Gravitating discs around black holes

Fluid discs and tori around black holes are discussed within different approaches and with the emphasis on the role of disc gravity. First reviewed are the prospects of investigating the gravitational field of a black hole--disc system by analytical solutions of stationary, axially symmetric Einstein's equations. Then, more detailed considerations are focused to middle and outer parts of extended disc-like configurations where relativistic effects are small and the Newtonian description is adequate. Within general relativity, only a static case has been analysed in detail. Results are often very inspiring, however, simplifying assumptions must be imposed: ad hoc profiles of the disc density are commonly assumed and the effects of frame-dragging and completely lacking. Astrophysical discs (e.g. accretion discs in active galactic nuclei) typically extend far beyond the relativistic domain and are fairly diluted. However, self-gravity is still essential for their structure and evolution, as well as for their radiation emission and the impact on the environment around. For example, a nuclear star cluster in a galactic centre may bear various imprints of mutual star--disc interactions, which can be recognised in observational properties, such as the relation between the central mass and stellar velocity dispersion.Comment: Accepted for publication in CQG; high-resolution figures will be available from http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/CQ

Auxin pretreatment promotes regeneration of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) midrib segment explants

We have developed a new, simple, quick and genotype-independent method for direct regeneration of sugarcane using novel midrib segment explants. Our protocol involves two steps: the pretreatment of starting material on MS (Murashige and Skoog (1962) Physiol Plant 15:473–497) medium containing 3.0 mg/l 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) for 8 days under continuous dark and subsequent transfer of the explants to MS medium augmented with 0.1 mg/l benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) under light-dark conditions. On the regeneration medium, numerous globular structures appeared from the explants and subsequently differentiated into shoots. Regenerated shoots attained 2–5 cm height within 30 days of culture initiation and readily rooted on MS basal medium. Hardened plants were successfully established in the greenhouse. The regulation of sugarcane morphogenesis by auxin pretreatment is discussed

Task-Dependent Inhomogeneous Muscle Activities within the Bi-Articular Human Rectus Femoris Muscle

The motor nerve of the bi-articular rectus femoris muscle is generally split from the femoral nerve trunk into two sub-branches just before it reaches the distal and proximal regions of the muscle. In this study, we examined whether the regional difference in muscle activities exists within the human rectus femoris muscle during maximal voluntary isometric contractions of knee extension and hip flexion. Surface electromyographic signals were recorded from the distal, middle, and proximal regions. In addition, twitch responses were evoked by stimulating the femoral nerve with supramaximal intensity. The root mean square value of electromyographic amplitude during each voluntary task was normalized to the maximal compound muscle action potential amplitude (M-wave) for each region. The electromyographic amplitudes were significantly smaller during hip flexion than during knee extension task for all regions. There was no significant difference in the normalized electromyographic amplitude during knee extension among regions within the rectus femoris muscle, whereas those were significantly smaller in the distal than in the middle and proximal regions during hip flexion task. These results indicate that the bi-articular rectus femoris muscle is differentially controlled along the longitudinal direction and that in particular the distal region of the muscle cannot be fully activated during hip flexion

Low hysteresis threshold current (39 mA) active multimode-interferometer (MMI) bistable laser diodes using lateral-modes bistability

We demonstrate low hysteresis threshold current (39mA) bistable laser diodes (BLDs), with maintaining sufficient hysteresis window (7 mA, 18% of the hysteresis threshold), in active multimode-interferometer (MMI) using lateral-modes bistability. The sufficient cross-gain saturation effect, due to the lateral-modes bistability principle, enables wide hysteresis window. By using this principle, we could design the active-MMI BLDs with relatively short saturable-absorber length that has been one of the main causes of high hysteresis threshold current. In the actual design, we reduce the saturable-absorber region length to 25 μm, and thus, we could achieve a low hysteresis current of 39 mA in the active-MMI BLDs with maintaining sufficient hysteresis window for the first time. 2011 IEEE