30,353 research outputs found
Phylogenetic and functional analysis of the Cation Diffusion Facilitator (CDF) family: improved signature and prediction of substrate specificity
BACKGROUND The Cation Diffusion Facilitator (CDF) family is a ubiquitous family of heavy metal transporters. Much interest in this family has focused on implications for human health and bioremediation. In this work a broad phylogenetic study has been undertaken which, considered in the context of the functional characteristics of some fully characterised CDF transporters, has aimed at identifying molecular determinants of substrate selectivity and at suggesting metal specificity for newly identified CDF transporters. RESULTS Representative CDF members from all three kingdoms of life (Archaea, Eubacteria, Eukaryotes) were retrieved from genomic databases. Protein sequence alignment has allowed detection of a modified signature that can be used to identify new hypothetical CDF members. Phylogenetic reconstruction has classified the majority of CDF family members into three groups, each containing characterised members that share the same specificity towards the principally-transported metal, i.e. Zn, Fe/Zn or Mn. The metal selectivity of newly identified CDF transporters can be inferred by their position in one of these groups. The function of some conserved amino acids was assessed by site-directed mutagenesis in the poplar Zn2+ transporter PtdMTP1 and compared with similar experiments performed in prokaryotic members. An essential structural role can be assigned to a widely conserved glycine residue, while aspartate and histidine residues, highly conserved in putative transmembrane domains, might be involved in metal transport. The potential role of group-conserved amino acid residues in metal specificity is discussed. CONCLUSION In the present study phylogenetic and functional analyses have allowed the identification of three major substrate-specific CDF groups. The metal selectivity of newly identified CDF transporters can be inferred by their position in one of these groups. The modified signature sequence proposed in this work can be used to identify new hypothetical CDF members
New Results from a Near-Infrared Search for Hidden Broad-Line Regions in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies
This paper reports the latest results from a near-infrared search for hidden
broad-line regions (BLRs: FWHM >~ 2,000 km/s) in ultraluminous infrared
galaxies (ULIGs). The new sample contains thirty-nine ULIGs from the 1-Jy
sample selected for their lack of BLRs at optical wavelengths. The results from
this new study are combined with those from our previous optical and
near-infrared surveys to derive the fraction of all ULIGs with optical or
near-infrared signs of genuine AGN activity (either a BLR or [Si VI] emission).
Comparisons of the dereddened emission-line luminosities of the optical or
obscured BLRs detected in the ULIGs of the 1-Jy sample with those of optical
quasars indicate that the obscured AGN/quasar in ULIGs is the main source of
energy in at least 15 -- 25% of all ULIGs in the 1-Jy sample. This fraction is
30 -- 50% among ULIGs with L_ir > 10^{12.3} L_sun. These results are compatible
with those from recent mid-infrared spectroscopic surveys carried out with ISO.
(abridged)Comment: 40 pages including 10 figures and 3 tables (Table 3 should be printed
in landscape mode
Major Galaxy Mergers and the Growth of Supermassive Black Holes in Quasars
Despite observed strong correlations between central supermassive black holes
(SMBHs) and star-formation in galactic nuclei, uncertainties exist in our
understanding of their coupling. We present observations of the ratio of
heavily-obscured to unobscured quasars as a function of cosmic epoch up to z~3,
and show that a simple physical model describing mergers of massive, gas-rich
galaxies matches these observations. In the context of this model, every
obscured and unobscured quasar represent two distinct phases that result from a
massive galaxy merger event. Much of the mass growth of the SMBH occurs during
the heavily-obscured phase. These observations provide additional evidence for
a causal link between gas-rich galaxy mergers, accretion onto the nuclear SMBH
and coeval star formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Science. Published by Science Express on
March 25th. 17 pages, 5 figures, including supplemental online materia
Stating Appointment Costs in SMS Reminders Reduces Missed Hospital Appointments: Findings from Two Randomised Controlled Trials
BACKGROUND:
Missed hospital appointments are a major cause of inefficiency worldwide. Healthcare providers are increasingly using Short Message Service reminders to reduce 'Did Not Attend' (DNA) rates. Systematic reviews show that sending such reminders is effective, but there is no evidence on whether their impact is affected by their content. Accordingly, we undertook two randomised controlled trials that tested the impact of rephrasing appointment reminders on DNA rates in the United Kingdom.
TRIAL METHODS:
Participants were outpatients with a valid mobile telephone number and an outpatient appointment between November 2013 and January 2014 (Trial One, 10,111 participants) or March and May 2014 (Trial Two, 9,848 participants). Appointments were randomly allocated to one of four reminder messages, which were issued five days in advance. Message assignment was then compared against appointment outcomes (appointment attendance, DNA, cancellation by patient).
RESULTS:
In Trial One, a message including the cost of a missed appointment to the health system produced a DNA rate of 8.4%, compared to 11.1% for the existing message (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.89, P<0.01). Trial Two replicated this effect (DNA rate 8.2%), but also found that expressing the same concept in general terms was significantly less effective (DNA rate 9.9%, OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.00-1.48, P<0.05). Moving from the existing reminder to the more effective costs message would result in 5,800 fewer missed appointments per year in the National Health Service Trust in question, at no additional cost. The study's main limitations are that it took place in a single location in England, and that it required accurate phone records, which were only obtained for 20% of eligible patients. We conclude that missed appointments can be reduced, for no additional cost, by introducing persuasive messages to appointment reminders. Future studies could examine the impact of varying reminder messages in other health systems.
TRIAL REGISTRATION:
Controlled-Trials.com 49432571
Optical Spectroscopy of the IRAS 1-Jy Sample of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies
This paper discusses the optical spectroscopic properties of the IRAS 1-Jy
sample of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs). One hundred and eight of the
118 1-Jy ULIGs have been observed at dlambda = 8.3 AA resolution over the
wavelength range ~4500 A -- 8900 A. These data are combined with large,
previously published sets of optical spectroscopic data of lower luminosity
infrared galaxies to look for systematic trends with infrared luminosity over
the luminosity range L_ir ~ 10^{10.5}-10^{13} L_sun. As found in previous
studies, the fraction of Seyfert galaxies among luminous infrared galaxies
increases abruptly above L_ir ~ 10^{12.3} L_sun --- about 50% of the galaxies
with L_ir > 10^{12.3} L_sun present Seyfert characteristics. Many of the
optical and infrared spectroscopic properties of the Seyfert galaxies are
consistent with the presence of a genuine active galactic nucleus (AGN). About
30% of these galaxies are Seyfert 1s with broad-line regions similar to those
of optical quasars. The percentage of Seyfert 1 ULIGs increases with infrared
luminosity, contrary to the predictions of the standard unification model for
Seyfert galaxies. Comparisons of the broad-line luminosities of optical and
obscured Seyfert 1 ULIGs with those of optically selected quasars of comparable
bolometric luminosity suggest that the dominant energy source in most of these
ULIGs is the same as in optical quasars, namely mass accretion onto a
supermassive black hole, rather than a starburst. These results are consistent
with recently published ISO, ASCA, and VLBI data. (abridged)Comment: Text and 23 figures (45 pages), Tables 1 - 6 (16 pages
An IRAS High Resolution Image Restoration (HIRES) Atlas of All Interacting Galaxies in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample
We present high-resolution (30"-1') 12, 25, 60, and 100 micron images of 106
interacting galaxy systems contained in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample
(RBGS, Sanders et al. 2003), a complete sample of all galaxies having a 60
micron flux density greater than 5.24 Jy. These systems were selected to have
at least two distinguishable galaxies separated by less than three average
galactic diameters, and thus we have excluded very widely separated systems and
very advanced mergers. The new complete survey has the same properties as the
prototype survey of Surace et al. 1993. We find no increased tendency for
infrared-bright galaxies to be associated with other infrared bright galaxies
among the widely separated pairs studied here. We find small enhancements in
far-infrared activity in multiple galaxy systems relative to RBGS
non-interacting galaxies with the same blue luminosity distribution. We also
find no differences in infrared activity (as measured by infrared color and
luminosity) between late and early-type spiral galaxies.Comment: 49 pages, 13 figures. To appear in the Astronomical Journal. Figures
have been degraded due to space considerations. A PDF version with higher
quality figures is available at
http://humu.ipac.caltech.edu/~jason/pubs/surace_hires.pd
Multi-Terabyte EIDE Disk Arrays running Linux RAID5
High-energy physics experiments are currently recording large amounts of data
and in a few years will be recording prodigious quantities of data. New methods
must be developed to handle this data and make analysis at universities
possible. Grid Computing is one method; however, the data must be cached at the
various Grid nodes. We examine some storage techniques that exploit recent
developments in commodity hardware. Disk arrays using RAID level 5 (RAID-5)
include both parity and striping. The striping improves access speed. The
parity protects data in the event of a single disk failure, but not in the case
of multiple disk failures.
We report on tests of dual-processor Linux Software RAID-5 arrays and
Hardware RAID-5 arrays using a 12-disk 3ware controller, in conjunction with
250 and 300 GB disks, for use in offline high-energy physics data analysis. The
price of IDE disks is now less than $1/GB. These RAID-5 disk arrays can be
scaled to sizes affordable to small institutions and used when fast random
access at low cost is important.Comment: Talk from the 2004 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics
(CHEP04), Interlaken, Switzerland, 27th September - 1st October 2004, 4
pages, LaTeX, uses CHEP2004.cls. ID 47, Poster Session 2, Track
Galactic metric, dark radiation, dark pressure and gravitational lensing in brane world models
In the braneworld scenario, the four dimensional effective Einstein equation
has extra terms which arise from the embedding of the 3-brane in the bulk.
These non-local effects, generated by the free gravitational field of the bulk,
may provide an explanation for the dynamics of the neutral hydrogen clouds at
large distances from the galactic center, which is usually explained by
postulating the existence of the dark matter. We obtain the exact galactic
metric, the dark radiation and the dark pressure in the flat rotation curves
region in the brane world scenario. Due to the presence of the bulk effects,
the flat rotation curves could extend several hundred kpc. The limiting radius
for which bulk effects are important is estimated and compared with the
numerical values of the truncation parameter of the dark matter halos, obtained
from weak lensing observations. There is a relatively good agreement between
the predictions of the model and observations. The deflection of photons is
also considered and the bending angle of light is computed. The bending angle
predicted by the brane world models is much larger than that predicted by
standard general relativistic and dark matter models. The angular radii of the
Einstein rings are obtained in the small angles approximation. The predictions
of the brane world model for the tangential shear are compared with the
observational data obtained in the weak lensing of galaxies in the Red-Sequence
Cluster Survey. Therefore the study of the light deflection by galaxies and the
gravitational lensing could discriminate between the different dynamical laws
proposed to model the motion of particles at the galactic level and the
standard dark matter models.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Representations of the Weyl group and Wigner functions for SU(3)
Bases for SU(3) irreps are constructed on a space of three-particle tensor
products of two-dimensional harmonic oscillator wave functions. The Weyl group
is represented as the symmetric group of permutations of the particle
coordinates of these space. Wigner functions for SU(3) are expressed as
products of SU(2) Wigner functions and matrix elements of Weyl transformations.
The constructions make explicit use of dual reductive pairs which are shown to
be particularly relevant to problems in optics and quantum interferometry.Comment: : RevTex file, 11 pages with 2 figure
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