University of Florence

About: University of Florence is a education organization based out in Florence, Toscana, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Carbonic anhydrase. The organization has 27292 authors who have published 79599 publications receiving 2341684 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli studi di Firenze & Universita degli studi di Firenze.

A gene related to Caenorhabditis elegans spermatogenesis factor fer-1 is mutated in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B

Abstract: The limb-girdle muscular dystrophies are a genetically heterogeneous group of inherited progressive muscle disorders that affect mainly the proximal musculature, with evidence for at least three autosomal dominant and eight autosomal recessive loci The latter mostly involve mutations in genes encoding components of the dystrophin-associated complex; another form is caused by mutations in the gene for the muscle-specific protease calpain 3 Using a positional cloning approach, we have identified the gene for a form of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy that we previously mapped to chromosome 2p13 (LGMD2B) This gene shows no homology to any known mammalian gene, but its predicted product is related to the C elegans spermatogenesis factor fer-1 We have identified two homozygous frameshift mutations in this gene, resulting in muscular dystrophy of either proximal or distal onset in nine families The proposed name 'dysferlin' combines the role of the gene in producing muscular dystrophy with its C elegans homology

Precision measurement of the Newtonian gravitational constant using cold atoms

Abstract: Determination of the gravitational constant G using laser-cooled atoms and quantum interferometry, a technique that gives new insight into the systematic errors that have proved elusive in previous experiments, yields a value that has a relative uncertainty of 150 parts per million and which differs from the current recommended value by 1.5 combined standard deviations. The Newtonian gravitational constant G, also known as the universal gravitational constant or 'big G', is a fundamental physical constant that is used in the calculation of gravitational attraction between two bodies. There are several ways to measure G with high precision, but these measurements disagree, presumably because of the intervention of unknown errors in the different experiments. With the aim of identifying and ultimately removing the systematic errors that give rise to these discrepancies, Gabriele Rosi and colleagues have carried out a high-precision measurement of G using quantum interferometry with laser-cooled atoms, an experimental approach that differs radically from previous determinations. The authors obtain a value for G with a precision of ∼0.015% — approaching that of the traditional measurements, and with prospects for considerable further improvement. Although this result doesn't yet solve the problem of the discrepant measurements, the use of such a radically different technique holds promise for identifying the systematic errors that have plagued previous determinations. About 300 experiments have tried to determine the value of the Newtonian gravitational constant, G, so far, but large discrepancies in the results have made it impossible to know its value precisely1. The weakness of the gravitational interaction and the impossibility of shielding the effects of gravity make it very difficult to measure G while keeping systematic effects under control. Most previous experiments performed were based on the torsion pendulum or torsion balance scheme as in the experiment by Cavendish2 in 1798, and in all cases macroscopic masses were used. Here we report the precise determination of G using laser-cooled atoms and quantum interferometry. We obtain the value G = 6.67191(99) × 10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2 with a relative uncertainty of 150 parts per million (the combined standard uncertainty is given in parentheses). Our value differs by 1.5 combined standard deviations from the current recommended value of the Committee on Data for Science and Technology3. A conceptually different experiment such as ours helps to identify the systematic errors that have proved elusive in previous experiments, thus improving the confidence in the value of G. There is no definitive relationship between G and the other fundamental constants, and there is no theoretical prediction for its value, against which to test experimental results. Improving the precision with which we know G has not only a pure metrological interest, but is also important because of the key role that G has in theories of gravitation, cosmology, particle physics and astrophysics and in geophysical models.

The Distribution of Absorbing Column Densities among Seyfert 2 Galaxies

Abstract: We use hard X-ray data for an "optimal" sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies to derive the distribution of the gaseous absorbing column densities among obscured active nuclei in the local universe. Of all Seyfert 2 galaxies in the sample, 75% are heavily obscured (NH > 1023 cm-2), and about half are Compton thick (NH > 1024 cm-2). Intermediate type 1.8-1.9 Seyfert galaxies are characterized by an average NH much lower than "strict" Seyfert 2 galaxies. No correlation is found between NH and the intrinsic luminosity of the nuclear source. This NH distribution has important consequences for the synthesis of the cosmic X-ray background. In addition, the large fraction of Compton-thick objects implies that most of the obscuring gas is located within a radius of a few 10 pc from the nucleus.