h-deformation of GL(1|1)

h-deformation of (graded) Hopf algebra of functions on supergroup GL(1|1) is introduced via a contration of GL_q (1|1). The deformation parameter h is odd (grassmann). Related differential calculus on h-superplane is presented.Comment: latex file, 8 pages, minor change

Are quasars accreting at super-Eddington rates?

In a previous paper, Collin & Hur\'e (2001), using a sample of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) where the mass has been determined by reverberation studies (Kaspi et al. 2000), have shown that if the optical luminosity is emitted by a steady accretion disc, about half of the objects are accreting close to or higher than the Eddington rate. We conclude here that this result is unavoidable, unless the masses are strongly underestimated by reverberation studies, which does not seem to be the case. There are three issues to the problem: 1. Accretion proceeds at Eddington or super-Eddington rates through thick discs. Several consequences follow: an anti-correlation between the line widths of the lines and the Eddington ratios, and a decrease of the Eddington ratio with an increasing black hole mass. Extrapolated to all quasars, these results imply that the amount of mass locked in massive black holes should be larger than presently thought. 2. The optical luminosity is not produced directly by the gravitational release of energy, and super-Eddington rates are not required. The optical luminosity has to be emitted by a dense and thick medium located at large distances from the center (10$^3$ to $10^4$ gravitational radii). It can be due to reprocessing of the X-ray photons from the central source in a geometrically thin warped disc, or in dense "blobs" forming a geometrically thick system, which can be a part of the accretion flow or the basis of an outflow. 3. Accretion discs are completely "non standard". Presently neither the predictions of models nor the observed spectral distributions are sufficient to help choosing between these solutions.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted in A&

Assembly of female and male hihi genomes (stitchbird; Notiomystis cincta) enables characterization of the W chromosome and resources for conservation genomics

A high-quality reference genome can be a valuable resource for threatened species by providing a foundation to assess their evolutionary potential to adapt to future pressures such as environmental change. We assembled the genome of a female hihi (Notiomysits cincta), a threatened passerine bird endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. The assembled genome is 1.06 Gb, and is of high quality and highly contiguous, with a contig N50 of 7.0 Mb, estimated QV of 44 and a BUSCO completeness of 96.8%. A male assembly of comparable quality was generated in parallel. A population linkage map was used to scaffold the autosomal contigs into chromosomes. Female and male sequence coverage and comparative genomics analyses were used to identify Z-, and W-linked contigs. In total, 94.6% of the assembly length was assigned to putative nuclear chromosome scaffolds. Native DNA methylation was highly correlated between sexes, with the W chromosome contigs more highly methylated than autosomal chromosomes and Z contigs. 43 differentially methylated regions were identified, and these may represent interesting candidates for the establishment or maintenance of sex differences. By generating a high-quality reference assembly of the heterogametic sex, we have created a resource that enables characterization of genome-wide diversity and facilitates the investigation of female-specific evolutionary processes. The reference genomes will form the basis for fine-scale assessment of the impacts of low genetic diversity and inbreeding on the adaptive potential of the species and will therefore enable tailored and informed conservation management of this threatened taonga (treasured) species

In vitro polishing effectiveness of interdental aids on root surfaces

. The purpose of this study was: (1) to determine whether polishing standardized proximal root surfaces with dental floss, Superfloss, wood and plastic interdental cleaners, using a polishing paste, produces any significant change on root surface roughness; and (2) to determine the effectiveness of different number of strokes in polishing. 80 tooth specimens were prepared, 10 in each of 8 sample groups. Each proximal root surface was standardized with 600A grit silicone carbide paper and polished with either waxed dental floss, Superfloss, wood or plastic interdental cleaners, using alkali aluminum silicate polishing paste. All specimens were mounted on a flossing machine and polished with 10 or 20 strokes. Before and after polishing, measurements were recorded with the Surfanalyzer 150 System to produce profile and average roughness tracings. Average maximum peak heights, mean number of peaks, and mean average roughness values were calculated from the tracings. The data were analyzed statistically by paired t-test and Student t-test. No significant mean differences were found between the number of strokes used. No significant differences were found for waxed dental floss in relation to the values analyzed. Significant differences were found for maximum peak heights for Superfloss following 20 strokes of polishing. However, no significant differences were found for Superfloss for mean number of peaks and average roughness. Significant differences were found for average roughness values, maximum peak heights, and mean number of peaks for the wood and plastic interdental cleaners. It was concluded that root surface roughness increased significantly with the use of wood and plastic interdental cleaners but not with waxed dental floss or Superfloss.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75532/1/j.1600-051X.1986.tb00853.x.pd

Deformed Minkowski spaces: clasification and properties

Using general but simple covariance arguments, we classify the `quantum' Minkowski spaces for dimensionless deformation parameters. This requires a previous analysis of the associated Lorentz groups, which reproduces a previous classification by Woronowicz and Zakrzewski. As a consequence of the unified analysis presented, we give the commutation properties, the deformed (and central) length element and the metric tensor for the different spacetime algebras.Comment: Some comments/misprints have been added/corrected, to appear in Journal of Physics A (1996

A Study of Cosmic Ray Composition in the Knee Region using Multiple Muon Events in the Soudan 2 Detector

Deep underground muon events recorded by the Soudan 2 detector, located at a depth of 2100 meters of water equivalent, have been used to infer the nuclear composition of cosmic rays in the "knee" region of the cosmic ray energy spectrum. The observed muon multiplicity distribution favors a composition model with a substantial proton content in the energy region 800,000 - 13,000,000 GeV/nucleus.Comment: 38 pages including 11 figures, Latex, submitted to Physical Review