HOX Gene Promoter Prediction and Inter-genomic Comparison: an Evo-Devo Study

Homeobox genes direct the anterior-posterior axis of the body plan in eukaryotic organisms. Promoter regions upstream of the Hox genes jumpstart the transcription process. CpG islands found within the promoter regions can cause silencing of these promoters. The locations of the promoter regions and the CpG islands of Homeo sapiens sapiens (human), Pan troglodytes (chimpanzee), Mus musculus (mouse), and Rattus norvegicus (brown rat) are compared and related to the possible influence on the specification of the mammalian body plan. The sequence of each gene in Hox clusters A-D of the mammals considered were retrieved from Ensembl and locations of promoter regions and CpG islands predicted using Exon Finder. The predicted promoter sequences were confirmed via BLAST and verified against the Eukaryotic Promoter Database. The significance of the locations was determined using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Among the four clusters, only promoter locations in cluster B showed significant difference. HOX B genes have been linked with the control of genes that direct the development of axial morphology, particularly of the vertebral column bones. The magnitude of variation among the body plans of closely-related species can thus be partially attributed to the promoter kind, location and number, and gene inactivation via CpG methylation

Two-nucleon emission in the longitudinal response

The contribution of the two-nucleon emission in the longitudinal response for inclusive electron scattering reactions is studied. The model adopted to perform the calculations is based upon Correlated Basis Function theory but it considers only first order terms in the correlation function. The proper normalization of the wave function is ensured by considering, in addition to the usually evaluated two-point diagrams, also the three-point diagrams. Results for the 12C nucleus in the quasi-elastic region are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 4 Postscript figure

Mean-field calculations of quasi-elastic responses in 4He

We present calculations of the quasi-elastic responses functions in 4He based upon a mean-field model used to perform analogous calculations in heavier nuclei. The meson exchange current contribution is small if compared with the results of calculations where short-range correlations are explicitly considered. It is argued that the presence of these correlations in the description of the nuclear wave functions is crucial to make meson exchange current effects appreciable.Comment: uuencoded file containing 7 LaTex peges plus 3 ps figures. To be published in Physical Review

Analysis of exchange terms in a projected ERPA Theory applied to the quasi-elastic (e,e') reaction

A systematic study of the influence of exchange terms in the longitudinal and transverse nuclear response to quasi-elastic (e,e') reactions is presented. The study is performed within the framework of the extended random phase approximation (ERPA), which in conjuction with a projection method permits a separation of various contributions tied to different physical processes. The calculations are performed in nuclear matter up to second order in the residual interaction for which we take a (pi+rho)-model with the addition of the Landau-Migdal g'-parameter. Exchange terms are found to be important only for the RPA-type contributions around the quasielastic peak.Comment: 29 pages, 6 figs (3 in postscript, 3 faxed on request), epsf.st

One Body Density Matrix, Natural Orbits and Quasi Hole States in 16O and 40Ca

The one body density matrix, momentum distribution, natural orbits and quasi hole states of 16O and 40Ca are analyzed in the framework of the correlated basis function theory using state dependent correlations with central and tensor components. Fermi hypernetted chain integral equations and single operator chain approximation are employed to sum cluster diagrams at all orders. The optimal trial wave function is determined by means of the variational principle and the realistic Argonne v8' two-nucleon and Urbana IX three-nucleon interactions. The correlated momentum distributions are in good agreement with the available variational Monte Carlo results and show the well known enhancement at large momentum values with respect to the independent particle model. Diagonalization of the density matrix provides the natural orbits and their occupation numbers. Correlations deplete the occupation number of the first natural orbitals by more than 10%. The first following ones result instead occupied by a few percent. Jastrow correlations lower the spectroscopic factors of the valence states by a few percent (~1-3%) and an additional ~8-12% depletion is provided by tensor correlations. It is confirmed that short range correlations do not explain the spectroscopic factors extracted from (e,e'p) experiments. 2h-1p perturbative corrections in the correlated basis are expected to provide most of the remaining strength, as in nuclear matter.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Phys.Rev.

Derivative-Coupling Models and the Nuclear-Matter Equation of State

The equation of state of saturated nuclear matter is derived using two different derivative-coupling Lagrangians. We show that both descriptions are equivalent and can be obtained from the sigma-omega model through an appropriate rescaling of the coupling constants. We introduce generalized forms of this rescaling to study the correlations amongst observables in infinite nuclear matter, in particular, the compressibility and the effective nucleon mass.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 36 kbytes. To appear in Zeit. f. Phys. A (Hadrons and Nuclei

Jastrow-type calculations of one-nucleon removal reactions on open ss-dd shell nuclei

Single-particle overlap functions and spectroscopic factors are calculated on the basis of Jastrow-type one-body density matrices of open-shell nuclei constructed by using a factor cluster expansion. The calculations use the relationship between the overlap functions corresponding to bound states of the $(A-1)$-particle system and the one-body density matrix for the ground state of the $A$-particle system. In this work we extend our previous analyses of reactions on closed-shell nuclei by using the resulting overlap functions for the description of the cross sections of $(p,d)$ reactions on the open $s$-$d$ shell nuclei $^{24}$Mg, $^{28}$Si and $^{32}$S and of $^{32}$S$(e,e^{\prime}p)$ reaction. The relative role of both shell structure and short-range correlations incorporated in the correlation approach on the spectroscopic factors and the reaction cross sections is pointed out.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Higgs boson production in photon-photon collision at ILC: a comparative study in different little Higgs models

We study the process \gamma\gamma->h->bb_bar at ILC as a probe of different little Higgs models, including the simplest little Higgs model (SLH), the littlest Higgs model (LH), and two types of littlest Higgs models with T-parity (LHT-I, LHT-II). Compared with the Standard Model (SM) prediction, the production rate is found to be sizably altered in these little Higgs models and, more interestingly, different models give different predictions. We find that the production rate can be possibly enhanced only in the LHT-II for some part of the parameter space, while in all other cases the rate is suppressed. The suppression can be 10% in the LH and as much as 60% in both the SLH and the LHT-I/LHT-II. The severe suppression in the SLH happens for a large \tan\beta and a small m_h, in which the new decay mode h->\eta\eta (\eta is a light pseudo-scalar) is dominant; while for the LHT-I/LHT-II the large suppression occurs when f and m_h are both small so that the new decay mode h->A_H A_H is dominant. Therefore, the precision measurement of such a production process at the ILC will allow for a test of these models and even distinguish between different scenarios.Comment: Version in JHEP (h-g-g & h-gamma-gamma expressions added

Regional innovation and spillover effects of foreign direct investment in China: a threshold approach

Using a data set on twenty-nine Chinese provinces for the period 1985–2008, this paper establishes a threshold model to analyse the relationship between spillover effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) and regional innovation in China. There is clear evidence of double-threshold effects of regional innovation on productivity spillovers from FDI. Specifically, only when the level of regional innovation reaches the minimum innovation threshold will FDI in the region begin to produce positive productivity spillovers. Furthermore, positive productivity spillovers from FDI will be substantial only when the level of regional innovation attains a higher threshold. The double threshold divides Chinese provinces into three super-regions in terms of innovation, with most provinces positioned within the middle-level innovation super-region. Policy implications are discussed