PTF 10bzf (SN 2010ah): A Broad-Line Ic Supernova Discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory

We present the discovery and follow-up observations of a broad-line Type Ic supernova (SN), PTF 10bzf (SN 2010ah), detected by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) on 2010 February 23. The SN distance is ≅218 Mpc, greater than GRB 980425/SN 1998bw and GRB 060218/SN 2006aj, but smaller than the other SNe firmly associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We conducted a multi-wavelength follow-up campaign with Palomar 48 inch, Palomar 60 inch, Gemini-N, Keck, Wise, Swift, the Allen Telescope Array, Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy, Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, and Expanded Very Large Array. Here we compare the properties of PTF 10bzf with those of SN 1998bw and other broad-line SNe. The optical luminosity and spectral properties of PTF 10bzf suggest that this SN is intermediate, in kinetic energy and amount of ^(56)Ni, between non-GRB-associated SNe like 2002ap or 1997ef, and GRB-associated SNe like 1998bw. No X-ray or radio counterpart to PTF 10bzf was detected. X-ray upper limits allow us to exclude the presence of an underlying X-ray afterglow as luminous as that of other SN-associated GRBs such as GRB 030329 or GRB 031203. Early-time radio upper limits do not show evidence for mildly relativistic ejecta. Late-time radio upper limits rule out the presence of an underlying off-axis GRB, with energy and wind density similar to the SN-associated GRB 030329 and GRB 031203. Finally, by performing a search for a GRB in the time window and at the position of PTF 10bzf, we find that no GRB in the interplanetary network catalog could be associated with this SN

GRB 970228 Within the EMBH Model

We consider the gamma-ray burst of 1997 February 28 (GRB 970228) within the ElectroMagnetic Black Hole (EMBH) model. We first determine the value of the two free parameters that characterize energetically the GRB phenomenon in the EMBH model, that is to say the dyadosphere energy, $E_{dya}=5.1\times10^{52}$ ergs, and the baryonic remnant mass $M_{B}$ in units of $E_{dya}$, $B=M_{B}c^{2}/E_{dya}=3.0\times10^{-3}$. Having in this way estimated the energy emitted during the beam-target phase, we evaluate the role of the InterStellar Medium (ISM) number density (n$_{ISM}$) and of the ratio ${\cal R}$ between the effective emitting area and the total surface area of the GRB source, in reproducing the observed profiles of the GRB 970228 prompt emission and X-ray (2-10 keV energy band) afterglow. The importance of the ISM distribution three-dimensional treatment around the central black hole is also stressed in this analysis.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the Los Alamos "Gamma Ray Burst Symposium" in Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 8-12 2003 (AIP Conf. Ser.), CHAPTER: GRB Connection to Supernova

Method for High-Resolution Frequency Measurements in the Extreme Ultraviolet Regime: Random-Sampling Ramsey Spectroscopy

n/

Robotic versus laparoscopic approach in colonic resections for cancer and Benign diseases. Systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives The aim of this systematic review and meta-Analysis is to compare robotic colectomy (RC) with laparoscopic colectomy (LC) in terms of intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. Materials and Methods A systematic literature search was performed to retrieve comparative studies of robotic and laparoscopic colectomy. The databases searched were PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 2000 to October 2014. The Odds ratio, Risk difference and Mean difference were used as the summary statistics. Results A total of 12 studies, which included a total of 4,148 patients who had undergone robotic or laparoscopic colectomy, were included and analyzed. RC demonstrated a longer operative time (MD 41.52, P<0.00001) and higher cost (MD 2.42, P<0.00001) than did LC. The time to first flatus passage (MD-0.51, P = 0.003) and the length of hospital stay (MD-0.68, P = 0.01) were significantly shorter after RC. Additionally, the intraoperative blood loss (MD-16.82, P<0.00001) was significantly less in RC. There was also a significantly lower incidence of overall postoperative complications (OR 0.74, P = 0.02) and wound infections (RD-0.02, P = 0.03) after RC. No differences in the postoperative ileus, in the anastomotic leak, or in the conversion to open surgery rate and in the number of harvested lymph nodes outcomes were found between the approaches. Conclusions The present meta-Analysis, mainly based on observational studies, suggests that RC is more time-consuming and expensive than laparoscopy but that it results in faster recovery of bowel function, a shorter hospital stay, less blood loss and lower rates of both overall postoperative complications and wound infections. Copyright: © 2015 Trastulli et al.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare robotic colectomy (RC) with laparoscopic colectomy (LC) in terms of intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed to retrieve comparative studies of robotic and laparoscopic colectomy. The databases searched were PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 2000 to October 2014. The Odds ratio, Risk difference and Mean difference were used as the summary statistics. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies, which included a total of 4,148 patients who had undergone robotic or laparoscopic colectomy, were included and analyzed. RC demonstrated a longer operative time (MD 41.52, P<0.00001) and higher cost (MD 2.42, P<0.00001) than did LC. The time to first flatus passage (MD -0.51, P = 0.003) and the length of hospital stay (MD -0.68, P = 0.01) were significantly shorter after RC. Additionally, the intraoperative blood loss (MD -16.82, P<0.00001) was significantly less in RC. There was also a significantly lower incidence of overall postoperative complications (OR 0.74, P = 0.02) and wound infections (RD -0.02, P = 0.03) after RC. No differences in the postoperative ileus, in the anastomotic leak, or in the conversion to open surgery rate and in the number of harvested lymph nodes outcomes were found between the approaches. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis, mainly based on observational studies, suggests that RC is more time-consuming and expensive than laparoscopy but that it results in faster recovery of bowel function, a shorter hospital stay, less blood loss and lower rates of both overall postoperative complications and wound infections

Consumers’ reactions to nutrition and ingredient labelling for wine – A cross-country discrete choice experiment

The purpose of this study is to examine consumers' reactions to the introduction of nutrition and ingredient labelling for wine, a product that is so far still exempt from mandatory nutrition and ingredient labelling. It also analyses the effect of positive and negative information about the use of ingredients in wine on consumers' choice. Representative samples for wine consumers from three distinctly different countries representing old and new wine markets (Australia, n = 745; Germany, n = 716; Italy, n = 715) completed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with graphically simulated wine back labels. For each country, respondents were randomly allocated to a reference group and two different treatment conditions where they received newspaper-like information (positive, negative) before making choices. Results for the reference condition show that consumers across all three countries have a significant positive utility for detailed nutrition information. Instead, ingredient information only receives a positive utility in Italy, whereas German and Australian respondents do not receive utility from ingredient labelling. When consumers in the treatment group are confronted with negative media information the attribute importance of ingredients significantly increases across all three countries, clean labelled products without ingredients are preferred, and a significantly higher share of consumers in Germany and Italy prefer not to buy any wine. The treatment effect of positive media information on consumers’ wine choice is lower than that of negative information. The results of the study have implications for the pending new regulation of wine labelling and for communication strategies of the wine industry that should actively inform consumers about the necessity of ingredients in wine production

Perspectives of Ramsey Schemes Based on High-Order Harmonics for High-Resolution XUV Spectroscopy

n/

Physical interactions between marine phytoplankton and PET plastics in seawater.

Plastics are the most abundant marine debris globally dispersed in the oceans and its production is rising with documented negative impacts in marine ecosystems. However, the chemical-physical and biological interactions occurring between plastic and planktonic communities of different types of microorganisms are poorly understood. In these respects, it is of paramount importance to understand, on a molecular level on the surface, what happens to plastic fragments when dispersed in the ocean and directly interacting with phytoplankton assemblages. This study presents a computer-aided analysis of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of selected spin probes able to enter the phyoplanktonic cell interface and interact with the plastic surface. Two different marine phytoplankton species were analyzed, such as the diatom Skeletonema marinoi and dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum, in absence and presence of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments in synthetic seawater (ASPM), in order to insitu characterize the interactions occurring between the microalgal cells and plastic surfaces. The analysis was performed at increasing incubation times. The cellular growth and adhesion rates of microalgae in batch culture medium and on the plastic fragments were also evaluated. The data agreed with the EPR results, which showed a significant difference in terms of surface properties between the diatom and dinoflagellate species. Low-polar interactions of lipid aggregates with the plastic surface sites were mainly responsible for the cell-plastic adhesion by S. marinoi, which is exponentially growing on the plastic surface over the incubation time

In Situ Probes of the First Galaxies and Reionization: Gamma-ray Bursts

The first structures in the Universe formed at z>7, at higher redshift than all currently known galaxies. Since GRBs are brighter than other cosmological sources at high redshift and exhibit simple power-law afterglow spectra that is ideal for absorption studies, they serve as powerful tools for studying the early universe. New facilities planned for the coming decade will be able to obtain a large sample of high-redshift GRBs. Such a sample would constrain the nature of the first stars, galaxies, and the reionization history of the Universe.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, science white paper submitted to the US Astro2010 Decadal Surve

Maximum gravitational-wave energy emissible in magnetar flares

Recent searches of gravitational-wave (GW) data raise the question of what maximum GW energies could be emitted during gamma-ray flares of highly magnetized neutron stars (magnetars). The highest energies (\sim 10^{49} erg) predicted so far come from a model [K. Ioka, Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 327, 639 (2001)] in which the internal magnetic field of a magnetar experiences a global reconfiguration, changing the hydromagnetic equilibrium structure of the star and tapping the gravitational potential energy without changing the magnetic potential energy. The largest energies in this model assume very special conditions, including a large change in moment of inertia (which was observed in at most one flare), a very high internal magnetic field, and a very soft equation of state. Here we show that energies of 10^{48}-10^{49} erg are possible under more generic conditions by tapping the magnetic energy, and we note that similar energies may also be available through cracking of exotic solid cores. Current observational limits on gravitational waves from magnetar fundamental modes are just reaching these energies and will beat them in the era of advanced interferometers.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl