96 research outputs found
Stellar-Mass Black Holes in the Solar Neighborhood
We search for nearby, isolated, accreting, ``stellar-mass'' (3 to
) black holes. Models suggest a synchrotron spectrum in visible
wavelengths and some emission in X-ray wavelengths. Of 3.7 million objects in
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release, about 150,000 objects have
colors and properties consistent with such a spectrum, and 87 of these objects
are X-ray sources from the ROSAT All Sky Survey. Thirty-two of these have been
confirmed not to be black-holes using optical spectra. We give the positions
and colors of these 55 black-hole candidates, and quantitatively rank them on
their likelihood to be black holes. We discuss uncertainties the expected
number of sources, and the contribution of blackholes to local dark matter.Comment: Replaced with version accepted by ApJ. 40 pages, 8 figure
Closely related phytoplankton species produce similar suites of dissolved organic matter
© The Author(s), 2014. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Frontiers in Microbiology 5 (2014): 111, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2014.00111.Production of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by marine phytoplankton supplies the majority of organic substrate consumed by heterotrophic bacterioplankton in the sea. This production and subsequent consumption converts a vast quantity of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus between organic and inorganic forms, directly impacting global cycles of these biologically important elements. Details regarding the chemical composition of DOM produced by marine phytoplankton are sparse, and while often assumed, it is not currently known if phylogenetically distinct groups of marine phytoplankton release characteristic suites of DOM. To investigate the relationship between specific phytoplankton groups and the DOM they release, hydrophobic phytoplankton-derived dissolved organic matter (DOMP) from eight axenic strains was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Identification of DOM features derived from Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, Thalassiosira, and Phaeodactylum revealed DOMP to be complex and highly strain dependent. Connections between DOMP features and the phylogenetic relatedness of these strains were identified on multiple levels of phylogenetic distance, suggesting that marine phytoplankton produce DOM that in part reflects its phylogenetic origin. Chemical information regarding the size and polarity ranges of features from defined biological sources was also obtained. Our findings reveal DOMP composition to be partially conserved among related phytoplankton species, and implicate marine DOM as a potential factor influencing microbial diversity in the sea by acting as a link between autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial community structures.This research was supported by grants to Daniel J. Repeta and Sallie W. Chisholm from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and funding to Daniel J. Repeta, Edward F. DeLong, and Sallie W. Chisholm from the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center Award 0424599
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Room-Temperature Quantum Bit Memory Exceeding One Second
Stable quantum bits, capable both of storing quantum information for macroscopic time scales and of integration inside small portable devices, are an essential building block for an array of potential applications. We demonstrate high-fidelity control of a solid-state qubit, which preserves its polarization for several minutes and features coherence lifetimes exceeding 1 second at room temperature. The qubit consists of a single nuclear spin in the vicinity of a nitrogen-vacancy color center within an isotopically purified diamond crystal. The long qubit memory time was achieved via a technique involving dissipative decoupling of the single nuclear spin from its local environment. The versatility, robustness, and potential scalability of this system may allow for new applications in quantum information science.Physic
Lorentz invariance violation in top-down scenarios of ultrahigh energy cosmic ray creation
The violation of Lorentz invariance (LI) has been invoked in a number of ways
to explain issues dealing with ultrahigh energy cosmic ray (UHECR) production
and propagation. These treatments, however, have mostly been limited to
examples in the proton-neutron system and photon-electron system. In this paper
we show how a broader violation of Lorentz invariance would allow for a series
of previously forbidden decays to occur, and how that could lead to UHECR
primaries being heavy baryonic states or Higgs bosons.Comment: Replaced with heavily revised (see new Abstract) version accepted by
Phys. Rev. D. 6 page
Comparison of techniques used to count single-celled viable phytoplankton
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2010. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Applied Phycology 24 (2012): 751-758, doi:10.1007/s10811-011-9694-z.Four methods commonly used to count phytoplankton were evaluated based upon the precision of concentration
estimates: Sedgewick Rafter and membrane filter direct counts, flow cytometry, and flow-based imaging cytometry
(FlowCAM). Counting methods were all able to estimate the cell concentrations, categorize cells into size classes,
and determine cell viability using fluorescent probes. These criteria are essential to determine whether discharged
ballast water complies with international standards that limit the concentration of viable planktonic organisms based
on size class. Samples containing unknown concentrations of live and UV-inactivated phytoflagellates (Tetraselmis
impellucida) were formulated to have low concentrations (<100 ml-1) of viable phytoplankton. All count methods
used chlorophyll a fluorescence to detect cells and SYTOX fluorescence to detect non-viable cells. With the
exception of one sample, the methods generated live and non-viable cell counts that were significantly different
from each other, although estimates were generally within 100% of the ensemble mean of all subsamples from all
methods. Overall, percent coefficient of variation (CV) among sample replicates was lowest in membrane filtration
sample replicates, and CVs for all four counting methods were usually lower than 30% (although instances of ~60%
were observed). Since all four methods were generally appropriate for monitoring discharged ballast water,
ancillary considerations (e.g., ease of analysis, sample processing rate, sample size, etc.) become critical factors for
choosing the optimal phytoplankton counting method.This study was supported by the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center under contract HSCG32-07-
X-R00018. Partial research support to DMA and DMK was provided
through NSF International Contract 03/06/394, and Environmental Protection Agency Grant RD-83382801-0
Comprehensive molecular and clinical characterization of NUP98 fusions in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia
NUP98 fusions comprise a family of rare recurrent alterations in AML, associated with adverse outcomes. In order to define the underlying biology and clinical implications of this family of fusions, we performed comprehensive transcriptome, epigenome, and immunophenotypic profiling of 2,235 children and young adults with AML and identified 160 NUP98 rearrangements (7.2%), including 108 NUP98-NSD1 (4.8%), 32 NUP98-KDM5A (1.4%) and 20 NUP98-X cases (0.9%) with 13 different fusion partners. Fusion partners defined disease characteristics and biology; patients with NUP98-NSD1 or NUP98-KDM5A had distinct immunophenotypic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic profiles. Unlike the two most prevalent NUP98 fusions, NUP98-X variants are typically not cryptic. Furthermore, NUP98-X cases are associated with WT1 mutations, and have epigenomic profiles that resemble either NUP98-NSD1 or NUP98-KDM5A. Cooperating FLT3-ITD and WT1 mutations define NUP98-NSD1, and chromosome 13 aberrations are highly enriched in NUP98-KDM5A. Importantly, we demonstrate that NUP98 fusions portend dismal overall survival, with the noteworthy exception of patients bearing abnormal chromosome 13 (clinicaltrials gov. Identifiers: NCT00002798, NCT00070174, NCT00372593, NCT01371981).</p
Comprehensive molecular and clinical characterization of NUP98 fusions in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia
Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants
Rapid climate warming is altering Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystem structure and function, including shifts in plant phenology. While the advancement of green up and flowering are well-documented, it remains unclear whether all phenophases, particularly those later in the season, will shift in unison or respond divergently to warming. Here, we present the largest synthesis to our knowledge of experimental warming effects on tundra plant phenology from the International Tundra Experiment. We examine the effect of warming on a suite of season-wide plant phenophases. Results challenge the expectation that all phenophases will advance in unison to warming. Instead, we find that experimental warming caused: (1) larger phenological shifts in reproductive versus vegetative phenophases and (2) advanced reproductive phenophases and green up but delayed leaf senescence which translated to a lengthening of the growing season by approximately 3%. Patterns were consistent across sites, plant species and over time. The advancement of reproductive seasons and lengthening of growing seasons may have significant consequences for trophic interactions and ecosystem function across the tundra.publishedVersio
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