Intra-group Light in Hickson Compact Groups

We have analyzed the intra-group light component of 3 Hickson Compact Groups (HCG 79, HCG 88 and HCG 95) with detections in two of them: HCG 79, with $46\pm11$ of the total $B$ band luminosity and HCG 95 with $11\pm26$. HCG 88 had no component detected. This component is presumably due to tidally stripped stellar material trapped in the group potential and represents an efficient tool to determine the stage of dynamical evolution and to map its gravitational potential. To detect this low surface brightness structure we have applied the wavelet technique OV\_WAV, which separates the different components of the image according to their spatial characteristic sizes.Comment: Small update on the associated institutions lis

Critical rainfall conditions for the initiation of torrential flows: results from the Rebaixader catchment (Central Pyrenees)

Torrential flows like debris flows or debris floods are fast movements formed by a mix of water and different amounts of unsorted solid material. They generally occur in steep torrents and pose high risk in mountainous areas. Rainfall is their most common triggering factor and the analysis of the critical rainfall conditions is a fundamental research task. Due to their wide use in warning systems, rainfall thresholds for the triggering of torrential flows are an important outcome of such analysis and are empirically derived using data from past events. In 2009, a monitoring system was installed in the Rebaixader catchment, Central Pyrenees (Spain). Since then, rainfall data of 25 torrential flows (“TRIG rainfalls”) were recorded, with a 5-min sampling frequency. Other 142 rainfalls that did not trigger torrential flows (“NonTRIG rainfalls”) were also collected and analyzed. The goal of this work was threefold: (i) characterize rainfall episodes in the Rebaixader catchment and compare rainfall data that triggered torrential flows and others that did not; (ii) define and test Intensity–Duration (ID) thresholds using rainfall data measured inside the catchment by with different techniques; (iii) analyze how the criterion used for defining the rainfall duration and the spatial variability of rainfall influences the value obtained for the thresholds. The statistical analysis of the rainfall characteristics showed that the parameters that discriminate better the TRIG and NonTRIG rainfalls are the rainfall intensities, the mean rainfall and the total rainfall amount. The antecedent rainfall was not significantly different between TRIG and NonTRIG rainfalls, as it can be expected when the source material is very pervious (a sandy glacial soil in the study site). Thresholds were derived from data collected at one rain gauge located inside the catchment. Two different methods were applied to calculate the duration and intensity of rainfall: (i) using total duration, Dtot, and mean intensity, Imean, of the rainfall event, and (ii) using floating durations, D, and intensities, Ifl, based on the maximum values over floating periods of different duration. The resulting thresholds are considerably different (Imean = 6.20 Dtot-0.36 and Ifl_90% = 5.49 D-0.75, respectively) showing a strong dependence on the applied methodology. On the other hand, the definition of the thresholds is affected by several types of uncertainties. Data from both rain gauges and weather radar were used to analyze the uncertainty associated with the spatial variability of the triggering rainfalls. The analysis indicates that the precipitation recorded by the nearby rain gauges can introduce major uncertainties, especially for convective summer storms. Thus, incorporating radar rainfall can significantly improve the accuracy of the measured triggering rainfall. Finally, thresholds were also derived according to three different criteria for the definition of the duration of the triggering rainfall: (i) the duration until the peak intensity, (ii) the duration until the end of the rainfall; and, (iii) the duration until the trigger of the torrential flow. An important contribution of this work is the assessment of the threshold relationships obtained using the third definition of duration. Moreover, important differences are observed in the obtained thresholds, showing that ID relationships are significantly dependent on the applied methodology.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A Realistic Pattern of Lepton Mixing and Masses from S4 and CP

We present a supersymmetric model with the flavour symmetry S4 x Z3 and a CP symmetry which are broken to a Z3 subgroup of the flavour symmetry in the charged lepton sector and to Z2 x CP (x Z3) in the neutrino one at leading order. This model implements an approach, capable of predicting lepton mixing angles and Dirac as well as Majorana phases in terms of one free parameter. This parameter, directly related to the size of the reactor mixing angle theta_{13}, can be naturally of the correct order in our model. Atmospheric mixing is maximal, while sin^2 theta_{12} is larger than 1/3. All three phases are predicted: the Dirac phase is maximal, whereas the two Majorana phases are trivial. The neutrino mass matrix contains only three real parameters at leading order and neutrino masses effectively only depend on two of them. As a consequence, they have to be normally ordered and the absolute neutrino mass scale and the sum of the neutrino masses are predicted. The vacuum of the flavons can be correctly aligned. We study subleading corrections to the leading order results and show that they are small.Comment: 1+23 pages, 3 tables, no figures; v2: matches version published in The European Physical Journal C (including changed title

Monitoring of rainfall and soil moisture at the Rebaixader catchment (Central Pyrenees)

The instrumental monitoring of torrential catchments is a fundamental research task and provides necessary information to improve our understanding on the mechanisms of debris flows. While most monitoring sites include meteorological sensors and analyze the critical rainfall conditions, only very few contain soil moisture measurements. In our monitoring site, the Rebaixader catchment, 11 debris flows and 24 debris floods were detected during the last nine years. Herein, the initiation mechanisms of these torrential flows were analyzed focusing on the critical rainfall conditions and the soil water dynamics. Comparing the temporal distribution of both rainfall episodes and torrential flows, the Kernel density plots showed maximum values for rainfalls at the beginning of June, while the peak for torrential flows is at July 20th. This means that highest probability of debris flows and debris floods triggering is about 1.5 months later than the one of rainstorms in the catchment. Thus, the antecedent rainfall and especially the soil moisture conditions may influence the triggering of torrential flows. In a second step, a new updated rainfall threshold was proposed including total rainfall duration and mean intensity. The analysis of soil moisture data was more complicated and no clear trends were observed in the dataset. Therefore, additional data has to be recorded in order to quantitatively analyze the role of soil moisture on the triggering of flows and for the definition of thresholds. Some preliminary results show that the soil moisture at the beginning of a rainfall event affects the maximum increase of soil moisture, while a slight trend was visible comparing the initial soil moisture with the necessary rainfall amount to trigger a torrential flow.Postprint (published version

Österreichischer HipHop in der österreichischen Medien- und Musiklandschaft am Beispiel der Wiener Szene

Die Diplomarbeit beschreibt die HipHop-Kultur als globales Phänomen im Hinblick auf ihre geschichtliche Entstehung und ihrer lokale Etablierung in der Wiener Jugendszene. Hinterfragt wird die Position des österreichischen HipHops in der österreichischen Medien- und Musiklandschaft. Beleuchtet wird das Thema aus einer wirtschaftlichen, sozial- und medienkritischen Perspektive. Wir stellen uns die Frage, wieso österreichischer HipHop am heimischen Markt keine Aufmerksamkeit zugesprochen wird. Mit Hilfe eines standardisierten Fragebogens befragen wir die Öffentlichkeit unter anderem zu ihrer Meinung über eine Einführung einer Quotenregelung. Wir wollen in Erfahrung bringen, ob durch mehr Zuwendung der Medien und der Musikindustrie, dem HipHop-Genre zu einem Aufschwung am österreichischen Musikmarkt verholfen werden kann.The thesis our diploma deals with the the austrian hiphop culture and their problem gaining interest from the mass media as well as from the musikbusiness. It is difficult for austrian rappers to gain public interest by staying in the underground. The main theory describes the follwing problem: Could it be possible for Austrian HipHop-Artists to gain more attention from the media, the industrie and the public? Is mass media capable of increasing the popularity of this urban culture by giving them more airplay

Psychosocial health of asylum seeking women living in state-provided accommodation in Germany during pregnancy and early motherhood. A case study exploring the role of social determinants of health

Gewalt SC, Berger S, Ziegler S, Szecsenyi J, Bozorgmehr K. Psychosocial health of asylum seeking women living in state-provided accommodation in Germany during pregnancy and early motherhood. A case study exploring the role of social determinants of health. PLOS ONE. 2018;2018(12): e0208007

Mixed infections with Chlamydia and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus - a new in vitro model of chlamydial persistence

BACKGROUND: Chlamydiae induce persistent infections, which have been associated with a wide range of chronic diseases in humans and animals. Mixed infections with Chlamydia and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) may result in generation of persistent chlamydial infections. To test this hypothesis, an in vitro model of dual infection with cell culture-adapted PEDV and Chlamydia abortus or Chlamydia pecorum in Vero cells was established. RESULTS: Infected cultures were investigated by immunofluorescence (IF), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and re-infection experiments. By IF, Chlamydia-infected cells showed normal inclusions after 39 hpi. Dual infections with Chlamydia abortus revealed a heterogenous mix of inclusion types including small inclusions consisting of aberrant bodies (ABs), medium-sized inclusions consisting of ABs and reticulate bodies and normal inclusions. Only aberrant inclusions were observable in dual infection experiments with Chlamydia pecorum and PEDV. TEM examinations of mixed infections with Chlamydia abortus and Chlamydia pecorum revealed aberrant chlamydial inclusions containing reticulate-like, pleomorphic ABs, which were up to 2 microm in diameter. No re-differentiation into elementary bodies (EBs) was detected. In re-infection experiments, co-infected cells produced fewer EBs than monoinfected cells. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study we confirm that PEDV co-infection alters the developmental cycle of member species of the family Chlamydiaceae, in a similar manner to other well-described persistence induction methods. Interestingly, this effect appears to be partially species-specific as Chlamydia pecorum appears more sensitive to PEDV co-infection than Chlamydia abortus, as evidenced by TEM and IF observations of a homogenous population of aberrant inclusions in PEDV - Chlamydia pecorum co-infections

Expression, processing and transcriptional regulation of granulysin in short-term activated human lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: Granulysin, a cytotoxic protein expressed in human natural killer cells and activated T lymphocytes, exhibits cytolytic activity against a variety of intracellular microbes. Expression and transcription have been partially characterised in vitro and four transcripts (NKG5, 519, 520, and 522) were identified. However, only a single protein product of 15 kDa was found, which is subsequently processed to an active 9 kDa protein. RESULTS: In this study we investigated generation of granulysin in lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells and antigen (Listeria) specific T-cells. Semiquantitative RT-PCR revealed NKG5 to be the most prominent transcript. It was found to be up-regulated in a time-dependent manner in LAK cells and antigen specific T-cells and their subsets. Two isoforms of 519 mRNA were up-regulated under IL-2 and antigen stimulation. Moreover, two novel transcripts, without any known function, comprising solely parts of the 5 prime region of the primary transcript, were detected. A significant increase of granulysin expressing LAK cells as well as antigen specific T-cells was shown by fluorescence microscopy. On the subset level, increase in CD4+ granulysin expressing cells was found only under antigen stimulation.Immunoblotting showed the 15 kDa form of granulysin to be present in the first week of stimulation either with IL-2 or with bacterial antigen. Substantial processing to the 9 kDa form was detected during the first week in LAK cells and in the second week in antigen specific T-cells. CONCLUSION: This first comprehensive study of granulysin gene regulation in primary cultured human lymphocytes shows that the regulation of granulysin synthesis in response to IL-2 or bacterial antigen stimulation occurs at several levels: RNA expression, extensive alternative splicing and posttranslational processing