1,464 research outputs found
Polarized Gamma-ray Emission from the Galactic Black Hole Cygnus X-1
Because of their inherently high flux allowing the detection of clear
signals, black hole X-ray binaries are interesting candidates for polarization
studies, even if no polarization signals have been observed from them before.
Such measurements would provide further detailed insight into these sources'
emission mechanisms. We measured the polarization of the gamma-ray emission
from the black hole binary system Cygnus X-1 with the INTEGRAL/IBIS telescope.
Spectral modeling of the data reveals two emission mechanisms: The 250-400 keV
data are consistent with emission dominated by Compton scattering on thermal
electrons and are weakly polarized. The second spectral component seen in the
400keV-2MeV band is by contrast strongly polarized, revealing that the MeV
emission is probably related to the jet first detected in the radio band.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Science in April 22nd 2011,
available on Science Express Web site (March 24th edition
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Increased DNA Copy Number Variation Mosaicism in Elderly Human Brain.
Aging is a complex process strongly determined by genetics. Previous reports have shown that the genome of neuronal cells displays somatic genomic mosaicism including DNA copy number variations (CNVs). CNVs represent a significant source of genetic variation in the human genome and have been implicated in several disorders and complex traits, representing a potential mechanism that contributes to neuronal diversity and the etiology of several neurological diseases and provides new insights into the normal, complex functions of the brain. Nonetheless, the features of somatic CNV mosaicism in nondiseased elderly brains have not been investigated. In the present study, we demonstrate a highly significant increase in the number of CNVs in nondiseased elderly brains compared to the blood. In two neural tissues isolated from paired postmortem samples (same individuals), we found a significant increase in the frequency of deletions in both brain areas, namely, the frontal cortex and cerebellum. Also, deletions were found to be significantly larger when present only in the cerebellum. The sizes of the variants described here were in the 150-760 kb range, and importantly, nearly all of them were present in the Database of Genomic Variants (common variants). Nearly all evidence of genome structural variation in human brains comes from studies detecting changes in single cells which were interpreted as derived from independent, isolated mutational events. The observations based on array-CGH analysis indicate the existence of an extensive clonal mosaicism of CNVs within and between the human brains revealing a different type of variation that had not been previously characterized
Predicting morphotropic phase boundary locations and transition temperatures in Pb- and Bi-based perovskite solid solutions from crystal chemical data and first-principles calculations
Using data obtained from first-principles calculations, we show that the
position of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) and transition temperature at
MPB in ferroelectric perovskite solutions can be predicted with quantitative
accuracy from the properties of the constituent cations. We find that the mole
fraction of PbTiO at MPB in Pb(BB)O-PbTiO,
BiBO-PbTiO and Bi(BB)O-PbTiO exhibits a linear
dependence on the ionic size (tolerance factor) and the ionic displacements of
the B-cations as found by density functional theory calculations. This
dependence is due to competition between the local repulsion and A-cation
displacement alignment interactions. Inclusion of first-principles displacement
data also allows accurate prediction of transiton temperatures at the MPB. The
obtained structure-property correlations are used to predict morphotropic phase
boundaries and transition temperatures in as yet unsynthesized solid solutions.Comment: Accepted for publication in J. Appl. Phy
Variability in high-mass X-ray binaries
Strongly magnetized, accreting neutron stars show periodic and aperiodic
variability over a wide range of time scales. By obtaining spectral and timing
information on these different time scales, we can have a closer look into the
physics of accretion close to the neutron star and the properties of the
accreted material. One of the most prominent time scales is the strong
pulsation, i.e., the rotation period of the neutron star itself. Over one
rotation, our view of the accretion column and the X-ray producing region
changes significantly. This allows us to sample different physical conditions
within the column but at the same time requires that we have
viewing-angle-resolved models to properly describe them. In wind-fed high-mass
X-ray binaries, the main source of aperiodic variability is the clumpy stellar
wind, which leads to changes in the accretion rate (i.e., luminosity) as well
as absorption column. This variability allows us to study the behavior of the
accretion column as a function of luminosity, as well as to investigate the
structure and physical properties of the wind, which we can compare to winds in
isolated stars.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomische
Nachrichten (proceedings of the XMM-Newton Workshop 2019
Spectral state dependence of the 0.4-2 MeV polarized emission in Cygnus X-1 seen with INTEGRAL/IBIS, and links with the AMI radio data
Polarization of the >~400 keV hard tail of the microquasar Cygnus X-1 has
been independently reported by INTEGRAL/IBIS, and INTEGRAL/SPI and interpreted
as emission from a compact jet. These conclusions were, however, based on the
accumulation of all INTEGRAL data regardless of the spectral state. We utilize
additional INTEGRAL exposure accumulated until December 2012, and include the
AMI/Ryle (15 GHz) radio data in our study. We separate the observations into
hard, soft, and intermediate/transitional states and detect radio emission from
a compact jet in hard and intermediate states, but not in the soft. The 10-400
keV INTEGRAL (JEM-X and IBIS) state resolved spectra are well modeled with
thermal Comptonization and reflection components. We detect a hard tail in the
0.4-2 MeV range for the hard state only. We extract the state dependent
polarigrams of Cyg X-1, which all are compatible to no or undetectable level of
polarization except in 400-2000 keV range in the hard state where the
polarization fraction is 7532 % and the polarization angle 40.0 +-14 deg.
An upper limit on the 0.4-2 MeV soft state polarization fraction is 70%. Due to
the short exposure, we obtain no meaningful constraint for the intermediate
state. The likely detection of a >400 keV polarized tail in the hard state,
together with the simultaneous presence of a radio jet, reinforce the notion of
a compact jet origin of the 400 keV emission.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Pigs and Packers
This study presents us with a number of issues that add complexity to the taken-for-granted practices of teaching immigrant children in the US. Furthermore, by contextualizing the events and dialogs within the larger contexts and contradictory discourses of the purposes of schooling vis-à-vis the globalizing dimension of ethnoscapes, the debate forces us to engage in theorizing within the discourses of correspondence (reproduction), resistance, agency, and hope. In what follows we engage in conversation where we each take turns interrogating, problematizing, and playing the role of the provocateur in order to elicit dialog among us and to advance the tremendous ideas put forth in Pigs and Packers
Visualization of Protein Interactions in Living Cells Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC) Analysis
Protein interactions integrate stimuli from different signaling pathways and developmental programs. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analysis has been developed for visualization of protein interactions in living cells. This approach is based on complementation between two fragments of a fluorescent protein when they are brought together by an interaction between proteins fused to the fragments, and it enables visualization of the subcellular locations of protein interactions in the normal cellular environment. It can be used for the analysis of many protein interactions and does not require information about the structures of the interaction partners. A multicolor BiFC approach has been developed for simultaneous visualization of interactions with multiple alternative partners in the same cell, based on complementation between fragments of engineered fluorescent proteins that produce bimolecular fluorescent complexes with distinct spectral characteristics. This enables comparison of subcellular distributions of different protein complexes in the same cell and allows analysis of competition between mutually exclusive interaction partners.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144227/1/cpcb2103.pd
Visualization of Protein Interactions in Living Cells Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC) Analysis
Protein interactions integrate stimuli from different signaling pathways and developmental programs. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analysis has been developed for visualization of protein interactions in living cells. This approach is based on complementation between two fragments of a fluorescent protein when they are brought together by an interaction between proteins fused to the fragments, and it enables visualization of the subcellular locations of protein interactions in the normal cellular environment. It can be used for the analysis of many protein interactions and does not require information about the structures of the interaction partners. A multicolor BiFC approach has been developed for simultaneous visualization of interactions with multiple alternative partners in the same cell, based on complementation between fragments of engineered fluorescent proteins that produce bimolecular fluorescent complexes with distinct spectral characteristics. This enables comparison of subcellular distributions of different protein complexes in the same cell and allows analysis of competition between mutually exclusive interaction partners.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143753/1/cpcb2103.pd
Relationship between Local Structure and Relaxor Behavior in Perovskite Oxides
Despite intensive investigations over the past five decades, the microscopic origins of the fascinating dielectric properties of ABO3 relaxor ferroelectrics are currently poorly understood. Here, we show that the frequency dispersion that is the hallmark of relaxor behavior is quantitatively related to the crystal chemical characteristics of the solid solution. Density functional theory is used in conjunction with experimental determination of cation arrangement to identify the 0 K structural motifs. These are then used to parametrize a simple phenomenological Landau theory that predicts the universal dependence of frequency dispersion on the solid solution cation arrangement and off-center cation displacements
Structure and dielectric response in the high ferroelectric Bi(Zn,Ti)O-PbTiO solid solutions
Theoretical {\em ab initio} and experimental methods were used to investigate
the Bi(Zn,Ti)O-(1-)PbTiO (BZT-PT) solid solution. We find that
hybridization between Zn 4 and O 2 orbitals allows the formation of
short, covalent Zn-O bonds, enabling favorable coupling between A-site and
B-site displacements. This leads to large polarization, strong tetragonality
and an elevated ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition temperature.
nhomogeneities in local structure near the 90 domain boundaries can be
deduced from the asymetric peak broadening in the neutron and x-ray diffraction
spectra. These extrinsic effects make the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase
transition diffuse in BZT-PT solid solutions
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