23,358 research outputs found
Gamma-ray Flares and VLBI Outbursts of Blazars
A model is developed for the time dependent electromagnetic - radio to
gamma-ray - emission of active galactic nuclei, specifically, the blazars,
based on the acceleration and creation of leptons at a propagating
discontinuity or {\it front} of a Poynting flux jet. The front corresponds to a
discrete relativistic jet component as observed with
very-long-baseline-interferometry (VLBI). Equations are derived for the number,
momentum, and energy of particles in the front taking into account synchrotron,
synchrotron-self-Compton (SSC), and inverse-Compton processes as well as
photon-photon pair production. The apparent synchrotron, SSC, and
inverse-Compton luminosities as functions of time are determined. Predictions
of the model are compared with observations in the gamma, optical and radio
bands. The delay between the high-energy gamma-ray flare and the onset of the
radio is explained by self-absorption and/or free-free absorption by external
plasma. Two types of gamma-ray flares are predicted depending on pair creation
in the front.Comment: 11 pages, submitted to ApJ. 10 figures can be obtained from R.
Lovelace by sending postal address to [email protected]
An inquiry into the nature of the gamma-ray source 3EG J1828+0142
The unidentified, low-latitude, -ray source 3EG J1828+0142 presents
high levels of variability and a steep spectral index . Here we
propose a model for this source where the high-energy emission is produced by a
galactic Kerr-Newman black hole. The model takes into account electron-positron
annihilation losses in the calculation of the expected spectral energy
distribution and can reproduce the observational features, including the
absence of a strong radio counterpart. We also report the discovery of a nearby
supernova remnant that could be associated with the original supernova
explosion that created the black hole. Several faint radio sources were also
detected in the radio field within the inner -ray confidence contour
and their spectral index estimated. Some of these sources could be the expected
weak radio counterpart.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure
Genome-wide survival analysis of age at onset of alcohol dependence in extended high-risk COGA families.
BackgroundThe age at onset of alcohol dependence (AD) is a critical moderator of genetic associations for alcohol dependence. The present study evaluated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can influence the age at onset of AD in large high-risk families from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA).MethodsGenomewide SNP genotyping was performed in 1788 regular drinkers from 118 large European American families densely affected with alcoholism. We used a genome-wide Cox proportional hazards regression model to test for association between age at onset of AD and SNPs.ResultsThis family-based analysis identified an intergenic SNP, rs2168784 on chromosome 3 that showed strong evidence of association (P=5Ă10(-9)) with age at onset of AD among regular drinkers. Carriers of the minor allele of rs2168784 had 1.5 times the hazard of AD onset as compared with those homozygous for the major allele. By the age of 20 years, nearly 30% of subjects homozygous for the minor allele were alcohol dependent while only 19% of those homozygous for the major allele were. We also identified intronic SNPs in the ADP-ribosylation factor like 15 (ARL15) gene on chromosome 5 (P=1.11Ă10(-8)) and the UTP20 small subunit (UTP20) gene on chromosome 12 (P=4.32Ă10(-8)) that were associated with age at onset of AD.ConclusionsThis extended family based genome-wide cox-proportional hazards analysis identified several loci that might be associated with age at onset of AD
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Fluctuat nec mergitur or what happened to Reikian psychoanalysis?
The official published version can be obtained from the link below - Copyright @ 2006 American Psychological AssociationAlthough Theodor Reik was a celebrated psychoanalyst during the 1950s and 1960s, his work has not resulted in the development of a specific psychoanalytic tradition, and his name has gradually disappeared from Western cultural memory. Following the mode of argumentation of the reductio ad absurdum, the author critically examines six possible explanations for this remarkable observation, thereby drawing on published materials and archival sources relating to the life and works of Reik. Once these explanations have been discarded, the author argues that the main reason for the absence of a Reikian tradition within psychoanalysis stems from Reik's belief in the analytic virtue of intellectual independence. This belief may have contributed to his own departure from the psychoanalytic training institution that he helped to create, yet it also implies that Reikian psychoanalysis somehow lives on in all those practitioners who do not seek to affiliate with a doctrinal school of thought
Bayesian Quantile Regression for Single-Index Models
Using an asymmetric Laplace distribution, which provides a mechanism for
Bayesian inference of quantile regression models, we develop a fully Bayesian
approach to fitting single-index models in conditional quantile regression. In
this work, we use a Gaussian process prior for the unknown nonparametric link
function and a Laplace distribution on the index vector, with the latter
motivated by the recent popularity of the Bayesian lasso idea. We design a
Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for posterior inference. Careful
consideration of the singularity of the kernel matrix, and tractability of some
of the full conditional distributions leads to a partially collapsed approach
where the nonparametric link function is integrated out in some of the sampling
steps. Our simulations demonstrate the superior performance of the Bayesian
method versus the frequentist approach. The method is further illustrated by an
application to the hurricane data.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 10 table
The effect of canopy position on growth and mortality in mixed sapling communities during self-thinning
This research investigates how species in the sapling phase differ in growth and survival depending on light availability (as estimated by canopy position) by means of tree-ring analysis and modelling mortality. We harvested 120 live and 158 dead saplings in self-thinning communities consisting of Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi Carr.) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) in the Netherlands. Results are evaluated within the framework of a trade-off between high-light growth and low-growth survival. Radial growth, measured at ground level, generally declined over time. In addition, a decreasing light availability further reduced growth in all species except Douglas fir. Trees died when radial growth was reduced to about 0.5 mm yearÂż1. Mortality in all species except Scots pine was significantly related to recent growth, but mortality curves were not different. The light-demanding Silver birch and Japanese larch differed from the shade-tolerant Douglas fir in both high-light growth and low-growth mortality, in line with a growth-survival trade-off. The light-demanding Scots pine did not fit this pattern as it was unable to transfer high radial growth into height gain, leaving it in suppressed canopy positions. This indicates the importance of height growth in the growth-survival trade-off. Differences in mortality probabilities affect the potential for coexistence, however, in all species also fast-growing individuals died suggesting additional factors causing mortality during self-thinning, other than direct competition for ligh
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