The Role of Multiplicity in Disk Evolution and Planet Formation

The past decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of protoplanetary disk evolution and planet formation in single star systems. However, the majority of solar-type stars form in binary systems, so the impact of binary companions on protoplanetary disks is an important element in our understanding of planet formation. We have compiled a combined multiplicity/disk census of Taurus-Auriga, plus a restricted sample of close binaries in other regions, in order to explore the role of multiplicity in disk evolution. Our results imply that the tidal influence of a close (<40 AU) binary companion significantly hastens the process of protoplanetary disk dispersal, as ~2/3 of all close binaries promptly disperse their disks within <1 Myr after formation. However, prompt disk dispersal only occurs for a small fraction of wide binaries and single stars, with ~80%-90% retaining their disks for at least ~2--3 Myr (but rarely for more than ~5 Myr). Our new constraints on the disk clearing timescale have significant implications for giant planet formation; most single stars have 3--5 Myr within which to form giant planets, whereas most close binary systems would have to form giant planets within <1 Myr. If core accretion is the primary mode for giant planet formation, then gas giants in close binaries should be rare. Conversely, since almost all single stars have a similar period of time within which to form gas giants, their relative rarity in RV surveys indicates either that the giant planet formation timescale is very well-matched to the disk dispersal timescale or that features beyond the disk lifetime set the likelihood of giant planet formation.Comment: Accepted to ApJ; 15 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables in emulateapj forma

Speckle Control with a remapped-pupil PIAA-coronagraph

The PIAA is a now well demonstrated high contrast technique that uses an intermediate remapping of the pupil for high contrast coronagraphy (apodization), before restoring it to recover classical imaging capabilities. This paper presents the first demonstration of complete speckle control loop with one such PIAA coronagraph. We show the presence of a complete set of remapping optics (the so-called PIAA and matching inverse PIAA) is transparent to the wavefront control algorithm. Simple focal plane based wavefront control algorithms can thus be employed, without the need to model remapping effects. Using the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme AO (SCExAO) instrument built for the Subaru Telescope, we show that a complete PIAA-coronagraph is compatible with a simple implementation of a speckle nulling technique, and demonstrate the benefit of the PIAA for high contrast imaging at small angular separation.Comment: 6 figures, submitted to PAS

The Doha Declaration and Beyond: Giving a Voice to Non-Trade Concerns Within the WTO Trade Regime

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has been a significant force in the liberalization of trade across international borders since its inception in 1995. Commentators suggest that its reforms have converted the focus of international trade policy from removal of barriers to positive policy-making--a field historically occupied by domestic authorities. And although largely successful in the promotion of international trade, the Authors suggest that the binding provisions of the WTO ignore non-trade concerns such as environmental protection, consumer rights, labor rights, and state sovereignty. The Agreement\u27s inattention to these related concerns is the primary locus of criticism of the WTO, culminating in the breakdown of the 1999 Ministerial Meeting in Seattle, Washington. The Article examines the relationship between the Agreement and environmental, consumer protection, and labor policy, as well as the implications of WTO membership on state sovereignty. The Authors conclude that to improve the WTO\u27s treatment of non-trade concerns, the WTO must increase participation to include non-trade stakeholders, develop and support expertise within the WTO to address non-trade concerns, and follow the blueprint articulated in the Ministerial Declaration at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha. The Declaration recognizes the importance of non-trade concerns and suggests a course of action that is likely to require the WTO to more squarely address the relationship between trade and non-trade policy

Impact of Preoperative Psychiatric Profile in Bariatric Surgery on Long-term Weight Outcome.

Conflicting results have been reported regarding the predictive value of preoperative psychological assessment and weight outcome after bariatric surgery. This might be attributed to different factors affecting early weight loss and long-term weight loss. Herein, we investigated whether preoperative psychiatric profile was associated with preoperative BMI and with both early (1 year) and long-term (5 years) weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Prospective observational cohort study of patients undergoing RYGB between 2013 and 2019. Symptoms related to anxiety, depression, eating disorder, and alcohol use disorders were assessed by employing validated, specific psychometric tests (STAI-S/T, BDI-II, BITE, AUDIT-C) prior to surgery. Pre-operative BMI, early weight loss (1 year), and long-term weight evolution (up to 5 years) were registered. Two hundred thirty six patients (81% women) were included in the present study. Linear longitudinal mixed model showed a significant effect of preoperative high anxiety (STAI-S) on long-term weight outcome, after controlling for gender, age and type 2 diabetes. Patient with high preoperative anxiety score regained weight faster than those experiencing low anxiety (each year percent excess BMI loss (%EBMIL) - 4.02%, ± 1.72, p = 0.021). No other pre-operative psychiatric symptoms have been shown to have an impact on long-term weight loss. In addition, no significant association was found between any of the pre-operative psychiatric variables and pre-operative BMI, or early weight loss (%EBMIL) at 1-year post-RYGB. Herein we identified high anxiety score (STAI-S) as a predictor for long-term weight regain. Thus, long-term psychiatric surveillance of these patients and the development of tailored management tools could serve as a means to prevent weight regain

Population genomic, olfactory, dietary, and gut microbiota analyses demonstrate the unique evolutionary trajectory of feral pigs

Domestication is an intriguing evolutionary process. Many domestic populations are subjected to strong human-mediated selection, and when some individuals return to the wild, they are again subjected to selective forces associated with new environments. Generally, these feral populations evolve into something different from their wild predecessors and their members typically possess a combination of both wild and human selected traits.&nbsp;Feralisation can manifest in different forms on a spectrum from a wild to a domestic phenotype. This depends on how the rewilded domesticated populations can readapt to natural environments based on how much potential and flexibility the ancestral genome retains after its domestication signature. Whether feralisation leads to the&nbsp;evolution of new traits that do not exist in the wild or to convergence with wild forms, however, remains unclear. To address this question, we performed population genomic, olfactory, dietary, and gut microbiota analyses on different populations of Sus scrofa (wild boar, hybrid, feral and several domestic pig breeds). Porcine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis shows that the feral population represents a cluster distinctly separate from all others. Its members display signatures of past artificial selection, as demonstrated by values of FST in specific regions of the genome and bottleneck signature, such as the number and length of runs of homozygosity. Generalised FST values, reacquired olfactory abilities, diet, and gut microbiota variation show current responses to natural selection. Our results suggest that feral pigs are an independent evolutionary unit which can persist so long as levels of human intervention remain unchanged

Charge-Density-Waves Tuned by Crystal Symmetry

The electronic orders appearing in condensed matter systems are originating from the precise arrangement of atoms constituting the crystal as well as their nature. This teneous relationship can lead to highly different phases in condensed matter, and drive electronic phase transitions. Here, we show that a very slight deformation of the crystal structure of TbTe$_3$ can have a dramatic influence on the electronic order that is stabilized. In particular, we show that the Charge Density Wave (CDW) developping along the $\vec{c}$ axis in the pristine state, switches to an orientation along $\vec{a}$ when the naturally orthorhombic system is turned into a tetragonal system. This is achieved by performing true biaxial mechanical deformation of a TbTe$_3$ sample from 250K to 375K, and by measuring both structural and electronic parameters with x-ray diffraction and transport measurements. We show that this switching transition is driven by the tetragonality parameter $a/c$, and that the transition occurs for $a=c$, with a coexistence region for $0.9985< a/c < 1.002$. The CDW transition temperature $T_c$ is found to have a linear dependence with $a/c$, with no saturation in the deformed states investigated here, while the gap saturates out of the coexistence region. The linear dependence of $T_c$ is accounted for within a tight-binding model. Our results question the relationship between the gap and $T_c$ in RTe$_3$ systems. More generally, our method of applying true biaxial deformation at cryogenic temperatures can be applied to many systems displaying electronic phase transitions, and opens a new route towards the study of coexisting or competing electronic orders in condensed matter

Coincidence between transcriptome analyses on different microarray platforms using a parametric framework

A parametric framework for the analysis of transcriptome data is demonstrated to yield coincident results when applied to data acquired using two different microarray platforms. Discrepancies among transcriptome studies are frequently reported, casting doubt on the reliability of collected data. The inconsistency among observations can be largely attributed to differences among the analytical frameworks employed for data analysis. The existing frameworks normalizes data against a standard determined from the data to be analyzed. In the present study, a parametric framework based on a strict model for normalization is applied to data acquired using an in-house printed chip and GeneChip. The framework is based on a common statistical characteristic of microarray data, and each data is normalized on the basis of a linear relationship with this model. In the proposed framework, the expressional changes observed and genes selected are coincident between platforms, achieving superior universality of data compared to other methods

The Potential Energy Landscape and Mechanisms of Diffusion in Liquids

The mechanism of diffusion in supercooled liquids is investigated from the potential energy landscape point of view, with emphasis on the crossover from high- to low-T dynamics. Molecular dynamics simulations with a time dependent mapping to the associated local mininum or inherent structure (IS) are performed on unit-density Lennard-Jones (LJ). New dynamical quantities introduced include r2_{is}(t), the mean-square displacement (MSD) within a basin of attraction of an IS, R2(t), the MSD of the IS itself, and g_{loc}(t) the mean waiting time in a cooperative region. At intermediate T, r2_{is}(t) posesses an interval of linear t-dependence allowing calculation of an intrabasin diffusion constant D_{is}. Near T_{c} diffusion is intrabasin dominated with D = D_{is}. Below T_{c} the local waiting time tau_{loc} exceeds the time, tau_{pl}, needed for the system to explore the basin, indicating the action of barriers. The distinction between motion among the IS below T_{c} and saddle, or border dynamics above T_{c} is discussed.Comment: submitted to pr