6,344 research outputs found
Expanding the thermodynamical potential and the analysis of the possible phase diagram of deconfinement in FL model
The deconfinement phase transition is studied in the FL model at finite
temperature and chemical potential. At MFT approximation, the phase transition
can only be the first order in the whole phase plane. By a Landau
expansion we further study the phase transition order and the possible phase
diagram of deconfinement. We discuss the possibilities of second order phase
transitions in FL model. By our analysis the cubic term in the Landau expansion
could be cancelled by the high order fluctuations. By an ansatz of the Landau
parameters, we obtain the possible phase diagram with both first and second
order phase transition including the tricritical point which is similar to that
of the chiral phase transition.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics
Origin of Scaling Behavior of Protein Packing Density: A Sequential Monte Carlo Study of Compact Long Chain Polymers
Single domain proteins are thought to be tightly packed. The introduction of
voids by mutations is often regarded as destabilizing. In this study we show
that packing density for single domain proteins decreases with chain length. We
find that the radius of gyration provides poor description of protein packing
but the alpha contact number we introduce here characterize proteins well. We
further demonstrate that protein-like scaling relationship between packing
density and chain length is observed in off-lattice self-avoiding walks. A key
problem in studying compact chain polymer is the attrition problem: It is
difficult to generate independent samples of compact long self-avoiding walks.
We develop an algorithm based on the framework of sequential Monte Carlo and
succeed in generating populations of compact long chain off-lattice polymers up
to length . Results based on analysis of these chain polymers suggest
that maintaining high packing density is only characteristic of short chain
proteins. We found that the scaling behavior of packing density with chain
length of proteins is a generic feature of random polymers satisfying loose
constraint in compactness. We conclude that proteins are not optimized by
evolution to eliminate packing voids.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures. Accepted by J. Chem. Phy
Scaling Behavior of Entanglement in Two- and Three-Dimensional Free Fermions
Exactly solving a spinless fermionic system in two and three dimensions, we
investigate the scaling behavior of the block entropy in critical and
non-critical phases. The scaling of the block entropy crucially depends on the
nature of the excitation spectrum of the system and on the topology of the
Fermi surface. Noticeably, in the critical phases the scaling violates the area
law and acquires a logarithmic correction \emph{only} when a well defined Fermi
surface exists in the system. When the area law is violated, we accurately
verify a conjecture for the prefactor of the logarithmic correction, proposed
by D. Gioev and I. Klich [quant-ph/0504151].Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Lineage A betacoronavirus NS2 proteins and the homologous torovirus Berne pp1a carboxy-terminal domain are phosphodiesterases that antagonize activation of RNase L
Viruses in the family Coronaviridae, within the order Nidovirales, are etiologic agents of a range of human and animal diseases, including both mild and severe respiratory diseases in humans. These viruses encode conserved replicase and structural proteins as well as more diverse accessory proteins, encoded in the 3′ ends of their genomes, that often act as host cell antagonists. We previously showed that 2′,5′-phosphodiesterases (2′,5′-PDEs) encoded by the prototypical Betacoronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), and by Middle East respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus antagonize the oligoadenylate-RNase L (OAS-RNase L) pathway. Here we report that additional coronavirus superfamily members, including lineage A betacoronaviruses and toroviruses infecting both humans and animals, encode 2′,5′-PDEs capable of antagonizing RNase L. We used a chimeric MHV system (MHV(Mut)) in which exogenous PDEs were expressed from an MHV backbone lacking the gene for a functional NS2 protein, the endogenous RNase L antagonist. With this system, we found that 2′,5′-PDEs encoded by the human coronavirus HCoV-OC43 (OC43; an agent of the common cold), human enteric coronavirus (HECoV), equine coronavirus (ECoV), and equine torovirus Berne (BEV) are enzymatically active, rescue replication of MHV(Mut) in bone marrow-derived macrophages, and inhibit RNase L-mediated rRNA degradation in these cells. Additionally, PDEs encoded by OC43 and BEV rescue MHV(Mut) replication and restore pathogenesis in wild-type (WT) B6 mice. This finding expands the range of viruses known to encode antagonists of the potent OAS-RNase L antiviral pathway, highlighting its importance in a range of species as well as the selective pressures exerted on viruses to antagonize it. IMPORTANCE Viruses in the family Coronaviridae include important human and animal pathogens, including the recently emerged viruses severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (MERS-CoV). We showed previously that two viruses within the genus Betacoronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and MERS-CoV, encode 2′,5′-phosphodiesterases (2′,5′-PDEs) that antagonize the OAS-RNase L pathway, and we report here that these proteins are furthermore conserved among additional coronavirus superfamily members, including lineage A betacoronaviruses and toroviruses, suggesting that they may play critical roles in pathogenesis. As there are no licensed vaccines or effective antivirals against human coronaviruses and few against those infecting animals, identifying viral proteins contributing to virulence can inform therapeutic development. Thus, this work demonstrates that a potent antagonist of host antiviral defenses is encoded by multiple and diverse viruses within the family Coronaviridae, presenting a possible broad-spectrum therapeutic target
New Spinor Field Realizations of the Non-Critical String
We investigate the new spinor field realizations of the algebra,
making use of the fact that the algebra can be linearized by the
addition of a spin-1 current. We then use these new realizations to build the
nilpotent Becchi-Rouet-Stora--Tyutin (BRST) charges of the spinor non-critical
string.Comment: 8 pages, no figures, revtex4 style, accepted by Chin. Phys. Let
Phonon-assisted Kondo Effect in a Single-Molecule Transistor out of Equilibrium
The joint effect of the electron-phonon interaction and Kondo effect on the
nonequilibrium transport through the single molecule transistor is investigated
by using the improved canonical transformation scheme and extended equation of
motion approach. Two types of Kondo phonon-satellites with different asymmetric
shapes are fully confirmed in the spectral function, and are related to the
electron spin singlet or hole spin singlet, respectively. Moreover, when a
moderate Zeeman splitting is caused by a local magnetic field, the Kondo
satellites in the spin resolved spectral function are found disappeared on one
side of the main peak, which is opposite for different spin component. All
these peculiar signatures that manifest themselves in the nonlinear
differential conductance, are explained with a clear physics picture.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
What Makes Theatrical Performances Successful in China's Tourism Industry?
This study aims to explore the factors affecting the success of a popular tourist product, namely, theatrical performance, within the context of China's tourism industry and develop a model based on previously successful productions. Using qualitative software, 22 Chinese-language articles on theatrical performances are analyzed to generate a list of success factors, classified as internal and external. The internal factors are storyline and performing, market positioning and marketing strategy, investment and financial support, operation and management, performing team, outdoor venue, indoor/outdoor stage supporting facilities, continuous improvement, and production team. The external factors are collaboration between cultural industries and local tourism, government support, privatization, and social and cultural effect. This study also provides suggestions for the future development of theatrical performances in China
Relation between millimeter wavelengths emission and high-energy emission for active galactic nuclei
After comparing the flux densities of a sample of active galactic nuclei
detected by energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope at 90 and 230 GHz with the
-ray emissions detected by Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and x-ray
emission, a strong correlation between the emissions at the millimeter
wavelength and the -ray emission is found. The average flux density of
x-ray is almost proportional to the average flux density at the millimeter
wavelength for quasars detected by energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope,
which strongly supports the previous idea that the x-ray emissions of this kind
sources are mainly produced by Synchrotron Self-Compton process.Comment: 6 pages, Chinese Physics Letters in pres
Experimentally obtaining the Likeness of Two Unknown Quantum States on an NMR Quantum Information Processor
Recently quantum states discrimination has been frequently studied. In this
paper we study them from the other way round, the likeness of two quantum
states. The fidelity is used to describe the likeness of two quantum states.
Then we presented a scheme to obtain the fidelity of two unknown qubits
directly from the integral area of the spectra of the assistant qubit(spin) on
an NMR Quantum Information Processor. Finally we demonstrated the scheme on a
three-qubit quantum information processor. The experimental data are consistent
with the theoretical expectation with an average error of 0.05, which confirms
the scheme.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure
Free Energy and Magnetic Penetration Depth of a -Wave Superconductor in the Meissner State
We investigate the free energy and the penetration depth of a
quasi-two-dimensional d-wave superconductor in the presence of a weak magnetic
field by taking account of thermal, nonlocal and nonlinear effects. In an
approximation in which the superfluid velocity is assumed to be slowly
varying, the free energy is calculated and compared with available results in
several limiting cases. It is shown that either nonlocal or nonlinear effects
may cut off the linear- dependence of both the free energy and the
penetration depth in all the experimental geometries. At extremely low , the
nonlocal effects will also generically modify the linear dependence of the
penetration depth ("nonlinear Meissner effect") in most experimental
geometries, but for supercurrents oriented along the nodal directions, the
effect may be recovered. We compare our predictions with existing experiments
on the cuprate superconductors.Comment: 18 revtex pages with 4 eps figures, final versio
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