137 research outputs found
The TWA 3 Young Triple System: Orbits, Disks, Evolution
We have characterized the spectroscopic orbit of the TWA 3A binary and
provide preliminary families of probable solutions for the TWA 3A visual orbit
as well as for the wide TWA 3A--B orbit. TWA 3 is a hierarchical triple located
at 34 pc in the 10 Myr old TW Hya association. The wide component
separation is 1."55; the close pair was first identified as a possible binary
almost 20 years ago. We initially identified the 35-day period orbital solution
using high-resolution infrared spectroscopy which angularly resolved the A and
B components. We then refined the preliminary orbit by combining the infrared
data with a re-analysis of our high-resolution optical spectroscopy. The
orbital period from the combined spectroscopic solution is 35 days, the
eccentricity is 0.63, and the mass ratio is 0.84; although this
high mass ratio would suggest that optical spectroscopy alone should be
sufficient to identify the orbital solution, the presence of the tertiary B
component likely introduced confusion in the blended optical spectra. Using
millimeter imaging from the literature, we also estimate the inclinations of
the stellar orbital planes with respect to the TWA 3A circumbinary disk
inclination and find that all three planes are likely misaligned by at least
30 degrees. The TWA 3A spectroscopic binary components have spectral
types of M4.0 and M4.5; TWA 3B is an M3. We speculate that the system formed as
a triple, is bound, and that its properties were shaped by dynamical
interactions between the inclined orbits and disk.Comment: Accepted to Ap
JWST observations of stellar occultations by solar system bodies and rings
In this paper we investigate the opportunities provided by the James Webb
Space Telescope (JWST) for significant scientific advances in the study of
solar system bodies and rings using stellar occultations. The strengths and
weaknesses of the stellar occultation technique are evaluated in light of
JWST's unique capabilities. We identify several possible JWST occultation
events by minor bodies and rings, and evaluate their potential scientific
value. These predictions depend critically on accurate a priori knowledge of
the orbit of JWST near the Sun-Earth Lagrange-point 2 (L2). We also explore the
possibility of serendipitous stellar occultations by very small minor bodies as
a by-product of other JWST observing programs. Finally, to optimize the
potential scientific return of stellar occultation observations, we identify
several characteristics of JWST's orbit and instrumentation that should be
taken into account during JWST's development.Comment: This paper is one of a series for a special issue on Solar System
observations with JWST in PASP. Accepted 2-Oct-2015. Preprint 30 pages, 5
tables, 8 figure
Medical Treatment of Nocturia in Men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms : Systematic Review by the European Association of Urology Guidelines Panel for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Context: The treatment of nocturia is a key challenge due to the multi-factorial pathophysiology of the symptom and the disparate outcome measures used in research. Objective: To assess and compare available therapy options for nocturia, in terms of symptom severity and quality of life. Evidence acquisition: Medical databases (Embase, Medline, Cochrane Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central) were searched with no date restriction. Comparative studies were included which studied adult men with nocturia as the primary presentation and lower urinary tract symptoms including nocturia or nocturnal polyuria. Outcomes were symptom severity, quality of life, and harms. Evidence synthesis: We identified 44 articles. Antidiuretic therapy using dose titration was more effective than placebo in relation to nocturnal voiding frequency and duration of undisturbed sleep; baseline serum sodium is a key selection criterion. Screening for hyponatremia (<130 mmol/l) must be undertaken at baseline, after initiation or dose titration, and during treatment. Medications to treat lower urinary tract dysfunction (alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, phosphodiesterase type 5inhibitor, antimuscarinics, beta-3 agonist, and phytotherapy) were generally not significantly better than placebo in short-term use. Benefits with combination therapies were not consistently observed. Other medications (diuretics, agents to promote sleep, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories) were sometimes associated with response or quality of life improvement. The recommendations of the Guideline Panel are presented. Conclusions: Issues of trial designmake therapy of nocturia a challenging topic. The range of contributory factors relevant in nocturia makes it desirable to identify predictors of response to guide therapy. Consistent responses were reported for titrated antidiuretic therapy. For other therapies, responses were less certain, and potentially of limited clinical benefit. Patient summary: This review provides an overview of the current drug treatments of nocturia, which is the need to wake at night to pass urine. The symptom can be caused by several different medical conditions, and measuring its severity and impact varies in separate research studies. No single treatment deals with the symptom in all contexts, and careful assessment is essential to make suitable treatment selection. (C) 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe
Ecoliteracy through imagery: a close reading of two wordless picture books
The purpose of this paper is to propose some ways of reading two
wordless picture storybooks which have recently been published, by Suzy Lee and
Bernardo Carvalho respectively. The objective is to analyse the ways in which the
visual discourse can create an effective narrative using a variety of pictorial strategies.
These works were not idly chosen, however. Both are concerned with
ecoliteracy, having narratives that tell a story about a specific relationship between
humans and the sea. Depicting maritime scenarios, the two picture books promote a
special and symbolic approach to the natural environment. The narratives help to
configure the environment as more than merely an undifferentiated space inhabited
by living beings, this being the most elementary concept of ‘‘environment’’; rather,
it is seen as an ecological arena involving the interaction between the landscape and
the living beings it harbours. As such, the books assume the role of promoting not
only habits of proto-literacy, but of ecoliteracy too.CIEC – FCT research unit 31
Origin and Evolution of Saturn's Ring System
The origin and long-term evolution of Saturn's rings is still an unsolved
problem in modern planetary science. In this chapter we review the current
state of our knowledge on this long-standing question for the main rings (A,
Cassini Division, B, C), the F Ring, and the diffuse rings (E and G). During
the Voyager era, models of evolutionary processes affecting the rings on long
time scales (erosion, viscous spreading, accretion, ballistic transport, etc.)
had suggested that Saturn's rings are not older than 100 My. In addition,
Saturn's large system of diffuse rings has been thought to be the result of
material loss from one or more of Saturn's satellites. In the Cassini era, high
spatial and spectral resolution data have allowed progress to be made on some
of these questions. Discoveries such as the ''propellers'' in the A ring, the
shape of ring-embedded moonlets, the clumps in the F Ring, and Enceladus' plume
provide new constraints on evolutionary processes in Saturn's rings. At the
same time, advances in numerical simulations over the last 20 years have opened
the way to realistic models of the rings's fine scale structure, and progress
in our understanding of the formation of the Solar System provides a
better-defined historical context in which to understand ring formation. All
these elements have important implications for the origin and long-term
evolution of Saturn's rings. They strengthen the idea that Saturn's rings are
very dynamical and rapidly evolving, while new arguments suggest that the rings
could be older than previously believed, provided that they are regularly
renewed. Key evolutionary processes, timescales and possible scenarios for the
rings's origin are reviewed in the light of tComment: Chapter 17 of the book ''Saturn After Cassini-Huygens'' Saturn from
Cassini-Huygens, Dougherty, M.K.; Esposito, L.W.; Krimigis, S.M. (Ed.) (2009)
537-57
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