Marine Bioluminescence: Measurement by a Classical Light Sensor and Related Foraging Behavior of a Deep Diving Predator

Bioluminescence is produced by a broad range of organisms for defense, predation or communication purposes. Southern elephant seal (SES) vision is adapted to low‐intensity light with a peak sensitivity, matching the wavelength emitted by myctophid species, one of the main preys of female SES. A total of 11 satellite‐tracked female SESs were equipped with a time‐depth‐light 3D accelerometer (TDR10‐X) to assess whether bioluminescence could be used by SESs to locate their prey. Firstly, we demonstrated experimentally that the TDR10‐X light sensor was sensitive enough to detect natural bioluminescence; however, we highlighted a low‐distance detection of the sensor. Then, we linked the number of prey capture attempts (PCAs), assessed from accelerometer data, with the number of detected bioluminescence events. PCA was positively related to bioluminescence, which provides strong support that bioluminescence is involved in predator–prey interactions for these species. However, the limitations of the sensor did not allow us to discern whether bioluminescence (i) provided remote indication of the biological richness of the area to SES, (ii) was emitted as a mechanic reaction or (iii) was emitted as a defense mechanism in response to SES behavior.     

Detection of multicomponent signals: effect of difference in level between components

The detection of multicomponent signals for which the components are not equidetectable is precisely investigated as a function of the level difference ΔL(i∕j) between components. The detection thresholds are determined for a seven-tone complex signal with random starting phases masked by white noise. Level differences between the components are examined. A model for non-equidetectable conditions based on the statistical summation model is described. The improvement in detection is calculated from the level difference between components that is related to the thresholds for single components. The model predictions are in accordance with the experimental results.     

Temperaturverteilung in einem spiralförmig beheizten Rohr

Zusammenfassung Diese theoretische Arbeit befaßt sich mit der stationären Temperaturverteilung in einer Rohrwand, die von außen von einem oder mehreren parallelen elektrischen Heizleitern beheizt wird. Die Heizleiter sind spiralförmig auf das Rohr aufgewickelt. Innen wird das Rohr konvektiv gekühlt. Zur Lösung des Problems läßt sich die Wärmeleitgleichung in einem spiralförmigen Koordinatensystem aufstellen und dann mit der Annahme vereinfachen, daß alle Isothermen spiralförmig verlaufen. Die so erhaltene Differentialgleichung wird mit der Methode der Trennung der Variablen gelöst. Von besonderem Interesse sind die Temperaturunterschiede auf der Rohrinnenwand, die sich auf Grund der ungleichförmigen Beheizung ergeben. Die Rechnung zeigt, das man die Innenwandtemperatur als konstant annehmen darf, solange der axiale Abstand zweier Heizleiter, bei einer einfachen Wicklung also die Ganghöhe, kleiner ist als die Wandstärke des Rohres. Ist dieser Abstand jedoch doppelt so groß wie die Wandstärke, so können die Temperaturschwankungen auf der Rohrinnenwand in derselben Größenordnung sein wie die mittlere Differenz zwischen der Innenwandtemperatur und der Temperatur des strömenden Mediums.

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Temperature distribution in a helically heated tube

The paper is concerned with the steady state temperature distribution in a tube wall which is heated by one or several parallel line sources. The line sources are wound helically on the outer wall of the tube, which is internally cooled by convection. The heat conduction equation is formulated in helical coordinates and solved by the method of separation of variables. Special attention is paid to the temperature inhomogenities on the inner tube wall. It is shown that the inner tube wall can be assumed isothermal, if the axial distance between two line sources is smaller than the wall thickness. If this distance is twice as large as the wall thickness the temperature inhomogenities on the inner surface can be of the same order of magnitude as the difference between the average temperature of the inner surface and the temperature of the cooling medium.

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Formelzeichen Biot-Zahl - H Ganghöhe einer Spirale - I, K Assoziierte Bessel-Funktionen - N_jm siehe Gl. (34) - Q_L Heizleistung eines Heizleiters pro Längeneinheit - R_a, R_i Außen- und Innenradius des Rohres - T Temperatur - T=T₁–T₂ Temperaturdifferenz zwischen dem wärmsten und kältesten Punkt auf der Rohrinnenwand - T_m Temperatur des Kühlmediums im Rohr - a_j, b_j, c_j, d_j Koeffizienten in Gl. (11) - e_j Fourier-Koeffizienten in Gl. (23) - k_j Eigenwerte der Differentialgleichung - l_j=j · m Ordnung der assoziierten Bessel-Funktionen - m Zahl der Heizleiter - q Mittlere Wärmestromdichte auf der Rohrinnenwand - q_a Wärmestromdichteverteilung auf der Außenwand - r,, z Zylinderkoordinaten - s=R_a–R_i Wandstärke des Rohres - u, v, w Schraubenkoordinaten - a Wärmeübergangszahl auf der Rohrinnenwand - Wärmeleitfähigkeit der Rohrwand - _a, _r axiale und radiale Wärmeleitfähigkeit Herrn Professor Dr. P. Grassmann zum 65. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Copper‐Mediated Formation of Aryl,Heteroaryl, Vinyl and Alkynyl Difluoromethylphosphonates: A General Approach to Fluorinated Phosphate Mimics

A general and efficient access to aryl, heteroaryl, vinyl and alkynyl difluoromethylphosphonates is described. The developed methodology using TMSCF₂PO(OEt)₂, iodonium salts and a copper salt provided a straightforward manifold to reach these highly relevant products. The reaction proved to be highly functional group tolerant and proceeded under mild conditions, giving the corresponding products in good to excellent yields. This method represents the first general synthetic route to this important class of fluorinated scaffolds, which are well‐recognized as in vivo stable phosphate surrogates.     

Manifestations of probe presence on probe dynamics in supercooled liquids

Experimental studies that follow behavior of single probes embedded in heterogeneous systems are increasingly common. The presence of probes may perturb the system, and such perturbations may or may not affect interpretation of host behavior from the probe observables typically measured. In this study, the manifestations of potential probe-induced changes to host dynamics in supercooled liquids are investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that probe dynamics do not necessarily mirror host dynamics as they exist either in the probe-free or probe-bearing systems. In particular, for a binary supercooled liquid, we find that smooth probes larger than the host particles induce increased translational diffusion in the host system; however, the diffusion is anisotropic and enhances caging of the probe, suppressing probe translational diffusion. This in turn may lead experiments that follow probe diffusion to suggest Stokes-Einstein behavior of the system even while both the probe-free and probe-bearing systems exhibit deviations from that behavior.     

Ultrafast dynamics of isolated fluorenone

The ultrafast dynamics of isolated 9-fluorenone was studied by femtosecond time-resolved photoionization and photoelectron spectroscopy. The molecule was excited around 264-266 nm into the S(6) state. The experimental results indicate that the excitation is followed by a multistep deactivation. A time constant of 50 fs or less corresponds to a fast redistribution of energy within the initially excited manifold of states, i.e., a motion away from the Franck-Condon region. Internal conversion to the S(1) state then proceeds within 0.4 ps. The S(1) state is long-lived, and only a lower bound of 20 ps can be derived. In addition, we computed excited state energies and oscillator strengths by TD-DFT theory, supporting the interpretation of the experimental data.