Large sulfur isotope fractionations in Martian sediments at Gale crater

Variability in the sulfur isotopic composition in sediments can reflect atmospheric, geologic and biological processes. Evidence for ancient fluvio-lacustrine environments at Gale crater on Mars and a lack of efficient crustal recycling mechanisms on the planet suggests a surface environment that was once warm enough to allow the presence of liquid water, at least for discrete periods of time, and implies a greenhouse effect that may have been influenced by sulfur-bearing volcanic gases. Here we report in situ analyses of the sulfur isotopic compositions of SO2 volatilized from ten sediment samples acquired by NASA’s Curiosity rover along a 13 km traverse of Gale crater. We find large variations in sulfur isotopic composition that exceed those measured for Martian meteorites and show both depletion and enrichment in 34S. Measured values of δ34S range from −47 ± 14‰ to 28 ± 7‰, similar to the range typical of terrestrial environments. Although limited geochronological constraints on the stratigraphy traversed by Curiosity are available, we propose that the observed sulfur isotopic signatures at Gale crater can be explained by equilibrium fractionation between sulfate and sulfide in an impact-driven hydrothermal system and atmospheric processing of sulfur-bearing gases during transient warm periods

Staggered local density-of-states around the vortex in underdoped cuprates

We have studied a single vortex with the staggered flux (SF) core based on the SU(2) slave-boson theory of high $T_c$ superconductors. We find that whereas the center in the vortex core is a SF state, as one moves away from the core center, a correlated staggered modulation of the hopping amplitude $\chi$ and pairing amplitude $\Delta$ becomes predominant. We predict that in this region, the local density-of-states (LDOS) exhibits staggered modulation when measured on the bonds, which may be directly detected by STM experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Staggered Currents in the Vortex Core

We study the electronic structure of the vortex core in the cuprates using the U(1) slave-boson mean-field wavefunctions and their Gutzwiller projection. We conclude that there exists local orbital antiferromagnetic order in the core near optimal doping. We compare the results with that of BCS theory and analyze the spatial dependence of the local tunneling density of states.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Robert Matijašić, Povijest hrvatskih zemalja u kasnoj antici od Dioklecijana do Justinijana

Introduction Pichia pastoris is a methylotrophic yeast that has been genetically engineered to express heterologous. In recent 20 years, over 700 proteins from bacteria to humans have been produced in this yeast. MBP (maltose binding protein) has been utilized as a translational fusion partner to improve the expression of foreign proteins made in E. coli. We initially explored whether MBP would serve as an expression enhancer and purification tag in Pichia pastoris, a popular eukaryotic host for heterologous protein expression. Methods SDS-PAGE and Western analysis were applied to analyze the protein expression. The secreted fusion proteins were purified by the amylose resin, digested by trypsin or endoproteinase Asp-N, and subjected to mass spectrometric analysis. Preliminary results When MBP was fused as an N-terminal partner to several cargo proteins (the two proteins were separated by a Factor Xa protease site) expressed in this yeast, proteolysis occurred between the two peptides and only MBP reached the extracellular region, which suggested that the fusion protein had been proteolyzed between MBP and cargo proteins. Furthermore, western analysis indicated the fusion proteins had been cleaved inside the yeast. Mass spectrometry analysis of MBP-FXa-FKBP12 demonstrated the Cterminus of that fusion protein was IEGR, the FXa sequence. Extensive mutagenesis of this spacer region between MBP and FKBP12 could not inhibit the cleavage. Mass spectrometric data indicated different C-termini in these mutant proteins, suggesting that different cleavage sites were used in the MBP fusions. These results provide new insights into the role of proteases in this expression system

Electronic structure in underdoped cuprates due to the emergence of a pseudogap

The phenomenological Green's function developed in the works of Yang, Rice and Zhang has been very successful in understanding many of the anomalous superconducting properties of the deeply underdoped cuprates. It is based on considerations of the resonating valence bond spin liquid approximation and is designed to describe the underdoped regime of the cuprates. Here we emphasize the region of doping, $x$, just below the quantum critical point at which the pseudogap develops. In addition to Luttinger hole pockets centered around the nodal direction, there are electron pockets near the antinodes which are connected to the hole pockets by gapped bridging contours. We determine the contours of nearest approach as would be measured in angular resolved photoemission experiments and emphasize signatures of the Fermi surface reconstruction from the large Fermi contour of Fermi liquid theory (which contains $1+x$ hole states) to the Luttinger pocket (which contains $x$ hole states). We find that the quasiparticle effective mass renormalization increases strongly towards the edge of the Luttinger pockets beyond which it diverges.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure

Possible Z2 phase and spin-charge separation in electron doped cuprate superconductors

The SU(2) slave-boson mean-field theory for the tt'J model is analyzed. The role of next-nearest-neighbor hopping t' on the phase-diagram is studied. We find a pseudogap phase in hole-doped materials (where t'<0). The pseudo-gap phase is a U(1) spin liquid (the staggered-flux phase) with a U(1) gauge interaction and no fractionalization. This agrees with experiments on hole doped samples. The same calculation also indicates that a positive t' favors a Z2 state with true spin-charge separation. The Z2 state that exists when t' > 0.5J can be a candidate for the pseudo-gap phase of electron-doped cuprates (if such a phase exists). The experimental situation in electron-doped materials is also addressed.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX4. Homepage http://dao.mit.edu/~wen

Signature of the staggered flux state around a superconducting vortex in underdoped cuprates

Based on the SU(2) lattice gauge theory formulation of the t-J model, we discuss possible signature of the unit cell doubling associated with the staggered flux (SF) state in the lightly doped spin liquid. Although the SF state appears only dynamically in a uniform d-wave superconducting (SC) state, a topological defect [SU(2) vortex] freezes the SF state inside the vortex core. Consequently, the unit cell doubling shows up in the hopping ($\chi_{ij}$) and pairing ($\Delta_{ij}$) order parameters of physical electrons. We find that whereas the center in the vortex core is a SF state, as one moves away from the core center, a correlated staggered modulation of $\chi_{ij}$ and $\Delta_{ij}$ becomes predominant. We predict that over the region outside the core and inside the internal gauge field penetration depth around a vortex center, the local density-of-states (LDOS) exhibits staggered peak-dip (SPD) structure inside the V-shaped profile when measured on the bonds. The SPD structure has its direct origin in the unit cell doubling associated with the SF core and the robust topological texture, which has little to do with the symmetry of the d-wave order parameter. Therefore the structure may survive the tunneling matrix element effects and easily be detected by STM experiment.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures in GIF format, typo correcte

Capacity of countries to reduce biological invasions

The extent and impacts of biological invasions on biodiversity are largely shaped by an array of socio-economic and environmental factors, which exhibit high variation among countries. Yet, a global analysis of how these factors vary across countries is currently lacking. Here, we investigate how five broad, country-specific socio-economic and environmental indices (Governance, Trade, Environmental Performance, Lifestyle and Education, Innovation) explain country-level (1) established alien species (EAS) richness of eight taxonomic groups, and (2) proactive or reactive capacity to prevent and manage biological invasions and their impacts. These indices underpin many aspects of the invasion process, including the introduction, establishment, spread and management of alien species. They are also general enough to enable a global comparison across countries, and are therefore essential for defining future scenarios for biological invasions. Models including Trade, Governance, Lifestyle and Education, or a combination of these, best explained EAS richness across taxonomic groups and national proactive or reactive capacity. Historical (1996 or averaged over 1996–2015) levels of Governance and Trade better explained both EAS richness and the capacity of countries to manage invasions than more recent (2015) levels, revealing a historical legacy with important implications for the future of biological invasions. Using Governance and Trade to define a two-dimensional socio-economic space in which the position of a country captures its capacity to address issues of biological invasions, we identified four main clusters of countries in 2015. Most countries had an increase in Trade over the past 25 years, but trajectories were more geographically heterogeneous for Governance. Declines in levels of Governance are concerning as they may be responsible for larger levels of invasions in the future. By identifying the factors influencing EAS richness and the regions most susceptible to changes in these factors, our results provide novel insights to integrate biological invasions into scenarios of biodiversity change to better inform decision-making for policy and the management of biological invasions

What will the future bring for biological invasions on islands? an expert-based assessment

Biological invasions are a major threat to global biodiversity with particularly strong implications for island biodiversity. Much research has been dedicated towards understanding historic and current changes in alien species distribution and impacts on islands and potential changes under future climate change. However, projections of how alien species richness and impacts on islands might develop in the future are still lacking. In the absence of reliable projections, expert-based assessments are a valuable tool to investigate the importance of different drivers and pathways and the distributions of potential impacts of future biological invasions. These insights can guide subsequent quantification efforts and inform invasive species management and policy. In this study, we performed a survey among 126 experts in invasion science ranging from scientists to managers and decision makers with a focus on island systems until the mid-21st century. The survey revealed that out of 15 drivers, six were considered important by almost all respondents (>90%). Of these, trade and transport was identified as most important at the introduction stage (99.2%) and land use/cover change as most important at the establishment (96.8%) and spread (95.2%) stage. Additionally, the experts considered that alien species were more likely to be introduced (93.7%) and spread (78.6%) as stowaways than through any other pathway. In general, respondents agreed that the impacts of alien species will increase on all types of islands, particularly on oceanic islands, followed by atolls and continental islands. Within islands, terrestrial ecosystems were assumed to be impacted more severely than marine ecosystems. Finally, the survey hints toward the potential for effective communication, scientific research and increased pro-active management of alien species on islands to reduce their future consequences. Given the major threat represented by invasive alien species on islands, these results provide crucial insights relevant for global and regional conservation efforts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio