(Sub)mm Interferometry Applications in Star Formation Research

This contribution gives an overview about various applications of (sub)mm interferometry in star formation research. The topics covered are molecular outflows, accretion disks, fragmentation and chemical properties of low- and high-mass star-forming regions. A short outlook on the capabilities of ALMA is given as well.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, in proceedings to "2nd European School on Jets from Young Star: High Angular Resolution Observations". A high-resolution version of the paper can be found at http://www.mpia.de/homes/beuther/papers.htm

The Origin, Early Evolution and Predictability of Solar Eruptions

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were discovered in the early 1970s when space-borne coronagraphs revealed that eruptions of plasma are ejected from the Sun. Today, it is known that the Sun produces eruptive flares, filament eruptions, coronal mass ejections and failed eruptions; all thought to be due to a release of energy stored in the coronal magnetic field during its drastic reconfiguration. This review discusses the observations and physical mechanisms behind this eruptive activity, with a view to making an assessment of the current capability of forecasting these events for space weather risk and impact mitigation. Whilst a wealth of observations exist, and detailed models have been developed, there still exists a need to draw these approaches together. In particular more realistic models are encouraged in order to asses the full range of complexity of the solar atmosphere and the criteria for which an eruption is formed. From the observational side, a more detailed understanding of the role of photospheric flows and reconnection is needed in order to identify the evolutionary path that ultimately means a magnetic structure will erupt

Gene expression signature: a powerful approach for drug discovery in diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing in prevalence at an alarming rate around the world. Much effort has gone into the discovery and design of antidiabetic drugs; however, those already available are unable to combat the underlying causes of the disease and instead only moderate the symptoms. The reason for this is that T2D is a complex disease, and attempts to target one biological pathway are insufficient to combat the full extent of the disease. Additionally, the underlying pathophysiology of this disease is yet to be fully elucidated making it difficult to design drugs that target the mechanisms involved. Therefore, the approach of designing new drugs aimed at a specific molecular target is not optimal and a more expansive, unbiased approach is required. In this review, we will look at the current state of diabetes treatments and how these target the disease symptoms but are unable to combat the underlying causes. We will also review how the technique of gene expression signatures (GESs) has been used successfully for other complex diseases and how this may be applied as a powerful tool for the discovery of new drugs for T2D

Surface phytoplankton pigment distributions in the Atlantic Ocean: an assessment of basin scale variability between 50N and 50S

We present an overview of the spatial distributions of phytoplankton pigments along transects between the UK and the Falkland Islands. These studies, undertaken as a component of the UK Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) programme, provided the first post-launch validation data for the NASA SeaWiFS satellite. Pigment data are used to characterise basin-scale variations in phytoplankton biomass and community composition over 100° of latitude, and to compliment the definition of hydrographic oceanic provinces. A summary of the key pigment characteristics of each province is presented.Concentrations of total chlorophyll a (totCHLa = chlorophyll a, CHLa + divinyl CHLa, dvCHLa) were greatest in high latitude temperate waters (>37°N and >35°S), and in the Canary Current Upwelling system. In these regions, the total carotenoid (totCAR) budget was dominated by photosynthetic carotenoids (PSCs). High accessory pigment diversity was observed of which fucoxanthin (FUC), 19'–hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (HEX), and diadinoxanthin (DIAD) were most abundant, indicating proliferation of large eukaryotes and nanoflagellates. In contrast, tropical and sub-tropical waters exhibited concentrations of totCHLa below 500 ng l?1, with the North Atlantic Sub-tropical East gyre (NASE, 26.7–35°N), South Equatorial Current (SeqC, 7–14.6°S) and South Atlantic tropical Gyre (SATG, 14.6–26°S) characterised by totCHLa of <100 ng?1. These waters exhibited relatively limited pigment diversity, and the totCAR budget was dominated by photoprotecting pigments (PPCs) of which zeaxanthin (ZEA), a marker of prokaryotes (cyanobacteria and prochlorophytes), was most abundant. DvCHLa, a marker of prochlorophytes was detected in waters at temperatures >15°C, and between the extremes of 48°N and 42°S. DvCHLa accounted for up to two-thirds of totCHLa in oligotrophic provinces demonstrating the importance of prochlorophytes to oceanic biomass.Overall, HEX was the dominant PSC, contributing up to 75% of totCAR. HEX always represented >2% of totCAR and was the only truly ubiquitous carotenoid. Since HEX is a chemotaxonomic marker of prymnesiophytes, this observation reflects the truly cosmopolitan distribution of this algal class. ZEA was found to be the most abundant PPC contributing more than one third of the total carotenoid budget in each transect.Greatest seasonality was observed in highly productive waters at high latitudes and in shallow continental shelf waters and attributed to proliferation of large eukaryotes during spring. Concentrations of the prokaryote pigments (ZEA + dvCHLa) also exhibited some seasonality, with elevated concentrations throughout most of the transect during Northern Hemisphere spring

Occupational safety and health and smaller organisations: research challenges and opportunities

Despite the prevalence of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro organisations, comparatively little is known about how such organisations approach occupational safety and health (OSH). Research has tended to present a negative picture of OSH practices in smaller organisations. This paper discusses some of the challenges to researching OSH in SMEs and micro organisations and how these challenges can be overcome. It draws lessons and experiences from a qualitative study involving 149 structured interviews, nine short-term ethnographies and 21 semi-structured interviews with owners and employees in SMEs and micro organisations from a broad cross-section of industry sectors in the UK, including construction, retail, healthcare, logistics and agriculture. Data from the study suggest that the established boundaries between micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are less meaningful in an OSH context - OSH practices are influenced more by the culture of the organisation, the type of work being undertaken and the sector that an organisation operates in. OSH practices in SMEs and micro organisations tend to reflect more informal characteristics of such organisations, with more emphasis (than many larger organisations) on tacit knowledge, learning by doing and improvisation. Such practices should not necessarily be assumed to be unsafe or incompatible with formalised OSH