Optical properties of NdxGd1−xAl3(BO3)4 crystal

The optical properties of Nd x Gd 1-x Al\-3(BO\-3)\-4 (NGAB) crystal are reported. The refractive index of it were mesured by V_prism method. The absorption spectra and the flourescence specra of NGAB were also obtained. The optical parameters of NGAB were calculated following J_O theory, the three optical parameters are Ω 2 =1 805×10 -20 , Ω 4=1 85×10 -20 , Ω 6=3 793×10 -20 (RMS=1 4×10 -7 ) and β c( 4F 3/2 → 4I 11/2 ) is about 0 53.     

Coupling superconducting qubits via a cavity bus

Superconducting circuits are promising candidates for constructing quantum bits (qubits) in a quantum computer; single-qubit operations are now routine, and several examples of two-qubit interactions and gates have been demonstrated. These experiments show that two nearby qubits can be readily coupled with local interactions. Performing gate operations between an arbitrary pair of distant qubits is highly desirable for any quantum computer architecture, but has not yet been demonstrated. An efficient way to achieve this goal is to couple the qubits to a 'quantum bus', which distributes quantum information among the qubits. Here we show the implementation of such a quantum bus, using microwave photons confined in a transmission line cavity, to couple two superconducting qubits on opposite sides of a chip. The interaction is mediated by the exchange of virtual rather than real photons, avoiding cavity-induced loss. Using fast control of the qubits to switch the coupling effectively on and off, we demonstrate coherent transfer of quantum states between the qubits. The cavity is also used to perform multiplexed control and measurement of the qubit states. This approach can be expanded to more than two qubits, and is an attractive architecture for quantum information processing on a chip.     

An SSLP marker-anchored BAC framework map of the mouse genome

We have constructed a BAC framework map of the mouse genome consisting of 2,808 PCR-confirmed BAC clusters, using a previously described method. Fingerprints of BACs from selected clusters confirm the accuracy of the map. Combined with BAC fingerprint data, the framework map covers 37% of the mouse genome.     

Characterization of 64-, 123- and 182-base-pair exons in the mouse alpha 2(IV) collagen gene

Genes encoding types I, II and III collagens (fibrillar collagens) contain many discrete-size exons, most of them 54 base pairs (bp) long, in addition to the 45-, 99-, 108- and 162-bp exons. It has been suggested that these collagen genes evolved from an ancestral coding unit of 54 bp. Type IV collagen is a specific component of basement membranes and contains two genetically distinct polypeptides, the alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV) chains. It differs from the types I-III collagens in that it contains interruptions in the Gly-X-Y repeat sequence and does not form ordered fibrillar structures. We have isolated complementary DNA and genomic clones for the mouse alpha 2(IV) collagen chain and here characterize 64-, 123- and 182-bp exons in the Gly-X-Y coding domain of the gene. The data suggest that the alpha 2(IV) collagen gene may have evolved differently from those encoding the fibrillar collagens.     

Delay in vesicle fusion revealed by electrochemical monitoring of single secretory events in adrenal chromaffin cells.

In synapses, a rise in presynaptic intracellular calcium leads to secretory vesicle fusion in less than a millisecond, as indicated by the short delay from excitation to postsynaptic signal. In nonsynaptic secretory cells, studies at high time resolution have been limited by the lack of a detector as fast and sensitive as the postsynaptic membrane. Electrochemical methods may be sensitive enough to detect catecholamines released from single vesicles. Here, we show that under voltage-clamp conditions, stochastically occurring signals can be recorded from adrenal chromaffin cells using a carbon-fibre electrode as an electrochemical detector. These signals obey statistics characteristic for quantal release; however, in contrast to neuronal transmitter release, secretion occurs with a significant delay after short step depolarizations. Furthermore, we identify a pedestal or 'foot' at the onset of unitary events which may represent the slow leak of catecholamine molecules out of a narrow 'fusion pore' before the pore dilates for complete exocytosis.