The beta Pictoris association: Catalog of photometric rotational periods of low-mass members and candidate members

We intended to compile the most complete catalog of bona fide members and candidate members of the beta Pictoris association, and to measure their rotation periods and basic properties from our own observations, public archives, and exploring the literature. We carried out a multi-observatories campaign to get our own photometric time series and collected all archived public photometric data time series for the stars in our catalog. Each time series was analyzed with the Lomb-Scargle and CLEAN periodograms to search for the stellar rotation periods. We complemented the measured rotational properties with detailed information on multiplicity, membership, and projected rotational velocity available in the literature and discussed star by star. We measured the rotation periods of 112 out of 117 among bona fide members and candidate members of the beta Pictoris association and, whenever possible, we also measured the luminosity, radius, and inclination of the stellar rotation axis. This represents to date the largest catalog of rotation periods of any young loose stellar association. We provided an extensive catalog of rotation periods together with other relevant basic properties useful to explore a number of open issues, such as the causes of spread of rotation periods among coeval stars, evolution of angular momentum, and lithium-rotation connection.Comment: Forthcoming article, Received: 20 June 2016 / Accepted: 09 September 2016; 40 pages, 2 figures. The online figures A1-A73 are available at CD

National geological screening : Northern England region

This report is the published product of one of a series of studies covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland commissioned by Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) Ltd. The report provides geological information about the Northern England region to underpin the process of national geological screening set out in the UK’s government White Paper Implementing geological disposal: a framework for the long-term management of higher activity radioactive waste (DECC, 2014). The report describes geological features relevant to the safety requirements of a geological disposal facility (GDF) for radioactive waste emplaced onshore and up to 20 km offshore at depths between 200 and 1000 m from surface. It is written for a technical audience but is intended to inform RWM in its discussions with communities interested in finding out about the potential for their area to host a GDF

Characterizing HR3549B using SPHERE

Aims. In this work, we characterize the low mass companion of the A0 field star HR3549. Methods. We observed HR3549AB in imaging mode with the the NIR branch (IFS and IRDIS) of SPHERE@VLT, with IFS in YJ mode and IRDIS in the H band. We also acquired a medium resolution spectrum with the IRDIS long slit spectroscopy mode. The data were reduced using the dedicated SPHERE GTO pipeline, purposely designed for this instrument. We employed algorithms such as PCA and TLOCI to reduce the speckle noise. Results. The companion was clearly visible both with IRDIS and IFS.We obtained photometry in four different bands as well as the astrometric position for the companion. Based on our astrometry, we confirm that it is a bound object and put constraints on its orbit. Although several uncertainties are still present, we estimate an age of ~100-150 Myr for this system, yielding a most probable mass for the companion of 40-50MJup and T_eff ~300-2400 K. Comparing with template spectra points to a spectral type between M9 and L0 for the companion, commensurate with its position on the color-magnitude diagram.Comment: Accepted by A&A, 13 pages, 10 Figures (Figures 9 and 10 degraded to reduce the dimension

Phencyclidine Disrupts the Auditory Steady State Response in Rats

The Auditory Steady-State Response (ASSR) in the electroencephalogram (EEG) is usually reduced in schizophrenia (SZ), particularly to 40 Hz stimulation. The gamma frequency ASSR deficit has been attributed to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction. We tested whether the NMDAR antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP), produced similar ASSR deficits in rats. EEG was recorded from awake rats via intracranial electrodes overlaying the auditory cortex and at the vertex of the skull. ASSRs to click trains were recorded at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 55 Hz and measured by ASSR Mean Power (MP) and Phase Locking Factor (PLF). In Experiment 1, the effect of different subcutaneous doses of PCP (1.0, 2.5 and 4.0 mg/kg) on the ASSR in 12 rats was assessed. In Experiment 2, ASSRs were compared in PCP treated rats and control rats at baseline, after acute injection (5 mg/kg), following two weeks of subchronic, continuous administration (5 mg/kg/day), and one week after drug cessation. Acute administration of PCP increased PLF and MP at frequencies of stimulation below 50 Hz, and decreased responses at higher frequencies at the auditory cortex site. Acute administration had a less pronounced effect at the vertex site, with a reduction of either PLF or MP observed at frequencies above 20 Hz. Acute effects increased in magnitude with higher doses of PCP. Consistent effects were not observed after subchronic PCP administration. These data indicate that acute administration of PCP, a NMDAR antagonist, produces an increase in ASSR synchrony and power at low frequencies of stimulation and a reduction of high frequency (> 40 Hz) ASSR activity in rats. Subchronic, continuous administration of PCP, on the other hand, has little impact on ASSRs. Thus, while ASSRs are highly sensitive to NMDAR antagonists, their translational utility as a cross-species biomarker for NMDAR hypofunction in SZ and other disorders may be dependent on dose and schedule

Acute Phencyclidine Alters Neural Oscillations Evoked by Tones in the Auditory Cortex of Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The onset response to a single tone as measured by electroencephalography (EEG) is diminished in power and synchrony in schizophrenia. Because neural synchrony, particularly at gamma frequencies (30-80 Hz), is hypothesized to be supported by the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) system, we tested whether phencyclidine (PCP), an NMDAr antagonist, produced similar deficits to tone stimuli in rats. METHODS: Experiment 1 tested the effect of a PCP dose (1.0, 2.5, and 4.5 mg/kg) on response to single tones on intracranial EEG recorded over the auditory cortex in rats. Experiment 2 evaluated the effect of PCP after acute administration of saline or PCP (5 mg/kg), after continuous subchronic administration of saline or PCP (5 mg/kg/day), and after a week of drug cessation. In both experiments, a time-frequency analysis quantified mean power (MP) and phase locking factor (PLF) between 1 and 80 Hz. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were also measured to tones, and EEG spectral power in the absence of auditory stimuli. RESULTS: Acute PCP increased PLF and MP between 10 and 30 Hz, while decreasing MP and PLF between approximately 50 and 70 Hz. Acute PCP produced a dose-dependent broad-band increase in EEG power that extended into gamma range frequencies. There were no consistent effects of subchronic administration on gamma range activity. Acute PCP increased ERP amplitudes for the P16 and N70 components. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that acute PCP-induced NMDAr hypofunction has differential effects on neural power and synchrony which vary with dose, time course of administration and EEG frequency. EEG synchrony and power appear to be sensitive translational biomarkers for disrupted NMDAr function, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders

From Predicting Solar Activity to Forecasting Space Weather: Practical Examples of Research-to-Operations and Operations-to-Research

The successful transition of research to operations (R2O) and operations to research (O2R) requires, above all, interaction between the two communities. We explore the role that close interaction and ongoing communication played in the successful fielding of three separate developments: an observation platform, a numerical model, and a visualization and specification tool. Additionally, we will examine how these three pieces came together to revolutionize interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) arrival forecasts. A discussion of the importance of education and training in ensuring a positive outcome from R2O activity follows. We describe efforts by the meteorological community to make research results more accessible to forecasters and the applicability of these efforts to the transfer of space-weather research.We end with a forecaster "wish list" for R2O transitions. Ongoing, two-way communication between the research and operations communities is the thread connecting it all.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, Solar Physics in pres

Transgressing the moral economy: Wheelerism and management of the nationalised coal industry in Scotland

This article illuminates the links between managerial style and political economy in post-1945 Britain, and explores the origins of the 1984–1985 miners' strike, by examining in longer historical context the abrasive attitudes and policies of Albert Wheeler, Scottish Area Director of the National Coal Board (NCB). Wheeler built on an earlier emphasis on production and economic criteria, and his micro-management reflected pre-existing centralising tendencies in the industries. But he was innovative in one crucial aspect, transgressing the moral economy of the Scottish coalfield, which emphasised the value of economic security and changes by joint industrial agreement

Clinical application of circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA in uveal melanoma

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of using circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for the management of uveal melanoma (UM). Patients and Methods Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing was used to determine somatic chromosomal copy number alterations (SCNAs) in primary UM tumors, ctDNA, and whole-genome amplified CTCs. CTCs were immunocaptured using an antimelanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate antibody conjugated to magnetic beads and immunostained for melanoma antigen recognised by T cells 1 (MART1)/glycoprotein 100 (gp100)/S100 calcium-binding protein β (S100β). ctDNA was quantified using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assay for mutations in the GNAQ, GNA11, PLCβ4, and CYSLTR2 genes. Results SCNA analysis of CTCs and ctDNA isolated from a patient with metastatic UM showed good concordance with the enucleated primary tumor. In a cohort of 30 patients with primary UM, CTCs were detected in 58% of patients (one to 37 CTCs per 8 mL of blood), whereas only 26% of patients had detectable ctDNA (1.6 to 29 copies/mL). The presence of CTCs or ctDNA was not associated with tumor size or other prognostic markers. However, the frequent detection of CTCs in patients with early-stage UM supports a model in which CTCs can be used to derive tumor-specific SCNA relevant for prognosis. Monitoring of ctDNA after treatment of the primary tumor allowed detection of metastatic disease earlier than 18F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in two patients. Conclusion The presence of CTCs in localized UM can be used to ascertain prognostic SCNA, whereas ctDNA can be used to monitor patients for early signs of metastatic disease. This study paves the way for the analysis of CTCs and ctDNA as a liquid biopsy that will assist with treatment decisions in patients with UM

Relativistic MHD and black hole excision: Formulation and initial tests

A new algorithm for solving the general relativistic MHD equations is described in this paper. We design our scheme to incorporate black hole excision with smooth boundaries, and to simplify solving the combined Einstein and MHD equations with AMR. The fluid equations are solved using a finite difference Convex ENO method. Excision is implemented using overlapping grids. Elliptic and hyperbolic divergence cleaning techniques allow for maximum flexibility in choosing coordinate systems, and we compare both methods for a standard problem. Numerical results of standard test problems are presented in two-dimensional flat space using excision, overlapping grids, and elliptic and hyperbolic divergence cleaning.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Clinical application of circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA in uveal melanoma

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of using circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for the management of uveal melanoma (UM). Patients and Methods Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing was used to determine somatic chromosomal copy number alterations (SCNAs) in primary UM tumors, ctDNA, and whole-genome amplified CTCs. CTCs were immunocaptured using an antimelanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate antibody conjugated to magnetic beads and immunostained for melanoma antigen recognised by T cells 1 (MART1)/glycoprotein 100 (gp100)/S100 calcium-binding protein β (S100β). ctDNA was quantified using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assay for mutations in the GNAQ, GNA11, PLCβ4, and CYSLTR2 genes. Results SCNA analysis of CTCs and ctDNA isolated from a patient with metastatic UM showed good concordance with the enucleated primary tumor. In a cohort of 30 patients with primary UM, CTCs were detected in 58% of patients (one to 37 CTCs per 8 mL of blood), whereas only 26% of patients had detectable ctDNA (1.6 to 29 copies/mL). The presence of CTCs or ctDNA was not associated with tumor size or other prognostic markers. However, the frequent detection of CTCs in patients with early-stage UM supports a model in which CTCs can be used to derive tumor-specific SCNA relevant for prognosis. Monitoring of ctDNA after treatment of the primary tumor allowed detection of metastatic disease earlier than 18F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in two patients. Conclusion The presence of CTCs in localized UM can be used to ascertain prognostic SCNA, whereas ctDNA can be used to monitor patients for early signs of metastatic disease. This study paves the way for the analysis of CTCs and ctDNA as a liquid biopsy that will assist with treatment decisions in patients with UM