4,634 research outputs found
The kinematics of the quadrupolar nebula M1-75 and the identification of its central star
The link between the shaping of bipolar planetary nebulae and their central
stars is still poorly understood. The kinematics and shaping of the multipolar
nebula M 1-75 are hereby investigated, and the location and nature of its
central star are briefly discussed. Fabry-Perot data from GHaFAS on the WHT
sampling the Doppler shift of the [N II] 658.3 nm line are used to study the
dynamics of the nebula, by means of a detailed 3-D spatio-kinematical model.
Multi-wavelength images and spectra from the WFC and IDS on the INT, and from
ACAM on the WHT, allowed us to constrain the parameters of the central star.
The two pairs of lobes, angularly separated by ~22 degrees, were ejected
simultaneously approx. ~3500-5000 years ago, at the adopted distance range from
3.5 to 5.0 kpc. The larger lobes show evidence of a slight degree of point
symmetry. The shaping of the nebula could be explained by wind interaction in a
system consisting of a post-AGB star surrounded by a disc warped by radiative
instabilities. This requires the system to be a close binary or a single star
which engulfed a planet as it died. On the other hand, we present broad- and
narrow-band images and a low S/N optical spectrum of the highly-reddened,
previously unnoticed star which is likely the nebular progenitor. Its estimated
V-I colour allows us to derive a rough estimate of the parameters and nature of
the central star.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Zircon to monazite phase transition in CeVO4
X-ray diffraction and Raman-scattering measurements on cerium vanadate have
been performed up to 12 and 16 GPa, respectively. Experiments reveal that at
5.3 GPa the onset of a pressure-induced irreversible phase transition from the
zircon to the monazite structure. Beyond this pressure, diffraction peaks and
Raman-active modes of the monazite phase are measured. The zircon to monazite
transition in CeVO4 is distinctive among the other rare-earth orthovanadates.
We also observed softening of external translational Eg and internal B2g
bending modes. We attributed it to mechanical instabilities of zircon phase
against the pressure-induced distortion. We additionally report
lattice-dynamical and total-energy calculations which are in agreement with the
experimental results. Finally, the effect of non-hydrostatic stresses on the
structural sequence is studied and the equations of state of different phases
are reported.Comment: 45 pages, 8 figures, 8 table
Pulsational frequencies of the eclipsing delta-Scuti star HD 172189
The eclipsing delta-Scuti star HD 172189 is a probable member of the open
cluster IC 4756 and a promising candidate target for the CoRoT mission.
The detection of pulsation modes is the first step in the asteroseismological
study of the star. Further, the calculation of the orbital parameters of the
binary system allows us to make a dynamical determination of the mass of the
star, which works as an important constraint to test and calibrate the
asteroseismological models.
From a detailed frequency analysis of 210 hours of photometric data of HD
172189 obtained from the STEPHI XIII campaign we have identified six pulsation
frequencies with a confidence level of 99% and a seventh with a 65% confidence
level in the range between 100-300 uHz. In addiction, three eclipses were
observed during the campaign, allowing us to improve the determination of the
orbital period of the system.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure
Structural stability of Fe5Si3 and Ni2Si studied by high-pressure x-ray diffraction and ab initio total-energy calculations
We performed high-pressure angle dispersive x-ray diffraction measurements on
Fe5Si3 and Ni2Si up to 75 GPa. Both materials were synthesized in bulk
quantities via a solid-state reaction. In the pressure range covered by the
experiments, no evidence of the occurrence of phase transitions was observed.
On top of that, Fe5Si3 was found to compress isotropically, whereas an
anisotropic compression was observed in Ni2Si. The linear incompressibility of
Ni2Si along the c-axis is similar in magnitude to the linear incompressibility
of diamond. This fact is related to the higher valence-electron charge density
of Ni2Si along the c-axis. The observed anisotropic compression of Ni2Si is
also related to the layered structure of Ni2Si where hexagonal layers of Ni2+
cations alternate with graphite-like layers formed by (NiSi)2- entities. The
experimental results are supported by ab initio total-energy calculations
carried out using density functional theory and the pseudopotential method. For
Fe5Si3, the calculations also predicted a phase transition at 283 GPa from the
hexagonal P63/mcm phase to the cubic structure adopted by Fe and Si in the
garnet Fe5Si3O12. The room-temperature equations of state for Fe5Si3 and Ni2Si
are also reported and a possible correlation between the bulk modulus of iron
silicides and the coordination number of their minority element is discussed.
Finally, we report novel descriptions of these structures, in particular of the
predicted high-pressure phase of Fe5Si3 (the cation subarray in the garnet
Fe5Si3O12), which can be derived from spinel Fe2SiO4 (Fe6Si3O12).Comment: 44 pages, 13 figures, 3 Table
Non-destructive seed detection in mandarins: comparison of automatic threshold methods FLASH and COMSPIRA MRIs
Here, we review different methods for non-destructive horticultural produce size determination, focusing on electronic technologies capable of measuring fruit volume. The usefulness of produce size estimation is justified and a comprehensive classification system of the existing electronic techniques to determine dimensional size is proposed. The different systems identified are compared in terms of their versatility, precision and throughput. There is general agreement in considering that online measurement of axes, perimeter and projected area has now been achieved. Nevertheless, rapid and accurate volume determination of irregular-shaped produce, as needed for density sorting, has only become available in the past few years. An important application of density measurement is soluble solids content (SSC) sorting. If the range of SSC in the batch is narrow and a large number of classes are desired, accurate volume determination becomes important. A good alternative for fruit three-dimensional surface reconstruction, from which volume and surface area can be computed, is the combination of height profiles from a range sensor with a two-dimensional object image boundary from a solid-state camera (brightness image) or from the range sensor itself (intensity image). However, one of the most promising technologies in this field is 3-D multispectral scanning, which combines multispectral data with 3-D surface reconstruction
Alterations of antitumor and metabolic responses in L5178Y-R lymphoma-bearing mice after only 30-minute daily chronic stress exposure
Aim: In stress research, reducing times of stress induction may contribute to improving the well-being of experimental animals, especially in cancer models, already under physiological distress. To support this idea, we evaluated the effects of a short-timed stress protocol on endocrine, metabolic and immune indicators in mice bearing the L5178Y-R lymphoma. Materials and Methods: A 30-minute daily stress protocol was applied for 28 days to healthy and lymphoma-bearing BALB/c mice; body weight, plasma levels of corticosterone, norepinephrine, Th1/Th2 cytokines, insulin, and leptin, were measured. Results: We found a 12% significant decrease in body weight in non-tumor bearing mice under stress (p < 0.007). The disruption of weight evolution was accompanied by a stress induced 85% decrease in plasmatic leptin (p < 0.01) and total reduction of insulin. Tumor burden alone was associated to an increase in more than two-fold of plasmatic levels of norepinephrine (p < 0.008). Neither stress nor tumor or their combination, resulted in an elevation of systemic IL-6. IFN-γ levels were 20 times higher in lymphoma-bearing animals when compared with non-tumor bearing mice (p < 0.01); however, under stress, this response was reduced by half, indicating a suppressing effect of chronic stress on the antitumor immune response. Conclusion: A short-timed stress induction is enough to cause significant alterations in the metabolism and immunity of healthy and tumor-bearing mice, supporting the use of short-timed protocols as an efficient way to induce chronic stress that also considers concerns regarding the well-being of experimental animals in biomedical research
The frequency of osteogenic activities and the pattern of intermittence between periods of physical activity and sedentary behaviour affects bone mineral content: the cross-sectional NHANES study
BACKGROUND: Sedentary behaviours, defined as non exercising seated activities, have been shown to have deleterious effects on health. It has been hypothesised that too much sitting time can have a detrimental effect on bone health in youth. The aim of this study is to test this hypothesis by exploring the association between objectively measured volume and patterns of time spent in sedentary behaviours, time spent in specific screen-based sedentary pursuits and bone mineral content (BMC) accrual in youth. METHODS: NHANES 2005–2006 cycle data includes BMC of the femoral and spinal region via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), assessment of physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns through accelerometry, self reported time spent in screen based pursuits (watching TV and using a computer), and frequency of vigorous playtime and strengthening activities. Multiple regression analysis, stratified by gender was performed on N = 671 males and N = 677 females aged from 8 to 22 years. RESULTS: Time spent in screen-based sedentary behaviours is negatively associated with femoral BMC (males and females) and spinal BMC (females only) after correction for time spent in moderate and vigorous activity. Regression coefficients indicate that an additional hour per day of screen-based sitting corresponds to a difference of −0.77 g femoral BMC in females [95% CI: -1.31 to −0.22] and of −0.45 g femoral BMC in males [95% CI: -0.83 to −0.06]. This association is attenuated when self-reported engagement in regular (average 5 times per week) strengthening exercise (for males) and vigorous playing (for both males and females) is taken into account. Total sitting time and non screen-based sitting do not appear to have a negative association with BMC, whereas screen based sedentary time does. Patterns of intermittence between periods of sitting and moderate to vigorous activity appears to be positively associated with bone health when activity is clustered in time and inter-spaced with long continuous bouts of sitting. CONCLUSIONS: Some specific sedentary pursuits (screen-based) are negatively associated with bone health in youth. This association is specific to gender and anatomical area. This relationship between screen-based time and bone health is independent of the total amount of physical activity measured objectively, but not independent of self-reported frequency of strengthening and vigorous play activities. The data clearly suggests that the frequency, rather than the volume, of osteogenic activities is important in counteracting the effect of sedentary behaviour on bone health. The pattern of intermittence between sedentary periods and activity also plays a role in bone accrual, with clustered short bouts of activity interspaced with long periods of sedentary behaviours appearing to be more beneficial than activities more evenly spread in time
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