1,278 research outputs found
WASP-1: A lithium- and metal-rich star with an oversized planet
In this paper we present our results of a comprehensive spectroscopicanalysis
of WASP-1, the host star to the exoplanet WASP-1b. We derive T_eff = 6110 +/-
45 K, log g = 4.28 +/- 0.15, and [M/H] = 0.23 +/- 0.08, and also a high
abundance of lithium, log n(Li) = 2.91 +/- 0.05. These parameters suggests an
age for the system of 1-3 Gyr and a stellar mass of 1.25-1.35 M_sun. This means
that WASP-1 has properties very similar to those of HD 149026, the host star
for the highest density planet yet detected. Moreover, their planets orbit at
comparable distances and receive comparable irradiating fluxes from their host
stars. However, despite the similarity of WASP-1 with HD 149026, their planets
have strongly different densities. This suggests that gas-giant planet density
is not a simple function of host-star metallicity or of radiation environment
at ages of ~2 Gyr.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 6 pages, 4 figure
Efficient four fragment cloning for the construction of vectors for targeted gene replacement in filamentous fungi
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The rapid increase in whole genome fungal sequence information allows large scale functional analyses of target genes. Efficient transformation methods to obtain site-directed gene replacement, targeted over-expression by promoter replacement, in-frame epitope tagging or fusion of coding sequences with fluorescent markers such as GFP are essential for this process. Construction of vectors for these experiments depends on the directional cloning of two homologous recombination sequences on each side of a selection marker gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we present a USER Friendly cloning based technique that allows single step cloning of the two required homologous recombination sequences into different sites of a recipient vector. The advantages are: A simple experimental design, free choice of target sequence, few procedures and user convenience. The vectors are intented for <it>Agrobacterium tumefaciens </it>and protoplast based transformation technologies. The system has been tested by the construction of vectors for targeted replacement of 17 genes and overexpression of 12 genes in <it>Fusarium graminearum</it>. The results show that four fragment vectors can be constructed in a single cloning step with an average efficiency of 84% for gene replacement and 80% for targeted overexpression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The new vectors designed for USER Friendly cloning provided a fast reliable method to construct vectors for targeted gene manipulations in fungi.</p
SPB stars in the open SMC cluster NGC 371
Pulsation in beta Cep and SPB stars are driven by the kappa mechanism which
depends critically on the metallicity. It has therefore been suggested that
beta Cep and SPB stars should be rare in the Magellanic Clouds which have lower
metallicities than the solar neighborhood. To test this prediction we have
observed the open SMC cluster NGC 371 for 12 nights in order to search for beta
Cep and SPB stars. Surprisingly, we find 29 short-period B-type variables in
the upper part of the main sequence, many of which are probably SPB stars. This
result indicates that pulsation is still driven by the kappa mechanism even in
low metallicity environments. All the identified variables have periods longer
than the fundamental radial period which means that they cannot be beta Cep
stars. Within an amplitude detection limit of 5 mmag no stars in the top of the
HR-diagram show variability with periods shorter than the fundamental radial
period. So if beta Cep stars are present in the cluster they oscillate with
amplitudes below 5 mmag, which is significantly lower than the mean amplitude
of beta Cep stars in the Galaxy. We see evidence that multimode pulsation is
more common in the upper part of the main sequence than in the lower. We have
also identified 5 eclipsing binaries and 3 periodic pulsating Be stars in the
cluster field.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Tracking heterogeneous structural motifs and the redox behaviour of copper-zinc nanocatalysts for the electrocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> reduction using operando time resolved spectroscopy and machine learning
Copper-based catalysts are established catalytic systems for the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), where wasteful CO2 is converted into valuable industrial resources, such as energy-dense C2+ products, using energy from renewable sources. However, better control over the catalyst selectivity, especially at industrially relevant high current density conditions is needed to expedite the economically viability of the CO2RR. For this purpose, bimetallic materials, where copper is combined with a secondary metal, comprise a promising and a highly tunable catalyst for CO2RR. However, the synergy between copper and the selected secondary metal species, the evolution of the bimetallic structural motifs under working conditions and the effect of the secondary metal on the kinetics of the Cu redox behavior require careful investigation. Here, we employ operando quick X-ray absorption spectroscopy (QXAFS), coupled with machine-learning based data analsysis and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to investigate the time-dependent chemical and structural changes in catalysts derived from shape-selected Zn/Cu2O nanocubes under CO2RR conditions at current densities up to -500 mA/cm2. We furthermore relate the transformation observed under working conditions to the catalytic activity and selectivity and correlate potential-dependent surface and subsurface processes. We report that the addition of Zn to a Cu-based catalyst has crucial impact on the kinetics of subsurface processes, while redox processes of the Cu surface layer remain largely unaffected. Interestingly, the presence of Zn was found to contribute to the stabilization of cationic Cu(I) species, which is of catalytic relevance since Cu(0)/Cu(I) interfaces have been reported beneficial for the efficient CO2 conversion to complex multicarbon products. At the same time, we attribute the increase of the C2+ product selectivity to the formation of Cu-rich CuZn alloys in samples with low Zn content, while Zn-rich alloy phases result in an increased formation of CO paralleled by an increase of the parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction
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