4,611 research outputs found
The intensity of the ancient lunar field from magnetic studies on lunar samples
Palaeointensity determination on Apollo 11, 16, and 17 rocks have indicated that from 3.9 to 4.0 AE ago the strength of the surface lunar magnetic field was about 1.3 Oe, while there is evidence from younger rocks that a field of about one quarter of this value was present at a later time (3.6 AE)
Biomarker Exploration in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells for Monitoring Sulforaphane Treatment Responses in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders with no drugs treating the core symptoms and no validated biomarkers for clinical use. The multi-functional phytochemical sulforaphane affects many of the biochemical abnormalities associated with ASD. We investigated potential molecular markers from three ASD-associated physiological pathways that can be affected by sulforaphane: redox metabolism/oxidative stress; heat shock response; and immune dysregulation/inflammation, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors and patients with ASD. We first analyzed the mRNA levels of selected molecular markers in response to sulforaphane ex vivo treatment in PBMCs from healthy donors by real-time quantitative PCR. All of the tested markers showed quantifiability, accuracy and reproducibility. We then compared the expression levels of those markers in PBMCs taken from ASD patients in response to orally-delivered sulforaphane. The mRNA levels of cytoprotective enzymes (NQO1, HO-1, AKR1C1), and heat shock proteins (HSP27 and HSP70), increased. Conversely, mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1beta, COX-2 and TNF-alpha) decreased. Individually none is sufficiently specific or sensitive, but when grouped by function as two panels, these biomarkers show promise for monitoring pharmacodynamic responses to sulforaphane in both healthy and autistic humans, and providing guidance for biomedical interventions
Effective Field Theory of the Zero-Temperature Triangular-Lattice Antiferromagnet: A Monte Carlo Study
Using a Monte Carlo coarse-graining technique introduced by Binder et al., we
have explicitly constructed the continuum field theory for the zero-temperature
triangular Ising antiferromagnet. We verify the conjecture that this is a
gaussian theory of the height variable in the interface representation of the
spin model. We also measure the height-height correlation function and deduce
the stiffness constant. In addition, we investigate the nature of defect-defect
interactions at finite temperatures, and find that the two-dimensional Coulomb
gas scenario applies at low temperatures.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figure
Elementary excitations in the gapped phase of a frustrated S=1/2 spin ladder: from spinons to the Haldane triplet
We use the variational matrix-product ansatz to study elementary excitations
in the S=1/2 ladder with additional diagonal coupling, equivalent to a single
S=1/2 chain with alternating exchange and next-nearest neighbor interaction. In
absence of alternation the elementary excitation consists of two free S=1/2
particles ("spinons") which are solitons in the dimer order. When the
nearest-neighbor exchange alternates, the "spinons" are confined into one S=1
excitation being a soliton in the generalized string order. Variational results
are found to be in a qualitative agreement with the exact diagonalization data
for 24 spins. We argue that such an approach gives a reasonably good
description in a wide range of the model parameters.Comment: RevTeX, 13 pages, 11 embedded figures, uses psfig and multico
Radio Images of 3C 58: Expansion and Motion of its Wisp
New 1.4 GHz VLA observations of the pulsar-powered supernova remnant 3C 58
have resulted in the highest-quality radio images of this object to date. The
images show filamentary structure over the body of the nebula. The present
observations were combined with earlier ones from 1984 and 1991 to investigate
the variability of the radio emission on a variety of time-scales. No
significant changes are seen over a 110 day interval. In particular, the upper
limit on the apparent projected velocity of the wisp is 0.05c. The expansion
rate of the radio nebula was determined between 1984 and 2004, and is
0.014+/-0.003%/year, corresponding to a velocity of 630+/-70 km/s along the
major axis. If 3C 58 is the remnant of SN 1181, it must have been strongly
decelerated, which is unlikely given the absence of emission from the supernova
shell. Alternatively, the low expansion speed and a number of other arguments
suggest that 3C 58 may be several thousand years old and not be the remnant of
SN 1181.Comment: 12 pages; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Radio Spectral Index and Expansion of 3C58
We present new observations of the plerionic supernova remnant 3C58 with the
VLA at 74 and 327 MHz. In addition, we re-reduced earlier observations at 1.4
and 4.9 GHz taken in 1973 and 1984. Comparing these various images, we find
that: 1. the remnant has a flat and relatively uniform spectral index
distribution, 2. any expansion of the remnant with time is significantly less
than that expected for uniform, undecelerated expansion since the generally
accepted explosion date in 1181 A.D., and 3. there is no evidence for a
non-thermal synchrotron emission shell generated by a supernova shock wave,
with any such emission having a surface brightness of <1 x 10^(-21) W / (m^2 Hz
sr) at 327 MHz.Comment: 18 pages, 7 Figures, Latex, Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journa
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