High Energy Neutrino Astronomy: Towards Kilometer-Scale Detectors

Of all high-energy particles, only neutrinos can directly convey astronomical information from the edge of the universe---and from deep inside the most cataclysmic high-energy processes. Copiously produced in high-energy collisions, travelling at the velocity of light, and not deflected by magnetic fields, neutrinos meet the basic requirements for astronomy. Their unique advantage arises from a fundamental property: they are affected only by the weakest of nature's forces (but for gravity) and are therefore essentially unabsorbed as they travel cosmological distances between their origin and us. Many of the outstanding mysteries of astrophysics may be hidden from our sight at all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum because of absorption by matter and radiation between us and the source. For example, the hot dense regions that form the central engines of stars and galaxies are opaque to photons. In other cases, such as supernova remnants, gamma ray bursters, and active galaxies, all of which may involve compact objects or black holes at their cores, the precise origin of the high-energy photons emerging from their surface regions is uncertain. Therefore, data obtained through a variety of observational windows---and especially through direct observations with neutrinos---may be of cardinal importance. In this talk, the scientific goals of high energy neutrino astronomy and the technical aspects of water and ice Cherenkov detectors are examined, and future experimental possibilities, including a kilometer-square deep ice neutrino telescope, are explored.Comment: 13 pages, Latex, 6 postscript figures, uses aipproc.sty and epsf.sty. Talk presented at the International Symposium on High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy, Heidelberg, June 200

Vortices and chirality of magnetostatic modes in quasi-2D ferrite disk particles

In this paper we show that the vortex states can be created not only in magnetically soft "small" (with the dipolar and exchange energy competition) cylindrical dots, but also in magnetically saturated "big" (when the exchange is neglected) cylindrical dots. A property associated with a vortex structure becomes evident from an analysis of confinement phenomena of magnetic oscillations in a ferrite disk with a dominating role of magnetic-dipolar (non-exchange-interaction) spectra. In this case the scalar (magnetostatic-potential) wave functions may have a phase singularity in a center of a dot. A non-zero azimuth component of the flow velocity demonstrates the vortex structure. The vortices are guaranteed by the chiral edge states of magnetic-dipolar modes in a quasi-2D ferrite disk

The evolutionary significance of polyploidy

Polyploidy, or the duplication of entire genomes, has been observed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, and in somatic and germ cells. The consequences of polyploidization are complex and variable, and they differ greatly between systems (clonal or non-clonal) and species, but the process has often been considered to be an evolutionary 'dead end'. Here, we review the accumulating evidence that correlates polyploidization with environmental change or stress, and that has led to an increased recognition of its short-term adaptive potential. In addition, we discuss how, once polyploidy has been established, the unique retention profile of duplicated genes following whole-genome duplication might explain key longer-term evolutionary transitions and a general increase in biological complexity

A Comparison of Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Patterns between Different Vascular Tissues from Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation in context of cardiovascular diseases are of considerable interest. So far, our current knowledge of the DNA methylation profiles for atherosclerosis affected and healthy human vascular tissues is still limited. Using the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation27 BeadChip, we performed a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in right coronary artery in the area of advanced atherosclerotic plaques, atherosclerotic-resistant internal mammary arteries, and great saphenous veins obtained from same patients with coronary heart disease. The resulting DNA methylation patterns were markedly different between all the vascular tissues. The genes hypomethylated in athero-prone arteries to compare with atherosclerotic-resistant arteries were predominately involved in regulation of inflammation and immune processes, as well as development. The great saphenous veins exhibited an increase of the DNA methylation age in comparison to the internal mammary arteries. Gene ontology analysis for genes harboring hypermethylated CpG-sites in veins revealed the enrichment for biological processes associated with the development. Four CpG-sites located within the MIR10B gene sequence and about 1 kb upstream of the HOXD4 gene were also confirmed as hypomethylated in the independent dataset of the right coronary arteries in the area of advanced atherosclerotic plaques in comparison with the other vascular tissues. The DNA methylation differences observed in vascular tissues of patients with coronary heart disease can provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the development of pathology and explanation for the difference in graft patency after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

Ion transport in dual-phase SrFe1-xD cent D degrees O-x(3-delta) (x=0.03-aEuro parts per thousand 0.10): effects of redox cycling

The incorporation of tantalum cations in mixed-conducting SrFe1-xTaxO3-delta (x = 0.03 -aEuro parts per thousand 0.10) results in the formation of single cubic perovskite-like phases in oxidizing atmospheres while under reducing conditions phase separation is observed, accompanied with an appearance of brownmillerite-type nanodomains on the background of the perovskite-like matrix. For SrFe0.97Ta0.03O3-delta after reduction, the x-ray and electron diffraction studies combined with transmission electron microscopy evidence the formation of approximately 30 vol.% brownmillerite phase with an average domain size of 20-40 nm. The oxygen partial pressure dependencies of the total conductivity in the range from 10(-20) to 0.5 atm at 700-950 A degrees C show that the electron transport parameters remain virtually independent on the dopant content and domain structure. Contrary to the materials with higher dopant content, however, the ion conduction in SrFe0.97Ta0.03O3-delta tends to substantially increase on redox cycling. This behavior was attributed to the brownmillerite domain disintegration and rearrangement, induced by cyclic formation and disappearance of oxygen vacancies