Hybrid waveguide-bulk multi-path interferometer with switchable amplitude and phase

We design and realise a hybrid interferometer consisting of three paths based on integrated as well as on bulk optical components. This hybrid construction offers a good compromise between stability and footprint on one side and means of intervention on the other. As experimentally verified by the absence of higher-order interferences, amplitude and phase can be manipulated in all paths independently. In conjunction with single photons, the setup can, therefore, be applied for fundamental investigations on quantum mechanics.Comment: accepted in APL Photonic

Implementación de la tecnología whitetopping para la rehabilitación de pavimentos asfalticos en la vía universitaria tramo: Puente Tingo – Cayhuaynita, Distrito de Pillco Marca – Huánuco, 2021

Cuando se analizó la condición del tramo Puente Tingo – Cayhuaynita utilizando la viga Benkelman encontramos donde está deteriorado el pavimento flexible existente, con el rugosímetro (Merlín) detectamos las zonas en las cuales se tiene que realizar el bacheado; con esa información planteamos que trabajos realizar en cada sector de los 475 m que se evaluaron de la vía. Se realizo un estudio de tráfico para calcular el ESAL (volumen de tránsito del carril de diseño) que nos permitió complementar con la información obtenida con la viga Benkelman y el rugosímetro (Merlín) para un correcto planteamiento de rehabilitación implementando la tecnología whitetopping. Nuestra investigación es de tipo aplicada, con un nivel de estudio correlacional y con una investigación de enfoque cuantitativa, el diseño del estudio es cuasi-experimental en el que se manipuló las variables independientes para determinar los posibles efectos, se controlaron mínimamente y se compararon con otro grupo ya establecido, la población que se analizó es el tramo Puente Tingo – Cayhuaynita. Se tuvo en cuenta la evaluación de los costos de las partidas y sub partidas necesarias a ejecutar durante la aplicación de la tecnología whitetopping comparada con el pavimento flexible convencional en sus etapas de rehabilitación y mantenimiento, concluyendo que la tecnología es viable durante la vida útil de 20 años ya que tiene un costo de S/.397,290.61 que es un 35% menor que utilizar la rehabilitación de pavimento flexible tradicional. En el estudio realizamos el análisis del material de cantera que se plantea utilizar para elaborar el concreto hidráulico utilizado en la implementación de la tecnología whitetopping y con el ESAL (volumen de tránsito del carril de diseño) el espesor de capa del concreto hidráulico considerando la deflexión admisible calculado con la viga Benkelman

Valoración corporación Lindley S.A.

En este documento se realizará la valoración de Corporación Lindley S.A. (en adelante Lindley o la empresa), actualmente líder del mercado de bebidas no alcohólicas. Se toman en cuenta factores macroeconómicos, de la industria y del mercado, considerando –además- las diferentes estrategias utilizadas por la empresa. También se describen expectativas de crecimiento junto con supuestos que contribuyen a la obtención del valor por acción de la empresa. Haciendo uso de información pública, noticias referentes a la empresa e industria -fuentes que se consideran confiables y relevantes-, entrevistas con uno de sus ejecutivos, supuestos, y procedimientos analíticos en tres escenarios distintos, se concluye que, a la fecha, el valor de la empresa en un escenario esperado utilizando el modelo de flujos descontados es de S/ 2.613.905 con un valor por acción de S/ 4,01. Históricamente, las acciones de inversión son poco líquidas, cerrando éstas el 2016 en S/ 3,00, por lo que la recomendación para inversiones en la acción de la empresa es comprar. Cabe mencionar que en agosto 2016 la agencia calificadora Fitch Ratings (Diario Gestión 2016) ha elevado la calificación global de la deuda corporativa de la empresa de “BBB-” a “BBB+”, esto debido a la integración con Arca Continental y The Coca-Cola Company, la posición sólida en el mercado peruano de bebidas -70% de mercado de bebidas carbonatadas, liderazgo en el mercado de aguas, jugos- y la reducción de su nivel de endeudamiento. Con esto, Corporación Lindley se cataloga como la empresa peruana de consumo masivo con mejor clasificación global

Electron Impact Ionization Close to the Threshold: Classical Calculations

In this paper we present Classical Trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) calculations for single and multiple electron ionization of Argon atoms and ions in the threshold region. We are able to recover the Wannier exponents a for the power-law behavior of the cross section s versus excess energy: the exact value of the exponent as well as the existence of its saturation for multiple ionization appear to be related to how the total binding energy is shared between target electrons.Comment: 9 pages. To be published in Journal of Physics

VUV photon induced fluorescence study of SF5CF3

The interaction of SF$_5$CF$_3$ with vacuum-UV radiation has been investigated by photon induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Total fluorescence yield and dispersed fluorescence spectra of SF$_5$CF$_3$ were recorded in the 200-1000 nm fluorescence window. In all cases, the fluorescence spectra resemble those of CF$_3$X (X=H, F, Cl, and Br) molecules. At photon energies below 20 eV, the emission is attributed to the excited CF$_3$ and CF$_2$ fragments. The threshold for the CF$_3$ emission is 10.2 ± 0.2 eV, giving an upper-limit estimate for the SF$_5$-CF$_3$ bond dissociation energy of 3.9 ± 0.3 eV. The excitation functions of the CF3 and CF2 emissions were measured in the photon energy range 13.6 – 27.0 eV. The resonant structures observed in SF$_5$CF$_3$ are attributed to electronic transitions from valence to Rydberg orbitals, following similar assignments in CF$_3$X molecules. The photoabsorption spectrum of SF$_5$CF$_3$ shows features at the same energies, indicating a strong contribution from Rydberg excitations

MicroRNA-mediated rescue of fear extinction memory by miR-144-3p in extinction-impaired mice

Background MicroRNA (miRNA)-mediated control of gene expression suggests that miRNAs are interesting targets and/or biomarkers in the treatment of anxiety- and trauma-related disorders, where often memory-associated gene expression is adversely affected. Methods The role of miRNAs in the rescue of impaired fear extinction was assessed using the 129S1/SvlmJ (S1) mouse model of impaired fear extinction. miRNA microarray analysis, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, fluorescent in situ hybridization, lentiviral overexpression, and Luciferase reporter assays were used to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying miRNA-mediated normalization of deficient fear extinction. Results Rescuing impaired fear extinction via dietary zinc restriction was associated with differential expression of miRNAs in the amygdala. One candidate, miR-144-3p, robustly expressed in the basolateral amygdala, showed specific extinction-induced, but not fear-induced, increased expression in both extinction-rescued S1 mice and extinction-intact C57BL/6 (BL6) mice. miR-144-3p upregulation and effects on subsequent behavioral adaption was assessed in S1 and BL6 mice. miR-144-3p overexpression in the basolateral amygdala rescued impaired fear extinction in S1 mice, led to enhanced fear extinction acquisition in BL6 mice, and furthermore protected against fear renewal in BL6 mice. miR-144-3p targets a number of genes implicated in the control of plasticity-associated signaling cascades, including Pten, Spred1, and Notch1. In functional interaction studies, we revealed that the miR-144-3p target, PTEN, colocalized with miR-144-3p in the basolateral amygdala and showed functional downregulation following successful fear extinction in S1 mice. Conclusions These findings identify a fundamental role of miR-144-3p in the rescue of impaired fear extinction and suggest this miRNA as a viable target in developing novel treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder and related disorders

A gut bacterial signature in blood and liver tissue characterizes cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundHCC is the leading cause of cancer in chronic liver disease. A growing body of experimental mouse models supports the notion that gut-resident and liver-resident microbes control hepatic immune responses and, thereby, crucially contribute to liver tumorigenesis. However, a comprehensive characterization of the intestinal microbiome in fueling the transition from chronic liver disease to HCC in humans is currently missing.MethodsHere, we profiled the fecal, blood, and liver tissue microbiome of patients with HCC by 16S rRNA sequencing and compared profiles to nonmalignant cirrhotic and noncirrhotic NAFLD patients.ResultsWe report a distinct bacterial profile, defined from 16S rRNA gene sequences, with reduced α-and β-diversity in the feces of patients with HCC and cirrhosis compared to NAFLD. Patients with HCC and cirrhosis exhibited an increased proportion of fecal bacterial gene signatures in the blood and liver compared to NAFLD. Differential analysis of the relative abundance of bacterial genera identified an increased abundance of Ruminococcaceae and Bacteroidaceae in blood and liver tissue from both HCC and cirrhosis patients compared to NAFLD. Fecal samples from cirrhosis and HCC patients both showed a reduced abundance for several taxa, including short-chain fatty acid-producing genera, such as Blautia and Agathobacter. Using paired 16S rRNA and transcriptome sequencing, we identified a direct association between gut bacterial genus abundance and host transcriptome response within the liver tissue.ConclusionsOur study indicates perturbations of the intestinal and liver-resident microbiome as a critical determinant of patients with cirrhosis and HCC

Nest site selection of Tawny Owls Strix aluco in relation to habitat structure and food abundance in the biosphere reserve Wienerwald

Die vorliegende Masterarbeit befasst sich mit dem Einfluss von Habitatstruktur und Nahrungsverfügbarkeit auf die Nistplatzwahl des Waldkauzes Strix aluco im Biosphärenpark Wienerwald (westlich von Wien, Österreich). Zwischen März und Mai 2011 wurden 60 Nistkästen auf Brutversuche untersucht, im Mai in neun besetzten Nistkästen der Bruterfolg erfasst, und zwischen Juni und August im Umkreis der 60 Nistkästen und 30 (auf bewaldete Flächen beschränkten) Zufallspunkte 46 Habitatvariablen erhoben. Davon wurden 34 Variablen innerhalb eines Radius von 20 m (Mikrohabitat) erhoben und 12 innerhalb eines Radius von 250 m (Makrohabitat). Die Verfügbarkeit der Hauptbeutetiere wurde zwischen März und Mai durch Fangen in Lebendfallen (1.080 Falleneinheiten; Nagetiere) bzw. Kartieren entlang von sechs Strecken zu je acht Punkten (Vögel) erfasst. Statistische Analysen wurden mit dem Programm „R“ durchgeführt und beinhalteten Zweistichproben-t-Test, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney-Test, ANOVA, logistische Regression, PCA und LDA. Obwohl der Waldkauz in seiner Habitatwahl sehr flexibel ist, konnten doch einige Besonderheiten festgestellt werden. Bei insgesamt sechs Habitatvariablen unterschieden sich besetzte und nicht besetzte Nistkästen signifikant. Die Waldkäuze schienen reine Hallenwälder weniger zu bevorzugen als etwas dichtere, strukturierte Waldabschnitte. Diese boten sowohl Deckung vor Mobbing durch Kleinvögel und Prädatoren, als auch Ansitzwarten für die Jagd. Im Vergleich zu Standorten mit mehr Nadelbäumen wurden 2011 in reinen Laubwäldern weniger Brutversuche unternommen. Möglicherweise ist die geringere Verfügbarkeit von Nagetieren im Jahr 2011, die in reinen Laubwäldern wahrscheinlich stärker ausgeprägt war, die Ursache dafür. Aufgrund der selektiven Montage von Nistkästen durch das Habichtskauz-Wiederansiedlungsprojekt-Team zeigten wie zu erwarten viele (18) Habitatvariablen signifikante Unterschiede zwischen Nistkästen und Zufallsflächen. Das Angebot an Kleinsäugern, der üblichen Hauptbeute des Waldkauzes, war außerordentlich gering. Insgesamt wurden nur 25 Nagetiere aus drei Arten (Rötelmaus Chletrionomys glareolus, Gelbhalsmaus Apodemus flavicollis, und Waldmaus Apodemus sylvaticus) gefangen. Die Anzahl an gefangenen Individuen betrug lediglich 0,02 pro 100 Falleneinheiten (33 g / Monat). Der Grund für die niedrigen Werte dürften die aufeinanderfolgenden fast ausgebliebenen Buchenmasten in den Jahren 2009 und 2010 gewesen sein. Besser war es um die Vogeldichte bestellt. Die Anzahl der Vögel lag bei ca. 500 Individuen pro Monat (dem entsprechen ca. 2.000 g Biomasse). In Summe wurden 1.568 Individuen aus mindestens 39 Arten erfasst. Die meisten Individuen und Arten wogen weniger als 19 g. Aus den Nahrungsanalysen war ersichtlich, dass die Waldkäuze als opportunistische Prädatoren das niedrige Angebot an Nagetieren ausglichen, indem sie auf Vögel als alternative Beute auswichen. Dass diese aufwändiger zu jagen sind ist möglicherweise die Ursache für die geringe Reproduktionsrate von 1,8 Jungen pro überprüftem erfolgreich brütenden Waldkauzpaar (n = 9 von 24). Die Nahrungszusammensetzung sah wie folgt aus: 20 Säugetiere (26,7 %), 45 Vögel (60,0 %), drei Reptilien (4,0 %), vier Amphibien (5,3 %), ein Fisch (1,3 %) und zwei Laufkäfer (2,7 %) (n = 75).The thesis presented focuses on nest site selection of Tawny Owls Strix aluco in relation to habitat structure and food abundance in the Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald (to the west of Vienna, Austria). Breeding attempts in 60 nesting boxes were recorded from March to May 2011, breeding success in nine exemplary broods was controlled in May, and 46 habitat variables were measured at all of the 60 nest sites and at 30 random plots (located in forested areas only) from June to August. Of those 46 variables, 34 were recorded in the microhabitat with a radius of 20 m, and 12 were measured in the macrohabitat with a radius of 250 m. Abundance of main prey (rodents and birds) was recorded from March to May by trapping rodents with baited live traps (1,080 trapping units) and mapping birds at six locations with eight points each. Statistical analyses performed with the program “R” were Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon-test, ANOVA, logistic regression, PCA and LDA. Although Tawny Owls are flexible in habitat choice, some distinctive features could be noted. Significant differences between occupied and not occupied nest sites were found in six habitat variables. Tawny Owls seemed to prefer forests that were not completely hall-like, but more densely structured and thus provided cover from mobbing and predators, and could be used for hunting as well. Presumably due to the low rodent abundance in 2011, which probably was more pronounced in deciduous forests, fewer breeding attempts occurred in purely deciduous forests in comparison to nest sites with a higher number of coniferous trees. Between nest sites and random plots, 18 significant differences were found. These differences were expected because they were caused by the selective installation of nesting boxes by the Ural Owl reintroduction project team. Rodent abundance was extremely low in the study period. In three months, only 25 individuals of three species (Bank Vole Chletrionomys glareolus, Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis, and Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus) were trapped. Only 0.02 individuals per 100 trapping units were recorded (33 g / month). This was most likely due to the almost complete failure of beeches to bear seeds in two consecutive years (2009 and 2010). In contrast, bird density was much higher. A total of 1,568 bird individuals belonging to at least 39 species were recorded, most of them weighed less than 19 g. Bird biomass ranged around 2,000 g each month (corresponding to ca. 500 individuals). Prey analysis showed that Tawny Owls as opportunistic predators compensated the low rodent abundance by switching to birds as alternative prey. Nevertheless, the reproductive rate was relatively low (1.8 nestlings per inspected successful breeding pair, n = 9 of 24). Prey composition was as follows: 20 mammals (26.7 %), 45 birds (60.0 %), three reptiles (4.0 %), four amphibians (5.3 %), one fish (1.3 %) and two beetles (2.7 %) (n = 75)