Education and Research in the SEENET-MTP Regional Framework for Higher Education in Physics

Southeastern European countries undergo significant changes in the demand/supply ratio on the labour market and in the structure of professional competences that are necessary for undertaking a professional activity. In addition, brain-drain process and decrease of interest for a career in basic sciences put many challenges for our community. Consequently, based on the activity of the Southeastern European Network in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics (SEENET MTP Network) in connecting groups and persons working in mathematics and theoretical physics, we investigate specific qualifications recognized in these fields in all the countries from the region, and the related competences necessary for practicing the respective occupations. A list of new possible occupations will be promoted for inclusion in the National Qualifications Register for Higher Education. Finally, we analyze the vision existing in this region on the higher education qualifications against the European vision and experience, in particular in training of Master students, PhD students, and senior teaching and research staff through the Network, i.e. multilateral and bilateral programs.Comment: 6 pages, Talk given at 7th International Conference of the Balkan Physical Union, Alexandruoplos, Greece, 9-13 September 2009. To be published in AIP Conf.Pro

Exact Site Percolation Thresholds Using the Site-to-Bond and Star-Triangle Transformations

I construct a two-dimensional lattice on which the inhomogeneous site percolation threshold is exactly calculable and use this result to find two more lattices on which the site thresholds can be determined. The primary lattice studied here, the ``martini lattice'', is a hexagonal lattice with every second site transformed into a triangle. The site threshold of this lattice is found to be $0.764826...$, while the others have $0.618034...$ and $1/\sqrt{2}$. This last solution suggests a possible approach to establishing the bound for the hexagonal site threshold, $p_c<1/\sqrt{2}$. To derive these results, I solve a correlated bond problem on the hexagonal lattice by use of the star-triangle transformation and then, by a particular choice of correlations, solve the site problem on the martini lattice.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Submitted to Physical Review

A comparison of three dual drainage models: Shallow Water vs Local Inertial vs Diffusive Wave

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IWA Publishing via the DOI in this record.In this study we compared three overland flow models, a full dynamic model (SWE), a local inertial equations model (GWM), and a diffusive wave model (PDWAVE). The three models are coupled with the same full dynamic sewer network model (SIPSON). We adopted the volume exchange between sewer and overland flow models, and the hydraulic head and discharge rates at the linked manholes to evaluate differences between the models. For that purpose we developed a novel methodology based on RGB scale. The test results of a real case study show a close agreement between coupled models in terms of the extents of flooding, depth and volume exchanged, despite highly complex flows and geometries. The diffusive wave model gives slightly higher maximum flood depths and a slower propagation of the flood front when compared to the other two models. The Local inertial model shows to slight extent higher depths downstream as the wave front is slower than the one in the fully dynamic model. Overall, the simplified overland models can produce comparable results to fully dynamic models with less computational costThis research is partially funded by the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the Doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/81869/2011 financed through the POPH/FSE program (Programa Operacional Potencial Humano/Fundo Social Europeu). This study had the support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) Project UID/MAR/04292/2013 and the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Project Susceptibility of catchments to INTense RAinfall and flooding (SINATRA, NE/K008765/1)

Transition Radiation in QCD matter

In ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions a finite size QCD medium is created. In this paper we compute radiative energy loss to zeroth order in opacity by taking into account finite size effects. Transition radiation occurs on the boundary between the finite size medium and the vacuum, and we show that it lowers the difference between medium and vacuum zeroth order radiative energy loss relative to the infinite size medium case. Further, in all previous computations of light parton radiation to zeroth order in opacity, there was a divergence caused by the fact that the energy loss is infinite in the vacuum and finite in the QCD medium. We show that this infinite discontinuity is naturally regulated by including the transition radiation.Comment: 21 page, 22 figure

A hybrid metal/semiconductor electron pump for quantum metrology

Electron pumps capable of delivering a current higher than 100pA with sufficient accuracy are likely to become the direct mise en pratique of the possible new quantum definition of the ampere. Furthermore, they are essential for closing the quantum metrological triangle experiment which tests for possible corrections to the quantum relations linking e and h, the electron charge and the Planck constant, to voltage, resistance and current. We present here single-island hybrid metal/semiconductor transistor pumps which combine the simplicity and efficiency of Coulomb blockade in metals with the unsurpassed performances of silicon switches. Robust and simple pumping at 650MHz and 0.5K is demonstrated. The pumped current obtained over a voltage bias range of 1.4mV corresponds to a relative deviation of 5e-4 from the calculated value, well within the 1.5e-3 uncertainty of the measurement setup. Multi-charge pumping can be performed. The simple design fully integrated in an industrial CMOS process makes it an ideal candidate for national measurement institutes to realize and share a future quantum ampere

Deletion of Integron-Associated Gene Cassettes Impact on the Surface Properties of Vibrio rotiferianus DAT722

Background: The integron is a genetic recombination system that catalyses the acquisition of genes on mobilisable elements called gene cassettes. In Vibrio species, multiple acquired gene cassettes form a cassette array that can comprise 1-3% of the bacterial genome. Since 75% of these gene cassettes contain genes encoding proteins of uncharacterised function, how the integron has driven adaptation and evolution in Vibrio species remains largely unknown. A feature of cassette arrays is the presence of large indels. Using Vibrio rotiferianus DAT722 as a model organism, the aim of this study was to determine how large cassette deletions affect vibrio physiology with a view to improving understanding into how cassette arrays influence bacterial host adaptation and evolution. Methodology/Principal Findings: Biological assays and proteomic techniques were utilised to determine how artificially engineered deletions in the cassette array of V. rotiferianus DAT722 affected cell physiology. Multiple phenotypes were identified including changes to growth and expression of outer membrane porins/proteins and metabolic proteins. Furthermore, the deletions altered cell surface polysaccharide with Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance on whole cell polysaccharide identifying changes in the carbohydrate ring proton region indicating that gene cassette products may decorate host cell polysaccharide via the addition or removal of functional groups. Conclusions/Significance: From this study, it was concluded that deletion of gene cassettes had a subtle effect on bacterial metabolism but altered host surface polysaccharide. Deletion (and most likely rearrangement and acquisition) of gene cassettes may provide the bacterium with a mechanism to alter its surface properties, thus impacting on phenotypes such as biofilm formation. Biofilm formation was shown to be altered in one of the deletion mutants used in this study. Reworking surface properties may provide an advantage to the bacterium's interactions with organisms such as bacteriophage, protozoan grazers or crustaceans. © 2013 Rapa et al

The role of CD44 and ERM proteins in expression and functionality of P-glycoprotein in breast cancer cells

© 2016 by the authors. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is often attributed to the over-expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which prevents the accumulation of anticancer drugs within cells by virtue of its active drug efflux capacity. We have previously described the intercellular transfer of P-gp via extracellular vesicles (EVs) and proposed the involvement of a unique protein complex in regulating this process. In this paper, we investigate the role of these mediators in the regulation of P-gp functionality and hence the acquisition of MDR following cell to cell transfer. By sequentially silencing the FERM domain-binding proteins, Ezrin, Radixin and Moesin (ERM), as well as CD44, which we also report a selective packaging in breast cancer derived EVs, we have established a role for these proteins, in particular Radixin and CD44, in influencing the P-gp-mediated MDR in whole cells. We also report for the first time the role of ERM proteins in the vesicular transfer of functional P-gp. Specifically, we demonstrate that intercellular membrane insertion is dependent on Ezrin and Moesin, whilst P-gp functionality is governed by the integrity of all ERM proteins in the recipient cell. This study identifies these candidate proteins as potential new therapeutic targets in circumventing MDR clinically