While many studies have shown a correlation between properties of the light curves of SNe Ia and properties of their host galaxies, it remains unclear what is driving these correlations. We introduce ...a new direct method to study these correlations by analyzing "parent" galaxies that host multiple SNe Ia "siblings." Here, we search the Dark Energy Survey SN sample, one of the largest samples of discovered SNe, and find eight galaxies that hosted two likely SNe Ia. Comparing the light-curve properties of these SNe and recovered distances from the light curves, we find no better agreement between properties of SNe in the same galaxy as any random pair of galaxies, with the exception of the SN light-curve stretch. We show at 2.8 significance that at least one-half of the intrinsic scatter of SNe Ia distance modulus residuals is not from common host properties. We also discuss the robustness with which we could make this evaluation with LSST, which will find 100× more pairs of galaxies, and pave a new line of study on the consistency of SNe Ia in the same parent galaxies. Finally, we argue that it is unlikely that some of these SNe are actually single, lensed SN with multiple images.
In a solar cell: stainless steel/SnS/CdS/ZnO/ZnO:Al, we report conversion efficiency of 1.28%, open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.470 V, and short‐circuit current density (Jsc) of 6.2 mA cm−2, measured ...on cells of area 1 cm2 under standard conditions. The thin film of SnS absorber of 550 nm in thickness used in this cell was deposited from a chemical bath. Average crystalline diameter of the material is 24 nm, and its X‐ray diffraction pattern fits a cubic unit cell with cube edge of 1.159 nm. The optical band gap of the material is 1.74 eV and its electrical conductivity is 10−6 Ω−1 cm−1. The mobility‐lifetime product of the film was determined as 2 × 10−7 cm2 V−1 from photoconductivity measurement. To build the solar cell, a CdS thin film of 50 nm in thickness was deposited from a chemical bath on the SnS thin film prepared on the stainless steel substrate. Subsequently, a ZnO film of 180 nm and ZnO:Al film of 450 nm in thickness were deposited on this CdS defining a solar cell area of 1 cm2. This solar cell is stable under concentrated sunlight of 2–16 suns, attaining Voc of 0.6 V and Jsc of 35 mA cm−2 under 16 suns.
In this work, an enzymatic type wireless biofuel cell (BFC) has been implemented. The bioanode consisted in the immobilization of the enzyme lactate oxidase (LOx) with the dimethylferrocene-modified ...redox polymer linear polyethylenimine LPEI (FcM2-LPEI) and 5 % EDGE at a volumetric ratio of 56/24/3 and thoroughly mixed. The biocathodes were prepared immobilizing bilirubin oxidase (BOx) mixed with 7.5 mg of multi-walled carbon nanotubes MWCNT modified with anthracene and TBAB-Nafion by successive vortex mixing/sonication steps and the paste was deposited qualitatively on flexible Toray carbon (TC-PTFE) using a brush. The cyclic voltammetry results of the bioanode and biocathode show an enzymatic activity in the lactate oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions in PBS and human sweat respectively. The evaluation of BFC tattoo was performed in different parts of the body under conditions of exercise by a healthy volunteer, finding that located on the chest, was obtained the greatest current (96 μA) with 0.55 V of OCP monitoring the system using a potentiostat and a wireless controlled device.
Accurately determining the properties of stars is of prime importance for characterizing stellar populations in our Galaxy. The field of asteroseismology has been thought to be particularly ...successful in such an endeavor for stars in different evolutionary stages. However, to fully exploit its potential, robust methods for estimating stellar parameters are required and independent verification of the results is mandatory. With this purpose, we present a new technique to obtain stellar properties by coupling asteroseismic analysis with the InfraRed Flux Method. By using two global seismic observables and multi-band photometry, the technique allows us to obtain masses, radii, effective temperatures, bolometric fluxes, and hence distances for field stars in a self-consistent manner. We apply our method to 22 solar-like oscillators in the Kepler short-cadence sample, that have accurate Hipparcos parallaxes. Our distance determinations agree to better than 5%, while measurements of spectroscopic effective temperatures and interferometric radii also validate our results. We briefly discuss the potential of our technique for stellar population analysis and models of Galactic Chemical Evolution.
Abstract
Using ∼100 X-ray selected clusters in the Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data, we constrain the luminosity function (LF) of cluster red-sequence galaxies as a function of redshift. ...This is the first homogeneous optical/X-ray sample large enough to constrain the evolution of the LF simultaneously in redshift (0.1 < z < 1.05) and cluster mass ($13.5 \le \rm {log_{10}}(M_{200crit}) \sim \lt 15.0$). We pay particular attention to completeness issues and the detection limit of the galaxy sample. We then apply a hierarchical Bayesian model to fit the cluster galaxy LFs via a Schechter function, including its characteristic break (m*) to a faint end power-law slope (α). Our method enables us to avoid known issues in similar analyses based on stacking or binning the clusters. We find weak and statistically insignificant (∼1.9σ) evolution in the faint end slope α versus redshift. We also find no dependence in α or m* with the X-ray inferred cluster masses. However, the amplitude of the LF as a function of cluster mass is constrained to ${\sim } 20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ precision. As a by-product of our algorithm, we utilize the correlation between the LF and cluster mass to provide an improved estimate of the individual cluster masses as well as the scatter in true mass given the X-ray inferred masses. This technique can be applied to a larger sample of X-ray or optically selected clusters from the Dark Energy Survey, significantly improving the sensitivity of the analysis.
Following the performance of a superovulation protocol, multiple nodules were observed bilaterally in the uterine horns of 31 of 276 (11.2%) C57BL/6 J female mice aged 8.5 ± 0.6 (mean and standard ...error of mean) weeks. These lesions prevented embryo collection, and the uterine decidual reaction was suspected. Samples of pathological uteri (n = 20) and the normal genital tracts of donors treated with a similar superovulation protocol (control group, n = 10) were collected. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate pancytokeratin, desmin, vimentin, progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor α (ERα), Ki-67, cyclin D3 and c-Myc expression, as well as quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess cyclin D3, Hoxa-10 and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) mRNA expression. The uterine decidual reaction presented a high degree of structural organization and specifically affected the antimesometrial region of the endometrium. The abnormal decidual cells were large polygonal cells that were frequently polyploid or binucleated and strongly positive for desmin. Immunohistochemistry showed higher Ki-67 proliferation index and higher expression of PR and cyclin D3 in decidual cells in the antimesometrial aspect of the endometrium, compared to nondecidualized endometrial stromal cells in the mesometrial aspect of affected uteri, and compared to endometrial stromal cells in healthy uteri. High expression of cyclin D3 and Hoxa-10 mRNA was also observed in uteri affected by the decidual reaction. These results suggest that PR overexpression in endometrial stromal cells, likely due to high progesterone levels, triggers cyclin D3 and Hoxa-10 overexpression, which may be involved in the pathological mechanisms of the mouse uterine decidual reaction.
Context. The color and luminosity distribution of horizontal branch (HB) stars in globular clusters (GCs) are sensitive probes of the original helium abundances of those clusters. In this sense, ...recently the distributions of HB stars in GC color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) have been extensively used as indicators of possible variations in the helium content Y among the different generations of stars within individual GCs. However, recent analyses based on visual and near-ultraviolet (UV) CMDs have provided conflicting results. Aims. To clarify the situation, we address the optimum ranges of applicability (in terms of the Teff range covered by the HB stars) for visual and near-UV CMDs, as far as application of this “HB Y test” goes. Methods. We considered both Strömgren and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) bandpasses. In particular, we focus on the F336W filter of the HST, but also discuss several bluer UV bandpasses, such as F160BW, F255W, and F300W. Using the Princeton-Goddard-PUC (PGPUC) code, we computed a large set of zero-age HB (ZAHB) loci and HB evolutionary models for masses ranging from MHB = 0.582 to 0.800 M⊙, assuming an initial helium abundance Y = 0.246, 0.256, and 0.266, with a global metallicity Z = 0.001. The results of these calculations were compared against the observations of M3 (NGC 5272), with special attention on the y vs. (b − y) and F336W vs. (F336W−F555W) CMDs. Results. Our results indicate that, from an evolutionary perspective, the distributions of HB stars in the y vs. (b − y) plane can be a reliable indicator of the He content in cool blue HB (BHB) stars, particularly when a differential comparison between blue and red HB stars is carried out in the range Teff ≲ 8300 K. Conversely, we demonstrate that CMDs using the F336W filter have a much less straightforward interpretation at the cool end of the BHB because the distributions of HB stars in the F336W vs. (F336W−F555W) plane, for instance, are affected by a triple degeneracy effect. In other words, the position of an HB star in such a CMD is exactly the same for a given chemical composition for multiple combinations of the parameters Y, MHB, and age along the HB evolutionary track. Other HST UV filters do not appear to be as severely affected by this degeneracy effect, to which visual bandpasses are also immune. On the other hand, such near-UV CMDs can be extremely useful for the hottest stars along the cool BHB end. Conclusions. Based on a reanalysis of the distribution of HB stars in the y vs. (b − y) plane, we find that the coolest BHB stars in M3 (i.e., those with Teff< 8300 K) are very likely enhanced in helium by ΔY ≈ 0.01, compared with the red HB stars in the same cluster. Using near-UV HST photometry, on the other hand, we find evidence of a progressive increase in Y with increasing temperature, reaching ΔY ≈ 0.02 at Teff ≈ 10 900 K.
Glasses with composition (in eq.%) (30 − x)Ca:xM:55Si:15Al:80O:15N:5F have been prepared with different levels of substitution of Ca2+ cations by Mg2+, Y3+, Er3+, or Nd3+. The properties of these ...glasses are examined in detail and changes observed in molar volume (MV), free volume, fractional glass compactness, Young's modulus, microhardness, glass transition temperature, and thermal expansion as a function of M content are presented. Using linear regression analysis, evidence is presented which clearly shows that these glass properties are either solely dependent on the effective cation field strength, if modifier cation valency is the same (e.g., Mg substitution for Ca), or dependent on the effective cation field strength and the number of (Si, Al) (O, N, F) tetrahedra associated with each modifier when Ca is replaced by the trivalent modifiers. Combining these correlations with those observed previously relating glass properties to N and F substitution for O, it becomes apparent that glass properties for Ca–M–Si–Al–O–N–F glasses can be described by correlations which involve independent, but additive contributions by N and F substitution levels, effective cation field strength, and the number of tetrahedra associated with each modifier ion.
We use mock galaxy survey simulations designed to resemble the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 (DES Y1) data to validate and inform cosmological parameter estimation. When similar analysis tools are ...applied to both simulations and real survey data, they provide powerful validation tests of the DES Y1 cosmological analyses presented in companion papers. We use two suites of galaxy simulations produced using different methods, which therefore provide independent tests of our cosmological parameter inference. The cosmological analysis we aim to validate is presented in DES Collaboration et al. (2017) and uses angular two-point correlation functions of galaxy number counts and weak lensing shear, as well as their cross-correlation, in multiple redshift bins. While our constraints depend on the specific set of simulated realisations available, for both suites of simulations we find that the input cosmology is consistent with the combined constraints from multiple simulated DES Y1 realizations in the Ωm - σ8 plane. For one of the suites, we are able to show with high confidence that any biases in the inferred S8 = σ8(Ωm/0.3)0.5 and Ωm are smaller than the DES Y1 1 - σ uncertainties. For the other suite, for which we have fewer realizations, we are unable to be this conclusive; we infer a roughly 60 per cent (70 per cent) probability that systematic bias in the recovered Ωm (S8) is sub-dominant to the DES Y1 uncertainty. As cosmological analyses of this kind become increasingly more precise, validation of parameter inference using survey simulations will be essential to demonstrate robustness.
The biosynthesis of Pt-nanoparticles (Pt NPs) supported on bovine bone powder was conducted by an environmentally friendly method that consists on immersing bovine bone powder into a Pt
4+
metal ion ...solution at room temperature, atmospheric pressure and subsequent reduction by
Heterotheca inuloides
. It is worth pointing out that a calcination process is not required for the synthesis of this catalyst by the method reported herein. The nanocomposite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed uniformly dispersed platinum nanoparticles with quasi-spherical form and average particle size of 7.1 nm. The XPS studies exhibited the presence of 47.62% Pt° and 51.84% PtO. The catalyst activity was tested in the selective hydrogenation of 2-butyne-1,4-diol towards 2-butene-1,4-diol. The nanocomposite exhibits a reasonable catalytic performance with nearly 100% conversion of the alkyne and 96% selectivity towards 2-butene-1,4-diol.
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