Mixed-Mode Oscillations in a Stochastic, Piecewise-Linear System

We analyze a piecewise-linear FitzHugh-Nagumo model. The system exhibits a canard near which both small amplitude and large amplitude periodic orbits exist. The addition of small noise induces mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs) in the vicinity of the canard point. We determine the effect of each model parameter on the stochastically driven MMOs. In particular we show that any parameter variation (such as a modification of the piecewise-linear function in the model) that leaves the ratio of noise amplitude to time-scale separation unchanged typically has little effect on the width of the interval of the primary bifurcation parameter over which MMOs occur. In that sense, the MMOs are robust. Furthermore we show that the piecewise-linear model exhibits MMOs more readily than the classical FitzHugh-Nagumo model for which a cubic polynomial is the only nonlinearity. By studying a piecewise-linear model we are able to explain results using analytical expressions and compare these with numerical investigations.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figure

Reaction of C_2(a^3Pi_u) with methanol: Temperature dependence and deuterium isotope effect

We present a first temperature dependence and kinetic isotope effect study on the reaction of C_2(a^3Pi_u) with methanol. The bimolecular rate constants for a series of methanol isotopomers have been measured as a function of temperature between 293 and 673 K. The observed positive temperature dependences as well as deuterium kinetic isotope effects permit determination of the reaction mechanism as a site-specific hydrogen abstraction from the methyl site rather than from the hydroxyl site.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, 54 references; accepted to JC

A "Square-root" Method for the Density Matrix and its Applications to Lindblad Operators

The evolution of open systems, subject to both Hamiltonian and dissipative forces, is studied by writing the $nm$ element of the time ($t$) dependent density matrix in the form \ber \rho_{nm}(t)&=& \frac {1}{A} \sum_{\alpha=1}^A \gamma ^{\alpha}_n (t)\gamma^{\alpha *}_m (t) \enr The so called "square root factors", the $\gamma(t)$'s, are non-square matrices and are averaged over $A$ systems ($\alpha$) of the ensemble. This square-root description is exact. Evolution equations are then postulated for the $\gamma(t)$ factors, such as to reduce to the Lindblad-type evolution equations for the diagonal terms in the density matrix. For the off-diagonal terms they differ from the Lindblad-equations. The "square root factors" $\gamma(t)$ are not unique and the equations for the $\gamma(t)$'s depend on the specific representation chosen. Two criteria can be suggested for fixing the choice of $\gamma(t)$'s one is simplicity of the resulting equations and the other has to do with the reduction of the difference between the $\gamma(t)$ formalism and the Lindblad-equations.Comment: 36 pages, 7 figure

High Rate of Large Deletions in Caenorhabditis briggsae Mitochondrial Genome Mutation Processes

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations underlie a variety of human genetic disorders and are associated with the aging process. mtDNA polymorphisms are widely used in a variety of evolutionary applications. Although mtDNA mutation spectra are known to differ between distantly related model organisms, the extent to which mtDNA mutation processes vary between more closely related species and within species remains enigmatic. We analyzed mtDNA divergence in two sets of 250-generation Caenorhabditis briggsae mutation-accumulation (MA) lines, each derived from a different natural isolate progenitor: strain HK104 from Okayama, Japan, and strain PB800 from Ohio, United States. Both sets of C. briggsae MA lines accumulated numerous large heteroplasmic mtDNA deletions, whereas only one similar event was observed in a previous analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans MA line mtDNA. Homopolymer length change mutations were frequent in both sets of C. briggsae MA lines and occurred in both intergenic and protein-coding gene regions. The spectrum of C. briggsae mtDNA base substitution mutations differed from the spectrum previously observed in C. elegans. In C. briggsae, the HK104 MA lines experienced many different base substitution types, whereas the PB800 lines displayed only C:G → T:A transitions, although the difference was not significant. Over half of the mtDNA base substitutions detected in the C. briggsae MA lines were in a heteroplasmic state, whereas all those previously characterized in C. elegans MA line mtDNA were fixed changes, indicating a narrower mtDNA bottleneck in C. elegans as compared with C. briggsae. Our results show that C. briggsae mtDNA is highly susceptible to large deletions and that the mitochondrial mutation process varies between Caenorhabditis nematode species

Detecting the dark matter annihilation at the ground EAS detectors

In this paper we study the possibility of detecting gamma rays from dark matter annihilation in the subhalos of the Milky Way by the ground based EAS detectors within the frame of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. Based on the Monte Carlo simulation we also study the properties of two specific EAS detectors, the ARGO and HAWC, and the sensitivities of these detectors on the detection of dark matter annihilation. We find the ground EAS detectors have the possibility to observe such signals. Conversely if no signal observed we give the constraints on the supersymmetric parameter space, which however depends on the subhalos properties.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, accepted by NP

Psychometric properties of the Dutch Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in patients with fibromyalgia

Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly being used in clinical populations to reduce psychological distress and improve functioning. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is a questionnaire that measures five facets of mindfulness: observe, describe, actaware, nonjudge and nonreact. The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the FFMQ in a clinical population of fibromyalgia patients. A total of 141 patients completed an online questionnaire on mindfulness (FFMQ) and theoretically related (e.g. acceptance, openness, alexithymia) and unrelated (physical health) constructs. Thirty-eight patients filled in the FFMQ twice. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the five-factor structure of the FFMQ. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were respectively assessed with Cronbach’s α and intraclass correlation coefficients. Construct validity was examined by correlating FFMQ facets with theoretically related and unrelated constructs. Incremental validity in predicting mental health and psychological symptoms was examined with regression analyses. CFA confirmed the correlated five-factor structure of the FFMQ. Internal consistency of the five facets was satisfactory and test–retest reliability was good to excellent. Construct validity was excellent, as shown by the moderate to large correlations with related constructs (except observe facet) and weak correlation with a theoretically unrelated construct. Two of the five facets (actaware and nonjudge) had incremental validity over the others in predicting mental health and psychological symptoms. After controlling for related constructs, the actaware facet remained a significant predictor. This study showed satisfactory psychometric properties of the Dutch FFMQ in fibromyalgia patients. The observe facet, however, should be used with caution given its deviant relationship with theoretically related constructs

Yukawa Textures, Neutrino Masses and Horava-Witten M-Theory

We consider the Horava-Witten based model with 5-branes situated near the distant orbifold plane and with vanishing instanton numbers on the physical plane. This model has a toric fibered Calabi-Yau with del Pezzo base dP_7 which allows three generations with Standard Model gauge group at the GUT scale. Previous analysis showed that the quark hierarchy at the electroweak scale could be achieved qualitatively without undue fine tuning due to the effects of the 5-branes on the Kahler potential. We extend here this analysis to include the leptons. A new mechanism is introduced to obtain neutrino masses by assuming massless right handed neutrinos exist in the particle spectrum, which allows a cubic holomorphic term to exist in the Kahler metric, l_L*H_2*nu_R, scaled by the 11D Planck mass. After transferring this term to the superpotential, this term gives rise to neutrino masses of the correct size at the electroweak scale. With natural choices of the Yukawa and Kahler matrix entries, it is possible to fit all mass, CKM and MNS experimental data. The model predicts mu -> e + gamma decay at a rate that should be detectable for much of the SUSY parameter space in the next round of experiments.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures. Minor changes, references added. Some discussion on neutrino mass generating mechanism added; no other change. Accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.

Some open questions in TDDFT: Clues from Lattice Models and Kadanoff-Baym Dynamics

Two aspects of TDDFT, the linear response approach and the adiabatic local density approximation, are examined from the perspective of lattice models. To this end, we review the DFT formulations on the lattice and give a concise presentation of the time-dependent Kadanoff-Baym equations, used to asses the limitations of the adiabatic approximation in TDDFT. We present results for the density response function of the 3D homogeneous Hubbard model, and point out a drawback of the linear response scheme based on the linearized Sham-Schl\"uter equation. We then suggest a prescription on how to amend it. Finally, we analyze the time evolution of the density in a small cubic cluster, and compare exact, adiabatic-TDDFT and Kadanoff-Baym-Equations densities. Our results show that non-perturbative (in the interaction) adiabatic potentials can perform quite well for slow perturbations but that, for faster external fields, memory effects, as already present in simple many-body approximations, are clearly required.Comment: 15 pages, submitted to Chemical Physic

Reemerging Rabies and Lack of Systemic Surveillance in People’s Republic of China

Standardized protocols and diagnostic-based surveillance are imperative for detection and elimination