Multi-parameter immune profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by multiplexed single-cell mass cytometry in patients with early multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Studies in rodent models demonstrated an association of CNS-infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages with disease severity. However, little is known about humans. Here, we performed an exploratory analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy controls and drug-naïve patients with early MS using multiplexed single-cell mass cytometry and algorithm-based data analysis. Two antibody panels comprising a total of 64 antibodies were designed to comprehensively analyse diverse immune cell populations, with particular emphasis on monocytes. PBMC composition and marker expression were overall similar between the groups. However, an increased abundance of CCR7+ and IL-6+ T cells was detected in early MS-PBMCs, whereas NFAT1hiT-bethiCD4+ T cells were decreased. Similarly, we detected changes in the subset composition of the CCR7+ and MIPβhi HLA-DR+ lymphocyte compartment. Only mild alterations were detected in monocytes/myeloid cells of patients with early MS, namely a decreased abundance of CD141hiIRF8hiCXCR3+CD68- dendritic cells. Unlike in Crohn's disease, no significant differences were found in the monocyte fraction of patients with early MS compared to healthy controls. This study provides a valuable resource for future studies designed to characterise and target diverse PBMC subsets in MS

Collapse-revivals and population trapping in the m-photon mazer

We present a study of collapse-revival patterns that appear in the changes of atomic populations induced by the interaction of ultracold two-level atoms with electromagnetic cavities in resonance with an $m$-photon transition of the atoms ($m$-photon mazer). In particular, sech$^2$ and gaussian cavity mode profiles are considered and differences in the collapse-revival patterns are reported. The quantum theory of the $m$-photon mazer is written in the framework of the dressed-state coordinate formalism. Simple expressions for the atomic populations, the cavity photon statistics, and the reflection and transmission probabilities are given for any initial state of the atom-field system. Evidence for the population trapping phenomenon which suppress the collapse-revivals in the $m$-photon mazer is given.Comment: 9 revtex pages including 4 postscript figures. Submitted for publicatio

Symmetric qubits from cavity states

Two-mode cavities can be prepared in quantum states which represent symmetric multi-qubit states. However, the qubits are impossible to address individually and as such cannot be independently measured or otherwise manipulated. We propose two related schemes to coherently transfer the qubits which the cavity state represents onto individual atoms, so that the qubits can then be processed individually. In particular, our scheme can be combined with the quantum cloning scheme of Simon and coworkers [C. Simon et al, PRL 84, 2993 (2000)] to allow the optimal clones which their scheme produces to be spatially separated and individually utilized.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, minor typographical errors correcte

Deer reduce habitat quality for a woodland songbird: evidence from settlement patterns, demographic parameters, and body condition.

Understanding avian responses to ungulate-induced habitat modification is important because deer populations are increasing across much of temperate Europe and North America. Our experimental study examined whether habitat quality for Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) in young woodland in eastern England was affected by deer, by comparing Blackcap behavior, abundance, and condition between paired plots (half of each pair protected from deer). The vegetation in each pair of plots was the same age. The Blackcap is an ideal model species for testing effects of deer on avian habitat quality because it is dependent on dense understory vegetation and is abundant throughout much of Europe. We compared timing of settlement, abundance, age structure (second-year vs. after-second-year), and phenotypic quality (measured as a body condition index, body mass divided by tarsus length) between experimental and control plots. We used point counts to examine Blackcap distribution, and standardized mist netting to collect demographic and biometric data. Incidence of singing Blackcaps was higher in nonbrowsed than in browsed plots, and singing males were recorded in nonbrowsed plots earlier in the season, indicating earlier and preferential territory establishment. Most Blackcaps, both males and females, were captured in vegetation prior to canopy closure (2–4 years of regrowth). Body condition was superior for male Blackcaps captured in nonbrowsed plots; for second-year males this was most marked in vegetation prior to canopy closure. We conclude that deer browsing in young woodland can alter habitat quality for understory-dependent species, with potential consequences for individual fitness and population productivity beyond the more obvious effects on population density

On the Afterglow of the X-ray Flash of 2003 July 23: Photometric evdence for an Off-Axis Gamma-Ray burst with an Associated Supernova

Peer reviewe

Solvable model of a strongly-driven micromaser

We study the dynamics of a micromaser where the pumping atoms are strongly driven by a resonant classical field during their transit through the cavity mode. We derive a master equation for this strongly-driven micromaser, involving the contributions of the unitary atom-field interactions and the dissipative effects of a thermal bath. We find analytical solutions for the temporal evolution and the steady-state of this system by means of phase-space techniques, providing an unusual solvable model of an open quantum system, including pumping and decoherence. We derive closed expressions for all relevant expectation values, describing the statistics of the cavity field and the detected atomic levels. The transient regime shows the build-up of mixtures of mesoscopic fields evolving towards a superpoissonian steady-state field that, nevertheless, yields atomic correlations that exhibit stronger nonclassical features than the conventional micromaser.Comment: 9 pages, 16 figures. Submitted for publicatio

Preparation of decoherence-free, subradiant states in a cavity

The cause of decoherence in a quantum system can be traced back to the interaction with the environment. As it has been pointed out first by Dicke, in a system of N two-level atoms where each of the atoms is individually dipole coupled to the environment, there are collective, subradiant states, that have no dipole coupling to photon modes, and therefore they are expected to decay slower. This property also implies that these type of states, which form an N-1 dimensional subspace of the atomic subsytem, also decohere slower. We propose a scheme which will create such states. First the two-level atoms are placed in a strongly detuned cavity and one of the atoms, called the control atom is excited. The time evolution of the coupled atom-cavity system leads to an appropriately entangled state of the atoms. By applying subsequent laser pulses at a well defined time instant, it is possible to drive the atomic state into the subradiant, i. e., decoherence free subspace. Up to a certain average number of the photons, the result is independent of the state of the cavity. The analysis of the conditions shows that this scheme is feasible with present day techniques achieved in atom cavity interaction experiments.Comment: 5 page

Discover EDS: Tales of Implementation and Use

This paper supplements the panel, which was delivered in a “Lively Lunch” format and included presentations by librarians who have employed EBSCO’s Discovery System (EDS) in their academic institutions. The panelists addressed several important aspects of launching a discovery system in an academic library, such as Implementation; Information Literacy; and Assessment, Usability and Customization. The implementation component included technical aspects, business requirements, enhancing the operability of link resolvers, launch preparation, and implementation success. The information literacy portion addressed how academic reference services and library instruction have been transformed because of EDS. Assessment, Usability and Customization focused on customizing the search box and assessing EDS using statistics and usability testing. Michael Gorrell, Executive Vice President of Technology and Chief Information Officer of EBSCO Publishing, was present, and a Q&A time was scheduled at the end of each session for audience members to ask questions, comment, and share experiences. The implementation process of a Discovery Service involves many different aspects and is a large undertaking for any library. Depending on the size of the library, its technology infrastructure, and the number of staff involved, the implementation time can vary greatly. In addition, the planning processes and the considerations made prior to implementation are also affected by the nature and needs of end-users in these institutions. Selecting the resources to include in the discovery service, resolving technical issues, developing a strategy to publicize and market to end-users, and assessing and customizing the product are all part of a continuous course of implementing Discovery Services—a process that begins long before implementation and has no fixed completion. This process involves a collaborative and consorted effort from all areas of librarian expertise, from technical services to public services. The simplicity and comprehensiveness of discovery tools redefine how libraries deliver services across the board, changing the expectations users have of the experience of searching library resources and challenging librarians to redesign instruction and teach information literacy in new ways. These considerations and our own experience with implementing EBSCO’s Discovery System (EDS) at the University of South Florida prompted us to open up a discussion across university and college libraries in the U.S. and across librarian functions, technical, and public services, in order to share, discuss, and learn from each other the lessons of Discovery Service implementation and use. We wanted to focus on the continuous nature of this process, involving the user perspective, as well as the perspective of the vendor, EBSCO. We believe that talking with our colleagues and collaborating with publishers makes us much better positioned to anticipate the changing needs of users and enhance the experience, accessibility, and discoverability of library content

Study of local structure and magnetism in high-T(sub c) copper oxide superconductors

The muon spin rotation (MUSR) study of local magnetism of Sr-doped La2CuO4 is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on magnetic order as detected by local and bulk probes with local atomic environments studied by x ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). Correlations between the MUSR study of local magnetic ordering and the bulk magnetization study are presented along with a discussion of the dependence upon oxygen stoichiometry. Results are presented for both superconducting phases and magnetic phases. Recent data which reveals the existence of local magnetic ordering in the hydrogen-doped YBa2Cu3O7 system are also discussed