437 research outputs found
Raman cooling and heating of two trapped Ba+ ions
We study cooling of the collective vibrational motion of two 138Ba+ ions
confined in an electrodynamic trap and irradiated with laser light close to the
resonances S_1/2-P_1/2 (493 nm) and P_1/2-D_3/2 (650 nm). The motional state of
the ions is monitored by a spatially resolving photo multiplier. Depending on
detuning and intensity of the cooling lasers, macroscopically different
motional states corresponding to different ion temperatures are observed. We
also derive the ions' temperature from detailed analytical calculations of
laser cooling taking into account the Zeeman structure of the energy levels
involved. The observed motional states perfectly match the calculated
temperatures. Significant heating is observed in the vicinity of the dark
resonances of the Zeeman-split S_1/2-D_3/2 Raman transitions. Here two-photon
processes dominate the interaction between lasers and ions. Parameter regimes
of laser light are identified that imply most efficient laser cooling.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Observation of supercurrent enhancement in SNS junctions by non-equilibrium injection into supercurrent carrying bound Andreev states
We report for the first time enhancement of the supercurrent by means of
injection in a mesoscopic three terminal planar SNSNS device made of Al on
GaAs. When a current is injected from one of the superconducting Al electrodes
at an injection bias , the DC Josephson current between the
other two superconducting electrodes has a maximum, giving evidence for an
enhancement due to a non-equilibrium injection into bound Andreev states of the
underlying semiconductor. The effect persists to temperatures where the
equilibrium supercurrent has vanished.Comment: 7 pages + 3 figures. Resubmitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. Contents change
Results from the 5-year SQ grass sublingual immunotherapy tablet asthma prevention (GAP) trial in children with grass pollen allergy
Background: Allergy immunotherapy targets the immunological cause of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma and has the potential to alter the natural course of allergic disease.Objective: The primary objective was to investigate the effect of the SQ grass sublingual immunotherapy tablet compared with placebo on the risk of developing asthma.Methods: A total of 812 children (5-12 years), with a clinically relevant history of grass pollen allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and no medical history or signs of asthma, were included in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, comprising 3 years of treatment and 2 years of follow-up.Results: There was no difference in time to onset of asthma, defined by prespecified asthma criteria relying on documented reversible impairment of lung function (primary endpoint). Treatment with the SQ grass sublingual immunotherapy tablet significantly reduced the risk of experiencing asthma symptoms or using asthma medication at the end of trial (odds ratio = 0.66, P Conclusions: Treatment with the SQ grass sublingual immunotherapy tablet reduced the risk of experiencing asthma symptoms and using asthma medication, and had a positive, long-term clinical effect on rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms and medication use but did not show an effect on the time to onset of asthma.</p
A Bayesian approach to detect QTL affecting a simulated binary and quantitative trait
Background - We analyzed simulated data from the 14th QTL-MAS workshop using a Bayesian approach implemented in the program iBay. The data contained individuals genotypes for 10,031 SNPs and phenotyped for a quantitative and a binary trait. Results - For the quantitative trait we mapped 8 out of 30 additive QTL, 1 out of 3 imprinted QTL and both epistatic pairs of QTL successfully. For the binary trait we mapped 11 out of 22 additive QTL successfully. Four out of 22 pleiotropic QTL were detected as such. Conclusions - The Bayesian variable selection method showed to be a successful method for genome-wide association. This method was reasonably fast using dense marker map
Complete Genome Sequence of the Cystic Fibrosis Pathogen Achromobacter xylosoxidans NH44784-1996 Complies with Important Pathogenic Phenotypes
Achromobacter xylosoxidans is an environmental opportunistic pathogen, which infects an increasing number of immunocompromised patients. In this study we combined genomic analysis of a clinical isolated A. xylosoxidans strain with phenotypic investigations of its important pathogenic features. We present a complete assembly of the genome of A. xylosoxidans NH44784-1996, an isolate from a cystic fibrosis patient obtained in 1996. The genome of A. xylosoxidans NH44784-1996 contains approximately 7 million base pairs with 6390 potential protein-coding sequences. We identified several features that render it an opportunistic human pathogen, We found genes involved in anaerobic growth and the pgaABCD operon encoding the biofilm adhesin poly-?-1,6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamin. Furthermore, the genome contains a range of antibiotic resistance genes coding efflux pump systems and antibiotic modifying enzymes. In vitro studies of A. xylosoxidans NH44784-1996 confirmed the genomic evidence for its ability to form biofilms, anaerobic growth via denitrification, and resistance to a broad range of antibiotics. Our investigation enables further studies of the functionality of important identified genes contributing to the pathogenicity of A. xylosoxidans and thereby improves our understanding and ability to treat this emerging pathogen
Do non-relativistic neutrinos constitute the dark matter?
The dark matter of the Abell 1689 galaxy cluster is modeled by thermal,
non-relativistic gravitating fermions and its galaxies and X-ray gas by
isothermal distributions. A fit yields a mass of 1.445 eV. A dark matter fraction
occurs for degrees
of freedom, i. e., for 3 families of left plus right handed neutrinos with
masses . Given a temperature of 0.045 K and a de
Broglie length of 0.20 mm, they establish a quantum structure of several
million light years across, the largest known in the Universe. The virial
-particle temperature of keV coincides with the
average one of X-rays. The results are compatible with neutrino genesis,
nucleosynthesis and free streaming. The neutrinos condense on the cluster at
redshift , thereby causing reionization of the intracluster gas
without assistance of heavy stars. The baryons are poor tracers of the dark
matter density.Comment: Extended published version, 6.1 pages, 2 figure
Azimuthal Correlations in the Target Fragmentation Region of High Energy Nuclear Collisions
Results on the target mass dependence of proton and pion pseudorapidity
distributions and of their azimuthal correlations in the target rapidity range
are presented. The data have been taken with the
Plastic-Ball detector set-up for 4.9 GeV p + Au collisions at the Berkeley
BEVALAC and for 200 GeV/ p-, O-, and S-induced reactions on
different nuclei at the CERN-SPS. The yield of protons at backward rapidities
is found to be proportional to the target mass. Although protons show a typical
``back-to-back'' correlations, a ``side-by-side'' correlation is observed for
positive pions, which increases both with target mass and with impact parameter
of a collision. The data can consistently be described by assuming strong
rescattering phenomena including pion absorption effects in the entire excited
target nucleus.Comment: 7 pages, figures included, complete postscript available at
ftp://qgp.uni-muenster.de/pub/paper/azi-correlations.ps submitted to Phys.
Lett.
Fatal inanition in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus): Pathological findings in completely emaciated carcasses
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
Accuracy of direct genomic values in Holstein bulls and cows using subsets of SNP markers
Background: At the current price, the use of high-density single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotyping assays in genomic selection of dairy cattle is limited to applications involving elite sires and dams. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of low-density assays to predict direct genomic value (DGV) on five milk production traits, an overall conformation trait, a survival index, and two profit index traits (APR, ASI). Methods. Dense SNP genotypes were available for 42,576 SNP for 2,114 Holstein bulls and 510 cows. A subset of 1,847 bulls born between 1955 and 2004 was used as a training set to fit models with various sets of pre-selected SNP. A group of 297 bulls born between 2001 and 2004 and all cows born between 1992 and 2004 were used to evaluate the accuracy of DGV prediction. Ridge regression (RR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) were used to derive prediction equations and to rank SNP based on the absolute value of the regression coefficients. Four alternative strategies were applied to select subset of SNP, namely: subsets of the highest ranked SNP for each individual trait, or a single subset of evenly spaced SNP, where SNP were selected based on their rank for ASI, APR or minor allele frequency within intervals of approximately equal length. Results: RR and PLSR performed very similarly to predict DGV, with PLSR performing better for low-density assays and RR for higher-density SNP sets. When using all SNP, DGV predictions for production traits, which have a higher heritability, were more accurate (0.52-0.64) than for survival (0.19-0.20), which has a low heritability. The gain in accuracy using subsets that included the highest ranked SNP for each trait was marginal (5-6%) over a common set of evenly spaced SNP when at least 3,000 SNP were used. Subsets containing 3,000 SNP provided more than 90% of the accuracy that could be achieved with a high-density assay for cows, and 80% of the high-density assay for young bulls. Conclusions: Accurate genomic evaluation of the broader bull and cow population can be achieved with a single genotyping assays containing ∼ 3,000 to 5,000 evenly spaced SNP
Dynamics of Barred Galaxies
Some 30% of disc galaxies have a pronounced central bar feature in the disc
plane and many more have weaker features of a similar kind. Kinematic data
indicate that the bar constitutes a major non-axisymmetric component of the
mass distribution and that the bar pattern tumbles rapidly about the axis
normal to the disc plane. The observed motions are consistent with material
within the bar streaming along highly elongated orbits aligned with the
rotating major axis. A barred galaxy may also contain a spheroidal bulge at its
centre, spirals in the outer disc and, less commonly, other features such as a
ring or lens. Mild asymmetries in both the light and kinematics are quite
common. We review the main problems presented by these complicated dynamical
systems and summarize the effort so far made towards their solution,
emphasizing results which appear secure. (Truncated)Comment: This old review appeared in 1993. Plain tex with macro file. 82 pages
18 figures. A pdf version with figures at full resolution (3.24MB) is
available at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~sellwood/bar_review.pd
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