2,359 research outputs found
A search for millimetric emission from Gamma Ray Bursts
We have used the 2- year Differential Microwave Radiometer data from the
COsmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite to systematically search for
millimetric (31 - 90 GHz) emission from the Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) in the
Burst And Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) GRB 3B catalog. The large
beamsize of the COBE instrument (7 degs FWHM) allows for an efficient search of
the large GRB positional error boxes, although it also means that fluxes from
(point source) GRB objects will be somewhat diluted. A likelihood analysis has
been used to look for a change in the level of millimetric emission from the
locations of 81 GRB events during the first two years (1990 & 1991) of the COBE
mission. The likelihood analysis determined that we did not find any
significant millimetric signal before or after the occurance of the GRB. We
find 95% confidence level upper limits of 175, 192 and 645 Jy or, in terms of
fluxes, of 9.6, 16.3 and 54.8 10^{-13} erg/cm^2/s, respectively at 31, 53 and
90 GHz. We also look separately at different classes of GRBs, including a study
of the top ten (in peak flux) GRBs, the "short burst" and "long burst" subsets,
finding similar upper limits. While these limits may be somewhat higher than
one would like, we estimate that using this technique with future planned
missions could push these limits down to \sim 1 mJy.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, to be published in The Astrophysical Journa
Effects of the feeding system on performance and myopathy occurrence in two broiler chicken genotypes
To evaluate whether performance and myopathy occurrence differed according to genotype (Cobb 500 vs. Ross 308) and feeding system (AL: ad libitum vs. ER: early restricted from 13 to 23 d of age, vs. LR: late restricted from 27 to 37 d; restriction rate: 80% of ad libitum), 828 day- old male chicks were assigned to 6 groups (2 x 3 arrangement), housed in 36 pens, and controlled for: individual live weight (weekly) and pen feed intake (daily) until slaughter (48 d); white striping and wooden breast occurrence at slaughter. Individual data were analysed by PROC MIXED of SAS (fixed effects: feeding system, genotype, and interaction; random effect: pen); pen feed intake and myopathy occurrence were analysed by PROC GLM and CATMOD, respectively. The feeding system affected performance: at the end of the first period (1-22 d), ER chickens showed lower weight gain (40.5 g/d vs. 47.8 g/d and 48.0 g/d), feed intake (50.8 g/d vs 61.0 g/d and 60.2 g/d) and weight (903 g vs 1056 g and 1059 g) than AL and LR broilers (P<0.001); at the end of the second period (23-48 d), ER chickens showed higher weight gain (98.3 g/d vs 93.6 g/d and 90.2 g/d) and feed intake (182 g/d vs. 177 g/d and 171 g/d) compared to AL and LR chickens (P<0.001). Final live weight was the highest in AL group, intermediate in ER group, and the lowest in the LR one (3482 g, 3454 g, and 3399 g; P<0.01). Feed conversion in the whole period did not change with the feeding system. At gross examination, white striping occurrence changed from 77.8% to 67.1%, and 81.7% in AL, ER and LR broilers (p<0.10). Differences between genotypes were evident from the first day and, at the end of the trial, weight gain (74.3 g/d vs 70.1 g/d), feed intake (126 g/d vs 114 g/d), feed conversion (1.69 vs 1.64), and live weight (3548 g vs. 3342 g) were higher in the Ross than in the Cobb chickens (P<0.001). At slaughter, the rate of white-striped breasts was similar (on average 75.5%), but the occurrence of severely white-striped breasts was higher in the Ross than in the Cobb chickens (25.9% vs. 7.41%; P<0.001). Wooden breast occurrence (on average 5.1%) did not change with the feeding system or the genotype. In conclusion, under our conditions, a late feed restriction did not permit to recover performance at the end of the trial nor to control white striping occurrence. Moreover, the genotype affected growth rate and white striping degree: the highest the growth rate, the highest the severity of white striping
Imipenem resistance in clinical Escherichia coli from Qom, Iran
OBJECTIVE: The emergence of metallo-\u3b2-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is a worldwide health concern. In this study, the first evaluation of MBL genes, bla IMP and bla VIM , in Escherichia coli resistant to imipenem isolated from urine and blood specimens in Qom, Iran is described. Three hundred urine and blood specimens were analysed to detect the presence of E. coli. Resistance to imipenem and other antimicrobials was determined by disk diffusion and MIC. MBL production was screened using CDDT. PCR was also carried out to determine the presence of bla IMP and bla VIM genes in imipenem-resistant isolates.
RESULTS: In total, 160 E. coli isolates were collected from March to May 2016. According to disk diffusion, high-level of resistance (20%) to cefotaxime was observed, whereas the lowest (1%) was detected for tetracycline. In addition, five isolates showed resistance to imipenem with a MIC\u2009 65\u20094 \ub5g/mL. CDDT test confirmed that five isolates were MBL-producing strains, but no bla IMP and bla VIM genes were detected. Results of this study show a very low level of resistance to imipenem in our geographical area
Spatially dependent electromagnetically induced transparency
Recent years have seen vast progress in the generation and detection of
structured light, with potential applications in high capacity optical data
storage and continuous variable quantum technologies. Here we measure the
transmission of structured light through cold rubidium atoms and observe
regions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We use q-plates to
generate a probe beam with azimuthally varying phase and polarisation
structure, and its right and left circular polarisation components provide the
probe and control of an EIT transition. We observe an azimuthal modulation of
the absorption profile that is dictated by the phase and polarisation structure
of the probe laser. Conventional EIT systems do not exhibit phase sensitivity.
We show, however, that a weak transverse magnetic field closes the EIT
transitions, thereby generating phase dependent dark states which in turn lead
to phase dependent transparency, in agreement with our measurements.Comment: 5 Pages, 5 Figure
COBE Observations of the Microwave Counterparts of Gamma Ray Bursts
We have used the data from the COBE satellite to search for delayed microwave
emission (31 - 90 GHz) from Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). The large beam
of COBE is well matched to the large positional uncertainties in the GRB
locations, although it also means that fluxes from (point source) GRB objects
will be diluted. In view of this we are doing a statistical search of the GRBs
which occurred during the currently released COBE DMR data (years 1990 and
1991), which overlap GRBs recorded by GRO. Here we concentrate on
just the top 10 GRBs (in peak counts/second). We obtain the limits on the
emission by comparing the COBE fluxes before and after the GRB at the GRB
location. Since it is thought that the microwave emission should lag the GRB
event, we have searched the GRB position for emission in the few months
following the GRB occurrence.Comment: 5 pages, LaTE
Absence of class 1 and class 2 integrons among Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from poultry in Italy
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