1,223 research outputs found
Magnetostrictive Neel ordering of the spin-5/2 ladder compound BaMn2O3: distortion-induced lifting of geometrical frustration
The crystal structure and the magnetism of BaMnO have been studied by
thermodynamic and by diffraction techniques using large single crystals and
powders. BaMnO is a realization of a spin ladder as the
magnetic interaction is dominant along 180 Mn-O-Mn bonds forming the
legs and the rungs of a ladder. The temperature dependence of the magnetic
susceptibility exhibits well-defined maxima for all directions proving the
low-dimensional magnetic character in BaMnO. The susceptibility and
powder neutron diffraction data, however, show that BaMnO exhibits a
transition to antiferromagnetic order at 184 K, in spite of a full frustration
of the nearest-neighbor inter-ladder coupling in the orthorhombic
high-temperature phase. This frustration is lifted by a remarkably strong
monoclinic distortion which accompanies the magnetic transition.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables; in V1 fig. 2 was included twice and
fig. 4 was missing; this has been corrected in V
A Robust and Universal Metaproteomics Workflow for Research Studies and Routine Diagnostics Within 24 h Using Phenol Extraction, FASP Digest, and the MetaProteomeAnalyzer
The investigation of microbial proteins by mass spectrometry (metaproteomics) is a key technology for simultaneously assessing the taxonomic composition and the functionality of microbial communities in medical, environmental, and biotechnological applications. We present an improved metaproteomics workflow using an updated sample preparation and a new version of the MetaProteomeAnalyzer software for data analysis. High resolution by multidimensional separation (GeLC, MudPIT) was sacrificed to aim at fast analysis of a broad range of different samples in less than 24 h. The improved workflow generated at least two times as many protein identifications than our previous workflow, and a drastic increase of taxonomic and functional annotations. Improvements of all aspects of the workflow, particularly the speed, are first steps toward potential routine clinical diagnostics (i.e., fecal samples) and analysis of technical and environmental samples. The MetaProteomeAnalyzer is provided to the scientific community as a central remote server solution at www.mpa.ovgu.de.Peer Reviewe
Embedded Stellar Clusters in the W3/W4/W5 Molecular Cloud Complex
We analyze the embedded stellar content in the vicinity of the W3/W4/W5 HII
regions using the FCRAO Outer Galaxy 12CO(J=1-0) Survey, the IRAS Point Source
Catalog, published radio continuum surveys, and new near-infrared and molecular
line observations. Thirty-four IRAS Point Sources are identified that have
far-infrared colors characteristic of embedded star forming regions, and we
have obtained K' mosaics and 13CO(J=1-0) maps for 32 of them. Ten of the IRAS
sources are associated with an OB star and 19 with a stellar cluster, although
three OB stars are not identified with a cluster. Half of the embedded stellar
population identified in the K' images is found in just the 5 richest clusters,
and 61% is contained in IRAS sources associated with an embedded OB star. Thus
rich clusters around OB stars contribute substantially to the stellar
population currently forming in the W3/W4/W5 region. Approximately 39% of the
cluster population is embedded in small clouds with an average mass of ~130 Mo
that are located as far as 100 pc from the W3/W4/W5 cloud complex. We speculate
that these small clouds are fragments of a cloud complex dispersed by previous
episodes of massive star formation. Finally, we find that 4 of the 5 known
embedded massive star forming sites in the W3 molecular cloud are found along
the interface with the W4 HII region despite the fact that most of the
molecular mass is contained in the interior regions of the cloud. These
observations are consistent with the classical notion that the W4 HII region
has triggered massive star formation along the eastern edge of the W3 molecular
cloud.Comment: to appear in ApJS, see http://astro.caltech.edu/~jmc/papers/w
On the embeddability of certain infinitely divisible probability measures on Lie groups
We describe certain sufficient conditions for an infinitely divisible
probability measure on a class of connected Lie groups to be embeddable in a
continuous one-parameter convolution semigroup of probability measures.
(Theorem 1.3). This enables us in particular to conclude the embeddability of
all infinitely divisible probability measures on certain Lie groups, including
the so called Walnut group (Corollary 1.5). The embeddability is concluded also
under certain other conditions (Corollary 1.4 and Theorem 1.6).Comment: 24 page
Spitzer's mid-infrared view on an outer Galaxy Infrared Dark Cloud candidate toward NGC 7538
Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) represent the earliest observed stages of
clustered star formation, characterized by large column densities of cold and
dense molecular material observed in silhouette against a bright background of
mid-IR emission. Up to now, IRDCs were predominantly known toward the inner
Galaxy where background infrared emission levels are high. We present Spitzer
observations with the Infrared Camera Array toward object G111.80+0.58 (G111)
in the outer Galactic Plane, located at a distance of ~3 kpc from us and ~10
kpc from the Galactic center. Earlier results show that G111 is a massive, cold
molecular clump very similar to IRDCs. The mid-IR Spitzer observations
unambiguously detect object G111 in absorption. We have identified for the
first time an IRDC in the outer Galaxy, which confirms the suggestion that
cluster-forming clumps are present throughout the Galactic Plane. However,
against a low mid-IR back ground such as the outer Galaxy it takes some effort
to find them.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL -- 11 pages, 2 figures (1 colour
Turbulent Mixing in the Interstellar Medium -- an application for Lagrangian Tracer Particles
We use 3-dimensional numerical simulations of self-gravitating compressible
turbulent gas in combination with Lagrangian tracer particles to investigate
the mixing process of molecular hydrogen (H2) in interstellar clouds. Tracer
particles are used to represent shock-compressed dense gas, which is associated
with H2. We deposit tracer particles in regions of density contrast in excess
of ten times the mean density. Following their trajectories and using
probability distribution functions, we find an upper limit for the mixing
timescale of H2, which is of order 0.3 Myr. This is significantly smaller than
the lifetime of molecular clouds, which demonstrates the importance of the
turbulent mixing of H2 as a preliminary stage to star formation.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, conference proceedings "Turbulent Mixing and
Beyond 2007
Fecal Metaproteomics Reveals Reduced Gut Inflammation and Changed Microbial Metabolism Following Lifestyle-Induced Weight Loss
Gut microbiota-mediated inflammation promotes obesity-associated low-grade inflammation, which represents a hallmark of metabolic syndrome. To investigate if lifestyle-induced weight loss (WL) may modulate the gut microbiome composition and its interaction with the host on a functional level, we analyzed the fecal metaproteome of 33 individuals with metabolic syndrome in a longitudinal study before and after lifestyle-induced WL in a well-defined cohort. The 6-month WL intervention resulted in reduced BMI (−13.7%), improved insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR, −46.1%), and reduced levels of circulating hsCRP (−39.9%), indicating metabolic syndrome reversal. The metaprotein spectra revealed a decrease of human proteins associated with gut inflammation. Taxonomic analysis revealed only minor changes in the bacterial composition with an increase of the families Desulfovibrionaceae, Leptospiraceae, Syntrophomonadaceae, Thermotogaceae and Verrucomicrobiaceae. Yet we detected an increased abundance of microbial metaprotein spectra that suggest an enhanced hydrolysis of complex carbohydrates. Hence, lifestyle-induced WL was associated with reduced gut inflammation and functional changes of human and microbial enzymes for carbohydrate hydrolysis while the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome remained almost stable. The metaproteomics workflow has proven to be a suitable method for monitoring inflammatory changes in the fecal metaproteome
High resolution imaging of CO outflows in OMC-2 and OMC-3
A large scale, high resolution map of CO(1-0) emission toward the OMC-2 and
OMC-3 star forming regions is presented. The map is a mosaic of 46 fields using
the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Array (BIMA) and covers at
resolution. These data are combined with singledish FCRAO
observations and analyzed to identify and determine the properties of nine
protostellar outflows. The BIMA data alone almost completely resolve out the
cloud emission at central velocities and only recover 1/20 of the flux in the
high velocity gas showing that outflows are generally broadly dispersed over
angular scales. All nine identified outflows emanate from known Class
0 or borderline Class 0/I sources, are associated with knots of shocked \h2\
emission, and have short dynamical times. It is suggested that only the
youngest, most spatially compact, and energetic outflows have been found and
that more distributed high velocity gas undetected by BIMA is due to older
outflows continuing through the Class I phase of protostellar evolution. The
mechanical energy injection rate into the cloud is estimated to be which is comparable to the turbulent energy dissipation rate.
Outf`lows appear capable, therefore, of sustaining cloud turbulence but a high
starformation rate is required implying a short cloud lifetime `Myr.Comment: Accepted for publication in v591 of the Ap
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