4,885 research outputs found
Candidate Members and Age Estimate of the Family of Kuiper Belt Object 2003 EL61
The collisional family of Kuiper belt object (KBO) 2003 EL61 opens the
possibility for many interesting new studies of processes important in the
formation and evolution of the outer solar system. As the first family in the
Kuiper belt, it can be studied using techniques developed for studying asteroid
families, although some modifications are necessary. Applying these modified
techniques allows for a dynamical study of the 2003 EL61 family. The velocity
required to change orbits is used to quantitatively identify objects near the
collision. A method for identifying family members that have potentially
diffused in resonances (like 2003 EL61) is also developed. Known family members
are among the very closest KBOs to the collision and two new likely family
members are identified: 2003 UZ117 and 1999 OY3. We also give tables of
candidate family members which require future observations to confirm
membership. We estimate that a minimum of ~1 GYr is needed for resonance
diffusion to produce the current position of 2003 EL61, implying that the
family is likely primordial. Future refinement of the age estimate is possible
once (many) more resonant objects are identified. The ancient nature of the
collision contrasts with the seemingly fresh surfaces of known family members,
suggesting that our understanding of outer solar system surfaces is incomplete.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures, accepted to AJ, author's cv available at
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~dari
Discovery of a Binary Centaur
We have identified a binary companion to (42355) 2002 CR46 in our ongoing
deep survey using the Hubble Space Telescope's High Resolution Camera. It is
the first companion to be found around an object in a non-resonant orbit that
crosses the orbits of giant planets. Objects in orbits of this kind, the
Centaurs, have experienced repeated strong scattering with one or more giant
planets and therefore the survival of binaries in this transient population has
been in question. Monte Carlo simulations suggest, however, that binaries in
(42355) 2002 CR46 -like heliocentric orbits have a high probability of survival
for reasonable estimates of the binary's still-unknown system mass and
separation. Because Centaurs are thought to be precursors to short period
comets, the question of the existence of binary comets naturally arises; none
has yet been definitively identified. The discovery of one binary in a sample
of eight observed by HST suggests that binaries in this population may not be
uncommon.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, 1 table accepted for publication in Icaru
The Mutual Orbit, Mass, and Density of Transneptunian Binary Gknhmdm (229762 2007 UK126)
We present high spatial resolution images of the binary transneptunian object Gkn'hmdm (229762 2007 UK126) obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope and with the Keck observatory on Mauna Kea to determine the orbit of G' hG' h, the much smaller and redder satellite. G' h orbits in a prograde sense, on a circular or near-circular orbit with a period of 11.3 days and a semimajor axis of 6000 km. Tidal evolution is expected to be slow, so it is likely that the system formed already in a low-eccentricity configuration, and possibly also with the orbit plane of the satellite in or close to the plane of Gkn'hmdm's equator. From the orbital parameters we can compute the system mass to be 1.4 10(exp 20) kg. Combined with estimates of the size of Gkn'hmdm from thermal observations and stellar occultations, we can estimate the bulk density as about 1 g cm(exp 3). This low density is indicative of an ice-rich composition, unless there is substantial internal porosity. We consider the hypothesis that the composition is not unusually ice-rich compared with larger TNOs and comet nuclei, and instead the porosity is high, suggesting that mid-sized objects in the 400 to 1000 km diameter range mark the transition between small, porous objects and larger objects that have collapsed their internal void space as a result of their much higher internal pressures and temperatures
Pairwise Well-Formed Modes and Transformations
One of the most significant attitudinal shifts in the history of music
occurred in the Renaissance, when an emerging triadic consciousness moved
musicians towards a new scalar formation that placed major thirds on a par with
perfect fifths. In this paper we revisit the confrontation between the two
idealized scalar and modal conceptions, that of the ancient and medieval world
and that of the early modern world, associated especially with Zarlino. We do
this at an abstract level, in the language of algebraic combinatorics on words.
In scale theory the juxtaposition is between well-formed and pairwise
well-formed scales and modes, expressed in terms of Christoffel words or
standard words and their conjugates, and the special Sturmian morphisms that
generate them. Pairwise well-formed scales are encoded by words over a
three-letter alphabet, and in our generalization we introduce special positive
automorphisms of , the free group over three letters.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, paper presented at the MCM2017 at UNAM in Mexico
City on June 27, 2017, keywords: pairwise well-formed scales and modes,
well-formed scales and modes, well-formed words, Christoffel words, standard
words, central words, algebraic combinatorics on words, special Sturmian
morphism
Effects of statins on endothelial function and lipid profile in HIV infected persons receiving protease inhibitor-containing anti-retroviral combination therapy: a randomised double blind crossover trial
Functional Relaxation and Guided Imagery as Complementary Therapy in Asthma: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Background: Asthma is a frequently disabling and almost invariably distressing disease that has a high overall prevalence. Although relaxation techniques and hypnotherapeutic interventions have proven their effectiveness in numerous trials, relaxation therapies are still not recommended in treatment guidelines due to a lack of methodological quality in many of the trials. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of the brief relaxation technique of functional relaxation (FR) and guided imagery (GI) in adult asthmatics in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: 64 patients with extrinsic bronchial asthma were treated over a 4-week period and assessed at baseline, after treatment and after 4 months, for follow-up. 16 patients completed FR, 14 GI, 15 both FR and GI (FR/GI) and 13 received a placebo relaxation technique as the control intervention (CI). The forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1) as well as the specific airway resistance (sR(aw)) were employed as primary outcome measures. Results: Participation in FR, GI and FR/GI led to increases in FEV 1 (% predicted) of 7.6 +/- 13.2, 3.3 +/- 9.8, and 8.3 +/- 21.0, respectively, as compared to -1.8 +/- 11.1 in the CI group at the end of the therapy. After follow-up, the increases in FEV 1 were 6.9 +/- 10.3 in the FR group, 4.4 +/- 7.3 in the GI and 4.5 +/- 8.1 in the FR/GI, compared to -2.8 +/- 9.2 in the CI. Improvements in sR(aw) (% predicted) were in keeping with the changes in FEV 1 in all groups. Conclusions: Our study confirms a positive effect of FR on respiratory parameters and suggests a clinically relevant long-term benefit from FR as a nonpharmacological and complementary therapy treatment option. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base
Spectroscopic Detection of Carbon Monoxide in Two Late-type T Dwarfs
M band spectra of two late-type T dwarfs, 2MASS J09373487+2931409, and Gliese
570D, confirm evidence from photometry that photospheric CO is present at
abundance levels far in excess of those predicted from chemical equilibrium.
These new and unambiguous detections of CO, together with an earlier
spectroscopic detection of CO in Gliese 229B and existing M band photometry of
a large selection of T dwarfs, suggest that vertical mixing in the photosphere
drives the CO abundance out of chemical equilibrium and is a common, and likely
universal feature of mid-to-late type T dwarfs. The M band spectra allow
determinations of the time scale of vertical mixing in the atmosphere of each
object, the first such measurements of this important parameter in late T
dwarfs. A detailed analysis of the spectral energy distribution of 2MASS
J09373487+2931409 results in the following values for metallicity, temperature,
surface gravity, and luminosity: [M/H]~-0.3, T_eff=925-975K, log g=5.20-5.47,
log L/L_sun=-5.308 +/- 0.027. The age is 3-10 Gyr and the mass is in the range
45-69 M_Jup.Comment: 36 pages incl. 12 figures and 3 tables, accepted by Ap
Recommended from our members
Neuroprotection by Exogenous and Endogenous Neuregulin-1 in Mouse Models of Focal Ischemic Stroke.
Identifying novel neuroprotectants that can halt or reverse the neurological effects of stroke is of interest to both clinicians and scientists. We and others previously showed the pre-clinical neuroprotective efficacy of neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) in rats following focal brain ischemia. In this study, we examined neuroprotection by exogenous and endogenous NRG-1 using a mouse model of ischemic stroke. C57BL6 mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion. NRG-1 or vehicle was infused intra-arterially (i.a.) or intravenously (i.v.) after MCAO and before the onset of reperfusion. NRG-1 treatment (16Â ÎŒg/kg; i.a.) reduced cerebral cortical infarct volume by 72% in mice when delivered post-ischemia. NRG-1 also inhibited neuronal injury as measured by Fluoro Jade B labeling and rescued NeuN immunoreactivity in neurons. Neuroprotection by NRG-1 was also observed in mice when administered i.v. (100Â ÎŒg/kg) in both male and female mice. We investigated whether endogenous NRG-1 was neuroprotective using male and female heterozygous NRG-1 knockout mice (NRG-1+/-) compared with wild-type mice (WT) littermates. NRG-1+/- and WT mice were subjected to MCAO for 45Â min, and infarct size was measured 24Â h following MCAO. NRG-1+/- mice displayed a sixfold increase in cortical infarct size compared with WT mice. These results demonstrate that NRG-1 treatment mitigates neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia. We further showed that reduced endogenous NRG-1 results in exacerbated neuronal injury in vivo. These findings suggest that NRG-1 represents a promising therapy to treat stroke in human patients
Puromycin Sensitivity of Ribosomal Label after Incorporation of 14C-Labelled Amino Acids into Isolated Mitochondria from Neurospora crassa
Radioactive amino acids were incorporated into isolated mitochondria from Neurospora crassa. Then the mitochondrial ribosomes were isolated and submitted to density gradient centrifugation. A preferential labelling of polysomes was observed. However, when the mitochondrial suspension was treated with puromycin after amino acid incorporation, no radioactivity could be detected in either the monosomes or the polysomes. The conclusion is drawn that isolated mitochondria under these conditions do not incorporate significant amounts of amino acids into proteins of their ribosomes
âItâs About Walking Alongside a Familyâ: Practitioner Perspectives on Caregiver Coaching With Families of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Practitioners utilize caregiver coaching in early intervention services, but coaching principles and practices are not well understood in the context of listening and spoken language (LSL) services with families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The purpose of this study was to examine practitionersâ experiences with coaching, including definitions, training, and practices they utilize in their work with families. Using semi-structured, qualitative interviews and video observation discussions, this study examined the perspectives of 14 practitioners providing LSL services to families at three intervention sites in the US and Canada. Results indicate that practitionersâ underlying beliefs about their coaching proficiency and caregiversâ capacity impact their coaching practices and how they engage with caregivers. Results highlight practices such as mentoring and accountability that supported practitionersâ coaching skills. This study contributes to the understanding of caregiver coaching in LSL practice and has implications for practitioners working to improve their coaching skills, which may improve LSL services and optimize child outcomes
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