Radiation pressure calibration and test mass reflectivities for LISA Pathfinder

This paper describes a series of experiments which were carried out during the main operations of LISA Pathfinder. These experiments were performed by modulating the power of the measurement and reference beams. In one series of experiments the beams were sequentially switched on and off. In the other series of experiments the powers of the beams were modulated within 0.1% and 1% of the constant power. These experiments use recordings of the total power measured on the photodiodes to infer the properties of the Optical Metrology System (OMS), such as reflectivities of the test masses and change of the photodiode efficiencies with time. In the first case the powers are back propagated from the different photodiodes to the same place on the optical bench to express the unknown quantities in the measurement with the complimentary photodiode measurements. They are combined in the way that the only unknown left is the test mass reflectivities. The second experiment compared two estimates of the force applied to the test masses due to the radiation pressure that appears because of the beam modulations. One estimate of the force is inferred from the measurements of the powers on the photodiodes and propagation of this measurement to the test masses. The other estimation of the force is done by calculating it from the change in the main scientific output of the instrument - differential displacement of the two test masses. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.DLRFederal Ministry for Economic Affairs and EnergyRoyal SocietyScottish University Physics Alliance (SUPA

Neural reconstruction of bone-eating <i>Osedax</i> spp. (Annelida) and evolution of the siboglinid nervous system

BACKGROUND: Bone-devouring Osedax worms were described over a decade ago from deep-sea whale falls. The gutless females (and in one species also the males) have a unique root system that penetrates the bone and nourishes them via endosymbiotic bacteria. Emerging from the bone is a cylindrical trunk, which is enclosed in a transparent tube, that generally gives rise to a plume of four palps (or tentacles). In most Osedax species, dwarf males gather in harems along the female’s trunk and the nervous system of these microscopic forms has been described in detail. Here, the nervous system of bone-eating Osedax forms are described for the first time, allowing for hypotheses on how the abberant ventral brain and nervous system of Siboglinidae may have evolved from a ganglionated nervous system with a dorsal brain, as seen in most extant annelids. RESULTS: The intraepidermal nervous systems of four female Osedax spp. and the bone-eating O. priapus male were reconstructed in detail by a combination of immunocytochemistry, CLSM, histology and TEM. They all showed a simple nervous system composed of an anterior ventral brain, connected with anteriorly directed paired palp and gonoduct nerves, and four main pairs of posteriorly directed longitudinal nerves (2 ventral, 2 ventrolateral, 2 sets of dorso-lateral, 2 dorsal). Transverse peripheral nerves surround the trunk, ovisac and root system. The nervous system of Osedax resembles that of other siboglinids, though possibly presenting additional lateral and dorsal longitudinal nerves. It differs from most Sedentaria in the presence of an intraepidermal ventral brain, rather than a subepidermal dorsal brain, and by having an intraepidermal nerve cord with several plexi and up to three main commissures along the elongated trunk, which may comprise two indistinct segments. CONCLUSIONS: Osedax shows closer neuroarchitectural resemblance to Vestimentifera + Sclerolinum (= Monilifera) than to Frenulata. The intraepidermal nervous system with widely separated nerve cords, double brain commissures, double palp nerves and other traits found in Osedax can all be traced to represent ancestral states of Siboglinidae. A broader comparison of the nervous system and body regions across Osedax and other siboglinids allows for a reinterpretation of the anterior body region in the group

Endothelium state in Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms

Thrombotic complications contribute significantly in morbidity and mortality of patients with Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) including polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. Vascular endothelium is essential component of hemostatic system, and its functionality failure plays important role in prothrombotic states development. This review comprises analysis of available data on assessment of endothelium state characteristics in Ph-negative MPN and their detection with different methods. The search of literature sources was carried out using PubMed and eLibrary databases. The analysis of research results obtained with the use of different estimation techniques indicates that patients with Ph-negative MPN are characterized by endothelium activation, damage, and, consequently, dysfunction. Endothelium abnormalities associated with myeloproliferation have an effect on all endothelial functions fulfillment. Endothelial dysfunction represents important component of thrombosis pathogenesis in Ph-negative MPN

CОРБЦИОННО-СПЕКТРОФОТОМЕТРИЧЕСКОЕ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЕ РОДИЯ С ПОМОЩЬЮ ГЕТЕРОЦИКЛИЧЕСКИХ АЗОСОЕДИНЕНИЙ

A new sorption-spectrophotometric technique has been developed for the determination the rhodium in the copper-nickel sludge, based on the translated it into carbonyl chloride. The method consists in sorptive concentration of rhodium on the carbon nanomaterials, desorption of his, extraction (using tributyl phosphate) removal from desorbata platinum, palladium and other accompanying elements and spectrophotometric determination of rhodium with a reagent TADAF. Concentration range of rhodium 2 - 50 mkg/25 cm3.Keywords: rhodium, labilization, buffer acetate-alcohol system, the reagents of TAN-PAN, carbon nanomaterials (CNM), spectrophotometry. (Russian)DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2013.17.1.014 Z.M. Arabova1, N.V. Korsakova2, Yu.M. Dedkov3 1Astrackhan State University, Astrakhan, Russian Federation2 V.I. Vernadsky Institute of geochemistry and analytical chemistry of the Russian Academy Sciences,  Moscow, Russian Federation3Department of General and Analytical Chemistry, Moscow Regional State University, Moscow region, Mytischi, Russian Federation Разработана сорбционно-спектрофотометрическая методика определения родия в медно-никелевом шламе, основанная на переведении его в карбонилхлорид. Методика заключается в сорбционном концентрировании родия на углеродном наноматериале, десорбции его, экстракционном (с помощью трибутилфосфата) удалении из десорбата платины, палладия и др. сопутствующих элементов и спектрофотометрическом определении родия с помощью реагента ТАДАФ. Диапазон определяемых содержаний родия от 2 до 50 мкг/25 см3 фотометрируемого раствора.Ключевые слова: родий, лабилизация, буферная ацетатно-спиртовая система, реагенты группы ТАН-ПАН, углеродные наноматериалы (УНМ), спектрофотометрия.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2013.17.1.01

Integrative Neuropsychological Characteristics of Subcortical-Frontal Brain Regions as a Schizophrenia Liability Factor

Para estudiar las características de las regiones cerebrales subcórtico-frontal, se investigaron la función y la evaluación de su relación con la vulnerabilidad a la esquizofrenia en 59 pacientes y 23 controles, empleando los métodos neuropsicológicos de Luria. El análisis estableció anormalidades bilaterales de la función de las zonas lobulares prefrontal y frontal profunda en pacientes comparados con los controles. Estas anormalidades eran más predominantes en el hemisferio izquierdo. Las coeficientes de correlación punto-biserial de algunos indicadores neuropsicológicos integrativos con la vulnerabilidad a la esquizofrenia eran de 0,39 ± 0,11 y 0,28 ± 0,09, respectivamente. Los datos obtenidos llevan a la discusión de los indicadores neuropsicológicos integrativos de regiones subcortical-frontales del cerebro que se revelan como marcadores potenciales de vulnerabilidad a la esquizofrenia y confirma el papel de la asimetría estructural y funcional del cerebro en la patogénesis de la esquizofrenia.In order to study neuropsychological characteristics of subcortical-frontal brain regions function and assessment of their relation with vulnerability to schizophrenia 59 patients and 23 controls were investigated using Luria’s neuropsychological methods. The analysis established bilateral abnormalities of the function of prefrontal and profound frontal lobe zones in patients as compared with controls. These abnormalities were more predominate in the left hemisphere. Point biserial correlation coefficients of determined integrative neuropsychological indicators with liability to schizophrenia were 0.39 ± 0.11 and 0.28 ± 0.09, for the left and right brain zones respectively. The obtained data permits discussion of the integrative neuropsychological indicators of subcorticalfrontal brain regions as potential markers of liability to schizophrenia and confirms the role of structural and functional brain asymmetry in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia

PALAEOENVIRONMENTS ON THE KOLA PENINSULA DURING ISOLATION OF THE OSINOVOYE LAKE FROM PRA-IMANDRA BASIN (N-W RUSSIA)

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Draft Genome Sequences of Strains \u3ci\u3eSalinicola socius\u3c/i\u3e SMB35\u3csup\u3eT\u3c/sup\u3e, \u3ci\u3eSalinicola\u3c/i\u3e sp. MH3R3-1 and \u3ci\u3eChromohalobacter\u3c/i\u3e sp. SMB17 From the Verkhnekamsk Potash Mining Region of Russia

Halomonads are moderately halophilic bacteria that are studied as models of prokaryotic osmoadaptation and sources of enzymes and chemicals for biotechnological applications. Despite the progress in understanding the diversity of these organisms, our ability to explain ecological, metabolic, and biochemical traits of halomonads at the genomic sequence level remains limited. This study addresses this gap by presenting draft genomes of Salinicola socius SMB35T, Salinicola sp. MH3R3–1 and Chromohalobacter sp. SMB17, which were isolated from potash mine tailings in the Verkhnekamsk salt deposit area of Russia. The analysis of these genomes confirmed the importance of ectoines and quaternary amines to the capacity of halomonads to tolerate osmotic stress and adapt to hypersaline environments. The study also revealed that Chromohalobacter and Salinicola share 75–90% of the predicted proteome, but also harbor a set of genus-specific genes, which in Salinicola amounted to approximately 0.5 Mbp. These genus-specific genome segments may contribute to the phenotypic diversity of the Halomonadaceae and the ability of these organisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions and colonize new ecological niches

THE ONSET OF ANCA-ASSOCIATED SYSTEMIC VASCULITIS MASKING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

The paper describes a case of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the first clinical manifestation of which has been joint damage characterized chiefly by arthralgias. The overproduction of rheumatoid factor and anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies served as the basis for assuming rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two years after disease onset, there were the first signs of glomerulonephritis (GN) that further progressed to severe kidney failure. MPA was diagnosed by a renal biopsy that revealed the morphological pattern of immunonegative GN with glomerular crescents. The diagnosis was verified by the presence of serum antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). There were no X-ray bone changes typical for RA at a 10-year follow-up. The paper discusses whether it is important to incorporate ANCA-associated systemic vasculitis into a diagnostic search in patients with early arthritis, particularly when the latter is concurrent with involvement of the kidney or other organs