379 research outputs found
On the Orbital Period of the Intermediate Polar 1WGA J1958.2+3232
Recently, Norton et al. 2002, on the basis of multiwavelength photometry of
1WGA J1958.2+3232, argued that the -1 day alias of the strongest peak in the
power spectrum is the true orbital period of the system, casting doubts on the
period estimated by Zharikov et al. 2001. We re-analyzed this system using our
photometric and spectroscopic data along with the data kindly provided by Andy
Norton and confirm our previous finding. After refining our analysis we find
that the true orbital period of this binary system is 4.35h.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A Letter
A review of the relationship between eggshell colour and water vapour conductance
This review brings together the available literature that examines the effect of variations in pigmentation on the gas conductance of avian eggshells. Pheasant and Houbara bustard eggs provide some evidence that shell abnormalities can impact upon colour and conductance. By contrast, data from wild birds suggest that neither the degree of maculation or intensity of ground colour impact upon gas conductance. Those studies that purport to show variation in rates of water loss in eggs with different degrees of pigmentation may have been confounded by variation in nest humidity. This emerging field of research remains very much in its infancy
Effect of egg turning and incubation time on carbonic anhydrase gene expression in the blastoderm of the Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica)
(1) The gene expression of carbonic anhydrase, a key enzyme for the production sub-embryonic fluid (SEF), was assessed in turned and unturned eggs of the Japanese quail. The plasma membrane-associated isoforms CA IV, CAIX, CA XII, CA XIV, and the cytoplasmic isoform CA II, were
investigated in the extra-embryonic tissue of the blastoderm and in embryonic blood.
(2) Eggs were incubated at 37.6C, c. 60% R.H., and turned hourly (90 ) or left unturned. From 48 to 96 hours of incubation mRNA was extracted from blastoderm tissue, reverse-transcribed to cDNA and quantified by real-time qPCR using gene-specific primers. Blood collected at 96h was processed identically.
(3) Blastoderm CAIV gene expression increased with the period of incubation only in turned eggs, with maxima at 84 and 96h of incubation. Only very low levels were found in blood.
(4) Blastoderm CA II gene expression was greatest at 48 and 54h of incubation, subsequently declining to much lower levels and una ected by turning. Blood CA II gene expression was about 25-fold greater than that in the blastoderm.
(5) The expression of CA IX in the blastoderm was the highest of all isoforms, yet unaffected by turning.
CA XII did not amplify and CA XIV was present at unquantifiable low levels.
(6) It is concluded that solely gene expression for CA IV is sensitive to egg turning, and that increased CA IV gene expression could account for the additional SEF mass found at 84-96h of incubation.
in embryos of turned eggs
The Initial Mass Function as given by the fragmentation
The dichotomy between a universal mass function (IMF) and a variable IMF
which depends on local physical parameters characterises observational and
theoretical stellar astronomy. In this contribution the available distributions
of probability are briefly reviewed. The physical nature of two of them, gamma
variate and lognormal, is then explained once the framework of the
fragmentation is introduced. Interpolating techniques are then applied to the
sample of the first 10 pc and to the open cluster NGC6649: in both cases
lognormal distribution produces the best fit. The three power law function has
also been investigated and visual comparison with an artificially generated
sample of 100000 stars suggests that the variations in the spectral index are
simply due to the small number of stars available in the observational sample.
In order to derive the sample of masses, a new formula that allows us to
express the mass as a function of the absolute magnitude and (B-V) for MAIN V,
GIANTS III and SUPERGIANTS I is derived.Comment: 6 pages 9 figure
Cyclic brightening in the short-period WZ Sge-type cataclysmic variable SDSS J080434.20+510349.2
We have observed a new cataclysmic variable (CV) SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 and
study the origin of a long-term variability found in its light curve.
Multi-longitude time-resolved photometric observations were carried out to
analyze the uncommon behavior also found recently in two newly discovered CVs.
This study of SDSS J080434.20+510349.2 mainly concerns the understanding of the
nature of the observed double-humped light curve and its relation to a cyclic
brightening occurring during quiescence. The observations were obtained early
in 2007, when the object was at about V~17.1, 0.4 mag brighter than the
pre-outburst magnitude. The light curve shows a sinusoidal variability with an
amplitude of about 0.07 mag and a periodicity of 42.48 min, which is half of
the orbital period of the system. In addition, we have observed two
"mini-outbursts" of the system up to 0.6 mag, with a duration of about 4 days
each. The "mini-outburst" had a symmetric profile and repeated in about 32
days. Subsequent monitoring of the system shows a cyclical behaviour of such
"mini-outbursts" with a similar recurrence period. The origin of the
double-humped light curve and the periodic brightening is discussed in the
light of the evolutionary state of SDSS J080434.20+510349.2.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, Accepted by A&A, typos added, figure correcte
The first orbital solution for the massive colliding-wind binary HD93162 (=WR25)
Since the discovery, with the EINSTEIN satellite, of strong X-ray emission
associated with HD93162 (=WR25), this object has been predicted to be a
colliding-wind binary system. However, radial-velocity variations that would
prove the suspected binary nature have yet to be found. We spectroscopically
monitored this object to investigate its possible variability to address this
discordance. We compiled the largest available radial-velocity data set for
this star to look for variations that might be due to binary motion. We derived
radial velocities from spectroscopic data acquired mainly between 1994 and
2006, and searched these radial velocities for periodicities using different
numerical methods. For the first time, periodic radial-velocity variations are
detected. Our analysis definitively shows that the Wolf-Rayet star WR25 is an
eccentric binary system with a probable period of about 208 days.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted by A+
Conceptualizing community resilience to natural hazards - the emBRACE framework
Abstract. The level of community is considered to be vital for building disaster resilience. Yet, community resilience as a scientific concept often remains vaguely defined and lacks the guiding characteristics necessary for analysing and enhancing resilience on the ground. The emBRACE framework of community resilience presented in this paper provides a heuristic analytical tool for understanding, explaining and measuring community resilience to natural hazards. It was developed in an iterative process building on existing scholarly debates, on empirical case study work in five countries and on participatory consultation with community stakeholders, where the framework was applied and ground-tested in different contexts and for different hazard types. The framework conceptualizes resilience across three core domains: resources and capacities; actions; and learning. These three domains are conceptualized as intrinsically conjoined within a whole. Community resilience is influenced by these integral elements as well as by extra-community forces, comprising disaster risk governance and thus laws, policies and responsibilities on the one hand and on the other, the general societal context, natural and human-made disturbances and system change over time. The framework is a graphically rendered heuristic, which through application can assist in guiding the assessment of community resilience in a systematic way and identifying key drivers and barriers of resilience that affect any particular hazard-exposed community
Environmental conditions but not nest composition affect reproductive success in an urban bird
Adjusting the composition of their nests, breeding birds can influence the environmental conditions that eggs and offspring experience. Birds often use feathers to build nests, presumably due to their insulating properties. The amount of feathers in nests is often associated with increased nestling survival and body condition. However, it is unclear whether these putative beneficial effects of adding feathers to nests are relevant in a wide range of environmental conditions. Here, we combine data on weather conditions and feathers in nests (i.e., nest composition) to investigate their relative contribution to reproductive success in the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus). Specifically, we investigate whether the effect of weather conditions on breeding success is modulated by the amount of feathers added to the nest. We found a strong negative effect of rainfall on the number of nestlings that successfully fledged per breeding attempt, but this negative effect was not mitigated by the amount of feathers in nests. We also found that the amount of feathers in nests varied along the breeding season, with nests containing more feathers early in the breeding season, when temperatures were lower. Despite considerable variation in nest composition, our results do not suggest an important role of feathers in nests protecting eggs or nestling tree sparrows against fluctuations in environmental conditions
Flood resilience community pathfinder evaluation: rapid evidence assessment
The increase in the risk of flooding as a result of extreme weather and climate change makes it essential for local authorities and communities to engage with this issue. Defra is providing grant funding to 13 local authorities throughout England under a new Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder (FRCP) scheme aimed at stimulating community action to increase resilience. The measures being developed include property-level protection, flood resilience groups, volunteer flood wardens and community champions, engagement with more vulnerable groups and efforts to increase financial resilience
A multifrequency analysis of radio variability of blazars
We have carried out a multifrequency analysis of the radio variability of
blazars, exploiting the data obtained during the extensive monitoring programs
carried out at the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory (UMRAO,
at 4.8, 8, and 14.5 GHz) and at the Metsahovi Radio Observatory (22 and 37
GHz). Two different techniques detect, in the Metsahovi light curves, evidences
of periodicity at both frequencies for 5 sources (0224+671, 0945+408, 1226+023,
2200+420, and 2251+158). For the last three sources consistent periods are
found also at the three UMRAO frequencies and the Scargle (1982) method yields
an extremely low false-alarm probability. On the other hand, the 22 and 37 GHz
periodicities of 0224+671 and 0945+408 (which were less extensively monitored
at Metsahovi and for which we get a significant false-alarm probability) are
not confirmed by the UMRAO database, where some indications of ill-defined
periods about a factor of two longer are retrieved. We have also investigated
the variability index, the structure function, and the distribution of
intensity variations of the most extensively monitored sources. We find a
statistically significant difference in the distribution of the variability
index for BL Lac objects compared to flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), in
the sense that the former objects are more variable. For both populations the
variability index steadily increases with increasing frequency. The
distribution of intensity variations also broadens with increasing frequency,
and approaches a log-normal shape at the highest frequencies. We find that
variability enhances by 20-30% the high frequency counts of extragalactic
radio-sources at bright flux densities, such as those of the WMAP and Planck
surveys.Comment: A&A accepted. 12 pages, 16 figure
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