Lifetime and production rate of NOx in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere in the polar spring/summer after the solar proton event in October–November 2003

We present altitude-dependent lifetimes of NOx, determined with MIPAS/ENVISAT (the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding/the European Environment Satellite), for the Southern polar region after the solar proton event in October-November 2003. Between 50° S and 90° S and decreasing in altitude they range from about two days at 64 km to about 20 days at 44 km. The lifetimes are controlled by transport, mixing and photochemistry. We infer estimates of dynamical lifetimes by comparison of the observed decay to photochemical lifetimes calculated with the SLIMCAT 3-D Model. Photochemical loss contributes to the observed NOx depletion by 0.1% at 44 km, increasing with altitude to 45% at 64 km. In addition, we show the correlation of modelled ionization rates and observed NOx densities under consideration of the determined lifetimes of NOx, and calculate altitude-dependent effective production rates of NOx due to ionization. For that we compare ionization rates of the AIMOS data base with the MIPAS measurements from 15 October-31 December 2003. We derive effective NOx-production rates to be applied to the AIMOS ionization rates which range from about 0.2 NOx-molecules per ion pair at 44 km to 0.7 NOx-molecules per ion pair at 62 km. These effective production rates are considerably lower than predicted by box model simulations which could hint at an overestimation of the modelled ionization rates. © Author(s) 2013.F. Friederich, H. Nieder, and M. Sinnhuber gratefully acknowledge funding by the Helmholtz society, grant VH-NG-624.Peer Reviewe

Lifetime and production rate of NOx in the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere in the polar spring/summer after the solar proton event in October - November 2003

We present altitude-dependent lifetimes of NOx, determined with MIPAS/ENVISAT (the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding/the European Environment Satellite), for the Southern polar region after the solar proton event in October–November 2003. Between 50° S and 90° S and decreasing in altitude they range from about two days at 64 km to about 20 days at 44 km. The lifetimes are controlled by transport, mixing and photochemistry. We infer estimates of dynamical lifetimes by comparison of the observed decay to photochemical lifetimes calculated with the SLIMCAT 3-D Model. Photochemical loss contributes to the observed NOx depletion by 0.1% at 44 km, increasing with altitude to 45% at 64 km. In addition, we show the correlation of modelled ionization rates and observed NOx densities under consideration of the determined lifetimes of NOx, and calculate altitudedependent effective production rates of NOx due to ionization. For that we compare ionization rates of the AIMOS data base with the MIPAS measurements from 15 October–31 December 2003. We derive effective NOx-production rates to be applied to the AIMOS ionization rates which range from about 0.2 NOx-molecules per ion pair at 44 km to 0.7 NOx-molecules per ion pair at 62 km. These effective production rates are considerably lower than predicted by box model simulations which could hint at an overestimation of the modelled ionization rates

Rashba-type spin splitting at Au(111) beyond the Fermi level: the other part of the story

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of spin–orbit-induced spin splittings in the unoccupied surface electronic structure of the prototypical Rashba system Au(111). Spin- and angle-resolved inverse-photoemission measurements reveal a Rashba-type spin splitting in the unoccupied part of the L-gap surface state. With increasing momentum parallel to the surface, the spectral intensity is lowered and the spin splitting vanishes as the surface state approaches the band-gap boundary. Furthermore, we observe significantly spin-dependent peak positions and intensities for transitions between unoccupied sp-like bulk bands. Possible reasons for this behavior are considered: initial and final-state effects as well as the transition itself, which is controlled by selection rules depending on the symmetry of the involved states. Based on model calculations, we identify the initial states as origin of the observed Rashba-type spin effects in bulk transitions

Lowering IceCube's energy threshold for point source searches in the Southern Sky

Observation of a point source of astrophysical neutrinos would be a "smoking gun" signature of a cosmic-ray accelerator. While IceCube has recently discovered a diffuse flux of astrophysical neutrinos, no localized point source has been observed. Previous IceCube searches for point sources in the southern sky were restricted by either an energy threshold above a few hundred TeV or poor neutrino angular resolution. Here we present a search for southern sky point sources with greatly improved sensitivities to neutrinos with energies below 100 TeV. By selecting charged-current ν μ interacting inside the detector, we reduce the atmospheric background while retaining efficiency for astrophysical neutrino-induced events reconstructed with sub-degree angular resolution. The new event sample covers three years of detector data and leads to a factor of 10 improvement in sensitivity to point sources emitting below 100 TeV in the southern sky. No statistically significant evidence of point sources was found, and upper limits are set on neutrino emission from individual sources. A posteriori analysis of the highest-energy (~100 TeV) starting event in the sample found that this event alone represents a 2.8σ deviation from the hypothesis that the data consists only of atmospheric background.Fil: Aartsen, M. G.. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Abraham, K.. Technische Universität München; AlemaniaFil: Ackermann, M.. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron; AlemaniaFil: Adams, J.. University Of Canterbury; Nueva ZelandaFil: Aguilar, J. A.. Université Libre de Bruxelles; BélgicaFil: Golup, Geraldina Tamara. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Wallace, A.. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Wallraff, M.. Rwth Aachen University; AlemaniaFil: Wandkowsky, N.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Weaver, Ch.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Wendt, C.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Westerhoff, S.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Whelan, B. J.. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Whitehorn, N.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados UnidosFil: Wickmann, S.. Rwth Aachen University; AlemaniaFil: Wiebe, K.. Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz; AlemaniaFil: Wiebusch, C. H.. Rwth Aachen University; AlemaniaFil: Wille, L.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Williams, D. R.. University of Alabama at Birmingahm; Estados UnidosFil: Wills, L.. Drexel University; Estados UnidosFil: Wissing, H.. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Wolf, M.. Stockholms Universitet; SueciaFil: Wood, T. R.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Woschnagg, K.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados UnidosFil: Xu, D. L.. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Xu, X. W.. Southern University; Estados UnidosFil: Xu, Y.. Stony Brook University; Estados UnidosFil: Yanez, J. P.. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron; AlemaniaFil: Yodh, G.. University of California at Irvine; Estados UnidosFil: Yoshida, S.. Chiba University; JapónFil: Zoll, M.. Stockholms Universitet; Sueci

Identification of caspase 3 motifs and critical aspartate residues in human Phospholipase D1b and Phopsholipase D2a

Stimulation of mammalian cells frequently initiates phospholipase D-catalysed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine in the plasma membrane to yield phosphatidic acid (PA) a novel lipid messenger. PA plays a regulatory role in important cellular processes such as secretion, cellular shape change and movement. A number of studies have highlighted that PLD-based signalling also plays a pro-mitogenic and pro-survival role in cells and therefore anti-apoptotic. We show that human PLD1b and PLD2a contain functional caspase-3 cleavage sites and identify the critical aspartate residues within PLD1b that affect its activation by phorbol esters and attenuate phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis during apoptosis

Ultra-Relativistic Magnetic Monopole Search with the ANITA-II Balloon-borne Radio Interferometer

We have conducted a search for extended energy deposition trails left by ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles interacting in Antarctic ice. The non-observation of any satisfactory candidates in the 31 days of accumulated ANITA-II flight data results in an upper limit on the diffuse flux of relativistic monopoles. We obtain a 90% C.L. limit of order 10^{-19}/(cm^2-s-sr) for values of Lorentz boost factor 10^{10}<gamma at the anticipated energy E=10^{16} GeV. This bound is stronger than all previously published experimental limits for this kinematic range.Comment: updated to version accepted by Phys. Rev.

Nuclear Eg5 (kinesin spindle protein) expression predicts docetaxel response and prostate cancer aggressiveness

Novel biomarkers predicting prostate cancer (PCa) aggressiveness and docetaxel therapy response of PCa patients are needed. In this study the correlation between nuclear Eg5-expression, PCa docetaxel response and PCa aggressiveness was assessed. Immunohistochemical staining for nuclear Eg5 was performed on 117 archival specimens from 110 PCa patients treated with docetaxel between 2004 and 2012. Samples were histologically categorized as positive/negative. Median follow-up time from diagnosis was 11.6 years. Nuclear Eg5-expression was significantly related to docetaxel response (p=0.036) in tissues acquired within three years before docetaxel initiation. Nuclear Eg5-expression was not related to Gleason-score (p=0.994). Survival of patients after docetaxel initiation did not differ based on nuclear Eg5-expression (p=0.540). Analyzing samples taken before hormonal therapy, overall survival and time to docetaxel use were significantly decreased in patients with nuclear Eg5-expressing tumors (p<0.01). Eg5-positive nuclei were found more frequently in T4-staged tumors (p=0.04), Gleason 8-10 tumors (p=0.08), and in metastasized tumors (p<0.01). Multivariate analyses indicated that nuclear Eg5-expression may be an independent parameter for tumor aggressiveness. Limitations of a retrospective analysis apply. In conclusion, nuclear Eg5-expression may be a predictive biomarker for docetaxel response in metastatic castrate-resistant PCa patients and a prognostic biomarker for hormone-naive PCa patients. Prospective validation studies are needed