Electromagnetic waves in a wormhole geometry

We investigate the propagation of electromagnetic waves through a static wormhole. It is shown that the problem can be reduced to a one-dimensional Schr\"odinger-like equation with a barrier-type potential. Using numerical methods, we calculate the transmission coefficient as a function of the energy. We also discuss the polarization of the outgoing radiation due to this gravitational scattering.Comment: LaTex file, 5 pages, 2 figures, one reference added, accepted for publication in PR

Identification of regulatory variants associated with genetic susceptibility to meningococcal disease

Non-coding genetic variants play an important role in driving susceptibility to complex diseases but their characterization remains challenging. Here, we employed a novel approach to interrogate the genetic risk of such polymorphisms in a more systematic way by targeting specific regulatory regions relevant for the phenotype studied. We applied this method to meningococcal disease susceptibility, using the DNA binding pattern of RELA - a NF-kB subunit, master regulator of the response to infection - under bacterial stimuli in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. We designed a custom panel to cover these RELA binding sites and used it for targeted sequencing in cases and controls. Variant calling and association analysis were performed followed by validation of candidate polymorphisms by genotyping in three independent cohorts. We identified two new polymorphisms, rs4823231 and rs11913168, showing signs of association with meningococcal disease susceptibility. In addition, using our genomic data as well as publicly available resources, we found evidences for these SNPs to have potential regulatory effects on ATXN10 and LIF genes respectively. The variants and related candidate genes are relevant for infectious diseases and may have important contribution for meningococcal disease pathology. Finally, we described a novel genetic association approach that could be applied to other phenotypes

The performance of the apple cultivar Delicious on Merton and other clonal rootstocks in southern Queensland

Final results are reported of the performance of the Delicious apple on rootstocks Merton 778, Merton 779, Merton 789, Merton 793, Northern Spy, local selection S4, and its own roots planted under wide spaced dryland conditions on 2 soil types on the Granite Belt. Rootstocks interacted with soil types for trunk girth and yield, and results are discussed in this context. Largest and smallest tree girths on both soil types were produced by S4 and Northern Spy, respectively. Large differences in girth occurred between soil types for all rootstocks except Merton 779. Highest accumulated yields on the more fertile soil were produced by Merton 778, Merton 793 and Merton 779 in that order. Merton 779 gave highest yields on the poorer soil. Own roots, Merton 789 and Northern Spy yielded least on both soils. Two estimates of mean tree fruitfulness showed Northern Spy and Merton 793 to be the most fruitful and S4 the least. Northern Spy may be useful in high density hedgerow orchards where soil fertility is good. For wide-spaced, dryland management on variable and poor soil Merton 779 is recommended, while on fertile soil Merton 778 or Merton 793 is recommended

Disengaging spinal afferent nerve communication with the brain in live mice

Our understanding of how abdominal organs (like the gut) communicate with the brain, via sensory nerves, has been limited by a lack of techniques to selectively activate or inhibit populations of spinal primary afferent neurons within dorsal root ganglia (DRG), of live animals. We report a survival surgery technique in mice, where select DRG are surgically removed (unilaterally or bilaterally), without interfering with other sensory or motor nerves. Using this approach, pain responses evoked by rectal distension were abolished by bilateral lumbosacral L5-S1 DRG removal, but not thoracolumbar T13-L1 DRG removal. However, animals lacking T13-L1 or L5-S1 DRG both showed reduced pain sensitivity to distal colonic distension. Removal of DRG led to selective loss of peripheral CGRP-expressing spinal afferent axons innervating visceral organs, arising from discrete spinal segments. This method thus allows spinal segment-specific determination of sensory pathway functions in conscious, free-to-move animals, without genetic modification.Melinda A. Kyloh, Timothy J. Hibberd, Joel Castro, Andrea M. Harrington, Lee Travis, Kelsi N. Dodds, Lukasz Wiklendt, Stuart M. Brierley, Vladimir P. Zagorodnyuk and Nick J. Spence