Can warmer than room temperature electrons levitate above a liquid helium surface ?

We address the problem of overheating of electrons trapped on the liquid helium surface by cyclotron resonance excitation. Previous experiments, suggest that electrons can be heated to temperatures up to 1000K more than three order of magnitude higher than the temperature of the helium bath in the sub-Kelvin range. In this work we attempt to discriminate between a redistribution of thermal origin and other out-of equilibrium mechanisms that would not require so high temperatures like resonant photo-galvanic effects, or negative mobilities. We argue that for a heating scenario the direction of the electron flow under cyclotron resonance can be controlled by the shape of the initial electron density profile, with a dependence that can be modeled accurately within the Poisson-Boltzmann theory framework. This provides an self consistency-check to probe if the redistribution is indeed consistent with a thermal origin. We find that while our experimental results are consistent with the Poisson-Boltzmann theoretical dependence but some deviations suggest that other physical mechanisms can also provide a measurable contribution. Analyzing our results with the heating model we find that the electron temperatures increases with electron density under the same microwave irradiation conditions. This unexpected density dependence calls for a microscopic treatment of the energy relaxation of overheated electrons.Comment: for the Electrons and Ions in quantum fluids and solids (EIQFS2018) J. Low. Temp. Phys. special issu

Evaluation of a Rapid Immunochromatographic ODK-0901 Test for Detection of Pneumococcal Antigen in Middle Ear Fluids and Nasopharyngeal Secretions

Since the incidence of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae has been increasing at an astonishing rate throughout the world, the need for accurate and rapid identification of pneumococci has become increasingly important to determine the appropriate antimicrobial treatment. We have evaluated an immunochromatographic test (ODK-0901) that detects pneumococcal antigens using 264 middle ear fluids (MEFs) and 268 nasopharyngeal secretions (NPSs). A sample was defined to contain S. pneumoniae when optochin and bile sensitive alpha hemolytic streptococcal colonies were isolated by culture. The sensitivity and specificity of the ODK-0901 test were 81.4% and 80.5%, respectively, for MEFs from patients with acute otitis media (AOM). In addition, the sensitivity and specificity were 75.2% and 88.8%, respectively, for NPSs from patients with acute rhinosinusitis. The ODK-0901 test may provide a rapid and highly sensitive evaluation of the presence of S. pneumoniae and thus may be a promising method of identifying pneumococci in MEFs and NPSs

Maternal Immunization with Pneumococcal Surface Protein A Protects against Pneumococcal Infections among Derived Offspring

Pathogen-specific antibody plays an important role in protection against pneumococcal carriage and infections. However, neonates and infants exhibit impaired innate and adaptive immune responses, which result in their high susceptibility to pneumococci. To protect neonates and infants against pneumococcal infection it is important to elicit specific protective immune responses at very young ages. In this study, we investigated the protective immunity against pneumococcal carriage, pneumonia, and sepsis induced by maternal immunization with pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA). Mother mice were intranasally immunized with recombinant PspA (rPspA) and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) prior to being mated. Anti-PspA specific IgG, predominantly IgG1, was present at a high level in the serum and milk of immunized mothers and in the sera of their pups. The pneumococcal densities in washed nasal tissues and in lung homogenate were significantly reduced in pups delivered from and/or breast-fed by PspA-immunized mothers. Survival after fatal systemic infections with various types of pneumococci was significantly extended in the pups, which had received anti-PspA antibody via the placenta or through their milk. The current findings strongly suggest that maternal immunization with PspA is an attractive strategy against pneumococcal infections during early childhood. (191 words

A incompressible state of a photo-excited electron gas : additional materials

Additional supplementary figures for "A incompressible state of a photo-excited electron gas : additional materials" as en extension fo the main article

Improvement of Surgical View and Working Space at the Lower Pole by Three-Dimensional Exoscope-Assisted Coblation Tonsillectomy: A Case Series

Advantages of hot devices for tonsillectomy, represented by coblation, have been highlighted in recent years. During hot technique tonsillectomy it is important to identify and coagulate the vessels of the tonsillar capsule, especially at the lower pole of the tonsil. Hot technique tonsillectomy under microscope or endoscope has therefore been recommended to achieve accurate identification of the microstructure of the surgical field. We have applied ORBEYE, a three-dimensional surgical exoscope system, to coblation tonsillectomy. Advantages of using ORBEYE include high definition and high magnification images, and flexibility of camera position and angle. This means there is an improved surgical view and working space, particularly at the lower pole during performance of coblation tonsillectomy. Here, we demonstrate that ORBEYE can be an effective surgical instrument in coblation tonsillectomy

Improvement of Surgical View and Working Space at the Lower Pole by Three-Dimensional Exoscope-Assisted Coblation Tonsillectomy: A Case Series

Advantages of hot devices for tonsillectomy, represented by coblation, have been highlighted in recent years. During hot technique tonsillectomy it is important to identify and coagulate the vessels of the tonsillar capsule, especially at the lower pole of the tonsil. Hot technique tonsillectomy under microscope or endoscope has therefore been recommended to achieve accurate identification of the microstructure of the surgical field. We have applied ORBEYE, a three-dimensional surgical exoscope system, to coblation tonsillectomy. Advantages of using ORBEYE include high definition and high magnification images, and flexibility of camera position and angle. This means there is an improved surgical view and working space, particularly at the lower pole during performance of coblation tonsillectomy. Here, we demonstrate that ORBEYE can be an effective surgical instrument in coblation tonsillectomy

Identification of Pneumococcal Factors Affecting Pneumococcal Shedding Shows that the dlt Locus Promotes Inflammation and Transmission

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a common cause of respiratory tract and invasive infection. The overall effectiveness of immunization with the organism’s capsular polysaccharide depends on its ability to block colonization of the upper respiratory tract and thereby prevent host-to-host transmission. Because of the limited coverage of current pneumococcal vaccines, we carried out an unbiased in vivo transposon mutagenesis screen to identify pneumococcal factors other than its capsular polysaccharide that affect transmission. One such candidate was expressed by the dlt locus, previously shown to add d-alanine onto the pneumococcal lipoteichoic acid present on the bacterial cell surface. This modification protects against host antimicrobials and augments host inflammatory responses. The latter increases secretions and bacterial shedding from the upper respiratory tract to allow for transmission. Thus, this study provides insight into a mechanism employed by the pneumococcus to successfully transit from one host to another.Host-to-host transmission is a necessary but poorly understood aspect of microbial pathogenesis. Herein, we screened a genomic library of mutants of the leading respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae generated by mariner transposon mutagenesis (Tn-Seq) to identify genes contributing to its exit or shedding from the upper respiratory tract (URT), the limiting step in the organism’s transmission in an infant mouse model. Our analysis focused on genes affecting the bacterial surface that directly impact interactions with the host. Among the multiple factors identified was the dlt locus, which adds d-alanine onto lipoteichoic acids (LTA) and thereby increases Toll-like receptor 2-mediated inflammation and resistance to antimicrobial peptides. The more robust proinflammatory response in the presence of d-alanylation promotes secretions that facilitate pneumococcal shedding and allows for transmission. Expression of the dlt locus is controlled by the CiaRH system, which senses cell wall stress in response to antimicrobial activity, including in response to lysozyme, the most abundant antimicrobial along the URT mucosa. Accordingly, in a lysM−/− host, there was no longer an effect of the dlt locus on pneumococcal shedding. Thus, our findings demonstrate how a pathogen senses the URT milieu and then modifies its surface characteristics to take advantage of the host response for transit to another host

Protection against lung infection by maternal immunization with PspA among offspring.

<p>Seven-day-old mice were intranasally challenged with 5×10⁵ CFU TIGR4 strain (10 µl/mouse) with anesthesia. Three days after challenge, lungs were collected and the numbers of pneumococci colonies in the lung homogenate were determined. Each dot shows the Log₁₀ CFU/mouse. Each horizontal line shows the median Log₁₀ CFU/mouse. Group A (n = 18), B (n = 16), C (n = 20), and D (n = 27) mice were produced in the same manner as the corresponding groups in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0027102#pone-0027102-g003" target="_blank">figure 3</a>. <i>p</i><0.05 and <i>p</i><0.01 are <i>p</i>-values for differences between the indicated group and the non-immune mice in Group D by Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's multiple comparison test.</p

Protection against nasal carriage of pneumococci by maternal immunization with PspA among offspring.

<p>Offspring at 7-day-old were intranasally challenged with 1×10⁵ CFU TIGR4 strain (5 µl/mouse) without anesthesia. Two days after challenge, nasal washes and homogenized washed nasal tissues were collected and the numbers of pneumococci colonies were determined. No evidence of protection was observed in CFUs in nasal washes (not shown). Results are shown for CFU in homogenized washed nasal tissue. Each dot represents the Log₁₀ CFU/mouse. Each horizontal line depicts the median Log₁₀ CFU/mouse. Group A (n = 11), B (n = 10), C (n = 13), and D (n = 15) mice were produced in the same manner as the corresponding groups in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0027102#pone-0027102-g003" target="_blank">figure 3</a>. Group A differed from Group D at <i>p</i><0.05 by Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's multiple comparison test.</p