343 research outputs found
Keeping an Eye on Wild Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) Populations: Correlation Between Temperature, Environmental Parameters, and Proliferative Kidney Disease.
Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is an emerging disease of salmonids caused by the myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, which plays a major role in the decrease of wild brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in Switzerland. Strong evidence demonstrated that water temperature modulates parasite infection. However, less knowledge exists on how seasonal water temperature fluctuations influence PKD manifestation under field conditions, how further environmental factors such as water quality may modulate the disease, and whether these factors coalesce with temperatures role possibly giving rise to cumulative effects on PKD. The aims of this study were to (1) determine the correlation between seasonal course of water temperature and PKD prevalence and intensity in wild brown trout populations, (2) assess if other factors such as water quality or ecomorphology correlate with the infection, and (3) quantitatively predict the implication of these factors on PKD prevalence with a statistical model. Young-of-the-year brown trout were sampled in 45 sites through the Canton of Vaud (Switzerland). For each site, longitudinal time series of water temperature, water quality (macroinvertebrate community index, presence of wastewater treatment plant effluent) and ecomorphological data were collected and correlated with PKD prevalence and intensity. 251 T. bryosalmonae-infected trout of 1,118 were found (overall prevalence 22.5%) at 19 of 45 study sites (42.2%). Relation between PKD infection and seasonal water temperature underlined that the mean water temperature for June and the number of days with mean temperature ≥15°C were the most significantly correlated parameters with parasite prevalence and intensity. The presence of a wastewater treatment plant effluent was significantly correlated with the prevalence and infection intensity. In contrast, macroinvertebrate diversity and river ecomorphology were shown to have little impact on disease parameters. Linear and logistic regressions highlighted quantitatively the prediction of PKD prevalence depending on environmental parameters at a given site and its possible increase due to rising temperatures. The model developed within this study could serve as a useful tool for identifying and predicting disease hot spots. These results support the importance of temperature for PKD in salmonids and provides evidence for a modulating influence of additional environmental stress factors
A high-flux source of polarization-entangled photons from a periodically-poled KTP parametric downconverter
We have demonstrated a high-flux source of polarization-entangled photons
using a type-II phase-matched periodically-poled KTP parametric downconverter
in a collinearly propagating configuration. We have observed quantum
interference between the single-beam downconverted photons with a visibility of
99% and a measured coincidence flux of 300/s/mW of pump. The
Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt version of Bell's inequality was violated with a
value of 2.711 +/- 0.017.Comment: 7 pages submitted to Physical Review
Directional detection as a strategy to discover Galactic Dark Matter
Directional detection of Galactic Dark Matter is a promising search strategy
for discriminating genuine WIMP events from background ones. Technical progress
on gaseous detectors and read-outs has permitted the design and construction of
competitive experiments. However, to take full advantage of this powerful
detection method, one need to be able to extract information from an observed
recoil map to identify a WIMP signal. We present a comprehensive formalism,
using a map-based likelihood method allowing to recover the main incoming
direction of the signal and its significance, thus proving its galactic origin.
This is a blind analysis intended to be used on any directional data.
Constraints are deduced in the () plane and systematic
studies are presented in order to show that, using this analysis tool,
unambiguous dark matter detection can be achieved on a large range of exposures
and background levels.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures Final version to appear in Phys. Lett.
Reliability of the beamsplitter based Bell-state measurement
A linear 50/50 beamsplitter, together with a coincidence measurement, has
been widely used in quantum optical experiments, such as teleportation, dense
coding, etc., for interferometrically distinguishing, measuring, or projecting
onto one of the four two-photon polarization Bell-states . In
this paper, we demonstrate that the coincidence measurement at the output of a
beamsplitter cannot be used as an absolute identifier of the input state
nor as an indication that the input photons have projected to
the state.Comment: 4 pages, two-colum
Interferometric Bell-state preparation using femtosecond-pulse-pumped Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion
We present theoretical and experimental study of preparing maximally
entangled two-photon polarization states, or Bell states, using femtosecond
pulse pumped spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). First, we show how
the inherent distinguishability in femtosecond pulse pumped type-II SPDC can be
removed by using an interferometric technique without spectral and amplitude
post-selection. We then analyze the recently introduced Bell state preparation
scheme using type-I SPDC. Theoretically, both methods offer the same results,
however, type-I SPDC provides experimentally superior methods of preparing Bell
states in femtosecond pulse pumped SPDC. Such a pulsed source of highly
entangled photon pairs is useful in quantum communications, quantum
cryptography, quantum teleportation, etc.Comment: 11 pages, two-column format, to appear in PR
Entangled-Photon Generation from Parametric Down-Conversion in Media with Inhomogeneous Nonlinearity
We develop and experimentally verify a theory of Type-II spontaneous
parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in media with inhomogeneous distributions of
second-order nonlinearity. As a special case, we explore interference effects
from SPDC generated in a cascade of two bulk crystals separated by an air gap.
The polarization quantum-interference pattern is found to vary strongly with
the spacing between the two crystals. This is found to be a cooperative effect
due to two mechanisms: the chromatic dispersion of the medium separating the
crystals and spatiotemporal effects which arise from the inclusion of
transverse wave vectors. These effects provide two concomitant avenues for
controlling the quantum state generated in SPDC. We expect these results to be
of interest for the development of quantum technologies and the generation of
SPDC in periodically varying nonlinear materials.Comment: submitted to Physical Review
Observers and Locality in Everett Quantum Field Theory
A model for measurement in collapse-free nonrelativistic fermionic quantum
field theory is presented. In addition to local propagation and
effectively-local interactions, the model incorporates explicit representations
of localized observers, thus extending an earlier model of entanglement
generation in Everett quantum field theory [M. A. Rubin, Found. Phys. 32,
1495-1523 (2002)]. Transformations of the field operators from the Heisenberg
picture to the Deutsch-Hayden picture, involving fictitious auxiliary fields,
establish the locality of the model. The model is applied to manifestly-local
calculations of the results of measurements, using a type of sudden
approximation and in the limit of massive systems in narrow-wavepacket states.
Detection of the presence of a spin-1/2 system in a given spin state by a
freely-moving two-state observer illustrates the features of the model and the
nonperturbative computational methodology. With the help of perturbation theory
the model is applied to a calculation of the quintessential "nonlocal" quantum
phenomenon, spin correlations in the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm experiment.Comment: Some changes to introduction and discussion sections, typos
corrected, conclusions unchanged. To appear in Foundations of Physic
Colliders and Cosmology
Dark matter in variations of constrained minimal supersymmetric standard
models will be discussed. Particular attention will be given to the comparison
between accelerator and direct detection constraints.Comment: Submitted for the SUSY07 proceedings, 15 pages, LaTex, 26 eps figure
Understanding Galaxy Formation and Evolution
The old dream of integrating into one the study of micro and macrocosmos is
now a reality. Cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics intersect in a
scenario (but still not a theory) of cosmic structure formation and evolution
called Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model. This scenario emerged mainly to
explain the origin of galaxies. In these lecture notes, I first present a
review of the main galaxy properties, highlighting the questions that any
theory of galaxy formation should explain. Then, the cosmological framework and
the main aspects of primordial perturbation generation and evolution are
pedagogically detached. Next, I focus on the ``dark side'' of galaxy formation,
presenting a review on LCDM halo assembling and properties, and on the main
candidates for non-baryonic dark matter. It is shown how the nature of
elemental particles can influence on the features of galaxies and their
systems. Finally, the complex processes of baryon dissipation inside the
non-linearly evolving CDM halos, formation of disks and spheroids, and
transformation of gas into stars are briefly described, remarking on the
possibility of a few driving factors and parameters able to explain the main
body of galaxy properties. A summary and a discussion of some of the issues and
open problems of the LCDM paradigm are given in the final part of these notes.Comment: 50 pages, 10 low-resolution figures (for normal-resolution, DOWNLOAD
THE PAPER (PDF, 1.9 Mb) FROM http://www.astroscu.unam.mx/~avila/avila.pdf).
Lectures given at the IV Mexican School of Astrophysics, July 18-25, 2005
(submitted to the Editors on March 15, 2006
Evaluating synergy between marbofloxacin and gentamicin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs with otitis externa
The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to marbofloxacin and gentamicin, and investigate the possible synergistic, additive, indifferent or antagonistic effects between the two agents. P. aeruginosa strains can develop resistance quickly against certain antibiotics if used alone, thus the need emerges to find synergistic combinations. A total of 68 P. aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs were examined. In order to describe interactions between marbofloxacin and gentamicin the checkerboard microdilution method was utilized. The MICs (minimum inhibitory concentrations) for marbofloxacin and gentamicin were in the range 0.25–64 mg/L and 0.25–32 mg/L, respectively. The combination of marbofloxacin and gentamicin was more effective with a MIC range of 0.031–8 mg/L and a MIC90 of 1 mg/L, compared to 16 mg/L for marbofloxacin alone and 8 mg/L for gentamicin alone. The FIC (fractional inhibitory concentration) indices ranged from 0.0945 (pronounced synergy) to 1.0625 (indifference). Synergy between marbofloxacin and gentamicin was found in 33 isolates. The mean FIC index is 0.546, which represents a partial synergistic/additive effect close to the full synergy threshold. In vitro results indicate that marbofloxacin and gentamicin as partially synergistic agents may prove clinically useful in combination therapy against P. aeruginosa infections. Although marbofloxacin is not used in the human practice, the interactions between fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides may have importance outside the veterinary field
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