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Aim: Responses to health anxiety include avoidance and reassurance-seeking behaviors. We tested the hypothesis that avoidance would be associated with less healthcare use and reassurance seeking with more healthcare use. Subjects and methods: Participants’ (n= 395) complete measures of health anxiety behaviors, healthcare use in the previous 12 months (outpatient visits, emergency room visits, urgent care visits, number of doctors, number of scans, number of blood tests), and health anxiety intensity as a covariate. Results: Our hypothesis was partially supported, as reassurance seeking was associated with more healthcare use (p-values < 0.04), except that general reassurance seeking was not associated with number of scans (p= 0.327). Avoidance was not associated with healthcare use (p-values > 0.05), except for general avoidance with fewer scans (p= 0.010) and blood tests (p< 0.001). Conclusions: Future research on health anxiety should consider coping responses such as avoidance and reassurance seeking, and should extend this research to clinical care and similar concepts, like cancer worry.

An accurate understanding of the physicochemical properties of bimetallic heterogeneous catalysts relies on atomic-scale knowledge of the surface morphology and the atomic distribution. Alloys of Cu and Zn created during catalyst operation are frequently studied and debated in relation to a description of the active phase of Cu/ZnO/Al2O3methanol synthesis catalysts. This makes it relevant to build a better understanding of Zn dissolution pathways in Cu surfaces and the resulting surface morphology. Herein, we use scanning tunneling microscopy to investigate surface morphology and the distinct atom site configurations of Zn and Cu on Cu(111) resulting from room-temperature Zn exchange from a Zn monolayer into the topmost layer of Cu(111). A gradual dissolution of Zn islands induces an extensive element intermixing at room temperature, resulting in Zn alloying at Cu terrace lattice sites. In addition, we observe and address an interlayer element exchange between the Zn submonolayers in direct contact with Cu. The exchange process is driven by lattice strain and is strongly facilitated at the perimeter of Zn edges. The STM contrast associated with the resulting intermixed sites is reported together with the simulation of these sites based on density functional theory, showing that imaging of isolated Zn sites in Cu(111) is sensitive to the STM tip state. The findings provide new insight into the atomic-scale exchange for Zn/Cu bimetallic surfaces, which may be used onward for understanding the debated surface morphology that develops during reductive activation and alloy formation in the Cu/ZnO/Al2O3methanol synthesis catalyst.

ABSTRACTWhile there is a growing use of complex façade designs in contemporary architecture worldwide and across Europe, little is known about the perceptual effects of these façades and the resulting daylight patterns on occupants, or about how such effects might differ between European latitudes. This study examines the perception of façade and daylight patterns across Europe by replicating a virtual reality (VR) experiment in Norway, Switzerland and Greece, using a mixed experimental design to jointly investigate the influence of different factors on the perception of a daylit interior space. These factors included: façade geometry (within-subject factor with four contemporary façade designs of equal aperture ratio), sky type (clear sky with high or low sun angle, or overcast sky), spatial context (socializing or working), and country (Norway, Switzerland, or Greece). Results showed that, among the manipulated factors, only the façade geometry affected the studied attributes (how pleasant, interesting, exciting, calming, complex, spacious, and bright the space was perceived, and the satisfaction with the amount of view in the space). Regional effects were observed only for reported brightness, with higher evaluations from participants in Greece than in Norway, but are difficult to generalize due to limitations stemming from the use of VR and the conduction of experiments in different seasons (summer and early fall) in the two countries. These findings show that façade design is a crucial feature in our spatial experience, inducing equivalent perceptual effects, such as changes in pleasantness or interest, across Europe, and motivate further research on the perception of brightness.

Understanding the atmospheric parameters of stars on the top of the RGB is essential to reveal the chemical composition of the Milky Way, as they can be used to probe the farthest parts of our Galaxy. Our goal is to determine the chemical composition of 21 RGB stars with Teff< 4200 K selected from the APOGEE-2 DR17 database using new observations carried out with the spectrograph mounted on the 1 m telescope of the Hungarian Piszkéstető Observatory and the SONG spectrograph (R= 77,000) on the Hertzsprung SONG telescope in the 4500–5800 Å wavelength range. This is the first time the spectrograph (R= 18,000) on the 1 m telescope at Piszkéstető Observatory was used to measure the abundances of stars. We created a new LTE spectral library using MARCS model atmospheres and SYNSPECby including the line list of 23 molecules to determine atmospheric parameters (Teff, logg, [Fe/H], [α/Fe]) and abundances of Si, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, and Ni with FERRE. The resulting parameters were compared to that of APOGEE. We found a good agreement in general, the average difference is −11.2 K in Teff, 0.11 dex in logg, 0.10 dex in [Fe/H], and −0.01 dex in [α/Fe]. Our analysis successfully demonstrates the ability of the spectrograph at Piszkéstető Observatory to reliably measure the abundance of bright stars.

Biological agents including anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF; adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept) and anti-interleukin-12/13 (IL12/23; ustekinumab) are essential for treatment of patients with severe psoriasis. However, a significant proportion of the patients do not respond to a specific treatment. Pharmacogenetics might be a way to predict treatment response. Using a candidate gene approach, 62 mainly functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 44 different genes were evaluated in 478 Danish patients with psoriasis undergoing 376 series of anti-TNF treatment and 230 series of ustekinumab treatment. Associations between genetic variants and treatment outcomes (drug survival and Psoriasis Area Severity Index reduction) were assessed using logistic regression analyses (crude and adjusted for gender, age, psoriatic arthritis and previous treatment). After correction for multiple testing controlling the false discovery rate, six SNPs (IL1B (rs1143623, rs1143627), LY96 (rs11465996), TLR2 (rs11938228, rs4696480) and TLR9 (rs352139)) were associated with response to anti-TNF treatment and 4 SNPs (IL1B (rs1143623, rs1143627), TIRAP (rs8177374) and TLR5 (rs5744174)) were associated with response to ustekinumab treatment (q<0.20). The results suggest that genetic variants related to increased IL-1β levels may be unfavorable when treating psoriasis with either anti-TNF or ustekinumab, whereas genetic variants related to high interferon-γ levels may be favorable when treating psoriasis with ustekinumab.

The calreticulin (CALR) exon 9 mutations are found in ∼30% of patients with essential thrombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis. Recently, we reported spontaneous immune responses against the CALR mutations. Here, we describe that CALR-mutant (CALRmut)-specific T cells are able to specifically recognize CALRmut cells. First, we established a T-cell culture specific for a CALRmut epitope. These specific T cells were able to recognize several epitopes in the CALRmut C terminus. Next, we established a CALRmut-specific CD4+T-cell clone by limiting dilution. These CD4+T cells recognized autologous CALRmut monocytes and hematopoietic stem cells, and T-cell recognition of target cells was dependent on the presence of CALR. Furthermore, we showed that the CALRmut response was human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR restricted. Finally, we demonstrated that the CALRmut-specific CD4+T cells, despite their phenotype, were cytotoxic to autologous CALRmut cells, and that the cytotoxicity was mediated by degranulation of the T cells. In conclusion, the CALR exon 9 mutations are targets for specific T cells and thus are promising targets for cancer immune therapy such as peptide vaccination in patients harboring CALR exon 9 mutations.

To investigate the effect of testosterone treatment on biomarkers calprotectin, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), soluble Klotho, phosphate, calcium, parathyroid hormone, creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Odense Androgen Study—the effect of Testim and training in hypogonadal men. Men aged 60–78 years old with a low normal concentration of free of bioavailable testosterone <7.3 nmol/L and waist circumference >94 cm recruited from 2008 to 2009 (N= 48) by advertisement. Participants were randomized to receive 5–10 g gel/50–100 mg testosterone (Testim®, Ipsen, France) or 5–10 g gel/placebo. The plasma levels of calprotectin and phosphate were significantly reduced in the group receiving testosterone therapy (gel) compared to the placebo group (p< 0.05). Testosterone treatment did not have any significant effect on plasma levels of FGF23 or soluble Klotho. The reduction in phosphate levels was inversely associated with bioavailable testosterone. Compared to the placebo group, 6 months of testosterone therapy (gel) reduced calprotectin and phosphate levels suggesting decreased inflammation and decreased cardiovascular risk.

Depression (DEP) is one of the main disabling diseases and is considered a contributor factor for erectile dysfunction (ED). Both of these conditions may be associated with hormonal changes and sleep disturbances. We aimed to evaluate the interaction between ED complaints and depression symptoms on sleep parameters, hormone levels and quality of life in men. This was a cross-sectional study of 468 men aged 20–80 years. The participants were classified according to the presence of ED and/or DEP in groups of healthy individuals, ED, DEP and DEP with ED (DEP-ED). All participants completed questionnaires about sleep, clinical history and quality of life, and underwent polysomnography with blood collection the following morning. ED participants showed higher frequency of insomnia symptoms (65.5%), whereas DEP group had more complaints of difficulty in falling asleep and early morning awakening. In the polysomnography, all groups showed similar parameters. No differences were found in cortisol and total testosterone levels; however, free testosterone levels and the physiological domain of quality of life were lower in DEP-ED group. ED and DEP, as independent factors, negatively affected subjective sleep parameters. The interaction between these factors led to a low quality of life and was related to a decrease in free testosterone levels.

Context. SDSS J160043.6+074802.9 (J1600+0748 for short) is the only hot sdO star for which unambiguous multiperiodic luminosity variations have been reported so far. These rapid variations, with periods in the range from ~60 s to ~120 s, are best qualitatively explained in terms of pulsational instabilities, but the exact nature of the driving mechanism has remained a puzzle.

We present high-resolution spectroscopic observations of GRB 060418, obtained with VLT/UVES. These observations were triggered using the VLT Rapid-Response Mode (RRM), which allows for automated observations of transient phenomena, without any human intervention. This resulted in the first UVES exposure of GRB 060418 to be started only 10 min after the initial Swiftsatellite trigger. A sequence of spectra covering 330-670 nm were acquired at 11, 16, 25, 41 and 71 minutes (mid-exposure) after the trigger, with a resolving power of 7 km s-1, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 10-15. This time-series clearly shows evidence for time variability of allowed transitions involving Fe II fine-structure levels (6D7/2, 6D5/2, 6D3/2, and 6D1/2), and metastable levels of both Fe II (4F9/2and 4D7/2) and Ni II (4F9/2), at the host-galaxy redshift $z=1.490$. This is the first report of absorption lines arising from metastable levels of Fe II and Ni II along any GRB sightline. We model the observed evolution of the level populations with three different excitation mechanisms: collisions, excitation by infra-red photons, and fluorescence following excitation by ultraviolet photons. Our data allow us to reject the collisional and IR excitation scenarios with high confidence. The UV pumping model, in which the GRB afterglow UV photons excite a cloud of atoms with a column density N, distance d, and Doppler broadening parameter b, provides an excellent fit, with best-fit values: log N(Fe II) = $14.75^{+0.06}_{-0.04}$, log N(Ni II$)=13.84\pm0.02$, $d=1.7\pm0.2$kpc, and $b=25\pm3$km s-1. The success of our UV pumping modeling implies that no significant amount of Fe II or Ni II is present at distances smaller than ~1.7 kpc, most likely because it is ionized by the GRB X-ray/UV flash. Because neutral hydrogen is more easily ionized than Fe II and Ni II, this minimum distance also applies to any H I present. Therefore the majority of very large H I column densities typically observed along GRB sightlines may not be located in the immediate environment of the GRB. The UV pumping fit also constrains two GRB afterglow parameters: the spectral slope, β= $-0.5^{+0.8}_{-1.0}$, and the total rest-frame UV flux that irradiated the cloud since the GRB trigger, constraining the magnitude of a possible UV flash.

Aims.To investigate the physical nature of the afterglow emission. We report on the photometric, spectroscopic and polarimetric observations of the optical afterglow of Gamma–Ray Burst (GRB) 030328 detected by HETE-2.

We present the results of an optical and near-infrared (NIR) monitoring campaign of the counterpart of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) 000911, located at redshift $z = 1.06$, from 5 days to more than 13 months after explosion. Our extensive dataset is a factor of 2 larger and spans a time interval ~4 times longer than the ones considered previously for this GRB afterglow; this allows a more thorough analysis of its light curve and of the GRB host galaxy properties. The afterglow light curves show a single power-law temporal decline, modified at late times by light from a host galaxy with moderate intrinsic extinction, and possibly by an emerging supernova (SN). The afterglow evolution is interpreted within the classical “fireball” scenario as a weakly collimated adiabatic shock propagating in the interstellar medium. The presence of a SN light curve superimposed on the non-thermal afterglow emission is investigated: while in the optical bands no significant contribution to the total light is found from a SN, the NIR J-band data show an excess which is consistent with a SN as bright as the known hypernova SN1998bw. If the SN interpretation is true, this would be the farthest GRB-associated SN, as well as the farthest core-collapse SN, discovered to date. However, other possible explanations of this NIR excess are also investigated. Finally, we studied the photometric properties of the host, and found that it is likely to be a slightly reddened, subluminous, extreme starburst compact galaxy, with luminosity ~0.1 $L^\star$, an age of ~0.5 Gyr and a specific Star Formation Rate (SFR) of ≈30 $M_\odot$yr-1($L/L^\star$)-1. This is the highest specific SFRvalue for a GRB host inferred from optical/NIR data.

GRB 040403 is one of the faintest gamma-ray bursts for which a rapid and accurate localization has been obtained. Here we report on the gamma-ray properties of this burst, based on observations with the IBIS instrument aboard INTEGRAL, and the results of searches for its optical afterglow. The steep spectrum (power law photon index = 1.9 in the 20–200 keV range) implies that GRB 040403 is most likely an X-ray rich burst. Our optical limit of R> 24.2 at 16.5 h after the burst, indicates a rather faint afterglow, similar to those seen in other relatively soft and faint bursts.

We present astrometric monitoring data of the binary brown dwarf DENIS-P J1228.2-1547. The data have been obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope over a time span of 5.5 yr, and confirm that DENIS-P J1228.2-1547 is indeed a common proper motion, i.e., physical, binary. The data cover about 1/8th of the binary orbit, indicating an orbital period of ≈45 yr, and a semimajor axis of ≈6.4 AU. A plausible fit of the orbital parameters indicates that both components of the binary are substellar, which is in good agreement with previous mass estimates based on the presence of lithium in the combined spectra of both components. Since the next periastron passage of DENIS-P J1228.2-1547 is expected for the years 2030 to 2035, long-term astrometric monitoring is required to derive accurate mass estimates for the system and the individual components. The photometry obtained with HST/WFPC2 in the F814W band shows no indication for photometric variability with an amplitude larger than 0.05 mag over a time span of ≈1000 days.

We present optical and NIR (near infrared) follow up observations of the GRB 001109from 1 to 300 days after the burst. No transient emission was found at these wavelengths within this GRB's (Gamma Ray Burst) 50´´ radius BeppoSAX error box. Strong limits (3σ) are set with: $R\ga 21$, 10.2 h after the GRB; $I\ga 23$, 11.4 h after the GRB; $H\ga 20.7$, 9.9 h after the GRB; and $K_{\rm S}\ga 20$, 9.6 h after the GRB. We discuss whether the radio source found in the GRB's error box ([CITE]) might be related to the afterglow. We also present a multiwavelength study of a reddened starburst galaxy, found coincident with the potential radio and the X-ray afterglow. We show that our strong Iband upper limit makes of the GRB 001109the darkest one localised by the BeppoSAX's NFI (Narrow Field Instrument), and it is one of the most constraining upper limits on GRB afterglows to date. Further to it, the implications of these observations in the context of dark GRBs are considered.

The X-Ray Flash (XRF), 031203 with a host galaxy at $z=0.1055$, is, apart from GRB 980425, the closest γ-Ray Burst (GRB) or XRF known to date. We have monitored its host galaxy from 1–100 days after the burst. In spite of the high extinction to the source and the bright host, a significant increase and subsequent decrease has been detected in the apparent brightness of the host, peaking between 10 and 33 days after the GRB. The only convincing explanation is a supernova (SN) associated with the XRF, SN2003lw. This is the earliest time at which a SN signal is clearly discernible in a GRB/XRF (apart from SN1998bw). SN2003lw is extremely luminous with a broad peak and can be approximately represented by the lightcurve of SN1998bw brightened by ~0.55 mag, implying a hypernova, as observed in most GRB-SNe. The XRF–SN association firmly links XRFs with the deaths of massive stars and further strengthens their connection with GRBs. The fact that SNe are also associated with XRFs implies that Swiftmay detect a significant population of intermediate redshift SNe very soon after the SN explosions, a sample ideally suited for detailed studies of early SN physics.

We present millimetre, optical, and near-infrared observations of M 16in the vicinity of the Herbig-Haro object HH 216. The line profiles of the ${\rm CO}~(J=2{-}1)$spectra are broad and consist of both emission originating from four warm molecular cores and a large cloud or cloud system across the whole field. The ${\rm CS}~(J=2{-}1)$and the ${\rm C^{18}O}~(J=2{-}1)$lines are relatively broad compared with those observed in low-mass star formation regions, but not unusually broad for higher-mass star-forming regions. The virial masses found are much larger than the mass estimates based on the assumption of LTE. The optical images suggest that HH 216is the terminating bow shock of a large Herbig-Haro flow which includes a jet. A possible location for the driving source is suggested, from the presence of a very reddened point source associated with what may be a small reflection nebula at the tip of a dense molecular “trunk”. Another reflection nebula associated with the same core is also detected. This demonstrates that star formation is taking place in the trunk.

We present multiwavelength observations of a gamma-ray burst detected by INTEGRAL (GRB 030227) between 5.3 hours and ~1.7 days after the event. Here we report the discovery of a dim optical afterglow (OA) that would not have been detected by many previous searches due to its faintess ($R\sim 23$). This OA was seen to decline following a power law decay with index $\alpha_{R} = -0.95 \pm 0.16$. The spectral index $\beta_\mathrm{opt/NIR}$yielded $-1.25 \pm 0.14$. These values may be explained by a relativistic expansion of a fireball (with p= 2.0) in the cooling regime. We also find evidence for inverse Compton scattering in X-rays.

We report on the results of a search for Lyaemission from the host galaxy of the $z=2.140$GRB 011211 and other galaxies in its surrounding field. We detect Lyaemission from the host as well as from six other galaxies in the field. The restframe equivalent width of the Lyaline from the GRB 011211 host is about 21 Å. This is the fifth detection of Lyaemission out of five possible detections from GRB host galaxies, strongly indicating that GRB hosts, at least at high redshifts, are Lyaemitters. This is intriguing as only ~25% of the Lyman-Break selected galaxies at similar redshifts have Lyaemission lines with restframe equivalent width larger than 20 Å. Possible explanations are i)a preference for GRB progenitors to be metal-poor as expected in the collapsar model, ii)an optical afterglow selection bias against dusty hosts, and iii)a higher fraction of Lyaemitters at the faint end of the luminosity function for high-zgalaxies. Of these, the current evidence seems to favour i).