Stellar populations in NGC 5128 with the VLT: evidence for recent star formation

We resolve stars of the nearest giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 using VLT with FORS1 and ISAAC. We construct deep U, V and Ks color-magnitude and color-color diagrams in two different halo fields (in the halo and in the north-eastern diffuse shell). In the outer, shell field, at ~14 kpc from the center of the galaxy, there is a significant recent star formation with stars as young as 10 Myr, approximately aligned with the prominent radio and x-ray jet from the nucleus of the host AGN. Ionized gas filaments are evident in ultraviolet images near the area where neutral HI and CO molecular gas was previously observed. The underlying stellar population of the halo of the giant elliptical is predominantly old with a very broad metallicity distribution. The presence of an extended giant branch reaching M_bol=-5 mag suggests the existence of a significant intermediate-age AGB population in the halo of this galaxy.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures; to be published in A&A; high res. version at http://www.eso.org/~mrejkuba/cenA_starsVLT.p

The radio/optical alignment and the recent star formation associated with ionized filaments in the halo of NGC 5128 (Centaurus A)

We used the direct CCD camera at the Magellan I telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and FORS1 at Antu VLT at ESO Paranal Observatory to image fields centered on the inner and outer optical filaments in the halo of NGC 5128. In the V vs. U-V color-magnitude diagrams we have identified young blue supergiants associated with these line-emitting filaments located between the inner radio lobe and the northern middle lobe. Around the outer filament stars as young as 10 Myr were detected. They are principally aligned with the direction of the radio jet, but a vertical north-east alignment along the edge of the HI cloud is also present. Young stars in the inner filament field are found inside the bright knots of photoionized gas and are strongly aligned in the direction towards the center of the galaxy at the same position angle as the inner radio jet. Fitting the Padova isochrones on UV color-magnitude diagrams we find that the blue stars around the inner filaments have ages similar to the ones around the outer filaments ~10-15 Myr and the same abundance of Z=0.004. The presence of young blue supergiants clearly shows that the bright blue knots in the north-eastern halo of NGC 5128 are associations of young stars with photoionized gas. The temperature of the brightest stars is T \~ 12000-16000 K, insufficient to account alone for the high excitation lines observed in the surrounding ionized gas. Thus the optical emission jet is principally seen due to its alignment with the radio structure of the AGN. The highly collimated star formation is present only in the north eastern halo of the galaxy, suggesting the interaction of the jet with the gas clouds deposited during the last accretion event as the preferred triggering mechanism. (abridged)Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures; to be published in ApJ, v565 n1, January 20, 2002 issu

O Departamento Peixe/Pesca

This paper concerns about the historic of the Fish/Fishery Department development at INPA - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia. Now a day, this Department is formed by six divisions. The Division of Fishery do the evaluation of the fish stock ay using catch and landing data, field observations on catch methods, behaviour of fishing fleet, etc... The Division of Fish Biology takes place on systematic characterization of amazonian fish species, the study of food and feeding habits and reproduction according to the annual water level cycling, the differences on fish fauna related to the main types of water, as well as parasitology and icthyopathology. The Division of Aquatic Ecology analyses the limnological data of lakes and rivers of the amazonian region related to different types of water; special attention has been given to aquatic macrophites and its potential utilization in agriculture as fertilizer and cattle food. The Division of Fish Technology analyses the chemical composition of regional fishes, it develops preservation methods like as salting, drying and curing as well as quality control standards. The Division of Fish Culture develops culture methods of regional fishes, the study of natural and artificial ways of reproduction and experiments with different food formulations. The Division of Aquatic Mammals studies the biology, ecology and physiology of peixe-boi (manatee) and two species of river dolphins.Este artigo relata o histórico da formação do atual Departamento Peixe/Pesca do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia. Atualmente o Departamento é formado por seis divisões. A Divisão de Pesca efetua a avaliação dos recursos pesqueiros através dos dados de captura e desembarque, de observações em campo dos métodos de captura, do comportamento da frota pesqueira, etc. A Divisão de Biologia de Peixes realiza a caracterização sistemática das espécies de peixes da Amazônia, o estudo da alimentação e da reprodução das espécies relacionadas com o ciclo anual das águas, bem como de parasitas e ictiopatologia. A Divisão de Ecologia Aquática encarrega-se da obtenção de dados limnológicos de lagos e rios da região amazônica, abrangendo a caracterização dos diferentes tipos de água encontrados (preta, branca, clara) e o estudo das macrófitas aquáticas e suas possibilidades de utilização na agropecuária. A Divisão de Tecnologia do Pescado efetua estudos da composição química do pescado regional, desenvolve métodos de preservação como salga, secagem, defumação, etc., bem como a análise dos padrões de controle da qualidade. A Divisão de Piscicultura desenvolve métodos de cultivo intensivo e semi-intensivo das espécies regionais, de técnicas de reprodução natural e artificial e a experimentação de rações naturais e artificiais. A Divisão de Mamíferos Aquáticos estuda a biologia, a ecologia e a fisiologia do peixe-boi da Amazônia e de duas espécies de golfinhos de água doce

Scale-dependent perspectives on the geomorphology and evolution of beachdune systems

Despite widespread recognition that landforms are complex Earth systems with process-response linkages that span temporal scales from seconds to millennia and spatial scales from sand grains to landscapes, research that integrates knowledge across these scales is fairly uncommon. As a result, understanding of geomorphic systems is often scale-constrained due to a host of methodological, logistical, and theoretical factors that limit the scope of how Earth scientists study landforms and broader landscapes. This paper reviews recent advances in understanding of the geomorphology of beach-dune systems derived from over a decade of collaborative research from Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. A comprehensive summary of key findings is provided from short-term experiments embedded within a decade-long monitoring program and a multi-decadal reconstruction of coastal landscape change. Specific attention is paid to the challenges of scale integration and the contextual limitations research at specific spatial and/or temporal scales imposes. A conceptual framework is presented that integrates across key scales of investigation in geomorphology and is grounded in classic ideas in Earth surface sciences on the effectiveness of formative events at different scales. The paper uses this framework to organize the review of this body of research in a 'scale aware' way and, thereby, identifies many new advances in knowledge on the form and function of subaerial beach-dune systems. Finally, the paper offers a synopsis of how greater understanding of the complexities at different scales can be used to inform the development of predictive models, especially those at a temporal scale of decades to centuries, which are most relevant to coastal management issues. Models at this (landform) scale require an understanding of controls that exist at both ‘landscape’ and ‘plot’ scales. Landscape scale controls such as sea level change, regional climate, and the underlying geologic framework essentially provide bounding conditions for independent variables such as winds, waves, water levels, and littoral sediment supply. Similarly, an holistic understanding of the range of processes, feedbacks, and linkages at the finer plot scale is required to inform and verify the assumptions that underly the physical modelling of beach-dune interaction at the landform scale

Impact of Cerebral Microbleeds in Stroke Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

OBJECTIVES: Cerebral microbleeds are associated with the risks of ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage, causing clinical dilemmas for antithrombotic treatment decisions. We aimed to evaluate the risks of intracranial hemorrhage and ischemic stroke associated with microbleeds in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with Vitamin K antagonists, direct oral anticoagulants, antiplatelets, and combination therapy (i.e. concurrent oral anticoagulant and antiplatelet) METHODS: We included patients with documented atrial fibrillation from the pooled individual patient data analysis by the Microbleeds International Collaborative Network. Risks of subsequent intracranial hemorrhage and ischemic stroke were compared between patients with and without microbleeds, stratified by antithrombotic use. RESULTS: A total of 7,839 patients were included. The presence of microbleeds was associated with an increased relative risk of intracranial hemorrhage (aHR 2.74, 95% confidence interval 1.76 - 4.26) and ischemic stroke (aHR 1.29, 95% confidence interval 1.04 - 1.59). For the entire cohort, the absolute incidence of ischemic stroke was higher than intracranial hemorrhage regardless of microbleeds burden. However, for the subgroup of patients taking combination of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy, the absolute risk of intracranial hemorrhage exceeded that of ischemic stroke in those with 2-4 microbleeds (25 vs 12 per 1,000 patient-years) and ≥11 microbleeds (94 vs 48 per 1,000 patient-years). INTERPRETATION: Patients with atrial fibrillation and high burden of microbleeds receiving combination therapy have a tendency of higher rate of intracranial hemorrhage than ischemic stroke, with potential for net harm. Further studies are needed to help optimize stroke preventive strategies in this high-risk group. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Similarities and differences in the historical records of lava dome-building volcanoes: implications for understanding magmatic processes and eruption forecasting

A key question for volcanic hazard assessment is the extent to which information can be exchanged between volcanoes. This question is particularly pertinent to hazard forecasting for dome-building volcanoes, where effusive activity may persist for years to decades, and may be punctuated by periods of repose, and sudden explosive activity. Here we review historical eruptive activity of fifteen lava dome-building volcanoes over the past two centuries, with the goal of creating a hierarchy of exchangeable (i.e., similar) behaviours. Eruptive behaviour is classified using empirical observations that include patterns of SO2 flux, eruption style, and magma composition. We identify two eruptive regimes: (i) an episodic regime where eruptions are much shorter than intervening periods of repose, and degassing is temporally correlated with lava effusion; and (ii) a persistent regime where eruptions are comparable in length to periods of repose and gas emissions do not correlate with eruption rates. A corollary to these two eruptive regimes is that there are also two different types of repose: (i) inter-eruptive repose separates episodic eruptions, and is characterised by negligible gas emissions and (ii) intra-eruptive repose is observed in persistently active volcanoes, and is characterised by continuous gas emissions. We suggest that these different patterns of can be used to infer vertical connectivity within mush-dominated magmatic systems. We also note that our recognition of two different types of repose raises questions about traditional definitions of historical volcanism as a point process. This is important, because the ontology of eruptive activity (that is, the definition of volcanic activity in time) influences both analysis of volcanic data and, by extension, interpretations of magmatic processes. Our analysis suggests that one identifying exchangeable traits or behaviours provides a starting point for developing robust ontologies of volcanic activity. Moreover, by linking eruptive regimes to conceptual models of magmatic processes, we illustrate a path towards developing a conceptual framework not only for comparing data between different volcanoes but also for improving forecasts of eruptive activity

Procalcitonin Is Not a Reliable Biomarker of Bacterial Coinfection in People With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Undergoing Microbiological Investigation at the Time of Hospital Admission

Abstract Admission procalcitonin measurements and microbiology results were available for 1040 hospitalized adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (from 48 902 included in the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium World Health Organization Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK study). Although procalcitonin was higher in bacterial coinfection, this was neither clinically significant (median [IQR], 0.33 [0.11–1.70] ng/mL vs 0.24 [0.10–0.90] ng/mL) nor diagnostically useful (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.56 [95% confidence interval, .51–.60]).</jats:p

Implementation of corticosteroids in treating COVID-19 in the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK:prospective observational cohort study

BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone was the first intervention proven to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 being treated in hospital. We aimed to evaluate the adoption of corticosteroids in the treatment of COVID-19 in the UK after the RECOVERY trial publication on June 16, 2020, and to identify discrepancies in care. METHODS: We did an audit of clinical implementation of corticosteroids in a prospective, observational, cohort study in 237 UK acute care hospitals between March 16, 2020, and April 14, 2021, restricted to patients aged 18 years or older with proven or high likelihood of COVID-19, who received supplementary oxygen. The primary outcome was administration of dexamethasone, prednisolone, hydrocortisone, or methylprednisolone. This study is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN66726260. FINDINGS: Between June 17, 2020, and April 14, 2021, 47 795 (75·2%) of 63 525 of patients on supplementary oxygen received corticosteroids, higher among patients requiring critical care than in those who received ward care (11 185 [86·6%] of 12 909 vs 36 415 [72·4%] of 50 278). Patients 50 years or older were significantly less likely to receive corticosteroids than those younger than 50 years (adjusted odds ratio 0·79 [95% CI 0·70–0·89], p=0·0001, for 70–79 years; 0·52 [0·46–0·58], p80 years), independent of patient demographics and illness severity. 84 (54·2%) of 155 pregnant women received corticosteroids. Rates of corticosteroid administration increased from 27·5% in the week before June 16, 2020, to 75–80% in January, 2021. INTERPRETATION: Implementation of corticosteroids into clinical practice in the UK for patients with COVID-19 has been successful, but not universal. Patients older than 70 years, independent of illness severity, chronic neurological disease, and dementia, were less likely to receive corticosteroids than those who were younger, as were pregnant women. This could reflect appropriate clinical decision making, but the possibility of inequitable access to life-saving care should be considered. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research and UK Medical Research Council

The noise-lovers: cultures of speech and sound in second-century Rome

This chapter provides an examination of an ideal of the ‘deliberate speaker’, who aims to reflect time, thought, and study in his speech. In the Roman Empire, words became a vital tool for creating and defending in-groups, and orators and authors in both Latin and Greek alleged, by contrast, that their enemies produced babbling noise rather than articulate speech. In this chapter, the ideal of the deliberate speaker is explored through the works of two very different contemporaries: the African-born Roman orator Fronto and the Syrian Christian apologist Tatian. Despite moving in very different circles, Fronto and Tatian both express their identity and authority through an expertise in words, in strikingly similar ways. The chapter ends with a call for scholars of the Roman Empire to create categories of analysis that move across different cultural and linguistic groups. If we do not, we risk merely replicating the parochialism and insularity of our sources.Accepted manuscrip