Weak Ferromagnetism and Excitonic Condensates

We investigate a model of excitonic ordering (i.e electron-hole pair condensation) appropriate for the divalent hexaborides. We show that the inclusion of imperfectly nested electron hole Fermi surfaces can lead to the formation of an undoped excitonic metal phase. In addition, we find that weak ferromagnetism with compensated moments arises as a result of gapless excitations. We study the effect of the low lying excitations on the density of states, Fermi surface topology and optical conductivity and compare to available experimental data.Comment: 10 Pages, 8 Figures, RevTe

Prediction formulas for individual opioid analgesic requirements based on genetic polymorphism analyses

‡ These authors contributed equally to this work

Simonsenia aveniformis sp nov (Bacillariophyceae), molecular phylogeny and systematics of the genus, and a new type of canal raphe system

The genus Simonsenia is reviewed and S. aveniformis described as new for science by light and electron microscopy. The new species originated from estuarine environments in southern Iberia (Atlantic coast) and was isolated into culture. In LM, Simonsenia resembles Nitzschia, with bridges (fibulae) beneath the raphe, which is marginal. It is only electron microscope (EM) examination that reveals the true structure of the raphe system, which consists of a raphe canal raised on a keel (wing), supported by rib like braces (fenestral bars) and tube-like portulae; between the portulae the keel is perforated by open windows (fenestrae). Based on the presence of portulae and a fenestrated keel, Simonsenia has been proposed to be intermediate between Bacillariaceae and Surirellaceae. However, an rbcL phylogeny revealed that Simonsenia belongs firmly in the Bacillariaceae, with which it shares a similar chloroplast arrangement, rather than in the Surirellaceae. Lack of homology between the surirelloid and simonsenioid keels is reflected in subtle differences in the morphology and ontogeny of the portulae and fenestrae. The diversity of Simonsenia has probably been underestimated, particularly in the marine environment.Polish National Science Centre in Cracow within the Maestro program [N 2012/04/A/ST10/00544]; Sciences and Technologies Foundation-FCT (Portugal) [SFRH/BD/62405/2009]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Network centrality: an introduction

Centrality is a key property of complex networks that influences the behavior of dynamical processes, like synchronization and epidemic spreading, and can bring important information about the organization of complex systems, like our brain and society. There are many metrics to quantify the node centrality in networks. Here, we review the main centrality measures and discuss their main features and limitations. The influence of network centrality on epidemic spreading and synchronization is also pointed out in this chapter. Moreover, we present the application of centrality measures to understand the function of complex systems, including biological and cortical networks. Finally, we discuss some perspectives and challenges to generalize centrality measures for multilayer and temporal networks.Comment: Book Chapter in "From nonlinear dynamics to complex systems: A Mathematical modeling approach" by Springe

Phase Fluctuations and Pseudogap Phenomena

This article reviews the current status of precursor superconducting phase fluctuations as a possible mechanism for pseudogap formation in high-temperature superconductors. In particular we compare this approach which relies on the two-dimensional nature of the superconductivity to the often used $T$-matrix approach. Starting from simple pairing Hamiltonians we present a broad pedagogical introduction to the BCS-Bose crossover problem. The finite temperature extension of these models naturally leads to a discussion of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless superconducting transition and the related phase diagram including the effects of quantum phase fluctuations and impurities. We stress the differences between simple Bose-BCS crossover theories and the current approach where one can have a large pseudogap region even at high carrier density where the Fermi surface is well-defined. The Green's function and its associated spectral function, which explicitly show non-Fermi liquid behaviour, is constructed in the presence of vortices. Finally different mechanisms including quasi-particle-vortex and vortex-vortex interactions for the filling of the gap above $T_c$ are considered.Comment: 129 pages, Elsart, 28 EPS figures; Physics Reports, in press. Authors related information under "http://nonlin.bitp.kiev.ua/~sharapov/superconductivity.html

Different Chitin Synthase Genes Are Required for Various Developmental and Plant Infection Processes in the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Chitin is a major component of fungal cell wall and is synthesized by chitin synthases (Chs). Plant pathogenic fungi normally have multiple chitin synthase genes. To determine their roles in development and pathogenesis, we functionally characterized all seven CHS genes in Magnaporthe oryzae. Three of them, CHS1, CHS6, and CHS7, were found to be important for plant infection. While the chs6 mutant was non-pathogenic, the chs1 and chs7 mutants were significantly reduced in virulence. CHS1 plays a specific role in conidiogenesis, an essential step for natural infection cycle. Most of chs1 conidia had no septum and spore tip mucilage. The chs6 mutant was reduced in hyphal growth and conidiation. It failed to penetrate and grow invasively in plant cells. The two MMD-containing chitin synthase genes, CHS5 and CHS6, have a similar expression pattern. Although deletion of CHS5 had no detectable phenotype, the chs5 chs6 double mutant had more severe defects than the chs6 mutant, indicating that they may have overlapping functions in maintaining polarized growth in vegetative and invasive hyphae. Unlike the other CHS genes, CHS7 has a unique function in appressorium formation. Although it was blocked in appressorium formation by germ tubes on artificial hydrophobic surfaces, the chs7 mutant still produced melanized appressoria by hyphal tips or on plant surfaces, indicating that chitin synthase genes have distinct impacts on appressorium formation by hyphal tip and germ tube. The chs7 mutant also was defective in appressorium penetration and invasive growth. Overall, our results indicate that individual CHS genes play diverse roles in hyphal growth, conidiogenesis, appressorium development, and pathogenesis in M. oryzae, and provided potential new leads in the control of this devastating pathogen by targeting specific chitin synthases

Turing patterns on networks

Turing patterns formed by activator-inhibitor systems on networks are considered. The linear stability analysis shows that the Turing instability generally occurs when the inhibitor diffuses sufficiently faster than the activator. Numerical simulations, using a prey-predator model on a scale-free random network, demonstrate that the final, asymptotically reached Turing patterns can be largely different from the critical modes at the onset of instability, and multistability and hysteresis are typically observed. An approximate mean-field theory of nonlinear Turing patterns on the networks is constructed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Source identification and distribution reveals the potential of the geochemical Antarctic sea ice proxy IPSO25

The presence of a di-unsaturated highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) lipid biomarker (diene II) in Southern Ocean sediments has previously been proposed as a proxy measure of palaeo Antarctic sea ice. Here we show that a source of diene II is the sympagic diatom Berkeleya adeliensis Medlin. Furthermore, the propensity for B. adeliensis to flourish in platelet ice is reflected by an offshore downward gradient in diene II concentration in >100 surface sediments from Antarctic coastal and near-coastal environments. Since platelet ice formation is strongly associated with super-cooled freshwater inflow, we further hypothesize that sedimentary diene II provides a potentially sensitive proxy indicator of landfast sea ice influenced by meltwater discharge from nearby glaciers and ice shelves, and re-examination of some previous diene II downcore records supports this hypothesis. The term IPSO25-Ice Proxy for the Southern Ocean with 25 carbon atoms-is proposed as a proxy name for diene II