Kinematics of Herbig-Haro Objects and Jets in the Orion Nebula

We have surveyed the inner 5' of the Orion Nebula by means of Halpha and [NII] Fabry-Perot imaging spectroscopy to present a kinematical study of the Herbig-Haro objects in the nebula. The objects studied in this work are HH 202, 203, 204, 529, 269 and other associated features. For HH 202 we find new features that, because of their high velocities (up to 100 km/seg) indicate the presence of an outflow that probably is a HH flow not catalogued previously. HH 202 could be only a part of this larger outflow. Large internal motions are found in the fainter regions of HH 203-204, as well as evidence of transverse density gradients that could account for the asymmetry in the brightness distribution of HH 204. We report for the first time a high blueshifted velocity (-118 km/seg) associated with HH 204, and show that the apex of HH 204 is indeed the zone of maximum velocity, in agreement with bow shock models. We also studied the radial velocity field of HH 269 finding features associated with the HH object. From our studies, we find kinematic evidence that suggests that HH 203-204 and HH 202 are part of a big (aprox. 0.55 pc) bipolar HH outflow.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures (in three jpg files). To be Published in Astronomical Journa

High-precision measurements of seawater Pb isotope compositions by double spike thermal ionization mass spectrometry

A new method for the determination of seawater Pb isotope compositions and concentrations was developed, which combines and optimizes previously published protocols for the separation and isotopic analysis of this element. For isotopic analysis, the procedure involves initial separation of Pb from 1 to 2 L of seawater by co-precipitation with Mg hydroxide and further purification by a two stage anion exchange procedure. The Pb isotope measurements are subsequently carried out by thermal ionization mass spectrometry using a Pb-207-Pb-204 double spike for correction of instrumental mass fractionation. These methods are associated with a total procedural Pb blank of 28 +/- 21 pg(1sd) and typical Pb recoveries of 40-60%. The Pb concentrations are determined by isotope dilution (ID) on 50 mL of seawater, using a simplified version of above methods. Analyses of multiple aliquots of six seawater samples yield a reproducibility of about +/- 1to +/- 10%(1sd) for Pb concentrations of between 7 and 50 pmol/kg, where precision was primarily limited by the uncertainty of the blank correction (12 +/- 4 pg; 1sd). For the Pb isotope analyses, typical reproducibilities (+/- 2sd) of 700-1500 ppm and 1000-2000ppm were achieved for Pb-207/Pb-206, Pb-208/Pb-206 and Pb-206/Pb-204, Pb-207/Pb-204, Pb-208/Pb-204, respectively. These results are superior to literature data that were obtained using plasma source mass spectrometry and they are at least a factor of five more precise for ratios involving the minor Pb-204 isotope. Both Pb concentration and isotope data, furthermore, show good agreement with published results for two seawater intercomparison samples of the GEOTRACES program. Finally, the new methods were applied to a seawater depth profile from the eastern South Atlantic. Both Pb contents and isotope compositions display a smooth evolution with depth, and no obvious outliers. Compared to previous Pb isotope data for seawater, the Pb-206/Pb-204 ratios are well correlated with Pb-207/Pb-206, underlining the significant improvement achieved in the measurement of the minor Pb-204 isotope

Improving the quality of the personalized electronic program guide

As Digital TV subscribers are offered more and more channels, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to locate the right programme information at the right time. The personalized Electronic Programme Guide (pEPG) is one solution to this problem; it leverages artificial intelligence and user profiling techniques to learn about the viewing preferences of individual users in order to compile personalized viewing guides that fit their individual preferences. Very often the limited availability of profiling information is a key limiting factor in such personalized recommender systems. For example, it is well known that collaborative filtering approaches suffer significantly from the sparsity problem, which exists because the expected item-overlap between profiles is usually very low. In this article we address the sparsity problem in the Digital TV domain. We propose the use of data mining techniques as a way of supplementing meagre ratings-based profile knowledge with additional item-similarity knowledge that can be automatically discovered by mining user profiles. We argue that this new similarity knowledge can significantly enhance the performance of a recommender system in even the sparsest of profile spaces. Moreover, we provide an extensive evaluation of our approach using two large-scale, state-of-the-art online systems—PTVPlus, a personalized TV listings portal and Físchlár, an online digital video library system

Statement of Bruce H. Simon Before the Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations

Testimony_Simon_022494.pdf: 204 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Sirtuin1 protects endothelial Caveolin-1 expression and preserves endothelial function via suppressing miR-204 and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) is a class III histone deacetylase that regulates a variety of physiological processes, including endothelial function. Caveolin1 (Cav1) is also an important determinant of endothelial function. We asked if Sirt1 governs endothelial Cav1 and endothelial function by regulating miR-204 expression and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Knockdown of Sirt1 in endothelial cells, and in vivo deletion of endothelial Sirt1, induced endothelial ER stress and miR-204 expression, reduced Cav1, and impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation. All of these effects were reversed by a miR-204 inhibitor (miR-204 I) or with overexpression of Cav1. A miR-204 mimic (miR-204 M) decreased Cav1 in endothelial cells. In addition, high-fat diet (HFD) feeding induced vascular miR-204 and reduced endothelial Cav1. MiR-204-I protected against HFD-induced downregulation of endothelial Cav1. Moreover, pharmacologic induction of ER stress with tunicamycin downregulated endothelial Cav1 and impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation that was rescued by overexpressing Cav1. In conclusion, Sirt1 preserves Cav1-dependent endothelial function by mitigating miR-204-mediated vascular ER stress

Ally Sloper: The First Comics Superstar?

This book is the result of the conference ‘Comics Scenarios: Cultural Analyses of a Picto-Graphical Medium’, organised by the Universities of Berlin and Viadrina, and held in Berlin in 2003. My chapter involves the early British comics character ‘Ally Sloper’, a Victorian anti-hero, and his crossover with other mediums, such as music hall. Specifically, it is an investigation of the various texts which have borne the signifier ‘Ally Sloper’ in the years between 1867 and 1916, in an attempt to reconstruct their context and hence recover the meanings carried by this cultural icon at key moments in his history. It also asks how Sloper’s cross-fertilisation with other mediums constituted the forerunner for modern multinational capitalism in the entertainment business. The approaches taken include a combination of political economy and Cultural Studies methodologies

Limits to the salience of ultraviolet: Lessons from colour vision in bees and birds

Publisher version: http://jeb.biologists.org/content/204/14/2571/F1.expansio

Book Review:\u3cem\u3eAgainst Dogmatism: Dwelling in Faith and Doubt\u3c/em\u3e

Book Review of Against Dogmatism: Dwelling in Faith and Doubt. Madhuri M. Yadlapati. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2013, 204 pp