EXO 2030+375 Restarts in Reverse

The Be X-ray binary pulsar EXO 2030+375, first detected in 1985, has shown a significant detected X-ray outburst at nearly every periastron passage of its 46-day orbit for the past ~25 years, with one low state accompanied by a torque reversal in the 1990s. In early 2015 the outbursts progressively became fainter and less regular while the monotonic spin-up flattened. At the same time a decrease in the H$\alpha$ line equivalent width was reported, indicating a change in the disk surrounding the mass donor. In order to explore the source behaviour in the poorly explored low-flux state with a possible transition to a state of centrifugal inhibition of accretion we have undertaken an observing campaign with Swift/XRT, NuSTAR and the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT). This conference contribution reports the preliminary results obtained from our campaign.Comment: 11th INTEGRAL Conference Gamma-Ray Astrophysics in Multi-Wavelength Perspective, 10-14 October 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 7 page

Copper(II) and Nickel(II) Octabromo-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)Porphyrin Complexes

The copper and nickel complexes of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17, 18-octabromo-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentaftuorophenyl) porphyrin ({4,5,9,10,14,15,19,20-octabromo-2,7,12,17-tetrakis(pentaftuorophenyl)-21,22,23,24-tetraazapentacyclo[l6.2.1.1^(3,6).l^(8,11).l^(13,16)]tetracosa-l,3-(22),4,6,8(23),9,11,13(24),14,16,18(21),19-dodecaene }copper(II) 0.5-dichloromethane solvate and {4,5,9,10,14,15,19,20-octabromo-2,7,12,17-tetrakis(pentaftuorophenyl)-21,22,23,24-tetraazapentacyclo( 16.2.1.1^(3,6).l^(8,11).l^(13,16)]tetracosa-l,3(22),4,6,8(23),9,ll,13(24),14,16,18(21),19-dodecaene} nickel(II)0.5-dichloromethane solvate) form isostructural crystals. There is significant distortion from planarity of the porphyrin ring caused by the octabromo substituents interacting with the meso-pentafluorophenyl groups and with each other, with departures of the Br atoms from the plane defined by the four N atoms of up to 2.36 A. This tetrahedral distortion of the molecule does not result in any significant changes in bond distances from those in non-halogenated tetraphenylporphyrin complexes

A highly solvated zinc(II) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-β-octabromoporphyrin

The title compound, {4,5,9,10,14,15,19,20-octabromo-2,7,12,17-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-21,22,23,- 24-tetraazapentacyclo[16.2.1.1^(3,6).1^(8,11).1^(13,16)]tetracosa-1,3(21),4,6,8(22),9,11,13(23),14,16,18(24),19-dodecaene }zinc(II) (carbon tetrachloride, o-dichlorobenzene, acetone, methanol, water solvate) has a large tetrahedral distortion, with the Br atoms as much as 1.83 Å from the plane of the N atoms. The distortion affects primarily bond angles and bond torsion angles; bond distances in the molecule are normal. Several different solvents are incorporated into the crystal, providing a close (2.16 Å) O atom as an axial neighbor to Zn and a more distant (3.16 Å) Cl atom, in the opposite axial site

Sustained adherence to a Mediterranean diet and physical activity on all-cause mortality in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study: application of the g-formula.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower mortality and cardiovascular disease risk. The relative importance of diet compared to other lifestyle factors and effects of dietary patterns over time remains unknown. METHODS: We used the parametric G-formula to account for time-dependent confounding, in order to assess the relative importance of diet compared to other lifestyle factors and effects of dietary patterns over time. We included healthy Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study participants attending a visit during 1995-1999. Questionnaires assessed diet and physical activity at each of three study waves. Deaths were identified by linkage to national registries. We estimated mortality risk over approximately 14 years (1995-2011). RESULTS: Of 22,213 participants, 2163 (9.7%) died during 13.6 years median follow-up. Sustained high physical activity and adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet resulted in an estimated reduction in all-cause mortality of 1.82 per 100 people (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03, 3.6). The population attributable fraction was 13% (95% CI: 4, 23%) for sustained high physical activity, 7% (95% CI: - 3, 17%) for sustained adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and 18% (95% CI: 0, 36%) for their combination. CONCLUSIONS: A small reduction in mortality may be achieved by sustained elevated physical activity levels in healthy middle-aged adults, but there may be comparatively little gain from increasing adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet

Copper(II) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-β-octachloroporphyrin

The title compound, {4,5,9,10,14,15,19,20-octachloro-2,7,12, 17-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-20,22,23,24- tetraazapentacyclo[l6.2.l.1^(3·6).l^(8·11).l^(13·16)]tetracosa-1,3(21),4,6,8(22),9,11, 13(23), 14, 16, 18(24), 19-dodecaene}copper(II)(CuTFPPC1_8)dichloromethane solvate, shows a large tetrahedral distortion or ruffling, with pairs of Cl atoms alternately averaging + 1.20 and -1.18 Å out of the plane of the four N atoms; the Cu atom is 0.01 Å out of the plane and the N atoms show a slight (±0.12 Å) tetrahedral distortion. A Cl atom of the solvent, at 3.515 (6) Å in an approximately axial position, is the closest non-bonded neighbor of the Cu atom

Copper(II) and Nickel(II) Octabromo-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)Porphyrin Complexes

The copper and nickel complexes of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17, 18-octabromo-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentaftuorophenyl) porphyrin ({4,5,9,10,14,15,19,20-octabromo-2,7,12,17-tetrakis(pentaftuorophenyl)-21,22,23,24-tetraazapentacyclo[l6.2.1.1^(3,6).l^(8,11).l^(13,16)]tetracosa-l,3-(22),4,6,8(23),9,11,13(24),14,16,18(21),19-dodecaene }copper(II) 0.5-dichloromethane solvate and {4,5,9,10,14,15,19,20-octabromo-2,7,12,17-tetrakis(pentaftuorophenyl)-21,22,23,24-tetraazapentacyclo( 16.2.1.1^(3,6).l^(8,11).l^(13,16)]tetracosa-l,3(22),4,6,8(23),9,ll,13(24),14,16,18(21),19-dodecaene} nickel(II)0.5-dichloromethane solvate) form isostructural crystals. There is significant distortion from planarity of the porphyrin ring caused by the octabromo substituents interacting with the meso-pentafluorophenyl groups and with each other, with departures of the Br atoms from the plane defined by the four N atoms of up to 2.36 A. This tetrahedral distortion of the molecule does not result in any significant changes in bond distances from those in non-halogenated tetraphenylporphyrin complexes

Copper(II) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-β-octachloroporphyrin

The title compound, {4,5,9,10,14,15,19,20-octachloro-2,7,12, 17-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-20,22,23,24- tetraazapentacyclo[l6.2.l.1^(3·6).l^(8·11).l^(13·16)]tetracosa-1,3(21),4,6,8(22),9,11, 13(23), 14, 16, 18(24), 19-dodecaene}copper(II)(CuTFPPC1_8)dichloromethane solvate, shows a large tetrahedral distortion or ruffling, with pairs of Cl atoms alternately averaging + 1.20 and -1.18 Å out of the plane of the four N atoms; the Cu atom is 0.01 Å out of the plane and the N atoms show a slight (±0.12 Å) tetrahedral distortion. A Cl atom of the solvent, at 3.515 (6) Å in an approximately axial position, is the closest non-bonded neighbor of the Cu atom

Advances in Understanding High-Mass X-ray Binaries with INTEGRAL and Future Directions

High mass X-ray binaries are among the brightest X-ray sources in the Milky Way, as well as in nearby Galaxies. Thanks to their highly variable emissions and complex phenomenology, they have attracted the interest of the high energy astrophysical community since the dawn of X-ray Astronomy. In more recent years, they have challenged our comprehension of physical processes in many more energy bands, ranging from the infrared to very high energies. In this review, we provide a broad but concise summary of the physical processes dominating the emission from high mass X-ray binaries across virtually the whole electromagnetic spectrum. These comprise the interaction of stellar winds with the high gravitational and magnetic fields of compact objects, the behaviour of matter under extreme magnetic and gravity conditions, and the perturbation of the massive star evolutionary processes by presence in a binary system. We highlight the role of the INTEGRAL mission in the discovery of many of the most interesting objects in the high mass X-ray binary class and its contribution in reviving the interest for these sources over the past two decades. We show how the INTEGRAL discoveries have not only contributed to significantly increase the number of high mass X-ray binaries known, thus advancing our understanding of the population as a whole, but also have opened new windows of investigation that stimulated the multi-wavelength approach nowadays common in most astrophysical research fields. We conclude the review by providing an overview of future facilities being planned from the X-ray to the very high energy domain that will hopefully help us in finding an answer to the many questions left open after more than 18 years of INTEGRAL scientific observations.The INTEGRALteams in the participating countries acknowledge the continuous support from their space agencies and funding organizations: the Italian Space Agency ASI (via different agreements including the latest one, 2019-35HH, and the ASIINAF agreement 2017-14-H.0), the French Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES), the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (KP, 19-02-00790), the Russian Science Foundation (ST, VD, AL; 19-12-00423), the Spanish State Research Agency (via different grants including ESP2017-85691-P, ESP2017-87676-C5-1-R and Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu – CAB MDM-2017-0737). IN is partially supported by the Spanish Government under grant PGC2018-093741-B-C21/C22 (MICIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). LD acknowledges grant 50 OG 1902

Amygdala 14-3-3ζ as a Novel Modulator of Escalating Alcohol Intake in Mice

Alcoholism is a devastating brain disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. The development of alcoholism is caused by alcohol-induced maladaptive changes in neural circuits involved in emotions, motivation, and decision-making. Because of its involvement in these processes, the amygdala is thought to be a key neural structure involved in alcohol addiction. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern the development of alcoholism are incompletely understood. We have previously shown that in a limited access choice paradigm, C57BL/6J mice progressively escalate their alcohol intake and display important behavioral characteristic of alcohol addiction, in that they become insensitive to quinine-induced adulteration of alcohol. This study used the limited access choice paradigm to study gene expression changes in the amygdala during the escalation to high alcohol consumption in C57BL/6J mice. Microarray analysis revealed that changes in gene expression occurred predominantly after one week, i.e. during the initial escalation of alcohol intake. One gene that stood out from our analysis was the adapter protein 14-3-3ζ, which was up-regulated during the transition from low to high alcohol intake. Independent qPCR analysis confirmed the up-regulation of amygdala 14-3-3ζ during the escalation of alcohol intake. Subsequently, we found that local knockdown of 14-3-3ζ in the amygdala, using RNA interference, dramatically augmented alcohol intake. In addition, knockdown of amygdala 14-3-3ζ promoted the development of inflexible alcohol drinking, as apparent from insensitivity to quinine adulteration of alcohol. This study identifies amygdala 14-3-3ζ as a novel key modulator that is engaged during escalation of alcohol use