Closed cycle electric discharge laser design investigation

Closed cycle CO2 and CO electric discharge lasers were studied. An analytical investigation assessed scale-up parameters and design features for CO2, closed cycle, continuous wave, unstable resonator, electric discharge lasing systems operating in space and airborne environments. A space based CO system was also examined. The program objectives were the conceptual designs of six CO2 systems and one CO system. Three airborne CO2 designs, with one, five, and ten megawatt outputs, were produced. These designs were based upon five minute run times. Three space based CO2 designs, with the same output levels, were also produced, but based upon one year run times. In addition, a conceptual design for a one megawatt space based CO laser system was also produced. These designs include the flow loop, compressor, and heat exchanger, as well as the laser cavity itself. The designs resulted in a laser loop weight for the space based five megawatt system that is within the space shuttle capacity. For the one megawatt systems, the estimated weight of the entire system including laser loop, solar power generator, and heat radiator is less than the shuttle capacity

Tuberculosis prevalence survey in Kashmir valley

A tuberculosis prevalence survey was conducted in about 18,000 persons in Kashmir valley situated about 1650 m above the mean sea level. All persons were tested with 3 IU of PPD-S and 10 units of PPD-B. Persons aged 5 yr and above were X-rayed (70 mm X-ray), and from such persons whose photofluorograms were interpreted as abnormal two specimens of sputum were collected and bacteriologically examined. In addition, a large X-ray of the chest was taken for children aged 0-4 yr who had reactions of 10 mm or more to PPD-S. They were then clinically examined by a paediatrician, taking into account all available data, for evaluation for any evidence of tuberculosis. The results of the survey showed that the prevalence of non-specific sensitivity (59%) in the Kashmir valley is significant. The prevalence of tuberculous infection was 38 per cent. The prevalence of culture positive tuberculous patients (3 per 1000) and that of abacillary X-ray positive patients (14 per 1000) were found to be similar in the two sexes contrary to the usual experience of a higher prevalence among males. Results from studies of phage typing, susceptibility to thiophen-2-carbonic acid hydrazide (TCH) and virulence in the guineapig of strains obtained from patients diagnosed in the survey showed that most of these strains belonged to phage type A, were resistant to TCH and were not of low virulence. Regional variations in the prevalence rates were seen, the- problem of tuberculosis appeared to he more in the Baramulla district as compared to Srinagar and Anantnag districts. A comparison of results obtained from the present survey with those obtained from the BCG trial in Chingleput (Tamil Nadu) revealed that the tuberculosis situation in the two areas was quite different

The Volume of some Non-spherical Horizons and the AdS/CFT Correspondence

We calculate the volumes of a large class of Einstein manifolds, namely Sasaki-Einstein manifolds which are the bases of Ricci-flat affine cones described by polynomial embedding relations in C^n. These volumes are important because they allow us to extend and test the AdS/CFT correspondence. We use these volumes to extend the central charge calculation of Gubser (1998) to the generalized conifolds of Gubser, Shatashvili, and Nekrasov (1999). These volumes also allow one to quantize precisely the D-brane flux of the AdS supergravity solution. We end by demonstrating a relationship between the volumes of these Einstein spaces and the number of holomorphic polynomials (which correspond to chiral primary operators in the field theory dual) on the corresponding affine cone.Comment: 25 pp, LaTeX, 1 figure, v2: refs adde

Evidence for Anisotropic Vortex Dynamics and Pauli Limitation in the Upper Critical Field of FeSe1-xTex

We have determined HC2(T) for FeSe1-xTex (x=0.52) single crystals using resistivity measurements at high static and pulsed magnetic field, as well as specific heat measurements up to 9T. We find that the significant anisotropy of the initial slope of HC2(T) determined from resistivity measurements, is not present when HC2 is determined from the specific heat results. This suggests that the thermodynamic upper critical field is almost isotropic, and that anisotropic vortex dynamics play a role. Further evidence of anisotropic vortex dynamics is found in the behaviour in pulsed field. We also find that Pauli limiting must be included in order to fit the temperature dependence of HC2, indicating probably higher effective mass in FeSe1-xTex than in other Fe superconductors

Efficacy and safety of a non-mineral oil adjuvanted injectable vaccine for the protection of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) against Flavobacterium psychrophilum

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is the causative agent of Rainbow Trout Fry Syndrome which has had a major impact on global salmonid aquaculture. Recent outbreaks in Atlantic salmon in Scotland and Chile have added to the need for a vaccine to protect both salmon and trout. At present no licensed vaccines are available in Europe, leaving antibiotics as the only course of action to contain disease outbreaks. Outbreaks generally occur in fry at temperatures between 10 and 15 °C. Recently outbreaks in larger fish have given added impetus to the development of a vaccine which can provide long term protection from this highly heterogeneous pathogen. Most fish injectable vaccines are formulated with oil emulsion adjuvants to induce strong and long lasting immunity, but which are known to cause side effects. Alternative adjuvants are currently sought to minimise these adverse effects.  The current study was performed to assess the efficacy of a polyvalent, whole cell vaccine containing formalin-inactivated F. psychrophilum to induce protective immunity in Atlantic salmon. The vaccine was formulated with an adjuvant containing squalene and aluminium hydroxide, and was compared to a vaccine formulated with a traditional oil adjuvant, Montanide ISA 760VG, and a non-adjuvanted vaccine. Duplicate groups of salmon (23.5 ± 6.8 g) were vaccinated with each of the vaccine formulations or phosphate buffered saline by intraperitoneal injection. Fish were challenged by intramuscular injection with F. psychrophilum six weeks post-vaccination to test the efficacy of the vaccines. Cumulative mortality reached 70% in the control salmon, while the groups of salmon that received vaccine had significantly lower mortality than the controls (p = 0.0001), with no significant difference in survival between vaccinated groups. The squalene/alum adjuvant was safe, more readily metabolised by the fish and induced less histopathological changes than the traditional oil adjuvant

The first report of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> detected in pinnipeds

The aim of this study was to describe the pathology in seals from which Listeria monocytogenes was isolated and investigate if the lesions’ nature and severity were related to the phylogeny of isolates. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 13 of 50 (26%) dead grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups, six (12%) in systemic distribution, on the Isle of May, Scotland. Similar fatal L. monocytogenes-associated infections were found in a grey seal pup from Carnoustie, Scotland, and a juvenile harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) in the Netherlands. Whole genome sequencing of 15 of the L. monocytogenes isolates identified 13 multilocus sequence types belonging to the L. monocytogenes lineages I and II, but with scant phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance and limited variation in virulence factors. The phylogenetic diversity present suggests there are multiple sources of L. monocytogenes, even for seal pups born in the same colony and breeding season. This is the first description of L. monocytogenes isolated from, and detected in lesions in, pinnipeds and indicates that infection can be systemic and fatal. Therefore, listeriosis may be an emerging or overlooked disease in seals with infection originating from contamination of the marine environment.</p

The first report of Listeria monocytogenes detected in pinnipeds

The aim of this study was to describe the pathology in seals from which Listeria monocytogenes was isolated and investigate if the lesions’ nature and severity were related to the phylogeny of isolates. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 13 of 50 (26%) dead grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups, six (12%) in systemic distribution, on the Isle of May, Scotland. Similar fatal L. monocytogenes-associated infections were found in a grey seal pup from Carnoustie, Scotland, and a juvenile harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) in the Netherlands. Whole genome sequencing of 15 of the L. monocytogenes isolates identified 13 multilocus sequence types belonging to the L. monocytogenes lineages I and II, but with scant phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance and limited variation in virulence factors. The phylogenetic diversity present suggests there are multiple sources of L. monocytogenes, even for seal pups born in the same colony and breeding season. This is the first description of L. monocytogenes isolated from, and detected in lesions in, pinnipeds and indicates that infection can be systemic and fatal. Therefore, listeriosis may be an emerging or overlooked disease in seals with infection originating from contamination of the marine environment.</p

Randomizing world trade. II. A weighted network analysis

Based on the misleading expectation that weighted network properties always offer a more complete description than purely topological ones, current economic models of the International Trade Network (ITN) generally aim at explaining local weighted properties, not local binary ones. Here we complement our analysis of the binary projections of the ITN by considering its weighted representations. We show that, unlike the binary case, all possible weighted representations of the ITN (directed/undirected, aggregated/disaggregated) cannot be traced back to local country-specific properties, which are therefore of limited informativeness. Our two papers show that traditional macroeconomic approaches systematically fail to capture the key properties of the ITN. In the binary case, they do not focus on the degree sequence and hence cannot characterize or replicate higher-order properties. In the weighted case, they generally focus on the strength sequence, but the knowledge of the latter is not enough in order to understand or reproduce indirect effects.Comment: See also the companion paper (Part I): arXiv:1103.1243 [physics.soc-ph], published as Phys. Rev. E 84, 046117 (2011

Crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition in irradiated silicon

The amorphous(a)-to-crystalline (c) phase transition has been studied in electron(e ) and/or ion irradiated silicon (Si). The irradiations were performed in situ in the Argonne High Voltage Microscope-Tandem Facility. The irradiation of Si, at <10K, with 1-MeV e to a fluence of 14 dpa failed to induce the c-to-a transition. Whereas an irradiation, at <10K, with 1.0 or 1.5-MeV Kr+ ions induced the c-to-a transition by a fluence of approx.0.37 dpa. Alternatively a dual irradiation, at 10K, with 1.0-MeV e and 1.0 or 1.5-MeV Kr+ to a Kr+ fluence of 1.5 dpa - where the ratio of the displacement rates for e to ions was approx.0.5 - resulted in the Si specimen retaining a degree of crystallinity. These results are discussed in terms of the degree of dispersion of point defects in the primary state of damage and the mobilities of point defects

The magnetization of PrFeAsO0.60_{0.60}F$_{0.12} sueprconductor

The magnetization of the PrFeAsO$_{0.60}$F$_{0.12}$ polycrystalline sample has been measured as functions of temperature and magnetic field $(H)$. The observed total magnetization is the sum of a superconducting irreversible magnetization ($M_s$) and a paramagnetic magnetization ($M_p$). Analysis of dc susceptibility $\chi(T)$ in the normal state shows that the paramagnetic component of magnetization comes from the Pr$^{+3}$ magnetic moments. The intragrain critical current density $(J_L)$ derived from the magnetization measurement is large. The $J_L(H)$ curve displays a second peak which shifts towards the high-field region with decreasing temperature. In the low-field region, a plateau up to a field $H^*$ followed by a power law $H^{-5/8}$ behavior of $J_L(H)$ is the characteristic of the strong pinning. A vortex phase diagram for the present superconductor has been obtained from the magnetization and resistivity data.Comment: A revised version with modified title,8 pages, 7 figure