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Determinants of species richness in the Park Grass experiment
The Park Grass Experiment at Rothamsted in southeast England was started in 1856, making it the longest-running experiment in plant ecology anywhere in the world. Experimental inputs include a range of fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic manures) applied annually, with lime applied occasionally, and these have led to an increase in biomass and, where nitrogen was applied in the form of ammonium sulfate, to substantial decreases in soil pH. The number of species per plot varies from three to 44 per 200 m2, affording a unique opportunity to study the determinants of plant species richness and to estimate the effect sizes attributable to different factors. The response of species richness to biomass depends on the amount and type of nitrogen applied; richness declined monotonically with increasing biomass on plots receiving no nitrogen or receiving nitrogen in the form of sodium nitrate, but there was no relationship between species richness and biomass on plots acidified by ammonium sulfate application. The response to lime also depended on the type of nitrogen applied; there was no relationship between lime treatment and species richness, except in plots receiving nitrogen in the form of ammonium sulfate, where species richness increased sharply with increasing soil pH. The addition of phosphorus reduced species richness, and application of potassium along with phosphorus reduced species richness further, but the biggest negative effects were when nitrogen and phosphorus were applied together. The analysis demonstrates how multiple factors contribute to the observed diversity patterns and how environmental regulation of species pools can operate at the same spatial and temporal scale as biomass effects
The Detection of Incipient Caries with Tracer Dyes
The purpose of this study was to determine the increase in color contrast produced by the use of a tracer dye in detection of incipient caries lesions with transillumination. Twenty four caries-free first premolars were immersed in an acid gelatin for production of artificial incipient caries lesions. After the lesions had developed, these teeth were photographed by transillumination. Two photographs were taken of each tooth. The first photograph showed the lesion without dye. A blue tracer dye was then added and absorbed by the lesion, and a second photograph was taken. The data on the color difference were obtained by use of a reflectance colorimeter and showed a four-fold increase between the lesion and surrounding area with the dye. A two-way analysis of variance was used for the statistical interpretation. The color difference between the lesion without the dye and then with the dye was significant. The use of the blue tracer dye, therefore, significantly increased the contrast in the images of the artificial incipient lesions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68289/2/10.1177_00220345890680021101.pd
Electronic Structure and Heavy Fermion Behavior in LiV_2O_4
First principles density functional calculations of the electronic and
magnetic properties of spinel-structure LiVO have been performed
using the full potential linearized augmented planewave method. The
calculations show that the electronic structure near the Fermi energy consists
of a manifold of 12 bands derived from V states, weakly hybridized
with O p states. While the total width of this active manifold is approximately
2 eV, it may be roughly decomposed into two groups: high velocity bands and
flatter bands, although these mix in density functional calculations. The flat
bands, which are the more atomic-like lead to a high density of states and
magnetic instability of local moment character. The value of the on-site
exchange energy is sensitive to the exact exchange correlation parameterization
used in the calculations, but is much larger than the interaction between
neighboring spins, reflecting the weak coupling of the magnetic system with the
high velocity bands. A scenario for the observed heavy fermion behavior is
discussed in which conduction electrons in the dispersive bands are weakly
scattered by local moments associated with strongly correlated electrons in the
heavy bands.This is analogous to that in conventional Kondo type heavy
fermions, but is unusual in that both the local moments and conduction
electrons come from the same d-manifold.Comment: 6 Revtex pages, Postscript figs embedded. Revision: figure 4 replaced
with a better version, showing the band character explicitel
Observational Constraints on the Modified Gravity Model (MOG) Proposed by Moffat: Using the Magellanic System
A simple model for the dynamics of the Magellanic Stream (MS), in the
framework of modified gravity models is investigated. We assume that the galaxy
is made up of baryonic matter out of context of dark matter scenario. The model
we used here is named Modified Gravity (MOG) proposed by Moffat (2005). In
order to examine the compatibility of the overall properties of the MS under
the MOG theory, the observational radial velocity profile of the MS is compared
with the numerical results using the fit method. In order to obtain
the best model parameters, a maximum likelihood analysis is performed. We also
compare the results of this model with the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) halo model
and the other alternative gravity model that proposed by Bekenstein (2004), so
called TeVeS. We show that by selecting the appropriate values for the free
parameters, the MOG theory seems to be plausible to explain the dynamics of the
MS as well as the CDM and the TeVeS models.Comment: 14 pages, 3 Figures, accepted in Int. J. Theor. Phy
Orbital state and magnetic properties of LiV_2 O_4
LiV_2 O_4 is one of the most puzzling compounds among transition metal oxides
because of its heavy fermion like behavior at low temperatures. In this paper
we present results for the orbital state and magnetic properties of LiV_2 O_4
obtained from a combination of density functional theory within the local
density approximation and dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). The DMFT
equations are solved by quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The trigonal crystal
field splits the V 3d orbitals such that the a_{1g} and e_{g}^{pi} orbitals
cross the Fermi level, with the former being slightly lower in energy and
narrower in bandwidth. In this situation, the d-d Coulomb interaction leads to
an almost localization of one electron per V ion in the a_{1g} orbital, while
the e_{g}^{pi} orbitals form relatively broad bands with 1/8 filling. 2The
theoretical high-temperature paramagnetic susceptibility chi(T) follows a
Curie-Weiss law with an effective paramagnetic moment p_{eff}=1.65 in agreement
with the experimental results.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 2 table
Transverse Beam Spin Asymmetries in Forward-Angle Elastic Electron-Proton Scattering
We have measured the beam-normal single-spin asymmetry in elastic scattering
of transversely-polarized 3 GeV electrons from unpolarized protons at Q^2 =
0.15, 0.25 (GeV/c)^2. The results are inconsistent with calculations solely
using the elastic nucleon intermediate state, and generally agree with
calculations with significant inelastic hadronic intermediate state
contributions. A_n provides a direct probe of the imaginary component of the
2-gamma exchange amplitude, the complete description of which is important in
the interpretation of data from precision electron-scattering experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letters; shortened
to meet PRL length limit, clarified some text after referee's comment
Strange Quark Contributions to Parity-Violating Asymmetries in the Forward G0 Electron-Proton Scattering Experiment
We have measured parity-violating asymmetries in elastic electron-proton
scattering over the range of momentum transfers 0.12 < Q^2 < 1.0 GeV^2. These
asymmetries, arising from interference of the electromagnetic and neutral weak
interactions, are sensitive to strange quark contributions to the currents of
the proton. The measurements were made at JLab using a toroidal spectrometer to
detect the recoiling protons from a liquid hydrogen target. The results
indicate non-zero, Q^2 dependent, strange quark contributions and provide new
information beyond that obtained in previous experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Weak lensing, dark matter and dark energy
Weak gravitational lensing is rapidly becoming one of the principal probes of
dark matter and dark energy in the universe. In this brief review we outline
how weak lensing helps determine the structure of dark matter halos, measure
the expansion rate of the universe, and distinguish between modified gravity
and dark energy explanations for the acceleration of the universe. We also
discuss requirements on the control of systematic errors so that the
systematics do not appreciably degrade the power of weak lensing as a
cosmological probe.Comment: Invited review article for the GRG special issue on gravitational
lensing (P. Jetzer, Y. Mellier and V. Perlick Eds.). V3: subsection on
three-point function and some references added. Matches the published versio
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