Interactions of Bacillus Mojavensis and Fusarium Verticillioides With a Benzoxazolinone (Boa) and Its Transformation Product, Apo

En:Journal of Chemical Ecology (2007, vol. 33, n. 10, p. 1885-1897)The benzoxazolinones, specifically benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA), are important transformation products of the benzoxazinones that can serve as allelochemicals providing resistance to maize from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and insects. However, maize pathogens such as Fusarium verticillioides are capable of detoxifying the benzoxazolinones to 2-aminophenol (AP), which is converted to the less toxic N-(2-hydroxyphenyl) malonamic acid (HPMA) and 2-acetamidophenol (HPAA). As biocontrol strategies that utilize a species of endophytic bacterium, Bacillus mojavensis, are considered efficacious as a control of this Fusarium species, the in vitro transformation and effects of BOA on growth of this bacterium was examined relative to its interaction with strains of F. verticillioides. The results showed that a red pigment was produced and accumulated only on BOA-amended media when wild type and the progeny of genetic crosses of F. verticillioides are cultured in the presence of the bacterium. The pigment was identified as 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (APO), which is a stable product. The results indicate that the bacterium interacts with the fungus preventing the usual transformation of AP to the nontoxic HPMA, resulting in the accumulation of higher amounts of APO than when the fungus is cultured alone. APO is highly toxic to F. verticillioides and other organisms. Thus, an enhanced biocontrol is suggested by this in vitro study. =580 $aEn:Journal of Chemical Ecolog

SAURON Observations of Disks in Spheroids

The panoramic integral-field spectrograph SAURON is currently being used to map the stellar kinematics, gaseous kinematics, and stellar populations of a large number of early-type galaxies and bulges. Here, we describe SAURON observations of cold stellar disks embedded in spheroids (NGC3384, NGC4459, NGC4526), we illustrate the kinematics and ionization state of large-scale gaseous disks (NGC4278, NGC7742), and we show preliminary comparisons of SAURON data with barred galaxy N-body simulations (NGC3623).Comment: 8 pages including 5 figures. To appear in Galaxies: The Third Dimension, eds. M. Rosado, L. Binnette, & L. Arias (ASP: San Francisco

SAURON: An Innovative Look at Early-Type Galaxies

A summary of the SAURON project and its current status is presented. SAURON is a panoramic integral-field spectrograph designed to study the stellar kinematics, gaseous kinematics, and stellar populations of spheroids. Here, the sample of galaxies and its properties are described. The instrument is detailed and its capabilities illustrated through observational examples. These includes results on the structure of central stellar disks, the kinematics and ionization state of gaseous disks, and the stellar populations of galaxies with decoupled cores.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. To appear in "The Dynamics, Structure & History of Galaxies", eds. G. S. Da Costa & E. M. Sadler (San Francisco: ASP). Version with full resolution images available at http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~dynamics/Instruments/Sauron/pub_list.htm

Beings in their own right? Exploring Children and young people's sibling and twin relationships in the Minority World

This paper examines the contributions that the sociological study of sibship and twinship in the Minority World can make to childhood studies. It argues that, in providing one forum within which to explore children and young people's social relationships, we can add to our understanding of children and young people's interdependence and develop a more nuanced understanding of agency. As emergent subjects, children, young people and adults are in a process of ‘becoming’. However, this does not mean that they can ‘become’ anything they choose to. The notion of negotiated interdependence (Punch 2002) is useful in helping us to grasp the contingent nature of children and young people's agency

The SAURON project – XVII. Stellar population analysis of the absorption line strength maps of 48 early-type galaxies

The definitive version can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ Copyright Royal Astronomical SocietyWe present a stellar population analysis of the absorption line strength maps for 48 early-type galaxies from the SAURON sample. Using the line strength index maps of Hβ, Fe5015 and Mg b, measured in the Lick/IDS system and spatially binned to a constant signal-to-noise ratio, together with predictions from up-to-date stellar population models, we estimate the simple stellar population-equivalent (SSP-equivalent) age, metallicity and abundance ratio [α/Fe] over a two-dimensional field extending up to approximately one effective radius. A discussion of calibrations and differences between model predictions is given. Maps of SSP-equivalent age, metallicity and abundance ratio [α/Fe] are presented for each galaxy. We find a large range of SSP-equivalent ages in our sample, of which ∼40 per cent of the galaxies show signs of a contribution from a young stellar population. The most extreme cases of post-starburst galaxies, with SSP-equivalent ages of ≤3 Gyr observed over the full field-of-view, and sometimes even showing signs of residual star formation, are restricted to low-mass systems (σe≤ 100 km s−1 or ∼2 × 1010 M⊙). Spatially restricted cases of young stellar populations in circumnuclear regions can almost exclusively be linked to the presence of star formation in a thin, dusty disc/ring, also seen in the near-UV or mid-IR on top of an older underlying stellar population. The flattened components with disc-like kinematics previously identified in all fast rotators are shown to be connected to regions of distinct stellar populations. These range from the young, still star-forming circumnuclear discs and rings with increased metallicity preferentially found in intermediate-mass fast rotators, to apparently old structures with extended disc-like kinematics, which are observed to have an increased metallicity and mildly depressed [α/Fe] ratio compared to the main body of the galaxy. The slow rotators, often harbouring kinematically decoupled components (KDC) in their central regions, generally show no stellar population signatures over and above the well-known metallicity gradients in early-type galaxies and are largely consistent with old (≥10 Gyr) stellar populations. Using radially averaged stellar population gradients we find in agreement with Spolaor et al. a mass–metallicity gradient relation where low-mass fast rotators form a sequence of increasing metallicity gradient with increasing mass. For more massive systems (above ∼3.5 × 1010 M⊙) there is an overall downturn such that metallicity gradients become shallower with increased scatter at a given mass leading to the most massive systems being slow rotators with relatively shallow metallicity gradients. The observed shallower metallicity gradients and increased scatter could be a consequence of the competition between different star formation and assembly scenarios following a general trend of diminishing gas fractions and more equal-mass mergers with increasing mass, leading to the most massive systems being devoid of ordered motion and signs of recent star formation.Peer reviewe

A SAURON view of galaxies

We have measured the two-dimensional kinematics and line-strength distributions of 72 representative nearby early-type galaxies, out to approximately one effective radius, with our panoramic integral-field spectrograph SAURON. The resulting maps reveal a rich variety in kinematical structures and linestrength distributions, indicating that early-type galaxies are more complex systems than often assumed. We are building detailed dynamical models for these galaxies, to derive their intrinsic shape and dynamical structure, and to determine the mass of the supermassive central black hole. Here we focus on two examples, the compact elliptical M32 and the E3 galaxy NGC4365. These objects represent two extreme cases: M32 has very regular kinematics which can be represented accurately by an axisymmetric model in which all stars rotate around the short axis, while NGC4365 is a triaxial galaxy with a prominent kinematically decoupled core, with an inner core that rotates about an axis that is nearly perpendicular to the rotation axis of the main body of the galaxy. Our dynamical models for these objects demonstrate that two-dimensional observations are essential for deriving the intrinsic orbital structure and dark matter content of galaxies.Comment: 7 pages (3 figures, full resolution Fig. 1 available at http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~verolme/M32.ps). Contributed talk to the Athens Workshop on Galaxies and Chaos, Theory and Observations; Proceedings to appear in "Galaxies and Chaos", eds. G. Contopoulos and N. Vogli

OASIS High-Resolution Integral Field Spectroscopy of the SAURON Ellipticals and Lenticulars

We present a summary of high-spatial resolution follow-up observations of the elliptical (E) and lenticular (S0) galaxies in the SAURON survey using the OASIS integral field spectrograph. The OASIS observations explore the central 8x10" regions of these galaxies using a spatial sampling four times higher than SAURON, often revealing previously undiscovered features. Around 75% (31/48) of the SAURON E/S0s with central velocity dispersion >= 120 km/s were observed with OASIS, covering well the original SAURON representative sample. We present here an overview of this follow-up survey, and some preliminary results on individual objects, including a previously unreported counter-rotating core in NGC 4382; the decoupled stellar and gas velocity fields of NGC 2768; and the strong age gradient towards the centre of NGC 3489.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Astron. Nachr. as refereed proceedings of Euro3D Science Workshop, IoA Cambridge, May 200

Decoherence-Free Subspaces for Multiple-Qubit Errors: (II) Universal, Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computation

Decoherence-free subspaces (DFSs) shield quantum information from errors induced by the interaction with an uncontrollable environment. Here we study a model of correlated errors forming an Abelian subgroup (stabilizer) of the Pauli group (the group of tensor products of Pauli matrices). Unlike previous studies of DFSs, this type of errors does not involve any spatial symmetry assumptions on the system-environment interaction. We solve the problem of universal, fault-tolerant quantum computation on the associated class of DFSs.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures. Sequel to quant-ph/990806