The Causes of Sudden Death

n/

First observation of medium-spin excitations in the 138Cs nucleus

Medium-spin, yrast excitations in the 138Cs nucleus, populated in the spontaneous fission of 248Cm, were observed for the first time. 138Cs was studied by means of prompt γ-ray spectroscopy using the EUROGAM2 array. The newly observed yrast cascade, built on the known 6- isomer at 80 keV, was successfully described by shell model calculations. Analogously to the 136I isotone, the 6- isomer in 138Cs has the \ensuremath{(\pi g_{7/2} ^4 d_{5/2} \nu f_{7/2})_{6^-}} dominating configuration and the 7- excitation, located 175 keV above, corresponds to the \ensuremath{(\pi g_{7/2} ^3 d_{5/2}^2 \nu f_{7/2})_{7^-}} as dominating configuration. Similarly as in 136I, changing the position of the d 5/2 proton orbital improves the reproduction of the data. However, in 138Cs the energy of this orbital should be increased compared to its energy in 133Sb, to get the best description, in contrast to 136I and 135Sb, where it had to be decreased. The best reproduction of excitation energies in 138Cs is obtained assuming that the πd 5/2 orbital in 138Cs is located about 100 keV higher than in 133Sb. These observations suggest that the lowering of the d 5/2 s.p. energy in 135Sb is not a physical effect due to the appearance of a neutron skin, as proposed by other authors, but rather an artifact due to some deficiency of the input data used in the shell model calculations in the region of the doubly magic 132Sn core

Gas Physics, Disk Fragmentation, and Bulge Formation in Young Galaxies

We investigate the evolution of star-forming gas-rich disks, using a 3D chemodynamical model including a dark halo, stars, and a two-phase interstellar medium with feedback processes from the stars. We show that galaxy evolution proceeds along very different routes depending on whether it is the gas disk or the stellar disk which first becomes unstable, as measured by the respective Q-parameters. This in turn depends on the uncertain efficiency of energy dissipation of the cold cloud component from which stars form. When the cold gas cools efficiently and drives the instability, the galactic disk fragments and forms a number of massive clumps of stars and gas. The clumps spiral to the center of the galaxy in a few dynamical times and merge there to form a central bulge component in a strong starburst. When the kinetic energy of the cold clouds is dissipated at a lower rate, stars form from the gas in a more quiescent mode, and an instability only sets in at later times, when the surface density of the stellar disk has grown sufficiently high. The system then forms a stellar bar, which channels gas into the center, evolves, and forms a bulge whose stars are the result of a more extended star formation history. We investigate the stability of the gas-stellar disks in both regimes, as well as the star formation rates and element enrichment. We study the morphology of the evolving disks, calculating spatially resolved colours from the distribution of stars in age and metallicity, including dust absorption. We then discuss morphological observations such as clumpy structures and chain galaxies at high redshift as possible signatures of fragmenting, gas-rich disks. Finally, we investigate abundance ratio distributions as a means to distinguish the different scenarios for bulge formation.Comment: 16 pages, Latex, 14 figures, to appear in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Version with high quality images available at http://www.astro.unibas.ch/leute/ai.shtm

New high-spin states of 58142^{142}_ {58}Ce and 56140^{140}_{56}Ba from fusion-fission reactions: Proton excitations in the N = 84 isotones

High-spin states in the $^{142}$Ce and $^{140}$Ba nuclei have been populated in the $^{12}$C + $^{238}$U and $^{18}$O + $^{208}$Pb fusion-fission reactions at 90 MeV and 85 MeV bombarding energy, respectively. The emitted $\gamma$-radiation was detected using the Euroball III and IV arrays. The high-spin yrast and near-to-yrast structures of $^{142}$Ce have been considerably extended. The level scheme of $^{140}$Ba has been extended by six new levels. The newly observed structures in these N = 84 isotones are discussed by analogy with the neighbouring nuclei

Population overlap and habitat segregation in wintering Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa

Distinct breeding populations of migratory species may overlap both spatially and temporally, but differ in patterns of habitat use. This has important implications for population monitoring and conservation. To quantify the extent to which two distinct breeding populations of a migratory shorebird, the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, overlap spatially, temporally and in their use of different habitats during winter. We use mid-winter counts between 1990 and 2001 to identify the most important sites in Iberia for Black-tailed Godwits. Monthly surveys of estuarine mudflats and rice-fields at one major site, the Tejo estuary in Portugal in 2005-2007, together with detailed tracking of colour-ringed individuals, are used to explore patterns of habitat use and segregation of the Icelandic subspecies L. l. islandica and the nominate continental subspecies L. l. limosa. In the period 1990-2001, over 66 000 Black-tailed Godwits were counted on average in Iberia during mid-winter (January), of which 80% occurred at just four sites: Tejo and Sado lower basins in Portugal, and Coto Dontildeana and Ebro Delta in Spain. Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits are present throughout the winter and forage primarily in estuarine habitats. Continental Black-tailed Godwits are present from December to March and primarily use rice-fields. Iberia supports about 30% of the Icelandic population in winter and most of the continental population during spring passage. While the Icelandic population is currently increasing, the continental population is declining rapidly. Although the estuarine habitats used by Icelandic godwits are largely protected as Natura 2000 sites, the habitat segregation means that conservation actions for the decreasing numbers of continental godwits should focus on protection of rice-fields and re-establishment of freshwater wetlands

Staging [in]visible subjects: Blackqueer bodies, social death and performance

Staging [In]visible Subjects: BlackQueer Bodies, Social Death and Performance is an examination of the ways in which death and violence operate within the lives of black/queer youth. Black/queer youth experience marginalization across several dimensions of difference (i.e. race, class, sexuality, gender, etc). Proximity from white, male, middle class, heteronormative acceptability places these youth particularly vulnerable to violence and death. Moreover, the ubiquitous nature of white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, and capitalism normalize the degradation and devaluation of black/queer bodies, lives, stories, and experience. This degradation often materializes in the absence of black/queer narratives and experiences. Whereas, black/queer bodies are not seen as central to black politics, cultural life and struggles, and neither are they central to current articulations of queer politics, cultural life, and struggle. The systematic premature and preventable death experienced by black/queer youth demands an expansion of current conceptualization of those who are the most vulnerable among us. Through an intersectional analysis informed by Black queer theory, Performance theory, and Black feminist theory this project explores the possibility of utilizing personal narrative and art—namely poetry and theatre—to not only understand violence operates within the lives of black/queer youth, but to reinsert their narratives and experiences back into our cultural memory and political liberatory movements and strategies

A model of tripeptidyl-peptidase I (CLN2), a ubiquitous and highly conserved member of the sedolisin family of serine-carboxyl peptidases

BACKGROUND: Tripeptidyl-peptidase I, also known as CLN2, is a member of the family of sedolisins (serine-carboxyl peptidases). In humans, defects in expression of this enzyme lead to a fatal neurodegenerative disease, classical late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Similar enzymes have been found in the genomic sequences of several species, but neither systematic analyses of their distribution nor modeling of their structures have been previously attempted. RESULTS: We have analyzed the presence of orthologs of human CLN2 in the genomic sequences of a number of eukaryotic species. Enzymes with sequences sharing over 80% identity have been found in the genomes of macaque, mouse, rat, dog, and cow. Closely related, although clearly distinct, enzymes are present in fish (fugu and zebra), as well as in frogs (Xenopus tropicalis). A three-dimensional model of human CLN2 was built based mainly on the homology with Pseudomonas sp. 101 sedolisin. CONCLUSION: CLN2 is very highly conserved and widely distributed among higher organisms and may play an important role in their life cycles. The model presented here indicates a very open and accessible active site that is almost completely conserved among all known CLN2 enzymes. This result is somehow surprising for a tripeptidase where the presence of a more constrained binding pocket was anticipated. This structural model should be useful in the search for the physiological substrates of these enzymes and in the design of more specific inhibitors of CLN2

Systematic review of quality of life and functional outcomes in randomized placebo-controlled studies of medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Children, adolescents and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience functional impairment and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in addition to symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity-impulsivity. To synthesize qualitatively the published evidence from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy on functional impairment or HRQoL in patients with ADHD, a systematic PubMed searching and screening strategy was designed to identify journal articles meeting pre-specified criteria. Post hoc analyses and meta-analyses were excluded. HRQoL outcomes, functional outcomes and the principal ADHD symptom-based outcome were extracted from included studies. An effect size of 0.5 versus placebo was used as a threshold for potential clinical relevance (unreported effect sizes were calculated when possible). Of 291 records screened, 35 articles describing 34 studies were included. HRQoL/functioning was usually self-rated in adults and proxy-rated in children/adolescents. Baseline data indicated substantial HRQoL deficits in children/adolescents. Placebo-adjusted effects of medication on ADHD symptoms, HRQoL and functioning, respectively, were statistically or nominally significant in 18/18, 10/12 and 7/9 studies in children/adolescents and 14/16, 9/11 and 9/10 studies in adults. Effect sizes were ≥0.5 versus placebo for symptoms, HRQoL and functioning, respectively, in 14/16, 7/9 and 4/8 studies in children/adolescents; and 6/12, 1/6 and 1/8 studies in adults. Effect sizes were typically larger for stimulants than for non-stimulants, for symptoms than for HRQoL/functioning, and for children/adolescents than for adults. The efficacy of ADHD medication extends beyond symptom control and may help reduce the related but distinct functional impairments and HRQoL deficits in patients with ADHD

Identification of a BRCA2-Specific modifier locus at 6p24 related to breast cancer risk

Common genetic variants contribute to the observed variation in breast cancer risk for BRCA2 mutation carriers; those known to date have all been found through population-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS). To comprehensively identify breast cancer risk modifying loci for BRCA2 mutation carriers, we conducted a deep replication of an ongoing GWAS discovery study. Using the ranked P-values of the breast cancer associations with the imputed genotype of 1.4 M SNPs, 19,029 SNPs were selected and designed for inclusion on a custom Illumina array that included a total of 211,155 SNPs as part of a multi-consortial project. DNA samples from 3,881 breast cancer affected and 4,330 unaffected BRCA2 mutation carriers from 47 studies belonging to the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 were genotyped and available for analysis. We replicated previously reported breast cancer susceptibility alleles in these BRCA2 mutation carriers and for several regions (including FGFR2, MAP3K1, CDKN2A/B, and PTHLH) identified SNPs that have stronger evidence of association than those previously published. We also identified a novel susceptibility allele at 6p24 that was inversely associated with risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers (rs9348512; per allele HR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.80-0.90, P = 3.9×10−8). This SNP was not associated with breast cancer risk either in the general population or in BRCA1 mutation carriers. The locus lies within a region containing TFAP2A, which encodes a transcriptional activation protein that interacts with several tumor suppressor genes. This report identifies the first breast cancer risk locus specific to a BRCA2 mutation background. This comprehensive update of novel and previously reported breast cancer susceptibility loci contributes to the establishment of a panel of SNPs that modify breast cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers. This panel may have clinical utility for women with BRCA2 mutations weighing options for medical prevention of breast cancer