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Spatial and temporal variablity of nonmethane hydrocarbon mixing ratios and their relation to photochemical lifetime
The relationship between temporal and spatial variability of C2-C8 nonmethane hydrocarbon mixing ratios and their HO lifetimes (τ) is presented for samples collected during the 1993 North Atlantic Regional Experiment (NARE) and from other urban and remote sites. The C2-C4 alkanes, acetylene and benzene typically define a trend of the form slnx=Aτ-b where slnx is the standard deviation of the ln of the mixing ratio. The relationship extended over a wider range of hydrocarbons in winter. The exponent b ranged in value from 0.2±0.023 for winter urban data where C2-C8 hydrocarbons defined a strongly correlated trend, to 0.56±0.15 for C2-C4 hydrocarbons at a coastal site in Nova Scotia during NARE. The trends are significantly different from that given by the Junge relationship [Junge, 1974]. Data from the Azores do not display such a trend and were likely influenced by local emissions. Variance trends are a useful analytical tool for examining the validity of hydrocarbon measurements
Spectroscopic Confirmation of a Protocluster at z=3.786
We present new observations of the field containing the z=3.786 protocluster,
PC217.96+32.3. We confirm that it is one of the largest and most overdense
high-redshift structures known. Such structures are rare even in the largest
cosmological simulations. We used the Mayall/MOSAIC1.1 imaging camera to image
a 1.2x0.6 deg area (~150x75 comoving Mpc) surrounding the protocluster's core
and discovered 165 candidate Lyman Alpha emitting galaxies (LAEs) and 788
candidate Lyman Break galaxies (LBGs). There are at least 2 overdense regions
traced by the LAEs, the largest of which shows an areal overdensity in its core
(i.e., within a radius of 2.5 comoving Mpc) of 14+/-7 relative to the average
LAE spatial density in the imaged field. Further, the average LAE spatial
density in the imaged field is twice that derived by other field LAE surveys.
Spectroscopy with Keck/DEIMOS yielded redshifts for 164 galaxies (79 LAEs and
85 LBGs); 65 lie at a redshift of 3.785+/-0.010. The velocity dispersion of
galaxies near the core is 350+/-40 km/s, a value robust to selection effects.
The overdensities are likely to collapse into systems with present-day masses
of >10^{15} solar masses and >6x10^{14} solar masses. The low velocity
dispersion may suggest a dynamically young protocluster. We find a weak trend
between narrow-band (Lyman Alpha) luminosity and environmental density: the
Lyman Alpha luminosity is enhanced on average by 1.35X within the protocluster
core. There is no evidence that the Lyman Alpha equivalent width depends on
environment. These suggest that star-formation and/or AGN activity is enhanced
in the higher density regions of the structure. PC217.96+32.3 is a Coma cluster
analog, witnessed in the process of formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (March 27,
2016
Mind the Gap: A Study in Global Development through Persistent Homology
The Gapminder project set out to use statistics to dispel simplistic notions
about global development. In the same spirit, we use persistent homology, a
technique from computational algebraic topology, to explore the relationship
between country development and geography. For each country, four indicators,
gross domestic product per capita; average life expectancy; infant mortality;
and gross national income per capita, were used to quantify the development.
Two analyses were performed. The first considers clusters of the countries
based on these indicators, and the second uncovers cycles in the data when
combined with geographic border structure. Our analysis is a multi-scale
approach that reveals similarities and connections among countries at a variety
of levels. We discover localized development patterns that are invisible in
standard statistical methods
Synthesized grain size distribution in the interstellar medium
We examine a synthetic way of constructing the grain size distribution in the
interstellar medium (ISM). First we formulate a synthetic grain size
distribution composed of three grain size distributions processed with the
following mechanisms that govern the grain size distribution in the Milky Way:
(i) grain growth by accretion and coagulation in dense clouds, (ii) supernova
shock destruction by sputtering in diffuse ISM, and (iii) shattering driven by
turbulence in diffuse ISM. Then, we examine if the observational grain size
distribution in the Milky Way (called MRN) is successfully synthesized or not.
We find that the three components actually synthesize the MRN grain size
distribution in the sense that the deficiency of small grains by (i) and (ii)
is compensated by the production of small grains by (iii). The fraction of each
{contribution} to the total grain processing of (i), (ii), and (iii) (i.e., the
relative importance of the three {contributions} to all grain processing
mechanisms) is 30-50%, 20-40%, and 10-40%, respectively. We also show that the
Milky Way extinction curve is reproduced with the synthetic grain size
distributions.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Earth, Planets, and
Spac
Fossil biomass preserved as graphitic carbon in a late paleoproterozoic banded iron formation metamorphosed at more than 550°C
Metamorphism is thought to destroy microfossils, partly through devolatilization and graphitization of biogenic organic matter. However, the extent to which there is a loss of molecular, elemental and isotope signatures from biomass during high-temperature metamorphism is not clearly established. We report on graphitic structures inside and coating apatite grains from the c. 1850 Ma Michigamme silicate banded iron formation from Michigan, metamorphosed above 550°C. Traces of N, S, O, H, Ca and Fe are preserved in this graphitic carbon and X-ray spectra show traces of aliphatic groups. Graphitic carbon has an expanded lattice around 3.6 Å, forms microscopic concentrically-layered and radiating polygonal flakes and has homogeneous δ13C values around −22‰, identical to bulk analyses. Graphitic carbon inside apatite is associated with nanometre-size ammoniated phyllosilicate. Precursors of these metamorphic minerals and graphitic carbon originated from ferruginous clayrich sediments with biomass. We conclude that graphite coatings and inclusions in apatite grains indicate fluid remobilization during amphibolite-facies metamorphism of precursor biomass. This new evidence fills in observational gaps of metamorphosed biomass into graphite and supports the existence of biosignatures in the highly metamorphosed iron formation from the Eoarchean Akilia Association, which dates from the beginning of the sedimentary rock record
HIV-associated tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV. HIV-associated TB disproportionally affects African countries, particularly vulnerable groups at risk for both TB and HIV. Currently available TB diagnostics perform poorly in people living with HIV; however, new diagnostics such as Xpert Ultra and lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assays can greatly facilitate diagnosis of TB in people living with HIV. TB preventive treatment has been underutilized despite its proven benefits independent of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Shorter regimens using rifapentine can support increased availability and scale-up. Mortality is high in people with HIV-associated TB, and timely initiation of ART is critical. Programs should provide decentralized and integrated TB and HIV care in settings with high burden of both diseases to improve access to services that diagnose TB and HIV as early as possible. The new prevention and diagnosis tools recently recommended by WHO offer an immense opportunity to advance our fight against HIV-associated TB. They should be made widely available and scaled up rapidly supported by adequate funding with robust monitoring of the uptake to advance global TB elimination
Mechanical activation of vinculin binding to talin locks talin in an unfolded conformation
The force-dependent interaction between talin and vinculin plays a crucial role in the initiation and growth of focal adhesions. Here we use magnetic tweezers to characterise the mechano-sensitive compact N-terminal region of the talin rod, and show that the three helical bundles R1-R3 in this region unfold in three distinct steps consistent with the domains unfolding independently. Mechanical stretching of talin R1-R3 enhances its binding to vinculin and vinculin binding inhibits talin refolding after force is released. Mutations that stabilize R3 identify it as the initial mechano-sensing domain in talin, unfolding at ~5 pN, suggesting that 5 pN is the force threshold for vinculin binding and adhesion progression
Perinatal (Lethal) Type Of Hypophosphatasia Resulting From Paternal Isodisomy Of Chromosome 1
Direct Estimation of Optical Parameters From Photoacoustic Time Series in Quantitative Photoacoustic Tomography
Imaging methods applied to living organisms with emphasis on innovative approaches that use emerging technologies supported by rigorous physical and mathematical analysis and quantitative evaluation of performance.
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Structural identification of oxidized acyl-phosphatidylcholines that induce platelet activation
Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) generates proinflammatory and prothrombotic mediators that may play a crucial role in cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. In order to study platelet-activating components of oxidized LDL 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine, a representative of the major phospholipid species in LDL, the 1-acyl-phosphatidylcholines (PC), was oxidized by CuCl2 and H2O2. After separation by high-performance liquid chromatography, three compounds were detected which induced platelet shape change at low micromolar concentrations. Platelet activation by these compounds was distinct from the pathways stimulated by platelet-activating factor, lysophosphatidic acid, lyso-PC and thromboxane A(2), as evidenced by the use of specific receptor antagonists. Further analyses of the oxidized phospholipids by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry structurally identified them as 1-stearoyl-2-azelaoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (m/z 694; SAzPC), 1-stearoyl-2-glutaroyl-snglycero-3- phosphocholine (m/z 638; SGPC), and 1-stearoyl-2-( 5-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (m/z 622; SOVPC). These observations demonstrate that novel 1-acyl-PC which had previously been found to stimulate interaction of monocytes with endothelial cells also induce platelet activation, a central step in acute thrombogenic and atherogenic processes. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel
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