1,045 research outputs found
Strongly entangled light from planar microcavities
The emission of entangled light from planar semiconductor microcavities is
studied and the entanglement properties are analyzed and quantified.
Phase-matching of the intra-cavity scattering dynamics for multiple pump beams
or pulses, together with the coupling to external radiation, leads to the
emission of a manifold of entangled photon pairs. A decomposition of the
emitted photons into two parties leads to a strong entanglement of the
resulting bipartite system. For the quantification of the entanglement, the
Schmidt number of the system is determined by the construction of Schmidt
number witnesses. It is analyzed to which extend the resources of the
originally strongly entangled light field are diminished by dephasing in
propagation channels.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, extended versio
The impact of environment and resonance effects on the site of protonation of aminobenzoic acid derivatives
From Compact to StringâThe Role of Secondary and Tertiary Structure in Charge-Induced Unzipping of Gas-Phase Proteins
In the gas phase, protein ions can adopt a broad range of structures, which have been investigated extensively in the past using ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS)-based methods. Compact ions with low number of charges undergo a Coulomb-driven transition to partially folded species when the charge increases, and finally form extended structures with presumably little or no defined structure when the charge state is high. However, with respect to the secondary structure, IM-MS methods are essentially blind. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, on the other hand, is sensitive to such structural details and there is increasing evidence that helices as well as ÎČ-sheet-like structures can exist in the gas phase, especially for ions in low charge states. Very recently, we showed that also the fully extended form of highly charged protein ions can adopt a distinct type of secondary structure that features a characteristic C5-type hydrogen bond pattern. Here we use a combination of IM-MS and IR spectroscopy to further investigate the influence of the initial, native conformation on the formation of these structures. Our results indicate that when intramolecular Coulomb-repulsion is large enough to overcome the stabilization energies of the genuine secondary structure, all proteins, regardless of their sequence or native conformation, form C5-type hydrogen bond structures. Furthermore, our results suggest that in highly charged proteins the positioning of charges along the sequence is only marginally influenced by the basicity of individual residues
Anti-microbial Use in Animals: How to Assess the Trade-offs
Antimicrobials are widely used in preventive and curative medicine in animals. Benefits from curative use are clear â it allows sick animals to be healthy with a gain in human welfare. The case for preventive use of antimicrobials is less clear cut with debates on the value of antimicrobials as growth promoters in the intensive livestock industries. The possible benefits from the use of antimicrobials need to be balanced against their cost and the increased risk of emergence of resistance due to their use in animals. The study examines the importance of animals in society and how the role and management of animals is changing including the use of antimicrobials. It proposes an economic framework to assess the trade-offs of anti-microbial use and examines the current level of data collection and analysis of these trade-offs. An exploratory review identifies a number of weaknesses. Rarely are we consistent in the frameworks applied to the economic assessment anti-microbial use in animals, which may well be due to gaps in data or the prejudices of the analysts. There is a need for more careful data collection that would allow information on (i) which species and production systems antimicrobials are used in, (ii) what active substance of antimicrobials and the application method and (iii) what dosage rates. The species need to include companion animals as well as the farmed animals as it is still not known how important direct versus indirect spread of resistance to humans is. In addition, research is needed on pricing antimicrobials used in animals to ensure that prices reflect production and marketing costs, the fixed costs of anti-microbial development and the externalities of resistance emergence. Overall, much work is needed to provide greater guidance to policy, and such work should be informed by rigorous data collection and analysis systems
Calibration of Nebular Emission-line Diagnostics: II. Abundances
(Abridged) We examine standard methods of measuring nebular chemical
abundances, including estimates based on direct T_e measurements, and also
bright-line diagnostics. We use observations of 4 LMC HII regions whose
ionizing stars have classifications ranging from O7 to WN3. We assume a 2-zone
T_e structure to compute ionic abundances. We compare with photoionization
models tailored to the properties of the individual objects, and emphasize the
importance of correctly relating T_e in the two zones, which can otherwise
cause errors of ~0.2 dex in abundance estimates. There are no spatial
variations to within 0.1 - 0.15 dex in any of the objects, even one hosting 3
WR stars.
Our data agree with the modeled R23 and S23 diagnostics of O and S. We
present the first theoretical tracks for S23, which are in excellent agreement
with a larger dataset. However, contrary to earlier suggestions, S23 is much
more sensitive to the ionization parameter than is R23, because S23 does not
sample S IV. We therefore introduce S234 = ([SII]+[SIII]+[SIV])/H-beta.
Predicted and observed spatial variations in S234 are dramatically reduced in
contrast to S23. The intensity of [SIV]10.5 microns is easily estimated from a
simple relation between [SIV]/[SIII] and [OIII]/[OII]. This method of
estimating S234 yields excellent agreement with our models, hence we give a
theoretical calibration for S234. The double-valued structure of S23 and S234
remains an important problem as for R23, and presently we consider the S
diagnostics reliable only at Z < 0.5 Z_sol. However, the slightly larger
dynamic range and excellent compatibility with theoretical predictions suggest
the S diagnostics to be more effective abundance indicators than R23.Comment: Accepted to ApJ. 24 pages, 11 figures, uses emulateapj.st
Ca II Triplet Spectroscopy of Giants in SMC Star Clusters: Abundances, Velocities and the Age-Metallicity Relation
We have obtained spectra at the Ca II triplet of individual red giants in
seven SMC star clusters whose ages range from ~4 to 12 Gyr. The spectra have
been used to determine mean abundances for six of the star clusters to a
typical precision of 0.12 dex. When combined with existing data for other
objects, the resulting SMC age-metallicity relation is generally consistent
with that for a simple model of chemical evolution, scaled to the present-day
SMC mean abundance and gas mass fraction. Two of the clusters (Lindsay 113 and
NGC 339), however, have abundances that ~0.5 dex lower than that expected from
the mean age-metallicity relation. It is suggested that the formation of these
clusters, which have ages of ~5 Gyr, may have involved the infall of uneriched
gas, perhaps from the Magellanic Stream. The spectra also yield radial
velocities for the seven clusters. The resulting velocity dispersion is 16 +/-
4 km/sec, consistent with those of the SMC planetary nebula and carbon star
populations.Comment: 28 pages including 4 figure
Cryogenic infrared spectroscopy provides mechanistic insight into the fragmentation of phospholipid silver adducts
Tandem mass spectrometry is arguably the most important analytical tool for structure elucidation of lipids and other metabolites. By fragmenting intact lipid ions, valuable structural information such as the lipid class and fatty acyl composition are readily obtainable. The information content of a fragment spectrum can often be increased by the addition of metal cations. In particular, the use of silver ions is deeply rooted in the history of lipidomics due to their propensity to coordinate both electron-rich heteroatoms and Câ=âC bonds in aliphatic chains. Not surprisingly, coordination of silver ions was found to enable the distinction of sn-isomers in glycerolipids by inducing reproducible intensity differences in the fragment spectra, which could, however, not be rationalized. Here, we investigate the fragmentation behaviors of silver-adducted sn- and double bond glycerophospholipid isomers by probing fragment structures using cryogenic gas-phase infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Our results confirm that neutral headgroup loss from silver-adducted glycerophospholipids leads to dioxolane-type fragments generated by intramolecular cyclization. By combining high-resolution IR spectroscopy and computational modelling of silver-adducted fragments, we offer qualitative explanations for different fragmentation behaviors of glycerophospholipid isomers. Overall, the results demonstrate that gas-phase IR spectroscopy of fragment ions can significantly contribute to our understanding of lipid dissociation mechanisms and the influence of coordinating cations
Extent of pollution in planet-bearing stars
(abridged) Search for planets around main-sequence (MS) stars more massive
than the Sun is hindered by their hot and rapidly spinning atmospheres. This
obstacle has been sidestepped by radial-velocity surveys of those stars on
their post-MS evolutionary track (G sub-giant and giant stars). Preliminary
observational findings suggest a deficiency of short-period hot Jupiters around
the observed post MS stars, although the total fraction of them with known
planets appears to increase with their mass. Here we consider the possibility
that some very close- in gas giants or a population of rocky planets may have
either undergone orbital decay or been engulfed by the expanding envelope of
their intermediate-mass host stars. If such events occur during or shortly
after those stars' main sequence evolution when their convection zone remains
relatively shallow, their surface metallicity can be significantly enhanced by
the consumption of one or more gas giants. We show that stars with enriched
veneer and lower-metallicity interior follow slightly modified evolution tracks
as those with the same high surface and interior metallicity. As an example, we
consider HD149026, a marginal post MS 1.3 Msun star. We suggest that its
observed high (nearly twice solar) metallicity may be confined to the surface
layer as a consequence of pollution by the accretion of either a planet similar
to its known 2.7-day-period Saturn-mass planet, which has a 70 Mearth compact
core, or a population of smaller mass planets with a comparable total amount of
heavy elements. It is shown that an enhancement in surface metallicity leads to
a reduction in effective temperature, in increase in radius and a net decrease
in luminosity. The effects of such an enhancement are not negligible in the
determinations of the planet's radius based on the transit light curves.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Ap
A tool for routine monitoring and feedback of morbidities following paediatric cardiac surgery
Short-term survival after paediatric cardiac surgery has improved significantly over the past 20 years and increasing attention is being given to measuring and reducing incidence of morbidities following surgery. How to best use routinely collected data to share morbidity information constitutes a challenge for clinical teams interested in analysing their outcomes for quality improvement. We aimed to develop a tool facilitating this process in the context of monitoring morbidities following paediatric cardiac surgery, as part of a prospective multi-centre research study in the United Kingdom.
We developed a prototype software tool to analyse and present data about morbidities associated with cardiac surgery in children. We used an iterative process, involving engagement with potential users, tool design and implementation, and feedback collection. Graphical data displays were based on the use of icons and graphs designed in collaboration with clinicians.
Our tool enables automatic creation of graphical summaries, displayed as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, from a spreadsheet containing patient-level data about specified cardiac surgery morbidities. Data summaries include numbers/percentages of cases with morbidities reported, co-occurrences of different morbidities, and time series of each complication over a time window.
Our work was characterised by a very high level of interaction with potential users of the tool, enabling us to promptly account for feedback and suggestions from clinicians and data managers. The United Kingdom centres involved in the project received the tool positively, and several expressed their interest in using it as part of their routine practice
Unveiling Glycerolipid Fragmentation by Cryogenic Infrared Spectroscopy
Mass spectrometry is routinely employed for structure elucidation of molecules. Structural information can be retrieved from intact molecular ions by fragmentation; however, the interpretation of fragment spectra is often hampered by poor understanding of the underlying dissociation mechanisms. For example, neutral headgroup loss from protonated glycerolipids has been postulated to proceed via an intramolecular ring closure but the mechanism and resulting ring size have never been experimentally confirmed. Here we use cryogenic gas-phase infrared (IR) spectroscopy in combination with computational chemistry to unravel the structures of fragment ions and thereby shed light on elusive dissociation mechanisms. Using the example of glycerolipid fragmentation, we study the formation of protonated five-membered dioxolane and six-membered dioxane rings and show that dioxolane rings are predominant throughout different glycerolipid classes and fragmentation channels. For comparison, pure dioxolane and dioxane ions were generated from tailor-made dehydroxyl derivatives inspired by natural 1,2- and 1,3-diacylglycerols and subsequently interrogated using IR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the cyclic structure of an intermediate fragment occurring in the phosphatidylcholine fragmentation pathway was spectroscopically confirmed. Overall, the results contribute substantially to the understanding of glycerolipid fragmentation and showcase the value of vibrational ion spectroscopy to mechanistically elucidate crucial fragmentation pathways in lipidomics
- âŠ