4,5-bis(benzoylsulfanyl)-1,3-dithiol-2-one

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Trypanosomatids are common and diverse parasites of Drosophila

SUMMARYDrosophila melanogasteris an important model system of immunity and parasite resistance, yet most studies use parasites that do not naturally infect this organism. We have studied trypanosomatids in natural populations to assess the prevalence and diversity of these gut parasites. We collected several species ofDrosophilafrom Europe and surveyed them for trypanosomatids using conserved primers for two genes. We have used the conserved GAPDH sequence to construct a phylogenetic tree and the highly variable spliced leader RNA to assay genetic diversity. All 5 of the species that we examined were infected, and the average prevalence ranged from 1 to 6%. There are several different groups of trypanosomatids, related to other monoxenous Trypanosomatidae. These may represent new trypanosomatid species and were found in different species of EuropeanDrosophilafrom different geographical locations. The detection of a little studied natural pathogen inD. melanogasterand related species provides new opportunities for research into both theDrosophilaimmune response and the evolution of hosts and parasites.</jats:p

Two-component mixture of charged particles confined in a channel: melting

The melting of a binary system of charged particles confined in a {\it quasi}-one-dimensional parabolic channel is studied through Monte Carlo simulations. At zero temperature the particles are ordered in parallel chains. The melting is anisotropic and different melting temperatures are obtained according to the spatial direction, and the different types of particles present in the system. Melting is very different for the single-, two- and four-chain configurations. A temperature induced structural phase transition is found between two different four chain ordered states which is absent in the mono-disperse system. In the mixed regime, where the two types of particles are only slightly different, melting is almost isotropic and a thermally induced homogeneous distribution of the distinct types of charges is observed.Comment: To appear in Journal of Physics: condensed matter ; (13 pages, 12 figures

The cosmological behavior of Bekenstein's modified theory of gravity

We study the background cosmology governed by the Tensor-Vector-Scalar theory of gravity proposed by Bekenstein. We consider a broad family of potentials that lead to modified gravity and calculate the evolution of the field variables both numerically and analytically. We find a range of possible behaviors, from scaling to the late time domination of either the additional gravitational degrees of freedom or the background fluid.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, A few typos corrected in the text and figures. Version published in PR

Qualitative analysis of a scalar-tensor theory with exponential potential

A qualitative analysis of a scalar-tensor cosmological model, with an exponential potential for the scalar field, is performed. The phase diagram for the flat case is constructed. It is shown that solutions with an initial and final inflationary behaviour appear. The conditions for which the scenario favored by supernova type Ia observations becomes an attractor in the space of the solutions are established.Comment: Latex file, 9 pages, 1 figur

Symplectic embeddings into disk cotangent bundles

In this paper, we compute the embedded contact homology (ECH) capacities of the disk cotangent bundles $D^*S^2$ and $D^*\mathbb{R} P^2$. We also find sharp symplectic embeddings into these domains. In particular, we compute their Gromov widths. In order to do that, we explicitly calculate the ECH chain complexes of $S^*S^2$ and $S^* \mathbb{R} P^2$ using a direct limit argument on the action inspired by Bourgeois's Morse-Bott approach and ideas from Nelson-Weiler's work on the ECH of prequantization bundles. Moreover, we use integrable systems techniques to find explicit symplectic embeddings. In particular, we prove that the disk cotangent bundles of a hemisphere and of a punctured sphere are symplectomorphic to an open ball and a symplectic bidisk, respectively.Comment: 35 page

Effectiveness of Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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