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Climate and Land-Use Controls on Surface Water Diversions in the Central Valley, California
California’s Central Valley (CV) is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, enabled by the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater. We investigated variations in the CV’s managed surface water diversions relative to climate variability. Using a historical record (1979−2010) of diversions from 531 sites, we found diversions are largest in the wetter Sacramento basin to the north, but most variable in the drier Tulare basin to the south. A rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF) analysis finds 72% of the variance of diversions is captured by the first three REOFs. The leading REOF (35% of variance) exhibited strong positive loadings in the Tulare basin, and the corresponding principal component time-series (RPC1) was strongly correlated (ρ > 0.9) with contemporaneous hydrologic variability. This pattern indicates larger than average diversions in the south, with neutral or slightly less than average diversions to the north during wet years, with the opposite true for dry years. The second and third REOFs (20% and 17% of variance, respectively), were strongest in the Sacramento basin and San Francisco Bay−Delta. RPC2 and RPC3 were associated with variations in agricultural- and municipal-bound diversions, respectively. RPC2 and RPC3 were also moderately correlated with 7-year cumulative precipitation based on lagged correlation analysis, indicating that diversions in the north and central portions of the CV respond to longer-term hydrologic variations. The results illustrate a dichotomy of regimes wherein diversions in the more arid Tulare are governed by year-to-year hydrologic variability, while those in wetter northern basins reflect land-use patterns and low-frequency hydrologic variations
Observations on Late Cretaceous \u3ci\u3eMicrampulla\u3c/i\u3e (Corethrales, Bacillariophyceae) from the Campbell Plateau (Zealandia), southwest Pacific Ocean
Late Cretaceous (late Campanian) diatom assemblages from the Campbell Plateau (Zealandia), southwest Pacific Ocean, obtained from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 29 Site 275, contain well-preserved specimens of two enigmatic diatom species currently assigned to the genus Ktenodiscus; Micrampulla parvula originally described from the Maastrichtian-age Moreno Shale, California, and Pterotheca cretacea from DSDP Site 275. In general, the two species share a number of common features with modern Corethron (domed valves, probable heterovalvate frustules, T-shaped serrated articulated spines, marginal sockets), but differ in the location of the sockets (i.e. vertically at the base of the valve dome and not on the rim), the design of the spines and sockets, and the hollow structure extending from the valve center. Although hooked spines are absent, equivalent 1-spine and 2-spine valves can be recognized in these two species. The recently described genus Praecorethron from the same late Campanian sediments shares many features with Micrampulla, but lacks the inflated central valve structure. As a result of our studies, the relevant subclass, order and family definitions are emended, as well as those of Micrampulla, M. parvula and M. cretacea comb. nov., and a new family, Micrampullaceae fam. nov., is erected to distinguish the ancient genera (Micrampulla and Praecorethron) from modern Corethron
Interferometric weak value deflections: quantum and classical treatments
We derive the weak value deflection given in a paper by Dixon et al. (Phys.
Rev. Lett. 102, 173601 (2009)) both quantum mechanically and classically. This
paper is meant to cover some of the mathematical details omitted in that paper
owing to space constraints
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Impact of Temperature, Ethanol and Cell Wall Material Composition on Cell Wall-Anthocyanin Interactions.
The effects of temperature and ethanol concentration on the kinetics of anthocyanin adsorption and desorption interactions with five cell wall materials (CWM) of different composition were investigated. Using temperatures of 15 °C and 30 °C and model wine with ethanol concentrations of 0% and 15% (v/v) over 120 min, the adsorption and desorption rates of five anthocyanin-glucosides were recorded in triplicate. Small-scale experiments were conducted using a benchtop incubator to mimic a single berry fermentation. Results indicate that more than 90% of the adsorption occurs within the first 60 min of the addition of anthocyanins to CWM. However, desorption appears to occur much faster, with maximum desorption being reached after 30 min. The extent of both adsorption and desorption was clearly dependent not only on temperature and ethanol concentration but also on the CWM composition
Novel Roles for Selected Genes in Meiotic DNA Processing
High-throughput studies of the 6,200 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have provided valuable data resources. However, these resources require a return to experimental analysis to test predictions. An in-silico screen, mining existing interaction, expression, localization, and phenotype datasets was developed with the aim of selecting minimally characterized genes involved in meiotic DNA processing. Based on our selection procedure, 81 deletion mutants were constructed and tested for phenotypic abnormalities. Eleven (13.6%) genes were identified to have novel roles in meiotic DNA processes including DNA replication, recombination, and chromosome segregation. In particular, this analysis showed that Def1, a protein that facilitates ubiquitination of RNA polymerase II as a response to DNA damage, is required for efficient synapsis between homologues and normal levels of crossover recombination during meiosis. These characteristics are shared by a group of proteins required for Zip1 loading (ZMM proteins). Additionally, Soh1/Med31, a subunit of the RNA pol II mediator complex, Bre5, a ubiquitin protease cofactor and an uncharacterized protein, Rmr1/Ygl250w, are required for normal levels of gene conversion events during meiosis. We show how existing datasets may be used to define gene sets enriched for specific roles and how these can be evaluated by experimental analysis
Preparing ground states of quantum many-body systems on a quantum computer
Preparing the ground state of a system of interacting classical particles is
an NP-hard problem. Thus, there is in general no better algorithm to solve this
problem than exhaustively going through all N configurations of the system to
determine the one with lowest energy, requiring a running time proportional to
N. A quantum computer, if it could be built, could solve this problem in time
sqrt(N). Here, we present a powerful extension of this result to the case of
interacting quantum particles, demonstrating that a quantum computer can
prepare the ground state of a quantum system as efficiently as it does for
classical systems.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur
Gravitational Wave Emission from the Single-Degenerate Channel of Type Ia Supernovae
The thermonuclear explosion of a C/O white dwarf as a Type Ia supernova (SN
Ia) generates a kinetic energy comparable to that released by a massive star
during a SN II event. Current observations and theoretical models have
established that SNe Ia are asymmetric, and therefore--like SNe II--potential
sources of gravitational wave (GW) radiation. We perform the first detailed
calculations of the GW emission for a SN Ia of any type within the
single-degenerate channel. The gravitationally-confined detonation (GCD)
mechanism predicts a strongly-polarized GW burst in the frequency band around 1
Hz. Third-generation spaceborne GW observatories currently in planning may be
able to detect this predicted signal from SNe Ia at distances up to 1 Mpc. If
observable, GWs may offer a direct probe into the first few seconds of the SNe
Ia detonation.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, Accepted by Physical Review Letter
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