Study of equatorial plasma bubble during January to April 2012 over Kolhapur (India)

Over 53 nights of all sky airglow imager data collected during January-April 2012 from the low latitude station Kolhapur (16.68°N, 74.26°E; 10.6°N dip latitude) have been analyzed to study the F-region dynamics through the imaging of OI 630 nm emission line. The observed night airglow data were supported by the ionosonde measurements from Tirunelveli (8.7°N, 77.8°E; 0.51°N dip latitude). Well defined magnetic field aligned depletions were observed during the observation period. Out of 53 nights, 40 nights exhibited the occurrence of north-south aligned equatorial plasma bubbles. These plasma bubbles were found moving towards east with drift speed in range between 70 to 200 m s-1. We have analyzed the zonal drift velocity variation and relation of bubble occurrence with the base height of the ionosphere together with the effects of the geomagnetic Ap and solar flux F10.7 cm index in its first appearance

Gene Expression and Biological Pathways in Tissue of Men with Prostate Cancer in a Randomized Clinical Trial of Lycopene and Fish Oil Supplementation

Studies suggest that micronutrients may modify the risk or delay progression of prostate cancer; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are poorly understood. We examined the effects of lycopene and fish oil on prostate gene expression in a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial.Eighty-four men with low risk prostate cancer were stratified based on self-reported dietary consumption of fish and tomatoes and then randomly assigned to a 3-month intervention of lycopene (n = 29) or fish oil (n = 27) supplementation or placebo (n = 28). Gene expression in morphologically normal prostate tissue was studied at baseline and at 3 months via cDNA microarray analysis. Differential gene expression and pathway analyses were performed to identify genes and pathways modulated by these micronutrients.Global gene expression analysis revealed no significant individual genes that were associated with high intake of fish or tomato at baseline or after 3 months of supplementation with lycopene or fish oil. However, exploratory pathway analyses of rank-ordered genes (based on p-values not corrected for multiple comparisons) revealed the modulation of androgen and estrogen metabolism in men who routinely consumed more fish (p = 0.029) and tomato (p = 0.008) compared to men who ate less. In addition, modulation of arachidonic acid metabolism (p = 0.01) was observed after 3 months of fish oil supplementation compared with the placebo group; and modulation of nuclear factor (erythroid derived-2) factor 2 or Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress response for either supplement versus placebo (fish oil: p = 0.01, lycopene: p = 0.001).We did not detect significant individual genes associated with dietary intake and supplementation of lycopene and fish oil. However, exploratory analyses revealed candidate in vivo pathways that may be modulated by these micronutrients.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00402285

Constraints on black-hole charges with the 2017 EHT observations of M87*

Our understanding of strong gravity near supermassive compact objects has recently improved thanks to the measurements made by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). We use here the M87* shadow size to infer constraints on the physical charges of a large variety of nonrotating or rotating black holes. For example, we show that the quality of the measurements is already sufficient to rule out that M87* is a highly charged dilaton black hole. Similarly, when considering black holes with two physical and independent charges, we are able to exclude considerable regions of the space of parameters for the doubly-charged dilaton and the Sen black holes

First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. VIII. Magnetic Field Structure near The Event Horizon

Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations at 230 GHz have now imaged polarized emission around the supermassive black hole in M87 on event-horizon scales. This polarized synchrotron radiation probes the structure of magnetic fields and the plasma properties near the black hole. Here we compare the resolved polarization structure observed by the EHT, along with simultaneous unresolved observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, to expectations from theoretical models. The low fractional linear polarization in the resolved image suggests that the polarization is scrambled on scales smaller than the EHT beam, which we attribute to Faraday rotation internal to the emission region. We estimate the average density n_{e} ~ 10^{4–7} cm^{−3}, magnetic field strength B ~ 1–30 G, and electron temperature T_{e} ~ (1–12) × 10^{10} K of the radiating plasma in a simple one-zone emission model. We show that the net azimuthal linear polarization pattern may result from organized, poloidal magnetic fields in the emission region. In a quantitative comparison with a large library of simulated polarimetric images from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations, we identify a subset of physical models that can explain critical features of the polarimetric EHT observations while producing a relativistic jet of sufficient power. The consistent GRMHD models are all of magnetically arrested accretion disks, where near-horizon magnetic fields are dynamically important. We use the models to infer a mass accretion rate onto the black hole in M87 of (3–20) × 10^{−4} M⊙ yr^{−1}

The Polarized Image of a Synchrotron-emitting Ring of Gas Orbiting a Black Hole

Synchrotron radiation from hot gas near a black hole results in a polarized image. The image polarization is determined by effects including the orientation of the magnetic field in the emitting region, relativistic motion of the gas, strong gravitational lensing by the black hole, and parallel transport in the curved spacetime. We explore these effects using a simple model of an axisymmetric, equatorial accretion disk around a Schwarzschild black hole. By using an approximate expression for the null geodesics derived by Beloborodov and conservation of the Walker–Penrose constant, we provide analytic estimates for the image polarization. We test this model using currently favored general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of M87*, using ring parameters given by the simulations. For a subset of these with modest Faraday effects, we show that the ring model broadly reproduces the polarimetric image morphology. Our model also predicts the polarization evolution for compact flaring regions, such as those observed from Sgr A* with GRAVITY. With suitably chosen parameters, our simple model can reproduce the EVPA pattern and relative polarized intensity in Event Horizon Telescope images of M87*. Under the physically motivated assumption that the magnetic field trails the fluid velocity, this comparison is consistent with the clockwise rotation inferred from total intensity images

Polarimetric Properties of Event Horizon Telescope Targets from ALMA

We present the results from a full polarization study carried out with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) during the first Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) campaign, which was conducted in 2017 April in the λ3 mm and λ1.3 mm bands, in concert with the Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), respectively. We determine the polarization and Faraday properties of all VLBI targets, including Sgr A*, M87, and a dozen radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), in the two bands at several epochs in a time window of 10 days. We detect high linear polarization fractions (2%–15%) and large rotation measures (RM > 10^{3.3}–10^{5.5} rad m^{−2}), confirming the trends of previous AGN studies at millimeter wavelengths. We find that blazars are more strongly polarized than other AGNs in the sample, while exhibiting (on average) order-of-magnitude lower RM values, consistent with the AGN viewing angle unification scheme. For Sgr A* we report a mean RM of (−4.2 ± 0.3) × 10^{5} rad m^{−2} at 1.3 mm, consistent with measurements over the past decade and, for the first time, an RM of (–2.1 ± 0.1) × 10^{5} rad m^{−2} at 3 mm, suggesting that about half of the Faraday rotation at 1.3 mm may occur between the 3 mm photosphere and the 1.3 mm source. We also report the first unambiguous measurement of RM toward the M87 nucleus at millimeter wavelengths, which undergoes significant changes in magnitude and sign reversals on a one year timescale, spanning the range from −1.2 to 0.3 × 10^{5} rad m^{−2} at 3 mm and −4.1 to 1.5 × 10^{5} rad m^{−2} at 1.3 mm. Given this time variability, we argue that, unlike the case of Sgr A*, the RM in M87 does not provide an accurate estimate of the mass accretion rate onto the black hole. We put forward a two-component model, comprised of a variable compact region and a static extended region, that can simultaneously explain the polarimetric properties observed by both the EHT (on horizon scales) and ALMA (which observes the combined emission from both components). These measurements provide critical constraints for the calibration, analysis, and interpretation of simultaneously obtained VLBI data with the EHT and GMVA

First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. VII. Polarization of the Ring

In 2017 April, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observed the near-horizon region around the supermassive black hole at the core of the M87 galaxy. These 1.3 mm wavelength observations revealed a compact asymmetric ring-like source morphology. This structure originates from synchrotron emission produced by relativistic plasma located in the immediate vicinity of the black hole. Here we present the corresponding linear-polarimetric EHT images of the center of M87. We find that only a part of the ring is significantly polarized. The resolved fractional linear polarization has a maximum located in the southwest part of the ring, where it rises to the level of ~15%. The polarization position angles are arranged in a nearly azimuthal pattern. We perform quantitative measurements of relevant polarimetric properties of the compact emission and find evidence for the temporal evolution of the polarized source structure over one week of EHT observations. The details of the polarimetric data reduction and calibration methodology are provided. We carry out the data analysis using multiple independent imaging and modeling techniques, each of which is validated against a suite of synthetic data sets. The gross polarimetric structure and its apparent evolution with time are insensitive to the method used to reconstruct the image. These polarimetric images carry information about the structure of the magnetic fields responsible for the synchrotron emission. Their physical interpretation is discussed in an accompanying publication

Assessment of protein silver nanoparticles toxicity against pathogenic Alternaria solani

Mycogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was carried out in the present investigation using an aqueous extract of endophytic non-pathogenic Alternaria solani F10 (KT721914). The mycosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by means of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The surface plasmon resonance found at 430 nm confirmed the formation of stable AgNPs for several weeks at room temperature. Also, the results revealed the formation of spherical and monodispersed AgNPs with an average size of 14.8 +/- 1.2 nm. The FT-IR spectrum suggested that the fungal extracellular proteins and secondary metabolites had the role in Ag reduction and AgNPs capping of which protein Ag nanoconjugates were formed. Furthermore, the mycosynthesized AgNPs exhibited potent antifungal activity against different pathogenic isolates of the same Alternaria solani fungus, the causal pathogen of tomato early blight disease. The antifungal efficiency of the AgNPs at 1, 5 and 10 ppm were evaluated for 8 days after incubation by measuring the inhibition rate of fungal radial growth. The results were further supported by investigating fungal hyphae morphology alteration by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Treated fungal hyphae showed formation of pits and pores. Also, the mycosynthesized AgNPs were able to pass and distribute throughout the fungal cell area and interact with the cell components.A financial support from European Commission by Erasmus Mundus Scholarship-ACTION 2 WELCOME program is gratefully acknowledged. Work in JAD laboratory was supported by grant BIO2014-54269-R from the Ministerio de Economia y Competividad (Spain).Abdel-Hafez, SII.; Nafady, NA.; Abdel-Rahim, IR.; Shaltout, AM.; Daros Arnau, JA.; Mohamed, MA. (2016). Assessment of protein silver nanoparticles toxicity against pathogenic Alternaria solani. 3 Biotech. 6(199):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-016-0515-6S1126199Abd-Alla MH, Nafady NA, Khalaf DM (2016) Assessment of silver nanoparticles contamination on faba bean-Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae-Glomus aggregatum symbiosis: implications for induction of autophagy process in root nodule. Agric Ecosyst Environ 15(218):163–177Abdel-Hafez SI, Nafady NA, Abdel-Rahim IR, Shaltout AM, Mohamed MA (2016) Biogenesis and optimisation of silver nanoparticles by the endophytic fungus cladosporium sphaerospermum. Int J Nano Chem 2(1):11–19Agrios GN (1997) Plant pathology, 4th edn. Academic Press, LondonAzizi S, Namvar F, Mahdavi M, Ahmad MB, Mohamad R (2013) Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using brown marine macroalga, Sargassum muticum aqueous extract. Materials 6(12):5942–5950Birla S, Tiwari V, Gade A, Ingle A, Yadav A, Rai M (2009) Fabrication of silver nanoparticles by Phoma glomerala and its combined effect against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Lett Appl Microbiol 48(2):173–179Chohan S, Perveen R, Mehmood MA, Naz S, Akram N (2015) Morpho-physiological studies, management and screening of tomato germplasm against alternaria solani, the causal agent of tomato early blight. Int J Agric Biol 17(1):111–118Das VL, Thomas R, Varghese RT, Soniya EV, Mathew J, Radhakrishnan EK (2014) Extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles by the Bacillus strain CS 11 isolated from industrialized area. 3 Biotech 4(2):121–126Datar VV, Mayee CD (1981) Assessment of losses in tomato yield due to early blight. Indian phytopathol 34:191–195Elyasi M, Khalilzadeh MA, Karimi-Maleh H (2013) High sensitive voltammetric sensor based on Pt/CNTs nanocomposite modified ionic liquid carbon paste electrode for determination of Sudan I in food samples. Food Chem 141(4):4311–4317Ensafi AA, Karimi-Maleh H (2010) Modified multiwall carbon nanotubes paste electrode as a sensor for simultaneous determination of 6-thioguanine and folic acid using ferrocenedicarboxylic acid as a mediator. J Electroanal Chem 640(1):75–83Fayaz M, Tiwary CS, Kalaichelvan PT, Venkatesan R (2010) Blue orange light emission from biogenic synthesized silver nanoparticles using Trichoderma viride. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 75(1):175–178Gardes M, Bruns TD (1993) ITS primers with enhanced specificity for basidiomycetes-application to the identification of mycorrhizae and rusts. Mol Ecol 2(2):113–118Gurunathan S, Lee KJ, Kalishwaralal K, Sheikpranbabu S, Vaidyanathan R, Eom SH (2009) Antiangiogenic properties of silver nanoparticles. Biomaterials 30(31):6341–6350Kagithoju S, Godishala V, Nanna RS (2015) Eco-friendly and green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using leaf extract of Strychnos potatorum Linn. F. and their bactericidal activities. 3 Biotech 5(5):709–714Kanmani P, Lim ST (2013) Synthesis and structural characterization of silver nanoparticles using bacterial exopolysaccharide and its antimicrobial activity against food and multidrug resistant pathogens. Process Biochem 48(7):1099–1106Khan MR, Rizvi TF (2014) Nanotechnology: scope and application in plant disease management. Plant Pathol J 13:214–231Khan M, Rizwani GH, Shareef H, Cavar S, Zia-Ul-Haq M (2013) Assessment of total phenolic content and antioxidant potential of methanol extract of Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC.) Backer ex K. Heyne. Pak J Pharm Sci 26(5):967–972Kim KJ, Sung WS, Suh BK, Moon SK, Choi JS, Kim JG, Lee DG (2009a) Antifungal activity and mode of action of silver nano-particles on Candida albicans. Biometals 22(2):235–242Kim SW, Kim KS, Lamsal K, Kim YJ, Kim SB, Jung M, Sim SJ, Kim HS, Chang SJ, Kim JK, Lee YS (2009b) An in vitro study of the antifungal effect of silver nanoparticles on oak wilt pathogen Raffaelea sp. J Microbiol Biotechnol 19(8):760–764Kim SW, Jung JH, Lamsal K, Kim YS, Min JS, Lee YS (2012) Antifungal effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against various plant pathogenic fungi. Mycobiology 40(1):53–58Kirk AB, Martinelango PK, Tian K, Dutta A, Smith EE, Dasgupta PK (2005) Perchlorate and iodide in dairy and breast milk. Environ Sci Technol 39(7):2011–2017Kumar CG, Sujitha P (2014) Green synthesis of Kocuran-functionalized silver glyconanoparticles for use as antibiofilm coatings on silicone urethral catheters. Nanotechnology 25(32):325101Liu L, Yang J, Xie J, Luo Z, Jiang J, Yang YY, Liu S (2013) The potent antimicrobial properties of cell penetrating peptide-conjugated silver nanoparticles with excellent selectivity for Gram-positive bacteria over erythrocytes. Nanoscale 5(9):3834–3840Loza K, Diendorf J, Sengstock C, Ruiz-Gonzalez L, Gonzalez-Calbet J, Vallet- Regi M, Köller M, Epple M (2014) The dissolution and biological effects of silver nanoparticles in biological media. J Mater Chem B 2:1634–1643Malik P, Shankar R, Malik V, Sharma N, Mukherjee TK (2014) Green chemistry based benign routes for nanoparticle synthesis. J Nanopart 24:1–14McDonnell G, Russell AD (2001) Antiseptics and disinfectants: activity, action, and resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev 14(1):227Metuku RP, Pabba S, Burra S, Gudikandula K, Charya MS (2014) Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Schizophyllum radiatum HE 863742.1: their characterization and antimicrobial activity. 3 Biotech 4(3):227–234Mohamed AM (2015) One-step functionalization of silver Nanoparticles using the orsellinic acid compound isolated from the endophytic fungus Epicoccum Nigrum: characterization and antifungal activity. Int J Nano Chem. 1(3):103–110Moradi R, Sebt SA, Karimi-Maleh H, Sadeghi R, Karimi F, Bahari A, Arabi H (2013) Synthesis and application of FePt/CNTs nanocomposite as a sensor and novel amide ligand as a mediator for simultaneous determination of glutathione, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and tryptophan. Phys Chem Chem Phys 15(16):5888–5897Nadworny PL, Wang J, Tredget EE, Burrell RE (2008) Anti-inflammatory activity of nanocrystalline silver in a porcine contact dermatitis model. Nanomedicine 4(3):241–251Namanda S, Olanya OM, Adipala E, Hakiza JJ, El-Bedewy R, Baghsari AS, Ewell P (2004) Fungicide application and host-resistance for potato late blight management: benefits assessment from on-farm studies in SW Uganda. Crop Prot 23(11):1075–1083Narayanan KB, Sakthivel N (2010) Biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles by microbes. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 156(1):1–3Netala VR, Kotakadi VS, Bobbu P, Gaddam SA, Tartte V (2016) Endophytic fungal isolate mediated biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and their free radical scavenging activity and anti microbial studies. 3 Biotech 6(2):1–9Petrini O, Fisher PJ (1988) A comparative study of fungal endophytes in xylem and whole stems of Pinus sylvestris and Fagus sylvatica. Trans Br Mycol Soc 91(2):233–238Qin Y, Ji X, Jing J, Liu H, Wu H, Yang W (2010) Size control over spherical silver nanoparticles by ascorbic acid reduction. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 372(1):172–176Ramamurthy CH, Padma M, Mareeswaran R, Suyavaran A, Kumar MS, Premkumar K, Thirunavukkarasu C (2013) The extra cellular synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles and their free radical scavenging and antibacterial properties. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 102:808–815Rogers JV, Parkinson CV, Choi YW, Speshock JL, Hussain SM (2008) A preliminary assessment of silver nanoparticle inhibition of monkeypox virus plaque formation. Nanoscale Res Lett 3(4):129–133Sadeghi R, Karimi-Maleh H, Khalilzadeh MA, Beitollahi H, Ranjbarha Z, Zanousi MB (2013) A new strategy for determination of hydroxylamine and phenol in water and waste water samples using modified nanosensor. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 20(9):6584–6593Saharan V, Sharma G, Yadav M, Choudhary MK, Sharma SS, Pal A, Biswas P (2015) Synthesis and in vitro antifungal efficacy of Cu–chitosan nanoparticles against pathogenic fungi of tomato. Int J Biol Macromolec 75:346–353Satyavani K, Ramanathan T, Gurudeeban S (2011) Plant mediated synthesis of biomedical silver nanoparticles by using leaf extract of Citrullus colocynthis. R J Nanosci Nanotech 1(2):95–101Siddique YH, Fatima A, Jyoti S, Naz F, Khan W, Singh BR, Naqvi AH (2013) Evaluation of the toxic potential of graphene copper nanocomposite (GCNC) in the third instar larvae of transgenic Drosophila melanogaster (hsp70-lacZ) Bg 9. PloS one 8(12):e80944Stoimenov PK, Klinger RL, Marchin GL, Klabunde KJ (2002) Metal oxide nanoparticles as bactericidal agents. Langmuir 18(17):6679–6686Tanvir S, Oudet F, Pulvin S, Anderson WA (2012) Coenzyme based synthesis of silver nanocrystals. Enzyme Microb Technol 51(4):231–236Thakkar KN, Mhatre SS, Parikh RY (2010) Biological synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. Nanomedicine 6(2):257–262Vahdati AR, Sadeghi B (2013) A study on the assessment of DNA strand-breaking activity by silver and silica nanoparticles. J Nanostruct Chem 1:1–3Wu D, Fan W, Kishen A, Gutmann JL, Fan B (2014) Evaluation of the antibacterial efficacy of silver nanoparticles against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. J Endod 40:285–290Zachariadis PC, Hadjikakou SK, Hadjiliadis N, Skoulika S, Michaelides A, Balzarini J, De Clercq E (2004) Synthesis, characterization and in vitro study of the cytostatic and antiviral activity of new polymeric silver (I) complexes with ribbon structures derived from the conjugated heterocyclic thioamide 2-mercapto-3, 4, 5, 6-tetra-hydropyrimidine. Eur J Inorg Chem 7:1420–1426Zhang W, Qiao X, Chen J (2007) Synthesis of silver nanoparticles—effects of concerned parameters in water/oil microemulsion. Mater Sci Eng, B 142(1):1–5Zhao N, Gao J, Enns CA, Knutson MD (2010) ZRT/IRT-like protein 14 (ZIP14) promotes the cellular assimilation of iron from transferrin. J Biol Chem 285(42):32141–3215

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe