194 research outputs found
Whole-genome sequencing of Theileria parva strains provides insight into parasite migration and diversification in the african continent
The disease caused by the apicomplexan protozoan parasite Theileria parva, known as East Coast fever or Corridor disease, is one of the most serious cattle diseases in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa. We performed whole-genome sequencing of nine T. parva strains, including one of the vaccine strains (Kiambu 5), field isolates from Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, or Rwanda, and two buffalo-derived strains. Comparison with the reference Muguga genome sequence revealed 34 814–121 545 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were more abundant in buffalo-derived strains. High-resolution phylogenetic trees were constructed with selected informative SNPs that allowed the investigation of possible complex recombination events among ancestors of the extant strains. We further analysed the dN/dS ratio (non-synonymous substitutions per non-synonymous site divided by synonymous substitutions per synonymous site) for 4011 coding genes to estimate potential selective pressure. Genes under possible positive selection were identified that may, in turn, assist in the identification of immunogenic proteins or vaccine candidates. This study elucidated the phylogeny of T. parva strains based on genome-wide SNPs analysis with prediction of possible past recombination events, providing insight into the migration, diversification, and evolution of this parasite species in the African continent
Orbital textures and charge density waves in transition metal dichalcogenides
Low-dimensional electron systems, as realized naturally in graphene or
created artificially at the interfaces of heterostructures, exhibit a variety
of fascinating quantum phenomena with great prospects for future applications.
Once electrons are confined to low dimensions, they also tend to spontaneously
break the symmetry of the underlying nuclear lattice by forming so-called
density waves; a state of matter that currently attracts enormous attention
because of its relation to various unconventional electronic properties. In
this study we reveal a remarkable and surprising feature of charge density
waves (CDWs), namely their intimate relation to orbital order. For the
prototypical material 1T-TaS2 we not only show that the CDW within the
two-dimensional TaS2-layers involves previously unidentified orbital textures
of great complexity. We also demonstrate that two metastable stackings of the
orbitally ordered layers allow to manipulate salient features of the electronic
structure. Indeed, these orbital effects enable to switch the properties of
1T-TaS2 nanostructures from metallic to semiconducting with technologically
pertinent gaps of the order of 200 meV. This new type of orbitronics is
especially relevant for the ongoing development of novel, miniaturized and
ultra-fast devices based on layered transition metal dichalcogenides
Two-loop representations of low-energy pion form factors and pi-pi scattering phases in the presence of isospin breaking
Dispersive representations of the pi-pi scattering amplitudes and pion form
factors, valid at two-loop accuracy in the low-energy expansion, are
constructed in the presence of isospin-breaking effects induced by the
difference between the charged and neutral pion masses. Analytical expressions
for the corresponding phases of the scalar and vector pion form factors are
computed. It is shown that each of these phases consists of the sum of a
"universal" part and a form-factor dependent contribution. The first one is
entirely determined in terms of the pi-pi scattering amplitudes alone, and
reduces to the phase satisfying Watson's theorem in the isospin limit. The
second one can be sizeable, although it vanishes in the same limit. The
dependence of these isospin corrections with respect to the parameters of the
subthreshold expansion of the pi-pi amplitude is studied, and an equivalent
representation in terms of the S-wave scattering lengths is also briefly
presented and discussed. In addition, partially analytical expressions for the
two-loop form factors and pi-pi scattering amplitudes in the presence of
isospin breaking are provided.Comment: 57 pages, 12 figure
Transformation of the released asbestos, carbon fibers and carbon nanotubes from composite materials and the changes of their potential health impacts
Drivers of external equity funding in small high-tech ventures
Financing is one of the major issues affecting the success and survival of entrepreneurial ventures. Theory suggests that due to information asymmetry between owners and investors or lenders, there is a “pecking order” of financing preferences, whereby retained earnings is preferred to debt, and outside equity is seen as a last resort. In high-tech ventures, however, outside equity financing is more commonly used than debt, but the reasons for this are not yet well-understood. We develop hypotheses to examine this theory-practice gap, which we test using a sample of private high-tech firms of various ages. We find that the greater the owner’s perception of information asymmetries in debt markets, the larger the proportion of external equity in the firm’s capital structure. As our sample firms age, their use of external equity relative to other sources of finance diminishes. We also find a positive relationship between the use of external equity and the firm’s initial investment. Lastly, we show that the greater the perception amongst founders that obtaining external equity sends a positive signal, the greater its use. We discuss the implications of these findings and offer suggestion for future research and practice
- …