416 research outputs found
Controllability on infinite-dimensional manifolds
Following the unified approach of A. Kriegl and P.W. Michor (1997) for a
treatment of global analysis on a class of locally convex spaces known as
convenient, we give a generalization of Rashevsky-Chow's theorem for control
systems in regular connected manifolds modelled on convenient
(infinite-dimensional) locally convex spaces which are not necessarily
normable.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figur
Renormalization group study of interacting electrons
The renormalization-group (RG) approach proposed earlier by Shankar for
interacting spinless fermions at is extended to the case of non-zero
temperature and spin. We study a model with -invariant short-range
effective interaction and rotationally invariant Fermi surface in two and three
dimensions. We show that the Landau interaction function of the Fermi liquid,
constructed from the bare parameters of the low-energy effective action, is RG
invariant. On the other hand, the physical forward scattering vertex is found
as a stable fixed point of the RG flow. We demonstrate that in and 3, the
RG approach to this model is equivalent to Landau's mean-field treatment of the
Fermi liquid. We discuss subtleties associated with the symmetry properties of
the scattering amplitude, the Landau function and the low-energy effective
action. Applying the RG to response functions, we find the compressibility and
the spin susceptibility as fixed points.Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX 3.0, 2 PostScript figure
Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of Cryptosporidium muris from various hosts
Isolates of Cryptosporidium muris and C. serpentis were characterized from different hosts using nucleotide sequence analysis of the rDNA 18S and ITS1 regions, and the heat-shock (HSP-70) gene. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed preliminary evidence that C. muris is not a uniform species. Two distinct genotypes were identified within C. muris; (1) C. muris genotype A; comprising bovine and camel isolates of C. muris from different geographical locations, and (2) C. muris genotype B comprising C. muris isolates from mice, a hamster, a rock hyrax and a camel from the same enclosure. These 2 genotypes may represent separate species but further biological and molecular studies are required for confirmation
Additional Nucleon Current Contributions to Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
We have examined the importance of momentum dependent induced nucleon
currents such as weak-magnetism and pseudoscalar couplings to the amplitude of
neutrinoless double beta decay in the mechanisms of light and heavy Majorana
neutrino as well as in that of Majoron emission. Such effects are expected to
occur in all nuclear models in the direction of reducing the light neutrino
matrix elements by about 30%. To test this we have performed a calculation of
the nuclear matrix elements of the experimentally interesting nuclei A = 76,
82, 96, 100, 116, 128, 130, 136 and 150 within the pn-RQRPA. We have found that
indeed such corrections vary somewhat from nucleus to nucleus, but in all cases
they are greater than 25 percent. In the case of heavy neutrino the effect is
much larger (a factor of 3). Combining out results with the best presently
available experimental limits on the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta
decay we have extracted new limits on the effective neutrino mass (light and
heavy) and the effective Majoron coupling constant.Comment: 31 pages, RevTex, 3 Postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Mapping the drivers of parasitic weed abundance at a national scale : a new approach applied to Striga asiatica in the mid‐west of Madagascar
The parasitic weed genus Striga causes huge losses to crop production in sub‐Saharan Africa, estimated to be in excess of $7 billion per year. There is a paucity of reliable distribution data for Striga ; however, such data are urgently needed to understand current drivers, better target control efforts, as well as to predict future risks. To address this, we developed a methodology to enable rapid, large‐scale monitoring of Striga populations. We used this approach to uncover the factors that currently drive the abundance and distribution of Striga asiatica in Madagascar. Two long‐distance transects were established across the middle‐west region of Madagascar in which S. asiatica abundance in fields adjacent to the road was estimated. Management, crop structure and soil data were also collected. Analysis of the data suggests that crop variety, companion crop and previous crop were correlated with Striga density. A positive relationship between within‐field Striga density and the density of the nearest neighbouring fields indicates that spatial configuration and connectivity of suitable habitats is also important in determining Striga spread. Our results demonstrate that we are able to capture distribution and management data for Striga density at a landscape scale and use this to understand the ecological and agronomic drivers of abundance. The importance of crop varieties and cropping patterns is significant, as these are key socio‐economic elements of Malagasy cropping practices. Therefore, they have the potential to be promoted as readily available control options, rather than novel technologies requiring introduction
Sex differences in the associations between L-arginine pathway metabolites, skeletal muscle mass and function, and their responses to resistance exercise, in old age
This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/J015911/1) and was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ClinicalTrials. gov Identifier: NCT02843009). Supplementary email included with articlePeer reviewedPostprin
Low background detector with enriched 116CdWO4 crystal scintillators to search for double beta decay of 116Cd
A cadmium tungstate crystal boule enriched in Cd to 82% with mass of
1868 g was grown by the low-thermal-gradient Czochralski technique. The
isotopic composition of cadmium and the trace contamination of the crystal were
estimated by High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometry. The
crystal scintillators produced from the boule were subjected to
characterization that included measurements of transmittance and energy
resolution. A low background scintillation detector with two CdWO
crystal scintillators (586 g and 589 g) was developed. The detector was running
over 1727 h deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the
INFN (Italy), which allowed to estimate the radioactive contamination of the
enriched crystal scintillators. The radiopurity of a third CdWO
sample (326 g) was tested with the help of ultra-low background high purity
germanium detector. Monte Carlo simulations of double
processes in Cd were used to estimate the sensitivity of an experiment
to search for double decay of Cd.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication on Journal
of Instrumentatio
A resonant-term-based model including a nascent disk, precession, and oblateness: application to GJ 876
Investigations of two resonant planets orbiting a star or two resonant
satellites orbiting a planet often rely on a few resonant and secular terms in
order to obtain a representative quantitative description of the system's
dynamical evolution. We present a semianalytic model which traces the orbital
evolution of any two resonant bodies in a first- through fourth-order
eccentricity or inclination-based resonance dominated by the resonant and
secular arguments of the user's choosing. By considering the variation of
libration width with different orbital parameters, we identify regions of phase
space which give rise to different resonant ''depths,'' and propose methods to
model libration profiles. We apply the model to the GJ 876 extrasolar planetary
system, quantify the relative importance of the relevant resonant and secular
contributions, and thereby assess the goodness of the common approximation of
representing the system by just the presumably dominant terms. We highlight the
danger in using ''order'' as the metric for accuracy in the orbital solution by
revealing the unnatural libration centers produced by the second-order, but not
first-order, solution, and by demonstrating that the true orbital solution lies
somewhere ''in-between'' the third- and fourth-order solutions. We also present
formulas used to incorporate perturbations from central-body oblateness and
precession, and a protoplanetary or protosatellite thin disk with gaps, into a
resonant system. We quantify these contributions to the GJ 876 system, and
thereby highlight the conditions which must exist for multi-planet exosystems
to be significantly influenced by such factors. We find that massive enough
disks may convert resonant libration into circulation; such disk-induced
signatures may provide constraints for future studies of exoplanet systems.Comment: 39 pages of body text, 21 figures, 5 tables, 1 appendix, accepted for
publication in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronom
Characteristics of Early-Onset vs Late-Onset Colorectal Cancer: A Review.
The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (younger than 50 years) is rising globally, the reasons for which are unclear. It appears to represent a unique disease process with different clinical, pathological, and molecular characteristics compared with late-onset colorectal cancer. Data on oncological outcomes are limited, and sensitivity to conventional neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy regimens appear to be unknown. The purpose of this review is to summarize the available literature on early-onset colorectal cancer.
Within the next decade, it is estimated that 1 in 10 colon cancers and 1 in 4 rectal cancers will be diagnosed in adults younger than 50 years. Potential risk factors include a Westernized diet, obesity, antibiotic usage, and alterations in the gut microbiome. Although genetic predisposition plays a role, most cases are sporadic. The full spectrum of germline and somatic sequence variations implicated remains unknown. Younger patients typically present with descending colonic or rectal cancer, advanced disease stage, and unfavorable histopathological features. Despite being more likely to receive neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, patients with early-onset disease demonstrate comparable oncological outcomes with their older counterparts.
The clinicopathological features, underlying molecular profiles, and drivers of early-onset colorectal cancer differ from those of late-onset disease. Standardized, age-specific preventive, screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies are required to optimize outcomes
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