11,520 research outputs found
Correlation potentials for molecular bond dissociation within the self-consistent random phase approximation
Self-consistent correlation potentials for H and LiH for various
inter-atomic separations are obtained within the random phase approximation
(RPA) of density functional theory. The RPA correlation potential shows a peak
at the bond midpoint, which is an exact feature of the true correlation
potential, but lacks another exact feature: the step important to preserve
integer charge on the atomic fragments in the dissociation limit. An analysis
of the RPA energy functional in terms of fractional charge is given which
confirms these observations. We find that the RPA misses the derivative
discontinuity at odd integer particle numbers but explicitly eliminates the
fractional spin error in the exact-exchange functional. The latter finding
explains the accurate total energy in the dissociation limit.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure
Life-Shortening \u3cem\u3eWolbachia\u3c/em\u3e Infection Reduces Population Growth of \u3cem\u3eAedes aegypti\u3c/em\u3e
Wolbachia bacteria are being introduced into natural populations of vector mosquitoes, with the goal of reducing the transmission of human diseases such as Zika and dengue fever. The successful establishment of Wolbachia infection is largely dependent on the effects of Wolbachia infection to host fitness, but the effects of Wolbachia infection on the individual life-history traits of immature mosquitoes can vary. Here, the effects of life-shortening Wolbachia (wMelPop) on population growth of infected individuals were evaluated by measuring larval survival, developmental time and adult size of Aedes aegypti in intra- (infected or uninfected only) and inter-group (mixed with infected and uninfected) larval competition assays. At low larval density conditions, the population growth of wMelPop infected and uninfected individuals was similar. At high larval densities, wMelPop infected individuals had a significantly reduced population growth rate relative to uninfected individuals, regardless of competition type. We discuss the results in relation to the invasion of the wMelPop Wolbachia infection into naturally uninfected populations
Asymptotically exact dispersion relations for collective modes in a confined charged Fermi liquid
Using general local conservations laws we derive dispersion relations for
edge modes in a slab of electron liquid confined by a symmetric potential. The
dispersion relations are exact up to , where is a wave
vector and is an effective screening length. For a harmonic external
potential the dispersion relations are expressed in terms of the {\em exact}
static pressure and dynamic shear modulus of a homogeneous liquid with the
density taken at the slab core. We also derive a simple expression for the
frequency shift of the dipole (Kohn) modes in nearly parabolic quantum dots in
a magnetic field.Comment: RevTeX4, 4 pages. Revised version with new results on quantum qots
and wires. Published in Phys.Rev.
Severity of disease and risk of malignant change in hereditary multiple exostoses. A genotype-phenotype study
We performed a prospective genotype-phenotype study using molecular screening and clinical assessment to compare the severity of disease and the risk of sarcoma in 172 individuals (78 families) with hereditary multiple exostoses. We calculated the severity of disease including stature, number of exostoses, number of surgical procedures that were necessary, deformity and functional parameters and used molecular techniques to identify the genetic mutations in affected individuals. Each arm of the genotype-phenotype study was blind to the outcome of the other. Mutations EXT1 and EXT2 were almost equally common, and were identified in 83% of individuals. Non-parametric statistical tests were used. There was a wide variation in the severity of disease. Children under ten years of age had fewer exostoses, consistent with the known age-related penetrance of this condition. The severity of the disease did not differ significantly with gender and was very variable within any given family. The sites of mutation affected the severity of disease with patients with EXT1 mutations having a significantly worse condition than those with EXT2 mutations in three of five parameters of severity (stature, deformity and functional parameters). A single sarcoma developed in an EXT2 mutation carrier, compared with seven in EXT1 mutation carriers. There was no evidence that sarcomas arose more commonly in families in whom the disease was more severe. The sarcoma risk in EXT1 carriers is similar to the risk of breast cancer in an older population subjected to breast-screening, suggesting that a role for regular screening in patients with hereditary multiple exostoses is justifiable. ©2004 British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
Cloning and characterization of a gene encoding the major surface protein of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis
The maternally inherited intracellular symbiont Wolbachia pipientis is well known for inducing a variety of reproductive abnormalities in the diverse arthropod hosts it infects. It has been implicated in causing cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, and the feminization of genetic males in different hosts. The molecular mechanisms by which this fastidious intracellular bacterium causes these reproductive and developmental abnormalities have not yet been determined. In this paper, we report on (i) the purification of one of the most abundantly expressed Wolbachia proteins from infected Drosophila eggs and (ii) the subsequent cloning and characterization of the gene (wsp) that encodes it. The functionality of the wsp promoter region was also successfully tested in Escherichia coli. Comparison of sequences of this gene from different strains of Wolbachia revealed a high level of variability. This sequence variation correlated with the ability of certain Wolbachia strains to induce or rescue the cytoplasmic incompatibility phenotype in infected insects. As such, this gene will be a very useful tool for Wolbachia strain typing and phylogenetic analysis, as well as understanding the molecular basis of the interaction of Wolbachia with its host
Pupil mobility, attainment and progress in secondary school
This paper is the second of two articles arising from a study of the association between pupil mobility and attainment in national tests and examinations in an inner London borough. The first article (Strand & Demie, 2006) examined the association of pupil mobility with attainment and progress during primary school. It concluded that pupil mobility had little impact on performance in national tests at age 11, once pupils’ prior attainment at age 7 and other pupil background factors such as age, sex, special educational needs, stage of fluency in English and socio-economic disadvantage were taken into account. The present article reports the results for secondary schools (age 11-16). The results indicate that pupil mobility continues to have a significant negative association with performance in public examinations at age 16, even after including statistical controls for prior attainment at age 11 and other pupil background factors. Possible reasons for the contrasting results across school phases are explored. The implications for policy and further research are discussed
Laser aiming simulation /LASIM/ Final report, Feb. 1967 - May 1968
Laser aiming simulation models for synchronous satellite optical communication system
Power-law carrier dynamics in semiconductor nanocrystals at nanosecond time scales
We report the observation of power law dynamics on nanosecond to microsecond
time scales in the fluorescence decay from semiconductor nanocrystals, and draw
a comparison between this behavior and power-law fluorescence blinking from
single nanocrystals. The link is supported by comparison of blinking and
lifetime data measured simultaneously from the same nanocrystal. Our results
reveal that the power law coefficient changes little over the nine decades in
time from 10 ns to 10 s, in contrast with the predictions of some diffusion
based models of power law behavior.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, compressed for submission to Applied Physics
Letter
Population Impacts of \u3cem\u3eWolbachia\u3c/em\u3e on \u3cem\u3eAedes albopictus\u3c/em\u3e
Prior studies have demonstrated that Wolbachia, a commonly occurring bacterium capable of manipulating host reproduction, can affect life history traits in insect hosts, which in turn can have population-level effects. Effects on hosts at the individual level are predicted to impact population dynamics, but the latter has not been examined empirically. Here, we describe a biological model system based on Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) that allows for measurement of population dynamics, which has not been accomplished in prior field trials or laboratory designs. The results demonstrate the studied populations to be robust and allow for persistent, closed populations with overlapping generations, which are regulated solely through density-dependent, intraspecific competition for limited resources. Using a novel experimental design, we compare populations that are either uninfected or infected with Wolbachia. The results show differences that include population size, eclosion rates, adult survivorship, and fecundity. The aposymbiotic populations were generally larger and adults longer lived relative to the infected populations. The outcome is discussed in context with naturally occurring Wolbachia invasions, proposed autocidal strategies, and the utility of the developed system as a biological platform for hypothesis testing and improved parameterization
- …