10,583 research outputs found
INSTABILITY AND TRADE IN CURRENCY AREAS
We present a model of a currency area in which labor markets of country members are isolated but there is trade among these countries. When a country experiences a negative (resp. positive) shock, inflation goes down (up). This causes two effects. On the one hand the real interest rate of this country increases (decreases). On the other hand the goods produced in this country become more (less) competitive. We show that the stability of the system depends on several factors, including a large competitive effect, how inflation expectations are formed and fiscal policy. In general, stability requires a trade-off between the rationality of expectations and budget balance.
Wastewater treatment process as a potential sustainable source of plant nutrients and soil amendment in western Canada
Non-Peer Reviewe
Spontaneously modulated spin textures in a dipolar spinor Bose-Einstein condensate
Helical spin textures in a Rb F=1 spinor Bose-Einstein condensate are
found to decay spontaneously toward a spatially modulated structure of spin
domains. This evolution is ascribed to magnetic dipolar interactions that
energetically favor the short-wavelength domains over the long-wavelength spin
helix. This is confirmed by eliminating the dipolar interactions by a sequence
of rf pulses and observing a suppression of the formation of the short-range
domains. This study confirms the significance of magnetic dipole interactions
in degenerate Rb F=1 spinor gases
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The Mercury-Tolerant Microbiota of the Zooplankton Daphnia Aids in Host Survival and Maintains Fecundity under Mercury Stress.
Many aquatic organisms can thrive in polluted environments by having the genetic capability to withstand suboptimal conditions. However, the contributions of microbiomes under these stressful environments are poorly understood. We investigated whether a mercury-tolerant microbiota can extend its phenotype to its host by ameliorating host survival and fecundity under mercury-stress. We isolated microbiota members from various clones of Daphnia magna, screened for the mercury-biotransforming merA gene, and determined their mercury tolerance levels. We then introduced the mercury-tolerant microbiota, Pseudomonas-10, to axenic D. magna and quantified its merA gene expression, mercury reduction capability, and measured its impact on host survival and fecundity. The expression of the merA gene was up-regulated in Pseudomonas-10, both in isolation and in host-association with mercury exposure. Pseudomonas-10 is also capable of significantly reducing mercury concentration in the medium. Notably, mercury-exposed daphnids containing only Pseudomonas-10 exhibited higher survival and fecundity than mercury-exposed daphnids supplemented with parental microbiome. Our study showed that zooplankton, such as Daphnia, naturally harbor microbiome members that are eco-responsive and tolerant to mercury exposure and can aid in host survival and maintain host fecundity in a mercury-contaminated environment. This study further demonstrates that under stressful environmental conditions, the fitness of the host can depend on the genotype and the phenotype of its microbiome
Design and in Vitro Evaluation of a New Nano-Microparticulate System for Enhanced Aqueous-Phase Solubility of Curcumin
Curcumin, a yellow polyphenol derived from the turmeric Curcuma longa, has been associated with a diverse therapeutic potential including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer properties. However, the poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin have limited its potential when administrated orally. In this study, curcumin was encapsulated in a series of novel nano-microparticulate systems developed to improve its aqueous solubility and stability. The nano-microparticulate systems are based entirely on biocompatible, biodegradable, and edible polymers including chitosan, alginate, and carrageenan. The particles were synthesized via ionotropic gelation. Encapsulating the curcumin into the hydrogel nanoparticles yielded a homogenous curcumin dispersion in aqueous solution compared to the free form of curcumin. Also, the in vitro release profile showed up to 95% release of curcumin from the developed nano-microparticulate systems after 9 hours in PBS at pH 7.4 when freeze-dried particles were used.CONACYTCUPIAPharmac
Disk evaporation in a planetary nebula
We study the Galactic bulge planetary nebula M 2-29 (for which a 3-year
eclipse event of the central star has been attributed to a dust disk) using HST
imaging and VLT spectroscopy, both long-slit and integral field. The central
cavity of M 2-29 is filled with a decreasing, slow wind. An inner high density
core is detected, with radius less than 250 AU, interpreted as a rotating
gas/dust disk with a bipolar disk wind. The evaporating disk is argued to be
the source of the slow wind. The central star is a source of a very fast wind
(1000 km/s). An outer, partial ring is seen in the equatorial plane, expanding
at 12 km/s. The azimuthal asymmetry is attributed to mass-loss modulation by an
eccentric binary. M 2-29 presents a crucial point in disk evolution, where
ionization causes the gas to be lost, leaving a low-mass dust disk behind.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in "Astronomy and Astrophysics
DC-DC 4-Switch Buck-Boost Converter for Energy Harvesting from Elliptical Machines
The senior project report documents the process of replacing the network of resistors inside an elliptical machine with a DC-DC buck-boost converter. The buck-boost DC-DC converter accepts a wide input range of 5-60 Volts, with an output of 36 Volts for the most efficient use of the already available microinverter. The microinverter reclaims the lost energy and safely distributes it back to the electrical grid. The addition of this project reduces heat emissions from wasted energy and shrinks the carbon footprint of its users
The Evolution of Luminous Compact Blue Galaxies: Disks or Spheroids?
Luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) are a diverse class of galaxies
characterized by high luminosities, blue colors, and high surface brightnesses.
Residing at the high luminosity, high mass end of the blue sequence, LCBGs sit
at the critical juncture of galaxies that are evolving from the blue to the red
sequence. Yet we do not understand what drives the evolution of LCBGs, nor how
they will evolve. Based on single-dish HI observations, we know that they have
a diverse range of properties. LCBGs are HI-rich with M(HI)=10^{9-10.5} M(sun),
have moderate M(dyn)=10^{10-12} M(sun), and 80% have gas depletion timescales
less than 3 Gyr. These properties are consistent with LCBGs evolving into
low-mass spirals or high mass dwarf ellipticals or dwarf irregulars. However,
LCBGs do not follow the Tully-Fisher relation, nor can most evolve onto it,
implying that many LCBGs are not smoothly rotating, virialized systems. GMRT
and VLA HI maps confirm this conclusion revealing signatures of recent
interactions and dynamically hot components in some local LCBGs, consistent
with the formation of a thick disk or spheroid. Such signatures and the high
incidence of close companions around LCBGs suggest that star formation in local
LCBGs is likely triggered by interactions. The dynamical masses and apparent
spheroid formation in LCBGs combined with previous results from optical
spectroscopy are consistent with virial heating being the primary mechanism for
quenching star formation in these galaxies.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in "Hunting for the Dark: The Hidden
Side of Galaxy Formation", Malta, 19-23 Oct. 2009, eds. V.P. Debattista &
C.C. Popescu, AIP Conf. Se
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