Diffraction-limited Subaru imaging of M82: sharp mid-infrared view of the starburst core

We present new imaging at 12.81 and 11.7 microns of the central ~40"x30" (~0.7x0.5 kpc) of the starburst galaxy M82. The observations were carried out with the COMICS mid-infrared (mid-IR) imager on the 8.2m Subaru telescope, and are diffraction-limited at an angular resolution of <0".4. The images show extensive diffuse structures, including a 7"-long linear chimney-like feature and another resembling the edges of a ruptured bubble. This is the clearest view to date of the base of the kpc-scale dusty wind known in this galaxy. These structures do not extrapolate to a single central point, implying multiple ejection sites for the dust. In general, the distribution of dust probed in the mid-IR anticorrelates with the locations of massive star clusters that appear in the near-infrared. The 10-21 micron mid-IR emission, spatially-integrated over the field of view, may be represented by hot dust with temperature of ~160 K. Most discrete sources are found to have extended morphologies. Several radio HII regions are identified for the first time in the mid-IR. The only potential radio supernova remnant to have a mid-IR counterpart is a source which has previously also been suggested to be a weak active galactic nucleus. This source has an X-ray counterpart in Chandra data which appears prominently above 3 keV and is best described as a hot (~2.6 keV) absorbed thermal plasma with a 6.7 keV Fe K emission line, in addition to a weaker and cooler thermal component. The mid-IR detection is consistent with the presence of strong [NeII]12.81um line emission. The broad-band source properties are complex, but the X-ray spectra do not support the active galactic nucleus hypothesis. We discuss possible interpretations regarding the nature of this source.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASJ Subaru special issue. High resolution version available temporarily at http://www.astro.isas.jaxa.jp/~pgandhi/pgandhi_m82.pd

Employment generation in Brazilian coffee regions

Due to the specific characteristics of coffee production on each of the main Brazilian states producers of arabica (Coffea arabica) and robusta coffee (Coffea canephora), a better understanding of the structural links between production and industrialization of coffee on those states and the national economy can provide subsides for implementation of public policies, essential to plan the coffee production and increase the sector competitiveness. Therefore, this study analyzed the employment generation in production and coffee industrialization in the major Brazilian production regions, based on an inter-regional input-output model, with seven regions, which represent the main coffee-producing states - Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, São Paulo, Paraná, Bahia and Other States - with 44 sectors each, in a system of 308 sectors. The results indicated that the production of robusta coffee is the sector that generates more employments (total) per currency unit, and that arabica production sector is the fourth largest generator of employments, among the 44 sectors considered for the country. The results for each state emphasized the importance of farming and coffee industry for national and state economies.Coffee; Coffee Production; Input-Output

Characterization and Improvement of the Image Quality of the Data Taken with the Infrared Camera (IRC) Mid-Infrared Channels onboard AKARI

Mid-infrared images frequently suffer artifacts and extended point spread functions (PSFs). We investigate the characteristics of the artifacts and the PSFs in images obtained with the Infrared Camera (IRC) onboard AKARI at four mid-infrared bands of the S7 (7{\mu}m), S11 (11{\mu}m), L15 (15{\mu}m), and L24 (24 {\mu}m). Removal of the artifacts significantly improves the reliability of the ref- erence data for flat-fielding at the L15 and L24 bands. A set of models of the IRC PSFs is also constructed from on-orbit data. These PSFs have extended components that come from diffraction and scattering within the detector arrays. We estimate the aperture correction factors for point sources and the surface brightness correction factors for diffuse sources. We conclude that the surface brightness correction factors range from 0.95 to 0.8, taking account of the extended component of the PSFs. To correct for the extended PSF effects for the study of faint structures, we also develop an image reconstruction method, which consists of the deconvolution with the PSF and the convolution with an appropriate Gaussian. The appropriate removal of the artifacts, improved flat-fielding, and image reconstruction with the extended PSFs enable us to investigate de- tailed structures of extended sources in IRC mid-infrared images.Comment: 35 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

High‐dose Cholecalciferol Supplementation in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

Introduction Despite the availability of consensus guidelines for the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, prospective trials are lacking to examine alternative dosing strategies for adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who do not meet therapeutic goals with standard regimens. Objectives The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of high‐dose cholecalciferol supplementation in increasing serum vitamin D (25‐OHD) levels in adult patients with CF. Methods Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were 18 years or older, had baseline 25‐OHD levels lower than 30 ng/ml, and were diagnosed with CF and pancreatic insufficiency. Patients were given a single dose of cholecalciferol 300,000 or 500,000 IU based on baseline 25‐OHD levels. Response was defined by 25‐OHD and ionized calcium levels at 3 months. At 6 months, responders received a second dose of the same strength, and nonresponders were given a weekly supplement of cholecalciferol 50,000 IU in addition to cholecalciferol 500,000 IU. A second 25‐OHD level was obtained at 9 months. Results Of the 46 patients enrolled, 32 patients (70%) completed the study. Baseline levels of 25‐OHD significantly increased over time in the per protocol population at 3 and 9 months. A total of 16 patients (50%) were considered nonresponders and required weekly supplementation. Conclusion A protocol using high‐dose cholecalciferol or high‐dose plus weekly cholecalciferol is safe and effective in treating adult patients with CF and pancreatic insufficiency

Protein and sensory quality of a food supplement formulated for the elderly

This study aimed to evaluate the composition, the protein quality, and the acceptability of a powder dietary supplement formulated for elderly people. The centesimal composition was analysed according to A.O.A.C. methods and the protein quality was assessed in weaning rats, by comparing Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), Net Protein Ratio (NPR), and True Digestibility (TD) of the supplement with a casein-control based on AIN-93G diet. For the acceptance test samples of four flavours of the supplement dissolved in whole milk were offered to each judge, in monadic form. To assess the overall acceptability a scale of seven points was used. The sensory panel was composed of 121 Brazilian panellists, with mean age of 68.28±5.78 years. The supplement is promising in reaching the nutritional demands of the elderly, providing high content of protein and fibre and low content of fat. The values found for PER and NPR were shown to be superior to the control group of casein (P<0.05) and the digestibility was higher than 90%, showing that the supplement presented characteristics of a high nutritional value protein source. The supplements with banana, vanilla, and strawberry flavour were the most accepted and did not differ significantly for the overall acceptability

Expression and clinical significance of erb-B receptor family in hepatocellular carcinoma

In order to elucidate the clinical significance of the erbB family, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), c-erbB-2, c-erbB-3 and c-erbB-4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we investigated the expression of these proteins by means of immunohistochemistry for HCC as well as adjacent noncancerous lesions. EGF-R was expressed in 68% of the HCC examined and showed correlation with the proliferating activity, stage, intrahepatic metastasis and carcinoma differentiation. c-erbB-2 was expressed in only 21% of the cases and showed no relationships with the clinicopathological parameters. c-erbB-3 protein was observed in 84% of the HCC and 38.1% of the noncancerous lesions. Its expression in HCC was equal to or greater than noncancerous lesions in 90.5% of the cases, and was related to the stage, portal invasion, cell proliferating activity, tumour size, intrahepatic metastasis and carcinoma differentiation. c-erbB-4 protein was expressed in 61.0% of HCC and in as much as 86.1% of the noncancerous lesions. Unlike the expression of c-erbB-3, that of c-erbB-4 in HCC was less than that of the adjacent noncancerous lesions in 51.2% of the cases. No statistical significance could be established between this protein expression in HCC and clinicopathological features. EGF-R and c-erbB-3 affected disease-free survival, but were not recognized as independent prognostic factors by multivariate analysis. The present study suggests that, of the four receptors, EGF-R and c-erbB-3 play important roles in the progression of HCC. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign www.bjcancer.co

ESR investigation on the Breather mode and the Spinon-Breather dynamical crossover in Cu Benzoate

A new elementary-excitation, the so called "breather excitation", is observed directly by millimeter-submillimeter wave electron spin resonance (ESR) in the Heisenberg quantum spin-chain Cu benzoate, in which a field-induced gap is found recently by specific heat and neutron scattering measurements. Distinct anomalies were found in line width and in resonance field around the "dynamical crossover" regime between the gap-less spinon-regime and the gapped breather-regime. When the temperature becomes sufficiently lower than the energy gap, a new ESR-line with very narrow line-width is found, which is the manifestation of the breather excitation. The non-linear field dependence of the resonance field agrees well with the theoretical formula of the first breather-excitation proposed by Oshikawa and Affleck. The present work establishes experimentally for the first time that a sine-Gordon model is applicable to explain spin dynamics in a S=1/2 Heisenberg spin chain subjected to staggered field even in high fields.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

AKARI observations of ice absorption bands towards edge-on young stellar objects

To investigate the composition and evolution of circumstellar ice around low-mass young stellar objects (YSOs), we observed ice absorption bands in the near infrared (NIR) towards eight YSOs ranging from class 0 to class II, among which seven are associated with edge-on disks. We performed slit-less spectroscopic observations using the grism mode of the InfraRed Camera (IRC) on board AKARI, which enables us to obtain full NIR spectra from 2.5 mu m to 5 mu m, including the CO2 band and the blue wing of the H2O band, which are inaccessible from the ground. We developed procedures to carefully process the spectra of targets with nebulosity. The spectra were fitted with polynomial baselines to derive the absorption spectra. The molecular absorption bands were then fitted with the laboratory database of ice absorption bands, considering the instrumental line profile and the spectral resolution of the grism dispersion element. Towards the class 0-I sources (L1527, IRC-L1041-2, and IRAS 04302), absorption bands of H2O, CO2, CO, and XCN are clearly detected. Column density ratios of CO2 ice and CO ice relative to H2O ice are 21-28% and 13-46%, respectively. If XCN is OCN-, its column density is as high as 2-6% relative to H2O ice. The HDO ice feature at 4.1 mu m is tentatively detected towards the class 0-I sources and HV Tau. Non-detections of the CH-stretching mode features around 3.5 mu m provide upper limits to the CH3OH abundance of 26% (L1527) and 42% (IRAS 04302) relative to H2O. We tentatively detect OCS ice absorption towards IRC-L1041-2. Towards class 0-I sources, the detected features should mostly originate in the cold envelope, while CO gas and OCN-could originate in the region close to the protostar, where there are warm temperatures and UV radiation. We detect H2O ice band towards ASR41 and 2MASSJ 1628137-243139, which are edge-on class II disks. We also detect H2O ice and CO2 ice towards HV Tau, HK Tau, and UY Aur, and tentatively detect CO gas features towards HK Tau and UY Aur