589 research outputs found
Extreme alpha-clustering in the 18O nucleus
The structure of the 18O nucleus at excitation energies above the alpha decay
threshold was studied using 14C+alpha resonance elastic scattering. A number of
states with large alpha reduced widths have been observed, indicating that the
alpha-cluster degree of freedom plays an important role in this N not equal Z
nucleus. However, the alpha-cluster structure of this nucleus is very different
from the relatively simple pattern of strong alpha-cluster quasi-rotational
bands in the neighboring 16O and 20Ne nuclei. A 0+ state with an alpha reduced
width exceeding the single particle limit was identified at an excitation
energy of 9.9+/-0.3 MeV. We discuss evidence that states of this kind are
common in light nuclei and give possible explanations of this feature.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 1 table. Resubmission with minor changes for
clarity, including removal of one figur
Finite reduction and Morse index estimates for mechanical systems
A simple version of exact finite dimensional reduction for the variational
setting of mechanical systems is presented. It is worked out by means of a
thorough global version of the implicit function theorem for monotone
operators. Moreover, the Hessian of the reduced function preserves all the
relevant information of the original one, by Schur's complement, which
spontaneously appears in this context. Finally, the results are
straightforwardly extended to the case of a Dirichlet problem on a bounded
domain.Comment: 13 pages; v2: minor changes, to appear in Nonlinear Differential
Equations and Application
Shell structure at N=28 near the dripline: spectroscopy of Si, P and S
Measurements of the N=28 isotones 42Si, 43P and 44S using one- and two-proton
knockout reactions from the radioactive beam nuclei 44S and 46Ar are reported.
The knockout reaction cross sections for populating 42Si and 43P and a 184 keV
gamma-ray observed in 43P establish that the d_{3/2} and s_{1/2} proton orbits
are nearly degenerate in these nuclei and that there is a substantial Z=14
subshell closure separating these two orbits from the d_{5/2} orbit. The
increase in the inclusive two-proton knockout cross section from 42Si to 44S
demonstrates the importance of the availability of valence protons for
determining the cross section. New calculations of the two-proton knockout
reactions that include diffractive effects are presented. In addition, it is
proposed that a search for the d_{5/2} proton strength in 43P via a higher
statistics one-proton knockout experiment could help determine the size of the
Z=14 closure.Comment: Phys. Rev. C, in pres
Aged-senescent cells contribute to impaired heart regeneration
Aging leads to increased cellular senescence and is associated with decreased potency of tissue-specific stem/progenitor cells. Here, we have done an extensive analysis of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) isolated from human subjects with cardiovascular disease, aged 32-86 years. In aged subjects (>70 years old), over half of CPCs are senescent (p16INK4A , SA-β-gal, DNA damage γH2AX, telomere length, senescence-associated secretory phenotype [SASP]), unable to replicate, differentiate, regenerate or restore cardiac function following transplantation into the infarcted heart. SASP factors secreted by senescent CPCs renders otherwise healthy CPCs to senescence. Elimination of senescent CPCs using senolytics abrogates the SASP and its debilitative effect in vitro. Global elimination of senescent cells in aged mice (INK-ATTAC or wild-type mice treated with D + Q senolytics) in vivo activates resident CPCs and increased the number of small Ki67-, EdU-positive cardiomyocytes. Therapeutic approaches that eliminate senescent cells may alleviate cardiac deterioration with aging and restore the regenerative capacity of the heart
Media Ecology and the Politics of Dissent: Representations of the Hong Kong Protests in the Guardian and China Daily.
The phenomenon of protests, currently on the rise in worldwide democracies, is made known to citizens mainly through representations in the media. This paper, responding to the need for a broader view of protest media coverage in an international context, examines the ways the 2014 Hong Kong protests were covered by the online versions of two highly influential and appealing newspapers, belonging to contrasting media systems: Guardian and China Daily. By revising a typology of
previously used frames and inventing new ones this study conducts a quantitative content analysis of news articles with the view to a) highlight similarities and differences in the media coverage of protests within the above - mentioned media systems, b) find out whether the media coverage of such events with political ramifications is affected by the geopolitical interests of the countries. Based on our analysis, this study suggests the need for revising the protest paradigm as important factors - the protests’ momentum, the media systems, the new information communication technologies and certain geopolitical interests - are involved in the dynamics surrounding media coverage of protests and as such they greatly influence the framing process. Moreover, our findings demonstrated that the media coverage of the 2014 HK protests by the two newspapers was reflective of both the media systems in which they function as well as of the distinctive national standpoints
Identification of Radiopure Titanium for the LZ Dark Matter Experiment and Future Rare Event Searches
The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle
interactions with a detector containing a total of 10 tonnes of liquid xenon
within a double-vessel cryostat. The large mass and proximity of the cryostat
to the active detector volume demand the use of material with extremely low
intrinsic radioactivity. We report on the radioassay campaign conducted to
identify suitable metals, the determination of factors limiting radiopure
production, and the selection of titanium for construction of the LZ cryostat
and other detector components. This titanium has been measured with activities
of U~1.6~mBq/kg, U~0.09~mBq/kg,
Th~~mBq/kg, Th~~mBq/kg, K~0.54~mBq/kg, and Co~0.02~mBq/kg (68\% CL).
Such low intrinsic activities, which are some of the lowest ever reported for
titanium, enable its use for future dark matter and other rare event searches.
Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to assess the expected background
contribution from the LZ cryostat with this radioactivity. In 1,000 days of
WIMP search exposure of a 5.6-tonne fiducial mass, the cryostat will contribute
only a mean background of (stat)(sys) counts.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle
Physic
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The Future of Humanitarian Reporting
These working papers mark the launch of the Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism’s initiative ‘The Future of Humanitarian Reporting’, which aims to make recommendations for the way journalists, NGOs and academics can improve reporting of humanitarian disasters in the 21st centur
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