Sequence Analysis of HindIII Q2 Fragment of Capripoxvirus Reveals a Putative Gene Encoding a G-Protein-Coupled Chemokine Receptor Homologue

AbstractThe DNA sequence of the HindIII Q2 fragment near the left terminus of the capripoxvirus (KS-1 strain) genome was determined. The sequence contains two complete open reading frames (ORFs) and a part of a third. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of one of these ORFs, Q2/3L, revealed that this gene has the capacity to encode a protein which is related to members of the G-protein coupled chemokine receptor subfamily, the swinepoxvirus K2R and the human cytomegalovirus US28 ORFs. It has the key structural characteristics of the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily, e.g., seven hydrophobic regions, predicted to span the cell membrane, and the cysteine residues in the first and second extracellular loops that are implicated in formation of a disulfide bond. Southern blot analysis showed that all three species of the Capripoxvirus genus, i.e., sheep pox, goat pox, and lumpy skin disease of cattle, contain copies of this putative G-proteincoupled chemokine receptor homologue

Quantum Phase Diffusion in a Small Underdamped Josephson Junction

Quantum phase diffusion in a small underdamped Nb/AlO$_x$/Nb junction ($\sim$ 0.4 $\mu$m$^2$) is demonstrated in a wide temperature range of 25-140 mK where macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) is the dominant escape mechanism. We propose a two-step transition model to describe the switching process in which the escape rate out of the potential well and the transition rate from phase diffusion to the running state are considered. The transition rate extracted from the experimental switching current distribution follows the predicted Arrhenius law in the thermal regime but is greatly enhanced when MQT becomes dominant.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Dynamic Time-history Analysis on Wind-induced Response of Light-weight Roof System

Severe damage to light-weight roof system occur when exposed to strong wind loading. Damage investigations and wind load-bearing capacity tests of light-weight roof system reveal that the connection damage of roof sheeting and fastener is the most serious. Wind pressure distributions on the roof of gabled steel frame measured in a wind tunnel are described. Secondly, illustrated by the example of the classic standing-lock roof system, the wind-induced forces for the concealed clips estimated by the building code and time-history analysis based on wind tunnel test, respectively, are compared. The results indicate that the uniform gust factor used in the building code for the wind-induced forces for the clips cannot guarantee that all the clips have strong strength in an actual wind load. Any of wind-induced forces for the clips varies in a relative large rang affected by the fluctuation and spatial correlation of wind pressure. The building code generally provided inconsistent estimations of the wind-induced forces of the clips and the true loaded wind area should be evaluated by considering the characteristics of the spatial correlation of wind pressures relative to the structural framing

Metamagnetic Transition in Na0.85_{0.85}CoO2_2 Single Crystals

We report the magnetization, specific heat and transport measurements of high quality Na$_{0.85}$CoO$_2$ single crystals in applied magnetic fields up to 14T. In high temperatures, the system is in a paramagnetic phase. It undergoes a magnetic phase transition below about 20K. When the field is applied along the c-axis, the measurement data of magnetization, specific heat and magnetoresistance reveal a metamagnetic transition from an antiferromagnetic state to a quasi-ferromagnetic state at about 8T in low temperatures. However, no transition is observed in the magnetization measurements up to 14T when the field is applied perpendicular to the c-axis. The low temperature magnetic phase diagram of Na$_{0.85}$CoO$_2$ is determined.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Quantum theory of electronic double-slit diffraction

The phenomena of electron, neutron, atomic and molecular diffraction have been studied by many experiments, and these experiments are explained by some theoretical works. In this paper, we study electronic double-slit diffraction with quantum mechanical approach. We can obtain the results: (1) When the slit width $a$ is in the range of $3\lambda\sim 50\lambda$ we can obtain the obvious diffraction patterns. (2) when the ratio of $\frac{d+a}{a}=n (n=1, 2, 3,\cdot\cdot\cdot)$, order $2n, 3n, 4n,\cdot\cdot\cdot$ are missing in diffraction pattern. (3)When the ratio of $\frac{d+a}{a}\neq n (n=1, 2, 3,\cdot\cdot\cdot)$, there isn't missing order in diffraction pattern. (4) We also find a new quantum mechanics effect that the slit thickness $c$ has a large affect to the electronic diffraction patterns. We think all the predictions in our work can be tested by the electronic double-slit diffraction experiment.Comment: 9pages, 14figure

Quantum and classical resonant escapes of a strongly-driven Josephson junction

The properties of phase escape in a dc SQUID at 25 mK, which is well below quantum-to-classical crossover temperature $T_{cr}$, in the presence of strong resonant ac driving have been investigated. The SQUID contains two Nb/Al-AlO$_{x}$/Nb tunnel junctions with Josephson inductance much larger than the loop inductance so it can be viewed as a single junction having adjustable critical current. We find that with increasing microwave power $W$ and at certain frequencies $\nu$ and $\nu$/2, the single primary peak in the switching current distribution, \textrm{which is the result of macroscopic quantum tunneling of the phase across the junction}, first shifts toward lower bias current $I$ and then a resonant peak develops. These results are explained by quantum resonant phase escape involving single and two photons with microwave-suppressed potential barrier. As $W$ further increases, the primary peak gradually disappears and the resonant peak grows into a single one while shifting further to lower $I$. At certain $W$, a second resonant peak appears, which can locate at very low $I$ depending on the value of $\nu$. Analysis based on the classical equation of motion shows that such resonant peak can arise from the resonant escape of the phase particle with extremely large oscillation amplitude resulting from bifurcation of the nonlinear system. Our experimental result and theoretical analysis demonstrate that at $T\ll T_{cr}$, escape of the phase particle could be dominated by classical process, such as dynamical bifurcation of nonlinear systems under strong ac driving.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl

Nonorthogonal decoy-state Quantum Key Distribution

In practical quantum key distribution (QKD), weak coherent states as the photon sources have a limit in secure key rate and transmission distance because of the existence of multiphoton pulses and heavy loss in transmission line. Decoy states method and nonorthogonal encoding protocol are two important weapons to combat these effects. Here, we combine these two methods and propose a efficient method that can substantially improve the performance of QKD. We find a 79 km increase in transmission distance over the prior record using decoy states method.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; Revtex4, submitted to PR

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIAL CORE ANALYSIS IN MODELLING REMAINING OIL SATURATION IN CARBONATE FIELDS

ABSTRACT An integrated study has been carried out to understand the field performance and remaining oil distribution of a number of heterogeneous and oil-wet carbonate reservoirs under waterflooding. Demonstrating the impact of basic rock characterization and special core analysis (SCAL) laboratory data on waterflood performance of a Cretaceous carbonate reservoir is the main focus of this paper. The rock characterization programme includes measuring detailed permeability distribution along reservoir intervals and integration with geological facies modeling. The SCAL programme consists of drainage and imbibition capillary pressure and relative permeability measurements for the predominant rock types using rock and fluid samples under representative reservoir conditions of pressure, temperature and wettability. To ensure data quality and repeatability, a combination of steady state with end-point bump floods and centrifuge techniques have been used for measuring the relative permeability curves extended to waterflood residual oil saturation. Numerical simulation was used to reconcile the various SCAL datasets and derive a consistent set of saturation functions. The SCAL measurements took into consideration the importance of core sampling, cleaning and the proper procedures for obtaining reliable drainage capillary pressure data. We show that both imbibition capillary pressure and relative permeability have major impact on the waterflood sweep efficiency and cross-flow between adjacent oil-wet layers and hence on the distribution of remaining oil saturation. An incorrect understanding of the distribution of remaining oil saturation may lead to ineffective well and reservoir management and IOR/EOR decisions

Environmental Effect on the Associations of Background Quasars with Foreground Objects: II. Numerical Simulations

Using numerical simulations of cluster formation in the standard CDM model (SCDM) and in a low-density, flat CDM model with a cosmological constant (LCDM), we investigate the gravitational lensing explanation for the reported associations between background quasars and foreground clusters. Under the thin-lens approximation and the unaffected background hypothesis , we show that the recently detected quasar overdensity around clusters of galaxies on scales of $\sim10$ arcminutes cannot be interpreted as a result of the gravitational lensing by cluster matter and/or by their environmental and projected matter along the line of sight, which is consistent with the analytical result based on the observed cluster and galaxy correlations (Wu, et al. 1996). It appears very unlikely that uncertainties in the modeling of the gravitational lensing can account for the disagreement between the theoretical predictions and the observations. We conclude that either the detected signal of the quasar-cluster associations is a statistical fluke or the associations are are generated by mechanisms other than the magnification bias.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap