The epoch of re-ionization is a milestone of cosmological structure formation, marking the birth of the first objects massive enough to yield large numbers of ionizing photons. Measurements of the ...cosmic microwave background (CMB) Doppler effect from ionizing bubbles embedded in large-scale velocity streams - known as the patchy kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect - can be used to constrain the duration of re-ionization. Using new multi-frequency data from the South Pole Telescope (SPT), we show that the ionized fraction evolved relatively rapidly. We combine the SPT constraint on the duration of re-ionization with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe measurement of the integrated optical depth to probe the cosmic ionization history. We find that re-ionization ended with 95% confidence at z > 7.2 under the assumption of no tSZ-CIB correlation, and z > 5.8 when correlations are allowed. These CMB observations complement other observational probes of the epoch of re-ionization such as the red-shifted 21 cm line and narrow-band surveys for Lyalpha-emitting galaxies.
Homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD) is a frequent feature of high-grade serous ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal carcinoma (HGSC) and is associated with sensitivity to PARP ...inhibitor (PARPi) therapy. HRD testing provides an opportunity to optimise PARPi use in HGSC but methodologies are diverse and clinical application remains controversial.
To define best practice for HRD testing in HGSC the ESMO Translational Research and Precision Medicine Working Group launched a collaborative project that incorporated a systematic review approach. The main aims were to (i) define the term ‘HRD test’; (ii) provide an overview of the biological rationale and the level of evidence supporting currently available HRD tests; (iii) provide recommendations on the clinical utility of HRD tests in clinical management of HGSC.
A broad range of repair genes, genomic scars, mutational signatures and functional assays are associated with a history of HRD. Currently, the clinical validity of HRD tests in ovarian cancer is best assessed, not in terms of biological HRD status per se, but in terms of PARPi benefit. Clinical trials evidence supports the use of BRCA mutation testing and two commercially available assays that also incorporate genomic instability for identifying subgroups of HGSCs that derive different magnitudes of benefit from PARPi therapy, albeit with some variation by clinical scenario. These tests can be used to inform treatment selection and scheduling but their use is limited by a failure to consistently identify a subgroup of patients who derive no benefit from PARPis in most studies. Existing tests lack negative predictive value and inadequately address the complex and dynamic nature of the HRD phenotype.
Currently available HRD tests are useful for predicting likely magnitude of benefit from PARPis but better biomarkers are urgently needed to better identify current homologous recombination proficiency status and stratify HGSC management.
•Homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD) is a common feature of high-grade serous gynaecological cancers (HGSC).•Currently, the clinical validity of HRD tests in ovarian cancer is best assessed in terms of PARPi benefit.•Germline and somatic BRCA mutation and genomic instability tests help to predict likely magnitude of benefit from a PARPi.•Existing HRD tests fail to consistently identify a subgroup of patients who derive no benefit from PARPis in most studies.•HRD is a dynamic entity and better biomarkers that capture current homologous recombination proficiency status are needed.
Abstract
We study the relation between obscuration and supermassive black hole (SMBH) accretion using a large sample of hard X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We find a strong decrease in ...the fraction of obscured sources above the Eddington limit for dusty gas (
log
λ
Edd
≳
−
2
) confirming earlier results, and consistent with the radiation-regulated unification model. This also explains the difference in the Eddington ratio distribution functions (ERDFs) of type 1 and type 2 AGNs obtained by a recent study. The break in the ERDF of nearby AGNs is at
log
λ
Edd
*
=
−
1.34
±
0.07
. This corresponds to the
λ
Edd
where AGNs transition from having most of their sky covered by obscuring material to being mostly devoid of absorbing material. A similar trend is observed for the luminosity function, which implies that most of the SMBH growth in the local universe happens when the AGN is covered by a large reservoir of gas and dust. These results could be explained with a radiation-regulated growth model, in which AGNs move in the
N
H
–
λ
Edd
plane during their life cycle. The growth episode starts with the AGN mostly unobscured and accreting at low
λ
Edd
. As the SMBH is further fueled,
λ
Edd
,
N
H
and the covering factor increase, leading the AGN to be preferentially observed as obscured. Once
λ
Edd
reaches the Eddington limit for dusty gas, the covering factor and
N
H
rapidly decrease, leading the AGN to be typically observed as unobscured. As the remaining fuel is depleted, the SMBH goes back into a quiescent phase.
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) We present measurements of secondary cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies and cosmic infrared background (CIB) fluctuations ...using data from the South Pole Telescope (SPT) covering the complete 2540 deg super(2) SPT-SZ survey area. Data in the three SPT-SZ frequency bands centered at 95, 150, and 220 GHz, are used to produce six angular power spectra (three single-frequency auto-spectra and three cross-spectra) covering the multipole range 2000 < l < 11,000 (angular scales 5' > ~ straighttheta > ~ 1'). These are the most precise measurements of the angular power spectra at l > 2500 at these frequencies. The main contributors to the power spectra at these angular scales and frequencies are the primary CMB, CIB, thermal and kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effects (tSZ and kSZ), and radio galaxies. We include a constraint on the tSZ power from a measurement of the tSZ bispectrum from 800 deg super(2) of the SPT-SZ survey. We measure the tSZ power at 143 GHz to be ... mu K super(2) and the kSZ power to be ... mu K super(2). The data prefer positive kSZ power at 98.1% CL. We measure a correlation coefficient of ... between sources of tSZ and CIB power, with xi < 0 disfavored at a confidence level of 99.0%. The constraint on kSZ power can be interpreted as an upper limit on the duration of reionization. When the post-reionization homogeneous kSZ signal is accounted for, we find an upper limit on the duration Delta z < 5.4 at 95% CL.
We present spectral and timing properties of the newly discovered X-ray transient source, MAXI J1535-571, which is believed to be a Galactic X-ray binary containing a black hole candidate (BHC) as ...the primary object. Since its discovery on 2017 September 2, it has been monitored regularly in multi-wavelength bands by several satellites. We use archival data of the Swift (XRT and BAT) and MAXI (GSC) satellite instruments to study accretion flow dynamics of the source during the outburst. During its outburst, the source became very bright in the sky with a maximum observed flux of 5 Crab in the 2-10 keV GSC band. Similar to other transient BHCs, it also shows signatures of low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) during the outburst. Spectral data of different instruments are fitted with the transonic flow, solution-based two-component advective flow model fits file to find the direct accretion flow parameters. The evolution of spectral states and their transitions are understood from the model-fitted physical flow parameters and nature of QPOs. We also estimate the probable mass of the black hole from our spectral analysis as 7.9-9.9 M or 8.9 1.0 M .
Periodontal disease encompasses gingivitis and periodontitis, which exerts systemic effects. We conducted a population-based study to evaluate the association between periodontal disease and the risk ...of cancer.
We used insurance claims data from 1997 to 2010, accessing a database of 1 million randomly selected insurants in Taiwan. All patients were older than 20 and newly diagnosed with periodontitis between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2010. The comparison cohort comprised patients older than 20, who were newly diagnosed with gingivitis in the same period. Both cohorts were followed until a cancer diagnosis, lost to follow-up, death, termination of insurance, or the end of 2010.
The incidence rate of cancer was 1.14 times higher in the study cohort than in the comparison cohort confidence interval (CI) = 1.11-1.17. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.05 (95% CI = 1.00-1.11). A multivariable analysis showed that the periodontitis patients exhibited an elevated risk of developing oral cancer (adjusted HR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.42-2.25).
The findings indicated that patients in the periodontitis cohort exhibited a higher risk of developing oral cancer than those in the gingivitis cohort.
TROPICAL CYCLONES AND CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT Knutson, Thomas; Camargo, Suzana J.; Chan, Johnny C. L. ...
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,
10/2019, Letnik:
100, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
An assessment was made of whether detectable changes in tropical cyclone (TC) activity are identifiable in observations and whether any changes can be attributed to anthropogenic climate change. ...Overall, historical data suggest detectable TC activity changes in some regions associated with TC track changes, while data quality and quantity issues create greater challenges for analyses based on TC intensity and frequency. A number of specific published conclusions (case studies) about possible detectable anthropogenic influence on TCs were assessed using the conventional approach of preferentially avoiding type I errors (i.e., overstating anthropogenic influence or detection). We conclude there is at least low to medium confidence that the observed poleward migration of the latitude of maximum intensity in the western North Pacific is detectable, or highly unusual compared to expected natural variability. Opinion on the author team was divided on whether any observed TC changes demonstrate discernible anthropogenic influence, or whether any other observed changes represent detectable changes. The issue was then reframed by assessing evidence for detectable anthropogenic influence while seeking to reduce the chance of type II errors (i.e., missing or understating anthropogenic influence or detection). For this purpose, we used a much weaker “balance of evidence” criterion for assessment. This leads to a number of more speculative TC detection and/or attribution statements, which we recognize have substantial potential for being false alarms (i.e., overstating anthropogenic influence or detection) but which may be useful for risk assessment. Several examples of these alternative statements, derived using this approach, are presented in the report.
Charge transport in nanostructures and thin films is fundamental to many phenomena and processes in science and technology, ranging from quantum effects and electronic correlations in mesoscopic ...physics, to integrated charge- or spin-based electronic circuits, to photoactive layers in energy research. Direct visualization of the charge flow in such structures is challenging due to their nanometer size and the itinerant nature of currents. In this work, we demonstrate noninvasive magnetic imaging of current density in two-dimensional conductor networks including metallic nanowires and carbon nanotubes. Our sensor is the electronic spin of a diamond nitrogen-vacancy center attached to a scanning tip and operated under ambient conditions. Using a differential measurement technique, we detect DC currents down to a few μA with a current density noise floor of ∼2 × 104 A/cm2. Reconstructed images have a spatial resolution of typically 50 nm, with a best-effort value of 22 nm. Current density imaging offers a new route for studying electronic transport and conductance variations in two-dimensional materials and devices, with many exciting applications in condensed matter physics and materials science.
The first standardized, global assessment of these fishes, using Red List criteria, reveals threatened species needing protection.
There is growing concern that in spite of the healthy status of ...several epipelagic (living near the surface) fish stocks (
1
), some scombrid (tunas, bonitos, mackerels, and Spanish mackerels) and billfish (swordfish and marlins) species are heavily overfished and that there is a lack of resolve to protect against overexploitation driven by high prices (
2
–
5
). Many populations are exploited by multinational fisheries whose regulation, from a political perspective, is exceedingly difficult. Thus, assessment and management is complicated and sometimes ineffective (
4
). Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) were created to manage and conserve scombrids and billfishes because of their transnational distributions and widespread economic importance (
6
). However, species-specific catch data for many scombrids and billfishes are not collected or are aggregated with other species. Even for the larger tunas, for which relatively rich data exist, population assessments and data are complex (
1
) and are difficult to combine across RFMOs, which prompts a need for alternative means of assessment.
Abstract
We show the improvement to cosmological constraints from galaxy cluster surveys with the addition of cosmic microwave background (CMB)-cluster lensing data. We explore the cosmological ...implications of adding mass information from the 3.1
σ
detection of gravitational lensing of the CMB by galaxy clusters to the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) selected galaxy cluster sample from the 2500 deg
2
SPT-SZ survey and targeted optical and X-ray follow-up data. In the ΛCDM model, the combination of the cluster sample with the Planck power spectrum measurements prefers
σ
8
Ω
m
/
0.3
0.5
=
0.831
±
0.020
. Adding the cluster data reduces the uncertainty on this quantity by a factor of 1.4, which is unchanged whether the 3.1
σ
CMB-cluster lensing measurement is included or not. We then forecast the impact of CMB-cluster lensing measurements with future cluster catalogs. Adding CMB-cluster lensing measurements to the SZ cluster catalog of the ongoing SPT-3G survey is expected to improve the expected constraint on the dark energy equation of state
w
by a factor of 1.3 to
σ
(
w
) = 0.19. We find the largest improvements from CMB-cluster lensing measurements to be for
σ
8
, where adding CMB-cluster lensing data to the cluster number counts reduces the expected uncertainty on
σ
8
by respective factors of 2.4 and 3.6 for SPT-3G and CMB-S4.
PDF
