2,649 research outputs found
Uniqueness of a Negative Mode About a Bounce Solution
We consider the uniqueness problem of a negative eigenvalue in the spectrum
of small fluctuations about a bounce solution in a multidimensional case. Our
approach is based on the concept of conjugate points from Morse theory and is a
natural generalization of the nodal theorem approach usually used in one
dimensional case. We show that bounce solution has exactly one conjugate point
at with multiplicity one.Comment: 4 pages,LaTe
Tight Adherence (Tad) Pilus Genes Indicate Putative Niche Differentiation in Phytoplankton Bloom Associated Rhodobacterales
The multiple interactions of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton are central for our understanding of aquatic environments. A prominent example of those is the consistent association of diatoms with Alphaproteobacteria of the order Rhodobacterales. These photoheterotrophic bacteria have traditionally been described as generalists that scavenge dissolved organic matter. Many observations suggest that members of this clade are specialized in colonizing the microenvironment of diatom cells, known as the phycosphere. However, the molecular mechanisms that differentiate Rhodobacterales generalists and phycosphere colonizers are poorly understood. We investigated Rhodobacterales in the North Sea during the 2010-2012 spring blooms using a time series of 38 deeply sequenced metagenomes and 10 metaproteomes collected throughout these events. Rhodobacterales metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) were recurrently abundant. They exhibited the highest gene enrichment and protein expression of small-molecule transporters, such as monosaccharides, thiamine and polyamine transporters, and anaplerotic pathways, such as ethylmalonyl and propanoyl-CoA metabolic pathways, all suggestive of a generalist lifestyle. Metaproteomes indicated that the species represented by these MAGs were the dominant suppliers of vitamin B-12 during the blooms, concomitant with a significant enrichment of genes related to vitamin B-12 biosynthesis suggestive of association with diatom phycospheres. A closer examination of putative generalists and colonizers showed that putative generalists had persistently higher relative abundance throughout the blooms and thus produced more than 80% of Rhodobacterales transport proteins, suggesting rapid growth. In contrast, putative phycosphere colonizers exhibited large fluctuation in relative abundance across the different blooms and correlated strongly with particular diatom species that were dominant during the blooms each year. The defining feature of putative phycosphere colonizers is the presence of the tight adherence (tad) gene cluster, which is responsible for the assembly of adhesive pili that presumably enable attachment to diatom hosts. In addition, putative phycosphere colonizers possessed higher prevalence of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, particularly homoserine lactones, which can regulate bacterial attachment through quorum sensing. Altogether, these findings suggest that while many members of Rhodobacterales are competitive during diatom blooms, only a subset form close associations with diatoms by colonizing their phycospheres.</p
Intrinsic Pinning in the High Field C-Phase of UPt_3
We report on the a.c. magnetic response of superconducting UPt_3 in a d.c.
magnetic field. At low fields (H < H^*), the in-phase susceptibility shows a
sharp drop at followed by a gradual decrease with decreasing temperature,
while the out-of-phase component shows a large peak at T_c followed by an
unusual broad peak. As the B-C phase line is crossed (H>H^*), however, both the
in-phase and out-of-phase susceptibilities resemble the zero-field Meissner
curves. We interpret these results in terms of a vortex pinning force which,
while comparatively small in the A/B-phases, becomes large enough to
effectively prevent vortex motion in the C-phase.Comment: Modified discussion, slight changes to figures, accepted in PRB Rapid
Communications. RevTex file, 5 figure
Techniques for measuring atmospheric aerosols at the High Resolution Fly's Eye experiment
We describe several techniques developed by the High Resolution Fly's Eye
experiment for measuring aerosol vertical optical depth, aerosol horizontal
attenuation length, and aerosol phase function. The techniques are based on
measurements of side-scattered light generated by a steerable ultraviolet laser
and collected by an optical detector designed to measure fluorescence light
from cosmic-ray air showers. We also present a technique to cross-check the
aerosol optical depth measurement using air showers observed in stereo. These
methods can be used by future air fluorescence experiments.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics Journal 16 pages, 9
figure
Description of Maribacter forsetii sp nov., a marine Flavobacteriaceae isolated from North Sea water, and emended description of the genus Maribacter
Three rod-shaped, Gram-negative, chemo-organotrophic, heterotrophic, strictly aerobic, gliding bacterial strains, KT02ds18-4, KT02ds18-5 and KT02ds18-6T, were isolated from North Sea surface waters near the island of Helgoland, Germany. Their taxonomic position was investigated by a polyphasic approach. The three strains were light yellow, oxidase- and catalase-positive, and grew optimally at 25 degrees C, at pH 7.5, and in the presence of 2.5 % (w/v) NaCl. The Chargaff's coefficient was 34.2-34.4 mol%. The three strains shared >90 % DNA-DNA relatedness and an identical 16S rRNA gene sequence. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis allocated the three strains to the genus Maribacter in the family Flavobacteriaceae, with similarities of 97.0-97.4 % to five of the recognized Maribacter species. Their low level of DNA-DNA relatedness (<20 %) with these species and differentiating phenotypic characteristics demonstrated that they constitute a new Maribacter species for which the name Maribacter forsetii sp. nov. is proposed. Strain KT02ds18-6T (=CIP 109504T=DSM 18668T) is the type strain. An emended description of the genus Maribacter is also proposed
The role of mathematical modeling in VOC analysis using isoprene as a prototypic example
Isoprene is one of the most abundant endogenous volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) contained in human breath and is considered to be a potentially useful
biomarker for diagnostic and monitoring purposes. However, neither the exact
biochemical origin of isoprene nor its physiological role are understood in
sufficient depth, thus hindering the validation of breath isoprene tests in
clinical routine.
Exhaled isoprene concentrations are reported to change under different
clinical and physiological conditions, especially in response to enhanced
cardiovascular and respiratory activity. Investigating isoprene exhalation
kinetics under dynamical exercise helps to gather the relevant experimental
information for understanding the gas exchange phenomena associated with this
important VOC.
A first model for isoprene in exhaled breath has been developed by our
research group. In the present paper, we aim at giving a concise overview of
this model and describe its role in providing supportive evidence for a
peripheral (extrahepatic) source of isoprene. In this sense, the results
presented here may enable a new perspective on the biochemical processes
governing isoprene formation in the human body.Comment: 17 page
Semiclassical theory of spin-orbit interactions using spin coherent states
We formulate a semiclassical theory for systems with spin-orbit interactions.
Using spin coherent states, we start from the path integral in an extended
phase space, formulate the classical dynamics of the coupled orbital and spin
degrees of freedom, and calculate the ingredients of Gutzwiller's trace formula
for the density of states. For a two-dimensional quantum dot with a spin-orbit
interaction of Rashba type, we obtain satisfactory agreement with fully
quantum-mechanical calculations. The mode-conversion problem, which arose in an
earlier semiclassical approach, has hereby been overcome.Comment: LaTeX (RevTeX), 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for Physical Review
Letters; final version (v2) for publication with minor editorial change
On well-posedness, stability, and bifurcation for the axisymmetric surface diffusion flow
In this article, we study the axisymmetric surface diffusion flow (ASD), a
fourth-order geometric evolution law. In particular, we prove that ASD
generates a real analytic semiflow in the space of (2 + \alpha)-little-H\"older
regular surfaces of revolution embedded in R^3 and satisfying periodic boundary
conditions. We also give conditions for global existence of solutions and prove
that solutions are real analytic in time and space. Further, we investigate the
geometric properties of solutions to ASD. Utilizing a connection to
axisymmetric surfaces with constant mean curvature, we characterize the
equilibria of ASD. Then, focusing on the family of cylinders, we establish
results regarding stability, instability and bifurcation behavior, with the
radius acting as a bifurcation parameter for the problem.Comment: 37 pages, 6 figures, To Appear in SIAM J. Math. Ana
Diverse syntrophic partnerships from deep-sea methane vents revealed by direct cell capture and metagenomics
Microorganisms play a fundamental role in the cycling of nutrients and energy on our planet. A common strategy for many microorganisms mediating biogeochemical cycles in anoxic environments is syntrophy, frequently necessitating close spatial proximity between microbial partners. We are only now beginning to fully appreciate the diversity and pervasiveness of microbial partnerships in nature, the majority of which cannot be replicated in the laboratory. One notable example of such cooperation is the interspecies association between anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria. These consortia are globally distributed in the environment and provide a significant sink for methane by substantially reducing the export of this potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The interdependence of these currently uncultured microbes renders them difficult to study, and our knowledge of their physiological capabilities in nature is limited. Here, we have developed a method to capture select microorganisms directly from the environment, using combined fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunomagnetic cell capture. We used this method to purify syntrophic anaerobic methane oxidizing ANME-2c archaea and physically associated microorganisms directly from deep-sea marine sediment. Metagenomics, PCR, and microscopy of these purified consortia revealed unexpected diversity of associated bacteria, including Betaproteobacteria and a second sulfate-reducing Deltaproteobacterial partner. The detection of nitrogenase genes within the metagenome and subsequent demonstration of 15N2 incorporation in the biomass of these methane-oxidizing consortia suggest a possible role in new nitrogen inputs by these syntrophic assemblages
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