Up to now, state‐of‐the‐art empirical slant delay modeling for processing observations from radio space geodetic techniques has been provided by a combination of two empirical models. These are GPT ...(Global Pressure and Temperature) and GMF (Global Mapping Function), both operating on the basis of long‐term averages of surface values from numerical weather models. Weaknesses in GPT/GMF, specifically their limited spatial and temporal variability, are largely eradicated by a new, combined model GPT2, which provides pressure, temperature, lapse rate, water vapor pressure, and mapping function coefficients at any site, resting upon a global 5° grid of mean values, annual, and semi‐annual variations in all parameters. Built on ERA‐Interim data, GPT2 brings forth improved empirical slant delays for geophysical studies. Compared to GPT/GMF, GPT2 yields a 40% reduction of annual and semi‐annual amplitude differences in station heights with respect to a solution based on instantaneous local pressure values and the Vienna mapping functions 1, as shown with a series of global VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) solutions.
Key Points
Refined tropospheric delay model based on ERA‐Interim
Excellent match of empirical model pressure to in‐situ pressure values
Improved station height estimates deduced from VLBI observations
A new realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) is presented based on the work achieved by a working group of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) mandated for this ...purpose. This new realization follows the initial realization of the ICRF completed in 1997 and its successor, ICRF2, adopted as a replacement in 2009. The new frame, referred to as ICRF3, is based on nearly 40 years of data acquired by very long baseline interferometry at the standard geodetic and astrometric radio frequencies (8.4 and 2.3 GHz), supplemented with data collected at higher radio frequencies (24 GHz and dual-frequency 32 and 8.4 GHz) over the past 15 years. State-of-the-art astronomical and geophysical modeling has been used to analyze these data and derive source positions. The modeling integrates, for the first time, the effect of the galactocentric acceleration of the solar system (directly estimated from the data) which, if not considered, induces significant deformation of the frame due to the data span. The new frame includes positions at 8.4 GHz for 4536 extragalactic sources. Of these, 303 sources, uniformly distributed on the sky, are identified as “defining sources” and as such serve to define the axes of the frame. Positions at 8.4 GHz are supplemented with positions at 24 GHz for 824 sources and at 32 GHz for 678 sources. In all, ICRF3 comprises 4588 sources, with three-frequency positions available for 600 of these. Source positions have been determined independently at each of the frequencies in order to preserve the underlying astrophysical content behind such positions. They are reported for epoch 2015.0 and must be propagated for observations at other epochs for the most accurate needs, accounting for the acceleration toward the Galactic center, which results in a dipolar proper motion field of amplitude 0.0058 milliarcsecond yr
−1
(mas yr
−1
). The frame is aligned onto the International Celestial Reference System to within the accuracy of ICRF2 and shows a median positional uncertainty of about 0.1 mas in right ascension and 0.2 mas in declination, with a noise floor of 0.03 mas in the individual source coordinates. A subset of 500 sources is found to have extremely accurate positions, in the range of 0.03–0.06 mas, at the traditional 8.4 GHz frequency. Comparing ICRF3 with the recently released
Gaia
Celestial Reference Frame 2 in the optical domain, there is no evidence for deformations larger than 0.03 mas between the two frames, in agreement with the ICRF3 noise level. Significant positional offsets between the three ICRF3 frequencies are detected for about 5% of the sources. Moreover, a notable fraction (22%) of the sources shows optical and radio positions that are significantly offset. There are indications that these positional offsets may be the manifestation of extended source structures. This third realization of the ICRF was adopted by the IAU at its 30th General Assembly in August 2018 and replaced the previous realization, ICRF2, on January 1, 2019.
Abstract
Financial sector wages have increased extraordinarily over the last decades. We address two potential explanations for this increase: (1) rising demand for talent and (2) firms sharing rents ...with their employees. Matching administrative data of Swedish workers, which include unique measures of individual talent, with financial information on their employers, we find no evidence that talent in finance improved, neither on average nor at the top. The increase in relative finance wages is present across talent and education levels, which together can explain at most 20% of it. In contrast, rising financial sector profits that are shared with employees account for up to half of the relative wage increase. The limited labour supply response may partly be explained by the importance of early-career entry and social connections in finance. Our findings alleviate concerns about “brain drain” into finance but suggest that finance workers have captured rising rents over time.
The objective of the study was to examine the role of microsatellite instability (MSI) and BRAF(V600E)mutation in colorectal cancer (CRC) by categorising patients into more detailed subtypes based on ...tumour characteristics.
Tumour samples from 762 population-based patients with sporadic CRC were analysed for MSI and BRAF(V600E) by immunohistochemistry. Patient survival was followed-up for a median of 5.2 years.
Compared with microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC, MSI was prognostic for better disease-free survival (DFS; 5 years: 85.8% vs 75.3%, 10 years: 85.8% vs 72.9%, P=0.027; HR 0.49, CI 0.30-0.80, P=0.005) and disease-specific survival (DSS; 5 years: 83.2% vs 70.5%; 10 years: 83.2 vs 65.0%, P=0.004). Compared with BRAF wild type, BRAF(V600E) was a risk for poor survival (overall survival; 5 years: 62.3% vs 51.6%, P=0.014; HR 1.43, CI 1.07-1.90, P=0.009), especially in rectal cancer (for DSS, HR: 10.60, CI: 3.04-36.92, P<0.001). The MSS/BRAF(V600E) subtype was a risk for poor DSS (HR: 1.88, CI: 1.06-3.31, P=0.030), but MSI/BRAF(V600E) was a prognostic factor for DFS (HR: 0.42, CI: 0.18-0.96, P=0.039). Among stage I-II patients, the MSS/BRAF(V600E) subtype was independently associated with poor DSS (HR: 5.32, CI: 1.74-16.31, P=0.003).
Microsatellite instable tumours were associated with better prognosis compared with MSS. BRAF(V600E) was associated with poor prognosis unless it occurred together with MSI. The MSI/BRAF(V600E) subtype was a favourable prognostic factor compared with the MSS/BRAF wild-type subtype. BRAF(V600E) rectal tumours showed particularly poor prognosis. The MSS/BRAF(V600E) subtype was associated with increased disease-specific mortality even in stage I-II CRC.
A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementations of synbiotic and probiotic on broiler performance, carcass yield, organs weights, and histomorphological ...measurements of small intestine. Six hundred 1-d-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments for 5 wk. The dietary treatments were 1) control, 2) basal diets supplemented with synbiotic (1 kg of Biomin IMBO/ ton of the starter diets and 0.5 kg/ton of the grower diets), 3) basal diets supplemented with probiotic (1 kg of a homofermentative and a heterofermentative Lacto-bacillus sp./ton of feed). The BW, average daily weight gain, carcass yield percentage, and feed conversion rate were significantly (P < 0.05) increased by the dietary inclusion of the synbiotic compared with the control and probiotic-fed broilers. Moreover, a slight improvement in performance traits was observed in broilers fed the probiotic compared with control birds. The absolute and relative weight of spleen and thymus tended to be greater (P < 0.1) for the probiotic-supplemented group compared with the synbiotic-supplemented group. The relative liver weight was greater (P < 0.05) for probiotic-fed birds compared with synbiotic-fed birds. Additionally, the weight of small intestine was greater for either probiotic- (3.17) or synbiotic-fed birds (3.11) than the controls (2.89). Furthermore, dietary treatments influenced the histomorphological measurements of small intestinal villi. The addition of either probiotic or synbiotic increased (P < 0.05) the villus height:crypt depth ratio and villus height in both duodenum and ileum. The duodenal crypt depth remained unaffected (P > 0.05). However, the ileal crypt depth was decreased by dietary supplementations compared with control. In conclusion, synbiotic or probiotic displayed a greater efficacy as growth promoters for broilers. Furthermore, the dietary supplementations resulted in an increase in the villus height and crypt depth of intestinal mucosa of broilers. The increase in the villus height and villus height:crypt depth ratio was associated with improvement of growth performance for both synbiotic and probiotic. This indicates that the synbiotic and probiotic can be used as a growth promoter in broiler diets and can improve the gut health. These products show promising effects as alternatives for antibiotics as pressure to eliminate growth-promotant antibiotic use increases.
Two-component systems, consisting of a histidine kinase and a response regulator, serve signal transduction in bacteria, often regulating transcription in response to environmental stimuli. Here, we ...identify a tandem serine histidine kinase function for KdpD, previously described as a histidine kinase of the KdpDE two-component system, which controls production of the potassium pump KdpFABC. We show that KdpD additionally mediates an inhibitory serine phosphorylation of KdpFABC at high potassium levels, using not its C-terminal histidine kinase domain but an N-terminal atypical serine kinase domain. Sequence analysis of KdpDs from different species highlights that some KdpDs are much shorter than others. We show that, while Escherichia coli KdpD's atypical serine kinase domain responds directly to potassium levels, a shorter version from Deinococcus geothermalis is controlled by second messenger cyclic di-AMP. Our findings add to the growing functional diversity of sensor kinases while simultaneously expanding the framework for regulatory mechanisms in bacterial potassium homeostasis.
Multiple sclerosis is a heterogeneous disease with varying clinical picture. There have been substantial efforts to develop outcome measurements for therapeutic interventions but very few studies ...have addressed the value of bodily functions from the patient perspective. In a randomly selected cohort of early (<5 years, n = 84) and longer lasting disease courses (>15 years, n = 82) patients we asked for a weighting of 13 bodily functions and compared results with actual disability as measured by the United Kingdom Disability Scale. Lower limb function was given the highest priority in both patient groups followed by visual functioning and cognition especially in longer lasting MS. Actual disability did not correlate with the given priorities indicating that experienced deficits do not influence the subjective ratings of bodily functions. These results underline that ambulation-focused scales in MS represent a key dimension from the patient perspective. Visual functioning should be taken more into account.
Abstract
The digital data produced by each telescope within the observation process of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) can be referred to as raw data. The raw telescope data represents the ...initial data stage (Level 0 data) of the VLBI processing chain, consisting of correlation, fringe-fitting, and geodetic/astrometric parameter estimation. Any systematic effects which are compensated and used for parameter estimation within this chain, are present in the raw telescope data streams. The group delay, although the primary geodetic VLBI observable, can be considered to be the most prominent effect. In this publication, we present a new software package implemented in MATLAB that can simulate raw telescope data for VLBI. The software is called VieRDS (
https://github.com/TUW-VieVS/VieRDS
) and features tools to simulate a delay, a delay rate, a phase offset, and a frequency response of arbitrary magnitude for each channel of the telescope data stream. The signal model consists of a radio source component of selectable flux density, a system noise component, and a phase calibration signal. Furthermore, a tool for one and two bit quantization and a module to store the simulated data in VDIF data format is implemented. For the first time, the simulation of a dispersive group delay for a VGOS broadband frequency setup, and the simulation of the characteristic station frequency response of two VGOS telescopes are shown for demonstration purposes. The simulated data can be correlated and fringe-fitted by commonly used VLBI software correlators and fringe-fitting programs. VieRDS is thus an ideal tool for testing hypotheses of adverse observational effects in a controlled environment by deliberately causing these effects and studying the responses in the correlator output. In this article, we focus on the description of the key characteristic of the simulation concept, the digital signal creation, the digital signal processing algorithms, and the software architecture.
Background
Intellectual developmental disabilities (IDDs) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are developmental conditions, which may also be associated with impairments in emotional development ...(ED). ED can be assessed using the Scale of Emotional Development – Short (SED‐S), a five‐stage model consisting of eight domains, which allows to study the relationship between ASD and ED in people with IDD.
Methods
In this retrospective study, the level of ED was compared in 327 adults with IDD with n = 83; mean age 38.3 years; level of IDD: mild (6), moderate (21), severe (45) and profound (11) and without n = 244, mean age 36.9 years; level of IDD: mild (67), moderate (73), severe (68) and profound (36) ASD. The discriminative ability of the SED‐S was determined by a regression in a training and a validation sample.
Results
The level of ED correlated with the severity of IDD (rs = −.654) and the presence of ASD (rs = −.316). People with additional ASD showed lower levels of ED compared with those with IDD only (mean reference ages 7–18 vs 19–36 months). The developmental profiles were equally balanced in ASD and IDD‐only. A regression analysis revealed three domains (‘Relating‐to‐Peers’, ‘Differentiating‐Emotions’, and ‘Regulating‐Affect’) to be useful for ASD assignment (AUC > 0.70, sensitivity 0.76–0.80, specificity 0.62–0.63).
Conclusions
In people with IDD, additional ASD was associated with delays in ED, which may be considered in diagnostics, treatment and care.
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