162 research outputs found
In vivo endoscopic autofluorescence microspectro-imaging of bronchi and alveoli
Fibered confocal fluorescence microscopy (FCFM) is a new technique that can
be used during a bronchoscopy to analyze the nature of the human bronchial and
alveolar mucosa fluorescence microstructure. An endoscopic fibered confocal
fluorescence microscopy system with spectroscopic analysis capability was
developed allowing real-time, simultaneous images and emission spectra
acquisition at 488 nm excitation using a flexible miniprobe that could be
introduced into small airways. This flexible 1.4 mm miniprobe can be introduced
into the working channel of a flexible endoscope and gently advanced through
the bronchial tree to the alveoli. FCFM in conjunction with bronchoscopy is
able to image the in vivo autofluorescence structure of the bronchial mucosae
but also the alveolar respiratory network outside of the usual field of view.
Microscopic and spectral analysis showed that the signal mainly originates from
the elastin component of the bronchial subepithelial layer. In non smokers, the
system images the elastin backbone of the aveoli. In active smokers, a strong
autofluorescence signal appears from alveolar macrophages. The FCFM technique
appears promising for in vivo exploration of the bronchial and alveolar
extracellular matrix
Discrete R-symmetries and Anomaly Universality in Heterotic Orbifolds
We study discrete R-symmetries, which appear in 4D low energy effective field
theory derived from hetetoric orbifold models. We derive the R-symmetries
directly from geometrical symmetries of orbifolds. In particular, we obtain the
corresponding R-charges by requiring that the couplings be invariant under
these symmetries. This allows for a more general treatment than the explicit
computations of correlation functions made previously by the authors, including
models with discrete Wilson lines, and orbifold symmetries beyond
plane-by-plane rotational invariance. Surprisingly, for the cases covered by
earlier explicit computations, the R-charges differ from the previous result.
We study the anomalies associated with these R-symmetries, and comment on the
results.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures. Minor changes, typos corrected. Matches JHEP
published versio
Superconformal indices at large N and the entropy of AdS5 x SE5 black holes
The large N limit of the four-dimensional superconformal index was computed and successfully compared to the entropy of a class of AdS5 black holes only in the particular case of equal angular momenta. Using the Bethe ansatz formulation, we compute the index at large N with arbitrary chemical potentials for all charges and angular momenta, for general four-dimensional conformal theories with a holographic dual. We conjecture and bring some evidence that a particular universal contribution to the sum over Bethe vacua dominates the index at large N. For SYM, this contribution correctly leads to the entropy of BPS Kerr-Newman black holes in AdS5 x S5 for arbitrary values of the conserved charges, thus completing the microscopic derivation of their microstates. We also consider theories dual to AdS5 x SE5, where SE5 is a Sasaki-Einstein manifold. We first check our results against the so-called universal black hole. We then explicitly construct the near-horizon geometry of BPS Kerr-Newman black holes in AdS5 T^{1,1}, charged under the baryonic symmetry of the conifold theory and with equal angular momenta. We compute the entropy of these black holes using the attractor mechanism and find complete agreement with the field theory predictions
Trans-national access to BRCs with EMbaRC : a user-oriented approach to foster research and innovation
European Consortium of Microbial Resources Centres (EMbaRC): Secure the future of microbial resources at laboratory scale
[Excerpt] EMbaRC is an EU project which aims to improve, coordinate and validate microbial resource centre (MRC) delivery to the European and International researchers. To ensure harmonisation of the quality of MRCs, EMbaRC plans to take the current OECD best practice guidelines and emerging national standards for Biological Resource Centres (BRCs) to the international level. Outreach and training activities will ensure that not only the consortium but that all European collections operate to the standards required to deliver products and services of consistent quality thus meeting customer needs. A one-stop access to the collections of EMbaRC and the wider European BRC community via a searchable web portal building on the outcomes of the CABRI and EBRCN is being developed. (...
EMbaRC: designing training and e-learning materials for biological resource centres
The European Consortium of Microbial Resource Centres (EMbaRC, www.embarc.eu)
is a research infrastructure project gathering together major microbial Biological
Resource Centres (BRCs) in Europe. These culture collections have a long and
respected tradition in training people that are involved in microbial taxonomy,
preservation and management. Advanced and bespoke courses on related topics add
high value to the European educational community and create a knowledge-based
training network. Under the framework of EMbaRC, the training programmes offered
by the consortium were surveyed and schemes were proposed to establish an
educational community to create a knowledge-based training network. This would
implement lifelong educational and continuing professional development (CPD)
schemes for those working within microbial resource centres (MiRC). In parallel,
a European Masters Course on MiRC was designed to address the formal education
path for strengthening competences in (1) Microbial Preservation Technologies,
(2) MiRC: Organisation and Management, (3) QC Standards and International
Regulations, (4) Microbial Biosafety and Biosecurity, and (5) IT Technologies and
Database Management. Finally, to support these actions, materials for e-learning
activities were developed such as videos related to microbial preservation techniques,
the Gram-staining technique and, preparing microscopic slides of fungi. All
activities developed under this EMbaRC task will support the MIRRI and other EU
ESFRI-BMS and EMTRAIN projects
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