Integral and Rxte/Asm Observations on Igr J17098-3628

To probe further the possible nature of the unidentified source IGR J17098-3628, we have carried out a detailed analysis of its long-term time variability as monitored by RXTE/ASM, and of its hard X-ray properties as observed by INTEGRAL. INTEGRAL has monitored this sky region over years and significantly detected IGR J17098-3628 only when the source was in this dubbed active state. In particular, at $\ge$ 20 keV, IBIS/ISGRI caught an outburst in March 2005, lasting for $\sim$5 days with detection significance of 73$\sigma$ (20-40 keV) and with the emission at $<$200 keV. The ASM observations reveal that the soft X-ray lightcurve shows a similar outburst to that detected by INTEGRAL, however the peak of the soft X-ray lightcurve either lags, or is preceded by, the hard X-ray ($>$20 keV) outburst by $\sim$2 days. This resembles the behavior of X-ray novae like XN 1124-683, hence it further suggests a LMXB nature for IGR J17098-3628. While the quality of the ASM data prevents us from drawing any definite conclusions, these discoveries are important clues that, coupled with future observations, will help to resolve the as yet unknown nature of IGR J17098-3628.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure, accepted in PAS

Temporal and geochemical evolution of the Cenozoic intraplate volcanism of Zealandia

In order to constrain better the distribution, age, geochemistry and origin of widespread Cenozoic intraplate volcanism on Zealandia, the New Zealand micro-continent, we report new 40Ar/39Ar and geochemical (major and trace element and Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotope) data from offshore (Chatham Rise, Campbell and Challenger Plateaus) and onland (North, South, Auckland, Campbell, Chatham and Antipodes Islands of New Zealand) volcanism on Zealandia. The samples include nephelinite, basanite through phonolite, alkali basalt through trachyte/rhyolite, and minor tholeiite and basaltic andesite, all of which have ocean island basalt (OIB)-type trace element signatures and which range in age from 64.8 to 0.17 Ma. Isotope ratios show a wide range in composition (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7027–0.7050, 143Nd/144Nd = 0.5128–0.5131, 177Hf/176Hf = 0.2829–0.2831, 206Pb/204Pb = 18.62–20.67, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.54–15.72 and 208Pb/204Pb = 38.27–40.34) with samples plotting between mid-ocean-ridge basalts (MORB) and Cretaceous New Zealand intraplate volcanic rocks. Major characteristics of Zealandia's Cenozoic volcanism include longevity, irregular distribution and lack of age progressions in the direction of plate motion, or indeed any systematic temporal or spatial geochemical variations. We believe that these characteristics can be best explained in the context of lithospheric detachment, which causes upwelling and melting of the upper asthenospheric mantle and portions of the removed lithosphere. We propose that a large-scale seismic low-velocity anomaly, that stretches from beneath West Antarctica to Zealandia at a depth of > 600 km may represent a geochemical reservoir that has been in existence since the Cretaceous, and has been supplying the upper mantle beneath Zealandia with HIMU-type plume material throughout the Cenozoic. In addition, the sources of the Cenozoic intraplate volcanism may be at least partially derived through melting of locally detached Zealandia lower lithospher

Science Impacts of the SPHEREx All-Sky Optical to Near-Infrared Spectral Survey II: Report of a Community Workshop on the Scientific Synergies Between the SPHEREx Survey and Other Astronomy Observatories

SPHEREx is a proposed NASA MIDEX mission selected for Phase A study. SPHEREx would carry out the first all-sky spectral survey in the near infrared. At the end of its two-year mission, SPHEREx would obtain 0.75-to-5μm spectra of every 6.2 arcsec pixel on the sky, with spectral resolution R>35 and a 5-σ sensitivity AB>19 per spectral/spatial resolution element. More details concerning SPHEREx are available at http://spherex.caltech.edu. The SPHEREx team has proposed three specific science investigations to be carried out with this unique data set: cosmic inflation, interstellar and circumstellar ices, and the extra-galactic background light. Though these three themes are undoubtedly compelling, they are far from exhausting the scientific output of SPHEREx. Indeed, SPHEREx would create a unique all-sky spectral database including spectra of very large numbers of astronomical and solar system targets, including both extended and diffuse sources. These spectra would enable a wide variety of investigations, and the SPHEREx team is dedicated to making the data available to the community to enable these investigations, which we refer to as Legacy Science. To that end, we have sponsored two workshops for the general scientific community to identify the most interesting Legacy Science themes and to ensure that the SPHEREx data products are responsive to their needs. In February of 2016, some 50 scientists from all fields met in Pasadena to develop these themes and to understand their implications for the SPHEREx mission. The 2016 workshop highlighted many synergies between SPHEREx and other contemporaneous astronomical missions, facilities, and databases. Consequently, in January 2018 we convened a second workshop at the Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge to focus specifically on these synergies. This white paper reports on the results of the 2018 SPHEREx workshop

European Stroke Science Workshop

The European Stroke Organisation held its first European Stroke Science Workshop in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (December 15-17, 2011). Stroke experts based in Europe were invited to present and discuss their current research. The scope of the workshop was to review the most recent findings of selected topics in stroke, to exchange ideas, to stimulate new research, and to enhance collaboration between European stroke research groups. Seven scientific sessions were held, each starting with a keynote lecture to review the state of the art of the given topic, followed by 4 or 5 short presentations by experts. They were asked to limit their presentations to 10 slides containing only recent information. The meeting was organized by the executive committee of the European Stroke Organisation (Heinrich Mattle, chairman, Michael Brainin, Angel Chamorro, Werner Hacke, Didier Leys) and supported by the European Stroke Conference (Michael Hennerici). The following sections summarize the content of the workshop. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Social Preferences and the Efficiency of Bilateral Exchange

Under what conditions do social preferences, such as altruism or a concern for fair outcomes, generate efficient trade? I analyze theoretically a simple bilateral exchange game: Each player sequentially takes an action that reduces his own material payoff but increases the other player’s. Each player’s preferences may depend on both his/her own material payoff and the other player’s. I identify necessary conditions and sufficient conditions on the players’ preferences for the outcome of their interaction to be Pareto efficient. The results have implications for interpreting the rotten kid theorem, gift exchange in the laboratory, and gift exchange in the field

Science Impacts of the SPHEREx All-Sky Optical to Near-Infrared Spectral Survey: Report of a Community Workshop Examining Extragalactic, Galactic, Stellar and Planetary Science

SPHEREx is a proposed SMEX mission selected for Phase A. SPHEREx will carry out the first all-sky spectral survey and provide for every 6.2" pixel a spectra between 0.75 and 4.18 $\mu$m [with R$\sim$41.4] and 4.18 and 5.00 $\mu$m [with R$\sim$135]. The SPHEREx team has proposed three specific science investigations to be carried out with this unique data set: cosmic inflation, interstellar and circumstellar ices, and the extra-galactic background light. It is readily apparent, however, that many other questions in astrophysics and planetary sciences could be addressed with the SPHEREx data. The SPHEREx team convened a community workshop in February 2016, with the intent of enlisting the aid of a larger group of scientists in defining these questions. This paper summarizes the rich and varied menu of investigations that was laid out. It includes studies of the composition of main belt and Trojan/Greek asteroids; mapping the zodiacal light with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution; identifying and studying very low-metallicity stars; improving stellar parameters in order to better characterize transiting exoplanets; studying aliphatic and aromatic carbon-bearing molecules in the interstellar medium; mapping star formation rates in nearby galaxies; determining the redshift of clusters of galaxies; identifying high redshift quasars over the full sky; and providing a NIR spectrum for most eROSITA X-ray sources. All of these investigations, and others not listed here, can be carried out with the nominal all-sky spectra to be produced by SPHEREx. In addition, the workshop defined enhanced data products and user tools which would facilitate some of these scientific studies. Finally, the workshop noted the high degrees of synergy between SPHEREx and a number of other current or forthcoming programs, including JWST, WFIRST, Euclid, GAIA, K2/Kepler, TESS, eROSITA and LSST.Comment: Report of the First SPHEREx Community Workshop, http://spherex.caltech.edu/Workshop.html , 84 pages, 28 figure

Massive migration from the steppe is a source for Indo-European languages in Europe

We generated genome-wide data from 69 Europeans who lived between 8,000-3,000 years ago by enriching ancient DNA libraries for a target set of almost four hundred thousand polymorphisms. Enrichment of these positions decreases the sequencing required for genome-wide ancient DNA analysis by a median of around 250-fold, allowing us to study an order of magnitude more individuals than previous studies and to obtain new insights about the past. We show that the populations of western and far eastern Europe followed opposite trajectories between 8,000-5,000 years ago. At the beginning of the Neolithic period in Europe, ~8,000-7,000 years ago, closely related groups of early farmers appeared in Germany, Hungary, and Spain, different from indigenous hunter-gatherers, whereas Russia was inhabited by a distinctive population of hunter-gatherers with high affinity to a ~24,000 year old Siberian6 . By ~6,000-5,000 years ago, a resurgence of hunter-gatherer ancestry had occurred throughout much of Europe, but in Russia, the Yamnaya steppe herders of this time were descended not only from the preceding eastern European hunter-gatherers, but from a population of Near Eastern ancestry. Western and Eastern Europe came into contact ~4,500 years ago, as the Late Neolithic Corded Ware people from Germany traced ~3/4 of their ancestry to the Yamnaya, documenting a massive migration into the heartland of Europe from its eastern periphery. This steppe ancestry persisted in all sampled central Europeans until at least ~3,000 years ago, and is ubiquitous in present-day Europeans. These results provide support for the theory of a steppe origin of at least some of the Indo-European languages of Europe

Towards Automated Analysis of Business Processes for Financial Audits

Financial audits play a significant role in the economy by safeguarding the correctness of published financial information. Public auditors face the challenge to audit financial statements that are created by increasingly integrated and complex information systems. This paper addresses a specific problem in the auditing process. A major challenge in this process is the analysis and audit of business processes that produce financial entries. We illustrate results from applying business process mining techniques to extensive test and real life data and discuss gained insights from the application for the development of automated business process analysis methods in the context of financial audits

Holographic Non-Abelian Flavour Symmetry Breaking

We investigate a holographic model for both spontaneous and explicit symmetry breaking of non-abelian flavour symmetries. This consists of a bottom-up model inspired by the top-down D3/D7 probe brane model that incorporates the running anomalous dimensions of the fields. We ensure that in the holographic bulk, the full non-abelian flavour symmetries for massless quarks are present. The quark masses are spontaneously generated field values in the bulk and there is a resultant bulk Higgs mechanism. We provide a numerical technique to find the mass eigenvalues for a system of coupled holographic fields. We test this approach using an analytic model of ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric matter. We apply this approach to two-flavour QCD with both $u-d$ quark mass splitting and multi-trace bulk action terms that are expected to break $U(N_f)_V$ to $SU(N_f)_V \times U(1)_V$ away from large $N_c$. We also discuss three-flavour QCD with strange quark mass splitting and applications to more exotic symmetry breaking patterns of potential relevance for composite Higgs models