7,775 research outputs found
Pickoff and spin-conversion quenchings of ortho-positronium in oxygen
The quenching processes of the thermalized ortho-positronium(o-Ps) on an
oxygen molecule have been studied by the positron annihilation age-momentum
correlation techinique(AMOC). The Doppler broadening spectrum of the 511 keV
gamma-rays from the 2gamma annihilation of o-Ps in O_2 has been measured as a
function of the o-Ps age. The rate of the quenching, consisting of the pickoff
and the spin-conversion, is estimated from the positron lifetime spectrum. The
ratio of the pickoff quenching rate to the spin-conversion rate is deduced from
the Doppler broadening of the 511 keV gamma-rays from the annihilation of the
o-Ps. The pickoff parameter ^1Z_eff, the effective number of the electrons per
molecule which contribute to the pickoff quenching, for O_2 is determined to be
0.6 +- 0.4. The cross-section for the elastic spin-conversion quenching is
determined to be (1.16 +- 0.01) * 10^{-19} cm^2.Comment: 4 pages with 5 eps figures, LaTeX2e(revtex4
Mapping the Polarization of the Radio-Loud Ly Nebula B3 J2330+3927
Lya nebulae, or "Lya blobs", are extended (up to ~100 kpc), bright (L[Lya] >
10^43 erg/s) clouds of Lya emitting gas that tend to lie in overdense regions
at z ~ 2--5. The origin of the Lya emission remains unknown, but recent
theoretical work suggests that measuring the polarization might discriminate
among powering mechanisms. Here we present the first narrowband, imaging
polarimetry of a radio-loud Lya nebula, B3 J2330+3927 at z=3.09, with an
embedded active galactic nucleus (AGN). The AGN lies near the blob's Lya
emission peak and its radio lobes align roughly with the blob's major axis.
With the SPOL polarimeter on the 6.5m MMT telescope, we map the total (Lya +
continuum) polarization in a grid of circular apertures of radius 0.6"
(4.4kpc), detecting a significant (>2sigma) polarization fraction P in nine
apertures and achieving strong upper-limits (as low as 2%) elsewhere. P
increases from <2% at ~5kpc from the blob center to ~17% at ~15-25kpc. The
detections are distributed asymmetrically, roughly along the nebula's major
axis. The polarization angles theta are mostly perpendicular to this axis.
Comparing the Lya flux to that of the continuum, and conservatively assuming
that the continuum is highly polarized (20-100%) and aligned with the total
polarization, we place lower limits on the polarization of the Lya emission
P(Lya) ranging from no significant polarization at ~5 kpc from the blob center
to ~ 3--17% at 10--25kpc. Like the total polarization, the Lya polarization
detections occur more often along the blob's major axis.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Role of strain and growth conditions on the growth front profile of InxGa1âxAs on GaAs during the pseudomorphic growth regime
Theoretical and experimental studies are presented to understand the initial stages of growth of InGaAs on GaAs. Thermodynamic considerations show that, as strain increases, the freeâenergy minimum surface of the epilayer is not atomically flat, but threeâdimensional in form. Since by altering growth conditions the strained epilayer can be grown near equilibrium or far from equilibrium, the effect of strain on growth modes can be studied. In situ reflection highâenergy electron diffraction studies are carried out to study the growth modes and surface lattice spacing before the onset of dislocations. The surface lattice constant does not change abruptly from that of the substrate to that of the epilayer at the critical thickness, but changes monotonically. These observations are consistent with the simple thermodynamic considerations presented.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70448/2/APPLAB-53-8-684-1.pd
Molecular beam epitaxial growth and luminescence of InxGa1âxAs/InxAl1âxAs multiquantum wells on GaAs
This letter reports the successful molecular beam epitaxial growth of highâquality InxGa1âxAs/InxAl1âxAs directly on GaAs. In situ observation of dynamic highâenergy electron diffraction oscillations during growth of InxGa1âxAs on GaAs indicates that the average cation migration rates are reduced due to the surface strain. By raising the growth temperature to enhance the migration rate and by using misoriented epitaxy to limit the propagation of threading and screw dislocations, we have grown deviceâquality In0.15Ga0.85As/In0.15Al0.85As multiquantum wells on GaAs with a 0.5â1.0 Îźm In0.15Ga0.85As buffer layer. The luminescence efficiency of the bound exciton peak increases with misorientation and its linewidth varies from 11 to 15 meV.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69823/2/APPLAB-51-4-261-1.pd
Common Genetic Variant Association with Altered HLA Expression, Synergy with Pyrethroid Exposure, and Risk for Parkinson's Disease: An Observational and Case-Control Study.
Background/objectivesThe common non-coding single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3129882 in HLA-DRA is associated with risk for idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). The location of the SNP in the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) locus implicates regulation of antigen presentation as a potential mechanism by which immune responses link genetic susceptibility to environmental factors in conferring lifetime risk for PD.MethodsFor immunophenotyping, blood cells from 81 subjects were analyzed by qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. A case-control study was performed on a separate cohort of 962 subjects to determine association of pesticide exposure and the SNP with risk of PD.ResultsHomozygosity for G at this SNP was associated with heightened baseline expression and inducibility of MHC class II molecules in B cells and monocytes from peripheral blood of healthy controls and PD patients. In addition, exposure to a commonly used class of insecticide, pyrethroids, synergized with the risk conferred by this SNP (OR = 2.48, p = 0.007), thereby identifying a novel gene-environment interaction that promotes risk for PD via alterations in immune responses.ConclusionsIn sum, these novel findings suggest that the MHC-II locus may increase susceptibility to PD through presentation of pathogenic, immunodominant antigens and/or a shift toward a more pro-inflammatory CD4+ T cell response in response to specific environmental exposures, such as pyrethroid exposure through genetic or epigenetic mechanisms that modulate MHC-II gene expression
Management of Indeterminate Cystic Kidney Lesions: Review of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound as a Diagnostic Tool
Indeterminate cystic kidney lesions found incidentally on abdominal imaging are an increasingly prevalent diagnostic challenge. The standard workup includes Bosniak classification with contrast-enhanced CT or MRI. However, these tests are costly and not without risks. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a relatively new imaging technique with lower risk of adverse events than iodine-containing contrast or gadolinium. In our review of the evidence for characterization of cystic kidney lesions with CEUS, CEUS displayed sensitivity (89â100%) and negative predictive value (86â100%) comparable to contrast-enhanced CT or MRI with no decrease in specificity compared to CT and only a slight decrease compared to MRI
Quasar Microlensing at High Magnification and the Role of Dark Matter: Enhanced Fluctuations and Suppressed Saddlepoints
Contrary to naive expectation, diluting the stellar component of the lensing
galaxy in a highly magnified system with smoothly distributed ``dark'' matter
increases rather than decreases the microlensing fluctuations caused by the
remaining stars. For a bright pair of images straddling a critical curve, the
saddlepoint (of the arrival time surface) is much more strongly affected than
the associated minimum. With a mass ratio of smooth matter to microlensing
matter of 4:1, a saddlepoint with a macro-magnification of mu = 9.5 will spend
half of its time more than a magnitude fainter than predicted. The anomalous
flux ratio observed for the close pair of images in MG0414+0534 is a factor of
five more likely than computed by Witt, Mao and Schechter if the smooth matter
fraction is as high as 93%. The magnification probability histograms for
macro-images exhibit distinctly different structure that varies with the smooth
matter content, providing a handle on the smooth matter fraction. Enhanced
fluctuations can manifest themselves either in the temporal variations of a
lightcurve or as flux ratio anomalies in a single epoch snapshot of a multiply
imaged system. While the millilensing simulations of Metcalf and Madau also
give larger anomalies for saddlepoints than for minima, the effect appears to
be less dramatic for extended subhalos than for point masses. Morever,
microlensing is distinguishable from millilensing because it will produce
noticeable changes in the magnification on a time scale of a decade or less.Comment: As accepted for publication in ApJ. 17 pages. Substantial revisions
include a discussion of constant M/L models and the calculation of a
"photometric" dark matter fraction for MG0414+053
Early Assessment of Tumor Response to Radiation Therapy using High-Resolution Quantitative Microvascular Ultrasound Imaging
Measuring changes in tumor volume using anatomical imaging weeks to months post radiation therapy (RT) is currently the clinical standard for indicating treatment response to RT. For patients whose tumors do not respond successfully to treatment, this approach is suboptimal as timely modification of the treatment approach may lead to better clinical outcomes. We propose to use tumor microvasculature as a biomarker for early assessment of tumor response to RT. Acoustic angiography is a novel contrast ultrasound imaging technique that enables high-resolution microvascular imaging and has been shown to detect changes in microvascular structure due to cancer growth. Data suggest that acoustic angiography can detect longitudinal changes in the tumor microvascular environment that correlate with RT response
Disrupting the CH1 Domain Structure in the Acetyltransferases CBP and p300 Results in Lean Mice with Increased Metabolic Control
SummaryOpposing activities of acetyltransferases and deacetylases help regulate energy balance. Mice heterozygous for the acetyltransferase CREB binding protein (CBP) are lean and insulin sensitized, but how CBP regulates energy homeostasis is unclear. In one model, the main CBP interaction with the glucagon-responsive factor CREB is not limiting for liver gluconeogenesis, whereas a second model posits that Ser436 in the CH1 (TAZ1) domain of CBP is required for insulin and the antidiabetic drug metformin to inhibit CREB-mediated liver gluconeogenesis. Here we show that conditional knockout of CBP in liver does not decrease fasting blood glucose or gluconeogenic gene expression, consistent with the first model. However, mice in which the CBP CH1 domain structure is disrupted by deleting residues 342â393Â (ÎCH1) are lean and insulin sensitized, as are p300ÎCH1 mutants. CBPÎCH1/ÎCH1 mice remain metformin responsive. An intact CH1 domain is thus necessary for normal energy storage, but not for the blood glucose-lowering actions of insulin and metformin
Streptavidin-Binding Peptide (SBP)-tagged SMC2 allows single-step affinity fluorescence, blotting or purification of the condensin complex
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cell biologists face the need to rapidly analyse their proteins of interest in order to gain insight into their function. Often protein purification, cellular localisation and Western blot analyses can be multi-step processes, where protein is lost, activity is destroyed or effective antibodies have not yet been generated.</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>To develop a method that simplifies the critical protein analytical steps of the laboratory researcher, leading to easy, efficient and rapid protein purification, cellular localisation and quantification.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have tagged the SMC2 subunit of the condensin complex with the Streptavidin-Binding Peptide (SBP), optimising and demonstrating the efficacious use of this tag for performing these protein analytical steps. Based on silver staining, and Western analysis, SBP delivered an outstanding specificity and purity of the condensin complex. We also developed a rapid and highly specific procedure to localise SBP-tagged proteins in cells in a single step procedure thus bypassing the need for using antibodies. Furthermore we have shown that the SBP tag can be used for isolating tagged proteins from chemically cross-linked cell populations for capturing DNA-protein interactions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The small 38-amino acid synthetic SBP offers the potential to successfully perform all four critical analytical procedures as a single step and should have a general utility for the study of many proteins and protein complexes.</p
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