Not Just a Theory—The Utility of Mathematical Models in Evolutionary Biology

Models have made numerous contributions to evolutionary biology, but misunderstandings persist regarding their purpose. By formally testing the logic of verbal hypotheses, proof-of-concept models clarify thinking, uncover hidden assumptions, and spur new directions of study. thumbnail image credit: modified from the Biodiversity Heritage Librar

Spatial and frequency domain effects of defects in 1D photonic crystal

The aim of this paper is to present the analysis of influence of defects in 1D photonic crystal (PC) on the density of states and simultaneously spontaneous emission, in both spatial and frequency domains. In our investigations we use an analytic model of 1D PC with defects. Our analysis reveals how presence of a defect causes a defect mode to appear. We show that a defect in 1D PC has local character, being negligible in regions of PC situated far from the defected elementary cell. We also analyze the effect of multiple defects, which lead to photonic band gap splitting.Comment: presented at International Workshop on Physics of Photonic Crystals and Metamaterials, Brussels, Belgium, 12-13.06.200

Robustness of One-Dimensional Photonic Bandgaps Under Random Variations of Geometrical Parameters

The supercell method is used to study the variation of the photonic bandgaps in one-dimensional photonic crystals under random perturbations to thicknesses of the layers. The results of both plane wave and analytical band structure and density of states calculations are presented along with the transmission cofficient as the level of randomness and the supercell size is increased. It is found that higher bandgaps disappear first as the randomness is gradually increased. The lowest bandgap is found to persist up to a randomness level of 55 percent.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review B on April 8 200

Model elastomeric networks prepared by selectively cross‐linking polydimethylsiloxane chains having known amounts of reactive side chains

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70335/2/JCPSA6-70-11-5324-1.pd

Mass And Heat Transfer Relations In Evaporation Through Porous Membranes

This study concerns rates of evaporation and mass transfer of water vapor from a heated salt solution through a water repellent porous membrane to a cooled water condensate. This transfer is a result of temperature differences and corresponding vapor pressure differences across the membrane. Three groups of experiments were carried out which indicate that the major factor influencing the rates of transfer is diffusion through a stagnant gas in the membrane pores. However, an equation considering film heat transfer coefficients, membrane thermal conductivity, and an empirical correction based on temperature driving force appears to be necessary for representing all the data. The empirical correction appears to be related to internal condensation and possibly diffusion along surfaces. Copyright © 1969 American Institute of Chemical Engineer

Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling Modulates Activity and Ubiquitination-Dependent Turnover of SUMO-Specific Protease 2

Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) proteins are conjugated to numerous polypeptides in cells, and attachment of SUMO plays important roles in regulating the activity, stability, and subcellular localization of modified proteins. SUMO modification of proteins is a dynamic and reversible process. A family of SUMO-specific proteases catalyzes the deconjugation of SUMO-modified proteins. Members of the Sentrin (also known as SUMO)-specific protease (SENP) family have been characterized with unique subcellular localizations. However, little is known about the functional significance of or the regulatory mechanism derived from the specific localizations of the SENPs. Here we identify a bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS) and a CRM1-dependent nuclear export signal (NES) in the SUMO protease SENP2. Both the NLS and the NES are located in the nonhomologous domains of SENP2 and are not conserved among other members of the SENP family. Using a series of SENP2 mutants and a heterokaryon assay, we demonstrate that SENP2 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and that the shuttling is blocked by mutations in the NES or by treating cells with leptomycin B. We show that SENP2 can be polyubiquitinated in vivo and degraded through proteolysis. Restricting SENP2 in the nucleus by mutations in the NES impairs its polyubiquitination, whereas a cytoplasm-localized SENP2 made by introducing mutations in the NLS can be efficiently polyubiquitinated, suggesting that SENP2 is ubiquitinated in the cytoplasm. Finally, treating cells with MG132 leads to accumulation of polyubiquitinated SENP2, indicating that SENP2 is degraded through the 26S proteolysis pathway. Thus, the function of SENP2 is regulated by both nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and polyubiquitin-mediated degradation

Local and macroscopic tunneling spectroscopy of Y(1-x)CaxBa2Cu3O(7-d) films: evidence for a doping dependent is or idxy component in the order parameter

Tunneling spectroscopy of epitaxial (110) Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3O7-d films reveals a doping dependent transition from pure d(x2-y2) to d(x2-y2)+is or d(x2-y2)+idxy order parameter. The subdominant (is or idxy) component manifests itself in a splitting of the zero bias conductance peak and the appearance of subgap structures. The splitting is seen in the overdoped samples, increases systematically with doping, and is found to be an inherent property of the overdoped films. It was observed in both local tunnel junctions, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and in macroscopic planar junctions, for films prepared by either RF sputtering or laser ablation. The STM measurements exhibit fairly uniform splitting size in [110] oriented areas on the order of 10 nm2 but vary from area to area, indicating some doping inhomogeneity. U and V-shaped gaps were also observed, with good correspondence to the local faceting, a manifestation of the dominant d-wave order parameter

An experimental study on Γ\Gamma(2) modular symmetry in the quantum Hall system with a small spin-splitting

Magnetic-field-induced phase transitions were studied with a two-dimensional electron AlGaAs/GaAs system. The temperature-driven flow diagram shows the features of the $\Gamma$(2) modular symmetry, which includes distorted flowlines and shiftted critical point. The deviation of the critical conductivities is attributed to a small but resolved spin splitting, which reduces the symmetry in Landau quantization. [B. P. Dolan, Phys. Rev. B 62, 10278.] Universal scaling is found under the reduction of the modular symmetry. It is also shown that the Hall conductivity could still be governed by the scaling law when the semicircle law and the scaling on the longitudinal conductivity are invalid. *corresponding author:[email protected]: The revised manuscript has been published in J. Phys.: Condens. Matte

Surface effects on nanowire transport: numerical investigation using the Boltzmann equation

A direct numerical solution of the steady-state Boltzmann equation in a cylindrical geometry is reported. Finite-size effects are investigated in large semiconducting nanowires using the relaxation-time approximation. A nanowire is modelled as a combination of an interior with local transport parameters identical to those in the bulk, and a finite surface region across whose width the carrier density decays radially to zero. The roughness of the surface is incorporated by using lower relaxation-times there than in the interior. An argument supported by our numerical results challenges a commonly used zero-width parametrization of the surface layer. In the non-degenerate limit, appropriate for moderately doped semiconductors, a finite surface width model does produce a positive longitudinal magneto-conductance, in agreement with existing theory. However, the effect is seen to be quite small (a few per cent) for realistic values of the wire parameters even at the highest practical magnetic fields. Physical insights emerging from the results are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Branching ratios of B+→D(∗)+K(∗)0B^+ \to D^{(*)+}K^{(*)0} decays in perturbative QCD approach

We study the rare decays $B^+ \to D^{(*)+}K^{(*)0}$, which can occur only via annihilation type diagrams in the standard model. We calculate all of the four modes, $B \to PP, VP, PV, VV$, in the framework of perturbative QCD approach and give the branching ratios of the order about $10^{-6}$.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figure, Revte