5,755 research outputs found
The footprint of cometary dust analogues: II. Morphology as a tracer of tensile strength and application to dust collection by the Rosetta spacecraft
The structure of cometary dust is a tracer of growth processes in the
formation of planetesimals. Instrumentation on board the Rosetta mission to
comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko captured dust particles and analysed them in
situ. However, these deposits are a product of a collision within the
instrument. We conducted laboratory experiments with cometary dust analogues,
simulating the collection process by Rosetta instruments (specifically COSIMA,
MIDAS). In Paper I we reported that velocity is a key driver in determining the
appearance of deposits. Here in Paper II we use materials with different
monomer sizes, and study the effect of tensile strength on the appearance of
deposits. We find that mass transfer efficiency increases from 1 up to
10% with increasing monomer diameter from 0.3 m to 1.5 m (i.e.
tensile strength decreasing from 12 to 3 kPa), and velocities
increasing from 0.5 to 6 m/s. Also, the relative abundance of small fragments
after impact is higher for material with higher tensile strength. The
degeneracy between the effects of velocity and material strength may be lifted
by performing a closer study of the deposits. This experimental method makes it
possible to estimate the mass transfer efficiency in the COSIMA instrument.
Extrapolating these results implies that more than half of the dust collected
during the Rosetta mission has not been imaged. We analysed two COSIMA targets
containing deposits from single collisions. The collision that occurred closest
to perihelion passage led to more small fragments on the target.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
The footprint of cometary dust analogs: I. Laboratory experiments of low-velocity impacts and comparison with Rosetta data
Cometary dust provides a unique window on dust growth mechanisms during the
onset of planet formation. Measurements by the Rosetta spacecraft show that the
dust in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has a granular structure at
size scales from sub-um up to several hundreds of um, indicating hierarchical
growth took place across these size scales. However, these dust particles may
have been modified during their collection by the spacecraft instruments. Here
we present the results of laboratory experiments that simulate the impact of
dust on the collection surfaces of COSIMA and MIDAS, instruments onboard the
Rosetta spacecraft. We map the size and structure of the footprints left by the
dust particles as a function of their initial size (up to several hundred um)
and velocity (up to 6 m/s). We find that in most collisions, only part of the
dust particle is left on the target; velocity is the main driver of the
appearance of these deposits. A boundary between sticking/bouncing and
fragmentation as an outcome of the particle-target collision is found at v ~ 2
m/s. For velocities below this value, particles either stick and leave a single
deposit on the target plate, or bounce, leaving a shallow footprint of
monomers. At velocities > 2 m/s and sizes > 80 um, particles fragment upon
collision, transferring up to 50 per cent of their mass in a rubble-pile-like
deposit on the target plate. The amount of mass transferred increases with the
impact velocity. The morphologies of the deposits are qualitatively similar to
those found by the COSIMA instrument.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
LOFAR early-time search for coherent radio emission from GRB 180706A
© 2019 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.The nature of the central engines of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and the composition of their relativistic jets are still under debate. If the jets are Poynting flux dominated rather than baryon dominated, a coherent radio flare from magnetic re-connection events might be expected with the prompt gamma-ray emission. There are two competing models for the central engines of GRBs; a black hole or a newly formed milli-second magnetar. If the central engine is a magnetar it is predicted to produce coherent radio emission as persistent or flaring activity. In this paper, we present the deepest limits to date for this emission following LOFAR rapid response observations of GRB 180706A. No emission is detected to a 3 limit of 1.7 mJy beam at 144 MHz in a two-hour LOFAR observation starting 4.5 minutes after the gamma-ray trigger. A forced source extraction at the position of GRB 180706A provides a marginally positive (1 sigma) peak flux density of mJy. The data were time-sliced into different sets of snapshot durations to search for FRB like emission. No short duration emission was detected at the location of the GRB. We compare these results to theoretical models and discuss the implications of a non-detection.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio
Tool catalogue frame-based information tools
In the perception, knowledge production and policymaking on complex issues (‘wicked problems’), such as climate change, frames and framing play an important but often hidden role. Frames relate to one’s ‘schemas of interpretation’; the conceptual images, values, starting points, and mental models that one may have of an issue. This can include, for instance, one’s problem definition, perceptions of the cause-effect relationships in an issue, one’s primary goals, perception of one’s and others’ roles and responsibilities relating to the issue, and views on suitable strategies and interaction with (other) stakeholders (cf. Dewulf et al., 2005)
Proton Motive Force-Dependent Hoechst 33342 Transport by the ABC Transporter LmrA of Lactococcus lactis
The fluorescent compound Hoechst 33342 is a substrate for many multidrug resistance (MDR) transporters and is widely used to characterize their transport activity. We have constructed mutants of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette (ABC)-type MDR transporter LmrA of Lactococcus lactis that are defective in ATP hydrolysis. These mutants and wild-type LmrA exhibited an atypical behavior in the Hoechst 33342 transport assay. In membrane vesicles, Hoechst 33342 transport was shown to be independent of the ATPase activity of LmrA, and it was not inhibited by orthovanadate but sensitive to uncouplers that collapse the proton gradient and to N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, an inhibitor of the F0F1-ATPase. In contrast, transport of Hoechst 33342 by the homologous, heterodimeric MDR transporter LmrCD showed a normal ATP dependence and was insensitive to uncouplers of the proton gradient. With intact cells, expression of LmrA resulted in an increased rate of Hoechst 33342 influx while LmrCD caused a decrease in the rate of Hoechst 33342 influx. Cellular toxicity assays using a triple knockout strain, i.e., L. lactis ΔlmrA ΔlmrCD, demonstrate that expression of LmrCD protects cells against the growth inhibitory effects of Hoechst 33342, while in the presence of LmrA, cells are more susceptible to Hoechst 33342. Our data demonstrate that the LmrA-mediated Hoechst 33342 transport in membrane vesicles is influenced by the transmembrane pH gradient due to a pH-dependent partitioning of Hoechst 33342 into the membrane.
The diagnostic value of clinical neurophysiology in hyperkinetic movement disorders:A systematic review
Introduction: To guide the neurologist and neurophysiologist with interpretation and implementation of clinical neurophysiological examinations, we aim to provide a systematic review on evidence of electrophysiological features used to differentiate between hyperkinetic movement disorders. Methods: A PRISMA systematic search and QUADAS quality evaluation has been performed in PubMed to identify diagnostic test accuracy studies comparing electromyography and accelerometer features. We included papers focusing on tremor, dystonia, myoclonus, chorea, tics and ataxia and their functional variant. The features were grouped as 1) basic features (e.g., amplitude, frequency), 2) the influence of tasks on basic features (e.g., entrainment, distraction), 3) advanced analyses of multiple signals, 4) and diagnostic tools combining features. Results: Thirty-eight cross-sectional articles were included discussing tremor (n = 28), myoclonus (n = 5), dystonia (n = 5) and tics (n = 1). Fifteen were rated as ‘high quality’. In tremor, the basic and task-related features showed great overlap between clinical tremor syndromes, apart from rubral and enhanced physiological tremor. Advanced signal analyses were best suited for essential, parkinsonian and functional tremor, and cortical, non-cortical and functional jerks. Combinations of electrodiagnostic features could identify essential, enhanced physiological and functional tremor. Conclusion: Studies into the diagnostic accuracy of electrophysiological examinations to differentiate between hyperkinetic movement disorders have predominantly been focused on clinical tremor syndromes. No single feature can differentiate between them all; however, a combination of analyses might improve diagnostic accuracy
Optically Thick Radio Cores of Narrow-Waist Bipolar Nebulae
We report our search for optically thick radio cores in sixteen narrow-waist
bipolar nebulae. Optically thick cores are a characteristic signature of
collimated ionized winds. Eleven northern nebulae were observed with the Very
Large Array (VLA) at 1.3 cm and 0.7 cm, and five southern nebulae were observed
with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 6 cm and 3.6 cm. Two
northern objects, 19W32 and M 1-91, and three southern objects, He 2-25, He
2-84 and Mz 3, were found to exhibit a compact radio core with a rising
spectrum consistent with an ionized jet. Such jets have been seen in M 2-9 and
may be responsible for shaping bipolar structure in planetary nebulae.Comment: 29 pages, accepted for publication in Ap
Early onset ataxia with comorbid myoclonus and epilepsy:A disease spectrum with shared molecular pathways and cortico-thalamo-cerebellar network involvement
OBJECTIVES: Early onset ataxia (EOA) concerns a heterogeneous disease group, often presenting with other comorbid phenotypes such as myoclonus and epilepsy. Due to genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, it can be difficult to identify the underlying gene defect from the clinical symptoms. The pathological mechanisms underlying comorbid EOA phenotypes remain largely unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the key pathological mechanisms in EOA with myoclonus and/or epilepsy.METHODS: For 154 EOA-genes we investigated (1) the associated phenotype (2) reported anatomical neuroimaging abnormalities, and (3) functionally enriched biological pathways through in silico analysis. We assessed the validity of our in silico results by outcome comparison to a clinical EOA-cohort (80 patients, 31 genes).RESULTS: EOA associated gene mutations cause a spectrum of disorders, including myoclonic and epileptic phenotypes. Cerebellar imaging abnormalities were observed in 73-86% (cohort and in silico respectively) of EOA-genes independently of phenotypic comorbidity. EOA phenotypes with comorbid myoclonus and myoclonus/epilepsy were specifically associated with abnormalities in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical network. EOA, myoclonus and epilepsy genes shared enriched pathways involved in neurotransmission and neurodevelopment both in the in silico and clinical genes. EOA gene subgroups with myoclonus and epilepsy showed specific enrichment for lysosomal and lipid processes.CONCLUSIONS: The investigated EOA phenotypes revealed predominantly cerebellar abnormalities, with thalamo-cortical abnormalities in the mixed phenotypes, suggesting anatomical network involvement in EOA pathogenesis. The studied phenotypes exhibit a shared biomolecular pathogenesis, with some specific phenotype-dependent pathways. Mutations in EOA, epilepsy and myoclonus associated genes can all cause heterogeneous ataxia phenotypes, which supports exome sequencing with a movement disorder panel over conventional single gene panel testing in the clinical setting
OH Maser Observations of Planetary Nebulae Precursors
We present OH maser observations at 1612, 1665, 1667, and 1720 MHz for 86
post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars selected from a survey of 1612
MHz maser sources in the Galactic Plane. The observations were taken with the
Parkes Telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array between 2002
September and 2003 August. Post-AGB stars are the precursors to planetary
nebulae, the diverse morphological range of which is unexplained. The maser
observations were taken to investigate the onset and incidence of wind
asymmetries during the post-AGB phase. We re-detected all 86 sources at 1612
MHz while 27 sources were detected at 1665 and 45 at 1667 MHz. One source was
re-detected at 1720 MHz. We present a classification scheme for the maser
profiles and show that 25% of sources in our sample are likely to have
asymmetric or bipolar outflows. From a comparison of the maser and far-infrared
properties we find that there is a likely trend in the shape of the maser
profiles with some sources evolving from double-peaked to irregular to fully
bipolar profiles. A subset of higher-mass sources stand out as having almost no
mainline emission and mostly double-peaked profiles. At least 25% of sources in
the sample are variable at one or more of the frequencies observed. We also
confirm a previously-noted 1667 MHz overshoot phenomenon.Comment: 52 pages; 7 figures (24 sub-figures total
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