Effect of pyramiding Bt and CpTI genes on resistance of cotton to Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory and field conditions

Transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties, adapted to China, have been bred that express two genes for resistance to insects. the Cry1Ac gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt), and a trypsin inhibitor gene from cowpea (CpTI). Effectiveness of the double gene modification in conferring resistance to cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), was studied in laboratory and field experiments. In each experiment, performance of Bt+CpTI cotton was compared with Bt cotton and to a conventional nontransgenic variety. Larval survival was lower on both types of transgenic variety, compared with the conventional cotton. Survival of first-, second-, and third-stage larvae was lower on Bt+CpTI cotton than on Bt cotton. Plant structures differed in level of resistance, and these differences were similar on Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton. Likewise, seasonal trends in level of resistance in different plant structures were similar in Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton. Both types of transgenic cotton interfered with development of sixth-stage larvae to adults, and no offspring was produced by H. armigera that fed on Bt or Bt+CpTI cotton from the sixth stage onward. First-, second-, and third-stage larvae spent significantly less time feeding on transgenic cotton than on conventional cotton, and the reduction in feeding time was significantly greater on Bt+CpTI cotton than on Bt cotton. Food conversion efficiency was lower on transgenic varieties than on conventional cotton, but there was no significant difference between Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton. In 3-yr field experimentation, bollworm densities were greatly suppressed on transgenic as compared with conventional cotton, but no significant differences between Bt and Bt+CpTI cotton were found. Overall, the results from laboratory work indicate that introduction of the CpTI gene in Bt cotton raises some components of resistance in cotton against H. armigera, but enhanced control of H. armigera under field conditions, due to expression of the CpTI gene, was not demonstrate

B→DsπB \to D_s \pi and the tree amplitude in B→π+π−B \to \pi^+ \pi^-

The recently-observed decay $B^0 \to D_s^+ \pi^-$ is expected to proceed mainly by means of a tree amplitude in the factorization limit: $B^0 \to \pi^- {(W^+)}^*$, ${(W^+)}^* \to D_s^+$. Under this assumption, we predict the corresponding contribution of the tree amplitude to $B^0 \to \pi^+ \pi^-$. We indicate the needed improvements in data that will allow a useful estimate of this amplitude with errors comparable to those accompanying other methods. Since the factorization hypothesis for this process goes beyond that proved in most approaches, we also discuss independent tests of this hypothesis.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX, 1 figure, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Brief Reports

Resummation of nuclear enhanced higher twist in the Drell Yan process

We investigate higher twist contributions to the transverse momentum broadening of Drell Yan pairs in proton nucleus collisions. We revisit the contribution of matrix elements of twist-4 and generalize this to matrix elements of arbitrary twist. An estimate of the maximal nuclear broadening effect is derived. A model for nuclear enhanced matrix elements of arbitrary twist allows us to give the result of a resummation of all twists in closed form. Subleading corrections to the maximal broadening are discussed qualitatively.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures; v2: minor changes in text, acknowledgement added; v3: mistake in fig. 1 correcte

Integral equation method for the electromagnetic wave propagation in stratified anisotropic dielectric-magnetic materials

We investigate the propagation of electromagnetic waves in stratified anisotropic dielectric-magnetic materials using the integral equation method (IEM). Based on the superposition principle, we use Hertz vector formulations of radiated fields to study the interaction of wave with matter. We derive in a new way the dispersion relation, Snell's law and reflection/transmission coefficients by self-consistent analyses. Moreover, we find two new forms of the generalized extinction theorem. Applying the IEM, we investigate the wave propagation through a slab and disclose the underlying physics which are further verified by numerical simulations. The results lead to a unified framework of the IEM for the propagation of wave incident either from a medium or vacuum in stratified dielectric-magnetic materials.Comment: 14pages, 3figure

Simulation of natural corrosion by vapor hydration test: seven-year results

We have investigated the alteration behavior of synthetic basalt and SRL 165 borosilicate waste glasses that had been reacted in water vapor at 70 {degrees}C for time periods up to seven years. The nature and extent of corrosion of glasses have been determined by characterizing the reacted glass surface with optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Alteration in 70 {degrees}C laboratory tests was compared to that which occurs at 150-200 {degrees}C and also with Hawaiian basaltic glasses of 480 to 750 year old subaerially altered in nature. Synthetic basalt and waste glasses, both containing about 50 percent wt SiO{sub 2} were found to react with water vapor to form an amorphous hydrated gel that contained small amounts of clay, nearly identical to palagonite layers formed on naturally altered basaltic glass. This result implies that the corrosion reaction in nature can be simulated with a vapor hydration test. These tests also provide a means for measuring the corrosion kinetics, which are difficult to determine by studying natural samples because alteration layers have often spelled off the samples and we have only limited knowledge of the conditions under which alteration occurred

Simulation of Natural Corrosion by Vapor Hydration Test: Seven-Year Results

We have investigated the alteration behavior of synthetic basalt and SRL 165 borosilicate waste glasses that had been reacted in water vapor at 70 {degrees}C for time periods up to seven years. The nature and extent of corrosion of glasses have been determined by characterizing the reacted glass surface with optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Alteration in 70 {degrees}C laboratory tests was compared to that which occurs at 150-200 {degrees}C and also with Hawaiian basaltic glasses of 480 to 750 year old subaerially altered in nature. Synthetic basalt and waste glasses, both containing about 50 percent wt SiO{sub 2} were found to react with water vapor to form an amorphous hydrated gel that contained small amounts of clay, nearly identical to palagonite layers formed on naturally altered basaltic glass. This result implies that the corrosion reaction in nature can be simulated with a vapor hydration test. These tests also provide a means for measuring the corrosion kinetics, which are difficult to determine by studying natural samples because alteration layers have often spelled off the samples and we have only limited knowledge of the conditions under which alteration occurred

Guided Modes in Negative Refractive Index Waveguides

We study linear guided waves propagating in a slab waveguide made of a negative-refraction- index material, the so-called left-handed waveguide. We reveal that the guided waves in left-handed waveguides possess a number of peculiar properties, such as the absence of the fundamental modes, mode double degeneracy, and sign-varying energy ux. In particular, we predict the existence of novel types of guided waves with a dipole-vortex structure of the Pointing vector.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Density functional study of Aun_n (n=2-20) clusters: lowest-energy structures and electronic properties

We have investigated the lowest-energy structures and electronic properties of the Au$_n$(n=2-20) clusters based on density functional theory (DFT) with local density approximation. The small Au$_n$ clusters adopt planar structures up to n=6. Tabular cage structures are preferred in the range of n=10-14 and a structural transition from tabular cage-like structure to compact near-spherical structure is found around n=15. The most stable configurations obtained for Au$_{13}$ and Au$_{19}$ clusters are amorphous instead of icosahedral or fcc-like, while the electronic density of states sensitively depend on the cluster geometry. Dramatic odd-even alternative behaviors are obtained in the relative stability, HOMO-LUMO gaps and ionization potentials of gold clusters. The size evolution of electronic properties is discussed and the theoretical ionization potentials of Au$_n$ clusters compare well with experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Scaling behavior of the dipole coupling energy in two-dimensional disordered magnetic nanostructures

Numerical calculations of the average dipole-coupling energy $\bar E_\mathrm{dip}$ in two-dimensional disordered magnetic nanostructures are performed as function of the particle coverage $C$. We observe that $\bar E_\mathrm{dip}$ scales as $\bar E_\mathrm{dip}\propto C^{\alpha^*}$ with an unusually small exponent $\alpha^*\simeq 0.8$--1.0 for coverages $C\lesssim20$. This behavior is shown to be primarly given by the contributions of particle pairs at short distances, which is intrinsically related to the presence of an appreciable degree of disorder. The value of $\alpha^*$ is found to be sensitive to the magnetic arrangement within the nanostructure and to the degree of disorder. For large coverages $C\gtrsim20$ we obtain $\bar E_\mathrm{dip}\propto C^\alpha$ with $\alpha=3/2$, in agreement with the straighforward scaling of the dipole coupling as in a periodic particle setup. Taking into account the effect of single-particle anisotropies, we show that the scaling exponent can be used as a criterion to distinguish between weakly interacting ($\alpha^* \simeq 1.0$) and strongly interacting ($\alpha^* \simeq 0.8$) particle ensembles as function of coverage.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Unparticles-Higgs Interplay

We show that scalar unparticles coupled to the Standard Model Higgs at the renormalizable level can have a dramatic impact in the breaking of the electroweak symmetry already at tree level. In particular one can get the proper electroweak scale without the need of a Higgs mass term in the Lagrangian. By studying the mixed unparticle-Higgs propagator and spectral function we also show how unparticles can shift the Higgs mass away from its Standard Model value, \lambda v^2, and influence other Higgs boson properties. Conversely, we study in some detail how electroweak symmetry breaking affects the unparticle sector by breaking its conformal symmetry and generating a mass gap. We also show that, for Higgs masses above that gap, unparticles can increase quite significantly the Higgs width.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, typos correcte