Low Power Front End for the Optical Module of a Neutrino Underwater Telescope

A proposal for a new system to capture signals in the Optical Module (OM) of an underwater neutrino telescope is described. It concentrates on the problem of power consumption and time precision. In particular, a solution for the interface between the photomultiplier (PMT) and the front-end electronics is presented

Pharmacokinetics of a long-acting formulation of oxytetracycline in freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) after intramuscular administration at three different dosages

To date, the necessary pharmacokinetic information has been limited to establish suitable therapeutic plans for freshwater crocodiles. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of the oxytetracycline long-acting formulation (OTC-LA) in the freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus siamensis, following a single intramuscular (i.m.) administration at three different dosages of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.). Blood samples were collected at assigned times up to 216 h after i.m. administration at the three different dosages. The plasma concentrations of OTC were measured using a validated liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. The Cmax (± SD) values of OTC were 2.15 ± 0.51 µg/mL, 7.68 ± 1.08 µg/mL and 17.08 ± 2.09 µg/mL at doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg b.w., respectively. The elimination half-life values were 33.59 ± 2.51 h, 38.42 ± 5.47 h and 38.04 ± 1.98 h at dosages of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg b.w., respectively. Based on the pharmacokinetic data, the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index, the susceptibility break-point and plasma protein binding, a dosage once every two weeks of 10 mg/kg b.w. OTC intramuscularly might be suitable for initiating the treatment of susceptible bacterial infections in freshwater crocodiles. However, further PK/PD studies are warranted to confirm whether the dose rates used in this study can produce longer-term antimicrobial success for diseases caused by susceptible bacteria in freshwater crocodiles

Proposal, development and test of an analog front-end electronic board for Nemo telescope

The NEMO collaboration is involved in the R&D of the main technologies for the project of a km3 scale underwater neutrino telescope. The proposed detector is made up of thousands of Optical Modules (hereafter OM), spread over the entire volume for Cˇ erenkov light detection. Each OMis equipped with a photo multiplier tube (PMT) and an electronic circuit for data acquisition and transmission (DAQ-Board). This work points out the possible benefits of a hybrid solution based on an analog ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) employed for the analog signal acquisition and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a digital programmable IC (Integrated Circuit) which performs the data acquisition and the data transmission

Single-cell gene network analysis and transcriptional landscape of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell lines

Neuroblastoma (NBL) is a pediatric cancer responsible for more than 15% of cancer deaths in children, with 800 new cases each year in the United States alone. Genomic amplification of the MYC oncogene family member MYCN characterizes a subset of high-risk pediatric neuroblastomas. Several cellular models have been implemented to study this disease over the years. Two of these, SK-N-BE-2-C (BE2C) and Kelly, are amongst the most used worldwide as models of MYCN-Amplified human NBL. Here, we provide a transcriptome-wide quantitative measurement of gene expression and transcriptional network activity in BE2C and Kelly cell lines at an unprecedented single-cell resolution. We obtained 1105 Kelly and 962 BE2C unsynchronized cells, with an average number of mapped reads/cell of roughly 38,000. The single-cell data recapitulate gene expression signatures previously generated from bulk RNA-Seq. We highlight low variance for commonly used housekeeping genes between different cells (ACTB, B2M and GAPDH), while showing higher than expected variance for metallothionein transcripts in Kelly cells. The high number of samples, despite the relatively low read coverage of single cells, allowed for robust pathway enrichment analysis and master regulator analysis (MRA), both of which highlight the more mesenchymal nature of BE2C cells as compared to Kelly cells, and the upregulation of TWIST1 and DNAJC1 transcriptional networks. We further defined master regulators at the single cell level and showed that MYCN is not constantly active or expressed within Kelly and BE2C cells, independently of cell cycle phase. The dataset, alongside a detailed and commented programming protocol to analyze it, is fully shared and reusable

Doing it differently: Engaging interview participants with imaginative variation

Imaginative variation was identified by Husserl (1936/1970) as a phenomenological technique for the purpose of elucidating the manner in which phenomena appear to consciousness. Briefly, by engaging in the phenomenological reduction and using imaginative variation, phenomenologists are able to describe the experience of consciousness, having stepped outside of the natural attitude through the epochē. Imaginative variation is a stage aimed at explicating the structures of experience, and is best described as a mental experiment. Features of the experience are imaginatively altered in order to view the phenomenon under investigation from varying perspectives. Husserl argued that this process will reveal the essences of an experience, as only those aspects that are invariant to the experience of the phenomenon will not be able to change through the variation. Often in qualitative research interviews, participants struggle to articulate or verbalise their experiences. The purpose of this article is to detail a radical and novel way of using imaginative variation with interview participants, by asking the participants to engage with imaginative variation, in order to produce a rich and insightful experiential account of a phenomenon. We will discuss how the first author successfully used imaginative variation in this way in her study of the erotic experience of bondage, discipline, dominance & submission, and sadism & masochism (BDSM), before considering the usefulness of this technique when applied to areas of study beyond sexuality

Novel method for the direct measurement of the tau lepton dipole moments

A novel method for the direct measurement of the elusive magnetic and electric dipole moments of the tau lepton is presented. The experimental approach relies on the production of tau+ leptons from Ds+ -> tau+ nu_tau decays, originated in fixed-target collisions at the LHC. A sample of polarized tau+ leptons is kinematically selected and subsequently channeled in a bent crystal. The magnetic and electric dipole moments of the tau+ lepton are measured by determining the rotation of the spin-polarization vector induced by the intense electromagnetic field between crystal atomic planes. The experimental technique is discussed along with the expected sensitivities.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 2 pages supplemental material. Accepted by Phys.Rev.Let

On the structure of phase transition maps for three or more coexisting phases

This paper is partly based on a lecture delivered by the author at the ERC workshop "Geometric Partial Differential Equations" held in Pisa in September 2012. What is presented here is an expanded version of that lecture.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figure

One-dimensional symmetry and Liouville type results for the fourth order Allen-Cahn equation in RN^N

In this paper, we prove an analogue of Gibbons' conjecture for the extended fourth order Allen-Cahn equation in R N , as well as Liouville type results for some solutions converging to the same value at infinity in a given direction. We also prove a priori bounds and further one-dimensional symmetry and rigidity results for semilinear fourth order elliptic equations with more general nonlinearities

Population dynamics of two amphipod species and its relationship with the aquatic vegetation in a Luján river basin microenvironment (Argentina)

Se estudió la dinámica anual de las poblaciones de dos especies de anfípodos en un microambiente de agua dulce del arroyo Las Flores, afluente del río Luján. Hyalella (Mesohyallela) curvispina es un anfípodo herbívoro que se alimenta principalmente de las algas del fitobentos; Hyalella (Mesohyalella) sp. utiliza como refugio a las plantas macrófitas acuáticas y es un carnívoro depredador de Hyalella (M.) curvispina. Las comunidades vegetales del arroyo siguen una dinámica escalonada a lo largo del año, con un máximo de perifiton en junio, de fitobentos en octubre y de macrófitas entre noviembre y febrero. H. (M.) curvispina tiene su mayor densidad (1267 indi- viduos/m2) y su producción secundaria más alta (2225 mg.m-2.mes-1) en coincidencia con el pico de fitobentos de octubre, con cuya abundancia se correlaciona positivamente. Hyalella (Mesohyalella) sp. presenta su abundancia máxima (7067 individuos/m2) y su mayor producción secundaria (1018 g.m-2.mes-1) en enero; ambas cantidades se correlacionan positivamente con la biomasa de macrófitas en el ambiente.The dynamics of two amphi- pod species in a freshwater micro-environment was studied. Samples were taken monthly, during a whole year, from Las Flores stream, a Luján river tributary. Hyalella (Mesohyalella) curvispina is a herbivore and feeds mainly on phytobenthos. Hyalella (Mesohyalella) sp. is a H. (M.) curvispina predator and uses macrophytes as a refuge. Periphyton algal biomass reaches its maximum during June, the phytobenthos biomass reaches its maximum during October, and macrophyte biomass reaches its maximum between November and February. H. (M.) curvispina shows its maximum density (1267 individuals/m2) and its highest secondary production (2225 mg.m-2.month-1) in October coinciding with the phytobenthos. peak in biomass; its density correlates positively with phytobenthos abundance. H. (M.) sp. density (7067 individuals/m2) and secondary production (1018 mg.m-2.month-1) both peak in January. H. (M.) curvispina density is positively correlated with phytobenthos biomass. H. (M.) sp. density, biomass and secondary production are all positively correlated with macrophyte biomass