Tomographic filtering of high‐resolution mantle circulation models: Can seismic heterogeneity be explained by temperature alone?

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95052/1/ggge1509.pd

Effect of Pressure on Tiny Antiferromagnetic Moment in the Heavy-Electron Compound URu_2Si_2

We have performed elastic neutron-scattering experiments on the heavy-electron compound URu_2Si_2 for pressure P up to 2.8 GPa. We have found that the antiferrmagnetic (100) Bragg reflection below T_m ~ 17.5 K is strongly enhanced by applying pressure. For P < 1.1 GPa, the staggered moment mu_o at 1.4 K increases linearly from ~ 0.017(3) mu_B to ~ 0.25(2) mu_B, while T_m increases slightly at a rate ~ 1 K/GPa, roughly following the transition temperature T_o determined from macroscopic anomalies. We have also observed a sharp phase transition at P_c ~ 1.5 GPa, above which a 3D-Ising type of antiferromagnetic phase (mu_o ~ 0.4 mu_B) appears with a slightly reduced lattice constant.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 4 eps figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Diffuse light and galaxy interactions in the core of nearby clusters

The kinematics of the diffuse light in the densest regions of the nearby clusters can be unmasked using the planetary nebulae (PNs) as probes of the stellar motions. The position-velocity diagrams around the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) identify the relative contributions from the outer halos and the intracluster light (ICL), defined as the light radiated by the stars floating in the cluster potential. The kinematics of the ICL can then be used to asses the dynamical status of the nearby cluster cores and to infer their formation histories. The cores of the Virgo and Coma are observed to be far from equilibrium, with mergers currently on-going, while the ICL properties in the Fornax and Hydra clusters show the presence of sub-components being accreted in their cores, but superposed to an otherwise relaxed population of stars. Finally the comparison of the observed ICL properties with those predicted from Lambda-CDM simulations indicates a qualitative agreement and provides insights on the ICL formation. Both observations and simulations indicate that BCG halos and ICL are physically distinct components, with the ``hotter" ICL dominating at large radial distances from the BCGs halos as the latter become progressively fainter.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Invited review to appear in the proceedings of "Galaxies and their masks" eds. Block, D.L., Freeman, K.C. and Puerari, I., 2010, Springer (New York

Low Temperature Properties of Anisotropic Superconductors with Kondo Impurities

We present a self-consistent theory of superconductors in the presence of Kondo impurities, using large-$N$ slave-boson methods to treat the impurity dynamics. The technique is tested on the s-wave case and shown to give good results compared to other methods for $T_K > T_c$. We calculate low temperature thermodynamic and transport properties for various superconducting states, including isotropic s-wave and representative anisotropic model states with line and point nodes on the Fermi surface.Comment: 21 pages, RevTeX 3.0, 12 figures available upon request, UF preprin

A Conditional Yeast E1 Mutant Blocks the Ubiquitin–Proteasome Pathway and Reveals a Role for Ubiquitin Conjugates in Targeting Rad23 to the Proteasome

E1 ubiquitin activating enzyme catalyzes the initial step in all ubiquitin-dependent processes. We report the isolation of uba1-204, a temperature-sensitive allele of the essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae E1 gene, UBA1. Uba1-204 cells exhibit dramatic inhibition of the ubiquitin–proteasome system, resulting in rapid depletion of cellular ubiquitin conjugates and stabilization of multiple substrates. We have employed the tight phenotype of this mutant to investigate the role ubiquitin conjugates play in the dynamic interaction of the UbL/UBA adaptor proteins Rad23 and Dsk2 with the proteasome. Although proteasomes purified from mutant cells are intact and proteolytically active, they are depleted of ubiquitin conjugates, Rad23, and Dsk2. Binding of Rad23 to these proteasomes in vitro is enhanced by addition of either free or substrate-linked ubiquitin chains. Moreover, association of Rad23 with proteasomes in mutant and wild-type cells is improved upon stabilizing ubiquitin conjugates with proteasome inhibitor. We propose that recognition of polyubiquitin chains by Rad23 promotes its shuttling to the proteasome in vivo

Superconductivity in heavy-fermion U(Pt,Pd)3 and its interplay with magnetism

The effect of Pd doping on the superconducting phase diagram of the unconventional superconductor UPt3 has been measured by (magneto)resistance, specific heat, thermal expansion and magnetostriction. Experiments on single- and polycrystalline U(Pt1-xPdx)3 for x<= 0.006 show that the superconducting transition temperatures of the A phase, Tc+, and of the B phase, Tc-, both decrease, while the splitting DTc increases at a rate of 0.30(2)K/at.%Pd. We find that DTc(x) correlates with an increase of the weak magnetic moment m(x) upon Pd doping. This provides further evidence for Ginzburg-Landau scenarios with magnetism as the symmetry breaking field, i.e. the 2D E representation and the 1D odd parity model. Only for small splittings DTc is proportional to m^2(Tc+) (DTc<= 0.05 K) as predicted. The results at larger splittings call for Ginzburg-Landau expansions beyond 4th order. The tetracritical point in the B-T plane persists till at least x= 0.002 for B perpendicular to c, while it is rapidly suppressed for B||c. Upon alloying the A and B phases gain stability at the expense of the C phase.Comment: 25 pages text (PS), 8 pages with 14 figures (PS), submitted to Phys.Rev.

Compact Stellar Systems around NGC 1399

We have obtained spectroscopic redshifts of colour-selected point sources in four wide area VLT-FLAMES fields around the Fornax Cluster giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1399, identifying as cluster members 30 previously unknown faint (-10.5<M_g'<-8.8) compact stellar systems (CSS), and improving redshift accuracy for 23 previously catalogued CSS. By amalgamating our results with CSS from previous 2dF observations and excluding CSS dynamically associated with prominent (non-dwarf) galaxies surrounding NGC 1399, we have isolated 80 `unbound' systems that are either part of NGC 1399's globular cluster (GC) system or intracluster GCs. For these unbound systems, we find (i) they are mostly located off the main stellar locus in colour-colour space; (ii) their projected distribution about NGC 1399 is anisotropic, following the Fornax Cluster galaxy distribution, and there is weak evidence for group rotation about NGC 1399; (iii) their completeness-adjusted radial surface density profile has a slope similar to that of NGC 1399's inner GC system; (iv) their mean heliocentric recessional velocity is between that of NGC 1399's inner GCs and that of the surrounding dwarf galaxies, but their velocity dispersion is significantly lower; (v) bright CSS (M_V<-11) are slightly redder than the fainter systems, suggesting they have higher metallicity; (vi) CSS show no significant trend in $g' - i'$ colour index with radial distance from NGC 1399.Comment: 13 pages (including supplementary table), 13 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Ubiquitylation in ERAD: Reversing to Go Forward?

Proteins are co-translationally inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where they undergo maturation. Homeostasis in the ER requires a highly sensitive and selective means of quality control. This occurs through ER-associated degradation (ERAD).This complex ubiquitin-proteasome–mediated process involves ubiquitin conjugating enzymes (E2) and ubiquitin ligases (E3),lumenal and cytosolic chaperones, and other proteins, including the AAA ATPase p97 (VCP; Cdc48 in yeast). Probing of processes involving proteasomal degradation has generally depended on proteasome inhibitors or knockdown of specific E2s or E3s. In this issue of PLoS Biology, Ernst et al. demonstrate the utility of expressing the catalytic domain of a viral deubiquitylating enzyme to probe the ubiquitin system. Convincing evidence is provided that deubiquitylation is integral to dislocation of ERAD substrates from the ER membrane. The implications of this work for understanding ERAD and the potential of expressing deubiquitylating enzyme domains for studying ubiquitin-mediated processes are discussed

CAR-T cell. the long and winding road to solid tumors

Adoptive cell therapy of solid tumors with reprogrammed T cells can be considered the "next generation" of cancer hallmarks. CAR-T cells fail to be as effective as in liquid tumors for the inability to reach and survive in the microenvironment surrounding the neoplastic foci. The intricate net of cross-interactions occurring between tumor components, stromal and immune cells leads to an ineffective anergic status favoring the evasion from the host's defenses. Our goal is hereby to trace the road imposed by solid tumors to CAR-T cells, highlighting pitfalls and strategies to be developed and refined to possibly overcome these hurdles