4,832 research outputs found
Kentucky Employees\u27 Wage Liens: A Sneak Attack on Creditors, but Beware of the Bankruptcy Trustee
Magnetorotational Instability in Liquid Metal Couette Flow
Despite the importance of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) as a
fundamental mechanism for angular momentum transport in magnetized accretion
disks, it has yet to be demonstrated in the laboratory. A liquid sodium
alpha-omega dynamo experiment at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology provides an ideal environment to study the MRI in a rotating metal
annulus (Couette flow). A local stability analysis is performed as a function
of shear, magnetic field strength, magnetic Reynolds number, and turbulent
Prandtl number. The later takes into account the minimum turbulence induced by
the formation of an Ekman layer against the rigidly rotating end walls of a
cylindrical vessel. Stability conditions are presented and unstable conditions
for the sodium experiment are compared with another proposed MRI experiment
with liquid gallium. Due to the relatively large magnetic Reynolds number
achievable in the sodium experiment, it should be possible to observe the
excitation of the MRI for a wide range of wavenumbers and further to observe
the transition to the turbulent state.Comment: 12 pages, 22 figures, 1 table. To appear in the Astrophysical Journa
El Niño and the delayed action oscillator
We study the dynamics of the El Niño phenomenon using the mathematical model of delayedaction oscillator (DAO). Topics such as the influence of the annual cycle, global warming, stochastic influences due to weather conditions and even off-equatorial heat-sinks can all be discussed using only modest analytical and numerical resources. Thus the DAO allows for a pedagogical introduction to the science of El Niño and La Niña while at the same time avoiding the need for large-scale computing resources normally associated with much more sophisticated coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models. It is an approach which is ideally suited for student projects both at high school and undergraduate level
In Memoriam: Daniel J. Meltzer
Sedan Ă„r 2006 har den syntetiskt framstĂ€llda drogen spice existerat i Sverige, men först Ă„r 2008 blev drogen populĂ€r och tidningar började rikta uppmĂ€rksamhet mot den. Genom att drogen kan byta skepnad i uppbyggnaden kan den förbli laglig, dĂ€rför kan egentligen namnet âspiceâ inte betraktas som ett enhetligt begrepp. VĂ„rt syfte med denna studie blev att granska hur drogen spice beskrivs i tidningar och forskning. Ăven hur drogen betraktas gĂ€llande psykosociala och medicinska avseenden. Detta i förhĂ„llande till socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv. Den metod som vi valde att anvĂ€nda oss av i studien var kvantitativ innehĂ„llsanalys. Genom analys av 80 stycken svenska tidningsartiklar hĂ€mtade ur databasen mediearkivet, samt vetenskapliga artiklar och litteratur har vi besvarat vĂ„ra frĂ„gestĂ€llningar. De resultat vi fick frĂ„n analyser visade pĂ„ att tidningar kan vara av betydande roll för ungdomars attityder. Tidningar kan utföra bland annat skrĂ€mselpropaganda för att upplysa och förhindra brukandet av spice, dessvĂ€rre visar resultatet en motsatt effekt. Forskning visar att bruk av spice kan pĂ„verka relationer och arbete negativt. Dessutom Ă€r nĂ„gra bieffekter av spice bröstsmĂ€rtor, vanförestĂ€llningar, sjĂ€lvmordstankar och hjĂ€rtstopp
On the Phenomenology of Hydrodynamic Shear Turbulence
The question of a purely hydrodynamic origin of turbulence in accretion disks
is reexamined, on the basis of a large body of experimental and numerical
evidence on various subcritical (i.e., linearly stable) hydrodynamic flows.
One of the main points of this paper is that the length scale and velocity
fluctuation amplitude which are characteristic of turbulent transport in these
flows scale like , where is the minimal Reynolds number for
the onset of fully developed turbulence. From this scaling, a simple
explanation of the dependence of with relative gap width in subcritical
Couette-Taylor flows is developed. It is also argued that flows in the shearing
sheet limit should be turbulent, and that the lack of turbulence in all such
simulations performed to date is most likely due to a lack of resolution, as a
consequence of the effect of the Coriolis force on the large scale fluctuations
of turbulent flows.
These results imply that accretion flows should be turbulent through
hydrodynamic processes. If this is the case, the Shakura-Sunyaev
parameter is constrained to lie in the range in accretion
disks, depending on unknown features of the mechanism which sustains
turbulence. Whether the hydrodynamic source of turbulence is more efficient
than the MHD one where present is an open question.Comment: 31 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Mutations in DYNC2LI1 disrupt cilia function and cause short rib polydactyly syndrome.
The short rib polydactyly syndromes (SRPSs) are a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive, perinatal lethal skeletal disorders characterized primarily by short, horizontal ribs, short limbs and polydactyly. Mutations in several genes affecting intraflagellar transport (IFT) cause SRPS but they do not account for all cases. Here we identify an additional SRPS gene and further unravel the functional basis for IFT. We perform whole-exome sequencing and identify mutations in a new disease-producing gene, cytoplasmic dynein-2 light intermediate chain 1, DYNC2LI1, segregating with disease in three families. Using primary fibroblasts, we show that DYNC2LI1 is essential for dynein-2 complex stability and that mutations in DYNC2LI1 result in variable length, including hyperelongated, cilia, Hedgehog pathway impairment and ciliary IFT accumulations. The findings in this study expand our understanding of SRPS locus heterogeneity and demonstrate the importance of DYNC2LI1 in dynein-2 complex stability, cilium function, Hedgehog regulation and skeletogenesis
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Interferon-gamma deficiency prevents coronary arteriosclerosis but not myocardial rejection in transplanted mouse hearts
We have hypothesized that T cell cytokines participate in the pathogenesis of graft arterial disease (GAD). This study tested the consequences of IFN-gamma deficiency on arterial and parenchymal pathology in murine cardiac allografts. Hearts from C-H-2(bm12)KhEg (bm12, H-2(bm12)) were transplanted into C57/B6 (B6, H-2(b)), wild-type, or B6 IFN-gamma-deficient (GKO) recipients after immunosuppression by treatment with anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 mAbs. In wild-type recipients, myocardial rejection peaked at 4 wk, (grade 2. 1+/-0.3 out of 4, mean+/-SEM, n = 9), and by 8-12 wk evolved coronary arteriopathy. At 12 wk, the GAD score was 1.4+/-0.3, and the parenchymal rejection grade was 1.2+/-0.3 (n = 8). In GKO recipients of bm12 allografts, myocardial rejection persisted at 12 wk (grade 2.5+/-0.3, n = 6), but no GAD developed (score: 0.0+/-0.0, n = 6, P < 0.01 vs. wild-type). Mice treated with anti-IFN-gamma mAbs showed similar results. Isografts generally showed no arterial changes. In wild-type recipients, arterial and parenchymal cells showed increased MHC class II molecules, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 compared to normal or isografted hearts. The allografts in GKO recipients showed attenuated expression of these molecules (n = 6). Thus, development of GAD, but not parenchymal rejection, requires IFN-gamma. Reduced expression of MHC antigens and leukocyte adhesion molecules may contribute to the lack of coronary arteriopathy in hearts allografted into GKO mice
Development of a computerized 2D rating scale for continuous and simultaneous evaluation of two dimensions of a sensory stimulus
INTRODUCTION
One-dimensional rating scales are widely used in research and in the clinic to assess individuals' perceptions of sensory stimuli. Although these scales provide essential knowledge of stimulus perception, their limitation to one dimension hinders our understanding of complex stimuli.
METHODS
To allow improved investigation of complex stimuli, a two-dimensional scale based on the one-dimensional Gracely Box Scale was developed and tested in healthy participants on a visual and an auditory task (rating changes in brightness and size of circles and rating changes in frequency and sound pressure of sounds, which was compared to ratings on one-dimensional scales). Before performing these tasks, participants were familiarized with the intensity descriptors of the two-dimensional scale by completing two tasks. First, participants sorted the descriptors based on their judgment of the intensity of the descriptors. Second, participants evaluated the intensity of the descriptors by pressing a button for the duration they considered matching the intensity of the descriptors or squeezing a hand grip dynamometer as strong as they considered matching the intensity of the descriptors.
RESULTS
Results from these tasks confirmed the order of the descriptors as displayed on the original rating scale. Results from the visual and auditory tasks showed that participants were able to rate changes in the physical attributes of visual or auditory stimuli on the two-dimensional scale as accurately as on one-dimensional scales.
DISCUSSION
These results support the use of a two-dimensional scale to simultaneously report multiple dimensions of complex stimuli
XMM-Newton observations of the Galactic Supernova Remnant CTB 109 (G109.1-1.0)
We present the analysis of the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton)
European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) data of the Galactic supernova remnant
(SNR) CTB 109 (G109.1-1.0). CTB 109 is associated with the anomalous X-ray
pulsar (AXP) 1E 2259+586 and has an unusual semi-circular morphology in both
the X-ray and the radio, and an extended X-ray bright interior region known as
the `Lobe'. The deep EPIC mosaic image of the remnant shows no emission towards
the west where a giant molecular cloud complex is located. No morphological
connection between the Lobe and the AXP is found. We find remarkably little
spectral variation across the remnant given the large intensity variations. All
spectra of the shell and the Lobe are well fitted by a single-temperature
non-equilibrium ionization model for a collisional plasma with solar abundances
(kT = 0.5 - 0.7 keV, tau = n_e t = 1 - 4 x 10^11 s cm^-3, N_H = 5 - 7 x 10^21
cm^-2). There is no indication of nonthermal emission in the Lobe or the shell.
We conclude that the Lobe originated from an interaction of the SNR shock wave
with an interstellar cloud. Applying the Sedov solution for the undisturbed
eastern part of the SNR, and assuming full equilibration between the electrons
and ions behind the shock front, the SNR shock velocity is derived as v_s = 720
+/- 60 km s^-1, the remnant age as t = (8.8 +/- 0.9) x 10^3 d_3 yr, the initial
energy as E_0 = (7.4 +/- 2.9) x 10^50 d_3^2.5 ergs, and the pre-shock density
of the nuclei in the ambient medium as n_0 = (0.16 +/- 0.02) d_3^-0.5 cm^-3, at
an assumed distance of D = 3.0 d_3 kpc. Assuming CTB 109 and 1E 2259+586 are
associated, these values constrain the age and the environment of the
progenitor of the SNR and the pulsar.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 9 figures. Figs. 1 + 2 are in color
(fig1.jpg, fig2.jpg
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