29,438 research outputs found
The genomics of neonatal abstinence syndrome
Significant variability has been observed in the development and severity of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) among neonates exposed to prenatal opioids. Since maternal opioid dose does not appear to correlate directly with neonatal outcome, maternal, placental, and fetal genomic variants may play important roles in NAS. Previous studies in small cohorts have demonstrated associations of variants in maternal and infant genes that encode the Ό-opioid receptor (OPRM1), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and prepronociceptin (PNOC) with a shorter length of hospital stay and less need for treatment in neonates exposed to opioids in utero. Consistently falling genomic sequencing costs and computational approaches to predict variant function will permit unbiased discovery of genomic variants and gene pathways associated with differences in maternal and fetal opioid pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and with placental opioid transport and metabolism. Discovery of pathogenic variants should permit better delineation of the risk of developing more severe forms of NAS. This review provides a summary of the current role of genomic factors in the development of NAS and suggests strategies for further genomic discovery
The cosmological origin of the Tully-Fisher relation
We use high-resolution cosmological simulations that include the effects of
gasdynamics and star formation to investigate the origin of the Tully-Fisher
relation in the standard Cold Dark Matter cosmogony. Luminosities are computed
for each model galaxy using their full star formation histories and the latest
spectrophotometric models. We find that at z=0 the stellar mass of model
galaxies is proportional to the total baryonic mass within the virial radius of
their surrounding halos. Circular velocity then correlates tightly with the
total luminosity of the galaxy, reflecting the equivalence between mass and
circular velocity of systems identified in a cosmological context. The slope of
the relation steepens slightly from the red to the blue bandpasses, and is in
fairly good agreement with observations. Its scatter is small, decreasing from
\~0.45 mag in the U-band to ~0.34 mag in the K-band. The particular
cosmological model we explore here seems unable to account for the zero-point
of the correlation. Model galaxies are too faint at z=0 (by about two
magnitudes) if the circular velocity at the edge of the luminous galaxy is used
as an estimator of the rotation speed. The Tully-Fisher relation is brighter in
the past, by about ~0.7 magnitudes in the B-band at z=1, at odds with recent
observations of z~1 galaxies. We conclude that the slope and tightness of the
Tully-Fisher relation can be naturally explained in hierarchical models but
that its normalization and evolution depend strongly on the star formation
algorithm chosen and on the cosmological parameters that determine the
universal baryon fraction and the time of assembly of galaxies of different
mass.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures included, submitted to ApJ (Letters
Dark Halo and Disk Galaxy Scaling Laws in Hierarchical Universes
We use cosmological N-body/gasdynamical simulations that include star
formation and feedback to examine the proposal that scaling laws between the
total luminosity, rotation speed, and angular momentum of disk galaxies reflect
analogous correlations between the structural parameters of their surrounding
dark matter halos. The numerical experiments follow the formation of
galaxy-sized halos in two Cold Dark Matter dominated universes: the standard
Omega=1 CDM scenario and the currently popular LCDM model. We find that the
slope and scatter of the I-band Tully-Fisher relation are well reproduced in
the simulations, although not, as proposed in recent work, as a result of the
cosmological equivalence between halo mass and circular velocity: large
systematic variations in the fraction of baryons that collapse to form galaxies
and in the ratio between halo and disk circular velocities are observed in our
numerical experiments. The Tully-Fisher slope and scatter are recovered in this
model as a direct result of the dynamical response of the halo to the assembly
of the luminous component of the galaxy. We conclude that models that neglect
the self-gravity of the disk and its influence on the detailed structure of the
halo cannot be used to derive meaningful estimates of the scatter or slope of
the Tully-Fisher relation. Our models fail, however, to match the zero-point of
the Tully-Fisher relation, as well as that of the relation linking disk
rotation speed and angular momentum. These failures can be traced,
respectively, to the excessive central concentration of dark halos formed in
the Cold Dark Matter cosmogonies we explore and to the formation of galaxy
disks as the final outcome of a sequence of merger events. (abridged)Comment: submitted to The Astrophysical Journa
Analytical modeling of the structureborne noise path on a small twin-engine aircraft
The structureborne noise path of a six passenger twin-engine aircraft is analyzed. Models of the wing and fuselage structures as well as the interior acoustic space of the cabin are developed and used to evaluate sensitivity to structural and acoustic parameters. Different modeling approaches are used to examine aspects of the structureborne path. These approaches are guided by a number of considerations including the geometry of the structures, the frequency range of interest, and the tractability of the computations. Results of these approaches are compared with experimental data
Dark-Halo Cusp: Asymptotic Convergence
We propose a model for how the buildup of dark halos by merging satellites
produces a characteristic inner cusp, of a density profile \rho \prop r^-a with
a -> a_as > 1, as seen in cosmological N-body simulations of hierarchical
clustering scenarios. Dekel, Devor & Hetzroni (2003) argue that a flat core of
a<1 exerts tidal compression which prevents local deposit of satellite
material; the satellite sinks intact into the halo center thus causing a rapid
steepening to a>1. Using merger N-body simulations, we learn that this cusp is
stable under a sequence of mergers, and derive a practical tidal mass-transfer
recipe in regions where the local slope of the halo profile is a>1. According
to this recipe, the ratio of mean densities of halo and initial satellite
within the tidal radius equals a given function psi(a), which is significantly
smaller than unity (compared to being 1 according to crude resonance criteria)
and is a decreasing function of a. This decrease makes the tidal mass transfer
relatively more efficient at larger a, which means steepening when a is small
and flattening when a is large, thus causing converges to a stable solution.
Given this mass-transfer recipe, linear perturbation analysis, supported by toy
simulations, shows that a sequence of cosmological mergers with homologous
satellites slowly leads to a fixed-point cusp with an asymptotic slope a_as>1.
The slope depends only weakly on the fluctuation power spectrum, in agreement
with cosmological simulations. During a long interim period the profile has an
NFW-like shape, with a cusp of 1<a<a_as. Thus, a cusp is enforced if enough
compact satellite remnants make it intact into the inner halo. In order to
maintain a flat core, satellites must be disrupted outside the core, possibly
as a result of a modest puffing up due to baryonic feedback.Comment: 37 pages, Latex, aastex.cls, revised, ApJ, 588, in pres
Temperature Anisotropies and Distortions Induced by Hot Intracluster Gas on the Cosmic Microwave Background
The power spectrum of temperature anisotropies induced by hot intracluster
gas on the cosmic background radiation is calculated. For low multipoles it
remains constant while at multipoles above it is exponentially damped.
The shape of the radiation power spectrum is almost independent of the average
intracluster gas density profile, gas evolution history or clusters virial
radii; but the amplitude depends strongly on those parameters and could be as
large as 20% that of intrinsic contribution. The exact value depends on the
global properties of the cluster population and the evolution of the
intracluster gas. The distortion on the Cosmic Microwave Background black body
spectra varies in a similar manner. The ratio of the temperature anisotropy to
the mean Comptonization parameters is shown to be almost independent of the
cluster model and, in first approximation, depends only on the number density
of clusters.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, 3 figures; to be published in Ap
Dark Matter Scaling Relations
We establish the presence of a dark matter core radius, for the first time in
a very large number of spiral galaxies of all luminosities. Contrary to common
opinion we find that the sizes of these cores and the " DM core problem" are
bigger for more massive spirals. As a result the Burkert profile provides an
excellent mass model for dark halos around disk galaxies. Moreover, we find
that the spiral dark matter core densities and core radii
lie in the same scaling relation of dwarf galaxies with core radii upto ten times more
smaller.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for Publication in Apj Let
Self-similar collapse and the structure of dark matter halos: A fluid approach
We explore the dynamical restrictions on the structure of dark matter halos
through a study of cosmological self-similar gravitational collapse solutions.
A fluid approach to the collisionless dynamics of dark matter is developed and
the resulting closed set of moment equations are solved numerically including
the effect of halo velocity dispersions (both radial and tangential), for a
range of spherically averaged initial density profiles. Our results highlight
the importance of tangential velocity dispersions to obtain density profiles
shallower than in the core regions, and for retaining a memory of the
initial density profile, in self-similar collapse. For an isotropic core
velocity dispersion only a partial memory of the initial density profile is
retained. If tangential velocity dispersions in the core are constrained to be
less than the radial dispersion, a cuspy core density profile shallower than
cannot obtain, in self-similar collapse.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Ap
Substructure Boosts to Dark Matter Annihilation from Sommerfeld Enhancement
The recently introduced Sommerfeld enhancement of the dark matter
annihilation cross section has important implications for the detection of dark
matter annihilation in subhalos in the Galactic halo. In addition to the boost
to the dark matter annihilation cross section from the high densities of these
subhalos with respect to the main halo, an additional boost caused by the
Sommerfeld enhancement results from the fact that they are kinematically colder
than the Galactic halo. If we further believe the generic prediction of CDM
that in each subhalo there is an abundance of substructure which is
approximately self-similar to that of the Galactic halo, then I show that
additional boosts coming from the density enhancements of these small
substructures and their small velocity dispersions enhance the dark matter
annihilation cross section even further. I find that very large boost factors
( to ) are obtained in a large class of models. The implications of
these boost factors for the detection of dark matter annihilation from dwarf
Spheroidal galaxies in the Galactic halo are such that, generically, they
outshine the background gamma-ray flux and are detectable by the Fermi
Gamma-ray Space Telescope.Comment: PRD in pres
Global Alfven Eigenmodes in the H-1 heliac
Recent upgrades in H-1 power supplies have enabled the operation of the H-1
experiment at higher heating powers than previously attainable. A heating power
scan in mixed hydrogen/helium plasmas reveals a change in mode activity with
increasing heating power. At low power (<50 kW) modes with beta-induced Alfven
eigenmode (BAE) frequency scaling are observed. At higher power modes
consistent with an analysis of nonconventional Global Alfven Eigenmodes (GAEs)
are observed, the subject of this work. We have computed the mode continuum,
and identified GAE structures using the ideal MHD solver CKA and the
gyrokinetic code EUTERPE. An analytic model for ICRH-heated minority ions is
used to estimate the fast ion temperature from the hydrogen species. Linear
growth rate scans using a local flux surface stability calculation, LGRO, are
performed. These studies demonstrate growth from circulating particles whose
speed is significantly less than the Alfven speed, and are resonant with the
mode through harmonics of the Fourier decomposition of the strongly-shaped
heliac magnetic field. They reveal drive is possible with a small, hot
energetic tail of the hydrogen species. Local linear growth rate scans are also
complemented with global calculations from CKA and EUTERPE. These qualitatively
confirm the findings from the LGRO study, and show that the inclusion of finite
Larmor radius effects can reduce the growth rate by a factor of three, but do
not affect marginal stability. Finally, a study of damping of the global mode
with the thermal plasma is conducted, computing continuum, and the damping
arising from parallel electric fields. We find that continuum damping is of
order 0.1% for the configuration studied. The inclusion of resistivity lifts
the damping to 19%. Such large damping is consistent with experimental
observations that in absence of drive the mode decays rapidly (~0.1 ms).Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, submitted 07/04/2017 to Plasma Physics and
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