4,076 research outputs found
ISO observations of a sample of Compact Steep Spectrum and GHz Peaked Spectrum Radio Galaxies
We present results from observations obtained with ISOPHOT, on board the ISO
satellite, of a representative sample of seventeen CSS/GPS radio galaxies and
of a control sample of sixteen extended radio galaxies spanning similar ranges
in redshift (0.2 = 10^26 W/Hz).
The observations have been performed at lambda = 60, 90, 174 and 200 microns.
Seven of the CSS/GPS sources have detections >= 3 sigma at one or more
wavelengths, one of which is detected at >= 5 sigma. By co-adding the data we
have obtained average flux densities at the four wavelengths. We found no
evidence that the FIR luminosities of the CSS/GPS sources are significantly
different from those of the extended objects and therefore there is not any
support for CSS/GPS sources being objects "frustrated" by an abnormally dense
ambient medium. The two samples were then combined, providing FIR information
on a new sample of radio galaxies at intermediate redshifts. We compare this
information with what previously known from IRAS and discuss the average
properties of radio galaxies in the redshift range 0.2 - 0.8. The FIR emission
cannot be accounted for by extrapolation of the synchrotron radio spectrum and
we attribute it to thermal dust emission. The average FIR luminosity is >=
6*10^11 L_sun. Over the observed frequency range the infrared spectrum can be
described by a power law with spectral index alpha >~1.0 +/- 0.2. Assuming the
emission to be due to dust, a range of temperatures is required, from >=80 K to
\~25 K. The dust masses required to explain the FIR emission range from 5*10^5
M_sun for the hotter component up to 2*10^8 M_sun for the colder one.
(abridged)Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics, in press, 16 pages, 2 Figure
Encephalitis due to herpes zoster without rash in an immunocompetent 12-year-old girl: Case report and review of the literature
Background: Neurological complications due to reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are very uncommon in immunocompetent patients. Generally a vesicular rash is present on one or more dermatomes, preceding or following the main manifestation. Few cases are reported in the international literature, but they concern mainly adult or elderly patients. Case presentation: A 12-year-old girl was referred to our hospital for persisting headache, cough and rhinitis for six days. After first examination, diagnosis of anterior sinusitis was made by nasal endoscopy. The day after, the girl developed psychotic symptoms and altered mental status. Computed tomography (CT) scan was immediately performed but was unremarkable; lumbar puncture revealed leukocytosis with lymphocytic predominance and cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected varicella-zoster virus DNA. The diagnosis of acute VZV encephalitis was made. The patient was promptly treated with acyclovir infused intravenously and her clinical conditions rapidly improved. Tests made did not show any condition of immunosuppression. Conclusions: Although if rare, reactivation of VZV can occur in immunocompetent children and its complications can involve central nervous system. Among these complications, meningitis is more common, but cerebral parenchyma can also be involved leading to a severe medical condition that is defined meningoencephalitis. In rare cases vesicular rash may be absent; therefore high level of suspicion is required even in those patients in which suggestive clinical features are not present to guide the diagnosis. Intravenous acyclovir represents the treatment of choice to obtain a fast clinical response and to prevent the onset of late-term complications
X-ray-emitting Atmospheres of B2 Radio Galaxies
We report ROSAT PSPC spatial and spectral analysis of the eight B2 radio
galaxies NGC 315, NGC 326, 4C 35.03, B2 0326+39, NGC 2484, B2 1040+31, B2
1855+37, and 3C 449, expected to be representative of the class of low-power
radio galaxies. Multiple X-ray components are present in each, and the gas
components have a wide range of linear sizes and follow an extrapolation of the
cluster X-ray luminosity/temperature correlation, implying that there is no
relationship between the presence of a radio galaxy and the gas fraction of the
environment. No large-scale cooling flows are found. There is no correlation of
radio-galaxy size with the scale or density of the X-ray atmosphere. This
suggests that it is processes on scales less than those of the overall gaseous
environments which are the major influence on radio-source dynamics. The
intergalactic medium is usually sufficient to confine the outer parts of the
radio structures, in some cases even to within 5 kpc of the core. In the case
of NGC 315, an extrapolation suggests that the pressure of the atmosphere may
match the minimum pressure in the radio source over a factor of about 40 in
linear size (a factor of about 1600 in pressure).Comment: 34 pages, including 10 figures, using aasms4.sty To appear in the Ap
High Frequency Peakers: young radio sources or flaring blazars?
We present new, simultaneous, multifrequency observations of 45 out of the 55
candidate High Frequency Peakers (HFP) selected by Dallacasa et al. (2000),
carried out 3 to 4 years after a first set of observations. Our sub-sample
consists of 10 galaxies, 28 stellar objects (``quasars'') and 7 unidentified
sources. Both sets of observations are sensitive enough to allow the detection
of variability at the 10% level or lower. While galaxies do not show
significant variability, most quasars do. Seven of them no longer show the
convex spectrum which is the defining property of Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum
(GPS)/HFP sources and are interpreted as blazars caught by Dallacasa et al.
(2000) during a flare, when a highly self-absorbed component dominated the
emission. In general, the variability properties (amplitude, timescales,
correlation between peak luminosity and peak frequency of the flaring
component) of the quasar sub-sample resemble those of blazars. We thus conclude
that most HFP candidates identified with quasars may well be flaring blazars.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Avaliação agronômico de coleção de guandu (Cajanus Cajan(L.)Millsp) forrageiro proveniente do ICRISAT.
Com a finalidade de avaliar agronomicamente coleção de guandu fornecida pelo Internacional Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics, ICRISAT, India, foi instalado ensaio em blocos ao acaso, com 3 repetições e 76 tratamentos.Resum
Haplotype data and forensic evaluation of 23 Y-STR and 12 X-STR loci in eight ethnic groups from Eritrea
Eritrea is a multi-ethnic country of over 3 million of people consisting of different ethnic groups, having each its own language and cultural tradition. Due to the lack of population genetic data for markers of forensic interest, in this study, we analyzed the genetic polymorphisms of 23 Y-chromosome STR loci and of 12 X-chromosome STR loci in a sample of 255 unrelated individuals from 8 Eritrean ethnic groups, with the aim to generate a reference haplotype database for anthropological and forensic applications. X- and Y-chromosomes markers may indeed offer information especially in personal identification and kinship testing, when relying on the availability of large local population data to derive sufficiently accurate frequency estimates. The population genetic analyses in the Eritrean sample for both the two set of Y- and X-STR markers showed high power of discrimination both at country-based and population levels. Comparison population results highlight the importance of considering the ethnic composition within the analyzed country and the necessity of increasing available data especially when referring to heterogeneous populations such as the African ones
Progressive Dysphasic Dementia with Bucco-Facial Apraxia: A Case Report
A patient with progressive dementia, prominent non-fluent aphasia and signs of frontal lobe involvement, was evaluated by neuropsychological testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high resolution single photon emission tomography (SPET). The presence of severe bucco-facial apraxia, associated with spared imitation of limb movements, correlated well with a marked reduction of cerebral perfusion in the left fronto-temporal cortex. This case emphasizes the usefulness of SPET as a valuable alternative to PET for the diagnosis of conditions, such as progressive neuropsychological syndromes, where a coupled reduction of metabolism and blood flow can be expected
On the Evolution of and High-Energy Emission from GHz-Peaked-Spectrum Sources
Here we discuss evolution and broad-band emission of compact (< kpc) lobes in
young radio sources. We propose a simple dynamical description for these
objects, consisting of a relativistic jet propagating into a uniform gaseous
medium in the central parts of an elliptical host. In the framework of the
proposed model, we follow the evolution of ultrarelativistic electrons injected
from a terminal hotspot of a jet to expanding lobes, taking into account their
adiabatic energy losses as well as radiative cooling. This allows us to discuss
the broad-band lobe emission of young radio sources. In particular, we argue
that the observed spectral turnover in the radio synchrotron spectra of these
objects cannot originate from the synchrotron self-absorption process but is
most likely due to free-free absorption effects connected with neutral clouds
of interstellar medium engulfed by the expanding lobes and photoionized by
active centers. We also find a relatively strong and complex high-energy
emission component produced by inverse-Compton up-scattering of various
surrounding photon fields by the lobes' electrons. We argue that such high
energy radiation is strong enough to account for several observed properties of
GHz-peaked-spectrum (GPS) radio galaxies at UV and X-ray frequencies. In
addition, this emission is expected to extend up to GeV (or possibly even TeV)
photon energies and can thus be probed by several modern gamma-ray instruments.
In particular, we suggest that GPS radio galaxies should constitute a
relatively numerous class of extragalactic sources detected by GLAST.Comment: 32 pages, 3 figures included. Revised version, accepted for
publication in Ap
Uniparental lineages from the oldest indigenous population of Ecuador: the Tsachilas
Together with Cayapas, the Tsachilas constitute the oldest population in the country of
Ecuador and, according to some historians, they are the last descendants of the ancient Yumbos.
Several anthropological issues underlie the interest towards this peculiar population: the uncertainty
of their origin, their belonging to the Barbacoan linguistic family, which is still at the center
of an intense linguistic debate, and the relations of their Yumbo ancestors with the Inca invaders
who occupied their ancient territory. Our contribution to the knowledge of their complex past was
the reconstruction of their genetic maternal and paternal inheritance through the sequencing of 70
entire mitochondrial genomes and the characterization of the non‐recombinant region of the Y chromosome
in 26 males. For both markers, we built comprehensive datasets of various populations
from the surrounding geographical area, northwestern South America, NW, with a known linguistic
affiliation, and we could then compare our sample against the overall variability to infer relationships
with other Barbacoan people and with other NW natives. We found contrasting patterns
of genetic diversity for the two markers, but generally, our results indicated a possible common
origin between the Tsachilas, the Chachi, and other Ecuadorian and Colombian Barbacoans and are
suggestive of an interesting ancient linkage to the Inca invaders in Yumbo country
Prevalence and molecular characterization of G6PD variants among subjectively healthy Eritrean ethnic groups
Introduction: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is the most prevalent X-linked enzymatic deficiency affecting more than 400 million people worldwide. To date, Eritrean population have never been genotyped for glucose-6-phosphte dehydrogenase (G6PD) variants. The aim of this study is to characterize and determine the prevalence of four common G6PD variants in subjectively healthy all nine Eritrean ethnic groups.Methods: A total of 401 finger prick dried blood spot samples were collected onto 3 mm Whatman filter paper from volunteer unrelated subjectively healthy nine ethnic groups residing in all six zobas (regions) of Eritrea. Analysis was performed using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism for four common G6PD variants, namely, normal G6PD B, G6PD A (A376G), G6PD A- (G202A) and G6PD Mediterranean (C563T).Results: Molecular studies performed on a total 401 subjectively healthy Eritrean ethnic groups showed that 352 (89.1%) carried the normal G6PD B allele and 43 (10.9%) had the G6PD A (A376G) variant. The median age of study participants was 33 years, and 75% of the study participants were under 46 years. No cases of G6PD A- and Mediterranean mutations were identified, leaving six samples uncharacterized.Conclusions: The current study showed a high prevalence of normal G6PD B and G6PD A genotypes among subjectively healthy Eritrean ethnic groups.These findings are similar to those reported from neighboring countries, Ethiopia and Sudan and other parts of the world
- …