bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The physiology of learning: strategies clinical teachers can adopt to facilitate learning
Authors: Thammasitboon Satid , Brand Paul L. P.
Published: March 2021

Almost all pediatricians working in a hospital or office environment have teaching responsibilities to learners such as medical students and residents. Although teaching and supporting learning in a busy work environment imposes challenges to clinical teachers, these clinical settings provide an ideal setup for experiential learning, learning from daily experiences with patients. Advances in the science of learning derived from various fields have informed us how adults learn best. Many techniques and strategies based on this “physiology of learning” have shown their educational values in everyday pediatric practice. This article outlines how clinical teachers can create the conditions to optimize experiential learning for individual or a group of learners. We highlight practical implications of educational theories and evidence-based educational practices for clinical teachers seeking to enhance their teaching effectiveness. These include promoting active learning and engaging learners in deliberate practice; retrieval of knowledge and prior experiences to enhance motivation; supporting a psychologically safe learning environment; helping learners to set goals; fostering collaborative learning; structuring teaching to link it to authentic roles and tasks; and customizing content to individual learners.

Conclusion: Applying adult learning principles in everyday teaching activities will support busy pediatricians to be successful in their tasks as clinical teachers, and contribute to work satisfaction.

What is Known:• Most pediatricians provide clinical teaching to medical students and residents, but few have had formal training in educational techniques.• Learning from clinical experiences (experiential learning) is of key importance to becoming and maintaining a competent pediatrician.

What is New:• This review presents an up-to-date overview of the physiology of learning, i.e., how people learn.• Knowledge of the principles of how people learn helps pediatricians shape their clinical teaching effectively and contribute to their work satisfaction.
A general phase-field model for fatigue failure in brittle and ductile solids
Authors: Seleš Karlo , Aldakheel Fadi , Tonković Zdenko , Sorić Jurica , Wriggers Peter
Published: March 2021

In this work, the phase-field approach to fracture is extended to model fatigue failure in high- and low-cycle regime. The fracture energy degradation due to the repeated externally applied loads is introduced as a function of a local energy accumulation variable, which takes the structural loading history into account. To this end, a novel definition of the energy accumulation variable is proposed, allowing the fracture analysis at monotonic loading without the interference of the fatigue extension, thus making the framework generalised. Moreover, this definition includes the mean load influence of implicitly. The elastoplastic material model with the combined nonlinear isotropic and nonlinear kinematic hardening is introduced to account for cyclic plasticity. The ability of the proposed phenomenological approach to naturally recover main features of fatigue, including Paris law and Wöhler curve under different load ratios is presented through numerical examples and compared with experimental data from the author’s previous work. Physical interpretation of additional fatigue material parameter is explored through the parametric study.
Breaking bad news to cancer patients in times of COVID-19
Authors: Hauk Helen , Bernhard Jürg , McConnell Meghan , Wohlfarth Benny
Published: March 2021

Breaking bad news is a mandatory provision in the professional life of nearly every physician. One of its most frequent occasions is the diagnosis of malignancy. Responding to the recipients’ emotions is a critical issue in the delivery of unsettling information, and has an impact on the patient’s trust in the treating physician, adjustment to illness and ultimately treatment. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, several measures of social distancing and isolation have been introduced to our clinical setting. In the wake of these restrictions, it is important to reexamine existing communication guidelines to determine their applicability to face-to-face counseling in the context of social distancing, as well as to new communication technologies, such as telemedicine. We address these issues and discuss strategies to convey bad news the most empathetic and comprehensible way possible.
Tractography patterns of pedunculopontine nucleus deep brain stimulation
Authors: Raghu Ashley L. B. , Parker Tariq , Zand Amir P. Divanbeighi , Payne Stephen , Andersson Jesper , Stein John , Aziz Tipu Z. , Green Alexander L.
Published: March 2021

Deep brain stimulation of the pedunculopontine nucleus is a promising surgical procedure for the treatment of Parkinsonian gait and balance dysfunction. It has, however, produced mixed clinical results that are poorly understood. We used tractography with the aim to rationalise this heterogeneity. A cohort of eight patients with postural instability and gait disturbance (Parkinson’s disease subtype) underwent pre-operative structural and diffusion MRI, then progressed to deep brain stimulation targeting the pedunculopontine nucleus. Pre-operative and follow-up assessments were carried out using the Gait and Falls Questionnaire, and Freezing of Gait Questionnaire. Probabilistic diffusion tensor tractography was carried out between the stimulating electrodes and both cortical and cerebellar regions of a priori interest. Cortical surface reconstructions were carried out to measure cortical thickness in relevant areas. Structural connectivity between stimulating electrode and precentral gyrus (r = 0.81, p = 0.01), Brodmann areas 1 (r = 0.78, p = 0.02) and 2 (r = 0.76, p = 0.03) were correlated with clinical improvement. A negative correlation was also observed for the superior cerebellar peduncle (r = −0.76, p = 0.03). Lower cortical thickness of the left parietal lobe and bilateral premotor cortices were associated with greater pre-operative severity of symptoms. Both motor and sensory structural connectivity of the stimulated surgical target characterises the clinical benefit, or lack thereof, from surgery. In what is a challenging region of brainstem to effectively target, these results provide insights into how this can be better achieved. The mechanisms of action are likely to have both motor and sensory components, commensurate with the probable nature of the underlying dysfunction.
Experimental and simulation-based analysis of asymmetrical spherical roller bearings as main bearings for wind turbines
Authors: Loriemi Amin , Jacobs Georg , Reisch Sebastian , Bosse Dennis , Schröder Tim
Published: March 2021

Symmetrical spherical roller bearings (SSRB) used as main bearings for wind turbines are known for their high load carrying capacity. Nevertheless, even designed after state-of-the-art guidelines premature failures of this bearing type occur. One promising solution to overcome this problem are asymmetrical spherical roller bearings (ASRB). Using ASRB the contact angles of the two bearing rows can be adjusted individually to the load situation occurring during operation. In this study the differences between symmetrical and asymmetrical spherical roller bearings are analyzed using the finite element method (FEM). Therefore, FEM models for a three point suspension system of a wind turbine including both bearings types are developed. These FEM models are validated with measurement data gained at a full-size wind turbine system test bench. Taking into account the design loads of the investigated wind turbine it is shown that the use of an ASRB leads to a more uniform load distribution on the individual bearing rows. Considering fatigue-induced damage an increase of the bearing life by 62% can be achieved. Regarding interactions with other components of the rotor suspension system it can be stated that the transfer of axial forces into the gearbox is decreased significantly.
Initial coin offerings, information disclosure, and fraud
Authors: Hornuf Lars , Kück Theresa , Schwienbacher Armin
Published: March 2021

We study the extent of fraud in initial coin offerings (ICOs), and whether information disclosure prior to the issuance predicts fraud. We document different types of fraud, and that fraudulent ICOs are on average much larger than the sample average. Issuers who disclose their code on GitHub are more likely to be targeted by phishing and hacker activities, which suggests that there are risks related to disclosing the code. Generally, we find it extremely difficult to predict fraud with the information available at the time of issuance. This calls for the need to install a third party that certifies the quality of the issuers, such as specialized platforms, or the engagement of institutional investors and venture capital funds that can perform a due diligence and thus verify the quality of the project.
Differences in Perception Matter – How Differences in the Perception of Training Quality of Trainees and Trainers Affect Drop-Out in VET
Authors: Krötz Maximilian , Deutscher Viola
Published: March 2021

The dual system of vocational education and training (VET) and its quality have recently been receiving scientific attention, partly due to high drop-out rates and to politically-motivated efforts to increase participation in the system (Le Mouillour, 2018). However, it remains controversial as to how quality within training companies should be measured, and from whose perspective, and how the quality of training affects drop-out. Empirical studies mostly target the quality perceptions of trainees or of trainers in isolation. The extent to which output factors such as drop-out rates are influenced by variations in perceptions of quality between both these parties has to this point not been tested. The object of the present study was to present a novel bilateral approach to assessing training quality. For this reason, the effects on drop-out intention of differences in the perception of in-company training quality (incongruences) between trainees and trainers from the same company were examined. An online survey was conducted involving 311 commercial trainees and training officers from 30 German companies. A framework model of workplace learning (Tynjälä, Vocations and Learning,6(1), 11–36, 2013) and a short questionnaire “VET-LQI” (Böhn and Deutscher, Zeitschrift für pädagogische Psychologie: ZfPP, 33, 49–70, 2020) served as the theoretical basis and test instrument respectively. Responses from trainees were matched to those of their corresponding trainers, in order to determine possible differences for every item and scale. Following a weighting method regarding the absolute rating level, 15 input- and process-quality factors of divergence, so called “difference accounting multi-perspective scores” were used as independent variables in multiple regression analyses. The results show that differences in perception of quality not only have a significant effect on drop-out intentions, but also explain drop-out intentions more generally, and with a higher predictive power than the conventional method of merely focusing on the quality perceptions of trainees (adjusted R2 = .439 > .333).
Paeoniflorin reduces the inflammatory response of THP-1 cells by up‐regulating microRNA-124
Authors: Huang Danyun , Li Zhijun , Chen Yue , Fan Yan , Yu Tao
Published: March 2021

Background

The activation of macrophages and the release of inflammatory cytokines are the main reasons for the progress of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MicroRNA (miRNA)-124 is involved in the regulation of macrophages and is a key regulator of inflammation and immunity.

Objective

To explore whether paeoniflorin (PF) regulates the biological functions of macrophages depends on miR-124.

Methods

RT-PCR, WB, ELISA, CCK-8 and flow cytometry were used to evaluate that PF regulated the biological functions of THP-1 cells through miR-124.

Results

PF significantly inhibited the proliferation while promotes the apoptosis of THP-1 cells, and inhibited the release of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1βin THP-1 cells. RT-PCR results shown that PF up-regulated the expression of miR-124 in THP-1 cells. Functional recovery experiments showed that compared with the LPS + mimic-NC group, LPS + miR-124 mimic significantly inhibited the proliferation and the release of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β, but promoted the apoptosis of THP-1 cells. In addition, compared with the LPS + PF + inhibitor-NC group, LPS + PF + miR-124 inhibitor significantly promoted the proliferation and the release of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β, but inhibited the apoptosis of THP-1 cells.

Conclusions

By down-regulating miR-124, PF inhibits the proliferation and inflammation of THP-1 cells, and promotes the apoptosis of THP-1 cells.
Ethics and Practice in the Excavation, Examination, Analysis, and Preservation of Historical Mummified Human Remains
Authors: Mytum Harold
Published: March 2021

European perspectives on the study of human remains, particularly mummified individuals with associated material culture, highlight the multidisciplinary research potential of these rare discoveries. The diverse evidence associated with mummified remains offers unique potential to consider how the deceased was experienced over time. Scientific analyses reveal the complex taphonomic processes leading to the selective survival of tissue and cultural items. Medical approaches to mummies have been long established, but historical examples can combine cultural and historical sources with the palaeopathological to develop more nuanced understandings of disease and lifestyle, identifying both individual biographies and wider cultural trends in mortuary practice. Study of mummies raises ethical considerations similar to those for skeletonized remains, but given the greater recognition of their humanity, further social and religious considerations are relevant. Investigation needs to be set against the local legislation and the feelings of the mummies’ gatekeepers and, in some cases, their descendant communities.
Gratitude and that which we cannot return: Critical reflections on gratitude
Authors: van Hulzen Mees
Published: March 2021

Gratitude is often perceived from the perspective of economic reciprocity, i.e., from the simple logic of quid pro quo. It is for this reason that Marcel Mauss ignores the topic of gratitude in his famous work on gift-giving, and that Seneca believes that gratitude is something which is given in return: ‘for the benefit that is accomplished by an act has been repaid by our gratitude if we give it friendly welcome’. In this paper I will demonstrate that gratitude is not something that is given in return or a cancelation of debt. Instead, I will argue for the claim that gratitude is the recognition of that which cannot be returned, which leads, in ideal cases, to a sense of responsibility for the other.
Mathematical study on two-fluid model for flow of K–L fluid in a stenosed artery with porous wall
Authors: Ponalagusamy R. , Manchi Ramakrishna
Published: March 2021

The present communication presents a theoretical study of blood flow through a stenotic artery with a porous wall comprising Brinkman and Darcy layers. The governing equations describing the flow subjected to the boundary conditions have been solved analytically under the low Reynolds number and mild stenosis assumptions. Some special cases of the problem are also presented mathematically. The significant effects of the rheology of blood and porous wall of the artery on physiological flow quantities have been investigated. The results reveal that the wall shear stress at the stenotic throat increases dramatically for the thinner porous wall (i.e. smaller values of the Brinkman and Darcy regions) and the rate of increase is found to be 18.46% while it decreases for the thicker porous wall (i.e. higher values of the Brinkman and Darcy regions) and the rate of decrease is found to be 10.21%. Further, the streamline pattern in the stenotic region has been plotted and discussed.
One step sonochemical synthesis of single phase Sr-doped ZnO2 nanorods
Authors: Bhardwaj Deepesh , Prasher Dixit , Dubey Anuj , Dhiman Vishal , Tomar Radha
Published: March 2021

Single phase SrZnO2 nanorods with average size of around 100 nm are synthesized by probe sonicator using ultrasonic waves at 60 W, 6 kHz for 3 h to observe the changes in optoelectronic properties of ZnO. The as grown SrZnO2 has a single phase rod shaped structure. These nanorods were broadly characterized by different instrumental techniques like TEM, FESEM, EDAX, XRD, UV–Visible and FTIR for analysis of size, crystal structure, morphology and composition which acknowledge the formation of single phase crystalline ZnO and slightly amorphous SrZnO2 nanorods. All these results suggest that single phase SrZnO2 nano-composites can easily be synthesized by one step sono-chemical method.

Graphic abstract
The projected impacts of smart decline on urban runoff contamination levels
Authors: Zhu Rui , Newman Galen
Published: March 2021

There has been mounting interest about how the repurposing of vacant land (VL) through green infrastructure (the most common smart decline strategy) can reduce stormwater runoff and improve runoff quality, especially in legacy cities characterized by excessive industrial land uses and VL amounts. This research examines the long-term impacts of smart decline on both stormwater amounts and pollutants loads through integrating land use prediction models with green infrastructure performance models. Using the City of St. Louis, Missouri, USA as the study area, we simulate 2025 land use change using the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects (CLUE-S) and Markov Chain urban land use prediction models and assess these change’s probable impacts on urban contamination levels under different smart decline scenarios using the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA) performance model. The four different scenarios are: (1) a baseline scenario, (2) a 10% vacant land re-greening (VLRG) scenario, (3) a 20% VLRG scenario, and (4) a 30% VLRG scenario. The results of this study illustrate that smart decline VLRG strategies can have both direct and indirect impacts on urban stormwater runoff and their inherent contamination levels. Direct impacts on urban contamination include the reduction of stormwater runoff and non-point source (NPS) pollutants. In the 30% VLRG scenario, the annual runoff volume decreases by 11%, both physical, chemical, and bacterial pollutants are reduced by an average of 19%, compared to the baseline scenario. Indirect impacts include reduction of the possibility of illegal dumping on VL through mitigation and prevention of future vacancies.
Simulating the effects of redesigned street-scale built environments on access/egress pedestrian flows to metro stations
Authors: Liu Yanan , Yang Dujuan , Timmermans Harry J. P. , de Vries Bauke
Published: March 2021

In urban renewal processes, metro line systems are widely used to accommodate the massive traffic needs and stimulate the redevelopment of the local area. The route choice of pedestrians, emanating from or going to the metro stations, is influenced by the street-scale built environment. Many renewal processes involve the improvement of the street-level built environment and thus influence pedestrian flows. To assess the effects of urban design on pedestrian flows, this article presents the results of a simulation model of pedestrian route choice behavior around Yingkoudao metro station in the city center of Tianjin, China. Simulated pedestrian flows based on 4 scenarios of changes in street-scale built environment characteristics are compared. Results indicate that the main streets are disproportionally more affected than smaller streets. The promotion of an intensified land use mix does not lead to a high increase in the number of pedestrians who choose the involved route when traveling from/to the metro station, assuming fixed destination choice.
DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION FOR TARGET DATE FUNDS UNDER THE BENCHMARK APPROACH
Authors: Sun Jin , Zhu Dan , Platen Eckhard
Published: March 2021

Target date funds (TDFs) are becoming increasingly popular investment choices among investors with long-term prospects. Examples include members of superannuation funds seeking to save for retirement at a given age. TDFs provide efficient risk exposures to a diversified range of asset classes that dynamically match the risk profile of the investment payoff as the investors age. This is often achieved by making increasingly conservative asset allocations over time as the retirement date approaches. Such dynamically evolving allocation strategies for TDFs are often referred to as glide paths. We propose a systematic approach to the design of optimal TDF glide paths implied by retirement dates and risk preferences and construct the corresponding dynamic asset allocation strategy that delivers the optimal payoffs at minimal costs. The TDF strategies we propose are dynamic portfolios consisting of units of the growth-optimal portfolio (GP) and the risk-free asset. Here, the GP is often approximated by a well-diversified index of multiple risky assets. We backtest the TDF strategies with the historical returns of the S&P500 total return index serving as the GP approximation.
OPTIMAL REINSURANCE DESIGN WITH DISTORTION RISK MEASURES AND ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION
Authors: Boonen Tim J. , Zhang Yiying
Published: March 2021

This paper studies a problem of optimal reinsurance design under asymmetric information. The insurer adopts distortion risk measures to quantify his/her risk position, and the reinsurer does not know the functional form of this distortion risk measure. The risk-neutral reinsurer maximizes his/her net profit subject to individual rationality and incentive compatibility constraints. The optimal reinsurance menu is succinctly derived under the assumption that one type of insurer has a larger willingness to pay than the other type of insurer for every risk. Some comparative analyses are given as illustrations when the insurer adopts the value at risk or the tail value at risk as preferences.
ON GRAEV’S THEOREM FOR FREE PRODUCTS OF HAUSDORFF TOPOLOGICAL GROUPS
Authors: SAMSONADZE GURAM , ZANGURASHVILI DALI
Published: March 2021

The paper gives a simple proof of Graev’s theorem (asserting that the free product of Hausdorff topological groups is Hausdorff) for a particular case which includes the countable case of

$k_\omega $
-groups and the countable case of Lindelöf P-groups. For this it is shown that in these particular cases the topology of the free product of Hausdorff topological groups coincides with the

$X_0$
-topology in the Mal’cev sense, where X is the disjoint union of the topological groups identifying their units.
On Care for Our Common Home: Ecological Materiality and Sovereignty over the Lempa Transboundary Watershed
Authors: Montoya Ainhoa
Published: March 2021

For over a decade, Salvadorean grassroots movements and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) pursued legal innovations with the aim of protecting their water sources from potentially polluting industrial activities such as mining. They initially drafted bans on mining that would preclude the extractive-based development path embraced by neighbouring countries. Eventually, they scaled up their approach and devised a draft proposal for a transboundary waters treaty that addressed the challenges that the ecological materiality of international watercourses poses to nationalde juresovereignty. In so doing, the transboundary watershed has become a useful heuristic, a spatial trope to which Salvadoreans have turned to substantiate their claims to sovereignty over the Lempa River waters that El Salvador shares with pro-mining Guatemala and Honduras – claims imbued with an ethics of care rooted in wartime politics and Catholic morality.
Framing, truth-telling, and the limits of local transitional justice
Authors: Kochanski Adam
Published: March 2021

Transitional justice (TJ) is undergoing a legitimacy crisis. While recent critical TJ scholarship has touted the transformative potential of locally rooted mechanisms as a possible means to emancipate TJ, this burgeoning literature rests on shaky assumptions about the purported benefits of local TJ and provides inadequate attention to local-national power dynamics. By taking these factors into consideration, this article contends that local TJ efforts can be used to deflect justice in manners that paradoxically allow ruling parties to avoid human rights accountability and to conceal the truth about wartime violations. It further argues that the principal method by which justice is subverted is not through overt manipulation by abusive governments, but rather, through subtle and indirect ‘distortional framing’ practices, which ruling parties use to set discursive limits around discussions of conflict-related events and to obfuscate their own serious crimes. After developing this argument theoretically, the case study of Cambodia is considered in detail to reveal and to trace the processes by which distortional framing has been used as a technique to deflect justice.
Transcatheter stent implantation in a child with severe stenosis of the inferior caval vein secondary to injury
Authors: Neis Nathan , Vezmar Marko , Singewald Timothy , Rios Rodrigo
Published: March 2021

Stenosis of the Inferior Caval Vein is rarely encountered in the paediatric setting. A 5-year-old male sustained severe injuries secondary to a fall from a three story balcony and was subsequently found to have severe stenosis of the inferior caval vein resulting in extensive lymphatic drainage with chylothorax, chyloperitoneum, and severe abdominal ascites. This was successfully treated with transcatheter stent placement resulting in complete resolution of the stenosis and significant clinical improvement allowing for transfer to a rehabilitation centre and eventual discharge home.
Feeding and feedback in the nucleus of NGC 613
Authors: da Silva Patrícia , Steiner J. E. , Menezes R. B.
Published: March 2021

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are objects in which a supermassive black hole is fed by gas and, as this generates energy, can ionise the environment and interact with it by jets and winds. This work is focused on the processes of feeding and feedback in the nucleus of NGC 613. This object is a case in which both phenomena can be studied in some detail. The kinematics and morphology of the molecular gas trace the feeding process while the ionization cone, seen in [O iii]λ5007 and soft X-rays, as well as the radio jet and wind/outflows are associated with feedback processes. In addition, we see 10 HII regions, associated with nuclear and circumnuclear young stellar populations, dominant in the optical, that makes the analysis complicated, though more interesting. For all these phenomena, NGC 613 nucleus is a vibrant example of the interplay between the AGN and the host galaxy.
Properties of AGN in NIR within the context of the Eigenvector 1
Authors: dos Santos D. Dias , Rodríguez-Ardila A. , Marinello M.
Published: March 2021

We present a spectral atlas of 70 type-I AGN with the wavelength ranging 0.4–2.5 μm. For 37 sources, this is the first report of NIR spectroscopy in literature. The sample was constructed to study narrow line Seyfert 1 and quasars, with a large range of line widths (800 km s−1 < FWHM < 4000 km s−1) and Fe II intensities (0.2 < R4570 < 2.8). This work presents partial results of an ongoing project that has the objective of modeling the continuum emission and emission lines in order to derive the physics driven the Eigenvector 1 through a panchromatic spectral analysis, with emphasis on strong to super-strong Fe ii emitters. Our results show that hot dust near the sublimation temperature is necessary to explain the 1μm break of the power law component of the continuum. We estimated the hot dust mass and found a weak or absent correlation with the Fe II intensity. Moreover, we found that low ionisation ions are formed in an outer region of the BLR.
Observations of AGN feeding and feedback on Nuclear, Galactic, and Extragalactic Scales
Authors: Crenshaw D. Michael , Gnilka C. L. , Fischer T. C. , Revalski M. , Meena B. , Martinez F. , Polack G E. , Machuca C. , Dashtamirova D. , Kraemer S. B. , Schmitt H. R. , Riffel R. A. , Storchi-Bergmann T.
Published: March 2021

We investigate the processes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feeding and feedback in the narrow line regions (NLRs) and host galaxies of nearby AGN through spatially resolved spectroscopy with the Gemini Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) and the Hubble Space Telescope’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). We examine the connection between nuclear and galactic inflows and outflows by adding long-slit spectra of the host galaxies from Apache Point Observatory. We demonstrate that nearby AGN can be fueled by a variety of mechanisms. We find that the NLR kinematics can often be explained by in situ ionization and radiative acceleration of ambient gas, often in the form of dusty molecular spirals that may be the fueling flow to the AGN.
Recovering the star formation history of galaxies through spectral fitting: Current challenges
Authors: Martins Lucimara P.
Published: March 2021

With the exception of some nearby galaxies, we cannot resolve stars individually. To recover the galaxies star formation history (SFH), the challenge is to extract information from their integrated spectrum. A widely used tool is the full spectral fitting technique. This consists of combining simple stellar populations (SSPs) of different ages and metallicities to match the integrated spectrum. This technique works well for optical spectra, for metallicities near solar and chemical histories not much different from our Galaxy. For everything else there is room for improvement. With telescopes being able to explore further and further away, and beyond the optical, the improvement of this type of tool is crucial. SSPs use as ingredients isochrones, an initial mass function, and a library of stellar spectra. My focus are the stellar libraries, key ingredient for SSPs. Here I talk about the latest developments of stellar libraries, how they influence the SSPs and how to improve them.
Models for galaxy and massive black hole formation and early evolution
Authors: Weinberger Rainer
Published: March 2021

Models for massive black holes are a key ingredient for modern cosmological simulations of galaxy formation. The necessity of efficient AGN feedback in these simulations makes it essential to model the formation, growth and evolution of massive black holes, and parameterize these complex processes in a simplified fashion. While the exact formation mechanism is secondary for most galaxy formation purposes, accretion modeling turns out to be crucial. It can be informed by the properties of the high redshift quasars, accreting close to their Eddington limit, by the quasar luminosity function at peak activity and by low-redshift scaling relations. The need for halo-wide feedback implies a feedback-induced reduction of the accretion rate towards low redshift, amplifying the cosmological trend towards lower accretion rates at low redshift.
Taking snapshots of the jet-ISM interplay with ALMA
Authors: Morganti Raffaella , Oosterloo Tom , Tadhunter Clive N.
Published: March 2021

We present an update of our ongoing project to characterise the impact of radio jets on the interstellar medium (ISM). This is done by tracing the distribution, kinematics and excitation of the molecular gas at high spatial resolution using ALMA. The radio active galactic nuclei (AGN) studied are in the interesting phase of having a recently born radio jet. In this stage, the plasma jets can have the largest impact on the ISM, as also predicted by state-of-the-art simulations. The two targets we present have quite different ages, allowing us to get snapshots of the effects of radio jets as they grow and evolve. Interestingly, both also host powerful quasar emission, making them ideal for studying the full impact of AGN. The largest mass outflow rate of molecular gas is found in a radio galaxy () hosting a newly born radio jet still in the early phase of emerging from an obscuring cocoon of gas and dust. Although the molecular mass outflow rate is high (few hundred), the outflow is limited to the inner few hundred pc region. In a second object (), the jet is larger (a few kpc) and is in a more advanced evolutionary phase. In this object, the distribution of the molecular gas is reminiscent of what is seen, on larger scales, in cool-core clusters hosting radio galaxies. Interestingly, gas deviating from quiescent kinematics (possibly indicating an outflow) is not very prominent, limited only to the very inner region, and has a low mass outflow rate. Instead, on kpc scales, the radio lobes appear associated with depressions in the distribution of the molecular gas. This suggests that the lobes have broken out from the dense nuclear region. However, the AGN does not appear to be able, at present, to stop the star formation observed in this galaxy. These results support the idea that the effects of the radio source start in the very first phases by producing outflows which, however, tend to be limited to the kpc region. After that, the effects turn into producing large-scale bubbles which could, in the long term, prevent the surrounding gas from cooling. Thus, our results provide a way to characterise the effect of radio jets in different phases of their evolution and in different environments, bridging the studies done for radio galaxies in clusters.
The co-responsibility of mass and environment in the formation of lenticular galaxies
Authors: Cortesi A. , Coccato L. , Buzzo M. L. , Menéndez-Delmestre K. , Goncalves T. , Mendes de Oliveira C. , Merrifield M. , Arnaboldi M.
Published: March 2021

We present the latest data release of the Planetary Nebulae Spectrograph Survey (PNS) of ten lenticular galaxies and two spiral galaxies. With this data set we are able to recover the galaxies’ kinematics out to several effective radii. We use a maximum likelihood method to decompose the disk and spheroid kinematics and we compare it with the kinematics of spiral and elliptical galaxies. We build the Tully- Fisher (TF) relation for these galaxies and we compare with data from the literature and simulations. We find that the disks of lenticular galaxies are hotter than the disks of spiral galaxies at low redshifts, but still dominated by rotation velocity. The mechanism responsible for the formation of these lenticular galaxies is neither major mergers, nor a gentle quenching driven by stripping or Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback.
Constraining general relativity at z ∼ 0.299 MUSE Kinematics of SDP.81
Authors: Carneiro Carlos R. M. , Furlanetto Cristina , Chies-Santos Ana L.
Published: March 2021

General Relativity has been successfully tested on small scales. However, precise tests on galactic and larger scales have only recently begun. Moreover, the majority of these tests on large scales are based on the measurements of Hubble constant (H0), which is currently under discussion. Collett et al. (2018) implemented a novel test combining lensing and dynamical mass measurements of a galaxy, which are connected by a γ parameter, and found γ=0.97±0.09, which is consistent with unity, as predicted by GR. We are carrying out this same technique with a second galaxy, SDP.81 at z=0.299, and present here our preliminary results.
Variable radio AGN at high redshift identified in the VLA Sky Survey
Authors: Nyland Kristina , Dong Dillon , Patil Pallavi , Lacy Mark , Kimball Amy , Hallinan Gregg , Sarbadhicary Sumit , Polisensky Emil , Kassim Namir , Peters Wendy , Clarke Tracy , Mukherjee Dipanjan , van Velzen Sjoert , Baldassare Vivienne
Published: March 2021

As part of an on-going study of radio transients in Epoch 1 (2017–2019) of the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS), we have discovered a sample of 0.2 < z < 3.2 active galactic nuclei (AGN) selected in the optical/infrared that have recently brightened dramatically in the radio. These sources would have previously been classified as radio-quiet based on upper limits from the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-centimeters (FIRST; 1993-2011) survey; however, they are now consistent with radio-loud quasars. We present a quasi-simultaneous, multi-band (1–18 GHz) VLA follow-up campaign of our sample of AGN with extreme radio variability. We conclude that the radio properties are most consistent with AGN that have recently launched jets within the past few decades, potentially making them among the youngest radio AGN known.
Ionized gas outflows in the interacting radio galaxy 4C +29.30
Authors: Couto Guilherme S. , Storchi-Bergmann Thaisa , Siemiginowska Aneta , Riffel Rogemar A.
Published: March 2021

We investigate the ionized gas excitation and kinematics in the inner 4.3 × 6.2 kpc2 of the merger radio galaxy 4C +29.30. Using optical integral field spectroscopy with the Gemini North Telescope, we find signatures of gas outflows, including high blueshifts of up to ∼−650 km s−1 observed in a region ∼1″ south of the nucleus, which also presents high velocity dispersion (∼250 km s−1). A possible redshifted counterpart is observed north from the nucleus. We propose that these regions correspond to a bipolar outflow possibly due to the interaction of the radio jet with the ambient gas. We estimate a total ionized gas mass outflow rate of

$\[{\dot M_{out}} = 18.1\begin{array}{c} + 8.2\\ - 5.3\end{array}{\kern 1pt} {\kern 1pt} \]$

with a kinetic power of

$\[\dot E = 5.8\begin{array}{c} + 7.6\\ - 2.9\end{array} \times {10^{42}}{\kern 1pt} {\kern 1pt} \]$

, which represents

$\[3.9\begin{array}{c} + 5.1\\ - 1.5\end{array}\% \]$

of the AGN bolometric luminosity. These values are higher than usually observed in nearby active galaxies and could imply a significant impact of the outflows on the evolution of the host galaxy.
Post-starburst galaxies in different environments
Authors: Spindler Rodolfo , Trevisan Marina , Schnorr-Müller Allan
Published: March 2021

Post-starburst galaxies (PSBGs) are systems that experienced a burst followed by a rapid quenching of star formation. However, it is still unclear what causes these events and what is the environmental role in the origin of PSBGs. To address this, we analysed sizes, morphologies, ages, and metallicities of PSBGs at 0.05 ≤ z ≤ 0.1 in groups and clusters of galaxies. We find a statistically significant excess of compact PSBGs in groups compared to a control sample of passive galaxies. Satellite PSBGs in groups tend to be more compact compared to their counterparts in clusters. Additionally, the PSBGs in groups have smaller T-type values and are likely to be found in inner group regions compared to PSBGs in clusters. Our results are compatible with dissipative wet merger events being an important mechanism responsible for the origin of PSBGs in groups, but other – less dissipative – processes may be producing PSBGs in cluster environments.
Identifying the extent of AGN outflows using spatially resolved gas kinematics
Authors: Meena Beena , Crenshaw D. M. , Fischer T. C. , Schmitt Henrique R. , Revalski M. , Polack G. E.
Published: March 2021

We present spatially resolved kinematics of ionized gas in the narrow-line region (NLR) and extended narrow-line region (ENLR) in a sample of nearby active galaxies. Utilizing long-slit spectroscopy from Apache Point Observatory (APO)13s ARC 3.5 m Telescope andHubble Space Telescope(HST) we analyzed the strong λ5007 Å [O III] emission line profiles and mapped the radial velocity distribution of gas at increasing radii from the center. We identified the extents of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) driven outflows in our sample and determined the distances at which the observed gas kinematics is being dominated by the rotation of the host galaxy. We also measured the effectiveness of radiative driving of the ionized gas using mass distribution profiles calculated with two-dimensional modeling of surface brightness profiles in our targets. Finally, we compared our kinematic results of the outflow sizes with the maximum distances at which the gas is being radiatively driven to investigate whether these outflows are capable of disrupting or evacuating the star-forming gas at these distances.
Kiloparsec-scale jet-driven feedback in AGN probed by highly ionized gas: A MUSE/VLT perspective
Authors: Rodríguez-Ardila A. , Fonseca-Faria M. A.
Published: March 2021

We employ optical spectroscopy from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) combined with X-ray and radio data to study the highly-ionized gas (HIG) phase of the feedback in a sample of five local nearby Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Thanks to the superb field of view and sensitivity of MUSE, we found that the HIG, traced by the coronal line [Fe vii] λ6089, extends to scales not seen before, from 700 pc in Circinus and up to ∼2 kpc in NGC 5728 and NGC 3393. The gas morphology is complex, following closely the radio jet and the X-ray emission. Emission line ratios suggest gas excitation by shocks produced by the passage of the radio jet. This scenario is further supported by the physical conditions derived for the HIG, stressing the importance of the mechanical feedback in AGN with low-power radio jets.
Ionized outflows in local luminous AGN: Density and outflow rate
Authors: Davies R. , Baron D. , Shimizu T. , Netzer H.
Published: March 2021

We use the LLAMA survey to study the density and outflow rate of ionized gas in a complete volume limited sample of local (<40 Mpc) luminous (43.0 < log LAGN(erg/s) < 44.5) AGN selected by very hard 14-195 keV X-rays. The detailed data available for this survey enable us to measure the density of the outflowing ionized gas in the central 300 pc of these AGN using three different and independent methods (the standard [SII] doublet ratio; a method comparing [OII] and [SII] ratios that include auroral and transauroral lines; and a recently proposed method based on the ionization parameter). For each method there is, as expected, a modest spread of densities among the AGN in the sample. But remarkably, the median densities for each method differ hugely, by an order of magnitude from below 400 cm-3 to almost 5000 cm-3. We discuss how the derived densities can be reconciled, and what the impact is on the implied outflow rate.
Mapping the inner kpc of the interacting Seyfert galaxy NGC 2992: Stellar populations and gas kinematics
Authors: Guolo-Pereira Muryel , Ruschel-Dutra Daniel
Published: March 2021

We present Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph Integral Field Unit (GMOS-IFU) observations of the inner 1.1 kpc of the interacting Seyfert galaxy NGC 2992. From full spectral synthesis we found that the stellar population is mainly (up to 80 per cent of the total light) composed by an old (t ≥ 1.4 Gyr) metal-rich (Z ≥ 2.0) populations with a smaller but considerable contribution (up to 30 per cent) from young (t ≤ 100 Myr) metal-poor (Z ≥ 1.0) populations. The gas kinematics presents two main components: one from gas in orbit in the galaxy disk and an outflow with mass outflow rate of ˜2 Mʘ yr–1 and a kinematic power of ˜ 2 × 1040 erg s–1.
The intriguing case of Was 49b
Authors: Schmitt Henrique R. , Secrest Nathan J. , Blecha Laura , Rothberg Barry , Fischer Jacqueline
Published: March 2021

We present results of a multiwavelength study of the isolated dual AGN system Was 49. Observations show that the dominant component in this interacting system, Was 49a, is a spiral galaxy, while Was 49b is hosted in a dwarf galaxy located at 8 kpc from the nucleus of Was 49a, at the edge of its disk. The intriguing fact about this system is the luminosity of their corresponding AGNs. While Was 49a hosts a low luminosity Seyfert 2 with Lbol˜1043erg s–1, Was 49b has a Seyfert 2 with Lbol ˜ 1045erg s–1, in the luminosity range of Quasars. Furthermore, estimates of the black hole and host galaxy masses of Was 49b indicate a black hole significantly more massive than one would expect from scaling relations. This result is in contrast with findings that the most luminous merger-triggered AGNs are found in major mergers and that minor mergers predominantly enhance AGN activity in the primary galaxy.
Reconstructing the mass accretion histories of nearby red nuggets with their globular cluster systems
Authors: Beasley Michael A. , Leaman Ryan , Trujillo Ignacio , Montes Mireia , Vazdekis Alejandro , Rusiñol Núria Salvador , Eftekhari Elham , Ferré-Mateu Anna , Martín-Navarro Ignacio
Published: March 2021

It is generally recognized that massive galaxies form through a combination of in-situ collapse and ex-situ accretion. The in-situ component forms early, where gas collapse and compaction leads to the formation of massive compact systems (blue and red “nuggets”) seen at z > 1. The subsequent accretion of satellites brings in ex-situ material, growing these nuggets in size and mass to appear as the massive early-type galaxies (ETGs) we see locally. Due to stochasticity in the accretion process, in a few rare cases a red nugget will evolve to the present day having undergone little ex-situ mass accretion. The resulting massive, compact and ancient objects have been termed “relic galaxies”. Detailed stellar population and kinematic analyses are required to characterise these systems. However, an additional crucial aspect lies in determining the fraction of ex-situ mass they have accreted since their formation. Globular cluster systems can be used to constrain this fraction, since the oldest and most metal-poor globular clusters in massive galaxies are primarily an accreted, ex-situ population. Models for the formation of relic galaxies and their globular cluster systems suggest that, due to their early compaction and limited accretion of dark-matter dominated satellites, relic galaxies should have characteristically low dark-matter mass fractions compared to ETGs of the same stellar mass.
The effects of outbursts from Supermassive Black Holes: A close look at M87
Authors: Jones C. , Forman W.
Published: March 2021

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) play[-105pt]Kindly check and confirm the Article Title. fundamental roles in the evolution of galaxies, groups, and clusters. The fossil record of supermassive black hole outbursts is seen through the cavities and shocks that are imprinted on these gas-rich systems. For M87, the central galaxy in the Virgo cluster, deep Chandra observations illustrate the physics of AGN feedback in hot, gas-rich atmospheres and allow measurements of the age, duration, and power of the outburst from the supermassive black hole in M87 that produced the observed cavities and shocks in the hot X-ray atmosphere.
HST observations of [O III] emission in nearby QSO2s: Physical properties of the outflows
Authors: Falcao Anna Trindade , Kraemer S. B. , Fischer T. C. , Crenshaw D. M. , Revalski M. , Schmitt H. R.
Published: March 2021

We used Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) long slit medium-resolution G430M and G750M spectra to analyze the extended [O III] λ5007 emission in a sample of twelve QSO2s from Reyeset al. (2008). The purpose of the study was to determine the properties of the mass outflows and their role in AGN feedback. We measured fluxes and velocities as functions of deprojected radial distances. Using photoionization models and ionizing luminosities derived from [O III], we were able to estimate the densities for the emission-line gas. From these results, we derived masses, mass outflow rates, kinetic energies and kinetic luminosity rates as a function of radial distance for each of the targets. Masses are several times 103- 107solar masses, which are comparable to values determined from a recent photoionization study of Mrk 34 (Revalski). Additionally, we are studying the possible role of X-ray winds in these QSO2s.