3,774 research outputs found
Filtering out the cosmological constant in the Palatini formalism of modified gravity
According to theoretical physics the cosmological constant (CC) is expected
to be much larger in magnitude than other energy densities in the universe,
which is in stark contrast to the observed Big Bang evolution. We address this
old CC problem not by introducing an extremely fine-tuned counterterm, but in
the context of modified gravity in the Palatini formalism. In our model the
large CC term is filtered out, and it does not prevent a standard cosmological
evolution. We discuss the filter effect in the epochs of radiation and matter
domination as well as in the asymptotic de Sitter future. The final expansion
rate can be much lower than inferred from the large CC without using a
fine-tuned counterterm. Finally, we show that the CC filter works also in the
Kottler (Schwarzschild-de Sitter) metric describing a black hole environment
with a CC compatible to the future de Sitter cosmos.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figure, discussion extended, references added, accepted
by Gen.Rel.Gra
Transcriptome analysis of Aspergillus niger xlnR and xkiA mutants grown on corn Stover and soybean hulls reveals a highly complex regulatory network.
BACKGROUND:Enzymatic plant biomass degradation by fungi is a highly complex process and one of the leading challenges in developing a biobased economy. Some industrial fungi (e.g. Aspergillus niger) have a long history of use with respect to plant biomass degradation and for that reason have become 'model' species for this topic. A. niger is a major industrial enzyme producer that has a broad ability to degrade plant based polysaccharides. A. niger wild-type, the (hemi-)cellulolytic regulator (xlnR) and xylulokinase (xkiA1) mutant strains were grown on a monocot (corn stover, CS) and dicot (soybean hulls, SBH) substrate. The xkiA1 mutant is unable to utilize the pentoses D-xylose and L-arabinose and the polysaccharide xylan, and was previously shown to accumulate inducers for the (hemi-)cellulolytic transcriptional activator XlnR and the arabinanolytic transcriptional activator AraR in the presence of pentoses, resulting in overexpression of their target genes. The xlnR mutant has reduced growth on xylan and down-regulation of its target genes. The mutants therefore have a similar phenotype on xylan, but an opposite transcriptional effect. D-xylose and L-arabinose are the most abundant monosaccharides after D-glucose in nearly all plant-derived biomass materials. In this study we evaluated the effect of the xlnR and xkiA1 mutation during growth on two pentose-rich substrates by transcriptome analysis. RESULTS:Particular attention was given to CAZymes, metabolic pathways and transcription factors related to the plant biomass degradation. Genes coding for the main enzymes involved in plant biomass degradation were down-regulated at the beginning of the growth on CS and SBH. However, at a later time point, significant differences were found in the expression profiles of both mutants on CS compared to SBH. CONCLUSION:This study demonstrates the high complexity of the plant biomass degradation process by fungi, by showing that mutant strains with fairly straightforward phenotypes on pure mono- and polysaccharides, have much less clear-cut phenotypes and transcriptomes on crude plant biomass
Temperature and Field Dependence of the Energy Gap of MgB2/Pb planar junction
We have constructed MgB2/Pb planar junctions for both temperature and field
dependence studies. Our results show that the small gap is a true bulk property
of MgB2 superconductor, not due to surface effects. The temperature dependence
of the energy gap manifests a nearly BCS-like behavior. Analysis of the effect
of magnetic field on junctions suggests that the energy gap of MgB2 depends
non-linearly on the magnetic field. Moreover, MgB2 has an upper critical field
of 15 T, in agreement with some reported Hc2 from transport measurements.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Identity-by-descent filtering of exome sequence data for diseaseāgene identification in autosomal recessive disorders
Motivation: Next-generation sequencing and exome-capture technologies are currently revolutionizing the way geneticists screen for disease-causing mutations in rare Mendelian disorders. However, the identification of causal mutations is challenging due to the sheer number of variants that are identified in individual exomes. Although databases such as dbSNP or HapMap can be used to reduce the plethora of candidate genes by filtering out common variants, the remaining set of genes still remains on the order of dozens
Flavor SU(3) symmetry and QCD factorization in and decays
Using flavor SU(3) symmetry, we perform a model-independent analysis of
charmless decays. All the relevant
topological diagrams, including the presumably subleading diagrams, such as the
QCD- and EW-penguin exchange diagrams and flavor-singlet weak annihilation
ones, are introduced. Indeed, the QCD-penguin exchange diagram turns out to be
important in understanding the data for penguin-dominated decay modes. In this
work we make efforts to bridge the (model-independent but less quantitative)
topological diagram or flavor SU(3) approach and the (quantitative but somewhat
model-dependent) QCD factorization (QCDF) approach in these decays, by
explicitly showing how to translate each flavor SU(3) amplitude into the
corresponding terms in the QCDF framework. After estimating each flavor SU(3)
amplitude numerically using QCDF, we discuss various physical consequences,
including SU(3) breaking effects and some useful SU(3) relations among decay
amplitudes of and .Comment: 47 pages, 3 figures, 28 table
Normal Cones and Thompson Metric
The aim of this paper is to study the basic properties of the Thompson metric
in the general case of a real linear space ordered by a cone . We
show that has monotonicity properties which make it compatible with the
linear structure. We also prove several convexity properties of and some
results concerning the topology of , including a brief study of the
-convergence of monotone sequences. It is shown most of the results are
true without any assumption of an Archimedean-type property for . One
considers various completeness properties and one studies the relations between
them. Since is defined in the context of a generic ordered linear space,
with no need of an underlying topological structure, one expects to express its
completeness in terms of properties of the ordering, with respect to the linear
structure. This is done in this paper and, to the best of our knowledge, this
has not been done yet. The Thompson metric and order-unit (semi)norms
are strongly related and share important properties, as both are
defined in terms of the ordered linear structure. Although and
are only topological (and not metrical) equivalent on , we
prove that the completeness is a common feature. One proves the completeness of
the Thompson metric on a sequentially complete normal cone in a locally convex
space. At the end of the paper, it is shown that, in the case of a Banach
space, the normality of the cone is also necessary for the completeness of the
Thompson metric.Comment: 36 page
Bottom mixed layer oxygen dynamics in the Celtic Sea
The seasonally stratified continental shelf seas are highly productive, economically important environments which are under considerable pressure from human activity. Global dissolved oxygen concentrations have shown rapid reductions in response to anthropogenic forcing since at least the middle of the twentieth century. Oxygen consumption is at the same time linked to the cycling of atmospheric carbon, with oxygen being a proxy for carbon remineralisation and the release of CO2. In the seasonally stratified seas the bottom mixed layer (BML) is partially isolated from the atmosphere and is thus controlled by interplay between oxygen consumption processes, vertical and horizontal advection. Oxygen consumption rates can be both spatially and temporally dynamic, but these dynamics are often missed with incubation based techniques. Here we adopt a Bayesian approach to determining total BML oxygen consumption rates from a high resolution oxygen time-series. This incorporates both our knowledge and our uncertainty of the various processes which control the oxygen inventory. Total BML rates integrate both processes in the water column and at the sediment interface. These observations span the stratified period of the Celtic Sea and across both sandy and muddy sediment types. We show how horizontal advection, tidal forcing and vertical mixing together control the bottom mixed layer oxygen concentrations at various times over the stratified period. Our muddy-sand site shows cyclic spring-neap mediated changes in oxygen consumption driven by the frequent resuspension or ventilation of the seabed. We see evidence for prolonged periods of increased vertical mixing which provide the ventilation necessary to support the high rates of consumption observed
The Time-Energy Uncertainty Relation
The time energy uncertainty relation has been a controversial issue since the
advent of quantum theory, with respect to appropriate formalisation, validity
and possible meanings. A comprehensive account of the development of this
subject up to the 1980s is provided by a combination of the reviews of Jammer
(1974), Bauer and Mello (1978), and Busch (1990). More recent reviews are
concerned with different specific aspects of the subject. The purpose of this
chapter is to show that different types of time energy uncertainty relation can
indeed be deduced in specific contexts, but that there is no unique universal
relation that could stand on equal footing with the position-momentum
uncertainty relation. To this end, we will survey the various formulations of a
time energy uncertainty relation, with a brief assessment of their validity,
and along the way we will indicate some new developments that emerged since the
1990s.Comment: 33 pages, Latex. This expanded version (prepared for the 2nd edition
of "Time in quantum mechanics") contains minor corrections, new examples and
pointers to some additional relevant literatur
Multi-frequency Radio Measurements of SN 1987A over 22 Years
We present extensive observations of the radio emission from the remnant of
SN 1987A made with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), since the
first detection of the remnant in 1990. The radio emission has evolved in time
providing unique information on the interaction of the supernova shock with the
circumstellar medium. We particularly focus on the monitoring observations at
1.4, 2.4, 4.8 and 8.6 GHz, which have been made at intervals of 4-6 weeks. The
flux density data show that the remnant brightness is now increasing
exponentially, while the radio spectrum is flattening. The current spectral
index value of -0.68 represents an 18+/-3% increase over the last 8 years. The
exponential trend in the flux is also found in the ATCA imaging observations at
9 GHz, which have been made since 1992, approximately twice a year, as well as
in the 843 MHz data set from the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope from
1987 to March 2007. Comparisons with data at different wavelengths (X-ray,
H\alpha) are made. The rich data set that has been assembled in the last 22
years forms a basis for a better understanding of the evolution of the
supernova remnant.Comment: 37 pages, 11 figures, accepted by Ap
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