815 research outputs found
BL LAC PKSB1144-379 an extreme scintillator
Rapid variability in the radio flux density of the BL Lac object PKSB1144-379
has been observed at four frequencies, ranging from 1.5 to 15 GHz, with the VLA
and the University of Tasmania's Ceduna antenna. Intrinsic and line of sight
effects were examined as possible causes of this variability, with interstellar
scintillation best explaining the frequency dependence of the variability
timescales and modulation indices. This scintillation is consistent with a
compact source 20-40 microarcseconds, or 0.15-0.3 pc in size. The inferred
brightness temperature for PKSB1144-379 (assuming that the observed variations
are due to scintillation) is 6.2e12 K at 4.9 GHz, with approximately 10 percent
of the total flux in the scintillating component. We show that scintillation
surveys aimed at identifying variability timescales of days to weeks are an
effective way to identify the AGN with the highest brightness temperatures.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
catena-Poly[[silver(I)-μ-N-(3-pyridylmethyl)pyridine-4-carboxamide] nitrate monohydrate]
In the title compound, {[Ag(C12H11N3O)]NO3·H2O}n, the Ag atom is coordinated by two N atoms from the heterocyclic ligand, giving a linear polycationic chain. Two long Ag⋯Onitrate interactions [2.667 (3) and 2.840 (3) Å] result in a three-dimensional network. The water molecule consolidates the network structure by forming hydrogen bonds, one to the polycationic chain and one to the nitrate anion
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Oncogenic R132 IDH1 Mutations Limit NADPH for De Novo Lipogenesis through (D)2-Hydroxyglutarate Production in Fibrosarcoma Sells.
Neomorphic mutations in NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDH1 and IDH2) contribute to tumorigenesis in several cancers. Although significant research has focused on the hypermethylation phenotypes associated with (D)2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) accumulation, the metabolic consequences of these mutations may also provide therapeutic opportunities. Here we apply flux-based approaches to genetically engineered cell lines with an endogenous IDH1 mutation to examine the metabolic impacts of increased D2HG production and altered IDH flux as a function of IDH1 mutation or expression. D2HG synthesis in IDH1-mutant cells consumes NADPH at rates similar to de novo lipogenesis. IDH1-mutant cells exhibit increased dependence on exogenous lipid sources for in vitro growth, as removal of medium lipids slows growth more dramatically in IDH1-mutant cells compared with those expressing wild-type or enzymatically inactive alleles. NADPH regeneration may be limiting for lipogenesis and potentially redox homeostasis in IDH1-mutant cells, highlighting critical links between cellular biosynthesis and redox metabolism
Precision Astrometry with the Very Long Baseline Array: Parallaxes and Proper Motions for 14 Pulsars
Astrometry can bring powerful constraints to bear on a variety of scientific
questions about neutron stars, including their origins, astrophysics,
evolution, and environments. Using phase-referenced observations at the VLBA,
in conjunction with pulsar gating and in-beam calibration, we have measured the
parallaxes and proper motions for 14 pulsars. The smallest measured parallax in
our sample is 0.13+-0.02 mas for PSR B1541+09, which has a most probable
distance of 7.2+1.3-1.1 kpc. We detail our methods, including initial VLA
surveys to select candidates and find in-beam calibrators, VLBA
phase-referencing, pulsar gating, calibration, and data reduction. The use of
the bootstrap method to estimate astrometric uncertainties in the presence of
unmodeled systematic errors is also described. Based on our new
model-independent estimates for distance and transverse velocity, we
investigate the kinematics and birth sites of the pulsars and revisit models of
the Galactic electron density distribution. We find that young pulsars are
moving away from the Galactic plane, as expected, and that age estimates from
kinematics and pulsar spindown are generally in agreement, with certain notable
exceptions. Given its present trajectory, the pulsar B2045-16 was plausibly
born in the open cluster NGC 6604. For several high-latitude pulsars, the
NE2001 electron density model underestimates the parallax distances by a factor
of two, while in others the estimates agree with or are larger than the
parallax distances, suggesting that the interstellar medium is irregular on
relevant length scales. The VLBA astrometric results for the recycled pulsar
J1713+0747 are consistent with two independent estimates from pulse timing,
enabling a consistency check between the different reference frames.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables; results unchanged; revised version
accepted by Ap
Probing the Neutron Star Interior with Glitches
With the aim of constraining the structural properties of neutron stars and
the equation of state of dense matter, we study sudden spin-ups, glitches,
occurring in the Vela pulsar and in six other pulsars. We present evidence that
glitches represent a self-regulating instability for which the star prepares
over a waiting time. The angular momentum requirements of glitches in Vela
indicate that at least 1.4% of the star's moment of inertia drives these
events. If glitches originate in the liquid of the inner crust, Vela's
`radiation radius' must exceed ~12 km for a mass of 1.4 solar
masses. The isolated neutron star RX J18563-3754 is a promising candidate for a
definitive radius measurement, and offers to further our understanding of dense
matter and the origin of glitches.Comment: Invited talk at the Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar Astrophysics,
Hong Kong, Aug. 1999. 9 pages, 5 figure
Transient radio bursts from rotating neutron stars
The `radio sky' is relatively unexplored for transient signals, although the
potential of radio-transient searches is high, as demonstrated recently by the
discovery of a previously unknown type of source which varies on timescales of
minutes to hours. Here we report a new large-scale search for radio sources
varying on much shorter timescales. This has revealed 11 objects characterized
by single, dispersed bursts having durations between 2 and 30 ms. The average
time intervals between bursts range from 4 minutes to 3 hours, with radio
emission typically detectable for < 1 s per day. From an analysis of the burst
arrival times, we have identified periodicities in the range 0.4 - 7 s for ten
of the 11 sources, suggesting a rotating neutron star origin. Despite the small
number of sources presently detected, their ephemeral nature implies a total
Galactic population which significantly exceeds that of the regularly pulsing
radio pulsars. Five of the ten sources have periods greater than 4 s, and
period derivatives have been measured for three of the sources, with one having
a very high inferred magnetic field of 5e13 G, suggesting that this new
population is related to other classes of isolated neutron stars observed at
X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Accepted by Natur
Precision southern hemisphere VLBI pulsar astrometry II: Measurement of seven parallaxes
Accurate measurement of pulsar distances via astrometry using very long
baseline interferometry enables the improvement of Galactic electron density
distribution models, improving distance estimates for the vast majority of
pulsars for which parallax measurements are unavailable. However, pulsars at
southern declinations have been under-represented in previous interferometric
astrometry campaigns. In order to redress this imbalance, we have conducted a
two-year astrometric campaign targeting eight southern pulsars with the
Australian Long Baseline Array. The program summarized in this paper has
resulted in the measurement of seven new pulsar parallaxes, with success on
objects down to a mean flux density of 0.8 mJy at 1600 MHz. Our results
highlight the substantial uncertainties that remain when utilizing free
electron density models for individual pulsar distances. Until this study, PSR
J0630-2834 was believed to convert 16% of its spin-down energy into x-rays, but
our measured parallax distance of 332 (+52 -40) pc has revised this value to
<1%. In contrast, PSR J0108-1431 was found to be almost a factor of two more
distant than previously thought, making its conversion of spin-down energy to
x-rays the most efficient known (>1%). The 8.5 second radio pulsar J2144-3933
was found to be closer than previously predicted, making its apparent 1400 MHz
radio luminosity the lowest of any known pulsar (20 microJy kpc^2). We have
examined the growing population of neutron stars with accurate parallaxes to
determine the effect of distance errors on the underlying neutron star velocity
distribution, and find that typical distance errors may be biasing the
estimated mean pulsar velocity upwards by 5%, and are likely to exaggerate the
distribution's high-velocity tail.Comment: 37 pages, 14 figures, accepted by Ap
The IDV source J1128+5925, a new candidate for annual modulation?
Short time-scale radio variations of compact extragalactic radio sources,
known as IntraDay Variability, can be explained in at least some sources by a
source-extrinsic effect, in which the variations are interpreted as
scintillation of radio waves caused by the turbulent ISM of the Milky Way. One
of the most convincing observational arguments in favour of propagation-induced
variability is the so called annual modulation of the characteristic
variability time-scale, which is due to the orbital motion of the Earth. Data
for the recently discovered and highly variable IDV source J1128+5925 are
presented. We study the frequency and time dependence of the IDV in this
compact quasar. We measure the characteristic variability time-scale of the IDV
throughout the year, and analyze whether the observed changes in the
variability time-scale are consistent with annual modulation. We monitored the
flux density variability of J1128+5925 with dense time sampling between 2.7 and
10.45GHz with the 100m Effelsberg radio telescope of the MPIfR and with the 25m
Urumqi radio telescope. From ten observing sessions, we determine the
variability characteristics and time-scales. The observed pronounced changes of
the variability time-scale of J1128+5925 are modelled with an anisotropic
annual modulation model. The observed frequency dependence of the variation is
in good agreement with the prediction from interstellar scintillation. Adopting
a simple model for the annual modulation model and using also the frequency
dependence of the IDV, we derive a lower limit to the distance of the
scattering screen and an upper limit to the scintillating source size. The
latter is found to be consistent with the measured core size from VLBI.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
The Small Molecule Inhibitor QLT0267 Radiosensitizes Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells of the Head and Neck
BACKGROUND: The constant increase of cancer cell resistance to radio- and chemotherapy hampers improvement of patient survival and requires novel targeting approaches. Integrin-Linked Kinase (ILK) has been postulated as potent druggable cancer target. On the basis of our previous findings clearly showing that ILK transduces antisurvival signals in cells exposed to ionizing radiation, this study evaluated the impact of the small molecule inhibitor QLT0267, reported as putative ILK inhibitor, on the cellular radiation survival response of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells (hHNSCC). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Parental FaDu cells and FaDu cells stably transfected with a constitutively active ILK mutant (FaDu-IH) or empty vectors, UTSCC45 cells, ILK(floxed/floxed(fl/fl)) and ILK(-/-) mouse fibroblasts were used. Cells grew either two-dimensionally (2D) on or three-dimensionally (3D) in laminin-rich extracellular matrix. Cells were treated with QLT0267 alone or in combination with irradiation (X-rays, 0-6 Gy single dose). ILK knockdown was achieved by small interfering RNA transfection. ILK kinase activity, clonogenic survival, number of residual DNA double strand breaks (rDSB; gammaH2AX/53BP1 foci assay), cell cycle distribution, protein expression and phosphorylation (e.g. Akt, p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)) were measured. Data on ILK kinase activity and phosphorylation of Akt and p44/42 MAPK revealed a broad inhibitory spectrum of QLT0267 without specificity for ILK. QLT0267 significantly reduced basal cell survival and enhanced the radiosensitivity of FaDu and UTSCC45 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. QLT0267 exerted differential, cell culture model-dependent effects with regard to radiogenic rDSB and accumulation of cells in the G2 cell cycle phase. Relative to corresponding controls, FaDu-IH and ILK(fl/fl) fibroblasts showed enhanced radiosensitivity, which failed to be antagonized by QLT0267. A knockdown of ILK revealed no change in clonogenic survival of the tested cell lines as compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data clearly show that the small molecule inhibitor QLT0267 has potent cytotoxic and radiosensitizing capability in hHNSCC cells. However, QLT0267 is not specific for ILK. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are necessary to clarify the potential of QLT0267 as a targeted therapeutic in the clinic
Irradiation differentially affects substratum-dependent survival, adhesion, and invasion of glioblastoma cell lines
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