11,028 research outputs found
Population synthesis of HII galaxies
We study the stellar population of galaxies with active star formation,
determining ages of the stellar components by means of spectral population
synthesis of their absorption spectra. The data consist of optical spectra of
185 nearby () emission line galaxies. They are mostly HII
galaxies, but we also include some Starbursts and Seyfert 2s, for comparison
purposes. They were grouped into 19 high signal-to-noise ratio template
spectra, according to their continuum distribution, absorption and emission
line characteristics. The templates were then synthesized with a star cluster
spectral base. The synthesis results indicate that HII galaxies are typically
age-composite stellar systems, presenting important contribution from
generations up to as old as 500 Myr. We detect a significant contribution of
populations with ages older than 1 Gyr in two groups of HII galaxies. The age
distributions of stellar populations among Starbursts can vary considerably
despite similarities in the emission line spectra. In the case of Seyfert 2
groups we obtain important contributions of old population, consistent with a
bulge. From the diversity of star formation histories, we conclude that typical
HII galaxies in the local universe are not systems presently forming their
first stellar generation.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, MNRAS in pres
Circulating Biologically Active Adrenomedullin Predicts Organ Failure and Mortality in Sepsis
BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Biologically active adrenomedullin (bio-ADM) is an emerging biomarker for sepsis. We explored whether bio-ADM concentration could predict severity, organ failure, and 30-day mortality in septic patients. METHODS: In 215 septic patients (109 patients with sepsis; 106 patients with septic shock), bio-ADM concentration was measured at diagnosis of sepsis, using sphingotest bio-ADM (Sphingotec GmbH, Hennigsdorf, Germany) and analyzed in terms of sepsis severity, vasopressor use, and 30-day mortality. The number of organ failures, sequential (sepsis-related) organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and 30-day mortality were compared according to bio-ADM quartiles. RESULTS: Bio-ADM concentration was significantly higher in patients with septic shock, vasopressor use, and non-survivors than in patients with solitary sepsis, no vasopressor use, and survivors, respectively (all P<0.0001). Bio-ADM quartiles were associated with the number of organ failures (P<0.0001), as well as SOFA cardiovascular, renal, coagulation, and liver subscores (all P<0.05). The 30-day mortality rate showed a stepwise increase in each bio-ADM quartile (all P<0.0001). Bio-ADM concentration and SOFA score equally predicted the 30-day mortality (area under the curve: 0.827 vs 0.830). CONCLUSIONS: Bio-ADM could serve as a useful and objective biomarker to predict severity, organ failure, and 30-day mortality in septic patients
The Gelfand map and symmetric products
If A is an algebra of functions on X, there are many cases when X can be
regarded as included in Hom(A,C) as the set of ring homomorphisms. In this
paper the corresponding results for the symmetric products of X are introduced.
It is shown that the symmetric product Sym^n(X) is included in Hom(A,C) as the
set of those functions that satisfy equations generalising f(xy)=f(x)f(y).
These equations are related to formulae introduced by Frobenius and, for the
relevant A, they characterise linear maps on A that are the sum of ring
homomorphisms. The main theorem is proved using an identity satisfied by
partitions of finite sets.Comment: 14 pages, Late
Anisotropic valence-->core x-ray fluorescence from a [Rh(en)3][Mn(N)(CN)5]·H2O single crystal: Experimental results and density functional calculations
High resolution x-ray fluorescence spectra have been recorded for emission in different directions from a single crystal of the compound [Rh(en)3][Mn(N)(CN)5]·H2O. The spectra are interpreted by comparison with density functional theory (DFT) electronic structure calculations. The Kbeta[double-prime] line, which is strongly polarized along the Mn–N axis, can be viewed as an N(2s)-->Mn(1s) transition, and the angular dependence is understood within the dipole approximation. The so-called Kbeta2,5 region has numerous contributions but is dominated by Mn(4p) and C(2s)-->Mn(1s) transitions. Transition energy splittings are found in agreement with those of calculated occupied molecular orbitals to within 1 eV. Computed relative transition probabilities reproduce experimentally observed trends
The Physical Role of Gravitational and Gauge Degrees of Freedom in General Relativity - II: Dirac versus Bergmann observables and the Objectivity of Space-Time
(abridged)The achievements of the present work include: a) A clarification of
the multiple definition given by Bergmann of the concept of {\it (Bergmann)
observable. This clarification leads to the proposal of a {\it main conjecture}
asserting the existence of i) special Dirac's observables which are also
Bergmann's observables, ii) gauge variables that are coordinate independent
(namely they behave like the tetradic scalar fields of the Newman-Penrose
formalism). b) The analysis of the so-called {\it Hole} phenomenology in strict
connection with the Hamiltonian treatment of the initial value problem in
metric gravity for the class of Christoudoulou -Klainermann space-times, in
which the temporal evolution is ruled by the {\it weak} ADM energy. It is
crucial the re-interpretation of {\it active} diffeomorphisms as {\it passive
and metric-dependent} dynamical symmetries of Einstein's equations, a
re-interpretation which enables to disclose their (nearly unknown) connection
to gauge transformations on-shell; this is expounded in the first paper
(gr-qc/0403081). The use of the Bergmann-Komar {\it intrinsic
pseudo-coordinates} allows to construct a {\it physical atlas} of 4-coordinate
systems for the 4-dimensional {\it mathematical} manifold, in terms of the
highly non-local degrees of freedom of the gravitational field (its four
independent {\it Dirac observables}), and to realize the {\it physical
individuation} of the points of space-time as {\it point-events} as a
gauge-fixing problem, also associating a non-commutative structure to each
4-coordinate system.Comment: 41 pages, Revtex
Lagrangian approach to a symplectic formalism for singular systems
We develop a Lagrangian approach for constructing a symplectic structure for
singular systems. It gives a simple and unified framework for understanding the
origin of the pathologies that appear in the Dirac-Bergmann formalism, and
offers a more general approach for a symplectic formalism, even when there is
no Hamiltonian in a canonical sense. We can thus overcome the usual limitations
of the canonical quantization, and perform an algebraically consistent
quantization for a more general set of Lagrangian systems.Comment: 30 page
Composite fermions in periodic and random antidot lattices
The longitudinal and Hall magnetoresistance of random and periodic arrays of artificial scatterers, imposed on a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas, were investigated in the vicinity of Landau level filling factor ν=1/2. In periodic arrays, commensurability effects between the period of the antidot array and the cyclotron radius of composite fermions are observed. In addition, the Hall resistance shows a deviation from the anticipated linear dependence, reminiscent of quenching around zero magnetic field. Both effects are absent for random antidot lattices. The relative amplitude of the geometric resonances for opposite signs of the effective magnetic field and its dependence on illumination illustrate enhanced soft wall effects for composite fermions
Observables, gauge invariance, and the role of the observers in the limit from general relativity to special relativity
Some conceptual issues concerning general invariant theories, with special
emphasis on general relativity, are analyzed. The common assertion that
observables must be required to be gauge invariant is examined in the light of
the role played by a system of observers. Some features of the reduction of the
gauge group are discussed, including the fact that in the process of a partial
gauge fixing the reduction at the level of the gauge group and the reduction at
the level of the variational principle do not commute. Distinctions between the
mathematical and the physical concept of gauge symmetry are discussed and
illustrated with examples. The limit from general relativity to special
relativity is considered as an example of a gauge group reduction that is
allowed in some specific physical circumstances. Whether and when the
Poincar\'e group must be considered as a residual gauge group will come out as
a result of our analysis, that applies, in particular, to asymptotically flat
spaces.Comment: 17 page
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