2,423 research outputs found
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 Îœ ÎŒ 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 2.8Ï deviation from the hypothesis that the data consists only of atmospheric background.Fil: Aartsen, M. G.. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Abraham, K.. Technische UniversitĂ€t MĂŒnchen; AlemaniaFil: Ackermann, M.. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron; AlemaniaFil: Adams, J.. University Of Canterbury; Nueva ZelandaFil: Aguilar, J. A.. UniversitĂ© Libre de Bruxelles; BĂ©lgicaFil: Golup, Geraldina Tamara. ComisiĂłn Nacional de EnergĂa AtĂłmica. Gerencia del Ărea de EnergĂa Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico 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; CanadĂĄFil: 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; CanadĂĄFil: 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; JapĂłnFil: Zoll, M.. Stockholms Universitet; Sueci
The clustering of intermediate redshift quasars as measured by the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey
We measure the quasar two-point correlation function over the redshift range
2.2<z<2.8 using data from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. We use a
homogeneous subset of the data consisting of 27,129 quasars with spectroscopic
redshifts---by far the largest such sample used for clustering measurements at
these redshifts to date. The sample covers 3,600 square degrees, corresponding
to a comoving volume of 9.7(Gpc/h)^3 assuming a fiducial LambdaCDM cosmology,
and it has a median absolute i-band magnitude of -26, k-corrected to z=2. After
accounting for redshift errors we find that the redshift space correlation
function is fit well by a power-law of slope -2 and amplitude s_0=(9.7\pm
0.5)Mpc/h over the range 3<s<25Mpc/h. The projected correlation function, which
integrates out the effects of peculiar velocities and redshift errors, is fit
well by a power-law of slope -1 and r_0=(8.4\pm 0.6)Mpc/h over the range
4<R<16Mpc/h. There is no evidence for strong luminosity or redshift dependence
to the clustering amplitude, in part because of the limited dynamic range in
our sample. Our results are consistent with, but more precise than, previous
measurements at similar redshifts. Our measurement of the quasar clustering
amplitude implies a bias factor of b~3.5 for our quasar sample. We compare the
data to models to constrain the manner in which quasars occupy dark matter
halos at z~2.4 and infer that such quasars inhabit halos with a characteristic
mass of ~10^{12}Msun/h with a duty cycle for the quasar activity of 1 per
cent.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures. Minor modifications to match version accepted
by journa
Development of geraniol-loaded liposomal nanoformulations against salmonella colonization in the pig gut
Salmonella is a global health threat, with pig production being one of the main sources of human salmonellosis. The current study investigated the antivirulence properties of geraniol for inhibiting the in vitro colonization of Salmonella. The minimum inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of geraniol against Salmonella typhimurium followed by the sub-MIC of geraniol were determined. Results provided clear evidence that geraniol at 1/8 MIC can be used as an effective, non-toxic antivirulence compound to inhibit virulence factors (motility, adhesion, and invasiveness) affecting the colonization of S. typhimurium on IPEC-J2 cells. Additionally, the findings signified that microfluidics is an emerging technology suitable for the preparation of stable liposomes with a small size (<200 nm) and high encapsulation efficiency (EE) of up to 92.53%, which can act as effective carriers of geraniol into the pig gastrointestinal tract (GIT), targeting Salmonella, preventing colonization, and thus increasing the safety of the food supply chain
G1 Cosmologies with Gravitational and Scalar Waves
I present here a new algorithm to generate families of inhomogeneous massless
scalar field cosmologies. New spacetimes, having a single isometry, are
generated by breaking the homogeneity of massless scalar field models
along one direction. As an illustration of the technique I construct
cosmological models which in their late time limit represent perturbations in
the form of gravitational and scalar waves propagating on a non-static
inhomogeneous background. Several features of the obtained metrics are
discussed, such as their early and late time limits, structure of singularities
and physical interpretation.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figure
Variability selected high-redshift quasars on SDSS Stripe 82
The SDSS-III BOSS Quasar survey will attempt to observe z>2.15 quasars at a
density of at least 15 per square degree to yield the first measurement of the
Baryon Acoustic Oscillations in the Ly-alpha forest. To help reaching this
goal, we have developed a method to identify quasars based on their variability
in the u g r i z optical bands. The method has been applied to the selection of
quasar targets in the SDSS region known as Stripe 82 (the Southern equatorial
stripe), where numerous photometric observations are available over a 10-year
baseline. This area was observed by BOSS during September and October 2010.
Only 8% of the objects selected via variability are not quasars, while 90% of
the previously identified high-redshift quasar population is recovered. The
method allows for a significant increase in the z>2.15 quasar density over
previous strategies based on optical (ugriz) colors, achieving a density of
24.0 deg^{-2} on average down to g~22 over the 220 deg^2 area of Stripe 82. We
applied this method to simulated data from the Palomar Transient Factory and
from Pan-STARRS, and showed that even with data that have sparser time sampling
than what is available in Stripe 82, including variability in future quasar
selection strategies would lead to increased target selection efficiency in the
z>2.15 redshift range. We also found that Broad Absorption Line quasars are
preferentially present in a variability than in a color selection.Comment: 14 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Block of NMDA receptor channels by endogenous neurosteroids: implications for the agonist induced conformational states of the channel vestibule
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) mediate synaptic plasticity, and their dysfunction is implicated in multiple brain disorders. NMDARs can be allosterically modulated by numerous compounds, including endogenous neurosteroid pregnanolone sulfate. Here, we identify the molecular basis of the use-dependent and voltage-independent inhibitory effect of neurosteroids on NMDAR responses. The site of action is located at the extracellular vestibule of the receptor's ion channel pore and is accessible after receptor activation. Mutations in the extracellular vestibule in the SYTANLAAF motif disrupt the inhibitory effect of negatively charged steroids. In contrast, positively charged steroids inhibit mutated NMDAR responses in a voltage-dependent manner. These results, in combination with molecular modeling, characterize structure details of the open configuration of the NMDAR channel. Our results provide a unique opportunity for the development of new therapeutic neurosteroid-based ligands to treat diseases associated with dysfunction of the glutamate system
Genetic Characterization of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru: Identification of a New Subtype ID Lineage
Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) has been responsible for hundreds of thousands of human and equine cases of severe disease in the Americas. A passive surveillance study was conducted in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador to determine the arboviral etiology of febrile illness. Patients with suspected viral-associated, acute, undifferentiated febrile illness of <7 days duration were enrolled in the study and blood samples were obtained from each patient and assayed by virus isolation. Demographic and clinical information from each patient was also obtained at the time of voluntary enrollment. In 2005â2007, cases of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) were diagnosed for the first time in residents of Bolivia; the patients did not report traveling, suggesting endemic circulation of VEEV in Bolivia. In 2001 and 2003, VEE cases were also identified in Ecuador. Since 1993, VEEV has been continuously isolated from patients in Loreto, Peru, and more recently (2005), in Madre de Dios, Peru. We performed phylogenetic analyses with VEEV from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru and compared their relationships to strains from other parts of South America. We found that VEEV subtype ID Panama/Peru genotype is the predominant one circulating in Peru. We also demonstrated that VEEV subtype ID strains circulating in Ecuador belong to the Colombia/Venezuela genotype and VEEV from Madre de Dios, Peru and Cochabamba, Bolivia belong to a new ID genotype. In summary, we identified a new major lineage of enzootic VEEV subtype ID, information that could aid in the understanding of the emergence and evolution of VEEV in South America
Protocol for the 'e-Nudge trial' : a randomised controlled trial of electronic feedback to reduce the cardiovascular risk of individuals in general practice [ISRCTN64828380]
Background: Cardiovascular disease (including coronary heart disease and stroke) is a major
cause of death and disability in the United Kingdom, and is to a large extent preventable, by lifestyle
modification and drug therapy. The recent standardisation of electronic codes for cardiovascular
risk variables through the United Kingdom's new General Practice contract provides an
opportunity for the application of risk algorithms to identify high risk individuals. This randomised
controlled trial will test the benefits of an automated system of alert messages and practice
searches to identify those at highest risk of cardiovascular disease in primary care databases.
Design: Patients over 50 years old in practice databases will be randomised to the intervention
group that will receive the alert messages and searches, and a control group who will continue to
receive usual care. In addition to those at high estimated risk, potentially high risk patients will be
identified who have insufficient data to allow a risk estimate to be made. Further groups identified
will be those with possible undiagnosed diabetes, based either on elevated past recorded blood
glucose measurements, or an absence of recent blood glucose measurement in those with
established cardiovascular disease.
Outcome measures: The intervention will be applied for two years, and outcome data will be
collected for a further year. The primary outcome measure will be the annual rate of cardiovascular
events in the intervention and control arms of the study. Secondary measures include the
proportion of patients at high estimated cardiovascular risk, the proportion of patients with missing
data for a risk estimate, and the proportion with undefined diabetes status at the end of the trial
Light emission from a scanning tunneling microscope: Fully retarded calculation
The light emission rate from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) scanning a
noble metal surface is calculated taking retardation effects into account. As
in our previous, non-retarded theory [Johansson, Monreal, and Apell, Phys. Rev.
B 42, 9210 (1990)], the STM tip is modeled by a sphere, and the dielectric
properties of tip and sample are described by experimentally measured
dielectric functions. The calculations are based on exact diffraction theory
through the vector equivalent of the Kirchoff integral. The present results are
qualitatively similar to those of the non-retarded calculations. The light
emission spectra have pronounced resonance peaks due to the formation of a
tip-induced plasmon mode localized to the cavity between the tip and the
sample. At a quantitative level, the effects of retardation are rather small as
long as the sample material is Au or Cu, and the tip consists of W or Ir.
However, for Ag samples, in which the resistive losses are smaller, the
inclusion of retardation effects in the calculation leads to larger changes:
the resonance energy decreases by 0.2-0.3 eV, and the resonance broadens. These
changes improve the agreement with experiment. For a Ag sample and an Ir tip,
the quantum efficiency is 10 emitted photons in the visible
frequency range per tunneling electron. A study of the energy dissipation into
the tip and sample shows that in total about 1 % of the electrons undergo
inelastic processes while tunneling.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures (1 ps, 9 tex, automatically included); To appear
in Phys. Rev. B (15 October 1998
Women's preference for cesarean delivery and differences between Taiwanese women undergoing different modes of delivery
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The rate of cesarean delivery was 35% in 2007 in Taiwan. It is unclear how many of the cesarean deliveries were without medical indications. Women's preference for cesarean delivery during their course of pregnancy has rarely been studied and therefore our objectives were to examine rate of cesarean deliveries without medical indications, to explore women's preference for cesarean delivery as their gestation advances, and to compare background and perinatal factors among women who underwent different modes of delivery in Taiwan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This prospective study applied a longitudinal design. The study participants were 473 women who received prenatal care at four hospitals in Taipei and answered structured questionnaires at 20 to 24 weeks of pregnancy, 34 to 36 weeks of pregnancy, and 5 to 7 weeks after delivery.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 151 women (31.9%) who had cesarean deliveries, 19.9% were without medical indication. Three indications: malpresentation, prior cesarean section, and dysfunctional labor together accounted for 82.6% of cesarean section with medical indications. The prevalence of maternal preference for cesarean delivery was found to be 12.5% and 17.5% during the second and third trimester, respectively. Of the women who preferred cesarean delivery during the second trimester, 93.2% eventually had a cesarean delivery. Women who were older, with older spouses, and who had health problems before or during pregnancy were more likely to have cesarean deliveries.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>About 20% of cesarean deliveries were without medical indications. Women's preference for cesarean delivery during the second trimester predicts subsequent cesarean delivery. Counseling regarding mode of delivery should be offered early in pregnancy, especially for women who are older or with older spouses, have health problems, or had a prior cesarean section.</p
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