67,887 research outputs found
Fluorescent antibody detection of microorganisms in terrestrial environments
The fluorescent antibody technique and its use in direct microscopic examination of the soil is discussed. Feasibility analyses were made to determine if the method could be used to simultaneously observe and recognize microorganisms in the soil. Some data indicate this may be possible. Data are also given on two related problems involving the interaction of soil microorganisms with plant roots to form symbiotic structures. One was concerned with the developmental ecology and biology of the root nodule of alder and the second was concerned with the ectotrophic mycorrhizal structure on forest trees, especially pines. In both, the fluorescent antibody detection of the microbial symbiont both as a free living form in soil, and as a root inhabiting form in the higher plant was emphasized. A third aspect of the research involved the detection of autotrophic ammonia oxidizing microorganisms in soil
Understanding co-operative R&D activity: evidence from four European countries
This paper investigates co-operative research activity by firms using data from
the 3rd Community Innovation Survey for four countries, France, Germany, Spain and the
UK. We build on the Cassiman and Veugelers (CV) (2002) study of Belgian manufacturing
firms, by incorporating information on the service sector, and considering the role of public
support in affecting firms’ decisions to co-operate. Our results support those in CV, in that
we find a positive relationship between the likelihood of undertaking co-operative R&D
and both incoming knowledge spillovers and the extent to which firms find strategic
methods important in appropriating the returns to innovative activity. We find that public
support is positively related to the probability of undertaking co-operative agreements
particularly with regard to the likelihood of co-operation with the research base. We find
some evidence, in particular for Spain, that firms carry out co-operative R&D to overcome
excessive perceived risks and financial constraints
Detecting nonlocal Cooper pair entanglement by optical Bell inequality violation
Based on the Bardeen Cooper Schrieffer (BCS) theory of superconductivity, the
coherent splitting of Cooper pairs from a superconductor to two spatially
separated quantum dots has been predicted to generate nonlocal pairs of
entangled electrons. In order to test this hypothesis, we propose a scheme to
transfer the spin state of a split Cooper pair onto the polarization state of a
pair of optical photons. We show that the produced photon pairs can be used to
violate a Bell inequality, unambiguously demonstrating the entanglement of the
split Cooper pairs.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, v3 with added reference
Pfaffian pairing wave functions in electronic structure quantum Monte Carlo
We investigate the accuracy of trial wave function for quantum Monte Carlo
based on pfaffian functional form with singlet and triplet pairing. Using a set
of first row atoms and molecules we find that these wave functions provide very
consistent and systematic behavior in recovering the correlation energies on
the level of 95%. In order to get beyond this limit we explore the
possibilities of multi-pfaffian pairing wave functions. We show that a small
number of pfaffians recovers another large fraction of the missing correlation
energy comparable to the larger-scale configuration interaction wave functions.
We also find that pfaffians lead to substantial improvements in fermion nodes
when compared to Hartree-Fock wave functions.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, submitted to PR
Proof of the Ergodic Theorem and the H-Theorem in Quantum Mechanics
It is shown how to resolve the apparent contradiction between the macroscopic
approach of phase space and the validity of the uncertainty relations. The main
notions of statistical mechanics are re-interpreted in a quantum-mechanical
way, the ergodic theorem and the H-theorem are formulated and proven (without
"assumptions of disorder"), followed by a discussion of the physical meaning of
the mathematical conditions characterizing their domain of validity.Comment: English translation by Roderich Tumulka of J. von Neumann: Beweis des
Ergodensatzes und des H-Theorems. 41 pages LaTeX, no figures; v2: typos
corrected. See also the accompanying commentary by S. Goldstein, J. L.
Lebowitz, R. Tumulka, N. Zanghi, arXiv:1003.212
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Agricultural management and plant selection interactively affect rhizosphere microbial community structure and nitrogen cycling.
BACKGROUND:Rhizosphere microbial communities are key regulators of plant performance, yet few studies have assessed the impact of different management approaches on the rhizosphere microbiomes of major crops. Rhizosphere microbial communities are shaped by interactions between agricultural management and host selection processes, but studies often consider these factors individually rather than in combination. We tested the impacts of management (M) and rhizosphere effects (R) on microbial community structure and co-occurrence networks of maize roots collected from long-term conventionally and organically managed maize-tomato agroecosystems. We also explored the interaction between these factors (M × R) and how it impacts rhizosphere microbial diversity and composition, differential abundance, indicator taxa, co-occurrence network structure, and microbial nitrogen-cycling processes. RESULTS:Host selection processes moderate the influence of agricultural management on rhizosphere microbial communities, although bacteria and fungi respond differently to plant selection and agricultural management. We found that plants recruit management-system-specific taxa and shift N-cycling pathways in the rhizosphere, distinguishing this soil compartment from bulk soil. Rhizosphere microbiomes from conventional and organic systems were more similar in diversity and network structure than communities from their respective bulk soils, and community composition was affected by both M and R effects. In contrast, fungal community composition was affected only by management, and network structure only by plant selection. Quantification of six nitrogen-cycling genes (nifH, amoA [bacterial and archaeal], nirK, nrfA, and nosZ) revealed that only nosZ abundance was affected by management and was higher in the organic system. CONCLUSIONS:Plant selection interacts with conventional and organic management practices to shape rhizosphere microbial community composition, co-occurrence patterns, and at least one nitrogen-cycling process. Reframing research priorities to better understand adaptive plant-microbe feedbacks and include roots as a significant moderating influence of management outcomes could help guide plant-oriented strategies to improve productivity and agroecosystem sustainability
Voltage-Controlled Spin Selection in a Magnetic Resonant Tunnelling Diode
We have fabricated all II-VI semiconductor resonant tunneling diodes based on
the (Zn,Mn,Be)Se material system, containing dilute magnetic material in the
quantum well, and studied their current-voltage characteristics. When subjected
to an external magnetic field the resulting spin splitting of the levels in the
quantum well leads to a splitting of the transmission resonance into two
separate peaks. This is interpreted as evidence of tunneling transport through
spin polarized levels, and could be the first step towards a voltage controlled
spin filter.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev. Let
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