Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are most probably powered by collimated relativistic outflows (jets) from accreting black holes at cosmological distances. Bright afterglows are produced when the outflow collides with the ambient medium. Afterglow polarization directly probes the magnetic properties of the jet when measured minutes after the burst, and it probes the geometric properties of the jet and the ambient medium when measured hours to days after the burst. High values of optical polarization detected minutes after the burst of GRB 120308A indicate the presence of large-scale ordered magnetic fields originating from the central engine (the power source of the GRB). Theoretical models predict low degrees of linear polarization and no circular polarization at late times, when the energy in the original ejecta is quickly transferred to the ambient medium and propagates farther into the medium as a blast wave. Here we report the detection of circularly polarized light in the afterglow of GRB 121024A, measured 0.15 days after the burst. We show that the circular polarization is intrinsic to the afterglow and unlikely to be produced by dust scattering or plasma propagation effects. A possible explanation is to invoke anisotropic (rather than the commonly assumed isotropic) electron pitch-angle distributions, and we suggest that new models are required to produce the complex microphysics of realistic shocks in relativistic jets.

Low-radio-frequency eclipses of the redback pulsar J2215+5135 observed in the image plane with LOFAR.

The eclipses of certain types of binary millisecond pulsars (i.e. 'black widows' and 'redbacks') are often studied using high-time-resolution, 'beamformed' radio observations. However, they may also be detected in images generated from interferometric data. As part of a larger imaging project to characterize the variable and transient sky at radio frequencies <200 MHz, we have blindly detected the redback system PSR J2215+5135 as a variable source of interest with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR). Using observations with cadences of two weeks - six months, we find preliminary evidence that the eclipse duration is frequency dependent (∝ν-0.4), such that the pulsar is eclipsed for longer at lower frequencies, in broad agreement with beamformed studies of other similar sources. Furthermore, the detection of the eclipses in imaging data suggests an eclipsing medium that absorbs the pulsed emission, rather than scattering it. Our study is also a demonstration of the prospects of finding pulsars in wide-field imaging surveys with the current generation of low-frequency radio telescopes.

New methods to constrain the radio transient rate: results from a survey of four fields with LOFAR.

We report on the results of a search for radio transients between 115 and 190 MHz with the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR). Four fields have been monitored with cadences between 15 min and several months. A total of 151 images were obtained, giving a total survey area of 2275 deg2. We analysed our data using standard LOFAR tools and searched for radio transients using the LOFAR Transients Pipeline. No credible radio transient candidate has been detected; however, we are able to set upper limits on the surface density of radio transient sources at low radio frequencies. We also show that low-frequency radio surveys are more sensitive to steep-spectrum coherent transient sources than GHz radio surveys. We used two new statistical methods to determine the upper limits on the transient surface density. One is free of assumptions on the flux distribution of the sources, while the other assumes a power-law distribution in flux and sets more stringent constraints on the transient surface density. Both of these methods provide better constraints than the approach used in previous works. The best value for the upper limit we can set for the transient surface density, using the method assuming a power-law flux distribution, is 1.3 × 10-3 deg-2 for transients brighter than 0.3 Jy with a time-scale of 15 min, at a frequency of 150 MHz. We also calculated for the first time upper limits for the transient surface density for transients of different time-scales. We find that the results can differ by orders of magnitude from previously reported, simplified estimates.

Short report: comparison of two doses of balsalazide in maintaining ulcerative colitis in remission over 12 months.

In a four-centre prospective double-blind trial, 108 patients with ulcerative colitis in remission were randomized to receive balsalazide in doses of 3 g or 6 g/day for 12 months. The patients were assessed at 3-monthly intervals clinically, sigmoidoscopically and with routine haematology and biochemistry. Remission rates of 77% (3 g/day) and 68% (6 g/day) at 12 months were not significantly different. Intolerance reactions leading to withdrawal from the study occurred in only 9 patients (8%), all occurring in the first 7 weeks of the study. Balsalazide is therefore both highly effective in maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis and well tolerated in both conventional and high dosage (the latter equivalent to 5.5 g/day of sulphasalazine). In this study no distinct advantage in maintenance of remission has been found for the higher dose of balsalazide.

Inflammatory bowel disease. 2: Medical and surgical treatment.

The first article in this three-part series reviewed the aetiology, treatment and concept of participation in inflammatory bowel disease. This article provides a brief overview of current trends in the medical and surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The discussion of medical management will include the most common drugs utilized for symptom control, their modes of action, routes of administration and side-effects. In addition, the role of nutritional support, both as an adjunctive and a primary therapy, will be considered. The options for, and consequences of, definitive surgical intervention in the event of failed medical management of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease will be examined.

Inflammatory bowel disease. 3: importance of partnership in care.

In the preceding articles (Vol 8(13): 858-62; Vol 8(14): 926-30), the pathogenesis and aetiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its medical and surgical treatment options were considered. In this final part of the series, the concept of an alliance between the patient with IBD and healthcare professionals in terms of healthcare choices is examined. The article explores the role of the clinical nurse specialist in IBD in relation to education, psychological support and compliance with treatment regimens. There is also a discussion of the social and psychological impact of IBD on the patient, and an exploration of the positive effects such a participatory relationship may have on health and quality of life.

Inflammatory bowel disease. 1: Aetiology and pathogenesis.

Inflammatory bowel disease, a chronic lifelong condition, affects between 15 and 30 people per 10,000 of the UK population. Despite the large number affected, there seems to be a paucity of information on this subject in the British nursing press. Hence, nurses have little or no understanding of the impact of this illness, and there is a danger that the distress and debilitation that inflammatory bowel disease can have on people's lives is underestimated. However, a healthcare professional, armed with the appropriate knowledge and attitude, can make a real difference to the quality of care that these patients receive. This article is the first in a series of three that shall review the aetiology, treatment and concept of patient participation in inflammatory bowel disease. The series aims to enhance nurses' understanding and stimulate further investigation into this chronic illness.