526 research outputs found
Low-energy Dipole Excitations in Nuclei at the N=50,82 and Z=50 Shell Closures as Signatures for a Neutron Skin
Low-energy dipole excitations have been investigated theoretically in N=50,
several N=82 isotones and the Z=50 Sn isotopes. For this purpose a method
incorporating both HFB and multi-phonon QPM theory is applied. A concentration
of one-phonon dipole strength located below the neutron emission threshold has
been calculated in these nuclei. The analysis of the corresponding neutron and
proton dipole transition densities allows to assign a genuine pattern to the
low-energy excitations and making them distinct from the conventional GDR
modes. Analyzing also the QRPA wave functions of the states we can identify
these excitations as Pygmy Dipole Resonance (PDR) modes, recently studied also
in Sn and N=82 nuclei. The results for N=50 are exploratory for an experimental
project designed for the bremsstrahlung facility at the ELBE accelerator.Comment: Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics III Conference, 26 - 31 March 2007,
Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, German
Innovative approaches to nisin production
Nisin is a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis that has been approved by the Food Drug Administration for utilization as a GRAS status food additive. Nisin can inhibit spore germination and demonstrates antimicrobial activity against Listeria, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, and Bacillus species. Under some circumstances, it plays an immune modulator role and has a selective cytotoxic effect against cancer cells, although it is notable that the high production cost of nisin-a result of the low nisin production yield of producer strains-is an important factor restricting intensive use. In recent years, production of nisin has been significantly improved through genetic modifications to nisin producer strains and through innovative applications in the fermentation process. Recently, 15,400 IU ml-1 nisin production has been achieved in L. lactis cells following genetic modifications by eliminating the factors that negatively affect nisin biosynthesis or by increasing the cell density of the producing strains in the fermentation medium. In this review, innovative approaches related to cell and fermentation systems aimed at increasing nisin production are discussed and interpreted, with a view to increasing industrial nisin production.Peer reviewe
Dietary pattern and leisure time activity of overweight and normal weight children in Germany: sex-specific differences
BACKGROUND: Several studies indicate that dietary pattern and leisure time activities of adults not only differ between sexes but also between overweight and normal weight individuals. The aim of the present study was to determine if sex-specific differences in dietary pattern and leisure time activity already exist and are associated with weight status in young childhood. METHODS: Nutritional intake, anthropometric parameters, leisure time activities and socio- demographical factors were assessed in 100 overweight and 51 normal weight children (81 girls and 70 boys), aged 5–8 years. RESULTS: In general, independent of body weight, boys ate more cheese while girls consumed more vegetables and spent more time with sedentary activities. Moreover, regardless of sex, total energy and macronutrient intake did not differ between normal weight and overweight children. Also, time spent with sportive activities did not differ between groups; however, overweight boys spent significantly more leisure time with sedentary activities than normal weight boys. Furthermore, BMI of mothers and time spent with sedentary activities were identified as independent risk factors for the development of overweight when performing multiple regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, results of our study suggest that already at young age sex influences dietary pattern independent of body weight. Furthermore, an increased time spent with sedentary activities and an elevated maternal BMI were found to be associated with an elevated body weight in children. (Trial registration: NCT01306396
The host haloes of O I absorbers in the reionization epoch
We use a radiation hydrodynamic simulation of the hydrogen reionization epoch to study
OI absorbers at z ∼ 6. The intergalactic medium (IGM) is reionized before it is enriched;
hence, OI absorption originates within dark matter haloes. The predicted abundance of OI
absorbers is in reasonable agreement with observations. At z = 10, ≈70 per cent of sightlines
through atomically cooled haloes encounter a visible (NOI > 1014cm−2) column. Reionization
ionizes and removes gas from haloes less massive than 108.4M , but 20 per cent of sightlines
through more massive haloes encounter visible columns even at z = 5. The mass scale of
absorber host haloes is 10–100 times smaller than the haloes of Lyman-break galaxies and
Lyman α emitters, hence absorption probes the dominant ionizing sources more directly. OI
absorbers have neutral hydrogen columns of 1019–1021 cm−2, suggesting a close resemblance
between objects selected in OI and HI absorption. Finally, the absorption in the foreground
of the z = 7.085 quasar ULAS J1120+0641 cannot originate in a dark matter halo because
halo gas at the observed HI column density is enriched enough to violate the upper limits on
the OI column. By contrast, gas at less than one-third the cosmic mean density satisfies the
constraints. Hence, the foreground absorption likely originates in the IGM.Department of HE and Training approved lis
Quark matter in compact stars?
Ozel, in a recent reanalysis of EXO 0748-676 observational data
(astro-ph/0605106), concluded that quark matter probably does not exist in the
center of compact stars. We show that the data is actually consistent with the
presence of quark matter in compact stars.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX; New title and overall rewrite to reflect version
published in Nature. Conclusions unchange
Equation of State of Nuclear Matter at high baryon density
A central issue in the theory of astrophysical compact objects and heavy ion
reactions at intermediate and relativistic energies is the Nuclear Equation of
State (EoS). On one hand, the large and expanding set of experimental and
observational data is expected to constrain the behaviour of the nuclear EoS,
especially at density above saturation, where it is directly linked to
fundamental processes which can occur in dense matter. On the other hand,
theoretical predictions for the EoS at high density can be challenged by the
phenomenological findings. In this topical review paper we present the
many-body theory of nuclear matter as developed along different years and with
different methods. Only nucleonic degrees of freedom are considered. We compare
the different methods at formal level, as well as the final EoS calculated
within each one of the considered many-body schemes. The outcome of this
analysis should help in restricting the uncertainty of the theoretical
predictions for the nuclear EoS.Comment: 51 pages, to appear in J. Phys. G as Topical Revie
A variability analysis of low-latitude unidentified gamma-ray sources
We present a study of 40 low-latitude unidentified 3EG gamma-ray sources
which were found to be not positionally coincident with any known class of
potential gamma-ray emitters in the Galaxy (Romero, Benaglia & Torres, 1999).
We have performed a variability analysis which reveals that many of these 40
sources are variable. These sources have, in addition, a steep mean value of
the gamma-ray spectral index, , which, combined with
the high level of variability seems to rule out a pulsar origin. The positional
coincidences with uncatalogued candidates to supernova remnants were also
studied. Only 7 sources in the sample are spatially coincident with these
candidates, a result that is shown to be consistent with the expected level of
pure chance association. A complementary search for weak radio counterparts was
also conducted and the results are presented as an extensive table containing
all significant point-like radio sources within the 40 EGRET fields. We argue
that in order to produce the high variability, steep gamma-ray spectra, and
absence of strong radio counterparts observed in some of the gamma-ray sources
of our sample a new class of objects should be postulated, and we analyze a
viable candidate.Comment: Paper updated to match the accepted version to appear in Astronomy
and Astrophysics, 2001. Tables 5,6,7 and 8 are in ascii format and need to be
printed separately. they can also be obtained from
http://www.iar.unlp.edu.ar/garra Table 5 is 62 pages long. Download the
source to obtain the table
Prompt Optical Detection of GRB 050401 with ROTSE-IIIa
The ROTSE-IIIa telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia, detected
prompt optical emission from Swift GRB 050401. In this letter, we present
observations of the early optical afterglow, first detected by the ROTSE-IIIa
telescope 33 s after the start of gamma-ray emission, contemporaneous with the
brightest peak of this emission. This GRB was neither exceptionally long nor
bright. This is the first prompt optical detection of a GRB of typical duration
and luminosity. We find that the early afterglow decay does not deviate
significantly from the power-law decay observable at later times, and is
uncorrelated with the prompt gamma-ray emission. We compare this detection with
the other two GRBs with prompt observations, GRB 990123 and GRB 041219a. All
three bursts exhibit quite different behavior at early times.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Status of the ROTSE-III telescope network
ROTSE-III is a homogeneous worldwide array of 4 robotic telescopes. They were designed to provide optical observations of γ-ray burst (GRB) afterglows as close as possible to the start of γ-ray emission. ROTSE-III is fulfilling its potential for GRB science, and provides optical observations for a variety of astrophysical sources in the interim between GRB events
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