The genome size and chromosome complement of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida

La taille du génome de #Globodera pallida a été estimée par microdensitométrie directe de noyaux somatiques colorés, et comparée à celle de #Caenorhabditis elegans. Elles ne se sont pas révélées significativement différentes, aussi le génome de #G. pallida est-il estimé être composé de 1 x 10 8 paires de base. Cette valeur est du même ordre que les tailles du génome déjà calculées pour d'autres espèces de nématodes. Dans les gonades disséquées, les chromosomes ont été rendus visibles par cinq techniques différentes de coloration : acide propionique/orcéine, Feulgen, Giemsa et deux colorants fluorescents, le DAPI (4'6-diamidino-2-phénylindole) et le Hoechst 33258 (Bisbenzimide). La coloration à l'aide propionique/orcéine s'est révélée la meilleure et, en dépit de la faible taille des chromosomes, a pu être utilisée pour montrer que le nombre de chromosomique de #G. pallida est égal à dix-huit (n=9). (Résumé d'auteur

Molecular diversity amongst Radopholus similis populations from Sri Lanka detected by RAPD analysis

La réaction de polymérase en chaîne (RAPD) a été utilisée pour comparer l'ADN de quatorze populations de #Radopholus similis provenant de différentes plantes hôtes et de régions variées du Sri Lanka, ainsi que l'ADN d'une nouvelle espèce de #Radopholus originaire de l'est de Java. Quatre populations isolées d'aréquier, théier, bananier et citrus semblent très différentes d'après leur profil de RAPD. L'analyse hiérarchisée des groupes des données obtenus d'après les profils de RAPD a permis un essai de regroupement des quinze populations en trois groupes et a montré l'éloignement de trois isolats demeurant jusqu'à maintenant monotypiques. Les résultats sont examinés dans le contexte de l'existence de biotypes de #R. similis$ et de leur divergence génétique au Sri Lanka. (Résumé d'auteur

Molecular and biochemical diversity among isolates of Radopholus spp. from different areas of the World

Eleven isolates of #Radopholus similis# from various banana-growing areas around the World and one isolate of #R. bridgei# from turmeric in Indonesia were compared using DNA and isoenzyme analysis. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify a fragment of ribosomal DNA (rDNA), comprising the two internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and the 5.85 gene. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPS) in this rDNA fragment were used to compare the 10 isolates. The analysis of this rDNA region revealed little variation among the isolates tested. However, data also were obtained by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of total DNA, and a hierarchical cluster analysis of these data arranged the #R. similis# isolates into two clusters. The first cluster consisted of isolates from Nigeria, Cameroon, Queensland, and Costa Rica; the second was comprised of isolates from Guinea, Guadeloupe, the Ivory Coast, Uganda, and Sri Lanka. The solate of #R. bridgei# from turmeric in Indonesia appeared to be more divergent. This grouping was consistent with that obtained when phosphate glucose isomerase (PGI) isoenzyme patterns were used o compare the #R. similis# isolates. The results from both RAPD analysis and PGI isoenzyme studies indicate that two gene pools might exist within the #R. similis# isolates studied. No correlation could be detected between the genomic diversity as determined by RAPD analysis and either geographic distribution of the isolates or differences in their pathogenicity. The results support the hypothesis that #R. similis isolates# have been spread with banana-planting material. (Résumé d'auteur

Transiting Exoplanets with JWST

The era of exoplanet characterization is upon us. For a subset of exoplanets -- the transiting planets -- physical properties can be measured, including mass, radius, and atmosphere characteristics. Indeed, measuring the atmospheres of a further subset of transiting planets, the hot Jupiters, is now routine with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will continue Spitzer's legacy with its large mirror size and precise thermal stability. JWST is poised for the significant achievement of identifying habitable planets around bright M through G stars--rocky planets lacking extensive gas envelopes, with water vapor and signs of chemical disequilibrium in their atmospheres. Favorable transiting planet systems, are, however, anticipated to be rare and their atmosphere observations will require tens to hundreds of hours of JWST time per planet. We review what is known about the physical characteristics of transiting planets, summarize lessons learned from Spitzer high-contrast exoplanet measurements, and give several examples of potential JWST observations.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures. In press in "Astrophysics in the Next Decade: JWST and Concurrent Facilities, Astrophysics & Space Science Library, Thronson, H. A., Tielens, A., Stiavelli, M., eds., Springer: Dordrecht (2008)." The original publication will be available at http://www.springerlink.co

The first multi-wavelength campaign of AXP 4U 0142+61 from radio to hard X-rays

For the first time a quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength campaign has been performed on an Anomalous X-ray Pulsar from the radio to the hard X-ray band. 4U 0142+61 was an INTEGRAL target for 1 Ms in July 2005. During these observations it was also observed in the X-ray band with Swift and RXTE, in the optical and NIR with Gemini North and in the radio with the WSRT. In this paper we present the source-energy distribution. The spectral results obtained in the individual wave bands do not connect smoothly; apparently components of different origin contribute to the total spectrum. Remarkable is that the INTEGRAL hard X-ray spectrum (power-law index 0.79 +/- 0.10) is now measured up to an energy of ~230 keV with no indication of a spectral break. Extrapolation of the INTEGRAL power-law spectrum to lower energies passes orders of magnitude underneath the NIR and optical fluxes, as well as the low ~30 microJy (2 sigma) upper limit in the radio band.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. To be published in the proceedings of the conference "Isolated Neutron Stars: from the Interior to the Surface" (April 24-28, 2006, London, UK), eds. S. Zane, R. Turolla and D. Pag

A First Search for coincident Gravitational Waves and High Energy Neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, science summary page at http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S5LV_ANTARES/index.php. Public access area to figures, tables at https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=p120000

Planck early results XV : Spectral energy distributions and radio continuum spectra of northern extragalactic radio sources

Peer reviewe

On gravitational waves emitted by an ensemble of rotating neutron stars

We study the possibility to detect the gravitational wave background generated by all the neutron stars in the Galaxy with only one gravitational wave interferometric detector. The proposed strategy consists in squaring the detector's output and searching for a sidereal modulation. The shape of the squared signal is computed for a disk and a halo distribution of neutron stars. The required noise stability of the interferometric detector is discussed. We argue that a possible population of old neutron stars, originating from a high stellar formation rate at the birth of the Galaxy and not emitting as radio pulsars, could be detected by the proposed technique in the low frequency range of interferometric experiments.Comment: 14 pages, 2 PostScript figures, RevTeX, accepted for publication in Physical Review