Isoscalar Giant Quadrupole Resonance State in the Relativistic Approach with the Momentum-Dependent Self-Energies

We study the excited energy of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance with the scaling method in the relativistic many-body framework. In this calculation we introduce the momentum-dependent parts of the Dirac self-energies arising from the one-pion exchange on the assumption of the pseudo-vector coupling with nucleon field. It is shown that this momentum-dependence enhances the Landau mass significantly and thus suppresses the quadrupole resonance energy even giving the small Dirac effective mass which causes a problem in the momentum-independent mean-field theory.Comment: 12pages, 2 Postscript figure

Quantum Molecular Dynamics Approach to the Nuclear Matter Below the Saturation Density

Quantum molecular dynamics is applied to study the ground state properties of nuclear matter at subsaturation densities. Clustering effects are observed as to soften the equation of state at these densities. The structure of nuclear matter at subsaturation density shows some exotic shapes with variation of the density.Comment: 21 pages of Latex (revtex), 9 Postscript figure

Finite size effects on kaonic pasta structures

Non-uniform structures of mixed phases at the first-order phase transition to charged kaon condensation are studied using a density functional theory within the relativistic mean field model. Including electric field effects and applying the Gibbs conditions in a proper way, we numerically determine density profiles of nucleons, electrons and condensed kaons. Importance of charge screening effects is elucidated and thereby we show that the Maxwell construction is effectively justified. Surface effect is also studied to figure out its effect on the density profiles

Ligula intestinalis (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) infection of Engraulicypris sardella (Pisces: Cyprinidae) in Lake Malawi

Fish parasites have diverse ecological impacts on fish populations and are presently becoming useful as bio-indicators of fish migration and feeding. Studies of fish parasite in Lake Malawi severely lag behind the strides made in eco-evolutionary studies of its ichthyofauna. Over a period of eleven months from April 2003, we examined more than 1300 Engraulicypris sardella from Lake Malawi for cestode parasites. About 54 % of the fish had infections of between one and eight Ligula intestinalis plerocercoids. The infection occurred throughout the study period (mean prevalence 59 ±13%) but was most prevalent in December and June and was least prevalent in April. The majority of the hosts (78%) had a light parasite burden (one or two). Parasite prevalence increased with age of the fish. Prevalence and infection intensity oscillated closely with periods of peak abundance of zooplankton, the main food of E. sardella and intermediate hosts (copepods) of L. intestinalis. Increased exposure to the parasite with age aggravated by an ontogenetic diet shift from phytoplanktivory to zooplanktivory may be interacting with fluctuations in zooplankton production in driving the trophic transmission patterns of L. intestinalis in this ecosystem.Keywords: Engraulicypris sardella; Ligula intestinalis; trophic transmission; Lake Malaw

Isospin effects on sub-threshold kaon production at intermediate energies

We show that in collisions with neutron rich heavy ions at energies around the production threshold K^0 and K^+ yields might probe the isospin dependent part of the nuclearEquation of State (EoS) at high baryon densities. In particular we suggest the K^0/K^+ ratio as a promising observable. Results obtained in a fully covariant relativistic transport approach are presented for central Au+Au collisions in the beam energy range 0.8-1.8~AGeV. The focus is put on the EoS influence which goes beyond the "collision-cascade" picture. The isovector part of the in-medium interaction affects the kaon multiplicities via two mechanisms: i) a "symmetry potential" effect, i.e. a larger neutron repulsion in n-rich systems (isospin fractionation); ii) a "threshold" effect, due to the change in the self-energies of the particles involved in inelastic processes. Genuine relativistic contributions are revealed, that could allow to directly ``measure'' the Lorentz structure of the effective isovector interaction.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, revtex

Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii, a potential new zoonotic Bartonella species in canids from Iraq.

Bartonellae are emerging vector-borne pathogens infecting erythrocytes and endothelial cells of various domestic and wild mammals. Blood samples were collected from domestic and wild canids in Iraq under the United States Army zoonotic disease surveillance program. Serology was performed using an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test for B. henselae, B. clarridgeiae, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and B. bovis. Overall seroprevalence was 47.4% in dogs (n = 97), 40.4% in jackals (n = 57) and 12.8% in red foxes (n = 39). Bartonella species DNA was amplified from whole blood and representative strains were sequenced. DNA of a new Bartonella species similar to but distinct from B. bovis, was amplified from 37.1% of the dogs and 12.3% of the jackals. B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii was also amplified from one jackal and no Bartonella DNA was amplified from foxes. Adjusting for age, the odds of dogs being Bartonella PCR positive were 11.94 times higher than for wild canids (95% CI: 4.55-31.35), suggesting their role as reservoir for this new Bartonella species. This study reports on the prevalence of Bartonella species in domestic and wild canids of Iraq and provides the first detection of Bartonella in jackals. We propose Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii for this new Bartonella species. Most of the Bartonella species identified in sick dogs are also pathogenic for humans. Therefore, seroprevalence in Iraqi dog owners and bacteremia in Iraqi people with unexplained fever or culture negative endocarditis requires further investigation as well as in United States military personnel who were stationed in Iraq. Finally, it will also be essential to test any dog brought back from Iraq to the USA for presence of Bartonella bacteremia to prevent any accidental introduction of a new Bartonella species to the New World

A violation of the uncertainty principle implies a violation of the second law of thermodynamics

Uncertainty relations state that there exist certain incompatible measurements, to which the outcomes cannot be simultaneously predicted. While the exact incompatibility of quantum measurements dictated by such uncertainty relations can be inferred from the mathematical formalism of quantum theory, the question remains whether there is any more fundamental reason for the uncertainty relations to have this exact form. What, if any, would be the operational consequences if we were able to go beyond any of these uncertainty relations? We give a strong argument that justifies uncertainty relations in quantum theory by showing that violating them implies that it is also possible to violate the second law of thermodynamics. More precisely, we show that violating the uncertainty relations in quantum mechanics leads to a thermodynamic cycle with positive net work gain, which is very unlikely to exist in nature.Comment: 8 pages, revte