Discrete potential waves can be recorded from cells in the eye of Limulus both in darkness and in dim illumination. With constant illumination the frequency of these waves is linearly related to light intensity and the distribution of intervals between waves follows an exponential function. The latency of waves evoked by short flashes of light is usually long and variable and the number of wave...

The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different photoperiods and darkness on the growth and survival of juvenile Catla catla in the laboratory for 90 days. Fishes were divided into four aquaria (10 fish per aquarium), and subjected to different photoperiod regimes of 8 hours light: 16 hours dark (8L:16D), 16 hours light: 8 hours dark (16L:8D), continuous light (24L:0D) and co...

Chloroplast function in photosynthesis is essential for plant growth and development. It is well-known that chloroplasts respond to various light conditions. However, it remains poorly understood about how chloroplasts respond to darkness. In this study, we found 81 darkness-responsive proteins in Arabidopsis chloroplasts under 8 h darkness treatment. Most of the proteins are nucleus-encoded, i...

We numerically study the topology of optical vortex lines (nodal lines) in volumes of optical speckle, modeled as superpositions of random plane waves. It is known that the vortex lines may be infinitely long, or form closed loops. Loops are occasionally threaded by infinite lines, or linked with other loops. We find the probability of a loop not being threaded decays exponentially with the len...

Significant literature has an impact on the reader. Reading the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad as a young boy rose emotions comparable to those I felt when losing a patient after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) as a grown up. The case of a 37-year-old woman with bilateral staghorn and a fatal outcome after PCNL is presented and alternatives are discussed.