Integral cross sections for optically allowed electronic-state excitations of atoms and molecules by electron impact, by applying scaled plane-wave Born models, are reviewed. Over 40 years ago, ...Inokuti presented an influential review of charged-particle scattering, based on the theory pioneered by Bethe forty years earlier, which emphasized the importance of reliable cross-section data from low eV energies to high keV energies that are needed in many areas of radiation science with applications to astronomy, plasmas, and medicine. Yet, with a couple of possible exceptions, most computational methods in electron-atom scattering do not, in general, overlap each other's validity range in the region from threshold up to 300 eV and, in particular, in the intermediate region from 30 to 300 eV. This is even more so for electron-molecule scattering. In fact this entire energy range is of great importance and, to bridge the gap between the two regions of low and high energy, scaled plane-wave Born models were developed to provide reliable, comprehensive, and absolute integral cross sections, first for ionization by Kim and Rudd and then extended to optically allowed electronic-state excitation by Kim. These and other scaling models in a broad, general application to electron scattering from atoms and molecules, their theoretical basis, and their results for cross sections along with comparison to experimental measurements are reviewed. Where possible, these data are also compared to results from other computational approaches.
We present the first joint analysis of cluster abundances and auto or cross-correlations of three cosmic tracer fields: galaxy density, weak gravitational lensing shear, and cluster density split by ...optical richness. From a joint analysis (4×2pt+N) of cluster abundances, three cluster cross-correlations, and the auto correlations of the galaxy density measured from the first year data of the Dark Energy Survey, we obtain Ω_{m}=0.305_{-0.038}^{+0.055} and σ_{8}=0.783_{-0.054}^{+0.064}. This result is consistent with constraints from the DES-Y1 galaxy clustering and weak lensing two-point correlation functions for the flat νΛCDM model. Consequently, we combine cluster abundances and all two-point correlations from across all three cosmic tracer fields (6×2pt+N) and find improved constraints on cosmological parameters as well as on the cluster observable-mass scaling relation. This analysis is an important advance in both optical cluster cosmology and multiprobe analyses of upcoming wide imaging surveys.
Urban greening can potentially help mitigate heat-related mortality and flooding facing the >4 billion urban population worldwide. However, the geographical variation of the relative combined ...hydrological and thermal performance benefits of such interventions are unknown. Here we quantify globally, using a hydrological model, how climate-driven trade-offs exist between hydrological retention and cooling potential of urban greening such as green roofs and parks. Using a Budyko framework, we show that water retention generally increases with aridity in water-limited environments, while cooling potential favors energy-limited climates. Our models suggest that common urban greening strategies cannot yield high performance simultaneously for addressing both urban heat-island and urban flooding problems in most cities globally. Irrigation, if sustainable, may enhance cooling while maintaining retention performance in more arid locations. Increased precipitation variability with climate change may reduce performance of thinner green-infrastructure more quickly compared to greened areas with thicker soils and root systems. Our results provide a conceptual framework and first-order quantitative guide for urban development, renewal and policymaking.
Mutations causing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) often affect the condensation properties of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). However, the role of RBP condensation in the specificity and function of ...protein-RNA complexes remains unclear. We created a series of TDP-43 C-terminal domain (CTD) variants that exhibited a gradient of low to high condensation propensity, as observed in vitro and by nuclear mobility and foci formation. Notably, a capacity for condensation was required for efficient TDP-43 assembly on subsets of RNA-binding regions, which contain unusually long clusters of motifs of characteristic types and density. These “binding-region condensates” are promoted by homomeric CTD-driven interactions and required for efficient regulation of a subset of bound transcripts, including autoregulation of TDP-43 mRNA. We establish that RBP condensation can occur in a binding-region-specific manner to selectively modulate transcriptome-wide RNA regulation, which has implications for remodeling RNA networks in the context of signaling, disease, and evolution.
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•TDP-43 mutants affect condensation properties to a similar extent at multiple scales•Binding-region condensates form on long RNA regions with dispersed UG-rich motifs•RBPchimera-CLIP indicates homomeric interactions promote molecular-scale condensates•Condensation selectively tunes the regulatory capacity of TDP-43; e.g., autoregulation
The condensation propensity of an RNA-binding protein tunes its binding to specific RNA regions across the transcriptome and affects its RNA processing functions. Formation of these “binding-region condensates,” promoted by specific motif types that are dispersed across long RNA regions, expands the ways in which RNA binding can be selectively controlled beyond canonical RNA-binding domains.
The Axial Double Probe (ADP) instrument measures the DC to ∼100 kHz electric field along the spin axis of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft (Burch et al., Space Sci. Rev.,
2014, this ...issue
), completing the vector electric field when combined with the spin plane double probes (SDP) (Torbert et al., Space Sci. Rev.,
2014, this issue
, Lindqvist et al., Space Sci. Rev.,
2014, this issue
). Two cylindrical sensors are separated by over 30 m tip-to-tip, the longest baseline on an axial DC electric field ever attempted in space. The ADP on each of the spacecraft consists of two identical, 12.67 m graphite coilable booms with second, smaller 2.25 m booms mounted on their ends. A significant effort was carried out to assure that the potential field of the MMS spacecraft acts equally on the two sensors and that photo- and secondary electron currents do not vary over the spacecraft spin. The ADP on MMS is expected to measure DC electric field with a precision of ∼1 mV/m, a resolution of ∼25 μV/m, and a range of ∼±1 V/m in most of the plasma environments MMS will encounter. The Digital Signal Processing (DSP) units on the MMS spacecraft are designed to perform analog conditioning, analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion, and digital processing on the ADP, SDP, and search coil magnetometer (SCM) (Le Contel et al., Space Sci. Rev.,
2014, this issue
) signals. The DSP units include digital filters, spectral processing, a high-speed burst memory, a solitary structure detector, and data compression. The DSP uses precision analog processing with, in most cases, >100 dB in dynamic range, better that −80 dB common mode rejection in electric field (
E
) signal processing, and better that −80 dB cross talk between the
E
and SCM (
B
) signals. The A/D conversion is at 16 bits with ∼1/4 LSB accuracy and ∼1 LSB noise. The digital signal processing is powerful and highly flexible allowing for maximum scientific return under a limited telemetry volume. The ADP and DSP are described in this article.
Despite its generally favorable prognosis at primary diagnosis, recurrence of endometrial cancer remains an important clinical challenge. The aim of this study was to analyze the value of molecular ...classification in recurrent endometrial cancer.
This study included patients with recurrent endometrial cancer who underwent primary surgical treatment between 2004 and 2015 at the Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden and the Bern University Hospital, Switzerland (KImBer cohort) with molecular classification of the primary tumor.
Out of 594 molecularly classified endometrial cancer patients, 101 patients experienced recurrence, consisting of 2 POLEmut, 33 MMRd, 30 p53abn, and 36 NSMP tumors. Mean age at recurrence was 71 years and mean follow-up was 54 months. Overall, median time to first recurrence was 16 months (95% CI 12–20); with the shortest median time in MMRd patients, with 13 months (95% CI 5–21). The pattern of recurrence was distinct among molecular subgroups: MMRd tumors experienced more locoregional, while p53abn cases showed more abdominal recurrences (P = .042). Median survival after recurrence was best for MMRd cases (43 months, 95% CI 11–76), compared to 39 months (95% CI 21–57) and 10 months (95% CI 7–13) for the NSMP and p53abn cases respectively (log-rank, P = .001).
Molecular classification is a significant indicator of survival after recurrence in endometrial cancer patients, and patterns of recurrence differ by molecular subgroups. While MMRd endometrial cancer show more locoregional recurrence and the best survival rates after recurrence, p53abn patients experience abdominal recurrence more often and had the worst prognosis of all recurrent patients.
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•The pattern of recurrence in endometrial cancer differs among the molecular subgroups.•Molecular classification of the primary tumor in endometrial cancer is a significant predictor of survival after recurrence.•MMRd endometrial cancer patients experience more locoregional recurrences and show the best survival after recurrence.•p53abn endometrial cancer patients have the worst survival rate after recurrence.
Context.
High-redshift quasars signpost the early accretion history of the Universe. The penetrating nature of X-rays enables a less absorption-biased census of the population of these luminous and ...persistent sources compared to optical/near-infrared colour selection. The ongoing SRG/eROSITA X-ray all-sky survey offers a unique opportunity to uncover the bright end of the high-
z
quasar population and probe new regions of colour parameter space.
Aims.
We searched for high-
z
quasars within the X-ray source population detected in the contiguous ~140 deg
2
field observed by eROSITA during the performance verification phase. With the purpose of demonstrating the unique survey science capabilities of eROSITA, this field was observed at the depth of the final all-sky survey. The blind X-ray selection of high-redshift sources in a large contiguous, near-uniform survey with a well-understood selection function can be directly translated into constraints on the X-ray luminosity function (XLF), which encodes the luminosity-dependent evolution of accretion through cosmic time.
Methods.
We collected the available spectroscopic information in the eFEDS field, including the sample of all currently known optically selected
z
> 5.5 quasars and cross-matched secure Legacy DR8 counterparts of eROSITA-detected X-ray point-like sources with this spectroscopic sample.
Results.
We report the X-ray detection of eFEDSU J083644.0+005459, an eROSITA source securely matched to the well-known quasar SDSS J083643.85+005453.3 (
z
= 5.81). The soft X-ray flux of the source derived from eROSITA is consistent with previous
Chandra
observations. The detection of SDSS J083643.85+005453.3 allows us to place the first constraints on the XLF at
z
> 5.5 based on a secure spectroscopic redshift. Compared to extrapolations from lower-redshift observations, this favours a relatively flat slope for the XLF at
z
~ 6 beyond
L
*
, the knee in the luminosity function. In addition, we report the detection of the quasar with LOFAR at 145 MHz and ASKAP at 888 MHz. The reported flux densities confirm a spectral flattening at lower frequencies in the emission of the radio core, indicating that SDSS J083643.85+005453.3 could be a (sub-) gigahertz peaked spectrum source. The inferred spectral shape and the parsec-scale radio morphology of SDSS J083643.85+005453.3 indicate that it is in an early stage of its evolution into a large-scale radio source or confined in a dense environment. We find no indications for a strong jet contribution to the X-ray emission of the quasar, which is therefore likely to be linked to accretion processes.
Conclusions.
Our results indicate that the population of X-ray luminous AGNs at high redshift may be larger than previously thought. From our XLF constraints, we make the conservative prediction that eROSITA will detect ~90 X-ray luminous AGNs at redshifts 5.7 <
z
< 6.4 in the full-sky survey (De+RU). While subject to different jet physics, both high-redshift quasars detected by eROSITA so far are radio-loud; a hint at the great potential of combined X-ray and radio surveys for the search of luminous high-redshift quasars.
We use 26×106 galaxies from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 1 shape catalogs over 1321 deg2 of the sky to produce the most significant measurement of cosmic shear in a galaxy survey to date. We ...constrain cosmological parameters in both the flat ΛCDM and the wCDM models, while also varying the neutrino mass density. These results are shown to be robust using two independent shape catalogs, two independent photo-z calibration methods, and two independent analysis pipelines in a blind analysis. We find a 3.5% fractional uncertainty on σ8(Ωm/0.3)0.5=0.782−0.027+0.027 at 68% C.L., which is a factor of 2.5 improvement over the fractional constraining power of our DES Science Verification results. In wCDM, we find a 4.8% fractional uncertainty on σ8(Ωm/0.3)0.5=0.777−0.038+0.036 and a dark energy equation-of-state w=−0.95−0.39+0.33. We find results that are consistent with previous cosmic shear constraints in σ8-Ωm, and we see no evidence for disagreement of our weak lensing data with data from the cosmic microwave background. Finally, we find no evidence preferring a wCDM model allowing w≠−1. We expect further significant improvements with subsequent years of DES data, which will more than triple the sky coverage of our shape catalogs and double the effective integrated exposure time per galaxy.
Quasi-Periodic Eruptions (QPEs) are extreme high-amplitude bursts of X-ray radiation recurring every few hours and originating near the central supermassive black holes in galactic nuclei. It is ...currently unknown what triggers these events, how long they last and how they are connected to the physical properties of the inner accretion flows. Previously, only two such sources were known, found either serendipitously or in archival data, with emission lines in their optical spectra classifying their nuclei as hosting an actively accreting supermassive black hole. Here we present the detection of QPEs in two further galaxies, obtained with a blind and systematic search over half of the X-ray sky. The optical spectra of these galaxies show no signature of black hole activity, indicating that a pre-existing accretion flow typical of active nuclei is not required to trigger these events. Indeed, the periods, amplitudes and profiles of the newly discovered QPEs are inconsistent with current models that invoke radiation-pressure driven accretion disk instabilities. Instead, QPEs might be driven by an orbiting compact object. Furthermore, their observed properties require the
mass of the secondary object to be much smaller than the main body and future X-ray observations may constrain possible changes in the period due to orbital evolution. This scenario could make QPEs a viable candidate for the electromagnetic counterparts of the so-called extreme mass ratio inspirals, with considerable implications for multi-messenger astrophysics and cosmology.
Background The quality of a histopathologic workup after oncologic resection of pancreatic malignancies has changed the central role of surgery substantially for radical tumor clearance over the past ...years. The development of standardized protocols for pathologic workup increased the rate of R1 resections from around 20% up to 80%. In the present study, we investigated the incidence of R1 and its impact on survival after oncologic pancreatic resections using a standardized pathologic routine protocol. Patients and methods We performed 265 pancreatic resections from September 2003 to September 2010. Among 128 patients with malignant neoplasms, histology revealed ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma in 97, ampullary cancer in 10, and distal bile duct cancer in 21 patients. Resected specimens were analyzed according to this improved standardized pathology protocol introduced in 2000. Follow-up data on overall and cancer-related survival, presence and site of tumor recurrence, and chemotherapy were obtained from 120 patients. Results Pancreatic resection comprised a pylorus-preserving or classical pancreaticoduodenectomy in 112, a distal pancreatectomy in 8, and a total pancreatectomy in 7 patients. In the overall series, 56 (44%) were classified R1 resections and 68 (43%) R0 resections, 3 patients with R2 resections were excluded, leaving 125 patients for analysis. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the rate of R1 was 51% (48/94). R1 resection involved most frequently the circumferential margin in 86% (48/125) of the total group and in 92% (44/48) in pancreatic cancer. Follow-up was performed after a median of 17 months (range, 1–85) postoperatively. Cancer-related death rate in R0 and R1-resected patients was 60% and 83% ( P < .02) in all cancers ( n = 117) and 66% and 80% in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma ( n = 88). Median tumor-related survival in R0 and R1 resections was 22 (range, 4–85) vs 14 months (range, 2–48) in all cancers ( P < .002), and 19 (range, 4–85) vs 14 months (range, 2–48) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma ( P < .04). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis revealed a survival benefit after R0 resection in both all cancers ( P = .002) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma ( P < .02). The pattern of tumor recurrence had a greater rate of regional metastases in the R1 group ( P < .05). Conclusion Our 51% rate of R1 resections in ductal pancreatic carcinoma indicates a high quality standard of pathologic evaluation. The vast majority of R1 margins are located at the retroperitoneal dissection surface. Standardization of histopathologic analysis has a clinically relevant impact on survival after oncologic resection of pancreatic cancer and can be achieved by less extensive protocols.
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