2,299 research outputs found
Magnetic Schr\"odinger Operators as the Quasi-Classical Limit of Pauli-Fierz-type Models
We study the quasi-classical limit of the Pauli-Fierz model: the system is
composed of finitely many non-relativistic charged particles interacting with a
bosonic radiation field. We trace out the degrees of freedom of the field, and
consider the classical limit of the latter. We prove that the partial trace of
the full Hamiltonian converges, in resolvent sense, to an effective
Schr\"odinger operator with magnetic field and a corrective electric potential
that depends on the field configuration. Furthermore, we prove the convergence
of the ground state energy of the microscopic system to the infimum over all
possible classical field configurations of the ground state energy of the
effective Schr\"odinger operator.Comment: 26 pages, pdfLatex. Final version to appear in J. Spectr. Theor
Pressure effects in PrT2B2C (T = Co, Ni, Pt): Applied and chemical pressure
High-pressure electrical resistivity, r(T), measurements on intermetallic
Pr(Co, Ni, Pt)2B2C compounds were performed down to 2K. At room pressure the
r(T) in a-b direction curves for the non superconducting Pr(Co, Ni)2B2C
compounds exhibit magnetic correlations at about 10 and 4 K, respectively. At
low temperatures, PrCo2B2C shows a large spin-dependent electron scattering in
comparison to PrNi2B2C. Under applied pressure the magnetic scattering tends to
be suppressed more effectively in PrCo2B2C than in PrNi2 B2C. The low
temperature behavior of r(T,P) for PrNi2B2C and PrCo2B2C suggests a spin
fluctuations mechanism. In the other hand PrPt2B2C compound shows
superconductivity at about 6 K and under pressure its superconducting
transition temperature tends to be degraded at a rate dTc/dP = -0.34 K/GPa, as
expected in compounds with transition metals. The experimental results in Co,
Ni and Pt based compounds are analyzed from the point of view of the external
and chemical internal pressure effects
Towards Efficient Full Pose Omnidirectionality with Overactuated MAVs
Omnidirectional MAVs are a growing field, with demonstrated advantages for
aerial interaction and uninhibited observation. While systems with complete
pose omnidirectionality and high hover efficiency have been developed
independently, a robust system that combines the two has not been demonstrated
to date. This paper presents VoliroX: a novel omnidirectional vehicle that can
exert a wrench in any orientation while maintaining efficient flight
configurations. The system design is presented, and a 6 DOF geometric control
that is robust to singularities. Flight experiments further demonstrate and
verify its capabilities.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, ISER 2018 conference submissio
A structural modeling approach for the understanding of initiation and elongation of ALS-linked superoxide dismutase fibrils
Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by mutations in copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is characterized by the presence of SOD1-rich inclusions in spinal cords. It has been shown that a reduced intra-subunit disulfide bridge apo-SOD1 can rapidly initiate fibrillation forming an inter-subunits disulfide under mild, physiologically accessible conditions. Once initiated, elongation can proceed via recruitment of either apo or partially metallated disulfide-intact SOD1 and the presence of copper, but not zinc, ions inhibit fibrillation. We propose a structural model, refined through molecular dynamics simulations, that, taking into account these experimental findings, provides a molecular explanation for the initiation and the elongation of SOD1 fibrils in physiological conditions. The model indicates the occurrence of a new dimeric unit, prone to interact one with the other due to the presence of a wide hydrophobic surface and specific electrostatic interactions. The model has dimensions consistent with the SOD1 fibril size observed through electron microscopy and provides a structural basis for the understanding of SOD1 fibrillation
Treatment challenges in and outside a specialist network setting: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms comprise a group of rare tumours with special biology, an often indolent behaviour and particular diagnostic and therapeutic requirements. The specialized biochemical tests and radiological investigations, the complexity of surgical options and the variety of medical treatments that require individual tailoring, mandate a multidisciplinary approach that can be optimally achieved through an organized network. The present study describes currents concepts in the management of these tumours as well as an insight into the challenges of delivering the pathway in and outside a Network
Reunion overseas: introduced wild boars and cultivated orange trees interact in the Brazilian Atlantic forest
Little is known concerning novel interactions between species that typically
interact in their native range but, as a consequence of human activity, are also interacting out of their original
distribution under new ecological conditions. Objective: We investigate the interaction between the orange tree
and wild boar, both of which share Asian origins and have been introduced to the Americas (i.e. the overseas).
Methods: Specifically, we assessed whether i) wild boars consume orange (Citrus sinensis) fruits and seeds
in orchards adjacent to a remnant of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, ii) the orange seeds are viable after passing
through boar’s digestive tract and iii) whether the orange tree may naturalise in the forest remnant assisted by
wild boars. Results: Our camera surveys indicated that wild boar was by far the most frequent consumer of
orange fruits (40.5 % of camera trap-days). A considerable proportion of sown orange seeds extracted from fresh
boar feces emerged seedlings (27.8 %, N = 386) under controlled greenhouse conditions. Further, 37.6 % of sown
seeds (N = 500) in the forest remnant emerged seedlings in July 2015; however, after ~4 years (March 2019)
only 9 seedlings survived (i.e. 4.8 %, N = 188). Finally, 52 sweet orange seedlings were found during surveys
within the forest remnant which is intensively used by wild boars. This study indicates a high potential of boars
to act as effective seed dispersers of the sweet orange. However, harsh competition with native vegetation and
the incidence of lethal diseases, which quickly kill sweet orange trees under non-agricultural conditions, could
seriously limit orange tree establishment in the forest. Conclusions: Our results have important implications not
only because the wild boar could be a vector of potential invasive species, but also because they disperse seeds
of some native species (e.g. the queen palm, Syagrus romanzofiana) in defaunated forests, where large native
seed dispersers are missing; thus, wild boars could exert critical ecological functions lost due to human activityinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The Dilute Fermi Gas via Bogoliubov Theory
We study the ground state properties of interacting Fermi gases in the dilute regime, in three dimensions. We compute the ground state energy of the system, for positive interaction potentials. We recover a well-known expression for the ground state energy at second order in the particle density, which depends on the interaction potential only via its scattering length. The first proof of this result has been given by Lieb, Seiringer and Solovej (Phys Rev A 71:053605, 2005). In this paper, we give a new derivation of this formula, using a different method; it is inspired by Bogoliubov theory, and it makes use of the almost-bosonic nature of the low-energy excitations of the systems. With respect to previous work, our result applies to a more regular class of interaction potentials, but it comes with improved error estimates on the ground state energy asymptotics in the density
An Interplay among FIS, H-NS, and Guanosine Tetraphosphate Modulates Transcription of the Escherichia coli cspA Gene under Physiological Growth Conditions
CspA, the most characterized member of the csp gene family of Escherichia coli, is highly expressed not only in response to cold stress, but also during the early phase of growth at 37°C. Here, we investigate at molecular level the antagonistic role played by the nucleoid proteins FIS and H-NS in the regulation of cspA expression under non-stress conditions. By means of both probing experiments and immunological detection, we demonstrate in vitro the existence of binding sites for these proteins on the cspA regulatory region, in which FIS and H-NS bind simultaneously to form composite DNA-protein complexes. While the in vitro promoter activity of cspA is stimulated by FIS and repressed by H-NS, a compensatory effect is observed when both proteins are added in the transcription assay. Consistently with these findings, inactivation of fis and hns genes reversely affect the in vivo amount of cspA mRNA. In addition, by means of strains expressing a high level of the alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate ((p)ppGpp) and in vitro transcription assays, we show that the cspA promoter is sensitive to (p)ppGpp inhibition. The (p)ppGpp-mediated expression of fis and hns genes is also analyzed, thus clarifying some aspects of the regulatory loop governing cspA transcription
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