Equation of state for β\beta-stable hot nuclear matter

We provide an equation of state for hot nuclear matter in $\beta$-equilibrium by applying a momentum-dependent effective interaction. We focus on the study of the equation of state of high-density and high-temperature nuclear matter, containing leptons (electrons and muons) under the chemical equilibrium condition in which neutrinos have left the system. The conditions of charge neutrality and equilibrium under $\beta$-decay process lead first to the evaluation of proton and lepton fractions and afterwards of internal energy, free energy, pressure and in total to the equation of state of hot nuclear matter. Thermal effects on the properties and equation of state of nuclear matter are assesed and analyzed in the framework of the proposed effective interaction model. Special attention is dedicated to the study of the contribution of the components of $\beta$-stable nuclear matter to the entropy per particle, a quantity of great interest for the study of structure and collapse of supernova.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figure

s-Process Nucleosynthesis in Advanced Burning Phases of Massive Stars

We present a detailed study of s-process nucleosynthesis in massive stars of solar-like initial composition and masses 15, 20,25, and 30 Msun. We update our previous results of s-process nucleosynthesis during the core He-burning of these stars and then focus on an analysis of the s-process under the physical conditions encountered during the shell-carbon burning. We show that the recent compilation of the Ne22(alpha,n)Mg25 rate leads to a remarkable reduction of the efficiency of the s-process during core He-burning. In particular, this rate leads to the lowest overproduction factor of Kr80 found to date during core He-burning in massive stars. The s-process yields resulting from shell carbon burning turn out to be very sensitive to the structural evolution of the carbon shell. This structure is influenced by the mass fraction of C12 attained at the end of core helium burning, which in turn is mainly determined by the C12(alpha,gamma)O16 reaction. The still present uncertainty in the rate for this reaction implies that the s-process in massive stars is also subject to this uncertainty. We identify some isotopes like Zn70 and Rb87 as the signatures of the s-process during shell carbon burning in massive stars. In determining the relative contribution of our s-only stellar yields to the solar abundances, we find it is important to take into account the neutron exposure of shell carbon burning. When we analyze our yields with a Salpeter Initial Mass Function, we find that massive stars contribute at least 40% to s-only nuclei with mass A 90, massive stars contribute on average ~7%, except for Gd152, Os187, and Hg198 which are ~14%, \~13%, and ~11%, respectively.Comment: 52 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Successfully treated necrotizing fasciitis using extracorporeal life support combined with hemoadsorption device and continuous renal replacement therapy

INTRODUCTION: Necrotizing fasciitis represents a life-threatening infectious condition that causes spreading necrotisis of superficial fascia and subcutaneous cellular tissues. We describe the case of a patient diagnosed with septic and toxic shocks leading to multiple organ failure successfully treated with a combination of extracorporeal life support, continuous renal replacement therapy, and a hemoadsorption device. METHODS: A 41-year-old patient presented with necrotizing fasciitis and multi-organ failure. Initial extracorporeal life support therapy was implanted, compensating for systolic failure. Due to acute renal failure that persisted in time, continuous renal replacement therapy was added. Despite these treatments and as a last attempt to control the septic condition, a CytoSorb hemoadsorption device was installed in parallel to the extracorporeal life support circuit and two sessions were run. RESULTS: During the days following CytoSorb treatment, hemodynamic stabilization was observed, as well as normalization of lactic acidosis and blood parameters. CONCLUSION: This case describes the successful use of CytoSorb with continuous renal replacement therapy and extracorporeal life support in a combined way to overcome a critical phase of septic shock in a young adult patient. This combination of treatments turned out to be efficient for this patient in the context of necrotizing fasciitis

The Molecular Hydrogen Deficit in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

Recent analysis of five gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow spectra reveal the absence of molecular hydrogen absorption lines, a surprising result in light of their large neutral hydrogen column densities and the detection of H$_2$ in similar, more local star-forming regions like 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Observational evidence further indicates that the bulk of the neutral hydrogen column in these sight lines lies 100 pc beyond the progenitor and that H$_2$ was absent prior to the burst, suggesting that direct flux from the star, FUV background fields, or both suppressed its formation. We present one-dimensional radiation hydrodynamical models of GRB host galaxy environments, including self-consistent radiative transfer of both ionizing and Lyman-Werner photons, nine-species primordial chemistry with dust formation of H$_2$, and dust extinction of UV photons. We find that a single GRB progenitor is sufficient to ionize neutral hydrogen to distances of 50 - 100 pc but that a galactic Lyman-Werner background is required to dissociate the molecular hydrogen in the ambient ISM. Intensities of 0.1 - 100 times the Galactic mean are necessary to destroy H$_2$ in the cloud, depending on its density and metallicity. The minimum radii at which neutral hydrogen will be found in afterglow spectra is insensitive to the mass of the progenitor or the initial mass function (IMF) of its cluster, if present.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted for Ap

X-ray Evidence of the Common Envelope Phase of V471 Tauri

Chandra Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrograph observations of the pre-cataclysmic binary V471 Tau have been used to estimate the C/N abundance ratio of the K dwarf component for the first time. While the white dwarf component dominates the spectrum longward of 50 AA, at shorter wavelengths the observed X-ray emission is entirely due to coronal emission from the K dwarf. The H-like resonance lines of C and N yield an estimate of their logarithmic abundance ratio relative to the Sun of [C/N]=-0.38+/-0.15 - half of the currently accepted solar value. We interpret this result as the first clear observational evidence for the presumed common envelope phase of this system, during which the surface of the K dwarf was contaminated by CN-cycle processed material dredged up into the red giant envelope. We use the measured C/N ratio to deduce that 0.015-0.04 Msun was accreted by the K dwarf while engulfed, and show that this is consistent with a recent tentative detection of 13C in the K dwarf photosphere, and with the measured Li abundance in the scenario where the red giant companion was Li-rich during the common envelope phase.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, ApJL accepte

Assessing of growth, antioxidant enzymes, and phytohormone regulation in Cucurbita pepo under cadmium stress

One of the major problems worldwide is soil pollution by trace metal elements, which limits plant productivity and threatens human health. In this work, we have studied the effect of different concentrations of cadmium on Cucurbita pepo plants, evaluating different physiological and biochemical parameters: hormone signaling, metabolite concentration (malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide) and, in addition, the antioxidant enzyme activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were evaluated. The production of biomass decreased under the Cd‐stress. The results showed that C. pepo accumulates higher amounts of Cd2+ in roots than in shoots and fruits. Cd2+ differently affected the content of endogenous phytohormones. Furthermore, data suggest an essential involvement of roots in the regulation of tolerance to trace elements. As a result, indole acetic acid content increased in roots of treated plants, indicating that this phytohormone can stimulate root promotion and growth under Cd‐stress. Similarly, salicylic acid content in roots and shoots increased in response to Cd2+, as well as abscisic acid levels in roots and fruits. In roots, the rambling accumulation pattern observed for jasmonic acid and salicylic acid suggests the lack of a specific regulation role against trace element toxicity. The activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase decreased, disrupted by the metal stress. However, the proline, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content significantly increased in Cd2+in all the analyzed tissues of the stressed plants. All these data suggest that C. pepo plants are equipped with an effective antioxidant mechanism against oxidative stress induced by cadmium up to a concentration of 500 μM

The effect of 12C + 12C rate uncertainties on s-process yields

The slow neutron capture process in massive stars (the weak s-process) produces most of the s-only isotopes in the mass region 60 < A < 90. The nuclear reaction rates used in simulations of this process have a profound effect on the final s-process yields. We generated 1D stellar models of a 25 solar mass star varying the 12C + 12C rate by a factor of 10 and calculated full nucleosynthesis using the post-processing code PPN. Increasing or decreasing the rate by a factor of 10 affects the convective history and nucleosynthesis, and consequently the final yields.Comment: Conference proceedings for the Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics IV conference, 8-12 June 2009. 4 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication to the Journal of Physics: Conference Serie

Exchange Biasing of the Ferromagnetic Semiconductor Ga1-xMnxAs

We demonstrate the exchange coupling of a ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga1-xMnxAs) with an overgrown antiferromagnet (MnO). Unlike most conventional exchange biased systems, the blocking temperature of the antiferromagnet (T_B = 48 +- 2 K) and the Curie temperature of the ferromagnet (T_C = 55.1 +- 0.2 K) are comparable. The resulting exchange bias manifests itself as a clear shift in the magnetization hysteresis loop when the bilayer is cooled in the presence of an applied magnetic field and an enhancement of the coercive field.Comment: pdf file only; submitted to Applied Physics Letter