733 research outputs found
Hexagonal LuMnO3 revisited
The crystal structure of hexagonal LuMnO3 at room temperature is isomorphous with YMnO3 and deviates in important details from early work. Mn is near the centre of its oxygen coordination environment. On the threefold axes, the apical O-Lu bonds have alternating long and short bond lengths, leading to ferroelectric behaviour. The sample studied was composed of almost equal volumes of inversion twins
Hexagonal LuMnO3 revisited
The crystal structure of hexagonal LuMnO3 at room temperature is isomorphous with YMnO3 and deviates in important details from early work. Mn is near the centre of its oxygen coordination environment. On the threefold axes, the apical O-Lu bonds have alternating long and short bond lengths, leading to ferroelectric behaviour. The sample studied was composed of almost equal volumes of inversion twins
Quarkonia Measurements with STAR
We report results on quarkonium production from the STAR experiment at the
Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC). J/psi spectra in p+p and Cu+Cu
collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV with transverse momenta in the range of 0.5-14
GeV/c and 5-8 GeV/c, respectively, are presented. We find that for p_T > 5
GeV/c yields in p+p collisions are consistent with those in minimum-bias Cu+Cu
collisions scaled with the respective number of binary nucleon-nucleon
collisions. In this range the nuclear modification factor, R_AA, is measured to
be 0.9+-0.2(stat). For the first time at RHIC, high-p_T J/psi-hadron
correlations were studied in p+p collisions. Implications from our measurements
on J/psi production mechanisms, constraints on open bottom yields, and J/psi
dissociation mechanisms at high-p_T are discussed. In addition, we give a brief
status of measurements of Upsilon production in p+p and Au+Au collisions and
present projections of future quarkonia measurements based on an upgrades to
the STAR detector and increased luminosity achieved through stochastic cooling
of RHIC.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Prepared for 3rd International Conference on Hard
and Electromagnetic Probes of High-Energy Nuclear Collisions (Hard Probes
2008), A Toxa, Spain, June 8-14, 200
Proliferating particle surface area via microbial decay has profound consequences for remineralisation rate: a new approach to modelling the degradation of sinking detritus in the ocean
Sinking detritus particles in the ocean help to regulate global climate by transporting organic carbon into deep waters where it is sequestered from the atmosphere. The rate at which bacteria remineralise detritus influences how deep particles sink and the length-scale of carbon sequestration. Conventional marine biogeochemical models typically represent particles as smooth spheres where remineralisation causes surface area (SA) to progressively shrink over time. In contrast, we propose that particle SA increases during degradation as microbial ectoenzymes cause a roughening of surfaces in a process similar to acid etching on previously smooth glass or metal surfaces. This concept is investigated using a novel model, SAMURAI (Surface Area Modelling Using Rubik As Inspiration), in which the biomass of individual particles is represented as a 3D matrix of cubical sub-units that degrades by progressive removal of sub-units that have faces in contact with the external environment. The model rapidly generates microscale rugosity (roughness) that profoundly increases total SA, giving rise to biomass-specific remineralisation rates that are approximately double those of conventional models. Faster remineralisation means less carbon penetrates the ocean’s interior, diminishing carbon sequestration in deep waters. Results indicate that both SA and microbial remineralisation are highly dynamic, as well as exhibiting large variability associated with particles of different porosities. Our work highlights the need for further studies, both observational and modelling, to investigate particle SA and related microbial dynamics in order to reliably represent the role of ocean biology in global biogeochemical models
UV-curable gels as topical nail medicines: in vivo residence, anti-fungal efficacy and influence of gel components on their properties
UV-curable gels, used as nail cosmetics for their in vivo durability, were reported to be promising as topical nail medicines. Our first aim was thus to investigate whether such durability applies to drug-loaded formulations. This was found to be true. However, ethanol inclusion in the pharmaceutical formulation (to enable drug loading) reduced the in vivo residence. The second aim was therefore to determine any other effects of ethanol, and if ethanol could be avoided by the choice of monomers. Thus, three methacrylate monomers, ethyl methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were selected, and their influence on the formulation properties were determined. Ethanol and the methacrylate monomer influenced some (but not all) of the formulation properties. The most significant was that HEMA could dissolve drug and enable the preparation of ethanol-free, drug-loaded formulations, which would benefit in vivo residence. The absence of ethanol reduced drug loading, release and ungual flux, but had no negative impact on the in vitro anti-fungal efficacy. Thus, judicious selection of gel components enabled the exclusion of ethanol. The long in vivo residence, little residual monomers, sufficient ungual permeation and in vitro anti-fungal activity of the gels indicates their potential as anti-onychomycotic topical medicines
Varicella zoster virus glycoprotein C increases chemokine-mediated leukocyte migration
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly prevalent human pathogen that establishes latency in neurons of the peripheral nervous system. Primary infection causes varicella whereas reactivation results in zoster, which is often followed by chronic pain in adults. Following infection of epithelial cells in the respiratory tract, VZV spreads within the host by hijacking leukocytes, including T cells, in the tonsils and other regional lymph nodes, and modifying their activity. In spite of its importance in pathogenesis, the mechanism of dissemination remains poorly understood. Here we addressed the influence of VZV on leukocyte migration and found that the purified recombinant soluble ectodomain of VZV glycoprotein C (rSgC) binds chemokines with high affinity. Functional experiments show that VZV rSgC potentiates chemokine activity, enhancing the migration of monocyte and T cell lines and, most importantly, human tonsillar leukocytes at low chemokine concentrations. Binding and potentiation of chemokine activity occurs through the C-terminal part of gC ectodomain, containing predicted immunoglobulin-like domains. The mechanism of action of VZV rSgC requires interaction with the chemokine and signalling through the chemokine receptor. Finally, we show that VZV viral particles enhance chemokine-dependent T cell migration and that gC is partially required for this activity. We propose that VZV gC activity facilitates the recruitment and subsequent infection of leukocytes and thereby enhances VZ
A note on the Sagnac effect and current terrestrial experiments
We focus on the Sagnac effect for light beams in order to evaluate if the higher-order relativistic corrections of kinematic origin could be relevant for actual terrestrial experiments. Moreover, we discuss to what extent the analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm effect holds true in a fully relativistic framework. We show that the analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm is not true in general, but is recovered in a suitable low-order approximation, and that even though the Sagnac effect is influenced by both the position of the interferometer in the rotating frame and its extension, these effects are negligible for current terrestrial experiment
Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy
We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable
and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is
presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and
systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of
globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude,
with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may
have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky
Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the
second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the
HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The
relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level
and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax
measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance
modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are
studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of
low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and
Space Scienc
Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed
evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the
Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min energy threshold, \nobreak{eV}. The
anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less
than from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc
(using the V\'eron-Cetty and V\'eron catalog). An updated
measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of
cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009.
The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more
precise measurement. The correlating fraction is , compared
with expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early
estimate of . The enlarged set of arrival directions is
examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects:
galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in
hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the
position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions
relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is
shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic
expectation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics on 31 August 201
Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density,
affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic
rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air
showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The
rate of events shows a ~10% seasonal modulation and ~2% diurnal one. We find
that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects
associated with the variations of pressure and density. The former affects the
longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Moliere
radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is
validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric
profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle
Physic
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