9,548 research outputs found
X-ray anomalous scattering investigations on the charge order in -NaVO
Anomalous x-ray diffraction studies show that the charge ordering in
-NaVO is of zig-zag type in all vanadium ladders. We
have found that there are two models of the stacking of layers along
\emph{c-}direction, each of them consisting of 2 degenerated patterns, and that
the experimental data is well reproduced if the 2 patterns appears
simultaneously. We believe that the low temperature structure contains stacking
faults separating regions corresponding to the four possible patterns.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett., 4 pages, 4 eps figures inserted in the
tex
Millimeter dust continuum emission unveiling the true mass of giant molecular clouds in the Small Magellanic Cloud
CO observations have been so far the best way to trace molecular gas in
external galaxies, but at low metallicity the gas mass deduced could be largely
underestimated. At present, the kinematic information of CO data cubes are used
to estimate virial masses and trace the total mass of the molecular clouds.
Millimeter dust emission can also be used as a dense gas tracer and could
unveil H2 envelopes lacking CO. These different tracers must be compared in
different environments. This study compares virial masses to masses deduced
from millimeter emission, in two GMC samples: the local molecular clouds in our
Galaxy and their equivalents in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), one of the
nearest low metallicity dwarf galaxy. In our Galaxy, mass estimates deduced
from millimeter emission are consistent with masses deduced from gamma ray
analysis and trace the total mass of the clouds. Virial masses are
systematically larger (twice on average) than mass estimates from millimeter
dust emission. This difference decreases toward high masses and has already
been reported in previous studies. In the SMC however, molecular cloud masses
deduced from SIMBA millimeter observations are systematically higher (twice on
average for conservative values of the dust to gas ratio and dust emissivity)
than the virial masses from SEST CO observations. The observed excess can not
be accounted for by any plausible change of dust properties. Taking a general
form for the virial theorem, we show that a magnetic field strength of ~15
micro Gauss in SMC clouds could provide additional support to the clouds and
explain the difference observed. Masses of SMC molecular clouds have therefore
been underestimated so far. Magnetic pressure may contribute significantly to
their support.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, Astronomy & Astrophysics accepte
Low-energy excitations in NaV2O5
In the (ab) polarized Raman scattering spectra of NaV2O5 single crystals,
measured with 647.1 nm laser line at T < Tc, we found two modes at 86, and 126
cm-1 not previously reported. These two modes, together with 66, and 106 cm-1
modes, make an array of four low-energy equidistant modes below the energy
onset of the continuum at about 132 cm-1. All four modes are strongly
suppressed by increasing Na deficiency, indicating their nonvibrational origin
and the existence of a quantum phase transition at critical Na deficiency
between 3 and 4%. These results question current understanding of NaV2O5 as
quasi one-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
The cell envelope subtilisin-like proteinase is a virulence determinant for Streptococcus suis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Streptococcus suis </it>is a major swine pathogen and zoonotic agent that mainly causes septicemia, meningitis, and endocarditis. It has recently been suggested that proteinases produced by <it>S. suis </it>(serotype 2) are potential virulence determinants. In the present study, we screened a <it>S. suis </it>mutant library created by the insertion of Tn<it>917 </it>transposon in order to isolate a mutant deficient in a cell surface proteinase. We characterized the gene and assessed the proteinase for its potential as a virulence factor.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two mutants (G6G and M3G) possessing a single Tn<it>917 </it>insertion were isolated. The affected gene coded for a protein (SSU0757) that shared a high degree of identity with <it>Streptococccus thermophilus </it>PrtS (95.9%) and, to a lesser extent, with <it>Streptococcus agalactiae </it>CspA (49.5%), which are cell surface serine proteinases. The SSU0757 protein had a calculated molecular mass of 169.6 kDa and contained the catalytic triad characteristic of subtilisin family proteinases: motif I (Asp<sub>200</sub>), motif II (His<sub>239</sub>), and motif III (Ser<sub>568</sub>). SSU0757 also had the Gram-positive cell wall anchoring motif (Leu-Pro-X-Thr-Gly) at the carboxy-terminus, which was followed by a hydrophobic domain. All the <it>S. suis </it>isolates tested, which belonged to different serotypes, possessed the gene encoding the SSU0757 protein. The two mutants devoid of subtilisin-like proteinase activity had longer generation times and were more susceptible to killing by whole blood than the wild-type parent strain P1/7. The virulence of the G6G and M3G mutants was compared to the wild-type strain in the CD1 mouse model. Significant differences in mortality rates were noted between the P1/7 group and the M3G and G6G groups (<it>p </it>< 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In summary, we identified a gene coding for a cell surface subtilisin-like serine proteinase that is widely distributed in <it>S. suis</it>. Evidences were brought for the involvement of this proteinase in <it>S. suis </it>virulence.</p
GYES, a multifibre spectrograph for the CFHT
We have chosen the name of GYES, one of the mythological giants with one
hundred arms, offspring of Gaia and Uranus, for our instrument study of a
multifibre spectrograph for the prime focus of the Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope. Such an instrument could provide an excellent ground-based
complement for the Gaia mission and a northern complement to the HERMES project
on the AAT. The CFHT is well known for providing a stable prime focus
environment, with a large field of view, which has hosted several imaging
instruments, but has never hosted a multifibre spectrograph. Building upon the
experience gained at GEPI with FLAMES-Giraffe and X-Shooter, we are
investigating the feasibility of a high multiplex spectrograph (about 500
fibres) over a field of view 1 degree in diameter. We are investigating an
instrument with resolution in the range 15000 to 30000, which should provide
accurate chemical abundances for stars down to 16th magnitude and radial
velocities, accurate to 1 km/s for fainter stars. The study is led by
GEPI-Observatoire de Paris with a contribution from Oxford for the study of the
positioner. The financing for the study comes from INSU CSAA and Observatoire
de Paris. The conceptual study will be delivered to CFHT for review by October
1st 2010.Comment: Contributed talk at the Gaia ELSA conference 2010, S\`evres 7-11 June
2010, to be published on the EAS Series, Editors: C. Turon, F. Arenou & F.
Meynadie
The OSACA Database and a Kinematic Analysis of Stars in the Solar Neighborhood
We transformed radial velocities compiled from more than 1400 published
sources, including the Geneva--Copenhagen survey of the solar neighborhood
(CORAVEL-CfA), into a uniform system based on the radial velocities of 854
standard stars in our list. This enabled us to calculate the average weighted
radial velocities for more than 25~000 HIPPARCOS stars located in the local
Galactic spiral arm (Orion arm) with a median error of +-1 km/s. We use these
radial velocities together with the stars' coordinates, parallaxes, and proper
motions to determine their Galactic coordinates and space velocities. These
quantities, along with other parameters of the stars, are available from the
continuously updated Orion Spiral Arm CAtalogue (OSACA) and the associated
database. We perform a kinematic analysis of the stars by applying an
Ogorodnikov-Milne model to the OSACA data. The kinematics of the nearest single
and multiple main-sequence stars differ substantially. We used distant
(r\approx 0.2 kpc) stars of mixed spectral composition to estimate the angular
velocity of the Galactic rotation -25.7+-1.2 km/s/kpc, and the vertex
deviation,l=13+-2 degrees, and detect a negative K effect. This negative K
effect is most conspicuous in the motion of A0-A5 giants, and is equal to
K=-13.1+-2.0 km/s/kpc.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure
Performance of Glass Resistive Plate Chambers for a high granularity semi-digital calorimeter
A new design of highly granular hadronic calorimeter using Glass Resistive
Plate Chambers (GRPCs) with embedded electronics has been proposed for the
future International Linear Collider (ILC) experiments. It features a 2-bit
threshold semi-digital read-out. Several GRPC prototypes with their electronics
have been successfully built and tested in pion beams. The design of these
detectors is presented along with the test results on efficiency, pad
multiplicity, stability and reproducibility.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figure
Construction and commissioning of a technological prototype of a high-granularity semi-digital hadronic calorimeter
A large prototype of 1.3m3 was designed and built as a demonstrator of the
semi-digital hadronic calorimeter (SDHCAL) concept proposed for the future ILC
experiments. The prototype is a sampling hadronic calorimeter of 48 units. Each
unit is built of an active layer made of 1m2 Glass Resistive Plate
Chamber(GRPC) detector placed inside a cassette whose walls are made of
stainless steel. The cassette contains also the electronics used to read out
the GRPC detector. The lateral granularity of the active layer is provided by
the electronics pick-up pads of 1cm2 each. The cassettes are inserted into a
self-supporting mechanical structure built also of stainless steel plates
which, with the cassettes walls, play the role of the absorber. The prototype
was designed to be very compact and important efforts were made to minimize the
number of services cables to optimize the efficiency of the Particle Flow
Algorithm techniques to be used in the future ILC experiments. The different
components of the SDHCAL prototype were studied individually and strict
criteria were applied for the final selection of these components. Basic
calibration procedures were performed after the prototype assembling. The
prototype is the first of a series of new-generation detectors equipped with a
power-pulsing mode intended to reduce the power consumption of this highly
granular detector. A dedicated acquisition system was developed to deal with
the output of more than 440000 electronics channels in both trigger and
triggerless modes. After its completion in 2011, the prototype was commissioned
using cosmic rays and particles beams at CERN.Comment: 49 pages, 41 figure
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