Hot Gas in the Galactic Thick Disk and Halo Near the Draco Cloud

This paper examines the ultraviolet and X-ray photons generated by hot gas in the Galactic thick disk or halo in the Draco region of the northern hemisphere. Our analysis uses the intensities from four ions, C IV, O VI, O VII, and O VIII, sampling temperatures of ~100,000 to ~3,000,000 K. We measured the O VI, O VII and O VIII intensities from FUSE and XMM-Newton data and subtracted off the local contributions in order to deduce the thick disk/halo contributions. These were supplemented with published C IV intensity and O VI column density measurements. Our estimate of the thermal pressure in the O VI-rich thick disk/halo gas, p_{th}/k = 6500^{+2500}_{-2600} K cm^{-3}, suggests that the thick disk/halo is more highly pressurized than would be expected from theoretical analyses. The ratios of C IV to O VI to O VII to O VIII, intensities were compared with those predicted by theoretical models. Gas which was heated to 3,000,000 K then allowed to cool radiatively cannot produce enough C IV or O VI-generated photons per O VII or O VIII-generated photon. Producing enough C IV and O VI emission requires heating additional gas to 100,000 < T < 1,000,000 K. However, shock heating, which provides heating across this temperature range, overproduces O VI relative to the others. Obtaining the observed mix may require a combination of several processes, including some amount of shock heating, heat conduction, and mixing, as well as radiative cooling of very hot gas.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Effect of protein and energy sources and bulk density of diets on growth performance of chicks

Four completely randomized designed experiments (EXP) were conducted to determine the effect of energy, amino acid (AA) levels, and bulk density of diets on growth performance of chicks fed diets containing corn (C) or cornstarch:dextrose (CD) as energy sources and soybean meal (SBM) or soy protein isolate (SPI) as protein sources. The chicks were fed C-SBM diets 6 to 8 d posthatching before allotment to treatment, and the assay periods ranged from 7 to 14 d. Initial weights were 86, 93, 94, and 71 g in EXP 1 to 4, respectively. Treatments were replicated 6 to 8 times with 4, 5, or 6 chicks per replicate. In EXP 1, the treatments were 1) CSBM (1.26% Lys and 3,200 kcal of ME/kg); 2) CD-SPI (1.26% Lys and 3,460 kcal of ME/kg); 3) CD-SPI (1.36% Lys and 3,460 kcal of ME/kg); and 4) CD-SPI (1.26% Lys and 3,200 kcal of ME/kg). The AA in all diets were increased in proportion to Lys. In EXP 2, chicks were fed C or CD as the energy source and SBM or SPI as the protein source in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. In EXP 3, the treatments were 1) C-SBM (1.26% Lys and 3,200 kcal of ME/kg); 2) CD-SPI (1.26% Lys and 3,200 kcal of ME/kg); 3) Diet 1 limit-fed to chicks consuming 90% of Diet 2; 4) Diet 2 limit-fed to chicks consuming 90% of Diet 2. In EXP 4, Diets 1 and 2 were the same as Diets 1 and 2 in EXP 3, but fed in mash or pelleted form. In all EXP, chicks with access ad libitum to diets with SPI had decreased (P \u3c 0.02) average daily gain (ADG) and feed intake (ADFI) compared with those with access ad libitum to diets with SBM. In EXP 2, feeding C- or CD-dextrose as the energy source had no effect (P \u3e 0.05) on ADG, ADFI, or gain:feed. In EXP 3, ADG was decreased in chicks fed the diets with SPI relative to those fed diets with SBM, but the decrease was much greater in chicks that had access ad libitum to feed (protein source x feed intake, P \u3c 0.01) than in those limit-fed to the same feed intake. In EXP 4, ADG, ADFI, and gain:feed were decreased (P \u3c 0.01) in chicks fed diets with SPI as the protein source. Pelleting increased (P \u3c 0.01) ADG, ADFI, and gain:feed regardless of protein source, but the increase was much greater in chicks fed the diets with SPI (protein source x feed form, P \u3c 0.01). Results from these EXP indicate that diets with SPI compared with SBM do not result in maximum growth performance in commercial broilers, and the problem may be due somewhat to nutrient deficiency but more to the physical form of the diet. ©2005 Poultry Science Association, Inc

FUSE Detection of Galactic OVI Emission in the Halo above the Perseus Arm

Background observations obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) toward l=95.4, b=36.1 show OVI 1032,1038 in emission. This sight line probes a region of stronger-than-average soft X-ray emission in the direction of high-velocity cloud Complex C above a part of the disk where Halpha filaments rise into the halo. The OVI intensities, 1600+/-300 ph/s/cm^2/sr (1032A) and 800+/-300 ph/s/cm^2/sr (1038A), are the lowest detected in emission in the Milky Way to date. A second sight line nearby (l=99.3, b=43.3) also shows OVI 1032 emission, but with too low a signal-to-noise ratio to obtain reliable measurements. The measured intensities, velocities, and FWHMs of the OVI doublet and the CII* line at 1037A are consistent with a model in which the observed emission is produced in the Galactic halo by hot gas ejected by supernovae in the Perseus arm. An association of the observed gas with Complex C appears unlikely.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJL, 11 pages including 3 figure

THE IN VIVO PROTEIN SYNTHETIC ACTIVITIES OF FREE VERSUS MEMBRANE-BOUND RIBONUCLEOPROTEIN IN A PLASMA-CELL TUMOR OF THE MOUSE

Cytoplasmic extracts of the transplantable RPC-20 plasma-cell tumor were fractionated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Four major fractions were distinguished: (a) microsomes and mitochondria; (b) membrane-free polyribosomes; (c) free monomeric ribosomes; and (d) soluble fraction. The fractions were analyzed for RNA and lipid phosphorus, and their particulate components were characterized by electron microscopy. Particular attention was paid to the problem of membrane contamination of the free polyribosome fraction. It was shown that this contamination was small in relation with the total content of ribosomes in the fraction, and that it consisted primarily of smooth-surfaced membranes which were not physically associated with the polyribosomes themselves. In vivo incorporation studies were carried out by injecting tumor-bearing animals intravenously with leucine-C14, removing the tumors at various times thereafter, and determining the distribution of protein radioactivity among the gradient-separated cytoplasmic fractions. The free polyribosome and the microsome-mitochondria fractions constituted active centers for protein synthesis. It was shown that nascent protein of the free polyribosome fractions was not associated significantly with the contaminating membranes. The kinetics of labeling during incorporation times up to 11 min suggested that protein synthesized on the free polyribosomes was rapidly transferred in vivo to the soluble fraction of the cell, while protein synthesized by the microsomes and mitochondria remained localized within these elements. It was estimated that the free polyribosome fraction and the microsome-mitochondria fraction accounted for approximately equal proportions of the total cytoplasmic protein synthesis in vivo

System for the measurement of ultra-low stray light levels

An apparatus is described for measuring the effectiveness of stray light suppression light shields and baffle arrangements used in optical space experiments and large space telescopes. The light shield and baffle arrangement and a telescope model are contained in a vacuum chamber. A source of short, high-powered light energy illuminates portions of the light shield and baffle arrangement and reflects a portion of same to a photomultiplier tube by virtue of multipath scattering. The resulting signal is transferred to time-channel electronics timed by the firing of the high energy light source allowing time discrimination of the signal thereby enabling the light scattered and suppressed by the model to be distinguished from the walls and holders around the apparatus

Renormalized SO(5) symmetry in ladders with next-nearest-neighbor hopping

We study the occurrence of SO(5) symmetry in the low-energy sector of two-chain Hubbard-like systems by analyzing the flow of the running couplings ($g$-ology) under renormalization group in the weak-interaction limit. It is shown that SO(5) is asymptotically restored for low energies for rather general parameters of the bare Hamiltonian. This holds also with inclusion of a next-nearest-neighbor hopping which explicitly breaks particle-hole symmetry provided one accounts for a different single-particle weight for the quasiparticles of the two bands of the system. The physical significance of this renormalized SO(5) symmetry is discussed.Comment: Final version: to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett., sched. Mar. 9

An XMM-Newton Observation of the Local Bubble Using a Shadowing Filament in the Southern Galactic Hemisphere

We present an analysis of the X-ray spectrum of the Local Bubble, obtained by simultaneously analyzing spectra from two XMM-Newton pointings on and off an absorbing filament in the Southern galactic hemisphere (b ~ -45 deg). We use the difference in the Galactic column density in these two directions to deduce the contributions of the unabsorbed foreground emission due to the Local Bubble, and the absorbed emission from the Galactic halo and the extragalactic background. We find the Local Bubble emission is consistent with emission from a plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium with a temperature $\log T_{LB} = 6.06^{+0.02}_{-0.04}$ and an emission measure of 0.018 cm^{-6} pc. Our measured temperature is in good agreement with values obtained from ROSAT All-Sky Survey data, but is lower than that measured by other recent XMM-Newton observations of the Local Bubble, which find $\log T_{LB} \approx 6.2$ (although for some of these observations it is possible that the foreground emission is contaminated by non-Local Bubble emission from Loop I). The higher temperature observed towards other directions is inconsistent with our data, when combined with a FUSE measurement of the Galactic halo O VI intensity. This therefore suggests that the Local Bubble is thermally anisotropic. Our data are unable to rule out a non-equilibrium model in which the plasma is underionized. However, an overionized recombining plasma model, while observationally acceptable for certain densities and temperatures, generally gives an implausibly young age for the Local Bubble (\la 6 \times 10^5 yr).Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 16 pages, 9 figure

Emerging risks of non-native species escapes from aquaculture: Call for policy improvements in China and other developing countries

Global aquaculture relies heavily on the farming of non-native aquatic species (hereafter, NAS). NAS escapes from aquaculture facilities can result in serious aquatic bio-invasions, which has been an important issue in the FAO Blue Growth Initiative. A regulatory quagmire regarding NAS farming and escapes, however, exists in most developing countries. We discuss aquaculture expansion and NAS escapes, illustrate emerging risks and propose recommendations for improved aquaculture management across developing countries and particularly for China. In China, 68 NAS are known to have successfully established feral populations in natural habitats due to recurrent leakages or escapes; among the 68 NAS, 52 represent risks to native aquatic ecosystems. In addition to affecting a country's own biodiversity and ecosystem functions, NAS escapees can also threaten the biosecurity of shared waters in neighbouring countries. Policy implications. Non-native aquatic species (NAS) escapes have already had adverse ecological effects in China and other developing countries. The importance of this problem, however, is not adequately recognized by current conservation policies in developing countries. To conserve biodiversity and to support the goal of FAO's sustainable aquaculture, developing countries should now take responsible actions to address NAS escapes through policy and management improvements. Specifically, these countries should pass comprehensive legislation, establish effective agencies and national standards and planning and enhance integrated research and education to deal with risk assessment, prevention, monitoring and control of NAS escapes. Given that China is the world's largest aquacultural producer, China can create a model for other developing countries that will increase the biosecurity and sustainability of global aquaculture