New DA white dwarf evolutionary models and their pulsational properties

In this letter we investigate the pulsational properties of ZZ Ceti stars on the basis of new white dwarf evolutionary models calculated in a self-consistent way with the predictions of time dependent element diffusion and nuclear burning. In addition, full account is taken of the evolutionary stages prior to the white dwarf formation. Emphasis is placed on the trapping properties of such models. By means of adiabatic, non-radial pulsation calculations, we find, as a result of time dependent diffusion, a much weaker mode trapping effect, particularly for the high-period regime of the pulsation g-spectrum. This result is valid at least for models with massive hydrogen-rich envelopes. Thus, mode trapping would not be an effective mechanism to explain the fact that all the high periods expected from standard models of stratified white dwarfs are not observed in the ZZ Ceti stars.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letter

Direct interaction between EgFABP1, a fatty acid binding protein from echinococcus granulosus, and phospholipid membranes

<p>Background: Growth and maintenance of hydatid cysts produced by Echinococcus granulosus have a high requirement for host lipids for biosynthetic processes, membrane building and possibly cellular and developmental signalling. This requires a high degree of lipid trafficking facilitated by lipid transporter proteins. Members of the fatty acid binding protein (FABP) family have been identified in Echinococcus granulosus, one of which, EgFABP1 is expressed at the tegumental level in the protoscoleces, but it has also been described in both hydatid cyst fluid and secretions of protoscoleces. In spite of a considerable amount of structural and biophysical information on the FABPs in general, their specific functions remain mysterious.</p> <p>Methodology/Principal Findings: We have investigated the way in which EgFABP1 may interact with membranes using a variety of fluorescence-based techniques and artificial small unilamellar vesicles. We first found that bacterial recombinant EgFABP1 is loaded with fatty acids from the synthesising bacteria, and that fatty acid binding increases its resistance to proteinases, possibly due to subtle conformational changes induced on EgFABP1. By manipulating the composition of lipid vesicles and the ionic environment, we found that EgFABP1 interacts with membranes in a direct contact, collisional, manner to exchange ligand, involving both ionic and hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, we observed that the protein can compete with cytochrome c for association with the surface of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs).</p> <p>Conclusions/Significance: This work constitutes a first approach to the understanding of protein-membrane interactions of EgFABP1. The results suggest that this protein may be actively involved in the exchange and transport of fatty acids between different membranes and cellular compartments within the parasite.</p&gt

The potential of the variable DA white dwarf G117-B15A as a tool for Fundamental Physics

White dwarfs are well studied objects. The relative simplicity of their physics allows to obtain very detailed models which can be ultimately compared with their observed properties. Among white dwarfs there is a specific class of stars, known as ZZ-Ceti objects, which have a hydrogen-rich envelope and show periodic variations in their light curves. G117-B15A belongs to this particular set of stars. The luminosity variations have been successfully explained as due to g-mode pulsations. G117-B15A has been recently claimed to be the most stable optical clock ever found, being the rate of change of its 215.2 s period very small: \dot{P}= (2.3 +- 1.4)x10^{-15} s s^-1, with a stability comparable to that of the most stable millisecond pulsars. The rate of change of the period is closely related to its cooling timescale, which can be accurately computed. In this paper we study the pulsational properties of G117-B15A and we use the observed rate of change of the period to impose constraints on the axion emissivity and, thus, to obtain a preliminary upper bound to the mass of the axion. This upper bound turns out to be 4cos^{2}{\beta} meV at the 95% confidence level. Although there are still several observational and theoretical uncertainties, we conclude that G117-B15A is a very promising stellar object to set up constraints on particle physics.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in New Astronom

The rate of period change in pulsating DB white dwarf stars

In this work, we present the theoretically expected rates of pulsation period change for V777 Her (DBV) variable stars. To this end we employ new evolutionary models representative of pulsating DB white dwarf stars computed in a self-consistent way with the predictions of time-dependent element diffusion. At the hot edge of the DB instability strip, the envelopes of the models are characterized by a diffusion-induced double-layered chemical structure. We compute the numerical values of rates of period change by solving the equations of linear, adiabatic, nonradial stellar oscillations. We examine the effects of varying the stellar mass, the mass of the helium envelope and the neutrino emission on the expected period changes. We present extensive tabulations of our results which could be useful for comparison with future detections of the rate of period change in pulsating DB white dwarfs.Comment: 13 pages, including 5 postscript figures and 9 tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The double-layered chemical structure in DB white dwarfs

We study the structure and evolution of white dwarf stars with helium-rich atmospheres (DB) in a self-consistent way with the predictions of time-dependent element diffusion. Our treatment of diffusion includes gravitational settling and chemical and thermal diffusion. OPAL radiative opacities for arbitrary metallicity and carbon-and oxygen-rich compositions are employed. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of the diffusion-modeled double-layered chemical structure. This structure, which is characterized by a pure helium envelope atop an intermediate remnant shell rich in helium, carbon and oxygen, is expected for pulsating DB white dwarfs, assuming that they are descendants of hydrogen-deficient PG1159 post-AGB stars. We find that, depending on the stellar mass, if DB white dwarf progenitors are formed with a helium content smaller than \approx 10^-3 M_*, a single-layered configuration is expected to emerge during the DB pulsation instability strip. We also explore the consequences of diffusively evolving chemical stratifications on the adiabatic pulsational properties of our DB white dwarf models. In this context, we find that the evolving shape of the chemical profile translates into a distinct behaviour of the theoretical period distribution as compared with the case in which the shape of the profile is assumed to be fixed during the evolution across the instability strip. Finally, we extend the scope of the calculations to the domain of the helium-rich carbon-contaminated DQ white dwarfs. In particular, we speculate that DQ white dwarfs with low detected carbon abundances would not be descendants of the PG1159 stars.Comment: 10 Pages, including 11 Postscript figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Modalités de contamination du crustacé planctonique Daphnia magna Straus avec le 134Cs. Etudes de la fixation et de la rétention

Une étude concernant le transfert du césium radioactif dans une chaîne trophique simplifiée d'eau douce, a été réalisée dans le cadre des Contrats (CCE) n° BI6-B-198-P et n° BI6-0245-P. Les objectifs étaient la connaissance de la radioécologie du fleuve Tejo (Tage) et le comportement du césium radioactif dans un écosystème naturel. Dans le présent document, sont présentées l'accumulation par voies différentes et la rétention du 134Cs par Daphnia magna Straus (Crustacea, Cladocera).L'accumulation directe à partir de l'eau du fleuve contaminée avec du 134Cs, a été effectuée avec une concentration initiale, approximative de 10 Bq ml-1. Le facteur de concentration (FC), rapporté au poids frais des daphnies, a évolué selon la fonction : FC(t) = 57,4 (1 - e-0,275t), avec le temps (t) en jours.L'élimination du radionucléide est exprimée par la fonction de rétention : R(t) = 8,5e-12,211 t + 91,5e-0.441t, qui indique donc deux périodes biologiques, Tb1 = 0,06 jour et Tb2 =1,6 jours.Quand la contamination de D. magna se réalise à partir de la nourriture (Selenastrum capricornutum) contaminée au 134Cs,le facteur de transfert trophique suit la fonction : F T (t) = 5, 1 (1 - e-0,245t).Dans ce cas, le processus de rétention est représenté par une fonction exponentielle à un seul terme : R(t) . 100 e-0,410t et correspond donc à une seule période biologique, Tb = 1,7 jour.La contamination simultanée par les deux vecteurs semble montrer que la voie de contamination la plus importante est le transfert à partir de l'eau. Etant donné que la concentration cellulaire et la concentration en 134Cs de la microalgue S. capricorrrutum étaient approximativement stabilisées, la nourriture n'a été responsable que de 28,5 ± 8,3 % de la concentration du radionucléide dans D. magna.En ce qui concerne l'étude de la rétention, on observe que, pour la contamination par l'eau, la période biologique la plus courte doit correspondre à une désorption au niveau des surfaces, tandis que la période la plus longue doit correspondre à l'élimination du 134Cs assimilé. La rétention consécutive à la fixation par l'ingestion de nourriture contaminé, conduit à une seule période biologique, qui ressemble beaucoup à la période longue du premier cas.Considering the potential radiological risk, due to the normal operation of the spanish nuclear power plants (Jose CABRERA, TRILLO and ALMARAZ) sited in the Tejo (Tagus) River watershed, the radioecological study of the river is of the utmost interest.Aiming for a better understanding of radionuclides behaviour in the Fratel dam, a particular freshwater ecosystem in the Tejo River located a few kilometers from the border, several studies have been carried out.Besides the field follow up, an experimental study concerning the radioactive cesium transfer in a simplified freshwater trophic chain was developed, under the Contracts (CEC) n° BI6-B-1 98-P and n° BI6-0245-P, whose objectives were respectively the knowledge of Tejo River radioecology and the radiocesium behaviour in a natural ecosystem.In a radiological assessment, the use of site specific data is always recommendable, instead of using default values, what is another perspective of the present work.The importance of cesium behaviour in the environment, is related to its chemical similarity with potassium, which is a wide-spread element in the living tissues. Following a hypotetical ingestion of radiocesium contaminated foodstuff or water by man, the contamination may then be extended to the whale body, mainly the muscles. Recently, the accident in the ucranian Chernobyl power plant, has alerted the international scientific community to the problem of the environmental dispersion of this radionuclide.134Cs, a gamma radiation emitter, was the isotope selected for the experiments. Its usual concentration in the radioactive liquid effluents released by PWR plants, is similar to the one of 137Cs, an isotope with a half-life of 30.15 years. 134Cs has a half-life of only 2.07 years, which is an advantage regarding the production of radioactive wastes resulting from the experiments.Our objective is to understand the mechanisms of the 134Cs transfer along the trophic chain, and to determine the parameters that might integrate e radioecological model, namely the concentration factors between organisms and water, and the trophic transfer factors between consumers and nourishment.The simplified trophic chain concerned : a primary producer, the green microalgae Selenastrum capricernutum Printz (CORISCO and CARREIRO, 1990 a); a primary consumer, the planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna Straus; and a secondary consumer, the omnivorous fish Tinca tinta L. (CORISCO and CARREIRO, 1990 b).In this paper the 134Cs uptake and retention by Daphnia magna Straus, (Crustacea, Cladocera) via different pathways, are presented.D. magna is a filter-feeding organism very common in freshwater ecosystems and frequently used as a test organism in toxicology. Several authors have been using it, as well, in the field of experimental radioecology. These small crustaceans, hardly exceeding a 3 mm mesh size, reproduce predominantly by parthenogenesis and, in laboratorial conditions, this process may be permanent if optimum temperature, abundant feeding and water quality are maintained.The main chemical characteristics of Fratel water, which was used in this study, are presented. The average stable cesium concentration, determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis, is 6 x 10-5 ppm.During the experiments, the temperature was kept at 20 ± 2 °C and artificial light was maintained for 15 h a day, using daylight fluorescent tubes (36 watt).The radiocesium used was a 134Cs chloride in a 0.1 M solution, with a total cesium content of 1 µg ml-1.The radioactive measurements were performed in e well type 1 1/4" diameter and 2 1/2" deep sodium iodine (thalium activated) detector of 4" x 4", connected to monochannel analyser.The direct uptake from 134Cs Iabelled river water was carried out using an initial radionuclide concentration in the water near to 10 Bq ml-1. The concentration factor (CF), referred to wet weight of daphnids, evolved according to the function : CF (t)=57.4 (1 - e-0.275t) , with time (t) referred to days.When the contamination of D. magna was carried out through the nourishment, 134Cs Iabelled Selenastrum capricornutum, the trophic transfer factor (TF) followed the exponential function : TF(t)=5.1 (1 - e-0.245t).Combining both pathways simultaneously, water appears to be the main contamination source. The number of cells and 134Cs concentration in microalgae S. capricornutum being approximately stabilized, nourishment was responsable for 28.5 ± 8.3 % of the radionuclide concentration in D. magna.However, using the functions issued from the separated pathways experiments, the assessed contamination of D. magna suggests that the trophic pathway would be predominant.The evaluation of the relative importance of the contamination pathways, would very likely be dependent on the experimental conditions. Therefore, experimental results must be carefully taken in consideration, and an approach as best as possible to the environmental conditions should be attempted.The elimination of the radionuclide , after the uptake from water, is expressed by the retention function : R (t)=8.5e-12.211t + 91.5e-0.441t, meaning two biological retention compartments with half-lives Tb1 = 0.06 day and Tb2 = 1.6 days. Following the uptake from the food pathway, retention is expressed by an exponential with only one term : R(t)=100 e-0.494t and, therefore, only one hall-life, Tb = 1.7 days.From the retention study after 134Cs uptake from water, it appears that the shorter hall-life might correspond to the surface desorption, whereas the longer one might correspond to the loss of assimilated 134Cs. Following uptake from ingestion of labelled food, retention study lead to a single hall-life, very similar to the longer one in the previous case.These results would suggest that water and food pathways act differently when tested together or separately, and assimilation must be the main concentration mechanism of 134Cs for the crustacean Daphnia magna.Considering the importance of these planktonic crustaceans as a link in the freshwater trophic chains, the concentration factor at equilibrium (57 ± 3) and mainly the trophic transfer factor et equilibrium (5.0 ± 0.6), a significative contamination concerning the 134Cs, could be reached

Time dependent diffusion in pulsating white dwarf stars: Asteroseismology of G117-B15A

We study the structural characteristic of the variable DA white dwarf G117B-15A by applying the methods of asteroseismology. For such a purpose, we construct white dwarf evolutionary models considering a detailed and up-to-date physical description as well as several processes responsible for the occurrence of element diffusion. We have considered several thickness for the outermost hydrogen layer, whereas for the inner helium-, carbon- and oxygen-rich layers we considered realistic profiles predicted by calculations of the white dwarf progenitor evolution. The evolution of each of the considered model sequences were followed down to very low effective temperature; in particular, from 12500K on we computed the dipolar, linear, adiabatic oscillations with low radial order. We find that asteroseismological results are not univocal regarding mode identification for the case of G117B-15A. However, our asteroseismological results are compatible with spectroscopical data only if the observed periods of 215.2, 271.0 and 304.4 s are due to dipolar modes with $k=2, 3, 4$ respectively. Our calculations indicate that the best fit to the observed period pattern of G117B-15A corresponds to a DA white dwarf structure with a stellar mass of 0.525 \msun, with a hydrogen mass fraction \lmh$\gtrsim$-3.83 at an effective temperature \teff$\approx$11800K.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, to be published in MNRA

Why small particle fixed dose triple therapy? An excursus from COPD pathology to pharmacological treatment evolution

Although bronchodilators are the cornerstone in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) therapy, the treatment with a single-agent bronchodilator may not provide adequate symptoms control in COPD. The combination of drugs with different mechanisms of action may be more effective in inducing bronchodilation and preventing exacerbations, with a lower risk of side-effects in comparison with the increase of the dose of a single molecule. Several studies comparing the triple therapy with the association of long-acting ß2 agonist (LABA)/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)/LABA reported improvement of lung function and quality of life. A significant reduction in moderate/severe exacerbations has been observed with a fixed triple combination of beclometasone dipropionate (BDP), formoterol fumarate (FF) and glycopyrronium (G) in a single inhaler. The TRILOGY, TRINITY and TRIBUTE studies have provided confirming evidence for a clinical benefit of triple therapy over ICS/LABA combination treatment, LAMA monotherapy and LABA/LAMA combination, with prevention of exacerbations being a key finding. A pooled post hoc analysis of the published clinical studies involving BDP/FF/G fixed combination demonstrated a reduction in fatal events in patients treated with ICS-containing medications, with a trend of statistical significance [hazard ratio = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50–1.02, p = 0.066], that becomes significant if we consider reduction in fatal events for non-respiratory reasons (hazard ratio = 0.65, 95% CI 0.43–0.97, p = 0.037). In conclusion, a fixed combination of more drugs in a single inhaler can improve long-term adherence to the therapy, reducing the risk of exacerbations and hospital resources utilization. The twice a day administration may provide a better coverage of night, particularly in COPD patients who are highly symptomatic. The inhaled extrafine formulation that allows drug deposition in both large and small – peripheral – airways, is the value added

New evolutionary models for massive ZZ Ceti stars. II. The effects of crystallization on their pulsational properties

We present in this work new pulsational calculations for improved carbon-oxygen DA white dwarf models suitable for the study of massive ZZ Ceti stars. The background models employed in this study, presented in detail in a recent paper by Althaus et al. (2003), are the result of the complete evolution of massive white dwarf progenitors from the zero-age main sequence through the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) and mass loss phases to the white dwarf regime. Abundance changes are accounted for by means of a full coupling between nuclear evolution and time-dependent mixing due to convection, salt fingers, and diffusive overshoot. In addition, time-dependent element diffusion for multicomponent gases has been considered during the white dwarf evolution. Crystallization and chemical rehomogenization due to phase separation upon crystallization in the core of our models have been fully considered. The effects of crystallization on the period spectrum of these massive white dwarf models are assessed by means of a detailed pulsational analysis. We find that the theoretical pulsation spectrum is strongly modified when crystallization is considered, in particular concerning the mode trapping properties of the equilibrium models. We also discuss at some length the implications of our study for BPM 37093, the most massive ZZ Ceti star presently known. We find that if BPM 37093 has a stellar mass of $\approx 1.00$ \msun its observed spectrum could bear the signature of overshoot episodes during the helium core burning.Comment: 15 Pages, including 17 Postscript figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic