% of participants, and 44% were from North America. Before the pandemic, 24% of participants had experience with telemedicine, whereas about three-quarters used telemedicine for the first time during the pandemic. Overall, 56% thought they provided less adequate care with telemedicine. More than half of clinicians felt that telemedicine was adequate for evaluating crystalline arthritis, inflammatory arthritis and lupus flares. Telemedicine was felt to be inadequate for flares of myositis, vasculitis and scleroderma. Technical problems were reported in 29% of telemedicine encounters and were most commonly related to patient-encountered difficulties. Conclusion: Most rheumatology clinicians used telemedicine for the first time during the pandemic. The quality of care provided was thought to be inferior to that provided in person for specific clinical situations. Additional efforts are needed to address barriers to effective telemedicine, such as patient-related technology issues, challenges with building rapport and performing a physical examination, and to define the appropriate scope of clinical scenarios conducive to telemedicine
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