462 research outputs found
No bursts detected from FRB121102 in two 5-hour observing campaigns with the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope
Here, we report non-detection of radio bursts from Fast Radio Burst FRB
121102 during two 5-hour observation sessions on the Robert C. Byrd 100-m Green
Bank Telescope in West Virginia, USA, on December 11, 2017, and January 12,
2018. In addition, we report non-detection during an abutting 10-hour
observation with the Kunming 40-m telescope in China, which commenced UTC 10:00
January 12, 2018. These are among the longest published contiguous observations
of FRB 121102, and support the notion that FRB 121102 bursts are episodic.
These observations were part of a simultaneous optical and radio monitoring
campaign with the the Caltech HIgh- speed Multi-color CamERA (CHIMERA)
instrument on the Hale 5.1-m telescope.Comment: 1 table, Submitted to RN of AA
Regular Topologies for Gigabit Wide-Area Networks
In general terms, this project aimed at the analysis and design of techniques for very high-speed networking. The formal objectives of the project were to: (1) Identify switch and network technologies for wide-area networks that interconnect a large number of users and can provide individual data paths at gigabit/s rates; (2) Quantitatively evaluate and compare existing and proposed architectures and protocols, identify their strength and growth potentials, and ascertain the compatibility of competing technologies; and (3) Propose new approaches to existing architectures and protocols, and identify opportunities for research to overcome deficiencies and enhance performance. The project was organized into two parts: 1. The design, analysis, and specification of techniques and protocols for very-high-speed network environments. In this part, SRI has focused on several key high-speed networking areas, including Forward Error Control (FEC) for high-speed networks in which data distortion is the result of packet loss, and the distribution of broadband, real-time traffic in multiple user sessions. 2. Congestion Avoidance Testbed Experiment (CATE). This part of the project was done within the framework of the DARTnet experimental T1 national network. The aim of the work was to advance the state of the art in benchmarking DARTnet's performance and traffic control by developing support tools for network experimentation, by designing benchmarks that allow various algorithms to be meaningfully compared, and by investigating new queueing techniques that better satisfy the needs of best-effort and reserved-resource traffic. This document is the final technical report describing the results obtained by SRI under this project. The report consists of three volumes: Volume 1 contains a technical description of the network techniques developed by SRI in the areas of FEC and multicast of real-time traffic. Volume 2 describes the work performed under CATE. Volume 3 contains the source code of all software developed under CATE
Exact Results for the BTZ Black Hole
In this review, we summarize exact results for the three-dimensional BTZ
black hole. We use rigorous mathematical results to clarify the general
structure and properties of this black hole spacetime and its microscopic
description. In particular, we study the formation of the black hole by point
particle collisions, leading to an exact analytic determination of the Choptuik
scaling parameter. We also show that a `No Hair Theorem' follows immediately
from a mathematical theorem of hyperbolic geometry, due to Sullivan. A
microscopic understanding of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, and decay rate for
massless scalars, is shown to follow from standard results of conformal field
theory.Comment: 24 pages, Latex, Review article to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys. D, v2
additional reference
The association of polymorphism rs3736228 within the LRP5 gene with Bone Mineral Density in a Cohort of Caucasian Young Adults
INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is a significant burden for our aging population. Developing a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of poor bone quality may assist in the future development of prevention strategies. Correa-Rodriguez et al. have identified a group of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in a population of Spanish Caucasians. In particular, they found that SNP rs3736228 in the low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 5 (LRP5) gene had an influence on BMD. While the role of LRP5 in the Wnt canonical pathway has been fairly well characterized, its association with phenotypic BMD and osteoporosis has only been explored in a limited fashion. The aim of this study is to expand on this, and to replicate the findings of previous studies in a cohort of healthy young adults.
METHODS: Cohort: The University of Calgary cohort from the Assessing Inherited Metabolic Syndrome Markers in the Young (UC AIMMY) study. Participants included consist of 168 healthy, predominantly Caucasian young adults. Phenotypes: height, weight, BMI, and total BMD. Genotyping: Allelic discrimination was determined. Statistical Analysis: After being tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), the data was run through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).
RESULTS: Using a dominant model, we found that females with one or more copies of the risk T allele of SNP rs3736228 had a significant negative association with total BMD (p = 0.0347). However, a similar association was not seen in males in this cohort. We did not find a significant association for this polymorphism and height, weight, or BMI.
DISCUSSION: Polymorphisms in rs3736228 alter the codon in position 1330, downregulating the LRP5 cell surface receptor function. The LRP5 gene has now been shown in multiple studies to be associated with bone quality measures like calcaneal Qualitative Ultrasound (QUS) and BMD. Our study suggests that SNP rs3736228 also influences BMD in healthy young females. This supports the work of Correa-Rodriguez et al that found that when stratifying by sex, females only showed a trend towards significance (p = 0.092) in QUS measures.
SIGNIFICANCE: This study expands our understanding of the importance of LRP5 rs3736228 polymorphisms in BMD by extending its relationship to a cohort of predominantly Caucasian college students. While the development of BMD is polygenic, this work broadened the role of SNP rs3736228 across the age span, and the sexual dimorphism seen in musculoskeletal traits
Theoretical treatment of high-frequency, large-amplitude ac voltammetry applied to ideal surface-confined redox systems
Real-time quantification of microRNAs by stemâloop RTâPCR
A novel microRNA (miRNA) quantification method has been developed using stemâloop RT followed by TaqMan PCR analysis. Stemâloop RT primers are better than conventional ones in terms of RT efficiency and specificity. TaqMan miRNA assays are specific for mature miRNAs and discriminate among related miRNAs that differ by as little as one nucleotide. Furthermore, they are not affected by genomic DNA contamination. Precise quantification is achieved routinely with as little as 25 pg of total RNA for most miRNAs. In fact, the high sensitivity, specificity and precision of this method allows for direct analysis of a single cell without nucleic acid purification. Like standard TaqMan gene expression assays, TaqMan miRNA assays exhibit a dynamic range of seven orders of magnitude. Quantification of five miRNAs in seven mouse tissues showed variation from less than 10 to more than 30â000 copies per cell. This method enables fast, accurate and sensitive miRNA expression profiling and can identify and monitor potential biomarkers specific to tissues or diseases. Stemâloop RTâPCR can be used for the quantification of other small RNA molecules such as short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Furthermore, the concept of stemâloop RT primer design could be applied in small RNA cloning and multiplex assays for better specificity and efficiency
Breakthrough Listen follow-up of the reported transient signal observed at the Arecibo Telescope in the direction of Ross 128
We undertook observations with the Green Bank Telescope, simultaneously with the 300 m telescope in Arecibo, as a follow-up of a possible flare of radio emission from Ross 128. We report here the non-detections from the GBT observations in C band (4â8 GHz), as well as non-detections in archival data at L band (1.1â1.9 GHz). We suggest that a likely scenario is that the emission comes from one or more satellites passing through the same region of the sky
Bayesian Fit of Exclusive Decays: The Standard Model Operator Basis
We perform a model-independent fit of the short-distance couplings
within the Standard Model set of and operators. Our analysis of , and decays is the first to harness the full
power of the Bayesian approach: all major sources of theory uncertainty
explicitly enter as nuisance parameters. Exploiting the latest measurements,
the fit reveals a flipped-sign solution in addition to a Standard-Model-like
solution for the couplings . Each solution contains about half of the
posterior probability, and both have nearly equal goodness of fit. The Standard
Model prediction is close to the best-fit point. No New Physics contributions
are necessary to describe the current data. Benefitting from the improved
posterior knowledge of the nuisance parameters, we predict ranges for currently
unmeasured, optimized observables in the angular distributions of .Comment: 42 pages, 8 figures; v2: Using new lattice input for f_Bs,
considering Bs-mixing effects in BR[B_s->ll]. Main results and conclusion
unchanged, matches journal versio
JWST MIRI flight performance: The Medium-Resolution Spectrometer
The Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) provides one of the four operating
modes of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space
Telescope (JWST). The MRS is an integral field spectrometer, measuring the
spatial and spectral distributions of light across the 5-28 wavelength
range with a spectral resolving power between 3700-1300. We present the MRS's
optical, spectral, and spectro-photometric performance, as achieved in flight,
and we report on the effects that limit the instrument's ultimate sensitivity.
The MRS flight performance has been quantified using observations of stars,
planetary nebulae, and planets in our Solar System. The precision and accuracy
of this calibration was checked against celestial calibrators with well-known
flux levels and spectral features. We find that the MRS geometric calibration
has a distortion solution accuracy relative to the commanded position of 8 mas
at 5 and 23 mas at 28 . The wavelength calibration is accurate
to within 9 km/sec at 5 and 27 km/sec at 28 . The uncertainty in
the absolute spectro-photometric calibration accuracy was estimated at 5.6 +-
0.7 %. The MIRI calibration pipeline is able to suppress the amplitude of
spectral fringes to below 1.5 % for both extended and point sources across the
entire wavelength range. The MRS point spread function (PSF) is 60 % broader
than the diffraction limit along its long axis at 5 and is 15 % broader
at 28 . The MRS flight performance is found to be better than prelaunch
expectations. The MRS is one of the most subscribed observing modes of JWST and
is yielding many high-profile publications. It is currently humanity's most
powerful instrument for measuring the mid-infrared spectra of celestial sources
and is expected to continue as such for many years to come.Comment: 16 pages, 21 figure
- âŠ