3,900 research outputs found
Improved preparation of 9-octadecenes
Organic synthesis of cis-9 and trans-9 octadecenes from oleyl alcohol and elaidyl alcohol, respectively, by conversion to tosylates followed by lithium aluminum hydride reductio
Adherence to secondary stroke prevention strategies - Results from the German stroke data bank
Only very limited data are available concerning patient adherence to antithrombotic medication intended to prevent a recurrent stroke. Reduced adherence and compliance could significantly influence the effects of any stroke prevention strategies. This study from a large stroke data bank provides representative data concerning the rate of stroke victims adhering to their recommended preventive medication. During a 2-year period beginning January 1, 1998, all patients with acute stroke or TIA in 23 neurological departments with an acute stroke unit were included in the German Stroke Data Bank. Data were collected prospectively, reviewed, validated and processed in a central data management unit. Only 12 centers with a follow-up rate of 80% or higher were included in this evaluation. 3,420 patients were followed up after 3 months, and 2,640 patients were followed up one year after their stroke. After one year, 96% of all patients reported still adhere to at least one medical stroke prevention strategy. Of the patients receiving aspirin at discharge, 92.6% reported to use that medication after 3 months and 84% after one year, while 81.6 and 61.6% were the respective figures for clopidogrel, and 85.2 and 77.4% for oral anticoagulation. Most patients who changed medication switched from aspirin to clopidogrel. Under the conditions of this observational study, adherence to stroke prevention strategies is excellent. The highest adherence rate is noticed for aspirin and oral anticoagulation. After one year, very few patients stopped taking stroke preventive medication. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel
Efficient electrocatalytic water oxidation at neutral and high pH by adventitious nickel at nanomolar concentrations
Electrolytic water oxidation using earth-abundant elements is a key challenge in the quest to develop cheap, large surface area arrays for solar-to-hydrogen conversion. There have been numerous studies in this area in recent years, but there remains an imperative to demonstrate that the current densities reported are indeed due to the species under consideration and not due to the presence of adventitious (yet possibly highly active) contaminants at low levels. Herein, we show that adventitious nickel at concentrations as low as 17 nM can act as a water oxidation catalyst in mildly basic aqueous solutions, achieving stable (tens of hours) current densities of 1 mA cm–2 at overpotentials as low as 540 mV at pH 9.2 and 400 mV at pH 13. This nickel was not added to the electrolysis baths deliberately, but it was found to be present in the electrolytes as an impurity by ICP-MS. The presence of nickel on anodes from extended-time bulk electrolysis experiments was confirmed by XPS. In showing that such low levels of nickel can perform water oxidation at overpotentials comparable to many recently reported water oxidation catalysts, this work serves to raise the burden of proof required of new materials in this field: contamination by adventitious metal ions at trace loadings must be excluded as a possible cause of any observed water oxidation activity
Quasar outflow energetics from broad absorption line variability
Quasar outflows have long been recognized as potential contributors to the
co-evolution between supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies.
The role of outflows in AGN feedback processes can be better understood by
placing observational constraints on wind locations and kinetic energies. We
utilize broad absorption line (BAL) variability to investigate the properties
of a sample of 71 BAL quasars with PV broad absorption. The
presence of PV BALs indicates that other BALs like CIV
are saturated, such that variability in those lines favours clouds crossing the
line of sight. We use these constraints with measurements of BAL variability to
estimate outflow locations and energetics. Our data set consists of
multiple-epoch spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and MDM Observatory.
We detect significant (4) BAL variations from 10 quasars in our sample
over rest frame time-scales between < 0.2-3.8 yr. Our derived distances for the
10 variable outflows are nominally < 1-10 pc from the SMBH using the
transverse-motion scenario, and < 100-1000 pc from the central source using
ionization-change considerations. These distances, in combination with the
estimated high outflow column densities (i.e. > 10
cm), yield outflow kinetic luminosities between ~ 0.001-1 times the
bolometric luminosity of the quasar, indicating that many absorber energies
within our sample are viable for AGN feedback.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, 4 tables, 1 supplementary figure, accepted to
MNRA
Weak magnetic fields in central stars of planetary nebulae?
It is not yet clear whether magnetic fields play an essential role in shaping
planetary nebulae (PNe), or whether stellar rotation alone and/or a close
binary companion can account for the variety of the observed nebular
morphologies. In a quest for empirical evidence verifying or disproving the
role of magnetic fields in shaping PNe, we follow up on previous attempts to
measure the magnetic field in a representative sample of PN central stars. We
obtained low-resolution polarimetric spectra with FORS 2 at VLT for a sample of
twelve bright central stars of PNe with different morphology, including two
round nebulae, seven elliptical nebulae, and three bipolar nebulae. Two targets
are Wolf-Rayet type central stars. For the majority of the observed central
stars, we do not find any significant evidence for the existence of surface
magnetic fields. However, our measurements may indicate the presence of weak
mean longitudinal magnetic fields of the order of 100 Gauss in the central star
of the young elliptical planetary nebula IC 418, as well as in the Wolf-Rayet
type central star of the bipolar nebula Hen2-113 and the weak emission line
central star of the elliptical nebula Hen2-131. A clear detection of a 250 G
mean longitudinal field is achieved for the A-type companion of the central
star of NGC 1514. Some of the central stars show a moderate night-to-night
spectrum variability, which may be the signature of a variable stellar wind
and/or rotational modulation due to magnetic features. We conclude that strong
magnetic fields of the order of kG are not widespread among PNe central stars.
Nevertheless, simple estimates based on a theoretical model of magnetized wind
bubbles suggest that even weak magnetic fields below the current detection
limit of the order of 100 G may well be sufficient to contribute to the shaping
of PNe throughout their evolution.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&A;
References updated, minor correction
Wind ionization structure of the short-period eclipsing LMC Wolf-Rayet binary BAT99-129: preliminary results
BAT99-129 is a rare, short-period eclipsing Wolf-Rayet binary in the Large
Magellanic Cloud. We present here medium-resolution NTT/EMMI spectra that allow
us to disentangle the spectra of the two components and find the orbital
parameters of the binary. We also present VLT/FORS1 spectra of this binary
taken during the secondary eclipse, i.e. when the companion star passes in
front of the Wolf-Rayet star. With these data we are able to extract, for the
first time in absolute units for a WR+O binary, the sizes of the line emitting
regions.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, to appear in proc. of "Close Binaries in the 21st
Century: New Opportunities and Challenges", 2005 - Corrected Figure
The Wolf-Rayet stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A comprehensive analysis of the WN class
Aims: Following our comprehensive studies of the WR stars in the Milky Way,
we now present spectroscopic analyses of almost all known WN stars in the LMC.
Methods: For the quantitative analysis of the wind-dominated emission-line
spectra, we employ the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. By
fitting synthetic spectra to the observed spectral energy distribution and the
available spectra (ultraviolet and optical), we obtain the physical properties
of 107 stars. Results: We present the fundamental stellar and wind parameters
for an almost complete sample of WN stars in the LMC. Among those stars that
are putatively single, two different groups can be clearly distinguished. While
12% of our sample are more luminous than 10^6 Lsun and contain a significant
amount of hydrogen, 88% of the WN stars, with little or no hydrogen, populate
the luminosity range between log (L/Lsun) = 5.3...5.8. Conclusions: While the
few extremely luminous stars (log (L/Lsun) > 6), if indeed single stars,
descended directly from the main sequence at very high initial masses, the bulk
of WN stars have gone through the red-supergiant phase. According to their
luminosities in the range of log (L/Lsun) = 5.3...5.8, these stars originate
from initial masses between 20 and 40 Msun. This mass range is similar to the
one found in the Galaxy, i.e. the expected metallicity dependence of the
evolution is not seen. Current stellar evolution tracks, even when accounting
for rotationally induced mixing, still partly fail to reproduce the observed
ranges of luminosities and initial masses. Moreover, stellar radii are
generally larger and effective temperatures correspondingly lower than
predicted from stellar evolution models, probably due to subphotospheric
inflation.Comment: 17+46 pages; 10+54 figures; v2: typos corrected, space-saving layout
for appendix C, published in A&
The Metallicity of the Redshift 4.16 Quasar BR2248-1242
We estimate the metallicity in the broad emission-line region of the redshift
z=4.16 quasar, BR2248-1242, by comparing line ratios involving nitrogen to
theoretical predictions. BR2248-1242 has unusually narrow emission lines with
large equivalent widths, thus providing a rare opportunity to measure several
line-ratio abundance diagnostics. The combined diagnostics indicate a
metallicity of ~2 times solar. This result suggests that an episode of vigorous
star formation occurred near BR2248-1242 prior to the observed z=4.16 epoch.
The time available for this enrichment episode is only ~1.5 Gyr at z=4.16 (for
H_{0}=65 km s^-1 Mpc^-1, Omega_{m}=0.3 and Omega_Lambda ~< 1). This evidence
for high metallicities and rapid star formation is consistent with the expected
early-epoch evolution of dense galactic nuclei.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. Prepared in AAStex. Submitted to the
Astrophysical Journal Revised version: added 1 referenc
A rare early-type star revealed in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud
Sk 183 is the visually-brightest star in the N90 nebula, a young star-forming
region in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We present new optical
spectroscopy from the Very Large Telescope which reveals Sk 183 to be one of
the most massive O-type stars in the SMC. Classified as an O3-type dwarf on the
basis of its nitrogen spectrum, the star also displays broadened He I
absorption which suggests a later type. We propose that Sk 183 has a composite
spectrum and that it is similar to another star in the SMC, MPG 324. This
brings the number of rare O2- and O3-type stars known in the whole of the SMC
to a mere four. We estimate physical parameters for Sk 183 from analysis of its
spectrum. For a single-star model, we estimate an effective temperature of
46+/-2 kK, a low mass-loss rate of ~10^-7 Msun yr^-1, and a spectroscopic mass
of 46^+9_-8 Msun (for an adopted distance modulus of 18.7 mag to the young
population in the SMC Wing). An illustrative binary model requires a slightly
hotter temperature (~47.5 kK) for the primary component. In either scenario, Sk
183 is the earliest-type star known in N90 and will therefore be the dominant
source of hydrogen-ionising photons. This suggests Sk 183 is the primary
influence on the star formation along the inner edge of the nebula.Comment: Accepted by ApJ, 10 pages, 7 figures, v2 after proof
Stellar population of the superbubble N206 in the LMC I. Analysis of the Of-type stars
Massive stars are the key agents of feedback. Consequently, quantitative
analysis of massive stars are required to understand how the feedback of these
objects shapes/ creates the large scale structures of the ISM. The giant HII
region N206 in the Large Magellanic Cloud contains an OB association that
powers a X-ray superbubble, serving as an ideal laboratory in this context. We
obtained optical spectra with the muti-object spectrograph FLAMES at the
ESO-VLT. When possible, the optical spectroscopy was complemented by UV spectra
from the HST, IUE, and FUSE archives. Detailed spectral classifications are
presented for our sample Of-type stars. For the quantitative spectroscopic
analysis we use the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. The
physical parameters and nitrogen abundances of our sample stars are determined
by fitting synthetic spectra to the observations. The stellar and wind
parameters of nine Of-type stars are used to construct wind momentum,luminosity
relationship. We find that our sample follows a relation close to the
theoretical prediction, assuming clumped winds. The most massive star in the
N206 association is an Of supergiant which has a very high mass-loss rate. Two
objects in our sample reveal composite spectra, showing that the Of primaries
have companions of late O subtype. All stars in our sample have an evolutionary
age less than 4 million years, with the O2-type star being the youngest. All
these stars show a systematic discrepancy between evolutionary and
spectroscopic masses. All stars in our sample are nitrogen enriched. Nitrogen
enrichment shows a clear correlation with increasing projected rotational
velocities. The mechanical energy input from the Of stars alone is comparable
to the energy stored in the N206 superbubble as measured from the observed
X-ray and H alpha emission.Comment: Accepted for the pubblication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
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