11,385 research outputs found
Outflow and dense gas emission from massive Infrared Dark Clouds
Infrared Dark Clouds are expected to harbor sources in different, very young
evolutionary stages. To better characterize these differences, we observed a
sample of 43 massive Infrared Dark Clouds, originally selected as candidate
high-mass starless cores, with the IRAM 30m telescope covering spectral line
tracers of low-density gas, high-density gas, molecular outflows/jets and
temperature effects. The SiO(2-1) observations reveal detections toward 18
sources. Assuming that SiO is exclusively produced by sputtering from dust
grains, this implies that at least in 40% of this sample star formation is
on-going. A broad range of SiO line-widths is observed (between 2.2 and
65km/s), and we discuss potential origins for this velocity spread. While the
low-density tracers 12CO(2-1) and 13CO(1-0) are detected in several velocity
components, the high-density tracer H13CO+(1--0) generally shows only a single
velocity component and is hence well suited for kinematic distance estimates of
IRDCs. Furthermore, the H13CO+ line-width is on average 1.5 times larger than
that of previously observed NH3(1,1). This is indicative of more motion at the
denser core centers, either due to turbulence or beginning star formation
activity. In addition, we detect CH3CN toward only six sources whereas CH3OH is
observed toward approximately 40% of the sample. Estimates of the CH3CN and
CH3OH abundances are low with average values of 1.2x10^{-10} and 4.3x10^{-10},
respectively. These results are consistent with chemical models at the earliest
evolutionary stages of high-mass star formation. Furthermore, the CH3OH
abundances compare well to recently reported values for low-mass starless
cores.Comment: 22 pages (ApJ referee style), 7 figures, accepted for Ap
Renormalization Group Method and Reductive Perturbation Method
It is shown that the renormalization group method does not necessarily
eliminate all secular terms in perturbation series to partial differential
equations and a functional subspace of renormalizable secular solutions
corresponds to a choice of scales of independent variables in the reductive
perturbation method.Comment: 5 pages, late
The Asymmetric Thick Disk: A Star Count and Kinematic Analysis. II The Kinematics
We report a kinematic signature associated with the observed asymmetry in the
distribution of thick disk/inner halo stars interior to the Solar circle
described in Paper I. In that paper we found a statistically significant excess
(20% to 25 %) of stars in quadrant I (l ~ 20 deg to 55 deg) both above and
below the plane (b ~ +/- 25 deg to +/- 45 deg) compared to the complementary
region in quadrant IV. We have measured Doppler velocities for 741 stars,
selected according to the same magnitude and color criteria, in the direction
of the asymmetry and in the corresponding fields in quadrant IV. We have also
determined spectral types and metallicities measured from the same spectra. We
not only find an asymmetric distribution in the V_LSR velocities for the stars
in the two regions, but the angular rate of rotation, w, for the stars in
quadrant I reveals a slower effective rotation rate compared to the
corresponding quadrant IV stars. We use our [Fe/H] measurements to separate the
stars into the three primary population groups, halo, thick disk, and disk, and
conclude that it is primarily the thick disk stars that show the slower
rotation in quadrant I. A solution for the radial, tangential and vertical
components of the V_LSR velocities, reveals a significant lag of ~ 80 to 90
km/s in the direction of Galactic rotation for the thick disk stars in quadrant
I, while in quadrant IV, the same population has only a ~ 20 km/s lag. The
results reported here support a rotational lag among the thick disk stars due
to a gravitational interaction with the bar as the most likely explanation for
the asymmetry in both the star counts and the kinematics. The affected thick
disk stars, however, may be associated with the recently discovered Canis Major
debris stream or a similar merger event (abridged).Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa
Effect of Aqueous Ozone on the NF-ÎșB System
Ozone has been proposed as an alternative oral antiseptic in dentistry, due to its antimicrobial power reported for gaseous and aqueous forms, the latter showing a high biocompatibility with mammalian cells. New therapeutic strategies for the treatment of periodontal disease and apical periodontitis should consider not only antibacterial effects, but also their influence on the host immune response. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the effect of aqueous ozone on the NF-ÎșB system, a paradigm for inflammationassociated signaling/transcription. We showed that NF-ÎșB activity in oral cells stimulated with TNF, and in periodontal ligament tissue from root surfaces of periodontally damaged teeth, was inhibited following incubation with ozonized medium. Under this treatment, IÎșBalpah proteolysis, cytokine expression, and ÎșB-dependent transcription were prevented. Specific ozonized amino acids were shown to represent major inhibitory components of ozonized medium. In summary, our study establishes a condition under which aqueous ozone exerts inhibitory effects on the NF-ÎșB system, suggesting that it has an antiinflammatory capacity
Luminescence quenching of the triplet excimer state by air traces in gaseous argon
While developing a liquid argon detector for dark matter searches we
investigate the influence of air contamination on the VUV scintillation yield
in gaseous argon at atmospheric pressure. We determine with a radioactive
alpha-source the photon yield for various partial air pressures and different
reflectors and wavelength shifters. We find for the fast scintillation
component a time constant tau1= 11.3 +- 2.8 ns, independent of gas purity.
However, the decay time of the slow component depends on gas purity and is a
good indicator for the total VUV light yield. This dependence is attributed to
impurities destroying the long-lived argon excimer states. The population ratio
between the slowly and the fast decaying excimer states is determined for
alpha-particles to be 5.5 +-0.6 in argon gas at 1100 mbar and room temperature.
The measured mean life of the slow component is tau2 = 3.140 +- 0.067 microsec
at a partial air pressure of 2 x 10-6 mbar.Comment: 7 pages submitted to NIM
Convective Nonlinearity in Non-Newtonian Fluids
In the limit of infinite yield time for stresses, the hydrodynamic equations
for viscoelastic, Non-Newtonian liquids such as polymer melts must reduce to
that for solids. This piece of information suffices to uniquely determine the
nonlinear convective derivative, an ongoing point of contention in the rheology
literature.Comment: 4 page
Host carbon sources modulate cell wall architecture, drug resistance and virulence in a fungal pathogen
The survival of all microbes depends upon their ability to respond to environmental challenges. To establish infection, pathogens such as Candida albicans must mount effective stress responses to counter host defences while adapting to dynamic changes in nutrient status within host niches. Studies of C.âalbicans stress adaptation have generally been performed on glucose-grown cells, leaving the effects of alternative carbon sources upon stress resistance largely unexplored. We have shown that growth on alternative carbon sources, such as lactate, strongly influence the resistance of C.âalbicans to antifungal drugs, osmotic and cell wall stresses. Similar trends were observed in clinical isolates and other pathogenic Candida species. The increased stress resistance of C.âalbicans was not dependent on key stress (Hog1) and cell integrity (Mkc1) signalling pathways. Instead, increased stress resistance was promoted by major changes in the architecture and biophysical properties of the cell wall. Glucose- and lactate-grown cells displayed significant differences in cell wall mass, ultrastructure, elasticity and adhesion. Changes in carbon source also altered the virulence of C.âalbicans in models of systemic candidiasis and vaginitis, confirming the importance of alternative carbon sources within host niches during C.âalbicans infection
Effectiveness of Bicycle Safety Helmets in Preventing Facial Injuries in Road Accidents
Background: The effectiveness of bicycle safety helmets in preventing head injuries is well- documented. Recent studies differ regarding the effectiveness of bicycle helmets in preventing facial injuries, especially those of the mid-face and the mandible.
Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine the protective effect of a bicycle helmet in preventing mid-face and mandibular fractures.
Patients and Methods: Data from an accident research unit were analyzed to collect technical collision details (relative collision speed, type of collision, collision partner, and use of a helmet) and clinical data (type of fracture).
Results: Between 1999 and 2011, 5,350 bicycle crashes were included in the study. Of these, 175 (3.3%) had fractures of the mid-face or mandible. In total, 228 mid-face or mandibular fractures were identified. A significant correlation was found between age and relative collision speed, and the incidence of a fracture. While no significant correlation was found between the use of a helmet and the incidence of mid-facial fractures, the use of a helmet was correlated with a significantly increased incidence of mandibular fractures.
Conclusions: Higher age of cyclists and increasing speed of the accident opponent significantly increase the likelihood of sustaining facial fractures. The use of bicycle helmets does not significantly reduce the incidence of mid-facial fractures, while being correlated with an even increased incidence of mandibular fractures
Water maser variability over 20 years in a large sample of star-forming regions: the complete database
Context. Water vapor emission at 22 GHz from masers associated with
star-forming regions is highly variable. Aims. We present a database of up to
20 years of monitoring of a sample of 43 masers within star-forming regions.
The sample covers a large range of luminosities of the associated IRAS source
and is representative of the entire population of H2O masers of this type. The
database forms a good starting point for any further study of H2O maser
variability. Methods. The observations were obtained with the Medicina 32-m
radiotelescope, at a rate of 4-5 observations per year. Results. To provide a
database that can be easily accessed through the web, we give for each source:
plots of the calibrated spectra, the velocity-time-flux density plot, the light
curve of the integrated flux, the lower and upper envelopes of the maser
emission, the mean spectrum, and the rate of the maser occurrence as a function
of velocity. Figures for just one source are given in the text for
representative purposes. Figures for all the sources are given in electronic
form in the on-line appendix. A discussion of the main properties of the H2O
variability in our sample will be presented in a forthcoming paper.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics;
all plots in appendix (not included) can be downloaded from
http://www.arcetri.astro.it/~starform/water_maser_v2.html or
http://www.ira.inaf.it/papers/masers/water_maser_v2.htm
- âŠ