Mental health care for irregular migrants in Europe: Barriers and how they are overcome

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Sensitivity to Gravitational Waves from Compact Binary Coalescences Achieved during LIGO's Fifth and Virgo's First Science Run

We summarize the sensitivity achieved by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors for compact binary coalescence (CBC) searches during LIGO's fifth science run and Virgo's first science run. We present noise spectral density curves for each of the four detectors that operated during these science runs which are representative of the typical performance achieved by the detectors for CBC searches. These spectra are intended for release to the public as a summary of detector performance for CBC searches during these science runs.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Clear-PEM: A PET imaging system dedicated to breast cancer diagnostics

The Clear-PEM scanner for positron emission mammography under development is described. The detector is based on pixelized LYSO crystals optically coupled to avalanche photodiodes and readout by a fast low-noise electronic system. A dedicated digital trigger (TGR) and data acquisition (DAQ) system is used for on-line selection of coincidence events with high efficiency, large bandwidth and small dead-time. A specialized gantry allows to perform exams of the breast and of the axilla. In this paper we present results of the measurement of detector modules that integrate the system under construction as well as the imaging performance estimated from Monte Carlo simulated data.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TJM-4M942B5-D/1/e8aea93baa1aeae3538ea200a5a5466

Virgo calibration and reconstruction of the gravitational wave strain during VSR1

Virgo is a kilometer-length interferometer for gravitational waves detection located near Pisa. Its first science run, VSR1, occured from May to October 2007. The aims of the calibration are to measure the detector sensitivity and to reconstruct the time series of the gravitational wave strain h(t). The absolute length calibration is based on an original non-linear reconstruction of the differential arm length variations in free swinging Michelson configurations. It uses the laser wavelength as length standard. This method is used to calibrate the frequency dependent response of the Virgo mirror actuators and derive the detector in-loop response and sensitivity within ~5%. The principle of the strain reconstruction is highlighted and the h(t) systematic errors are estimated. A photon calibrator is used to check the sign of h(t). The reconstructed h(t) during VSR1 is valid from 10 Hz up to 10 kHz with systematic errors estimated to 6% in amplitude. The phase error is estimated to be 70 mrad below 1.9 kHz and 6 micro-seconds above.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, proceedings of Amaldi 8 conference, to be published in Journal of Physics Conference Series (JPCS). Second release: correct typo

Modeling hemlock dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense subsp. tsugense) spread and intensification in mature uneven-aged forests in southeast Alaska

Hemlock dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense (Rosendahi) G.N. Jones subsp. tsugense (western hemlock race)) is the most important and widespread disease of old-growth western hemlock forests in the Pacific Northwest. Although heavy infection of dwarf mistletoe can significantly increase growth loss and mortality of host trees, the parasite is also considered an important ecological component of forests influencing stand structure, species composition, and wildlife habitat. This retrospective study was conducted in stands that sustained extensive windthrow in the past and was designed as a simulation for stand structure and disease conditions expected after use of silvicultural systems that retain overstory canopy trees in a managed forest. The specific objectives were to: 1. characterize the forest structure and dwarf mistletoe component of stands that developed after catastrophic wind storms in the late 1800's; and 2. develop and validate a model, using site, plot, and tree variables, that predicts the dwarf mistletoe rating of hemlock trees that have been exposed to the pathogen for approximately a century. Results indicated that retention of overstory infected hemlock trees in southeast Alaska forests will result in pathogen spread to and intensification on hemlock trees that have developed since the late 1800's (post-disturbance trees), but not to the devastating levels predicted by previous research in the coastal forests of British Columbia, Washington, or Oregon. On Kuiu Island, the retention of an average of 3 heavily infected overstory residual trees/plot (83 residual trees/ha) resulted in nearly 100 percent infection of post-disturbance hemlock trees within a plot. Of those trees infected, less than one-fifth had heavy infection (a dwarf mistletoe rating of 5 or 6), and approximately one-half had moderate infection (a dwarf mistletoe rating of 3 or 4). On Chichagof Island, the retention of an average of 2 heavily infected residual trees/plot (69 residual trees/ha) resulted in nearly 100 percent infection of post-disturbance hemlock trees within a plot. Of those trees infected, less than ten percent had heavy infection and approximately one-third had moderate infection. A mathematical model that predicted dwarf mistletoe rating on post-disturbance hemlock trees was developed from eight stands on Kuiu Island and the generality of the variables was tested in two stands on Chichagof Island. The Kuiu Island model predicted that the mean dwarf mistletoe rating of post-disturbance hemlock trees within a plot increased with increasing numbers and dwarf mistletoe ratings of residual and advanced regeneration trees within a plot. No other factors that described site or tree conditions within a plot appeared important in the model. Sitka spruce trees, though rare hosts of dwarf mistletoe, did not appear to increase the mean dwarf mistletoe rating of postdisturbance hemlock trees within a plot. When present in sufficient numbers, spruce trees may act as barriers to pathogen spread, although further analysis is needed to confirm a barrier effect. The Chichagof Island models, developed separately for the two stands, also predicted that the mean dwarf mistletoe rating of post-disturbance hemlock trees within a plot increased with increasing numbers and dwarf mistletoe rating of residual trees within a plot. The importance of advanced regeneration trees could not be verified in either stand on Chichagof Island since most plots lacked this tree type

Directional limits on persistent gravitational waves using LIGO S5 science data

The gravitational-wave (GW) sky may include nearby pointlike sources as well as astrophysical and cosmological stochastic backgrounds. Since the relative strength and angular distribution of the many possible sources of GWs are not well constrained, searches for GW signals must be performed in a model-independent way. To that end we perform two directional searches for persistent GWs using data from the LIGO S5 science run: one optimized for pointlike sources and one for arbitrary extended sources. The latter result is the first of its kind. Finding no evidence to support the detection of GWs, we present 90% confidence level (CL) upper-limit maps of GW strain power with typical values between 2-20x10^-50 strain^2 Hz^-1 and 5-35x10^-49 strain^2 Hz^-1 sr^-1 for pointlike and extended sources respectively. The limits on pointlike sources constitute a factor of 30 improvement over the previous best limits. We also set 90% CL limits on the narrow-band root-mean-square GW strain from interesting targets including Sco X-1, SN1987A and the Galactic Center as low as ~7x10^-25 in the most sensitive frequency range near 160 Hz. These limits are the most constraining to date and constitute a factor of 5 improvement over the previous best limits.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Medicine is patriarchal, but alternative medicine is not the answer

Women are over-represented within alternative medicine, both as consumers and as service providers. In this paper, I show that the appeal of alternative medicine to women relates to the neglect of women’s health needs within scientific medicine. This is concerning because alternative medicine is severely limited in its therapeutic effects; therefore, those who choose alternative therapies are liable to experience inadequate healthcare. I argue that while many patients seek greater autonomy in alternative medicine, the absence of an evidence base and plausible mechanisms of action leaves patients unable to realize meaningful autonomy. This seems morally troubling, especially given that the neglect of women’s needs within scientific medicine seems to contribute to preferences for alternative medicine. I conclude that the liberatory credentials of alternative medicine should be questioned and make recommendations to render scientific medicine better able to meet the needs of typical alternative medicine consumers

Systematic analysis of the binding behaviour of UHRF1 towards different methyl- and carboxylcytosine modification patterns at CpG dyads

The multi-domain protein UHRF1 is essential for DNA methylation maintenance and binds DNA via a base-flipping mechanism with a preference for hemi-methylated CpG sites. We investigated its binding to hemi- and symmetrically modified DNA containing either 5-methylcytosine (mC), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC), 5-formylcytosine (fC), or 5-carboxylcytosine (caC). Our experimental results indicate that UHRF1 binds symmetrically carboxylated and hybrid methylated/carboxylated CpG dyads in addition to its previously reported substrates. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations provide a possible mechanistic explanation of how the protein could differentiate between modification patterns. First, we observe different local binding modes in the nucleotide binding pocket as well as the protein's NKR finger. Second, both DNA modification sites are coupled through key residues within the NKR finger, suggesting a communication pathway affecting protein-DNA binding for carboxylcytosine modifications. Our results suggest a possible additional function of the hemi-methylation reader UHRF1 through binding of carboxylated CpG sites. This opens the possibility of new biological roles of UHRF1 beyond DNA methylation maintenance and of oxidised methylcytosine derivates in epigenetic regulation

Nan-O-Style – experiments and arts

In this project, high school students (aged 16-17) tested various protocols of experiments in nanotechnology and evaluated them whether such experiments could also be performed by middle school students (aged 11-15) or even elementary school students (aged 6-10). Protocols pre-selected and provided by the instructing team consisting of Sciencetainment and the Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg were applied. Laboratory techniques such as thin-layer chromatography, measuring the contact angle by high-resolution 3D microscopy and analyzing and constructing surface layers represented some of the experiments performed. Moreover, students produced short video clips and images and designed photo-collages out of microscopic and electron microscopic pictures. Hence, the school students acquired a number of soft skills during this special science day