2,045 research outputs found
Efficient fetal-maternal ECG signal separation from two channel maternal abdominal ECG via diffusion-based channel selection
There is a need for affordable, widely deployable maternal-fetal ECG monitors
to improve maternal and fetal health during pregnancy and delivery. Based on
the diffusion-based channel selection, here we present the mathematical
formalism and clinical validation of an algorithm capable of accurate
separation of maternal and fetal ECG from a two channel signal acquired over
maternal abdomen
Visual Search for Galaxies near the Northern Crossing of the Supergalactic plane by the Milky Way
We have visually examined twelve Palomar red Plates for galaxies at low
Galactic latitude b, where the Supergalactic Plane (SGP) is crossed by the
Galactic Plane (GP), at Galactic longitude l ~135 degrees. The catalogue
consists of 2575 galaxy candidates, of which 462 have major axis diameters d >=
0.8 arc min (uncorrected for extinction). Galaxy candidates can be identified
down to |b| ~ 0 degrees. One of our galaxy candidates (J24 = Dwingeloo 1) has
recently been discovered independently in 21cm by Kraan-Korteweg et al. (1994)
as a nearby galaxy. Comparisons with the structures seen in the IRAS and UGC
catalogues are made. We compare the success rate of identifying galaxies using
the IRAS Point Source Catalogue under different colour selection criteria. The
criteria that require both the 60 micron and 100 micron fluxes to be of high
quality, have the highest probability of selecting a galaxy (with d >= 0.6 arc
min), but at the expense of selecting a smaller number of galaxies in total.Comment: uuencoded compressed postscript, without figures. The figures are
available at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/preprint/PrePrint.htm
The puzzlingly large Ca II triplet absorption in dwarf elliptical galaxies
We present central CaT, PaT, and CaT* indices for a sample of fifteen dwarf
elliptical galaxies (dEs). Twelve of these have CaT* ~ 7 A and extend the
negative correlation between the CaT* index and central velocity dispersion
sigma, which was derived for bright ellipticals (Es), down to 20 < sigma < 55
km/s. For five dEs we have independent age and metallicity estimates. Four of
these have CaT* ~ 7 A, much higher than expected from their low metallicities
(-1.5 < [Z/H] < -0.5). The observed anti-correlation of CaT* as a function of
sigma or Z is in flagrant disagreement with theory. We discuss some of the
amendments that have been proposed to bring the theoretical predictions into
agreement with the observed CaT*-values of bright Es and how they can be
extended to incorporate also the observed CaT*-values of dEs. Moreover, 3 dEs
in our sample have CaT* ~ 5 A, as would be expected for metal-poor stellar
systems. Any theory for dE evolution will have to be able to explain the
co-existence of low-CaT* and high-CaT* dEs at a given mean metallicity. This
could be the first direct evidence that the dE population is not homogeneous,
and that different evolutionary paths led to morphologically and kinematically
similar but chemically distinct objects.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Biomolecular imaging and electronic damage using X-ray free-electron lasers
Proposals to determine biomolecular structures from diffraction experiments
using femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses involve a conflict
between the incident brightness required to achieve diffraction-limited atomic
resolution and the electronic and structural damage induced by the
illumination. Here we show that previous estimates of the conditions under
which biomolecular structures may be obtained in this manner are unduly
restrictive, because they are based on a coherent diffraction model that is not
appropriate to the proposed interaction conditions. A more detailed imaging
model derived from optical coherence theory and quantum electrodynamics is
shown to be far more tolerant of electronic damage. The nuclear density is
employed as the principal descriptor of molecular structure. The foundations of
the approach may also be used to characterize electrodynamical processes by
performing scattering experiments on complex molecules of known structure.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure
A novel method, based on lithium sulfate precipitation for purification of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulin Y, applied to immunospecific antibodies against Sendai virus.
Egg-laying hens were immunized with Sendai virus (SV) that had been grown in chicken embryos. The titres of immunospecific SV antibodies varied from log212 to log216 during the 5-month immunization period and total immunoglobulin Y (IgY) concentrations varied from 1.6 to 4.0 mg per ml of egg yolk. Two IgY purification methods based on salt precipitation using lithium sulfate or sodium citrate were developed. These methods were compared with two other purification methods based on polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation and chloroform extraction, respectively in terms of yield, total protein content, IgY concentration and immunospecific anti Sendai IgY activity. The total protein and IgY contents when purified by chloroform were 1.4-2.8 times and 1.3-2.3 times higher, respectively than in corresponding preparations purified by the other methods. However, the proportion of nonsense proteins was approximately 10% higher in the IgY preparation purified by chloroform than in those purified by salt precipitation. The immunospecific IgY activity recorded in the preparations from the new salting out methods was lower compared with the PEG and chloroform purification methods. However, the purity analysis of IgY by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated that IgY purified with lithium sulfate contained only two major components with molecular weights of 40 kDa and 66 kDa and one minor protein component of 45 kDa. By contrast, IgY extracted with ammonium sulfate, which is a classical method used to obtain purified IgY, contained two major protein of 40 kDa and 66 kDa and at least three less intense protein bands corresponding to proteins of molecular weights 31.4 kDa, 33.5 kDa and 45 kDa. The results indicate that the purification of IgY by lithium sulfate results in very pure IgY in high quantities (94% +/- 5% of total egg yolk protein).
An Observational Limit on the Dwarf Galaxy Population of the Local Group
We present the results of an all-sky, deep optical survey for faint Local
Group dwarf galaxies. Candidate objects were selected from the second Palomar
survey (POSS-II) and ESO/SRC survey plates and follow-up observations performed
to determine whether they were indeed overlooked members of the Local Group.
Only two galaxies (Antlia and Cetus) were discovered this way out of 206
candidates. Based on internal and external comparisons, we estimate that our
visual survey is more than 77% complete for objects larger than one arc minute
in size and with a surface brightness greater than an extremely faint limit
over the 72% of the sky not obstructed by the Milky Way. Our limit of
sensitivity cannot be calculated exactly, but is certainly fainter than 25
magnitudes per square arc second in R, probably 25.5 and possibly approaching
26. We conclude that there are at most one or two Local Group dwarf galaxies
fitting our observational criteria still undiscovered in the clear part of the
sky, and a roughly a dozen hidden behind the Milky Way. Our work places the
"missing satellite problem" on a firm quantitative observational basis. We
present detailed data on all our candidates, including surface brightness
measurements.Comment: 58 pages in AJ manuscript format; some figures at slightly reduced
quality; accepted by the Astronomical Journa
Storage and perpendicular retrieving of two-dimensional pulses in electromagnetically induced transparency media
Propagation of two dimensional pulses in electromagnetically induced
tranparency media in the case of perpendicular storing and retrieving pulses
has been analyzed. It has been shown that propagation control of the pulses in
optically thick media can be used for producing interchange between pulse
time-shape and intensity profile distribution. A simple obvious analytical
solution for the retrieved new field has been obtained.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Penetration of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field B(sub y) into Earth's Plasma Sheet
There has been considerable recent interest in the relationship between the cross-tail magnetic field component B(sub y) and tail dynamics. The purpose of this paper is to give an overall description of the penetration of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B(sub y) into the near-Earth plasma sheet. We show that plasma sheet B(sub y) may be generated by the differential shear motion of field lines and enhanced by flux tube compression. The latter mechanism leads to a B(sub y) analogue of the pressure-balance inconsistency as flux tubes move from the far tail toward the Earth. The growth of B(sub y), however, may be limited by the dawn-dusk asymmetry in the shear velocity as a result of plasma sheet tilting. B(sub y) penetration into the plasma sheet implies field-aligned currents flowing between hemispheres. These currents together with the IMF B(sub y) related mantle field-aligned currents effectively shield the lobe from the IMF B(sub y)
Maternal serum levels of pregnancy—associated murine-l (PAMP—l) during pregnancy in the rabbit
An ELISA was developed to measure for the first time serum levels of Pregnancy—Associated Murine Protein- 1 (PAMP—l) throughout pregnancy in the rabbit. In rodents serum levels of PAMP-l are regulated by growth hormone Unlike the pregnancy-assoeiated rise in serum levels in pregnant mice and rats, PAMP-l did not increase significantly during pregnancy in the rabbit
Influence of husbandry procedures on mouse locomotor activity
The currently used raL models of obesity and diabetes are derived from either Zucker or from Koletsky rats. Recently, we identified a spontaneous obese rat from out Wistar colony which is maintained as an inbred stock for the past 75 years. Initially, one of the male progeny in a litter was observed to have abnormal body weight for its age. The parents of this ral were identified, the progeny selectively bred, and a colony has been developed. This is designated as WNIN-0b. The colony is maintained by mating heterozygous animals (+/ob), as the homozygous (ob/ob) were found to be infertile. The trait is carried as an autosomal recessive mutation and the colony is currenfly in F7 generation.Obesity is visible in these mutants around 35 days of age. They are hyperphagic and reach a body weight of 500—600 g by 105 days of age. “Kinky” tail is characteristic of this mutant and this is visible around 50-60 days. Sexual maturity is delayed in female obese mutants, as judged by the day of vaginal opening. The animals are cuglyccmic and show hyperinsulinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, arid hypercholesterolemia. Another mutant showing hyperglycemia is also obtained fromthe obese colony. Unlike earlier models which are essentially derived from a randomAbred stock, this is the first report of a rat obese model, developed spontaneously from an inbred strain
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