Investigation of Anaplasma marginale Seroprevalence in a Traditionally Managed Large California Beef Herd.

Recent observations by stakeholders suggested that ecosystem changes may be driving an increased incidence of bovine erythrocytic anaplasmosis, resulting in a reemerging cattle disease in California. The objective of this prospective cohort study was to estimate the incidence of Anaplasma marginale infection using seroconversion in a northern California beef cattle herd. A total of 143 Black Angus cattle (106 prebreeding heifers and 37 cows) were enrolled in the study. Serum samples were collected to determine Anaplasma marginale seroprevalence using a commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test kit. Repeat sampling was performed in seronegative animals to determine the incidence density rate from March through September (2013). Seroprevalence of heifers was significantly lower than that of cows at the beginning of the study (P < 0.001) but not at study completion (P = 0.075). Incidence density rate of Anaplasma marginale infection was 8.17 (95% confidence interval: 6.04, 10.81) cases per 1000 cow-days during the study period. Study cattle became Anaplasma marginale seropositive and likely carriers protected from severe clinical disease that might have occurred had they been first infected as mature adults. No evidence was found within this herd to suggest increased risk for clinical bovine erythrocytic anaplasmosis

An Improved Red Spectrum of the Methane or T-dwarf SDSS 1624+0029: Role of the Alkali Metals

A Keck~II low resolution spectrum shortward of ome-micron is presented for SDSS 1624+0029, the first field methane or T dwarf discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Significant flux is detected down to the spectrum's short wavelength limit of 6200\AA. The spectrum exhibits a broad absorption feature centered at 7700\AA, which we interpret as the K~I 7665/7699 resonance doublet. The observed flux declines shortward of 7000\AA, due most likely to the red wing of the Na~I doublet. Both Cs~I doublet lines are detected more strongly than in an earlier red spectrum. Neither Li~I absorption nor H$\alpha$ emission are detected. An exploratory model fit to the spectrum suggests that the shape of the red spectrum can be primarily accounted for by the broad wings of the K~I and Na~I doublets. This behavior is consistent with the argument proffered by Burrows, Marley and Sharp that strong alkali absorption is principally responsible for depressing T dwarf spectra shortward of 1$\mu$m. In particular, there seems no compelling reason at this time to introduce dust or an additional opacity source in the atmosphere of the SDSS object. The width of the K~I and strengths of the Cs~I lines also indicate that the Sloan object is warmer than Gl~229B.Comment: accepted March 3, 2000 for Ap.J. Letters, LaTeX, 2 figure

The 2MASS Wide-Field T Dwarf Search. II. Discovery of Three T Dwarfs in the Southern Hemisphere

We present the discovery of three new Southern Hemisphere T dwarfs identified in the Two Micron All Sky Survey. These objects, 2MASS 0348-6022, 2MASS 0516-0445, and 2MASS 2228-4310, have classifications T7, T5.5, and T6.5, respectively. Using linear absolute magnitude/spectral type relations derived from T dwarfs with measured parallaxes, we estimate spectrophotometric distances for these discoveries; the closest, 2MASS 0348-6022, is likely within 10 pc of the Sun. Proper motions and estimated tangential velocities are consistent with membership in the Galactic disk population. We also list Southern Hemisphere T dwarf candidates that were either not found in subsequent near-infrared imaging observations and are most likely uncatalogued minor planets, or have near-infrared spectra consistent with background stars.Comment: 12 pages including 4 figures (one as jpeg), accepted to A

Binarity in Brown Dwarfs: T Dwarf Binaries Discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope WPFC2

(abridged) We present the discovery of two T dwarf binaries, 2MASS 1225-2739AB and 2MASS 1534-2952AB, identified in a sample of ten T dwarfs imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. The separations of the two binary systems are 0{\farcs}282$\pm$0{\farcs}005 and 0{\farcs}065$\pm$0{\farcs}007, implying projected separations of 3.17$\pm$0.14 and 1.0$\pm$0.3 AU, respectively. The observed binary fraction of our HST sample, 20$^{+17}_{-7}$%, is consistent with results obtained for late-M and L field dwarfs, and implies a bias-corrected binary fraction of 9$^{+15}_{-4}$% for $a \gtrsim 1$ AU and $q \gtrsim 0.4$, significantly lower than the binary fractions of F--G and early-type M dwarf stars. Neither of the T binaries have separations $a \gtrsim 10$ AU, consistent with results from other brown dwarf binary searches. We conclude that tidal disruption by passing stars or Giant Molecular Clouds, which limits the extent of wide stellar binaries, plays no role in eliminating wide brown dwarf binaries, implying either disruption very early in the formation process (ages $\lesssim 1-10$ Myr) or a formation mechanism which precludes such systems. We find that the maximum binary separation in the brown dwarf regime appears to scale as M$_{total}^2$, a possible clue to the physical mechanism which restricts wide substellar systems.Comment: 21 pages including 10 figures, accepted to Ap

Discovery of Four High Proper Motion L Dwarfs, Including a 10 pc L Dwarf at the L/T Transition

We discover four high proper motion L dwarfs by comparing the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). WISE J140533.32+835030.5 is an L dwarf at the L/T transition with a proper motion of 0.85+/-0.02" yr^-1, previously overlooked due to its proximity to a bright star (V=12 mag). From optical spectroscopy we find a spectral type of L8, and from moderate-resolution J band spectroscopy we find a near-infrared spectral type of L9. We find WISE J140533.32+835030.5 to have a distance of 9.7+/-1.7 pc, bringing the number of L dwarfs at the L/T transition within 10 pc from six to seven. WISE J040137.21+284951.7, WISE J040418.01+412735.6, and WISE J062442.37+662625.6 are all early L dwarfs within 25 pc, and were classified using optical and low-resolution near-infrared spectra. WISE J040418.01+412735.6 is an L2 pec (red) dwarf, a member of the class of unusually red L dwarfs. We use follow-up optical and low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy to classify a previously discovered (Castro & Gizis 2012) fifth object WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 as an (L8 Opt/L9 NIR), confirming it as an L dwarf at the L/T transition within 10 pc. WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 shows tentative CH_4 in the H band, possibly the result of unresolved binarity with an early T dwarf, a scenario not supported by binary spectral template fitting. If WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 is a single object, it represents the earliest onset of CH_4 in the H band of an L/T transition dwarf in the SpeX Library. As very late L dwarfs within 10 pc, WISE J140533.32+835030.5 and WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 will play a vital role in resolving outstanding issues at the L/T transition.Comment: 45 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Field enhancement in a circular aperture surrounded by a single channel groove

International audienceNumerical analysis of diffraction by a single aperture surrounded by a circular shallow channel in a metallic screen shows the possibility of a 50-fold increase of the electric field intensity inside the central aperture, when compared to the incident field. Detailed analysis of cavity modes and their coupling through surface plasmon wave determine the parameters leading to maximum field enhancement. This effect can be used in high-efficiency single-molecule fluorescence analysis in attoliter volumes