805 research outputs found
An Optical Study of BG Geminorum: An Ellipsoidal Binary with an Unseen Primar Star
We describe optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the bright
variable BG Geminorum. Optical photometry shows a pronounced ellipsoidal
variation of the K0 I secondary, with amplitudes of ~0.5 mag at VRI and a
period of 91.645 days. A deep primary eclipse is visible for wavelengths <
4400A; a shallower secondary eclipse is present at longer wavelengths. Eclipse
timings and the radial velocity curve of the K0 secondary star indicate an
interacting binary where a lobe-filling secondary, M_2 ~ 0.5 Msun, transfers
material into a extended disk around a massive primary, M_1 ~ 4.5 Msun. The
primary star is either an early B-type star or a black hole. If it did contain
a black hole, BG Gem would be the longest period black hole binary known by a
factor of 10, as well as the only eclipsing black hole binary system.Comment: 27 pages, includes 8 figures and 5 tables, accepted to A
Dual Requirement for Yeast hnRNP Nab2p in mRNA poly(A) Tail Length Control and Nuclear Export
Recent studies of mRNA export factors have provided additional evidence for a mechanistic link between mRNA 3âČâend formation and nuclear export. Here, we identify Nab2p as a nuclear poly(A)âbinding protein required for both poly(A) tail length control and nuclear export of mRNA. Loss of NAB2 expression leads to hyperadenylation and nuclear accumulation of poly(A)+ RNA but, in contrast to mRNA export mutants, these defects can be uncoupled in a nab2 mutant strain. Previous studies have implicated the cytoplasmic poly(A) tailâbinding protein Pab1p in poly(A) tail length control during polyadenylation. Although cells are viable in the absence of NAB2 expression when PAB1 is overexpressed, Pab1p fails to resolve the nab2Î hyperadenylation defect even when Pab1p is tagged with a nuclear localization sequence and targeted to the nucleus. These results indicate that Nab2p is essential for poly(A) tail length control in vivo, and we demonstrate that Nab2p activates polyadenylation, while inhibiting hyperadenylation, in the absence of Pab1p in vitro. We propose that Nab2p provides an important link between the termination of mRNA polyadenylation and nuclear export
The Eclipsing Binary BG Geminorum: Improved Constraints on the Orbit and the Structure of the Accretion Disk
We describe new optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the
semi-detached eclipsing binary BG Geminorum. A large change in the amount of Mg
I absorption at secondary maximum indicates the presence of cool material in
the outer edge of the disk surrounding the unseen primary star. Detection of
weak He I emission implies a hot radiation source at the inner edge of the
disk. If the velocity variations in the Hbeta emission line track the orbital
motion of the primary star, the primary star has an orbital semiamplitude of K1
= K(Hbeta) = 16.0 +- 4.6 km/sec. This result yields a mass ratio, q = 0.22 +-
0.07, consistent with the q = 0.1 derived from the large ellipsoidal variation.
Despite this progress, the nature of the primary star - B-type star or black
hole - remains uncertain.Comment: 9 pages of text, 3 tables, and 4 figures; to appear in AJ, August
200
The Velocity Distribution of the Nearest Interstellar Gas
The bulk flow velocity for the cluster of interstellar cloudlets within about
30 pc of the Sun is determined from optical and ultraviolet absorption line
data, after omitting from the sample stars with circumstellar disks or variable
emission lines and the active variable HR 1099. Ninety-six velocity components
towards the remaining 60 stars yield a streaming velocity through the local
standard of rest of -17.0+/-4.6 km/s, with an upstream direction of l=2.3 deg,
b=-5.2 deg (using Hipparcos values for the solar apex motion). The velocity
dispersion of the interstellar matter (ISM) within 30 pc is consistent with
that of nearby diffuse clouds, but present statistics are inadequate to
distinguish between a Gaussian or exponential distribution about the bulk flow
velocity. The upstream direction of the bulk flow vector suggests an origin
associated with the Loop I supernova remnant. Groupings of component velocities
by region are seen, indicating regional departures from the bulk flow velocity
or possibly separate clouds. The absorption components from the cloudlet
feeding ISM into the solar system form one of the regional features. The
nominal gradient between the velocities of upstream and downstream gas may be
an artifact of the Sun's location near the edge of the local cloud complex. The
Sun may emerge from the surrounding gas-patch within several thousand years.Comment: Typographical errors corrected; Five tables, seven figures;
Astrophysical Journal, in pres
Insulin degludec improves long-term glycaemic control similarly to insulin glargine but with fewer hypoglycaemic episodes in patients with advanced type 2 diabetes on basal-bolus insulin therapy.
The aim of the present study was to compare the long-term safety and efficacy of insulin degludec with those of insulin glargine in patients with advanced type 2 diabetes (T2D) over 78âweeks (the 52-week main trial and a 26-week extension). Patients were randomized to once-daily insulin degludec or insulin glargine, with mealtime insulin aspartâ±âmetforminâ±âpioglitazone, and titrated to pre-breakfast plasma glucose values of 3.9-4.9âmmol/l (70-88âmg/dl). After 78âweeks, the overall rate of hypoglycaemia was 24% lower (pâ=â0.011) and the rate of nocturnal hypoglycaemia was 31% lower (pâ=â0.016) with insulin degludec in the extension trial set, while both groups of patients achieved similar glycaemic control. Rates of adverse events and total insulin doses were similar for both groups in the safety analysis set. During 18âmonths of treatment, insulin degludecâ+âmealtime insulin aspartâ±âoral antidiabetic drugs in patients with T2D improves glycaemic control similarly, but confers lower risks of overall and nocturnal hypoglycaemia than with insulin glargine treatment
âA Case of Telecommunications (Mis)Managementâ Case Analyses
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68983/2/10.1177_0893318999124005.pd
Tuning Time-Domain Pseudospectral Computations of the Self-Force on a Charged Scalar Particle
The computation of the self-force constitutes one of the main challenges for
the construction of precise theoretical waveform templates in order to detect
and analyze extreme-mass-ratio inspirals with the future space-based
gravitational-wave observatory LISA. Since the number of templates required is
quite high, it is important to develop fast algorithms both for the computation
of the self-force and the production of waveforms. In this article we show how
to tune a recent time-domain technique for the computation of the self-force,
what we call the Particle without Particle scheme, in order to make it very
precise and at the same time very efficient. We also extend this technique in
order to allow for highly eccentric orbits.Comment: IOP LaTeX style. 11 pages, 4 pages. Contribution to the NRDA/CAPRA
2010 Conferenc
Heliospheric Response to Different Possible Interstellar Environments
At present, the heliosphere is embedded in a warm, low-density interstellar cloud that belongs to a cloud system flowing through the local standard of rest with a velocity near ~18 km s-1. The velocity structure of the nearest interstellar material (ISM), combined with theoretical models of the local interstellar cloud (LIC), suggest that the Sun passes through cloudlets on timescales of â€103-104 yr, so the heliosphere has been, and will be, exposed to different interstellar environments over time. By means of a multifluid model that treats plasma and neutral hydrogen self-consistently, the interaction of the solar wind with a variety of partially ionized ISM is investigated, with the focus on low-density cloudlets such as are currently near the Sun. Under the assumption that the basic solar wind parameters remain/were as they are today, a range of ISM parameters (from cold neutral to hot ionized, with various densities and velocities) is considered. In response to different interstellar boundary conditions, the heliospheric size and structure change, as does the abundance of interstellar and secondary neutrals in the inner heliosphere, and the cosmic-ray level in the vicinity of Earth. Some empirical relations between interstellar parameters and heliospheric boundary locations, as well as neutral densities, are extracted from the models
Alternative pre-analytic sample handling techniques for glucose measurement in the absence of fluoride tubes in low resource settings.
INTRODUCTION: Sodium fluoride (NaF) tubes are the recommended tubes for glucose measurements, but these are expensive, have limited number of uses, and are not always available in low resource settings. Alternative sample handling techniques are thus needed. We compared glucose stability in samples collected in various tubes exposed to different pre-analytical conditions in Uganda. METHODS: Random (non-fasted) blood samples were drawn from nine healthy participants into NaF, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and plain serum tubes. The samples were kept un-centrifuged or centrifuged with plasma or serum pipetted into aliquots, placed in cool box with ice or at room temperature and were stored in a permanent freezer after 0, 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours post blood draw before glucose analysis. RESULTS: Rapid decline in glucose concentrations was observed when compared to baseline in serum (declined to 64%) and EDTA-plasma (declined to 77%) after 6 hours when samples were un-centrifuged at room temperature whilst NaF-plasma was stable after 24 hours in the same condition. Un-centrifuged EDTA-plasma kept on ice was stable for up to 6 hours but serum was not stable (degraded to 92%) in the same conditions. Early centrifugation prevented glucose decline even at room temperature regardless of the primary tube used with serum, EDTA-plasma and NaF-plasma after 24 hours. CONCLUSION: In low resource settings we recommend use of EDTA tubes placed in cool box with ice and analysed within 6 hours as an alternative to NaF tubes. Alternatively, immediate separation of blood with manual hand centrifuges will allow any tube to be used even in remote settings with no electricity
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