Long-term results in pancreatic transplantation with special emphasis on the use of prolamine

Our pancreatic transplantation programme was initiated in 1979. Since then a total of 102 pancreas transplantations have been performed, blocking exocrine secretion using the duct occlusion technique with prolamine. Early non-immunological complications are frequent. The long-term results (9 years) in combined pancreas and kidney transplanted patients are satisfying: the survival rate for pancreas is 38% and 54% for kidney. Patient survival rate in this period is 85%. Beyond the first year post-transplant the exocrine activity disappears whereas the endocrine function remains well preserved

Tidal disruption and ignition of white dwarfs by moderately massive black holes

We present a numerical investigation of the tidal disruption of white dwarfs by moderately massive black holes, with particular reference to the centers of dwarf galaxies and globular clusters. Special attention is given to the fate of white dwarfs of all masses that approach the black hole close enough to be disrupted and severely compressed to such extent that explosive nuclear burning can be triggered. Consistent modeling of the gas dynamics together with the nuclear reactions allows for a realistic determination of the explosive energy release. In the most favorable cases, the nuclear energy release may be comparable to that of typical type Ia supernovae. Although the explosion will increase the mass fraction escaping on hyperbolic orbits, a good fraction of the debris remains to be swallowed by the hole, causing a bright soft X-ray flare lasting for about a year. Such transient signatures, if detected, would be a compelling testimony for the presence of a moderately mass black hole (below $10^5 M_\odot$).Comment: 38 pages, 19 figures, further simulations adde

A Multidimensional Rasch Analysis of the Functional Independence Measure Based on the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database

A number of studies have evaluated the psychometric properties of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM™) using Rasch analysis, although none has done so using the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database, a longitudinal database that captures demographic and outcome information on persons with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury across the United States. In the current study, we examine the psychometric properties of the FIM as represented by persons within this database and demonstrate that the FIM comprises three subscales representing cognitive, self-care, and mobility domains. These subscales were analyzed simultaneously using a multivariate Rasch model in combination with a time dependent concurrent calibration scheme with the goal of creating a raw score-to-logit transformation that can be used to improve the accuracy of parametric statistical analyses. The bowel and bladder function items were removed because of misfit with the motor and cognitive items. Some motor items exhibited step disorder, which was addressed by collapsing Categories 1-3 for Toileting, Stairs, Locomotion, Tub/Shower Transfers; Categories 1 and 2 for Toilet and Bed Transfers; and Categories 2 and 3 for Grooming. The strong correlations (r = 0.82-0.96) among the three subscales suggest they should be modeled together. Coefficient alpha of 0.98 indicates high internal consistency. Keyform maps are provided to enhance clinical interpretation and application of study results

The Demography of Massive Dark Objects in Galaxy Centres

We construct dynamical models for a sample of 36 nearby galaxies with Hubble Space Telescope photometry and ground-based kinematics. The models assume that each galaxy is axisymmetric, with a two-integral distribution function, arbitrary inclination angle, a position-independent stellar mass-to-light ratio Upsilon, and a central massive dark object (MDO) of arbitrary mass M_bh. They provide acceptable fits to 32 of the galaxies for some value of M_bh and Upsilon; the four galaxies that cannot be fit have kinematically decoupled cores. The mass-to-light ratios inferred for the 32 well-fit galaxies are consistent with the fundamental plane correlation Upsilon \propto L^0.2, where L is galaxy luminosity. In all but six galaxies the models require at the 95% confidence level an MDO of mass M_bh ~ 0.006 M_bulge = 0.006 Upsilon L. Five of the six galaxies consistent with M_bh=0 are also consistent with this correlation. The other (NGC 7332) has a much stronger upper limit on M_bh. We consider various parameterizations for the probability distribution describing the correlation of the masses of these MDOs with other galaxy properties. One of the best models can be summarized thus: a fraction f ~0.97 of galaxies have MDOs, whose masses are well described by a Gaussian distribution in log (M_bh/M_bulge) of mean -2.27 and width ~0.07.Comment: 28 pages including 13 figures and 4 tables. Submitted to A

The Spin of M87 as measured from the Rotation of its Globular Clusters

We revisit the kinematical data for 204 globular clusters in the halo of M87. Beyond 3 r_eff along the major axis of the galaxy light, these globular clusters exhibit substantial rotation (~ 300 +/- 70 km/s) that translates into an equally substantial spin (lambda ~ 0.18). The present appearance of M87 is most likely the product of a single major merger, since this event is best able to account for so sizable a spin. A rotation this large makes improbable any significant accretion of material after this merger, since that would have diluted the rotation signature. We see weak evidence for a difference between the kinematics of the metal-poor and metal-rich population, in the sense that the metal-poor globular clusters appear to dominate the rotation. If, as we suspect, the last major merger event of M87 was mainly dissipationless and did not trigger the formation of a large number of globular clusters, the kinematic difference between the two could reflect their orbital properties in the progenitor galaxies; these differences would be compatible with these progenitors having formed in dissipational mergers. However, to put strong kinematic constraints on the origin of the globular clusters themselves is difficult, given the complex history of the galaxy and its last dominant merger event.Comment: 20 pages (AAS two column style, including 1 table and 7 figures) accepted in the AJ (November issue), also available at http://www.ucolick.org/~mkissler

UBVI Surface Photometry of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 300 in the Sculptor Group

We present UBVI surface photometry for 20.'5 X 20.'5 area of a late-type spiral galaxy NGC 300. In order to understand the morphological properties and luminosity distribution characteristics of NGC 300, we have derived isophotal maps, surface brightness profiles, ellipticity profiles, position angle profiles, and color profiles. By merging the I-band data of our surface brightness measurements with those of Boeker et al. (2002) based on Hubble Space Telescope observations, we have made combined I-band surface brightness profiles for the region of 0."02 < r < 500" and decomposed the profiles into three components: a nucleus, a bulge, and an exponential disk.Comment: 16 pages(cjaa209.sty), Accepted by the Chinese J. Astron. Astrophys., Fig 2 and 8 are degraded to reduce spac

Evidence of a Supermassive Black Hole in the Galaxy NGC 1023 from the Nuclear Stellar Dynamics

We analyze the nuclear stellar dynamics of the SB0 galaxy NGC 1023, utilizing observational data both from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope and from the ground. The stellar kinematics measured from these long-slit spectra show rapid rotation (V = 70 km/s at a distance of 0.1 arcsec = 4.9 pc from the nucleus) and increasing velocity dispersion toward the nucleus (where sigma = 295 +/- 30 km/s). We model the observed stellar kinematics assuming an axisymmetric mass distribution with both two and three integrals of motion. Both modeling techniques point to the presence of a central dark compact mass (which presumably is a supermassive black hole) with confidence > 99%. The isotropic two-integral models yield a best-fitting black hole mass of (6.0 +/- 1.4) x 10^7 M_sun and mass-to-light ratio (M/L_V) of 5.38 +/- 0.08, and the goodness-of-fit (chi^2) is insensitive to reasonable values for the galaxy's inclination. The three-integral models, which non-parametrically fit the observed line-of-sight velocity distribution as a function of position in the galaxy, suggest a black hole mass of (3.9 +/- 0.4) x 10^7 M_sun and M/L_V of 5.56 +/- 0.02 (internal errors), and the edge-on models are vastly superior fits over models at other inclinations. The internal dynamics in NGC 1023 as suggested by our best-fit three-integral model shows that the velocity distribution function at the nucleus is tangentially anisotropic, suggesting the presence of a nuclear stellar disk. The nuclear line of sight velocity distribution has enhanced wings at velocities >= 600 km/s from systemic, suggesting that perhaps we have detected a group of stars very close to the central dark mass.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, accepted in the Astrophysical Journa

Effects of the magnetic moment interaction between nucleons on observables in the 3N continuum

The influence of the magnetic moment interaction of nucleons on nucleon-deuteron elastic scattering and breakup cross sections and on elastic scattering polarization observables has been studied. Among the numerous elastic scattering observables only the vector analyzing powers were found to show a significant effect, and of opposite sign for the proton-deuteron and neutron-deuteron systems. This finding results in an even larger discrepancy than the one previously established between neutron-deuteron data and theoretical calculations. For the breakup reaction the largest effect was found for the final-state-interaction cross sections. The consequences of this observation on previous determinations of the ^1S_0 scattering lengths from breakup data are discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 6 ps figures, 1 png figur