Deceleration of interstellar hydrogen at the heliospheric interface

High-resolution spectra of nearby stars show absorption lines due to material in the local interstellar cloud. This cloud is deduced to be moving at 26 kilometers per second with respect to the sun, and in the same direction as the "interstellar wind" flowing through the solar system. Measurements by the Ulysses spacecraft show that neutral helium is drifting through the solar system at the same velocity, but neutral hydrogen appears to be moving at only 20 kilometers per second, a result confirmed by new measurements of the hydrogen emission line taken by the High-Resolution Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. These results indicate that neutral hydrogen atoms from the local interstellar cloud are preferentially decelerated at the heliospheric interface, most likely by charge-exchange with interstellar protons, while neutral helium is unaffected by the plasma. The magnitude of the observed deceleration implies an interstellar plasma density of 0.06 to 0.10 per cubic centimeter, which in turn implies that the heliospheric shock should be less than 100 astronomical units from the sun.     

Legionella effectors that promote nonlytic release from protozoa

Legionella pneumophila, the bacterial agent of legionnaires' disease, replicates intracellularly within a specialized vacuole of mammalian and protozoan host cells. Little is known about the specialized vacuole except that the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system is essential for its formation and maintenance. The Legionella genome database contains two open reading frames encoding polypeptides (LepA and LepB) with predicted coiled-coil regions and weak homology to SNAREs; these are delivered to host cells by an Icm/Dot-dependent mechanism. Analysis of mutant strains suggests that the Lep proteins may enable the Legionella to commandeer a protozoan exocytic pathway for dissemination of the pathogen.     

Ovariohysterectomy of three vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus)

Three sexually mature female common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) housed at the North Carolina Zoological Park, Asheboro, North Carolina, were selected for surgical ovariohysterectomy. All animals were induced and maintained with isoflurane anesthetic gas. Magnification loop glasses were worn by the surgeon for the procedure. A ventral midline incision was made into the abdominal cavity. Simple micro-ophthalmic surgical packs along with hemoclips were used to perform the ovariohysterectomies. The linea alba and muscular layers were closed using a simple continuous suture pattern with 4-0 polydioxanone suture. The skin was apposed using a horizontal mattress suture pattern with 4-0 polydioxanone suture. Animals recovered with minimal deleterious side effects. Animals were housed together in a recovery chamber and administered meloxicam at 0.2 mg/kg placed in their blood meal once daily for 7 days postoperatively, after which they were returned to their normal enclosures.