1,933 research outputs found
On the heating of source of the Orion KL hot core
We present images of the J=10-9 rotational lines of HC3N in the vibrationally
excited levels 1v7, 1v6 and 1v5 of the hot core (HC) in Orion KL. The images
show that the spatial distribution and the size emission from the 1v7 and 1v5
levels are different. While the J=10-9 1v7 line has a size of 4''x 6'' and
peaks 1.1'' NE of the 3 mm continuum peak, the J=10--9 1v5 line emission is
unresolved (<3'') and peaks 1.3'' south of the 3 mm peak. This is a clear
indication that the HC is composed of condensations with very different
temperatures (170 K for the 1v7 peak and K for the 1v5 peak). The
temperature derived from the 1v7 and 1v5 lines increases with the projected
distance to the suspected main heating source I. Projection effects along the
line of sight could explain the temperature gradient as produced by source I.
However, the large luminosity required for source I, >5 10^5 Lsolar, to explain
the 1v5 line suggests that external heating by this source may not dominate the
heating of the HC. Simple model calculations of the vibrationally excited
emission indicate that the HC can be internally heated by a source with a
luminosity of 10^5 Lsolar, located 1.2'' SW of the 1v5 line peak (1.8'' south
of source I). We also report the first detection of high-velocity gas from
vibrationally excited HC3N emission. Based on excitation arguments we conclude
that the main heating source is also driving the molecular outflow. We
speculate that all the data presented in this letter and the IR images are
consistent with a young massive protostar embedded in an edge-on disk.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, To be published in Ap.J. Letter
The effect of heterogeneity on invasion in spatial epidemics: from theory to experimental evidence in a model system
Heterogeneity in host populations is an important factor affecting the ability of a pathogen to invade, yet the quantitative investigation of its effects on epidemic spread is still an open problem. In this paper, we test recent theoretical results, which extend the established âpercolation paradigmâ to the spread of a pathogen in discrete heterogeneous host populations. In particular, we test the hypothesis that the probability of epidemic invasion decreases when host heterogeneity is increased. We use replicated experimental microcosms, in which the ubiquitous pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani grows through a population of discrete nutrient sites on a lattice, with nutrient sites representing hosts. The degree of host heterogeneity within different populations is adjusted by changing the proportion and the nutrient concentration of nutrient sites. The experimental data are analysed via Bayesian inference methods, estimating pathogen transmission parameters for each individual population. We find a significant, negative correlation between heterogeneity and the probability of pathogen invasion, thereby validating the theory. The value of the correlation is also in remarkably good agreement with the theoretical predictions. We briefly discuss how our results can be exploited in the design and implementation of disease control strategies
Complexity and anisotropy in host morphology make populations safer against epidemic outbreaks
One of the challenges in epidemiology is to account for the complex
morphological structure of hosts such as plant roots, crop fields, farms,
cells, animal habitats and social networks, when the transmission of infection
occurs between contiguous hosts. Morphological complexity brings an inherent
heterogeneity in populations and affects the dynamics of pathogen spread in
such systems. We have analysed the influence of realistically complex host
morphology on the threshold for invasion and epidemic outbreak in an SIR
(susceptible-infected-recovered) epidemiological model. We show that disorder
expressed in the host morphology and anisotropy reduces the probability of
epidemic outbreak and thus makes the system more resistant to epidemic
outbreaks. We obtain general analytical estimates for minimally safe bounds for
an invasion threshold and then illustrate their validity by considering an
example of host data for branching hosts (salamander retinal ganglion cells).
Several spatial arrangements of hosts with different degrees of heterogeneity
have been considered in order to analyse separately the role of shape
complexity and anisotropy in the host population. The estimates for invasion
threshold are linked to morphological characteristics of the hosts that can be
used for determining the threshold for invasion in practical applications.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure
First evidence for dusty disks around Herbig Be stars
We have carried out a high-sensitivity search for circumstellar disks around
Herbig Be stars in the continuum at 1.4mm and 2.7mm using the IRAM
interferometer at the Plateau de Bure (PdBI) . In this letter, we report data
on three well studied B0 stars, MWC 1080, MWC 137 and R Mon. The two latter
have also been observed in the continuum at 0.7 cm and 1.3 cm using the NRAO
Very Large Array (VLA) . We report the detection of circumstellar disks around
MWC 1080 and R Mon with masses of Md ~ 0.003 and 0.01 Msun, respectively, while
for MWC 137 we estimate a disk mass upper limit of 0.007 Msun. Our results show
that the ratio Md/M* is at least an order of magnitude lower in Herbig Be stars
than in Herbig Ae and T Tauri stars.Comment: 5 pages (including figures
Detection of Emission from the CN Radical in the Cloverleaf Quasar at z=2.56
We report the detection of CN(N=3-2) emission towards the Cloverleaf quasar
(z=2.56) based on observations with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer.
This is the first clear detection of emission from this radical at high
redshift. CN emission is a tracer of dense molecular hydrogen gas (n(H2) > 10^4
cm^{-3}) within star-forming molecular clouds, in particular in regions where
the clouds are affected by UV radiation. The HCN/CN intensity ratio can be used
as a diagnostic for the relative importance of photodissociation regions (PDRs)
in a source, and as a sensitive probe of optical depth, the radiation field,
and photochemical processes. We derive a lensing-corrected CN(N=3-2) line
luminosity of L'(CN(3-2) = (4.5 +/- 0.5) x 10^9 K km/s pc^2. The ratio between
CN luminosity and far-infrared luminosity falls within the scatter of the same
relationship found for low-z (ultra-) luminous infrared galaxies. Combining our
new results with CO(J=3-2) and HCN(J=1-0) measurements from the literature and
assuming thermal excitation for all transitions, we find a CO/CN luminosity
ratio of 9.3 +/- 1.9 and a HCN/CN luminosity ratio of 0.95 +/- 0.15. However,
we find that the CN(N=3-2) line is likely only subthermally excited, implying
that those ratios may only provide upper limits for the intrinsic 1-0 line
luminosity ratios. We conclude that, in combination with other molecular gas
tracers like CO, HCN, and HCO+, CN is an important probe of the physical
conditions and chemical composition of dense molecular environments at high
redshift.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, to appear in ApJ (accepted May 23, 2007
Optimal network topologies: Expanders, Cages, Ramanujan graphs, Entangled networks and all that
We report on some recent developments in the search for optimal network
topologies. First we review some basic concepts on spectral graph theory,
including adjacency and Laplacian matrices, and paying special attention to the
topological implications of having large spectral gaps. We also introduce
related concepts as ``expanders'', Ramanujan, and Cage graphs. Afterwards, we
discuss two different dynamical feautures of networks: synchronizability and
flow of random walkers and so that they are optimized if the corresponding
Laplacian matrix have a large spectral gap. From this, we show, by developing a
numerical optimization algorithm that maximum synchronizability and fast random
walk spreading are obtained for a particular type of extremely homogeneous
regular networks, with long loops and poor modular structure, that we call
entangled networks. These turn out to be related to Ramanujan and Cage graphs.
We argue also that these graphs are very good finite-size approximations to
Bethe lattices, and provide almost or almost optimal solutions to many other
problems as, for instance, searchability in the presence of congestion or
performance of neural networks. Finally, we study how these results are
modified when studying dynamical processes controlled by a normalized (weighted
and directed) dynamics; much more heterogeneous graphs are optimal in this
case. Finally, a critical discussion of the limitations and possible extensions
of this work is presented.Comment: 17 pages. 11 figures. Small corrections and a new reference. Accepted
for pub. in JSTA
Impact of neuropeptide substance P an inflammatory compound on arachidonic acid compound generation
There is much evidence that neuropeptide substance P is involved in neurogenic inflammation and is an important neurotransmitter and neurmodulator compound. In addition, substance P plays an important role in inflammation and immunity. Macrophages can be activated by substance P which provokes the release of inflammatory compounds such as interleukins, chemokines and growth factors. Substance P is involved in the mechanism of pain through the trigeminal nerve which runs through the head, temporal and sinus cavity. Substance P also activates mast cells to release inflammatory mediators such as arachindonic acid compound, cytokines/chemokines and histamine. The release of these chemical mediators is crucial for inflammatory response. Among these mediators there are prostoglandins and leukotrines. Here we review the impact of substance P on inflammatory compounds
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