722 research outputs found
Bioinformatics tools for analysing viral genomic data
The field of viral genomics and bioinformatics is experiencing a strong resurgence due to high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology, which enables the rapid and cost-effective sequencing and subsequent assembly of large numbers of viral genomes. In addition, the unprecedented power of HTS technologies has enabled the analysis of intra-host viral diversity and quasispecies dynamics in relation to important biological questions on viral transmission, vaccine resistance and host jumping. HTS also enables the rapid identification of both known and potentially new viruses from field and clinical samples, thus adding new tools to the fields of viral discovery and metagenomics. Bioinformatics has been central to the rise of HTS applications because new algorithms and software tools are continually needed to process and analyse the large, complex datasets generated in this rapidly evolving area. In this paper, the authors give a brief overview of the main bioinformatics tools available for viral genomic research, with a particular emphasis on HTS technologies and their main applications. They summarise the major steps in various HTS analyses, starting with quality control of raw reads and encompassing activities ranging from consensus and de novo genome assembly to variant calling and metagenomics, as well as RNA sequencing
The Supernova Relic Neutrino Background
An upper bound to the supernova relic neutrino background from all past Type
II supernovae is obtained using observations of the Universal metal enrichment
history. We show that an unambiguous detection of these relic neutrinos by the
Super-Kamiokande detector is unlikely. We also analyze the event rate in the
Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (where coincident neutrons from anti-nu_e + D -->
n + n + e+ might enhance background rejection), and arrive at the same
conclusion. If the relic neutrino flux should be observed to exceed our upper
bound and if the observations of the metal enrichment history (for z<1) are not
in considerable error, then either the Type II supernova rate does not track
the metal enrichment history or some mechanism may be responsible for
transforming anti-nu_{mu,tau} --> anti-nu_e.Comment: Matches version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Absorptive capacity and market orientation in public service provision
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in
Journal of Strategic Marketing on 05.04.2012, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/0965254X.2011.643915The application of market orientation to public organisations does not adequately account for the unique features of this context. Drawing on absorptive capacity literature, this is the first study to examine the role of the organisation's learning environment on the market orientation-performance interface for two opposing public management contexts. The research involved a national survey questionnaire to 1060 internal and external public leisure service providers in England. Empirical testing through structural equation modelling revealed that not all dimensions of market orientation are universally positive and marketing scholars should seek to examine and understand market orientation in the context of the organisation and its learning mechanisms, as absorptive capacity has clear and different moderation effects under different management contexts. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC
Abelian Magnetic Monopole Dominance in Quark Confinement
We prove Abelian magnetic monopole dominance in the string tension of QCD.
Abelian and monopole dominance in low energy physics of QCD has been confirmed
for various quantities by recent Monte Carlo simulations of lattice gauge
theory. In order to prove this dominance, we use the reformulation of continuum
Yang-Mills theory in the maximal Abelian gauge as a deformation of a
topological field theory of magnetic monopoles, which was proposed in the
previous article by the author. This reformulation provides an efficient way
for incorporating the magnetic monopole configuration as a topological
non-trivial configuration in the functional integral. We derive a version of
the non-Abelian Stokes theorem and use it to estimate the expectation value of
the Wilson loop. This clearly exhibits the role played by the magnetic monopole
as an origin of the Berry phase in the calculation of the Wilson loop in the
manifestly gauge invariant manner. We show that the string tension derived from
the diagonal (abelian) Wilson loop in the topological field theory (studied in
the previous article) converges to that of the full non-Abelian Wilson loop in
the limit of large Wilson loop. Therefore, within the above reformulation of
QCD, this result (together with the previous result) completes the proof of
quark confinement in QCD based on the criterion of the area law of the full
non-Abelian Wilson loop.Comment: 33 pages, Latex, no figures, version accepted for publication in
Phys. Rev. D (additions of sec. 4.5 and references, and minor changes
Precision Measurement of the Proton and Deuteron Spin Structure Functions g2 and Asymmetries A2
We have measured the spin structure functions g2p and g2d and the virtual
photon asymmetries A2p and A2d over the kinematic range 0.02 < x < 0.8 and 0.7
< Q^2 < 20 GeV^2 by scattering 29.1 and 32.3 GeV longitudinally polarized
electrons from transversely polarized NH3 and 6LiD targets. Our measured g2
approximately follows the twist-2 Wandzura-Wilczek calculation. The twist-3
reduced matrix elements d2p and d2n are less than two standard deviations from
zero. The data are inconsistent with the Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule if there
is no pathological behavior as x->0. The Efremov-Leader-Teryaev integral is
consistent with zero within our measured kinematic range. The absolute value of
A2 is significantly smaller than the sqrt[R(1+A1)/2] limit.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 2 table
Measurement of the Proton and Deuteron Spin Structure Functions g2 and Asymmetry A2
We have measured the spin structure functions g2p and g2d and the virtual
photon asymmetries A2p and A2d over the kinematic range 0.02 < x < 0.8 and 1.0
< Q^2 < 30(GeV/c)^2 by scattering 38.8 GeV longitudinally polarized electrons
from transversely polarized NH3 and 6LiD targets.The absolute value of A2 is
significantly smaller than the sqrt{R} positivity limit over the measured
range, while g2 is consistent with the twist-2 Wandzura-Wilczek calculation. We
obtain results for the twist-3 reduced matrix elements d2p, d2d and d2n. The
Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule integral - int(g2(x)dx) is reported for the range
0.02 < x < 0.8.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Measurements of the -Dependence of the Proton and Neutron Spin Structure Functions g1p and g1n
The structure functions g1p and g1n have been measured over the range 0.014 <
x < 0.9 and 1 < Q2 < 40 GeV2 using deep-inelastic scattering of 48 GeV
longitudinally polarized electrons from polarized protons and deuterons. We
find that the Q2 dependence of g1p (g1n) at fixed x is very similar to that of
the spin-averaged structure function F1p (F1n). From a NLO QCD fit to all
available data we find at
Q2=5 GeV2, in agreement with the Bjorken sum rule prediction of 0.182 \pm
0.005.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Physics Letters
Effects of Partial Edge Loading and Fibre Configuration on Vibration and Buckling Characteristics of Stiffened Composite Plates
Evolution of CDC42, a putative virulence factor triggering meristematic growth in black yeasts
The cell division cycle gene (CDC42) controlling cellular
polarization was studied in members of Chaetothyriales. Based on
ribosomal genes, ancestral members of the order exhibit meristematic growth in
view of their colonization of inert surfaces such as rock, whereas in derived
members of the order the gene is a putative virulence factor involved in
expression of the muriform cell, the invasive phase in human
chromoblastomycosis. Specific primers were developed to amplify a portion of
the gene of 32 members of the order with known position according to ribosomal
phylogeny. Phylogeny of CDC42 proved to be very different. In all
members of Chaetohyriales the protein sequence is highly conserved.
In most species, distributed all over the phylogenetic tree, introns and
3rd codon positions are also invariant. However, a number of
species had paralogues with considerable deviation in non-coding exon
positions, and synchronous variation in introns, although non-synonomous
variation had remained very limited. In some strains both orthologues and
paralogues were present. It is concluded that CDC42 does not show any
orthologous evolution, and that its paralogues haves the same function but are
structurally relaxed. The variation or absence thereof could not be linked to
ecological changes, from rock-inhabiting to pathogenic life style. It is
concluded that eventual pathogenicity in Chaetothyriales is not
expressed at the DNA level in CDC42 evolution
Large enhancement of deuteron polarization with frequency modulated microwaves
We report a large enhancement of 1.7 in deuteron polarization up to values of
0.6 due to frequency modulation of the polarizing microwaves in a two liters
polarized target using the method of dynamic nuclear polarization. This target
was used during a deep inelastic polarized muon-deuteron scattering experiment
at CERN. Measurements of the electron paramagnetic resonance absorption spectra
show that frequency modulation gives rise to additional microwave absorption in
the spectral wings. Although these results are not understood theoretically,
they may provide a useful testing ground for the deeper understanding of
dynamic nuclear polarization.Comment: 10 pages, including the figures coming in uuencoded compressed tar
files in poltar.uu, which also brings cernart.sty and crna12.sty files neede
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