Scattering of terrestrial kilometric radiation at very high altitudes

On a number of occasions during the 3.8 yr. operating lifetime of RAE-2, strong terrestrial kilometric radiation was observed when the spacecraft was over the far side of the moon and when the low altitude terrestrial magnetosphere was completely obscured from view. If these deep lunar occultation events are used to infer radio source locations, then it is found that the apparent source must sometimes be situated at geocentric distances of 10 to 40 sub E or more. From an analysis of these events, it is shown that they are probably due to propagation effects rather than the actual generation of the emission at such large distances. The kilometric radiation can be generated near the earth at auroral latitudes and subsequently strongly scattered in the magnetosheath and nearby solar wind to produce the large apparent distances. The most likely scatterers are density inhomogeneities in the magnetosheath plasma and ion plasma waves in the magnetosheath and the upstream solar wind

Black Hole Monodromy and Conformal Field Theory

The analytic structure of solutions to the Klein-Gordon equation in a black hole background, as represented by monodromy data, is intimately related to black hole thermodynamics. It encodes the "hidden conformal symmetry" of a non-extremal black hole, and it explains why features of the inner event horizon appear in scattering data such as greybody factors. This indicates that hidden conformal symmetry is generic within a universality class of black holes.Comment: 20 pages, v2 minor corrections, updated reference

Fabrication of high quality sub-micron Au gratings over large areas with pulsed laser interference lithography for SPR sensors

Metallic gratings were fabricated using high energy laser interference lithography with a frequency tripled Nd:YAG nanosecond laser. The grating structures were first recorded in a photosensitive layer and afterwards transferred to an Au film. High quality Au gratings with a period of 770 nm and peak-to-valley heights of 20-60 nm exhibiting plasmonic resonance response were successfully designed, fabricated and characterized.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Biopreservation of hepatocytes: current concepts on hypothermic preservation, cryopreservation, and vitrification

Isolated liver cells (primarily isolated hepatocytes) have found important applications in science and medicine over the past 40 years in a wide range of areas, including physiological studies, investigations on liver metabolism, organ preservation and drug de-toxification, experimental and clinical transplantation. An integral component of many of these works is the need to store the isolated cells, either for short or long-term periods. This review covers the biopreservation of liver cells, with a focus on the history of liver cell biopreservation, the application of hypothermia for short-term storage, standard cryopreservation methods for isolated hepatocytes, the biopreservation of other types of liver cells, and recent developments such as vitrification of hepatocytes. By understanding the basis for the different approaches, it will be possible to select the best options for liver cell biopreservation in different applications, and identify ways to improve preservation protocols for the future.Fil: Fuller, Barry J.. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: Petrenko, Alexander Y.. Ukraine Academy of Sciences; UcraniaFil: Rodriguez, Joaquin Valentin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Secretaria de Ciencia y Técnica. Centro Binacional de Investigación en Criobiología Clínica y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Somov, Alexander Y.. Ukraine Academy of Sciences; UcraniaFil: Balaban, Cecilia Lucía. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Secretaria de Ciencia y Técnica. Centro Binacional de Investigación en Criobiología Clínica y Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Guibert, Edgardo Elvio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Secretaria de Ciencia y Técnica. Centro Binacional de Investigación en Criobiología Clínica y Aplicada; Argentin

Dynamical laser spike processing

Novel materials and devices in photonics have the potential to revolutionize optical information processing, beyond conventional binary-logic approaches. Laser systems offer a rich repertoire of useful dynamical behaviors, including the excitable dynamics also found in the time-resolved "spiking" of neurons. Spiking reconciles the expressiveness and efficiency of analog processing with the robustness and scalability of digital processing. We demonstrate that graphene-coupled laser systems offer a unified low-level spike optical processing paradigm that goes well beyond previously studied laser dynamics. We show that this platform can simultaneously exhibit logic-level restoration, cascadability and input-output isolation---fundamental challenges in optical information processing. We also implement low-level spike-processing tasks that are critical for higher level processing: temporal pattern detection and stable recurrent memory. We study these properties in the context of a fiber laser system, but the addition of graphene leads to a number of advantages which stem from its unique properties, including high absorption and fast carrier relaxation. These could lead to significant speed and efficiency improvements in unconventional laser processing devices, and ongoing research on graphene microfabrication promises compatibility with integrated laser platforms.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Conserved Amino Acid Sequence Features in the α Subunits of MoFe, VFe, and FeFe Nitrogenases

BACKGROUND:This study examines the structural features and phylogeny of the alpha subunits of 69 full-length NifD (MoFe subunit), VnfD (VFe subunit), and AnfD (FeFe subunit) sequences. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:The analyses of this set of sequences included BLAST scores, multiple sequence alignment, examination of patterns of covariant residues, phylogenetic analysis and comparison of the sequences flanking the conserved Cys and His residues that attach the FeMo cofactor to NifD and that are also conserved in the alternative nitrogenases. The results show that NifD nitrogenases fall into two distinct groups. Group I includes NifD sequences from many genera within Bacteria, including all nitrogen-fixing aerobes examined, as well as strict anaerobes and some facultative anaerobes, but no archaeal sequences. In contrast, Group II NifD sequences were limited to a small number of archaeal and bacterial sequences from strict anaerobes. The VnfD and AnfD sequences fall into two separate groups, more closely related to Group II NifD than to Group I NifD. The pattern of perfectly conserved residues, distributed along the full length of the Group I and II NifD, VnfD, and AnfD, confirms unambiguously that these polypeptides are derived from a common ancestral sequence. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:There is no indication of a relationship between the patterns of covariant residues specific to each of the four groups discussed above that would give indications of an evolutionary pathway leading from one type of nitrogenase to another. Rather the totality of the data, along with the phylogenetic analysis, is consistent with a radiation of Group I and II NifDs, VnfD and AnfD from a common ancestral sequence. All the data presented here strongly support the suggestion made by some earlier investigators that the nitrogenase family had already evolved in the last common ancestor of the Archaea and Bacteria

High Doses of Halotolerant Gut-Indigenous Lactobacillus plantarum

To elucidate the ecological effect of high oral doses of halotolerant (resistant to table salt) indigenous-gut bacteria on other commensals early in life, we conducted a culture-based study to quantify the effect of intestinal Lactobacillus plantarum strain of bovine origin (with remarkable aerobic growth capabilities and inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and F5) on clinical health and gut lactobacilli/coliforms in newborn calves. In a double-blind placebo-randomized trial twelve colostrum-fed calves, consecutively born at a farm, were fed L. plantarum within 12 hours from birth at low (107-8 CFU/day) or high concentrations (1010-11) or placebo (q24 h, 5 d; 10 d follow-up). We developed a 2.5% NaCl-selective culture strategy to facilitate the enumeration of L. plantarum-strain-B80, and tested 384 samples (>1,152 cultures). L. plantarum-B80-like colonies were detected in a large proportion of calves (58%) even before their first 24 hours of life indicating endemic presence of the strain in the farm. In contrast to studies where human-derived Lactobacillus LGG or rhamnosus had notoriously high, but short-lived, colonization, we found that L. plantarum colonized stably with fecal shedding of 6±1 log10·g−1 (irrespective of dose, P>0.2). High doses significantly reduced other fecal lactic acid bacteria (e.g., lactobacilli, P<0.01) and slightly reduced body weight gain in calves after treatment. For the first time, a halotolerant strain of L. plantarum with inhibitory activity against a human pathogen has the ability to inhibit other lactobacilli in vivo without changing its species abundance, causing transintestinal translocation, or inducing clinical disease. The future selection of probiotics based on halotolerance may expand therapeutic product applicability

Blaming the Ref: Understanding the Effect of Unexpected Emotional Cues on Family Violence

Domestic violence generates long-term effects on offenders, victims, and other household members. Insight into triggers of family violence can inform policy and improve services aimed at reducing abusive behavior. We investigate potential domestic violence triggers by analyzing unexpected losses in National Basketball Association games. The literature identifies increasing in-home violence after unexpected losses in the National Football League. Combining information on referee accuracy and fatigue, we develop a unique identification strategy to explore the impact of human error on family violence following unexpected losses. Results indicate that as referees are more accurate (more rested) in unexpected losses, family violence decreases, suggesting that the ability to place blame for a loss on referees increases the likelihood of violent outbursts. Further investigation shows that these results concentrate in games where referees are less rested and betting markets were less certain of the game outcome