342 research outputs found
Quadrupole Instabilities of Relativistic Rotating Membranes
We generalize recent study of the stability of isotropic (spherical) rotating
membranes to the anisotropic ellipsoidal membrane. We find that while the
stability persists for deformations of spin , the quadrupole and higher
spin deformations () lead to instabilities. We find the relevant
instability modes and the corresponding eigenvalues. These indicate that the
ellipsoidal rotating membranes generically decay into finger-like
configurations.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
Current and Spin-Torque in Double Tunnel Barrier Ferromagnet - Superconductor - Ferromagnet Systems
We calculate the current and the spin-torque in small symmetric double tunnel
barrier ferromagnet - superconductor - ferromagnet (F-S-F) systems.
Spin-accumulation on the superconductor governs the transport properties when
the spin-flip relaxation time is longer than the transport dwell time. In the
elastic transport regime, it is demonstrated that the relative change in the
current (spin-torque) for F-S-F systems equals the relative change in the
current (spin-torque) for F-N-F systems upon changing the relative
magnetization direction of the two ferromagnets. This differs from the results
in the inelastic transport regime where spin-accumulation suppresses the
superconducting gap and dramatically changes the magnetoresistance [S.
Takahashi, H. Imamura, and S. Maekawa, Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3911 (1999)]. The
experimental relevance of the elastic and inelastic transport regimes,
respectively, as well as the reasons for the change in the transport properties
are discussed.Comment: 7 page
Radiating black hole solutions in arbitrary dimensions
We prove a theorem that characterizes a large family of non-static solutions
to Einstein equations in -dimensional space-time, representing, in general,
spherically symmetric Type II fluid. It is shown that the best known
Vaidya-based (radiating) black hole solutions to Einstein equations, in both
four dimensions (4D) and higher dimensions (HD), are particular cases from this
family. The spherically symmetric static black hole solutions for Type I fluid
can also be retrieved. A brief discussion on the energy conditions,
singularities and horizons is provided.Comment: RevTeX 9 pages, no figure
Organizational and Leadership Implications for Transformational Development
Transformational development is a concept of change that originated in the Christian context but has now become generally used in the work of both secular and faith-based organizations. The growing use of the concept by organizations that are fundamentally different has naturally led to some confusion about what the concept means and what it takes to effectively implement it. In this article, we describe the key features of the concept and how they are important in determining the organizational requirements for its effective implementation. Drawing on a few cases, the paper highlights the centrality of faith in transformational development work
Observational Constraints on Chaplygin Quartessence: Background Results
We derive the constraints set by several experiments on the quartessence
Chaplygin model (QCM). In this scenario, a single fluid component drives the
Universe from a nonrelativistic matter-dominated phase to an accelerated
expansion phase behaving, first, like dark matter and in a more recent epoch
like dark energy. We consider current data from SNIa experiments, statistics of
gravitational lensing, FR IIb radio galaxies, and x-ray gas mass fraction in
galaxy clusters. We investigate the constraints from this data set on flat
Chaplygin quartessence cosmologies. The observables considered here are
dependent essentially on the background geometry, and not on the specific form
of the QCM fluctuations. We obtain the confidence region on the two parameters
of the model from a combined analysis of all the above tests. We find that the
best-fit occurs close to the CDM limit (). The standard
Chaplygin quartessence () is also allowed by the data, but only at
the level.Comment: Replaced to match the published version, references update
Rotating Black Branes in the presence of nonlinear electromagnetic field
In this paper, we consider a class of gravity whose action represents itself
as a sum of the usual Einstein-Hilbert action with cosmological constant and an
gauge field for which the action is given by a power of the Maxwell
invariant. We present a class of the rotating black branes with Ricci flat
horizon and show that the presented solutions may be interpreted as black brane
solutions with two event horizons, extreme black hole and naked singularity
provided the parameters of the solutions are chosen suitably. We investigate
the properties of the solutions and find that for the special values of the
nonlinear parameter, the solutions are not asymptotically anti-deSitter. At
last, we obtain the conserved quantities of the rotating black branes and find
that the nonlinear source effects on the electric field, the behavior of
spacetime, type of singularity and other quantities.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, to appear in EPJ
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in dromedary camels: An outbreak investigation
Background: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe lower respiratory tract infection in people. Previous studies suggested dromedary camels were a reservoir for this virus. We tested for the presence of MERS-CoV in dromedary camels from a farm in Qatar linked to two human cases of the infection in October, 2013. Methods: We took nose swabs, rectal swabs, and blood samples from all camels on the Qatari farm. We tested swabs with RT-PCR, with amplification targeting the E gene (upE), nucleocapsid (N) gene, and open reading frame (ORF) 1a. PCR positive samples were tested by different MERS-CoV specific PCRs and obtained sequences were used for phylogentic analysis together with sequences from the linked human cases and other human cases. We tested serum samples from the camels for IgG immunofluorescence assay, protein microarray, and virus neutralisation assay. Findings: We obtained samples from 14 camels on Oct 17, 2013. We detected MERS-CoV in nose swabs from three camels by three independent RT-PCRs and sequencing. The nucleotide sequence of an ORF1a fragment (940 nucleotides) and a 4·2 kb concatenated fragment were very similar to the MERS-CoV from two human cases on the same farm and a MERS-CoV isolate from Hafr-Al-Batin. Eight additional camel nose swabs were positive on one or more RT-PCRs, but could not be confirmed by sequencing. All camels had MERS-CoV spike-binding antibodies that correlated well with the presence of neutralising antibodies to MERS-CoV. Interpretation: Our study provides virological confirmation of MERS-CoV in camels and suggests a recent outbreak affecting both human beings and camels. We cannot conclude whether the people on the farm were infected by the camels or vice versa, or if a third source was responsible. Funding: European Union projects EMPERIE (contract number 223498), ANTIGONE (contract number 278976), and the VIRGO consortium
Matointerferência em arroz de sequeiro. I: efeitos do espaçamento e da adubação nitrogenada nas concentrações de nutrientes no arroz e nas plantas daninhas
O trabalho insere-se num estudo global sobre os efeitos do espaçamento entre sulcos de semeadura e da dose de adubação nitrogenada sobre as relações competitivas entre a cultura do arroz de sequeiro (Oryza sativa L.) e uma comunidade de plantas daninhas. Para tanto, os tratamentos foram dispostos num esquema fatorial 2x2x3, onde constituiram variáveis: duas condições de manejo da comunidade infestante - sem controle e com controle do mato durante todo o ciclo do arroz - dois espaçamentos entre sulcos de semeadura - 0,40 e 0,60 m - e três doses de nitrogênio - 2,4, e 7,2 de N/m de sulco. O experimento foi montado sobre solo Latossolo Vermelho Escuro fase arenosa e obedeceu o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com 4repetições. Foram realizadas duas avaliações: por ocasião do perfilhamento e por ocasião do florescimento da cultura. em comparação com as plantas daninhas, os teores de N, P, Fe, Mn e Zn foram mais elevados no arroz; os de Ca e Mg foram menos elevados e os teores de K e Cu foram inferiores aos de D. horizontalis e superiores aos de 7. hirsuta. Por ocasião do florescimento, o arroz apresentou teores mais elevados de P, Cu, Mn e Zn, enquanto que a comunidade infestante apresentou maiores teores de N, K, Ca, Mg e Fe. Os efeitos do espaçamento e da fertilização nitrogenada apresentaram aspectos distintos de acordo com o nutriente, a espécie envolvida e a época da avaliação. de um modo geral, os efeitos das plantas daninhas foram mais acentuados no espaçamento de 0,60 m.The essay insered in a global study about the spacing and nitrogen rate effects on the competitive relationship between weeds and upland rice crop. The treatments were located in a factorial desing 2x2x3 , when the variables were: two weed managment conditions - weeded and not weeded during all rice cycle - two row spacing - 0.40 and 0.60, e three nitrogen rate - 2.4 , 2.8 and 7.2 g de N/m of row. The essay was installed on Latossolo Vermelho Escuro sandy phase soil. Two valuations were realized: the first in the crop tillerinq and the second in the crop flowering. In the tillering phase the most important weed were Digitaria horizontalis and Indigofera hirsuta. The first weed showed higher contents of K, Mg, Fe and Mn and lower contents of N and Ca than the legumonosous weed. In comparison with the weeds, the rice contents of N, P, Fe, Mn and Zn were higher, the contents of Ca and Mg were lower. The K and Cu rice contents were lower than in D.horizontal in and higher than in l.hirsuta. In the flowering phase, the rice showed higher contents of P, Cu, Mn and Zn and lower contents of N, K, Ca, Mg and Fe, than the weed community. The row spacing and nitrogen rate effects showed different aspects, in according with the nutrient, weed especie and valuation period. In general, the weed effects were more drastics on the 0.60 m row spacing
Multiethnic meta-analysis identifies ancestry-specific and cross-ancestry loci for pulmonary function
Nearly 100 loci have been identified for pulmonary function, almost exclusively in studies of European ancestry populations. We extend previous research by meta-analyzing genome-wide association studies of 1000 Genomes imputed variants in relation to pulmonary function in a multiethnic population of 90,715 individuals of European (N = 60,552), African (N = 8429), Asian (N = 9959), and Hispanic/Latino (N = 11,775) ethnicities. We identify over 50 additional loci at genome-wide significance in ancestry-specific or multiethnic meta-analyses. Using recent fine-mapping methods incorporating functional annotation, gene expression, and differences in linkage disequilibrium between ethnicities, we further shed light on potential causal variants and genes at known and newly identified loci. Several of the novel genes encode proteins with predicted or established drug targets, including KCNK2 and CDK12. Our study highlights the utility of multiethnic and integrative genomics approaches to extend existing knowledge of the genetics of l
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