Abstract
We aim to establish and improve the accuracy level of asteroseismic estimates of mass, radius, and age of giant stars. This can be achieved by measuring independent, accurate, and precise ...masses, radii, effective temperatures and metallicities of long period eclipsing binary stars with a red giant component that displays solar-like oscillations. We measured precise properties of the three eclipsing binary systems KIC 7037405, KIC 9540226, and KIC 9970396 and estimated their ages be 5.3 ± 0.5, 3.1 ± 0.6, and 4.8 ± 0.5 Gyr. The measurements of the giant stars were compared to corresponding measurements of mass, radius, and age using asteroseismic scaling relations and grid modelling. We found that asteroseismic scaling relations without corrections to Δν systematically overestimate the masses of the three red giants by 11.7 per cent, 13.7 per cent, and 18.9 per cent, respectively. However, by applying theoretical correction factors fΔν according to Rodrigues et al. (2017), we reached general agreement between dynamical and asteroseismic mass estimates, and no indications of systematic differences at the precision level of the asteroseismic measurements. The larger sample investigated by Gaulme et al. (2016) showed a much more complicated situation, where some stars show agreement between the dynamical and corrected asteroseismic measures while others suggest significant overestimates of the asteroseismic measures. We found no simple explanation for this, but indications of several potential problems, some theoretical, others observational. Therefore, an extension of the present precision study to a larger sample of eclipsing systems is crucial for establishing and improving the accuracy of asteroseismology of giant stars.
Essentials
Discovery of predictive biomarkers of venous thromboembolism (VTE) may aid risk stratification.
A case‐control study where plasma was sampled before the occurrence of VTE was established.
...We generated untargeted plasma proteomic profiles of 200 individuals by use of mass spectrometry.
Assessment of the biomarker potential of 501 proteins yielded 46 biomarker candidates.
Background
Prophylactic anticoagulant treatment may substantially reduce the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) but entails considerable risk of severe bleeding. Identification of individuals at high risk of VTE through the use of predictive biomarkers is desirable in order to achieve a favorable benefit‐to‐harm ratio.
Objective
We aimed to identify predictive protein biomarker candidates of VTE.
Methods
We performed a case‐control study of 200 individuals that participated in the Tromsø Study, a population‐based cohort, where blood samples were collected before the VTE events occurred. Untargeted tandem mass tag‐synchronous precursor selection‐mass spectrometry (TMT‐SPS‐MS3)‐based proteomic profiling was used to study the plasma proteomes of each individual.
Results
Of the 501 proteins detected in a sufficient number of samples to allow multivariate analysis, 46 proteins were associated with VTE case–control status with P‐values below the 0.05 significance threshold. The strongest predictive biomarker candidates, assessed by statistical significance, were transthyretin, vitamin K‐dependent protein Z and protein/nucleic acid deglycase DJ‐1.
Conclusions
Our untargeted approach of plasma proteome profiling revealed novel predictive biomarker candidates of VTE and confirmed previously reported candidates, thereby providing conceptual support for the validity of the study. A larger nested case–control study will be conducted to validate our findings.
Despite the fact that strong trial-to-trial correlated variability in responses has been reported in many cortical areas, recent evidence suggests that neuronal correlations are much lower than ...previously thought. Here, we used multicontact laminar probes to revisit the issue of correlated variability in primary visual (V1) cortical circuits. We found that correlations between neurons depend strongly on local network context—whereas neurons in the input (granular) layers showed virtually no correlated variability, neurons in the output layers (supragranular and infragranular) exhibited strong correlations. The laminar dependence of noise correlations is consistent with recurrent models in which neurons in the granular layer receive intracortical inputs from nearby cells, whereas supragranular and infragranular layer neurons receive inputs over larger distances. Contrary to expectation that the output cortical layers encode stimulus information most accurately, we found that the input network offers superior discrimination performance compared to the output networks.
► Neurons in the granular layer of V1 are only weakly correlated ► Neurons in the supra- and infragranular layers exhibit strong noise correlations ► The laminar dependence of noise correlations is consistent with recurrent models ► The granular network encodes more information and offers superior discrimination
The responses of cortical neurons depend on their network environment, which changes as a function of cortical layer. Hansen et al. use multicontact laminar probes to identify layer-specific differences in correlated variability consistent with recurrent models of cortical function.
Essentials
Reports on recurrence and mortality after a first venous thromboembolism (VTE) vary considerably.
We describe rates of recurrence and mortality in patients with a first VTE from the Tromsø ...study.
The overall recurrence rate was 3.9 per 100 person‐years, but this varied widely with time.
Despite advances in VTE management, the rates of adverse events are still fairly high.
Summary
Background
Previous reports on recurrence and mortality rates after a first episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE) vary considerably. Advances in the management and treatment of VTE during the last 15 years may have influenced the rates of clinical outcomes.
Aim
To estimate the rates of recurrence and mortality after a first VTE in patients recruited from a large population‐based cohort.
Method
From the Tromsø study, patients (n = 710) with a first, symptomatic, objectively confirmed VTE were included and followed in the period 1994–2012. Recurrent episodes of VTE were identified from multiple sources and carefully validated by review of medical records. Incidence rates and cumulative incidence rates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of VTE recurrence and mortality were calculated.
Results
The mean age of the patients was 68 years (range 28–102 years), and 166 (23.4%) had cancer at the time of first VTE. There were 114 VTE recurrences and 333 deaths during a median study period of 7.7 years (range 0.04–18.2 years). The risk of recurrence was highest during the first year. The overall 1‐year recurrence rate was 7.8 (95% CI 5.8–10.6) per 100 person‐years (PY), whereas the recurrence rate in the remaining follow‐up period (1–18 years) was 3.0 (95% CI 2.4–3.8) per 100 PY. The overall 1‐year all‐cause mortality rate was 29.9 (95% CI 25.7–34.8) per 100 PY, and in those without cancer the corresponding rate was 23.6 (95% CI 17.8–31.3) per 100 PY.
Conclusion
Despite advances in VTE management, the rates of adverse events remained fairly high, particularly in the first year following a first VTE.
The Wireless Gigabit Alliance 1 - commonly called WiGig - is an industry consortium devoted to the development and promotion of wireless communications in the 60 GHz band. Recent advances in 60 GHz ...technology and demand for higher-speed wireless connections are key drivers for WiGig. Among the unlicensed frequency bands available for wireless networks, 60 GHz is uniquely suited for carrying extremely high data rates (multiple gigabits per second) over short distances. WiGig has developed a medium access control (MAC) layer, a physical (PHY) layer, and several protocol adaptation layers (PALs) to enable interoperable devices that take advantage of these extremely high data rates. WiGig is also working closely with standards bodies, including IEEE 802.11, and other industry groups, such as the Wi-Fi Alliance, to help enable certification of standards-compliant devices.
The field of photopharmacology aims to introduce smart drugs that, through the incorporation of molecular photoswitches, allow for the remote spatial and temporal control of bioactivity by light. ...This concept could be particularly beneficial in the treatment of bacterial infections, by reducing the systemic and environmental side effects of antibiotics. A major concern in the realization of such light-responsive drugs is the wavelength of the light that is applied. Studies on the photocontrol of biologically active agents mostly rely on UV light, which is cytotoxic and poorly suited for tissue penetration. In our efforts to develop photoswitchable antibiotics, we introduce here antibacterial agents whose activity can be controlled by visible light, while getting into the therapeutic window. For that purpose, a UV-light-responsive core structure based on diaminopyrimidines with suitable antibacterial properties was identified. Subsequent modification of an azobenzene photoswitch moiety led to structures that allowed us to control their activity against Escherichia coli in both directions with light in the visible region. For the first time, full in situ photocontrol of antibacterial activity in the presence of bacteria was attained with green and violet light. Most remarkably, one of the diaminopyrimidines revealed an at least 8-fold difference in activity before and after irradiation with red light at 652 nm, showcasing the effective “activation” of a biological agent otherwise inactive within the investigated concentration range, and doing so with red light in the therapeutic window.
Heat stress causes a large decline in pregnancy success per insemination during warm times of the year. Improvements in fertility are possible by exploiting knowledge about how heat stress affects ...the reproductive process. The oocyte can be damaged by heat stress at the earliest stages of folliculogenesis and remains sensitive to heat stress in the peri-ovulatory period. Changes in oocyte quality due to heat stress are the result of altered patterns of folliculogenesis and, possibly, direct effects of elevated body temperature on the oocyte. While adverse effects of elevated temperature on the oocyte have been observed
, local cooling of the ovary and protective effects of follicular fluid may limit these actions
. Heat stress can also compromise fertilization rate. The first seven days of embryonic development are very susceptible to disruption by heat stress. During these seven days, the embryo undergoes a rapid change in sensitivity to heat stress from being very sensitive (2- to 4-cell stage) to largely resistant (by the morulae stage). Direct actions of elevated temperature on the embryo are likely to be an important mechanism for reduction in embryonic survival caused by heat stress. An effective way to avoid effects of heat stress on the oocyte, fertilization, and early embryo is to bypass the effects through embryo transfer because embryos are typically transferred into females after acquisition of thermal resistance. There may be some opportunity to mitigate effects of heat stress by feeding antioxidants or regulating the endocrine environment of the cow but neither approach has been reduced to practice. The best long-term solution to the problem of heat stress may be to increase genetic resistance of cows to heat stress. Thermotolerance genes exist within dairy breeds and additional genes can be introgressed from other breeds by traditional means or gene editing.
Aims.
The Chemical Evolution of
R
-process Elements in Stars (CERES) project aims to provide a homogeneous analysis of a sample of metal-poor stars (Fe/H < –1.5). We present the stellar parameters ...and the chemical abundances of elements up to Zr for a sample of 52 giant stars.
Methods.
We relied on a sample of high signal-to-noise UVES spectra. We determined stellar parameters from
Gaia
photometry and parallaxes. Chemical abundances were derived using spectrum synthesis and model atmospheres.
Results.
We determined chemical abundances of 26 species of 18 elements: Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Y, and Zr. For several stars, we were able to measure both neutral and ionised species, including Si, Sc, Mn, and Zr. We have roughly doubled the number of measurements of Cu for stars at Fe/H ≤ −2.5. The homogeneity of the sample made it possible to highlight the presence of two Zn-rich stars (Zn/Fe ∼ +0.7), one
r
-rich and the other
r
-poor. We report the existence of two branches in the Zn/Fe versus Ni/Fe plane and suggest that the high Zn/Fe branch is the result of hypernova nucleosynthesis. We discovered two stars with peculiar light neutron-capture abundance patterns: CES1237+1922 (also known as BS 16085-0050), which is ∼1 dex underabundant in Sr, Y, and Zr with respect to the other stars in the sample, and CES2250-4057 (also known as HE 2247-4113), which shows a ∼1 dex overabundance of Sr with respect to Y and Zr.
Conclusions.
The high quality of our dataset allowed us to measure hardly detectable ions. This can provide guidance in the development of line formation computations that take deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium and hydrodynamical effects into account.
The third edition of Theory of Simple Liquids is an updated, advanced, but self-contained introduction to the principles of liquid-state theory. It presents the modern, molecular theory of the ...structural, thermodynamic interfacial and dynamical properties of the liquid phase of materials constituted of atoms, small molecules or ions. This book leans on concepts and methods form classical Statistical Mechanics in which theoretical predictions are systematically compared with experimental data and results from numerical simulations. The overall layout of the book is similar to that of the previous two editions however, there are considerable changes in emphasis and several key additions including: •up-to-date presentation of modern theories of liquid-vapour coexistence and criticality •areas of considerable present and future interest such as super-cooled liquids and the glass transition •the area of liquid metals, which has grown into a mature subject area, now presented as part of the chapter ionic liquids•Provides cutting-edge research in the principles of liquid-state theory •Includes frequent comparisons of theoretical predictions with experimental and simulation data •Suitable for researchers and post-graduates in the field of condensed matter science (Physics, Chemistry, Material Science), biophysics as well as those in the oil industry
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