Slime mould logic gates based on frequency changes of electrical potential oscillation

Physarum polycephalum is a large single amoeba cell, which in its plasmodial phase, forages and connects nearby food sources with protoplasmic tubes. The organism forages for food by growing these tubes towards detected foodstuff, this foraging behaviour is governed by simple rules of photoavoidance and chemotaxis. The electrical activity of the tubes oscillates, creating a peristaltic like action within the tubes, forcing cytoplasm along the lumen; the frequency of this oscillation controls the speed and direction of growth. External stimuli such as light and food cause changes in the oscillation frequency. We demonstrate that using these stimuli as logical inputs we can approximate logic gates using these tubes and derive combinational logic circuits by cascading the gates, with software analysis providing the output of each gate and determining the input of the following gate. Basic gates OR, AND and NOT were correct 90%, 77.8% and 91.7% of the time respectively. Derived logic circuits XOR, half adder and full adder were 70.8%, 65% and 58.8% accurate respectively. Accuracy of the combinational logic decreases as the number of gates is increased, however they are at least as accurate as previous logic approximations using spatial growth of P. polycephalum and up to 30 times as fast at computing the logical output. The results shown here demonstrate a significant advancement in organism-based computing, providing a solid basis for hybrid computers of the future. © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Accurate masses and radii of normal stars: modern results and applications

This paper presents and discusses a critical compilation of accurate, fundamental determinations of stellar masses and radii. We have identified 95 detached binary systems containing 190 stars (94 eclipsing systems, and alpha Centauri) that satisfy our criterion that the mass and radius of both stars be known to 3% or better. To these we add interstellar reddening, effective temperature, metal abundance, rotational velocity and apsidal motion determinations when available, and we compute a number of other physical parameters, notably luminosity and distance. We discuss the use of this information for testing models of stellar evolution. The amount and quality of the data also allow us to analyse the tidal evolution of the systems in considerable depth, testing prescriptions of rotational synchronisation and orbital circularisation in greater detail than possible before. The new data also enable us to derive empirical calibrations of M and R for single (post-) main-sequence stars above 0.6 M(Sun). Simple, polynomial functions of T(eff), log g and [Fe/H] yield M and R with errors of 6% and 3%, respectively. Excellent agreement is found with independent determinations for host stars of transiting extrasolar planets, and good agreement with determinations of M and R from stellar models as constrained by trigonometric parallaxes and spectroscopic values of T(eff) and [Fe/H]. Finally, we list a set of 23 interferometric binaries with masses known to better than 3%, but without fundamental radius determinations (except alpha Aur). We discuss the prospects for improving these and other stellar parameters in the near future.Comment: 56 pages including figures and tables. To appear in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. Ascii versions of the tables will appear in the online version of the articl

Mid-Infrared Spectra of High Redshift (z>2) Radio Galaxies

We present the first mid-infrared Spitzer/Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) observations of powerful radio galaxies at z>2. These radio galaxies, 4C +23.56 (z=2.48) and 6C J1908+7220 (z=3.53), both show strong mid-infrared continua, but with 6C J1908+7220 also showing strong PAH emission at rest-frame 6.2 and 7.7um. In 4C+23.56 we see no obvious PAH features above the continuum. The PAH emission in 6C J1908+7220 is the amongst the most distant observed to date and implies that there is a large instantaneous star formation rate (SFR). This is consistent with the strong detection of 6C J1908+7220 at far-IR and sub-mm wavelengths, indicative of large amounts of cold dust, ~10^9Msun. Powerful radio galaxies at lower redshifts tend to have weak or undetectable PAH features and typically have lower far-IR luminosities. In addition, 4C 23.56 shows moderate silicate absorption as seen in less luminous radio galaxies, indicating tau_{9.7um}=0.3+/-0.05. This feature is shifted out of the observed wavelength range for 6C J1908+7220. The correlation of strong PAH features with large amounts of cold dust, despite the presence of a powerful AGN, is in agreement with other recent results and implies that star formation at high redshift is, in some cases at least, associated with powerful, obscured AGN.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, includes emulateapj.cls, in press ApJ

The Spitzer High Redshift Radio Galaxy Survey

We present results from a comprehensive imaging survey of 70 radio galaxies at redshifts 1<z<5.2 using all three cameras onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting spectral energy distributions unambiguously show a stellar population in 46 sources and hot dust emission associated with the active nucleus in 59. Using a new restframe S_3um/S_1.6um versus S_um/S_3um criterion, we identify 42 sources where the restframe 1.6um emission from the stellar population can be measured. For these radio galaxies, the median stellar mass is high, 2x10^11 M_sun, and remarkably constant within the range 13, there is tentative evidence for a factor of two decrease in stellar mass. This suggests that radio galaxies have assembled the bulk of their stellar mass by z~3, but confirmation by more detailed decomposition of stellar and AGN emission is needed. The restframe 500 MHz radio luminosities are only marginally correlated with stellar mass but are strongly correlated with the restframe 5um hot dust luminosity. This suggests that the radio galaxies have a large range of Eddington ratios. We also present new Very Large Array 4.86 and 8.46 GHz imaging of 14 radio galaxies and find that radio core dominance --- an indicator of jet orientation --- is strongly correlated with hot dust luminosity. While all of our targets were selected as narrow-lined, type 2 AGNs, this result can be understood in the context of orientation-dependent models if there is a continuous distribution of orientations from obscured type 2 to unobscured type 1 AGNs rather than a clear dichotomy. Finally, four radio galaxies have nearby (<6") companions whose mid-IR colors are suggestive of their being AGNs. This may indicate an association between radio galaxy activity and major mergers.Comment: 31 pages, 125 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Investigation of the semiochemicals of confused flour beetle Tribolium confusum Jaquelin du Val and grain weevil Sitophilus granarius (L.) in stored wheat grain and flour

This investigation sets out to identify specific volatile compounds from both flour infested with the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum and wheat grain infested with the grain weevil, Sitophilus granarius. These volatiles could help to aid the early detection of infestation by these pests. Volatiles by the infestation of these insect pests were entrained and analysed using Solid-Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Several volatile compounds were identified specific to T. confusum and S. granarius, including the known semiochemicals of T. confusum. The T. confusum larvae specifically emitted the volatiles 1-octen-3-one, benzeneacetaldehyde and decanal, whilst the adults specifically emitted the volatiles 2-methyl and 2- ethyl-1,3-benzenediols, the known semiochemicals 1-pentadecene, 2-methyl and 2-ethyl-1,4- benzoquinones and a series of yet to be fully identified unsaturated hydrocarbons. Both T. confusum adults and larvae emitted 2-methylbutanal and 2-butanone. Furthermore, four volatiles were identified unique to flour infested by T. confusum, 3-penten-2-one, 3-octanone, 2-octenal and 2-butyl-1-octanol. The S. granarius adults specifically emitted the volatiles 2-methylpropanoic acid and 3-methylbutanoic acid, whilst infested wheat grain produced the following volatile organic compounds, 2-methylfuran, 2- ethylfuran, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-ethyl-2-pentenal and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine. We believe these specific volatiles may act as semiochemicals for these insects and could aid in semiochemical monitoring for the early detection of infestation by these insects.Keywords: Tribolium confusum, Sitophilus granarius, GC-MS, SPME, Semiochemicals

Identification of volatiles generated by potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum CV : Maris Piper) infected by erwinia carotovora, bacillus polymyxa and arthrobacter sp

Bacteria were isolated from internal tissues of surface sterilized healthy tubers of Solanum tuberosum cv. Maris Piper (8 different isolates) and from tubers inoculated with Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora showing soft-rot symptoms (3 different isolates), and identified by fatty acid profiling. Bacillus polymyxa and an Arthrobacter sp. were isolated from both sources, E. carotovora only from the soft-rotted tubers. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated by tubers inoculated with E. carotovora, B. polymyxa and the Arthrobacter sp. were identified. Inoculated tubers of cv. Maris Piper were incubated under controlled humidity (95% relative humidity) and temperature (10°C) to simulate typical storage conditions. B. polymyxa and Arthrobacter sp. did not cause symptoms, whilst E. carotovora caused limited soft-rot infections after 4 weeks at the low temperatures typically associated with potatoes in storage. The VOCs released to the headspace around these tubers were collected using an adsorbent system and analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty-two volatiles unique to E. carotovora infection of potato tubers were found,) including 10 alkanes, four alkenes, two aldehydes, one sulphide, one ketone, one alcohol, one aromatic, one acid and one heterocyclic compound. B. polymyxa generated three unique volatiles: N,N-dimethylformamide, 1-pentadecene and 1-hexadecane. Only one volatile, 2,3-dihydrofuran, was unique to the Arthrobacter infection. Production of volatile nitrogen species from E. carotovora-infected tubers increased with time, whereas none were detected in the headspace above uninfected tubers. Further analysis using a modified GC-MS method established that ammonia, trimethylamine and several volatile sulphides were evolved from tubers infected by E. carotovora. No specific volatile was useful as a marker associated with any of the three bacterial species but in the case of E. carotovora-infected potato tubers a significant increase in the volume of compounds evolved was clearly observed. The results are discussed in relation to the use of sensors to detect VOCs evolved from infected tubers in order to provide an early warning system for the control of soft rot in potato store

Mid-Infrared Photometry and Spectra of Three High Mass Protostellar Candidates at IRAS 18151-1208 and IRAS 20343+4129

We present arcsecond-scale mid-ir photometry (in the 10.5 micron N band and at 24.8 microns), and low resolution spectra in the N band (R~100) of a candidate high mass protostellar object (HMPO) in IRAS 18151-1208 and of two HMPO candidates in IRAS 20343+4129, IRS 1 and IRS 3. In addition we present high resolution mid-ir spectra (R~80000) of the two HMPO candidates in IRAS 20343+4129. These data are fitted with simple models to estimate the masses of gas and dust associated with the mid-ir emitting clumps, the column densities of overlying absorbing dust and gas, the luminosities of the HMPO candidates, and the likely spectral type of the HMPO candidate for which [Ne II] 12.8 micron emission was detected (IRAS 20343+4129 IRS 3). We suggest that IRAS 18151-1208 is a pre-ultracompact HII region HMPO, IRAS 20343+4129 IRS 1 is an embedded young stellar object with the luminosity of a B3 star, and IRAS 20343+4129 IRS 3 is a B2 ZAMS star that has formed an ultracompact HII region and disrupted its natal envelope.Comment: 40 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal (Part 1

RC J0311+0507: A Candidate for Superpowerful Radio Galaxies in the Early Universe at Redshift z=4.514

A strong emission line at 6703A has been detected in the optical spectrum for the host galaxy (R=23.1) of the radio source RC J0311+0507 (4C+04.11). This radio galaxy, with a spectral index of 1.31 in the frequency range 365-4850 MHz, is one of the ultrasteep spectrum objects from the deep survey of a sky strip conducted with RATAN-600 in 1980-1981. We present arguments in favor of the identification of this line with Ly\alpha at redshift z=4.514. In this case, the object belongs to the group of extremely distant radio galaxies of ultrahigh radio luminosity (P_{1400}=1.3 x 10^{29}W Hz^{-1}). Such power can be provided only by a fairly massive black hole (~10^9M_\sun}) that formed in a time less than the age of the Universe at the observed z(1.3 Gyr) or had a primordial origin.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure