The Lyman-alpha Forest at z~4: Keck HIRES Observations of Q 0000-26

This paper describes a study of the Lyman-alpha forest absorption clouds along the quasar sightline Q0000-26 (zem=4.1). The spectrum was obtained with the High Resolution Spectrometer on the 10m Keck telescope. We derive accurate H I column density and Doppler width distributions for the clouds from Voigt profile fitting. We also analyze simulated Lyman-alpha forest spectra of matching characteristics in order to gauge the effects of line blending/blanketing and noise in the data. The results are compared with similar studies at lower redshifts in order to study any possible evolution in the clouds' properties. We also estimate the mean intensity of the UV background at z=4 from an analysis of the proximity effect.Comment: plain TeX containing 23 PS pages, 3 PS tables, and 9 PS figures, ApJ, Dec 1, 1996 issue replacing an earlier version which contains an corrupted table

Evidence for Rotation in the Galaxy at z=3.15 Responsible for a Damped Lyman-alpha Absorption System in the Spectrum of Q2233+1310

Proof of the existence of a significant population of normal disk galaxies at redshift z>2 would have profound implications for theories of structure formation and evolution. We present evidence based on Keck HIRES observations that the damped Lyman-alpha absorber at z=3.15 toward the quasar Q2233+1310 may well be such an example. Djorgovski et al have recently detected the Lyman-alpha emission from the absorber, which we assume is at the systemic redshift of the absorbing galaxy. By examining the profiles of the metal absorption lines arising from the absorbing galaxy in relation to its systemic redshift, we find strong kinematical evidence for rotation. Therefore the absorber is likely to be a disk galaxy. The inferred circular velocity for the galaxy is >200 km/s. With a separation of ~17 kpc between the galaxy and the quasar sightline, the implied dynamic mass for the galaxy is >1.6x10(11) solar mass. The metallicity of the galaxy is found to be [Fe/H]=-1.4, typical of damped Lyman-alpha galaxies at such redshifts. However, in another damped galactic rotation is evident. In the latter case, the damped Lyman-alpha absorber occurs near the background quasar in redshift so its properties may be influenced by the background quasar. These represent the only two cases at present for which the technique used here may be applied. Future applications of the same technique to a large sample of damped Lyman-alpha galaxies may allow us to determine if a significant population of disk galaxies already existed only a few billion years after the Big Bang.Comment: AASTEX, 2 PS figures, accepted by ApJ, 6 pages total, replaced on 1-22-97, the only change is the enlarged figure

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells in a sandwich approach for osteochondral tissue engineering

Cell sources and tissue integration between cartilage and bone regions are critical to successful osteochondral regeneration. In this study, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (hUCMSCs), derived from Wharton's jelly, were introduced to the field of osteochondral tissue engineering and a new strategy for osteochondral integration was developed by sandwiching a layer of cells between chondrogenic and osteogenic constructs before suturing them together. Specifically, hUCMSCs were cultured in biodegradable poly‐ L ‐lactic acid scaffolds for 3 weeks in either chondrogenic or osteogenic medium to differentiate cells toward cartilage or bone lineages, respectively. A highly concentrated cell solution containing undifferentiated hUCMSCs was pasted onto the surface of the bone layer at week 3 and the two layers were then sutured together to form an osteochondral composite for another 3 week culture period. Chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation was initiated during the first 3 weeks, as evidenced by the expression of type II collagen and runt‐related transcription factor 2 genes, respectively, and continued with the increase of extracellular matrix during the last 3 weeks. Histological and immunohistochemical staining, such as for glycosaminoglycans, type I collagen and calcium, revealed better integration and transition of these matrices between two layers in the composite group containing sandwiched cells compared to other control composites. These results suggest that hUCMSCs may be a suitable cell source for osteochondral regeneration, and the strategy of sandwiching cells between two layers may facilitate scaffold and tissue integration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87014/1/370_ftp.pd

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells in a sandwich approach for osteochondral tissue engineering

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Wang, L., Zhao, L., & Detamore, M. S. (2011). Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells in a sandwich approach for osteochondral tissue engineering. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 5(9), 712–721. http://doi.org/10.1002/term.370, which has been published in final form at http://doi.org/10.1002/term.370. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Cell sources and tissue integration between cartilage and bone regions are critical to successful osteochondral regeneration. In this study, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (hUCMSCs), derived from Wharton’s jelly, were introduced to the field of osteochondral tissue engineering and a new strategy for osteochondral integration was developed by sandwiching a layer of cells between chondrogenic and osteogenic constructs before suturing them together. Specifically, hUCMSCs were cultured in biodegradable poly-l-lactic acid scaffolds for 3 weeks in either chondrogenic or osteogenic medium to differentiate cells toward cartilage or bone lineages, respectively. A highly concentrated cell solution containing undifferentiated hUCMSCs was pasted onto the surface of the bone layer at week 3 and the two layers were then sutured together to form an osteochondral composite for another 3 week culture period. Chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation was initiated during the first 3 weeks, as evidenced by the expression of type II collagen and runt-related transcription factor 2 genes, respectively, and continued with the increase of extracellular matrix during the last 3 weeks. Histological and immunohistochemical staining, such as for glycosaminoglycans, type I collagen and calcium, revealed better integration and transition of these matrices between two layers in the composite group containing sandwiched cells compared to other control composites. These results suggest that hUCMSCs may be a suitable cell source for osteochondral regeneration, and the strategy of sandwiching cells between two layers may facilitate scaffold and tissue integration

High-bandwidth nanopositioning via active control of system resonance

Acknowledgements This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U2013211 and 51975375), the Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, China (Grant No. GZKF-202003), and the Binks Trust Visiting Research Fellowship (2018), University of Aberdeen, UK, awarded to Dr. Sumeet S. Aphale.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Impacts and Management of Invasive Burrowing Herbivores in Grasslands

Maintenance of the productivity of the world’s grasslands is critical for livestock production, bio-diversity conservation and ecosystem services. Using case studies from Australasia, North America and China, we identify general principles of managing invasive native and introduced herbivores. Management aims to achieve optimised livestock production while conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services, which are often intangible. We identify similarities and differences in the ecologies and impacts of European wild rabbits, Californian ground squirrel and plateau zokors, discuss management tools and strategies, and the ecological, social and cultural factors affecting management. The ecosystem engineering characteristics of these species that make them important for ecosystem function in grasslands are perversely the selfsame ones that bring them into conflict with livestock producers. All three species create habitat patches through their bur-rowing and foraging behaviours, but changes in vegetation floristics and structure, increased soil exposure and decreased litter negatively affect grassland and livestock production when the animals are superabundant. Management is therefore complex and we recommend an adaptive approach that is founded on the scientific knowledge of the local agri-ecosystem, economic principles and social inclusion to increase knowledge and iteratively improve management

Recent Patents Pertaining to Immune Modulation and Musculoskeletal Regeneration with Wharton's Jelly Cells

This is the author's accepted manuscript. Made available by the permission of the publisher.Umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (UCMSCs) are isolated from Wharton's jelly in the umbilical cord at birth, and offer advantages over adult mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) such as highly efficient isolation, faster proliferation in vitro, a broader differentiation potential, and non-invasive harvesting procedure. Their expansion and differentiation potential renders them a promising cell source for tissue engineering and clinical applications. This review discusses recent updates on the differentiation strategies for musculoskeletal tissue engineering including cartilage, bone, and muscle. In addition to tissue engineering applications, UCMSCs can be utilized to support hematopoiesis and modulate immune response. We review the patents relevant to the application of MSCs including UCMSCs in hematopoiesis and immune modulation. Finally, the current hurdles in the clinical translation of UCMSCs are discussed. During clinical translation, it is critical to develop large-scale manufacturing of UCMSCs as well as the composition of expansion and differentiation media. Four clinical trials to date have examined the safety and efficacy of UCMSCs. Once public banking of UCMSCs is available to supply matched allogeneic units and once UCMSC manufacturing is standardized, we anticipate that UCMSCs will be more widely used in clinical trials

Penggunaan Tepung Onggok Singkong yang Difermentasi dengan Rhizopus SP. sebagai Bahan Baku Pakan Ikan Nila Merah (Oreochromis Niloticus)

Onggok singkong merupakan hasil samping pengolahan tepung tapioka dan berpotensi menjadi bahan baku alternatif pakan ikan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penggunaan tepung onggok singkong yang difermentasi sebagai bahan baku pakan ikan terhadap pertumbuhan nila merah (Oreochromis niloticus). Metode percobaan menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap dengan 5 perlakuan berupa penggunaan tepung onggok singkong yang difermentasi Rhizopus sp. dalam berbagai jumlah dan setiap perlakuan diulang 3 kali. Pakan A (tanpa tepung onggol/kontrol), pakan B (tepung onggok fermentasi (TOF) 10%), pakan C (TOF 15%), pakan D (TOF 20%) dan pakan E (tepung onggok tanpa fermentasi 20%). Pakan diujikan pada nila merah dengan bobot 4,0±0,7 gram, yang dipelihara dalam bak beton berukuran 150 x 150 x 50 cm dengan kepadatan 50 ekor/bak. Ikan dipelihara selama 50 hari dengan feeding rate 3% dan diberikan 3 kali setiap hari. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pakan C (TOF 15%) memberikan hasil yang terbaik untuk pertumbuhan nila merah. Pertumbuhan mutlak sebesar 13,7±0,4 gram, tingkat kelangsungan hidup mencapai 95,33%. Kualitas air pada tiap perlakuan berada dalam kondisi optimum untuk budidaya ikan

Enhanced Thermoelectric Power and Electronic Correlations in RuSe2_2

We report the electronic structure, electric and thermal transport properties of Ru$_{1-x}$Ir$_{x}$Se$_2$ ($x \leq 0.2$). RuSe$_2$ is a semiconductor that crystallizes in a cubic pyrite unit cell. The Seebeck coefficient of RuSe$_2$ exceeds -200 $\mu$V/K around 730 K. Ir substitution results in the suppression of the resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient, suggesting the removal of the peaks in density of states near the Fermi level. Ru$_{0.8}$Ir$_{0.2}$Se$_{2}$ shows a semiconductor-metal crossover at about 30 K. The magnetic field restores the semiconducting behavior. Our results indicate the importance of the electronic correlations in enhanced thermoelectricity of RuSb$_{2}$.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Pengaruh Subtitusi Parsial Tepung Ikan Dengan Tepung Tulang Terhadap Pertumbuhan Ikan Lele Sangkuriang (Clarias Gariepinus.)

Tepung Ikan (TI) merupakan bahan baku utama dalam pembuatan pakan. Tetapi ketersediaan dan tingginya harga tepung ikan tersebut menjadi kendala untuk para pembudidaya. Oleh sebab itu dibutuhkan bahan baku pakan alternatif yaitu tepung tulang (TT) yang dapat menggantikan sebagian dari penggunaan tepung ikan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mempelajari pengaruh proporsi tepung tulang yang berbeda pada pakan terhadap pertumbuhan ikan lele sangkuriang. Penelitian ini dilakukan di laboraturium Budidaya Perikanan jurusan Budidaya Perairan Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Lampung. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap dengan lima perlakuan, yaitu A (40,65% TI + 0% TT); B (36,65% TI + 4% TT); C (32,65% TI + 8% TT); D (28,65% TI + 12% TT); E (24,65% TI + 16 TT) serta tiga kali ulangan. Ikan uji dipelihara dalam akuarium berukuran 60x40x40 cm3 selama 50 hari dengan kepadatan penebaran 15 ekor per aquarium dengan berat rata-rata 1 ± 0,96 gram. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji ANOVA ( 0,05) dan dilanjutkan dengan Uji Duncan. Variabel yang diamati yaitu pertumbuhan berat mutlak, pertumbuhan harian, sintasan, rasio konversi pakan, dan kualitas air. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa proporsi tepung tulang yang berbeda berpengaruh terhadap pertumbuhan ikan lele sangkuriang. Subtitusi parsial pada perlakuan C (32,65% TI + 8% TT) memberikan pertumbuhan berat mutlak tertinggi pada ikan lele sangkuriang sebesar 12,04 gr serta FCR sebesar 1,42 sedangkan perlakuan E (24,65% TI + 16 TT) memberikan pertumbuhan berat mutlak terendah sebesar 7,19 gr serta FCR sebesar 1,75