The Calibration of the WISE W1 and W2 Tully-Fisher Relation

In order to explore local large-scale structures and velocity fields, accurate galaxy distance measures are needed. We now extend the well-tested recipe for calibrating the correlation between galaxy rotation rates and luminosities -- capable of providing such distance measures -- to the all-sky, space-based imaging data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W1 ($3.4\mu$m) and W2 ($4.6\mu$m) filters. We find a linewidth to absolute magnitude correlation (known as the Tully-Fisher Relation, TFR) of $\mathcal{M}^{b,i,k,a}_{W1} = -20.35 - 9.56 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5)$ (0.54 magnitudes rms) and $\mathcal{M}^{b,i,k,a}_{W2} = -19.76 - 9.74 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5)$ (0.56 magnitudes rms) from 310 galaxies in 13 clusters. We update the I-band TFR using a sample 9% larger than in Tully & Courtois (2012). We derive $\mathcal{M}^{b,i,k}_I = -21.34 - 8.95 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5)$ (0.46 magnitudes rms). The WISE TFRs show evidence of curvature. Quadratic fits give $\mathcal{M}^{b,i,k,a}_{W1} = -20.48 - 8.36 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5) + 3.60 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5)^2$ (0.52 magnitudes rms) and $\mathcal{M}^{b,i,k,a}_{W2} = -19.91 - 8.40 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5) + 4.32 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5)^2$ (0.55 magnitudes rms). We apply an I-band -- WISE color correction to lower the scatter and derive $\mathcal{M}_{C_{W1}} = -20.22 - 9.12 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5)$ and $\mathcal{M}_{C_{W2}} = -19.63 - 9.11 (\log W^i_{mx} - 2.5)$ (both 0.46 magnitudes rms). Using our three independent TFRs (W1 curved, W2 curved and I-band), we calibrate the UNION2 supernova Type Ia sample distance scale and derive $H_0 = 74.4 \pm 1.4$(stat) $\pm\ 2.4$(sys) kms$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ with 4% total error.Comment: 22 page, 21 figures, accepted to ApJ, Table 1 data at http://spartan.srl.caltech.edu/~neill/tfwisecal/table1.tx

The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with maintenance monotherapy in the UK

Susan C Edwards,1 Sian E Fairbrother,2 Anna Scowcroft,3 Gavin Chiu,4 Andrew Ternouth,3 Brian J Lipworth5 1Department of Market Access Pricing & Outcomes Research, 2Department of Medical Affairs - Respiratory, 3Department of Market Access, 4Department of Prescription Medicine - Respiratory, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bracknell, UK; 5Asthma and Allergy Research Group, Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Medicine, Scottish Centre for Respiratory Research, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK Background: This study characterized a cohort of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy for ≥6 months to establish their disease burden, measured by health care utilization.Methods: Data were extracted from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and linked to Hospital Episode Statistics. The monotherapy period spanned the first prescription of a long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist or a long-acting muscarinic antagonist until the end of the study (December 31, 2013) or until step up to dual/triple therapy, for example, addition of another long-acting bronchodilator, an inhaled corticosteroid, or both. A minimum of four consecutive prescriptions and 6 months on continuous monotherapy were required. Patients <50 years old at first COPD diagnosis or with another significant respiratory disease before starting monotherapy were excluded. Disease burden was evaluated by measuring patients’ rate of face-to-face interactions with a health care professional (HCP), COPD-related exacerbations, hospitalizations, and referrals.Results: A cohort of 8,811 COPD patients (95% Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage A/B) on maintenance monotherapy was identified between 2002 and 2013; 45% of these patients were still on monotherapy by the end of the study. Median time from first COPD diagnosis to first monotherapy prescription was 56 days, while the median time on maintenance bronchodilator monotherapy was 2 years. The median number of prescriptions was 14. On average, patients had 15 HCP interactions per year, and one in ten patients experienced a COPD exacerbation (N=8,811). One in 50 patients were hospitalized for COPD per year (n=4,848).Conclusion: The average monotherapy-treated patient had a higher than average HCP interaction rate. We also identified a large cohort of patients who were stepped up to triple therapy despite a low rate of exacerbations. The use of the new class of long-acting muscarinic antagonist/long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist fixed-dose combinations may provide a useful step-up treatment option in such monotherapy patients, before the use of inhaled corticosteroids. Keywords: COPD, UK primary care setting, bronchodilators, prescribing patterns, monotherap

Physical parameters and the projection factor of the classical Cepheid in the binary system OGLE-LMC-CEP-0227

A novel method of analysis of double-lined eclipsing binaries containing a radially pulsating star is presented. The combined pulsating-eclipsing light curve is built up from a purely eclipsing light curve grid created using an existing modeling tool. For every pulsation phase the instantaneous radius and surface brightness are taken into account, being calculated from the disentangled radial velocity curve of the pulsating star and from its out-of-eclipse pulsational light curve and the light ratio of the components, respectively. The best model is found using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The method is applied to the eclipsing binary Cepheid OGLE-LMC-CEP-0227 (P_puls = 3.80 d, P_orb = 309 d). We analyze a set of new spectroscopic and photometric observations for this binary, simultaneously fitting OGLE V-band, I-band and Spitzer 3.6 {\mu}m photometry. We derive a set of fundamental parameters of the system significantly improving the precision comparing to the previous results obtained by our group. The Cepheid mass and radius are M_1 = 4.165 +/- 0.032 M_solar and R_1 = 34.92 +/- 0.34 R_solar, respectively. For the first time a direct, geometrical and distance-independent determination of the Cepheid projection factor is presented. The value p = 1.21 +/- 0.03(stat.) +/- 0.04(syst.) is consistent with theoretical expectations for a short period Cepheid and interferometric measurements for {\delta} Cep. We also find a very high value of the optical limb darkening coefficients for the Cepheid component, in strong disagreement with theoretical predictions for static atmospheres at a given surface temperature and gravity.Comment: 16 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Communication of anticancer drug benefits and related uncertainties to patients and clinicians: document analysis of regulated information on prescription drugs in Europe

Objective To evaluate the frequency with which relevant and accurate information about the benefits and related uncertainties of anticancer drugs are communicated to patients and clinicians in regulated information sources in Europe. Design Document content analysis. Setting European Medicines Agency. Participants Anticancer drugs granted a first marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency, 2017-19. Main outcome measures Whether written information on a product addressed patients’ commonly asked questions about: who and what the drug is used for; how the drug was studied; types of drug benefit expected; and the extent of weak, uncertain, or missing evidence for drug benefits. Information on drug benefits in written sources for clinicians (summaries of product characteristics), patients (patient information leaflets), and the public (public summaries) was compared with information reported in regulatory assessment documents (European public assessment reports). Results 29 anticancer drugs that received a first marketing authorisation for 32 separate cancer indications in 2017-19 were included. General information about the drug (including information on approved indications and how the drug works) was frequently reported across regulated information sources aimed at both clinicians and patients. Nearly all summaries of product characteristics communicated full information to clinicians about the number and design of the main studies, the control arm (if any), study sample size, and primary measures of drug benefit. None of the patient information leaflets communicated information to patients about how drugs were studied. 31 (97%) summaries of product characteristics and 25 (78%) public summaries contained information about drug benefits that was accurate and consistent with information in regulatory assessment documents. The presence or absence of evidence that a drug extended survival was reported in 23 (72%) summaries of product characteristics and four (13%) public summaries. None of the patient information leaflets communicated information about the drug benefits that patients might expect based on study findings. Scientific concerns about the reliability of evidence on drug benefits, which were raised by European regulatory assessors for almost all drugs in the study sample, were rarely communicated to clinicians, patients, or the public. Conclusions The findings of this study highlight the need to improve the communication of the benefits and related uncertainties of anticancer drugs in regulated information sources in Europe to support evidence informed decision making by patients and their clinicians

The Carnegie Hubble Program: The Infrared Leavitt Law in IC 1613

We have observed the dwarf galaxy IC 1613, at multiple epochs in the mid-infrared using Spitzer and contemporaneously in the near-infrared using the new FourStar near-infrared camera on Magellan. We have constructed Cepheid period–luminosity relations in the J, H, K_s, [3.6] and [4.5] bands and have used the run of their apparent distance moduli as a function of wavelength to derive the line-of-sight reddening and distance to IC 1613. Using a nine-band fit, we find E(B − V) = 0.05 ± 0.01 mag and an extinction-corrected distance modulus of μ_0 = 24.29 ± 0.03_(statistical) ± 0.03_(systematic) mag. By comparing our multi-band and [3.6] distance moduli to results from the tip of the red giant branch and red clump distance indicators, we find that metallicity has no measurable effect on Cepheid distances at 3.6 μm in the metallicity range −1.0 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ 0.2, hence derivations of the Hubble constant at this wavelength require no correction for metallicity

A large-scale survey for variable stars in M33

We have started a survey of M 33 in order to find variable stars and Cepheids in particular. We have obtained more than 30 epochs of g'r'i' data with the CFHT and the one-square-degree camera MegaCam. We present first results from this survey, including the search for variable objects and a basic characterization of the various groups of variable stars.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the "Nonlinear stellar hydrodynamics", conference in honor of Robert Buchler's 65th birthday, July 2007, Pari