Single-photon-level optical storage in a solid-state spin-wave memory

A long-lived quantum memory is a firm requirement for implementing a quantum repeater scheme. Recent progress in solid-state rare-earth-ion-doped systems justifies their status as very strong candidates for such systems. Nonetheless an optical memory based on spin-wave storage at the single-photon-level has not been shown in such a system to date, which is crucial for achieving the long storage times required for quantum repeaters. In this letter we show that it is possible to execute a complete atomic frequency comb (AFC) scheme, including spin-wave storage, with weak coherent pulses of $\bar{n} = 2.5 \pm 0.6$ photons per pulse. We discuss in detail the experimental steps required to obtain this result and demonstrate the coherence of a stored time-bin pulse. We show a noise level of $(7.1 \pm 2.3)10^{-3}$ photons per mode during storage, this relatively low-noise level paves the way for future quantum optics experiments using spin-waves in rare-earth-doped crystals

Lichen Trimlines in the Peace-Athabasca Delta: Variations in Flora, Form, and Disturbance Regime

Lichen trimlines are characteristic of aquatic systems where lichen-covered rocks border fluctuating water bodies. This study examined water-origin saxicolous lichen trimlines on acidic metacrystalline bedrock outcrops in the Peace-Athabasca Delta, northern Alberta, Canada. Twenty-seven species of saxicolous lichens were found in the vicinity of the trimlines. Species richness above the trimline (26 species) was almost twice that found below the trimline (14 species). Colonization lag time, differences in susceptibility to disturbance, and site influences on lichen establishment and survival might be involved in the absence of many species below trimlines. In frequently inundated areas, rock surfaces are dominated by the amphibious lichens Staurothele fissa and S. drummondii. The dominant lichen colonizer below trimlines was Physcia caesia. Other important colonizers below trimlines included Phaeophyscia sciastra and Physcia dubia, and on rocks fertilized by bird feces, Xanthoria elegans. A curious feature of the saxicolous flora was the presence of many calciphiles. Variations in trimline form and height and constituent species are related to the hydrologic and disturbance regime. Trimlines in perched basins tend to be near current water level, horizontal, and distinct, and indicate a relatively stable, infrequently flooded environment. Trimlines at open-drainage sites tend to be high above current water, wavy, and indistinct, and indicate a strongly-pulsed environment with frequent disturbances. Those at restricted-drainage basins are variable in form and height and disturbance regime

Error-resistant Single Qubit Gates with Trapped Ions

Coherent operations constitutive for the implementation of single and multi-qubit quantum gates with trapped ions are demonstrated that are robust against variations in experimental parameters and intrinsically indeterministic system parameters. In particular, pulses developed using optimal control theory are demonstrated for the first time with trapped ions. Their performance as a function of error parameters is systematically investigated and compared to composite pulses.Comment: 5 pages 5 figure

Development of a robust mating system for use in the autonomous assembly of planetary drill strings

Volume-constrained robotic missions seeking to obtain samples from beneath a planetary subsurface may wish to use a rigid drill string consisting of multiple, individual drill bit sections connected together, as opposed to a single, lengthy drill bit. To ensure that drill strings can be assembled and disassembled reliably, it is essential that a robust connection system be used. The authors propose a geometry that seeks to address the requirements of such a mating interface. The proposed solution is based on the bayonet interface, using L- and T-shaped so-called female grooves and male studs connected and disconnected together through a series of clockwise and counterclockwise rotations and single-point clamping events. This routine allows the transfer of both percussion through the drill string and torque in both directions of rotation, while permitting the accurate disconnection of individual drills bits at the required location. Sustained laboratory and field drilling operations suggest that bayonet-style connections offer a reliable solution to the problem of autonomous assembly and disassembly of drill strings in a planetary exploration setting. This paper discusses the development of such a connection system, based on the bayonet connection, which has been implemented in the overall architecture of the Ultrasonic Planetary Core Drill (UPCD). The design trade-off study, which sought to evaluate the use of the bayonet system in comparison with the more conventional screw thread interface, will be discussed, alongside experimental results from percussion transmission testing and drill string assembly testing

Estimating the incidence of equine viral arteritis and the sensitivity of its surveillance in the French breeding stock

Equine viral arteritis (EVA) may have serious economic impact on the equine industry. For this reason, it is monitored in many countries, especially in breeding stock, to avoid its spread during breeding activities. In France, surveillance is mainly based on serological tests, since mares are not vaccinated, but difficulties in interpreting certain series of results may impair the estimation of the number of outbreaks. In this study, we propose specific rules for identifying seroconversion in order to estimate the number of outbreaks that were detected by the breeding stock surveillance component (BSSC) in France between 2006 and 2013. A consensus among multidisciplinary experts was reached to consider seroconversion as a change in antibody titer from negative to at least 32, or as an eight-fold or greater increase in antibody level. Using these rules, 239 cases and 177 outbreaks were identified. Subsequently, we calculated the BSSC's sensitivity as the ratio of the number of detected outbreaks to the total number of outbreaks that occurred in breeding stock (including unreported outbreaks) estimated using a capture-recapture model. The total number of outbreaks was estimated at 215 (95% credible interval 195-249) and the surveillance sensitivity at 82% (CrI95% 71-91). Our results confirm EVA circulation in French breeding stock, show that neutralizing antibodies can persist up to eight years in naturally infected mares and suggest that certain mares have been reinfected. This study shows that the sensitivity of the BSSC is relatively high and supports its relevance to prevent the disease spreading through mating

Evaluation of mass spectrometric methods for detection of the anti-protozoal drug imidocarb

Imidocarb [N,N\u27-bis[3-(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenyl]urea, C19H20N6O1, m.w. 348.41] is a symmetrical carbanilide derivative used to treat disease caused by protozoans of the Babesia genus. Imidocarb, however, is also considered capable of suppressing Babesia-specific immune responses, allowing Babesia-positive horses to pass a complement fixation test (CFT) without eliminating the infection. This scenario could enable Babesia-infected horses to pass CFT-based importation tests. It is imperative to unequivocally identify and quantify equine tissue residues of imidocarb by mass spectrometry to address this issue. As a pretext to development of sensitive tissue assays, we have investigated possibilities of mass spectrometric (MS) detection of imidocarb. Our analyses disclosed that an unequivocal mass spectral analysis of imidocarb is challenging because of its rapid fragmentation under standard gas chromatography (GC)-MS conditions. In contrast, solution chemistry of imidocarb is more stable but involves distribution into mono- and dicationic species, m/z 349 and 175, respectively, in acid owing to the compound\u27s inherent symmetrical nature. Dicationic imidocarb was the preferred complex as viewed by either direct infusion-electrospray-MS or by liquid chromatography (LC)-MS. Dicationic imidocarb multiple reaction monitoring (MRM: m/z 175 → 162, 145, and 188) therefore offer the greatest opportunities for sensitive detection and LC-MS is more likely than GC-MS to yield a useful quantitative forensic analytical method for detecting imidocarb in horses

An experimental study of the dual-fuel performance of a small compression ignition diesel engine operating with three gaseous fuels

A dual-fuel engine is a compression ignition (CI) engine where the primary gaseous fuel source is premixed with air as it enters the combustion chamber. This homogenous mixture is ignited by a small quantity of diesel, the ‘pilot’, that is injected towards the end of the compression stroke. In the present study, a direct-injection CI engine, was fuelled with three different gaseous fuels: methane, propane, and butane. The engine performance at various gaseous concentrations was recorded at 1500 r/min and quarter, half, and three-quarters relative to full a load of 18.7 kW. In order to investigate the combustion performance, a novel three-zone heat release rate analysis was applied to the data. The resulting heat release rate data are used to aid understanding of the performance characteristics of the engine in dual-fuel mode. Data are presented for the heat release rates, effects of engine load and speed, brake specific energy consumption of the engine, and combustion phasing of the three different primary gaseous fuels. Methane permitted the maximum energy substitution, relative to diesel, and yielded the most significant reductions in CO2. However, propane also had significant reductions in CO2 but had an increased diffusional combustion stage which may lend itself to the modern high-speed direct-injection engine

Clones of \u3cem\u3eStreptococcus zooepidemicus\u3c/em\u3e from Outbreaks of Hemorrhagic Canine Pneumonia and Associated Immune Responses

Acute hemorrhagic pneumonia caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus has emerged as a major disease of shelter dogs and greyhounds. S. zooepidemicus strains differing in multilocus sequence typing (MLST), protective protein (SzP), and M-like protein (SzM) sequences were identified from 9 outbreaks in Texas, Kansas, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Clonality based on 2 or more isolates was evident for 7 of these outbreaks. The Pennsylvania and Nevada outbreaks also involved cats. Goat antisera against acutely infected lung tissue as well as convalescent-phase sera reacted with a mucinase (Sz115), hyaluronidase (HylC), InlA domain-containing cell surface-anchored protein (INLA), membrane-anchored protein (MAP), SzP, SzM, and extracellular oligopeptide-binding protein (OppA). The amino acid sequences of SzP and SzM of the isolates varied greatly. The szp and szm alleles of the closely related Kansas clone (sequence type 129 [ST-129]) and United Kingdom isolate BHS5 (ST-123) were different, indicating that MLST was unreliable as a predictor of virulence phenotype. Combinations of conserved HylC and serine protease (ScpC) and variable SzM and SzP proteins of S. zooepidemicus strain NC78 were protectively immunogenic for mice challenged with a virulent canine strain. Thus, although canine pneumonia outbreaks are caused by different strains of S. zooepidemicus, protective immune responses were elicited in mice by combinations of conserved or variable S. zooepidemicus proteins from a single strain

Brewing of filter coffee

We report progress on mathematical modelling of coffee grounds in a drip filter coffee machine. The report focuses on the evolution of the shape of the bed of coffee grounds during extraction with some work also carried out on the chemistry of extraction. This work was sponsored by Philips who are interested in understanding an observed correlation between the final shape of the coffee grounds and the quality of the coffee. We used experimental data gathered by Philips and ourselves to identify regimes in the coffee brewing process and relevant regions of parameter space. Our work makes it clear that a number of separate processes define the shape of the coffee bed depending on the values of the parameters involved e.g. the size of the grains and the speed of fluid flow during extraction. We began work on constructing mathematical models of the redistribution of the coffee grounds specialised to each region and on a model of extraction. A variety of analytic and numerical tools were used. Furthermore our research has progressed far enough to allow us to begin to exploit connections between this problem and other areas of science, in particular the areas of sedimentology and geomorphology, where the processes we have observed in coffee brewing have been studied

Knowledge-based design of bimodular and trimodular polyketide synthases based on domain and module swaps: a route to simple statin analogues

AbstractBackground: Polyketides are structurally diverse natural products that have a range of medically useful activities. Nonaromatic bacterial polyketides are synthesised on modular polyketide synthase (PKS) multienzymes, in which each cycle of chain extension requires a different ‘module’ of enzymatic activities. Attempts to design and construct modular PKSs that synthesise specified novel polyketides provide a particularly stringent test of our understanding of PKS structure and function.Results: We have constructed bimodular and trimodular PKSs based on DEBS1-TE, a derivative of the erythromycin PKS that contains only modules 1 and 2 and a thioesterase (TE), by substituting multiple domains with appropriate counterparts derived from the rapamycin PKS. Hybrid PKSs were obtained that synthesised the predicted target triketide lactones, which are simple analogues of cholesterol-lowering statins. In constructing intermodular fusions, whether between modules in the same or in different proteins, it was found advantageous to preserve intact the acyl carrier protein-ketosynthase (ACP-KS) didomain that spans the junction between successive modules.Conclusions: Relatively simple considerations govern the construction of functional hybrid PKSs. Fusion sites should be chosen either in the surface-accessible linker regions between enzymatic domains, as previously revealed, or just inside the conserved margins of domains. The interaction of an ACP domain with the adjacent KS domain, whether on the same polyketide or not, is of particular importance, both through conservation of appropriate protein-protein interactions, and through optimising molecular recognition of the altered polyketide chain in the key transfer of the acyl chain from the ACP of one module to the KS of the downstream module