Visible-IR Colors and Lightcurve Analysis of Two Bright TNOs: 1999 TC36 and 1998 SN165

We report on observations of two bright Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) - 1999 TC36 and 1998 SN165}- during two observational campaigns, as part of the Meudon Multicolor Survey of Outer Solar System Objects. V-J color was measured for 1999 TC36 (V-J=2.34+/-0.18), which combined with previous measured colors in the visible, indicate a red reflectivity spectrum at all wavelengths. Photometric V-band lightcurves were taken for both objects over a time span of around 8 hours. We have determined a possible rotational period of P=10.1+/-0.8 h for 1998 SN165, making it the seventh TNO with an estimated period. From its lightcurve variation of Dm=0.151(+0.022/-0.030), we have inferred an asymmetry ratio of a/b >=1.148(+0.024/-0.031). For 1999 TC36, we did not detect any rotational period or periodic signal variation within the uncertainties, but the analysis of its lightcurve hints to a slight systematic magnitude decrease.Comment: Accepted for publication in New Astronomy (13 pages, inc. 4 figures

Photometric Survey of the Irregular Satellites

We present BVRI colors of 13 Jovian and 8 Saturnian irregular satellites obtained with the 2.56m Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, the 6.5m Magellan Baade Telescope on La Campanas, and the 6m MMT on Mt. Hopkins. The observations were performed between December 2001 to March 2002. Nearly all of the known irregular satellites can be divided into two distinct classes based on their colors. One, the grey color class, has the similar colors to the C-type asteroid, and the other, the light red color class, has colors similar to P/D-type asteroids. We also find at least one object, the Jovian irregular J XXIII Kalyke, that has colors similar to the red colored Centaurs/TNOs, although its classification is unsecure. We also find that there is a correlation between the physical properties and dynamical properties of the irregular satellites. Most of the dynamical clusters have homogeneous colors, which points to single homogeneous progenitors being cratered or fragmented as the source of each individual cluster. The heterogeneous colored clusters are most easily explained by assuming that there are several dynamical clusters in the area, rather than just one.Comment: Submitted to Icarus, 43 pages including 5 figure

Convalescent plasma treatment for patients of 80 years and older with COVID-19 pneumonia

Background: Older patients, frequently with multiple comorbidities, have a high mortality from COVID-19 infection. Convalescent plasma (CP) is a therapeutic option for these patients. Our objective is to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of CP treatment in this population group. Methods: Forty one patients over 80 years old with COVID-19 pneumonia received CP added to standard treatment, 51.2% with high anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers and 48.8% with low titers. Median time between the onset of symptoms and the infusion of plasma was 7 days (IQR 4-10). A similar group of 82 patients who received only standard treatment, during a period in which CP was not available, were selected as a control group. Results: In-hospital mortality was 26.8% for controls and 14.6% for CP patients (P = 0.131) and ICU admission was 8.5% for controls and 4.9% for CP patients (P = 0.467). Mortality tended to be lower in the high-titer group (9.5%) than in the low-titer group (20%), and in patients transfused within the first 7 days of symptom onset (10%) than in patients transfused later (19.1%), although the differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.307 and P = 0.355 respectively). There was no difference in the length of hospitalization. No significant adverse events were associated with CP treatment. Conclusions: Convalescent plasma treatment in patients over 80 years old with COVID-19 pneumonia was well tolerated but did not present a statistically significant difference in hospital mortality, ICU admission, or length of hospitalization. The results should be interpreted with caution as only half the patients received high-titer CP and the small number of patients included in the study limits the statistical power to detect significant differences

Risk factors for incident prostate cancer in a cohort of world trade center responders

Despite a relatively young average age and no routine screening, prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men who worked at the World Trade Center (WTC) following the 9/11/2001 disaster. This study evaluated whether re-experiencing stressful memories of a traumatic event was associated with prostate cancer incidence

Uso de um sistema de informações geográficas para a base de dados dos solos brasileiros.

O objetivo deste trabalho é estruturar a base de solos da Bacia do Alto Paraguai (BAP), na escala 1:1.000.000, utilizando o Sistema de Processamento de Informações Georreferenciadas - SPRING. Esta etapa faz parte de um projeto maior da Embrapa Informática Agropecuária que objetiva inserir a base de solo brasileira em um Sistema de Informações Geográficas. Atualmente a base de solos do Brasil nessa escala recobre um pouco mais de 91% do território, sendo publicados em 35 volumes pelo projeto Radam e IBGE, recobrindo 47 folhas ao milionésimo. As folhas ao milionésimo foram adquiridas do IBGE em meio digital e formato PDF. Esses mapas foram georreferenciados e digitalizados no SPRING via ampliações tela do computador. Como resultado obteve-se a base digital georreferenciada ao milionésimo dos solos brasileiro, cujo produto para a BAP é apresentado neste artigo. Esta base encontra-se atributada no sistema de classificação de solo original. Além disso, os textos estão devidamente ajustados a cada polígono mapeado. Para cada mapa digitalizado elaborou-se um relatório com a identificação das principais ocorrências de desconfomidades, saber: polígono sem classificação, polígono com duas classes, polígono sem fechamento e sobreposição de informação. No caso da BAP somente as desconformidades do tipo polígono sem classificação e polígono com duas classes foram observados.Geopantanal 2006

Desmatamento no bioma Pantanal até o ano 2002: relações com a fitofisionomia e limites municipais.

O objetivo deste trabalho é mapear e quantificar a área desmatada no Bioma Pantanal ocorrida até o ano de 2002, relacionando-a às principais classes fisionômicas de vegetação e aos municípios formadores do Pantanal

Análise do desmatamento no bioma Pantanal até o ano de 2002.

O objetivo deste trabalho é mapear e quantificar a área desmaiada no Bioma Pantanal ocorrida até o ano de 2002, relacionando-a às principais classes fisionómicas de vegetação e aos municípios formadores do Pantanal. O Bioma Pantanal situa-se na região Centro-Oeste, inserido na bacia hidrográfica do Alto rio Paraguai (BAP), que por sua vez está inserida na bacia do Prata. Para compor a área do Pantanal foram necessárias 16 imagens de satélite Landsat-ETM+ e 20 cartas topográficas na escala de 1:250.000. Inicialmente foi elaborado um mosaico do Pantanal composto pelas 16 imagens nas bandas 3, 4 e 5 utilizando o software Envi-4.0. Em seguida foi realizada uma segmentação utilizando-se o software SPRING. Após esse procedimento a área do Bioma Pantanal foi recortada para cada uma das 20 cartas topográficas na escala de 1:250000, dentro dos limites definidos pelo IBGE. O processo de interpretação do desmatamento foi realizado com ampliações da imagem na tela do computador, utilizando o SIG SPRING, o qual foi efetuado após os procedimentos de edição das cartas para a realização de limpeza e generalização dos polígonos de acordo com os temas a serem classificados. Adotou-se o Sistema Fisionômico-ecológico para classificação da vegetação, acrescido de novas informações, quando necessário. Na interpretação das imagens foram considerados os elementos textura, cor, padrão, forma e localização (distribuição geográfica) e os levantamentos efetuados durante os trabalhos de campo na região do Pantanal. Os mapas de desmatamento foram gerados no sistema de projeção cartográfica UTM (Universal Transversa de Mercator), com Datum SAD69 (South América Datum). O erro admitido para o georreferenciamento das imagens de satélite ficou dentro da precisão do erro cartográfico (PEC) admitido para cartas na escala de 1:250.000, que é de 125 metros. A menor área mapeada foi em tomo de 40 ha.Geopantanal 2006

Heart failure and the risk of stroke: the Rotterdam Study

Patients with heart failure used to have an increased risk of stroke, but this may have changed with current treatment regimens. We assessed the association between heart failure and the risk of stroke in a population-based cohort that was followed since 1990. The study uses the cohort of the Rotterdam Study and is based on 7,546 participants who at baseline (1990–1993) were aged 55 years or over and free from stroke. The associations between heart failure and risk of stroke were assessed using time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, diabetes mellitus, BMI, ankle brachial index, blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction and relevant medication). At baseline, 233 participants had heart failure. During an average follow-up time of 9.7 years, 1,014 persons developed heart failure, and 827 strokes (470 ischemic, 75 hemorrhagic, 282 unclassified) occurred. The risk of ischemic stroke was more than five-fold increased in the first month after diagnosis of heart failure (age and sex adjusted HR 5.79, 95% CI 2.15–15.62), but attenuated over time (age and sex adjusted HR 3.50 [95% CI 1.96–6.25] after 1–6 months and 0.83 [95% CI 0.53–1.29] after 0.5–6 years). Additional adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors only marginally attenuated these risks. In conclusion, the risk of ischemic stroke is strongly increased shortly after the diagnosis of heart failure but returns to normal within 6 months after onset of heart failure

ARTEMIN Promotes De Novo Angiogenesis in ER Negative Mammary Carcinoma through Activation of TWIST1-VEGF-A Signalling

10.1371/journal.pone.0050098PLoS ONE711