Using spectral line observations of HNCO, N2H+, and HNC, we investigate the kinematics of dense gas in the central ∼250 pc of the Galaxy. We present scouse (Semi-automated multi-COmponent Universal ...Spectral-line fitting Engine), a line-fitting algorithm designed to analyse large volumes of spectral line data efficiently and systematically. Unlike techniques which do not account for complex line profiles, scouse accurately describes the {l, b, v
LSR} distribution of Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) gas, which is asymmetric about Sgr A* in both position and velocity. Velocity dispersions range from 2.6 km s−1 < σ < 53.1 km s−1. A median dispersion of 9.8 km s−1, translates to a Mach number,
$\mathcal {M}_{\rm 3D}\ge 28$
. The gas is distributed throughout several ‘streams’, with projected lengths ∼100–250 pc. We link the streams to individual clouds and sub-regions, including Sgr C, the 20 and 50 km s−1 clouds, the dust ridge, and Sgr B2. Shell-like emission features can be explained by the projection of independent molecular clouds in Sgr C and the newly identified conical profile of Sgr B2 in {l, b, v
LSR} space. These features have previously invoked supernova-driven shells and cloud–cloud collisions as explanations. We instead caution against structure identification in velocity-integrated emission maps. Three geometries describing the 3D structure of the CMZ are investigated: (i) two spiral arms; (ii) a closed elliptical orbit; (iii) an open stream. While two spiral arms and an open stream qualitatively reproduce the gas distribution, the most recent parametrization of the closed elliptical orbit does not. Finally, we discuss how proper motion measurements of masers can distinguish between these geometries, and suggest that this effort should be focused on the 20 km s−1 and 50 km s−1 clouds and Sgr C.
Although a disease of low mortality, the global impact of foot and mouth disease (FMD) is colossal due to the huge numbers of animals affected. This impact can be separated into two components: (1) ...direct losses due to reduced production and changes in herd structure; and (2) indirect losses caused by costs of FMD control, poor access to markets and limited use of improved production technologies. This paper estimates that annual impact of FMD in terms of visible production losses and vaccination in endemic regions alone amount to between US$6.5 and 21 billion. In addition, outbreaks in FMD free countries and zones cause losses of >US$1.5 billion a year.
FMD impacts are not the same throughout the world:1.FMD production losses have a big impact on the world's poorest where more people are directly dependent on livestock. FMD reduces herd fertility leading to less efficient herd structures and discourages the use of FMD susceptible, high productivity breeds. Overall the direct losses limit livestock productivity affecting food security.2.In countries with ongoing control programmes, FMD control and management creates large costs. These control programmes are often difficult to discontinue due to risks of new FMD incursion.3.The presence, or even threat, of FMD prevents access to lucrative international markets.4.In FMD free countries outbreaks occur periodically and the costs involved in regaining free status have been enormous.
FMD is highly contagious and the actions of one farmer affect the risk of FMD occurring on other holdings; thus sizeable externalities are generated. Control therefore requires coordination within and between countries. These externalities imply that FMD control produces a significant amount of public goods, justifying the need for national and international public investment.
Equipping poor countries with the tools needed to control FMD will involve the long term development of state veterinary services that in turn will deliver wider benefits to a nation including the control of other livestock diseases.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Aims. In this work we present chromospheric activity indices, kinematics, radial-velocities, and rotational velocities for more than 850 FGK-type dwarfs and subgiant stars in the southern hemisphere ...and test how best to calibrate and measure S-indices from echelle spectra. Methods. We measured our parameters using the high-resolution and high-S/N FEROS echelle spectra acquired for this purpose. Results. We confirm the bimodal distribution of chromospheric activities for such stars and highlight the role that the more active K-dwarfs play in biasing the number of active stars. We show that the age-activity relationship does appear to continue to ages older than the Sun if we simply compare main sequence stars and subgiant stars with an offset of around 2.5 Gyr between the peaks of both distributions. Also we show evidence of an increased spin-down timescale for cool K dwarfs compared with earlier F and G type stars. We highlight that activities drawn from low-resolution spectra (R < 2500) significantly increase the rms scatter when calibrating onto common systems of measurements like the Mt. Wilson system. Also we show that older and widely used catalogues of activities in the south appear to be offset compared to more recent works at the ~0.1 dex level in \hbox{$\log R'_{\rm{HK}}$}logRHK′ through calibrator drift. In addition, we show how kinematics can be used to preselect inactive stars for future planet search projects. We see the well known trend between projected rotational velocity and activity, however we also find a correlation between kinematic space velocity and chromospheric activity. It appears that after the Vaughan-Preston gap there is a quick step function in the kinematic space motion towards a significantly broader spread in velocities. We speculate on reasons for this correlation and provide some model scenarios to describe the bimodal activity distribution through magnetic saturation, residual low level gas accretion, or accretion by the star of planets or planetesimals. Finally, we provide a new empirical measurement for the disk-heating law, using the latest age-activity relationships to reconstruct the age-velocity distribution for local disk stars. We find a value of 0.337 ± 0.045 for the exponent of this power law (i.e. σtot ∝ t0.337), in excellent agreement with those found using isochrone fitting methods and with theoretical disk-heating models.
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FMFMET, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK
Recent advances are enabling delivery of precision genomic medicine to cancer clinics. While the majority of approaches profile panels of selected genes or hotspot regions, comprehensive data ...provided by whole genome and transcriptome sequencing and analysis (WGTA) presents an opportunity to align a much larger proportion of patients to therapies.
Samples from 570 patients with advanced or metastatic cancer of diverse types enrolled in the Personalized OncoGenomics (POG) program underwent WGTA. DNA-based data, including mutations, copy number, and mutation signatures, were combined with RNA-based data, including gene expression and fusions, to generate comprehensive WGTA profiles. A multidisciplinary molecular tumour board used WGTA profiles to identify and prioritize clinically actionable alterations and inform therapy. Patient responses to WGTA-informed therapies were collected.
Clinically actionable targets were identified for 83% of patients, 37% of whom received WGTA-informed treatments. RNA expression data were particularly informative, contributing to 67% of WGTA-informed treatments; 25% of treatments were informed by RNA expression alone. Of a total 248 WGTA-informed treatments, 46% resulted in clinical benefit. RNA expression data were comparable to DNA-based mutation and copy number data in aligning to clinically beneficial treatments. Genome signatures also guided therapeutics including platinum, PARP inhibitors, and immunotherapies. Patients accessed WGTA-informed treatments through clinical trials (19%), off-label use (35%), and as standard therapies (46%) including those which would not otherwise have been the next choice of therapy, demonstrating the utility of genomic information to direct use of chemotherapies as well as targeted therapies.
Integrating RNA expression and genome data illuminated treatment options that resulted in 46% of treated patients experiencing positive clinical benefit, supporting the use of comprehensive WGTA profiling in clinical cancer care.
NCT02155621
•A prospective study of 570 patients used whole genome and transcriptome analysis (WGTA) for real-time treatment options•Of 248 WGTA-informed treatments, 46% resulted in clinical benefit to the patient•RNA expression information was as valuable as DNA-based information for selecting treatments with clinical benefit•Integrated data informs selection of standard-of-care therapies, clinical trial enrollment and off-label use•This study supports the use of whole genome and transcriptome analysis in clinical cancer care
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The charged current production of long-lived heavy neutrinos at the LHC can use a prompt charged lepton for triggering the measurement of the process. However, in order to fully characterize the ...heavy neutrino interactions, it is necessary to also probe Higgs or
Z
mediated neutral current production. In this case the charged lepton is not available, so other means of triggering are required. In this work, we explore the possibility of using a vector boson fusion trigger in the context of a GeV-scale Type I Seesaw model. We consider a minimal model, where both Higgs and
Z
-mediated contributions produce one heavy neutrino, as well as an extended model where the Higgs can decay into two heavy ones. Both scenarios are tested through displaced dilepton and displaced multitrack jet searches.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
NRG1 fusion-positive lung cancers have emerged as potentially actionable events in lung cancer, but clinical support is currently limited and no evidence of efficacy of this approach in cancers ...beyond lung has been shown.
Here, we describe two patients with advanced cancers refractory to standard therapies. Patient 1 had lung adenocarcinoma and patient 2 cholangiocarcinoma. Whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing were carried out for these cases with select findings validated by fluorescence in situ hybridization.
Both tumors were found to be positive for NRG1 gene fusions. In patient 1, an SDC4–NRG1 gene fusion was detected, similar gene fusions having been described in lung cancers previously. In patient 2, a novel ATP1B1–NRG1 gene fusion was detected. Cholangiocarcinoma is not a disease type in which NRG1 fusions had been described previously. Integrative genome analysis was used to assess the potential functional significance of the detected genomic events including the gene fusions, prioritizing therapeutic strategies targeting the HER-family of growth factor receptors. Both patients were treated with the pan HER-family kinase inhibitor afatinib and both displayed significant and durable response to treatment. Upon progression sites of disease were sequenced. The lack of obvious genomic events to describe the disease progression indicated that broad transcriptomic or epigenetic mechanisms could be attributed to the lack of prolonged response to afatinib.
These observations lend further support to the use of pan HER-tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the treatment of NRG1 fusion-positive in both cancers of lung and hepatocellular origin and indicate more broadly that cancers found to be NRG1 fusion-positive may benefit from such a clinical approach regardless of their site of origin.
Personalized Oncogenomics (POG) Program of British Columbia: Utilization of Genomic Analysis to Better Understand Tumour Heterogeneity and Evolution (NCT02155621).
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We report the discovery of 76 new T dwarfs from the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS). Near-infrared broad- and narrow-band photometry and spectroscopy are presented for ...the new objects, along with Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and warm-Spitzer photometry. Proper motions for 128 UKIDSS T dwarfs are presented from a new two epoch LAS proper motion catalogue. We use these motions to identify two new benchmark systems: LHS 6176AB, a T8p+M4 pair and HD 118865AB, a T5.5+F8 pair. Using age constraints from the primaries and evolutionary models to constrain the radii, we have estimated their physical properties from their bolometric luminosity. We compare the colours and properties of known benchmark T dwarfs to the latest model atmospheres and draw two principal conclusions. First, it appears that the H − 4.5 and J − W2 colours are more sensitive to metallicity than has previously been recognized, such that differences in metallicity may dominate over differences in T
eff when considering relative properties of cool objects using these colours. Secondly, the previously noted apparent dominance of young objects in the late-T dwarf sample is no longer apparent when using the new model grids and the expanded sample of late-T dwarfs and benchmarks. This is supported by the apparently similar distribution of late-T dwarfs and earlier type T dwarfs on reduced proper motion diagrams that we present. Finally, we present updated space densities for the late-T dwarfs, and compare our values to simulation predictions and those from WISE.
We report the discovery of three very late T dwarfs in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Third Data Release: ULAS J101721.40+011817.9 (ULAS1017), ULAS J123828.51+095351.3 (ULAS1238) and ...ULAS J133553.45+113005.2 (ULAS1335). We detail optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometry for all three sources, and mid-IR photometry for ULAS1335. We use NIR spectra of each source to assign spectral types T8p (ULAS1017), T8.5 (ULAS1238) and T9 (ULAS1335) to these objects. ULAS1017 is classed as a peculiar T8 (T8p) due to appearing as a T8 dwarf in the J band, whilst exhibiting H- and K-band flux ratios consistent with a T6 classification. Through comparison to BT-Settl model spectra we estimate that ULAS1017 has 750 K ≲Teff≲ 850 K, and 5.0 ≲ log g(cm s−2) ≲ 5.5, assuming solar metallicity. This estimate for gravity is degenerate with varying metallicity. We estimate that ULAS1017 has an age of 1.6–15 Gyr, a mass of 33–70MJ and lies at a distance of 31–54 pc. We do not estimate atmospheric parameters for ULAS1238 due to a lack of K-band photometry. We extend the unified scheme of Burgasser et al. to the type T9 and suggest the inclusion of the WJ index to replace the now saturated J-band indices. We propose ULAS1335 as the T9 spectral type standard. ULAS1335 is the same spectral type as ULAS J003402.77−005206.7 and CFBDS J005910.90−011401.3. We argue that given the similarity of the currently known >T8 dwarfs to the rest of the T dwarf sequence, the suggestion of the Y0 spectral class for these objects is premature. Comparison of model spectra with that of ULAS1335 suggest a temperature below 600 K, possibly combined with low gravity and/or high metallicity. We find ULAS1335 to be extremely red in NIR to mid-IR colours, with H−4.49= 4.34 ± 0.04. This is the reddest NIR to mid-IR colour yet observed for a T dwarf. The NIR to mid-IR spectral energy distribution of ULAS1335 further supports Teff < 600 K, and we estimate Teff∼ 550–600 K for ULAS1335. We estimate that ULAS1335 has an age of 0.6–5.3 Gyr, a mass of 15–31MJ and lies at a distance of 8–12 pc.
The properties of the T8.5p dwarf Ross 458C Burningham, Ben; Leggett, S. K.; Homeier, D. ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
07/2011, Volume:
414, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We present near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy, and warm-Spitzer IRAC photometry of the young very cool T dwarf Ross 458C, which we have typed as T8.5p. By applying the fiducial age constraints ...(≤1 Gyr) imposed by the properties of the active M dwarf Ross 458A, we have used these data to determine that Ross 458C has T
eff= 695 ± 60 K, log g= 4.0-4.7 and an inferred mass of 5-20M
J. We have compared fits of the near-infrared spectrum and IRAC photometry to the BT Settl and Saumon & Marley model grids, and have found that both sets provide best fits that are consistent with our derived properties, whilst the former provide a marginally closer match to the data for all scenarios explored here. The main difference between the model grids arises in the 4.5-μm region, where the BT Settl models are able to better predict the flux through the IRAC filter, suggesting that non-equilibrium effects on the CO-CO2 ratio are important for shaping the mid-infrared spectra of very cool T dwarfs. We have also revisited the issue of the dust opacity in the spectra of Ross 458C that was raised by Burgasser et al. We have found that the BT Settl models which also incorporate a condensate cloud model provide a better match to the near-infrared spectrum of this target than the Saumon & Marley model with f
sed= 2 and we briefly discuss the influence of condensate clouds on T dwarf spectra.
VIRAC: the VVV Infrared Astrometric Catalogue Smith, L. C; Lucas, P. W; Kurtev, R ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
02/2018, Volume:
474, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Abstract
We present VIRAC version 1, a near-infrared proper motion and parallax catalogue of the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey for 312 587 642 unique sources averaged across all ...overlapping pawprint and tile images covering 560 deg2 of the bulge of the Milky Way and southern disc. The catalogue includes 119 million high-quality proper motion measurements, of which 47 million have statistical uncertainties below 1 mas yr−1. In the 11 < Ks < 14 magnitude range, the high-quality motions have a median uncertainty of 0.67 mas yr−1. The catalogue also includes 6935 sources with quality-controlled 5σ parallaxes with a median uncertainty of 1.1 mas. The parallaxes show reasonable agreement with the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution, though caution is advised for data with modest significance. The SQL data base housing the data is made available via the web. We give example applications for studies of Galactic structure, nearby objects (low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, subdwarfs, white dwarfs) and kinematic distance measurements of young stellar objects. Nearby objects discovered include LTT 7251 B, an L7 benchmark companion to a G dwarf with over 20 published elemental abundances, a bright L subdwarf, VVV 1256−6202, with extremely blue colours and nine new members of the 25 pc sample. We also demonstrate why this catalogue remains useful in the era of Gaia. Future versions will be based on profile fitting photometry, use the Gaia absolute reference frame and incorporate the longer time baseline of the VVV extended survey.