In-plane effects on segmented-mirror control

Extremely large optical telescopes are being designed with primary mirrors composed of hundreds of segments. The “out-of-plane” piston, tip, and tilt degrees of freedom of each segment are actively controlled using feedback from relative height measurements between neighboring segments. The “in-plane” segment translations and clocking (rotation) are not actively controlled; however, in-plane motions affect the active control problem in several important ways, and thus need to be considered. We extend earlier analyses by constructing the “full” interaction matrix that relates the height, gap, and shear motion at sensor locations to all six degrees of freedom of segment motion, and use this to consider three effects. First, in-plane segment clocking results in height discontinuities between neighboring segments that can lead to a global control system response. Second, knowledge of the in-plane motion is required both to compensate for this effect and to compensate for sensor installation errors, and thus, we next consider the estimation of in-plane motion and the associated noise propagation characteristics. In-plane motion can be accurately estimated using measurements of the gap between segments, but with one unobservable mode in which every segment clocks by an equal amount. Finally, we examine whether in-plane measurements (gap and/or shear) can be used to estimate out-of-plane segment motion; these measurements can improve the noise multiplier for the “focus-mode” of the segmented-mirror array, which involves pure dihedral angle changes between segments and is not observable with only height measurements

First Lattice Study of Semileptonic Decays of Lambda_b and Xi_b Baryons

We present the results of the first lattice study of semileptonic decays of baryons containing a b-quark. Predictions for the decay distributions are given and the Isgur-Wise functions for heavy baryons are computed, for values of the velocity transfer up to about omega=1.2. The computations are performed on a 24^3 x 48 lattice at beta=6.2 using the Sheikholeslami-Wohlert action in the quenched approximation.Comment: 55 pages, 17 ps figures, Latex 2.09, uses eps

Characterization of the hemoglobins of the Australian lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri (Krefft)

Copyright © 2008 ElsevierWe examined for the first time the hemoglobin components of the blood of the Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri and their functional responses to pH and the allosteric modulators adenosine triphosphate (ATP), guanosine triphosphate (GTP), 2,3-bisphosphoglyceric acid (BPG) and inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) at 25 °C. Lysates prepared from stripped, unfractionated hemolysate produced sigmoidal oxygen equilibrium curves with high oxygen affinity (oxygen partial pressure required for 50% hemoglobin saturation, p50 = 5.3 mmHg) and a Hill coefficient of 1.9 at pH 7.5. p50 was 8.3 and 4.5 mmHg at pH 6 and 8, respectively, which corresponded to a modest Bohr coefficient (Δlog p50/ΔpH) of − 0.13. GTP increased the pH sensitivity of oxygen binding more than ATP, such that the Bohr coefficient was − 0.77 in the presence of 2 mmol L− 1 GTP. GTP was the most potent regulator of hemoglobin affinity, with concentrations of 5 mmol L− 1 causing an increase in p50 from 5 to 19 mm Hg at pH 7.5, while the order of potency of the other phosphates was IHP > ATP > BPG. Three hemoglobin isoforms were present and each contained both α and β chains with distinct molecular weights. Oxygen affinity and pH-dependence of isoforms I and II were essentially identical, while isoform III had a lower affinity and increased pH-dependence. The functional properties of the hemoglobin system of Neoceratodus appeared consistent with an active aquatic breather adapted for periodic hypoxic episodes.Jonas R. Rasmussen, Rufus M.G. Wells, Kristen Henty, Timothy D. Clark and Thomas Brittainhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/1095643

Global treadmilling coordinates actin turnover and controls the size of actin networks

International audienceVarious cellular processes (including cell motility) are driven by the regulated, polarized assembly of actin filaments into distinct force-producing arrays of defined size and architecture. Branched, linear, contractile and cytosolic arrays coexist in vivo, and cells intricately control the number, length and assembly rate of filaments in these arrays. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed novel molecular mechanisms that regulate the number of filament barbed and pointed ends and their respective assembly and disassembly rates, thus defining classes of dynamically different filaments, which coexist in the same cell. We propose that a global treadmilling process, in which a steady-state amount of polymerizable actin monomers is established by the dynamics of each network, is responsible for defining the size and turnover of coexisting actin networks. Furthermore, signal-induced changes in the partitioning of actin to distinct arrays (mediated by RHO GTPases) result in the establishment of various steady-state concentrations of polymerizable monomers, thereby globally influencing the growth rate of actin filaments