365 research outputs found
The Outer Disks of Early-Type Galaxies. I. Surface-Brightness Profiles of Barred Galaxies
We present a study of 66 barred, early-type (S0-Sb) disk galaxies, focused on
the disk surface brightness profile outside the bar region and the nature of
Freeman Type I and II profiles, their origins, and their possible relation to
disk truncations. This paper discusses the data and their reduction, outlines
our classification system, and presents -band profiles and classifications
for all galaxies in the sample.
The profiles are derived from a variety of different sources, including the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Data Release 5). For about half of the galaxies, we
have profiles derived from more than one telescope; this allows us to check the
stability and repeatability of our profile extraction and classification. The
vast majority of the profiles are reliable down to levels of mu_R ~ 27 mag
arcsec^-2; in exceptional cases, we can trace profiles down to mu_R > 28. We
can typically follow disk profiles out to at least 1.5 times the traditional
optical radius R_25; for some galaxies, we find light extending to ~ 3 R_25.
We classify the profiles into three main groups: Type I (single-exponential),
Type II (down-bending), and Type III (up-bending). The frequencies of these
types are approximately 27%, 42%, and 24%, respectively, plus another 6% which
are combinations of Types II and III. We further classify Type II profiles by
where the break falls in relation to the bar length, and in terms of the
postulated mechanisms for breaks at large radii ("classical trunction" of star
formation versus the influence of the Outer Lindblad Resonance of the bar). We
also classify the Type III profiles by the probable morphology of the outer
light (disk or spheroid). Illustrations are given for all cases. (Abridged)Comment: 41 pages, 26 PDF figures. To appear in the Astronomical Journal.
Version with full-resolution figures available at
http://www.mpe.mpg.de/~erwin/research
Entanglement-enhanced probing of a delicate material system
Quantum metrology uses entanglement and other quantum effects to improve the
sensitivity of demanding measurements. Probing of delicate systems demands high
sensitivity from limited probe energy and has motivated the field's key
benchmark-the standard quantum limit. Here we report the first
entanglement-enhanced measurement of a delicate material system. We
non-destructively probe an atomic spin ensemble by means of near-resonant
Faraday rotation, a measurement that is limited by probe-induced scattering in
quantum-memory and spin-squeezing applications. We use narrowband,
atom-resonant NOON states to beat the standard quantum limit of sensitivity by
more than five standard deviations, both on a per-photon and per-damage basis.
This demonstrates quantum enhancement with fully realistic loss and noise,
including variable-loss effects. The experiment opens the way to ultra-gentle
probing of single atoms, single molecules, quantum gases and living cells.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures; Nature Photonics, advance online publication, 16
December 201
Objectively measured physical activity during pregnancy: a study in obese and overweight women.
RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are.BACKGROUND: Obese and overweight women may benefit from increased physical activity (PA) during pregnancy. There is limited published data describing objectively measured PA in such women. METHODS: A longitudinal observational study of PA intensity, type and duration using objective and subjective measurement methods. Fifty five pregnant women with booking body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 were recruited from a hospital ultrasound clinic in North East England. 26 (47%) were nulliparous and 22 (40%) were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). PA was measured by accelerometry and self report questionnaire at 13 weeks, 26 weeks and/or 36 weeks gestation. Outcome measures were daily duration of light, moderate or vigorous activity assessed by accelerometry; calculated overall PA energy expenditure, (PAEE), and PAEE within four domains of activity based on self report. RESULTS: At median 13 weeks gestation, women recorded a median 125 mins/day light activity and 35 mins/day moderate or vigorous activity (MVPA). 65% achieved the minimum recommended 30 mins/day MVPA. This proportion was maintained at 26 weeks (62%) and 36 weeks (71%). Women achieving more than 30 mins/day MVPA in the first trimester showed a significant reduction in duration of MVPA by the third trimester (11 mins/day, p = 0.003). Walking, swimming and floor exercises were the most commonly reported recreational activities but their contribution to estimated energy expenditure was small. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obese pregnant women can achieve and maintain recommended levels of PA throughout pregnancy. Interventions to promote PA should target changes in habitual activities at work and at home, and in particular walking.Published versio
Optical coherence tomography versus intravascular ultrasound to evaluate stent implantation in patients with calcific coronary artery disease
AIMS: Stent underexpansion and malapposition are associated with adverse outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention, but detection and treatment can be challenging in the presence of extensive coronary artery calcification. Frequency domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) is a novel intravascular imaging technique with greater spatial resolution than intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) but its role in the presence of extensive coronary calcification remains unclear. We sought to determine the utility of FD-OCT compared to IVUS imaging to guide percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with severe calcific coronary artery disease. METHODS: 18 matched IVUS and FD-OCT examinations were evaluated following coronary stent implantation in 12 patients (10 male; mean age 70±7 years) undergoing rotational atherectomy for symptomatic calcific coronary artery disease. RESULTS: In-stent luminal areas were smaller (minimum in-stent area 6.77±2.18 vs 7.19±2.62 mm(2), p<0.05), while reference lumen dimensions were similar with FD-OCT compared with IVUS. Stent malapposition was detected in all patients by FD-OCT and in 10 patients by IVUS. The extent of stent malapposition detected was greater (20% vs 6%, p<0.001) with FD-OCT compared to IVUS. Postdilation increased the in-stent luminal area (minimum in-stent area: 8.15±1.90 vs 7.30±1.62 mm(2), p<0.05) and reduced the extent of stent malapposition (19% vs 34%, p<0.005) when assessed by FD-OCT, but not IVUS. CONCLUSIONS: Acute stent malapposition occurs frequently in patients with calcific coronary disease undergoing rotational atherectomy and stent implantation. In the presence of extensive coronary artery calcification, FD-OCT affords enhanced stent visualisation and detection of malapposition, facilitating improved postdilation stent apposition and minimal luminal areas. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02065102
Clinically actionable secondary findings in 130 triads from sub-Saharan African families with non-syndromic orofacial clefts
Abstract Introduction The frequency and implications of secondary findings (SFs) from genomic testing data have been extensively researched. However, little is known about the frequency or reporting of SFs in Africans, who are underrepresented in large‐scale population genomic studies. The availability of data from the first whole‐genome sequencing for orofacial clefts in an African population motivated this investigation. Methods In total, 130 case‐parent trios were analyzed for SFs within the ACMG SFv.3.0 list genes. Additionally, we filtered for four more genes (HBB, HSD32B, G6PD and ACADM). Results We identified 246 unique variants in 55 genes; five variants in four genes were classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP). The P/LP variants were seen in 2.3% (9/390) of the subjects, a frequency higher than ~1% reported for diverse ethnicities. On the ACMG list, pathogenic variants were observed in PRKAG (p. Glu183Lys). Variants in the PALB2 (p. Glu159Ter), RYR1 (p. Arg2163Leu) and LDLR (p. Asn564Ser) genes were predicted to be LP. Conclusion This study provides information on the frequency and pathogenicity of SFs in an African cohort. Early risk detection will help reduce disease burden and contribute to efforts to increase knowledge of the distribution and impact of actionable genomic variants in diverse populations
Costa Rica Rift hole deepened and logged
During Leg 111 of the Ocean Drilling
Program, scientists on the
drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution
studied crustal structure and hydrothermal
processes in the eastern
equatorial Pacific. Leg 111 spent 43
days on its primary objective, deepening
and logging Hole 5048, a deep
reference hole in 5.9-million-year-old
crust 200 km south of the spreading
axis of the Costa Rica Rift. Even before
Leg 111 , Hole 5048 was the deepest
hole drilled into the oceanic crust,
penetrating 274.5 m of sediments and
1,075.5 m of pillow lavas and sheeted
dikes to a total depth of 1,350 m
below sea floor (mbsf). Leg 111 deepened
the hole by 212.3 m to a total
depth of 1,562.3 mbsf (1,287.8 m into
basement), and completed a highly successful suite of geophysical logs
and experiments, including sampling
of borehole waters
Research Priorities for Endometriosis:Recommendations From a Global Consortium of Investigators in Endometriosis
The 3rd International Consensus Workshop on Research Priorities in Endometriosis was held in São Paulo on May 4, 2014, following the 12th World Congress on Endometriosis. The workshop was attended by 60 participants from 19 countries and was divided into 5 main sessions covering pathogenesis/pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis/classification/prognosis, disease/symptom management, and research policy. This research priorities consensus statement builds on earlier efforts to develop research directions for endometriosis. Of the 56 research recommendations from the 2011 meeting in Montpellier, a total of 41 remained unchanged, 13 were updated, and 2 were deemed to be completed. Fifty-three new research recommendations were made at the 2014 meeting in Sao Paulo, which in addition to the 13 updated recommendations resulted in a total of 66 new recommendations for research. The research recommendations published herein, as well as those from the 2 previous papers from international consensus workshops, are an attempt to promote high-quality research in endometriosis by identifying and agreeing on key issues that require investigation. New areas included in the 2014 recommendations include infertility, patient stratification, and research in emerging nations, in addition to an increased focus on translational research. A revised and updated set of research priorities that builds on this document will be developed at the 13th World Congress on Endometriosis to be held on May 17-20, 2017, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Peter A. W. Rogers, G. David Adamson, Moamar Al-Jefout, Christian M. Becker, Thomas M. D, Hooghe, Gerard A. J. Dunselman, Asgerally Fazleabas, Linda C. Giudice, Andrew W. Horne, M. Louise Hull, Lone Hummelshoj, Stacey A. Missmer, Grant W. Montgomery, Pamela Stratton, Robert N. Taylor, Luk Rombauts, Philippa T. Saunders, Katy Vincent, Krina T. Zondervan for the WES/WERF Consortium for Research Priorities in Endometriosi
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