205 research outputs found
A dendrochronological assessment of two South African Widdiringtonia species
In southern Africa long-term regional rainfall data sets are very limited such that the variability of rainfall across the region is poorly understood. With available climate records so limited the development of strong proxy records are vital to develop drought management plans. In our continuing efforts to develop such proxy records we present the results of an investigation into the dendrochronological potential of Widdringtonia nodiflora and Widdringtonia schwarzii. We sampled W. schwarzii, from the area it is endemic to, the Baviaanskloof wilderness area, in the Langkloof region of the Eastern Cape Province. Widdringtonia nodiflora samples were collected from the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve near Heidelberg in the Western Cape Province. The results indicate that inconsistencies in ring width combined with poorly defined ring boundaries and converging rings make cross-dating between different trees from the same locality an impossible task for both species using manageable sample numbers. Without cross-dating, chronology development is an equally impossible task for both W. nodiflora and W. schwarzii. As with W. cedarbergensis, W. schwarzii may avoid drought stress by accessing deep water. This may explain the many false rings and poorly defined ring boundaries apparent in this species. This study concludes the dendrochronological assessment of all of the Widdringtonia species with only two South African conifers not evaluated (Podocarpus henkelii and P. elongatus). Widdringtonia cedarbergensis is the only South African conifer that has been successfully cross- dated, however, there are no significant correlations between ring width indices and climate variables for this species
Real measurements and Quantum Zeno effect
In 1977, Mishra and Sudarshan showed that an unstable particle would never be
found decayed while it was continuously observed. They called this effect the
quantum Zeno effect (or paradox). Later it was realized that the frequent
measurements could also accelerate the decay (quantum anti-Zeno effect). In
this paper we investigate the quantum Zeno effect using the definite model of
the measurement. We take into account the finite duration and the finite
accuracy of the measurement. A general equation for the jump probability during
the measurement is derived. We find that the measurements can cause inhibition
(quantum Zeno effect) or acceleration (quantum anti-Zeno effect) of the
evolution, depending on the strength of the interaction with the measuring
device and on the properties of the system. However, the evolution cannot be
fully stopped.Comment: 3 figure
Social cognition in schizophrenia: factor structure, clinical and functional correlates
Social cognition is consistently impaired in people with schizophrenia, separable from general neurocognition, predictive of real-world functioning, and amenable to psychosocial treatment. Few studies have empirically examined its underlying factor structure
Color Variability of the Blazar AO 0235+16
Multicolor (UBVRIJHK) observations of the blazar AO 0235+16 are analyzed. The
light curves were compiled at the Turin Observatory from literature data and
the results of observations obtained in the framework of the WEBT program
(http://www.to.astro/blazars/webt/). The color variability of the blazar was
studied in eight time intervals with a sufficient number of multicolor optical
observations; JHK data are available for only one of these. The spectral energy
distribution (SED) of the variable component remained constant within each
interval, but varied strongly from one interval to another. After correction
for dust absorption, the SED can be represented by a power law in all cases,
providing evidence for a synchrotron nature of the variable component. We show
that the variability at both optical and IR wavelengths is associated with the
same variable source.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy
Report
Functional gene analysis suggests different acetogen populations in the Bovine Rumen and Tammar Wallaby Forestomach
Reductive acetogenesis via the acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) pathway is an alternative hydrogen sink to methanogenesis in the rumen. Functional gene-based analysis is the ideal approach for investigating organisms capable of this metabolism (acetogens). However, existing tools targeting the formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase gene (fhs) are compromised by lack of specificity due to the involvement of formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (FTHFS) in other pathways. Acetyl-CoA synthase (ACS) is unique to the acetyl-CoA pathway and, in the present study, acetyl-CoA synthase genes (acsB) were recovered from a range of acetogens to facilitate the design of acsB-specific PCR primers. fhs and acsB libraries were used to examine acetogen diversity in the bovine rumen and forestomach of the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), a native Australian marsupial demonstrating foregut fermentation analogous to rumen fermentation but resulting in lower methane emissions. Novel, deduced amino acid sequences of acsB and fhs affiliated with the Lachnospiraceae in both ecosystems and the Ruminococcaeae/Blautia group in the rumen. FTHFS sequences that probably originated from nonacetogens were identified by low "homoacetogen similarity" scores based on analysis of FTHFS residues, and comprised a large proportion of FTHFS sequences from the tammar wallaby forestomach. A diversity of FTHFS and ACS sequences in both ecosystems clustered between the Lachnospiraceae and Clostridiaceae acetogens but without close sequences from cultured isolates. These sequences probably originated from novel acetogens. The community structures of the acsB and fhs libraries from the rumen and the tammar wallaby forestomach were different (LIBSHUFF, P < 0.001), and these differences may have significance for overall hydrogenotrophy in both ecosystems
Quantum Zeno effect and parametric resonance in mesoscopic physics
As a realization of the quantum Zeno effect, we consider electron tunneling
between two quantum dots with one of the dots coupled to a quantum point
contact detector. The coupling leads to decoherence and to the suppression of
tunneling. When the detector is driven with an ac voltage, a parametric
resonance occurs which strongly counteracts decoherence. We propose a novel
experiment with which it is possible to observe both the quantum Zeno effect
and the parametric resonance in electric transport.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Projection Postulate and Atomic Quantum Zeno Effect
The projection postulate has been used to predict a slow-down of the time
evolution of the state of a system under rapidly repeated measurements, and
ultimately a freezing of the state. To test this so-called quantum Zeno effect
an experiment was performed by Itano et al. (Phys. Rev. A 41, 2295 (1990)) in
which an atomic-level measurement was realized by means of a short laser pulse.
The relevance of the results has given rise to controversies in the literature.
In particular the projection postulate and its applicability in this experiment
have been cast into doubt. In this paper we show analytically that for a wide
range of parameters such a short laser pulse acts as an effective level
measurement to which the usual projection postulate applies with high accuracy.
The corrections to the ideal reductions and their accumulation over n pulses
are calculated. Our conclusion is that the projection postulate is an excellent
pragmatic tool for a quick and simple understanding of the slow-down of time
evolution in experiments of this type. However, corrections have to be
included, and an actual freezing does not seem possible because of the finite
duration of measurements.Comment: 25 pages, LaTeX, no figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.
Influence of the detector's temperature on the quantum Zeno effect
In this paper we study the quantum Zeno effect using the irreversible model
of the measurement. The detector is modeled as a harmonic oscillator
interacting with the environment. The oscillator is subjected to the force,
proportional to the energy of the measured system. We use the Lindblad-type
master equation to model the interaction with the environment. The influence of
the detector's temperature on the quantum Zeno effect is obtained. It is shown
that the quantum Zeno effect becomes stronger (the jump probability decreases)
when the detector's temperature increases
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