9,111 research outputs found
Thermal buoyancy on Venus: Preliminary results of finite element modeling
Enhanced surface temperatures and a thinner lithosphere on Venus relative to Earth have been cited as leading to increased lithospheric buoyancy. This would limit or prevent subduction on Venus and favor the construction of thickened crust through underthrusting. In order to evaluate the conditions distinguishing between underthrusting and subduction, we have modeled the thermal and buoyancy consequences of the subduction end member. This study considers the fate of a slab from the time it starts to subduct, but bypasses the question of subduction initiation. Thermal changes in slabs subducting into a mantle having a range of initial geotherms are used to predict density changes and thus their overall buoyancy. Finite element modeling is then applied in a first approximation of the assessment of the relative rates of subduction as compared to the buoyant rise of the slab through a viscous mantle
Fabrication techniques developed for small- diameter, thin-wall tungsten and tungsten alloy tubing
Report describes methods for the fabrication of tungsten and tungsten alloys into small-diameter, thin-wall tubing of nuclear quality. The tungsten, or tungsten alloy tube blanks are produced by double extrusion. Plug-drawing has emerged as an excellent secondary fabrication technique for the reduction of the overall tube dimensions
Identification of a non-mammalian leptin-like gene:characterization and expression in the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
Leptin is well established as a multifunctional cytokine in mammals. However, little is known about the evolution of the leptin gene in other vertebrates. A recently published set of ESTs from the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) contains a sequence sharing 56% nucleotide sequence identity with the human leptin cDNA. To confirm that the EST is naturally expressed in the salamander, a 409 bp cDNA was amplified by RT-PCR of salamander testis and stomach mRNAs. The coding sequence of the cDNA is predicted to encode 169 amino acids, and the mature peptide to consist of 146 residues, as in mammals. Although the overall amino acid identity with mammalian leptins is only 29%, the salamander and mammalian peptides share common structural features. An intron was identified between coding exons providing evidence that the sequence is present in the salamander genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed a rate of molecular divergence consistent with the accepted view of vertebrate evolution. The pattern of tissue expression of the leptin-like cDNA differed between metamorphosed adult individuals of different sizes suggesting possible developmental regulation. Expression was most prominent in the skin and testis, but was also detected in tissues in which leptin mRNA is present in mammals, including the fat body, stomach, and muscle. The characterization of a salamander leptin-like gene provides a basis for understanding how the structure and functions of leptin have altered during the evolution of tetrapod vertebrates
Molecular immunophenotyping of lungs and spleens in naive and vaccinated chickens early after pulmonary avian influenza A (H9N2) virus infection
In a respiratory-infection-model with the avian influenza A H9N2 virus we studied lung and splenic immune reactions in chickens using a recently developed 5K chicken immuno-microarray. Groups of chickens were either mock-immunized (referred to as non-immune), vaccinated with inactivated viral antigen only (immune) or with viral antigen in a water-in-oil (W/O) immunopotentiator (immune potentiated). Three weeks after vaccination all animals were given a respiratory infection. Immune potentiated birds developed inhibitory antiviral antibodies, showed minimal lung histopathology and no detectable viral sequences, while non-immune animals showed microscopic immunopathology and detectable virus. Immune birds, receiving antigen in saline only, showed minimal microscopic histopathology, and intermediate levels of virus detection. These classical features in the different groups were mirrored by overlapping or specific mRNA gene expression profiles in lungs and spleen using microarray analysis. To our knowledge this is the first study demonstrating pneumonia-associated lung pathology of the low pathogenic avian influenza H9N2 virus. Our data provide insights into the molecular interaction of this virus with its natural host when naive or primed by vaccination
Animal genomics and infectious disease resistance in poultry
Avian pathogens are responsible for major costs to society, both in terms of huge economic losses to the poultry industry and their implications for human health. The health and welfare of millions of birds is under continued threat from many infectious diseases, some of which are increasing in virulence and thus becoming harder to control, such as Marek's disease virus and avian influenza viruses. The current era in animal genomics has seen huge developments in both technologies and resources, which means that researchers have never been in a better position to investigate the genetics of disease resistance and determine the underlying genes/mutations which make birds susceptible or resistant to infection. Avian genomics has reached a point where the biological mechanisms of infectious diseases can be investigated and understood in poultry and other avian species. Knowledge of genes conferring disease resistance can be used in selective breeding programmes or to develop vaccines which help to control the effects of these pathogens, which have such a major impact on birds and humans alike
Supersymmetric Galileons
Galileon theories are of considerable interest since they allow for stable
violations of the null energy condition. Since such violations could have
occurred during a high-energy regime in the history of our universe, we are
motivated to study supersymmetric extensions of these theories. This is carried
out in this paper, where we construct generic classes of N=1 supersymmetric
Galileon Lagrangians. They are shown to admit non-equivalent stress-energy
tensors and, hence, vacua manifesting differing conditions for violating the
null energy condition. The temporal and spatial fluctuations of all component
fields of the supermultiplet are analyzed and shown to be stable on a large
number of such backgrounds. In the process, we uncover a surprising connection
between conformal Galileon and ghost condensate theories, allowing for a deeper
understanding of both types of theories.Comment: 41 pages, v2: added a referenc
Time-Varying Potassium in High-Resolution Spectra of the Type Ia Supernova 2014J
We present a time series of the highest resolution spectra yet published for
the nearby Type Ia supernova (SN) 2014J in M82. They were obtained at 11 epochs
over 33 days around peak brightness with the Levy Spectrograph (resolution
R~110,000) on the 2.4m Automated Planet Finder telescope at Lick Observatory.
We identify multiple Na I D and K I absorption features, as well as absorption
by Ca I H & K and several of the more common diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs).
We see no evolution in any component of Na I D, Ca I, or in the DIBs, but do
establish the dissipation/weakening of the two most blueshifted components of K
I. We present several potential physical explanations, finding the most
plausible to be photoionization of circumstellar material, and discuss the
implications of our results with respect to the progenitor scenario of SN
2014J.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables, submitted to Ap
An ion ring in a linear multipole trap for optical frequency metrology
A ring crystal of ions trapped in a linear multipole trap is studied as a
basis for an optical frequency standard. The equilibrium conditions and cooling
possibilities are discussed through an analytical model and molecular dynamics
simulations. A configuration which reduces the frequency sensitivity to the
fluctuations of the number of trapped ions is proposed. The systematic shifts
for the electric quadrupole transition of calcium ions are evaluated for this
ring configuration. This study shows that a ring of 10 or 20 ions allows to
reach a short term stability better than for a single ion without introducing
limiting long term fluctuations
Electrorotation of a pair of spherical particles
We present a theoretical study of electrorotation (ER) of two spherical
particles under the action of a rotating electric field. When the two particles
approach and finally touch, the mutual polarization interaction between the
particles leads to a change in the dipole moment of the individual particle and
hence the ER spectrum, as compared to that of the well-separated particles. The
mutual polarization effects are captured by the method of multiple images. From
the theoretical analysis, we find that the mutual polarization effects can
change the characteristic frequency at which the maximum angular velocity of
electrorotation occurs. The numerical results can be understood in the spectral
representation theory.Comment: Minor revisions; accepted by Phys. Rev.
A 4-Planet System Orbiting the K0V Star HD 141399
We present precision radial velocity (RV) data sets from Keck-HIRES and from
Lick Observatory's new Automated Planet Finder Telescope and Levy Spectrometer
on Mt. Hamilton that reveal a multiple-planet system orbiting the nearby,
slightly evolved, K-type star HD 141399. Our 91 observations over 10.5 years
suggest the presence of four planets with orbital periods of 94.35, 202.08,
1070.35, and 3717.35 days and minimum masses of 0.46, 1.36, 1.22, and 0.69
Jupiter masses respectively. The orbital eccentricities of the three inner
planets are small, and the phase curves are well sampled. The inner two planets
lie just outside the 2:1 resonance, suggesting that the system may have
experienced dissipative evolution during the protoplanetary disk phase. The
fourth companion is a Jupiter-like planet with a Jupiter-like orbital period.
Its orbital eccentricity is consistent with zero, but more data will be
required for an accurate eccentricity determination.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, To appear in the Astrophysical Journa
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