110 research outputs found
Plantar Erythrodysesthesia Caused by Antiretroviral Treatment: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Palmoplantar erythrodysesthesia is an uncommon localised cutaneous reaction to certain chemotherapeutic agents and characterized by painful palmoplantar erythema and dysesthesia. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of plantar erythrodysesthesia in a 40-year-old male patient receiving an antiretroviral combination therapy for HIV
TANAMI - Tracking Active Galactic Nuclei with Austral Milliarcsecond Interferometry
We present a summary of the observation strategy of TANAMI (Tracking Active
Galactic Nuclei with Austral Milliarcsecond Interferometry), a monitoring
program to study the parsec-scale structure and dynamics of relativistic jets
in active galactic nuclei (AGN) of the Southern Hemisphere with the Australian
Long Baseline Array (LBA) and the trans-oceanic antennas Hartebeesthoek, TIGO,
and O'Higgins. TANAMI is focusing on extragalactic sources south of -30 degrees
declination with observations at 8.4 GHz and 22 GHz every ~2 months at
milliarcsecond resolution. The initial TANAMI sample of 43 sources has been
defined before the launch of the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope to include the
most promising candidates for bright gamma-ray emission to be detected with its
Large Area Telescope (LAT). Since November 2008, we have been adding new
sources to the sample, which now includes all known radio- and gamma-ray bright
AGN of the Southern Hemisphere. The combination of VLBI and gamma-ray
observations is crucial to understand the broadband emission characteristics of
AGN and the nature of relativistic jets.Comment: Conference proceedings "2009 Fermi Symposium" eConf Proceedings
C09112
Dual-frequency VLBI study of Centaurus A on sub-parsec scales
Centaurus A is the closest active galactic nucleus. High resolution imaging
using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) enables us to study the spectral
and kinematic behavior of the radio jet-counterjet system on sub-parsec scales,
providing essential information for jet emission and formation models. Our aim
is to study the structure and spectral shape of the emission from the
central-parsec region of Cen A. As a target of the Southern Hemisphere VLBI
monitoring program TANAMI (Tracking Active Galactic Nuclei with Milliarcsecond
Interferometry), VLBI observations of Cen A are made regularly at 8.4 and 22.3
GHz with the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) and associated telescopes in
Antarctica, Chile, and South Africa. The first dual-frequency images of this
source are presented along with the resulting spectral index map. An angular
resolution of 0.4 mas x 0.7 mas is achieved at 8.4 GHz, corresponding to a
linear scale of less than 0.013 pc. Hence, we obtain the highest resolution
VLBI image of Cen A, comparable to previous space-VLBI observations. By
combining with the 22.3 GHz image, which has been taken without contributing
transoceanic baselines at somewhat lower resolution, we present the
corresponding dual-frequency spectral index distribution along the sub-parsec
scale jet revealing the putative emission regions for recently detected
gamma-rays from the core region by Fermi/LAT. We resolve the innermost
structure of the milliarcsecond scale jet and counterjet system of Cen A into
discrete components. The simultaneous observations at two frequencies provide
the highest resolved spectral index map of an AGN jet allowing us to identify
multiple possible sites as the origin of the high energy emission.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures (1 color); A&A, accepte
Improving access to care and community health in Haiti with optimized community health worker placement
The national deployment of polyvalent community health workers (CHWs) is a constitutive part of the strategy initiated by the Ministry of Health to accelerate efforts towards universal health coverage in Haiti. Its implementation requires the planning of future recruitment and deployment activities for which mathematical modelling tools can provide useful support by exploring optimised placement scenarios based on access to care and population distribution. We combined existing gridded estimates of population and travel times with optimisation methods to derive theoretical CHW geographical placement scenarios including constraints on walking time and the number of people served per CHW. Four national-scale scenarios that align with total numbers of existing CHWs and that ensure that the walking time for each CHW does not exceed a predefined threshold are compared. The first scenario accounts for population distribution in rural and urban areas only, while the other three also incorporate in different ways the proximity of existing health centres. Comparing these scenarios to the current distribution, insufficient number of CHWs is systematically identified in several departments and gaps in access to health care are identified within all departments. These results highlight current suboptimal distribution of CHWs and emphasize the need to consider an optimal (re-)allocation
Gamma-ray emission in radio galaxies under the VLBI scope -- II. The relationship between gamma-ray emission and parsec-scale jets in radio galaxies
Following our study of the radio and high-energy properties of
-ray-emitting radio galaxies, here we investigate the kinematic and
spectral properties of the parsec-scale jets of radio galaxies that have not
yet been detected by Fermi-LAT. We take advantage of the regular VLBI
observations provided by the TANAMI monitoring program, and explore the
kinematic properties of six -ray-faint radio galaxies. We include
publicly available VLBI kinematics of -ray-quiet radio galaxies
monitored by the MOJAVE program and perform a Fermi-LAT analysis, deriving
upper limits. We combine these results with those from our previous paper to
construct the largest sample of radio galaxies with combined VLBI and
-ray measurements to date. We find superluminal motion up to
in the jet of PKS 215369. We find a clear trend of
higher apparent speed as a function of distance from the jet core on scales of
, corresponding to the end of the collimation and acceleration
zone in nearby radio galaxies. We find evidence of subluminal apparent motion
in the jets of PKS 1258321 and IC 4296, and no measurable motion for PKS
154979, PKS 1733565 and PKS 2027308. We compare the VLBI properties of
-ray-detected and undetected radio galaxies, and find significantly
different distributions of median core flux density, and, possibly, of median
core brightness temperature. We find a significant correlation between median
core flux density and -ray flux, but no correlation with typical
Doppler boosting indicators such as median core brightness temperature and core
dominance. Our study suggests that high-energy emission from radio galaxies is
related to parsec-scale radio emission from the inner jet, but is not driven by
Doppler boosting effects, in contrast to the situation in their blazar
counterparts.Comment: Main text: 15 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables. Appendix: 14 pages, 20
figures, 13 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Habitual Physical Activity in Mitochondrial Disease
Mitochondrial disease is the most common neuromuscular disease and has a profound impact upon daily life, disease and longevity. Exercise therapy has been shown to improve mitochondrial function in patients with mitochondrial disease. However, no information exists about the level of habitual physical activity of people with mitochondrial disease and its relationship with clinical phenotype.Habitual physical activity, genotype and clinical presentations were assessed in 100 patients with mitochondrial disease. Comparisons were made with a control group individually matched by age, gender and BMI. = −0.49; 95% CI −0.33, −0.63, P<0.01). There were no systematic differences in physical activity between different genotypes mitochondrial disease.These results demonstrate for the first time that low levels of physical activity are prominent in mitochondrial disease. Combined with a high prevalence of obesity, physical activity may constitute a significant and potentially modifiable risk factor in mitochondrial disease
Where is the EU headed given its current climate policy? A stakeholder-driven model inter-comparison.
Recent calls to do climate policy research with, rather than for, stakeholders have been answered in non-modelling science. Notwithstanding progress in modelling literature, however, very little of the scenario space traces back to what stakeholders are ultimately concerned about. With a suite of eleven integrated assessment, energy system and sectoral models, we carry out a model inter-comparison for the EU, the scenario logic and research questions of which have been formulated based on stakeholders' concerns. The output of this process is a scenario framework exploring where the region is headed rather than how to achieve its goals, extrapolating its current policy efforts into the future. We find that Europe is currently on track to overperforming its pre-2020 40% target yet far from its newest ambition of 55% emissions cuts by 2030, as well as looking at a 1.0-2.35 GtCO2 emissions range in 2050. Aside from the importance of transport electrification, deployment levels of carbon capture and storage are found intertwined with deeper emissions cuts and with hydrogen diffusion, with most hydrogen produced post-2040 being blue. Finally, the multi-model exercise has highlighted benefits from deeper decarbonisation in terms of energy security and jobs, and moderate to high renewables-dominated investment needs
Demand for environmentally friendly vehicles: A review and new evidence
Although the need for more environmentally friendly vehicles was recognized some decades ago, this new market has not yet established itself. Consumer behavior needs to be studied to ascertain when people will decide to purchase hybrid or electric vehicles rather than conventional ones. An in-depth review of the state-of-the-art has identified existing deficiencies and these are addressed in this paper, proposing a new approach that is applied to the case of Santander in Spain. Emphasis is placed on the role of citizens in researching the local market and their requirements with respect to such vehicles; our model assumes variability in user preferences, an utmost requirement as concluded from the literature review. Results suggest that the highest demand for cleaner vehicles would be achieved in two ways: firstly, by penalizing conventional vehicles in terms of costs/km; secondly, by providing incentives directed at lowering the purchasing price of hybrid and electric vehicles. Finally, as demand becomes more elastic, the preferred strategy should initially focus on hybrid vehicles
Effects of Hydrographic Variability on the Spatial, Seasonal and Diel Diving Patterns of Southern Elephant Seals in the Eastern Weddell Sea
Weddell Sea hydrography and circulation is driven by influx of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) at its eastern margin. Entrainment and upwelling of this high-nutrient, oxygen-depleted water mass within the Weddell Gyre also supports the mesopelagic ecosystem within the gyre and the rich benthic community along the Antarctic shelf. We used Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Satellite Relay Data Loggers (CTD-SRDLs) to examine the importance of hydrographic variability, ice cover and season on the movements and diving behavior of southern elephant seals in the eastern Weddell Sea region during their overwinter feeding trips from Bouvetøya. We developed a model describing diving depth as a function of local time of day to account for diel variation in diving behavior. Seals feeding in pelagic ice-free waters during the summer months displayed clear diel variation, with daytime dives reaching 500-1500 m and night-time targeting of the subsurface temperature and salinity maxima characteristic of CDW around 150–300 meters. This pattern was especially clear in the Weddell Cold and Warm Regimes within the gyre, occurred in the ACC, but was absent at the Dronning Maud Land shelf region where seals fed benthically. Diel variation was almost absent in pelagic feeding areas covered by winter sea ice, where seals targeted deep layers around 500–700 meters. Thus, elephant seals appear to switch between feeding strategies when moving between oceanic regimes or in response to seasonal environmental conditions. While they are on the shelf, they exploit the locally-rich benthic ecosystem, while diel patterns in pelagic waters in summer are probably a response to strong vertical migration patterns within the copepod-based pelagic food web. Behavioral flexibility that permits such switching between different feeding strategies may have important consequences regarding the potential for southern elephant seals to adapt to variability or systematic changes in their environment resulting from climate change
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