Superconducting gap nodes in PrOs_4Sb_12

We examine the superconducting gap nodes in crystals with tetrahedral (T_h) symmetry. The (0,0,1) phase of the three dimensional order parameter in the triplet channel has nodes in the [001] directions. Following a second order phase transition to the state (0,i|eta_2|,|eta_1|), each node lifts away from the Fermi surface and splits into two deep dips. We discuss this scenario in the context of multiple superconducting phases in PrOs4Sb12.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, ICM2006, manuscript with higher quality figure may be obtained at http://www.physics.mun.ca/~curnoe/papers/PrOs4Sb12.pd

Towards Activity Context using Software Sensors

Service-Oriented Computing delivers the promise of configuring and reconfiguring software systems to address user's needs in a dynamic way. Context-aware computing promises to capture the user's needs and hence the requirements they have on systems. The marriage of both can deliver ad-hoc software solutions relevant to the user in the most current fashion. However, here it is a key to gather information on the users' activity (that is what they are doing). Traditionally any context sensing was conducted with hardware sensors. However, software can also play the same role and in some situations will be more useful to sense the activity of the user. Furthermore they can make use of the fact that Service-oriented systems exchange information through standard protocols. In this paper we discuss our proposed approach to sense the activity of the user making use of software

A vitamin D, calcium and leucine-enriched whey protein nutritional supplement improves measures of bone health in sarcopenic non-malnourished older adults: The PROVIDE study

Alterations in musculoskeletal health with advanced age contribute to sarcopenia and decline in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength. This decline may be modifiable via dietary supplementation. To test the hypothesis that a specific oral nutritional supplement can result in improvements in measures of bone health. Participants (n 380) were participants of the PROVIDE study, a 13-week, multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind, 2 parallel-group study among non-malnourished older participants (≥ 65 years) with sarcopenia [determined by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; 0-12) scores between 4 and 9, and a low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI; skeletal muscle mass/BW × 100) ≤ 37% in men and ≤ 28% in women using bioelectric impedance analysis] Supplementation of a vitamin D, calcium and leucine-enriched whey protein drink that comprises a full range of micronutrients (active; 2/day) was compared with an iso-caloric control. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], parathyroid hormone (PTH), biochemical markers of bone formation (osteocalcin; OC, procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide; P1NP) and resorption (carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks; CTX), insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and total-body BMD were analysed pre- and post-intervention. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased from 51.1 ± 22.9 nmol/L (mean ± SD) to 78.9 ± 21.1 nmol/L in the active group (p < 0.001 vs. control). Serum PTH showed a significant treatment difference (p < 0.001) with a decline in the active group, and increase in the control group. Serum IGF-1 increased in the active group (p < 0.001 vs. control). Serum CTX showed a greater decline in the active group (p = 0.001 vs. control). There were no significant differences in serum OC or P1NP between groups during the intervention. Total body BMD showed a small (0.02 g/cm2; ~ 2%) but significant increase in the active group after supplementation (p = 0.033 vs. control). Consuming a vitamin D, calcium and leucine-enriched whey protein supplement for 13 weeks improved 25(OH)D, suppressed PTH and had small but positive effects on BMD, indicative of improved bone health, in sarcopenic non-malnourished older adults

Strangeness nuclear physics: a critical review on selected topics

Selected topics in strangeness nuclear physics are critically reviewed. This includes production, structure and weak decay of $\Lambda$--Hypernuclei, the $\bar K$ nuclear interaction and the possible existence of $\bar K$ bound states in nuclei. Perspectives for future studies on these issues are also outlined.Comment: 63 pages, 51 figures, accepted for publication on European Physical Journal

EVR-CB-004: An Inflated Hot Subdwarf O Star + Unseen WD Companion in a Compact Binary Discovered with the Evryscope

We present the discovery of EVR-CB-004, a close binary with a remnant stellar core and an unseen white dwarf (WD) companion. The analysis in this work reveals that the primary is potentially an inflated hot subdwarf (sdO) and more likely is a rarer post-blue horizontal branch (post-BHB) star. Post-BHBs are the short-lived shell-burning final stage of a blue horizontal star or hot subdwarf before transitioning to a WD. This object was discovered using Evryscope photometric data in a southern all-sky hot subdwarf variability survey. The photometric light curve for EVR-CB-004 shows multicomponent variability from ellipsoidal deformation of the primary and Doppler boosting, as well as gravitational limb darkening. The binary EVR-CB-004 is one of just a handful of known systems and has a long period (6.08426 hr) and large-amplitude ellipsoidal modulation (16.0% change in brightness from maximum to minimum) for these extremely close binary systems, while the properties of the primary make it a truly unique system. It also shows a peculiar low-amplitude (less than 1%) sinusoidal light-curve variation with a period that is a 1/3 resonance of the binary period. We tentatively identify this additional variation source as a tidally induced resonant pulsation, and we suggest follow-up observations that could verify this interpretation. From the evolutionary state of the system, its components, and its mass fraction, EVR-CB-004 is a strong merger candidate to form a single high-mass (1.2 M o˙) WD. It offers a glimpse into a brief phase of remnant core evolution and secondary variation not seen before in a compact binary

The first ultracompact Roche lobe-filling hot subdwarf binary

We report the discovery of the first short period binary in which a hot subdwarf star (sdOB) fills its Roche lobe and started mass transfer to its companion. The object was discovered as part of a dedicated high-cadence survey of the Galactic Plane named the Zwicky Transient Facility and exhibits a period of Porb=39.3401(1) min, making it the most compact hot subdwarf binary currently known. Spectroscopic observations are consistent with an intermediate He-sdOB star with an effective temperature of Teff=42,400±300 K and a surface gravity of log(g)=5.77±0.05. A high-signal-to noise GTC+HiPERCAM light curve is dominated by the ellipsoidal deformation of the sdOB star and an eclipse of the sdOB by an accretion disk. We infer a low-mass hot subdwarf donor with a mass MsdOB=0.337±0.015 M⊙ and a white dwarf accretor with a mass MWD=0.545±0.020 M⊙. Theoretical binary modeling indicates the hot subdwarf formed during a common envelope phase when a 2.5−2.8 M⊙ star lost its envelope when crossing the Hertzsprung Gap. To match its current Porb, Teff, log(g), and masses, we estimate a post-common envelope period of Porb≈150 min, and find the sdOB star is currently undergoing hydrogen shell burning. We estimate that the hot subdwarf will become a white dwarf with a thick helium layer of ≈0.1 M⊙ and will merge with its carbon/oxygen white dwarf companion after ≈17 Myr and presumably explode as a thermonuclear supernova or form an R CrB star

The SN Ia runaway LP 398-9 : detection of circumstellar material and surface rotation

A promising progenitor scenario for Type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) is the thermonuclear detonation of a white dwarf in a close binary system with another white dwarf. After the primary star explodes, the surviving donor can be spontaneously released as a hypervelocity runaway. One such runaway donor candidate is LP 398-9, whose orbital trajectory traces back ≈105 yr to a known supernova remnant. Here, we report the discovery of carbon-rich circumstellar material around LP 398-9, revealed by a strong infrared excess and analysed with follow-up spectroscopy. The circumstellar material is most plausibly composed of inflated layers from the star itself, mechanically and radioactively heated by the past companion’s supernova. We also detect a 15.4 h periodic signal in the UV and optical light curves of LP 398-9, which we interpret as surface rotation. The rotation rate is consistent with theoretical predictions from this supernova mechanism, and the brightness variations could originate from surface inhomogeneity deposited by the supernova itself. Our observations strengthen the case for this double-degenerate SNIa progenitor channel, and motivate the search for more runaway SNIa donors

Quadrupole collectivity in neutron-rich Cd isotopes

4 pags., 2 figs. -- INPC 2013 – International Nuclear Physics ConferenceThe investigation of the excitation energies of the 21+ –states in the neutron-rich Cd isotopes shows an irregular behaviour when approaching the neutron shell-closure at N = 82. The energy of the 21+–state in 128Cd is lower than the one in 126Cd. The transition strength B(E2, 0gs+ → 21+) in the even isotopes 122−128Cd was measured in Coulomb excitation experiments with the high-purity germanium detector array MINIBALL at REXISOLDE (CERN). The values for 122,124Cd coincide with beyond-mean-field calculations with a resultant prolate deformation, whereas 126,128Cd are better described by shell-model calculations.This project is supported by BMBF (No. 06 DA 9036I, No. 05 P12 RDCIA, No. 05 P12 RDCIB and No. 05 P12 PKFNE), HIC for FAIR, EU through EURONS (No. 506065) and ENSAR (No. 262010) and the MINIBALL and REX-ISOLDE collaborations

A Model for the Development of the Rhizobial and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbioses in Legumes and Its Use to Understand the Roles of Ethylene in the Establishment of these two Symbioses

We propose a model depicting the development of nodulation and arbuscular mycorrhizae. Both processes are dissected into many steps, using Pisum sativum L. nodulation mutants as a guideline. For nodulation, we distinguish two main developmental programs, one epidermal and one cortical. Whereas Nod factors alone affect the cortical program, bacteria are required to trigger the epidermal events. We propose that the two programs of the rhizobial symbiosis evolved separately and that, over time, they came to function together. The distinction between these two programs does not exist for arbuscular mycorrhizae development despite events occurring in both root tissues. Mutations that affect both symbioses are restricted to the epidermal program. We propose here sites of action and potential roles for ethylene during the formation of the two symbioses with a specific hypothesis for nodule organogenesis. Assuming the epidermis does not make ethylene, the microsymbionts probably first encounter a regulatory level of ethylene at the epidermis–outermost cortical cell layer interface. Depending on the hormone concentrations there, infection will either progress or be blocked. In the former case, ethylene affects the cortex cytoskeleton, allowing reorganization that facilitates infection; in the latter case, ethylene acts on several enzymes that interfere with infection thread growth, causing it to abort. Throughout this review, the difficulty of generalizing the roles of ethylene is emphasized and numerous examples are given to demonstrate the diversity that exists in plants

Measurements of inclusive W+jets production rates as a function of jet transverse momentum in ppbar collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

This Letter describes measurements of inclusive W (--> e nu) + n jet cross sections (n = 1-4), presented as total inclusive cross sections and differentially in the nth jet transverse momentum. The measurements are made using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.2 fb-1 collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, and achieve considerably smaller uncertainties on W +jets production cross sections than previous measurements. The measurements are compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD (pQCD) calculations in the n =1-3 jet multiplicity bins and to leading order pQCD calculations in the 4-jet bin. The measurements are generally in agreement with pQCD predictions, although certain regions of phase space are identified where the calculations could be improved