2,921 research outputs found
Low Efficiency of Homology-Facilitated Illegitimate Recombination during Conjugation in Escherichia coli
Homology-facilitated illegitimate recombination has been described in three naturally competent bacterial species. It permits integration of small linear DNA molecules into the chromosome by homologous recombination at one end of the linear DNA substrate, and illegitimate recombination at the other end. We report that homology-facilitated illegitimate recombination also occurs in Escherichia coli during conjugation with small non-replicative plasmids, but at a low frequency of 3Ă10â10 per recipient cell. The fate of linear DNA in E. coli is either RecBCD-dependent degradation, or circularisation by ligation, and integration into the chromosome by single crossing-over. We also report that the observed single crossing-overs are recA-dependent, but essentially recBCD, and recFOR independent. This suggests that other, still unknown, proteins may act as mediator for the loading of RecA on DNA during single crossing-over recombination in E. coli
Experimental determination of the complete spin structure for anti-proton + proton -> anti-\Lambda + \Lambda at anti-proton beam momentum of 1.637 GeV/c
The reaction anti-proton + proton -> anti-\Lambda + \Lambda -> anti-proton +
\pi^+ + proton + \pi^- has been measured with high statistics at anti-proton
beam momentum of 1.637 GeV/c. The use of a transversely-polarized frozen-spin
target combined with the self-analyzing property of \Lambda/anti-\Lambda decay
allows access to unprecedented information on the spin structure of the
interaction. The most general spin-scattering matrix can be written in terms of
eleven real parameters for each bin of scattering angle, each of these
parameters is determined with reasonable precision. From these results all
conceivable spin-correlations are determined with inherent self-consistency.
Good agreement is found with the few previously existing measurements of spin
observables in anti-proton + proton -> anti-\Lambda + \Lambda near this energy.
Existing theoretical models do not give good predictions for those
spin-observables that had not been previously measured.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev. C. Tables of results (i.e. Ref. 24) are
available at http://www-meg.phys.cmu.edu/~bquinn/ps185_pub/results.tab 24
pages, 16 figure
Measurement of Spin Transfer Observables in Antiproton-Proton -> Antilambda-Lambda at 1.637 GeV/c
Spin transfer observables for the strangeness-production reaction
Antiproton-Proton -> Antilambda-Lambda have been measured by the PS185
collaboration using a transversely-polarized frozen-spin target with an
antiproton beam momentum of 1.637 GeV/c at the Low Energy Antiproton Ring at
CERN. This measurement investigates observables for which current models of the
reaction near threshold make significantly differing predictions. Those models
are in good agreement with existing measurements performed with unpolarized
particles in the initial state. Theoretical attention has focused on the fact
that these models produce conflicting predictions for the spin-transfer
observables D_{nn} and K_{nn}, which are measurable only with polarized target
or beam. Results presented here for D_{nn} and K_{nn} are found to be in
disagreement with predictions from existing models. These results also
underscore the importance of singlet-state production at backward angles, while
current models predict complete or near-complete triplet-state dominance.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Three-Nucleon Force Effects in Nucleon Induced Deuteron Breakup: Predictions of Current Models (I)
An extensive study of three-nucleon force effects in the entire phase space
of the nucleon-deuteron breakup process, for energies from above the deuteron
breakup threshold up to 200 MeV, has been performed. 3N Faddeev equations have
been solved rigorously using the modern high precision nucleon-nucleon
potentials AV18, CD Bonn, Nijm I, II and Nijm 93, and also adding 3N forces. We
compare predictions for cross sections and various polarization observables
when NN forces are used alone or when the two pion-exchange Tucson-Melbourne
3NF was combined with each of them. In addition AV18 was combined with the
Urbana IX 3NF and CD Bonn with the TM' 3NF, which is a modified version of the
TM 3NF, more consistent with chiral symmetry. Large but generally model
dependent 3NF effects have been found in certain breakup configurations,
especially at the higher energies, both for cross sections and spin
observables. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the kinematically
complete breakup reaction in testing the proper structure of 3N forces.Comment: 42 pages, 20 ps figures, 2 gif figure
Widespread Antarctic glaciation during the Late Eocene
Marine sedimentary rocks drilled on the southeastern margin of the South Orkney microcontinent in Antarctica (Ocean Drilling Program Leg 113 Site 696) were deposited between âŒ36.5Ma to 33.6Ma, across the EoceneâOligocene climate transition. The recovered rocks contain abundant grains exhibiting mechanical features diagnostic of iceberg-rafted debris. Sand provenance based on a multi-proxy approach that included petrographic analysis of over 275,000 grains, detrital zircon geochronology and apatite thermochronometry rule out local sources (Antarctic Peninsula or the South Orkney Islands) for the material. Instead the ice-transported grains show a clear provenance from the southern Weddell Sea region, extending from the EllsworthâWhitmore Mountains of West Antarctica to the coastal region of Dronning Maud Land in East Antarctica. This study provides the first evidence for a continuity of widespread glacier calving along the coastline of the southern Weddell Sea embayment at least 2.5million yrs before the prominent oxygen isotope event at 34â33.5Ma that is considered to mark the onset of widespread glaciation of the Antarctic continent
Consumer perceptions of co-branding alliances: Organizational dissimilarity signals and brand fit
This study explores how consumers evaluate co-branding alliances between dissimilar partner firms. Customers are well aware that different firms are behind a co-branded product and observe the partner firmsâ characteristics. Drawing on signaling theory, we assert that consumers use organizational characteristics as signals in their assessment of brand fit and for their purchasing decisions. Some organizational signals are beyond the control of the co-branding partners or at least they cannot alter them on short notice. We use a quasi-experimental design and test how co-branding partner dissimilarity affects brand fit perception. The results show that co-branding partner dissimilarity in terms of firm size, industry scope, and country-of-origin image negatively affects brand fit perception. Firm age dissimilarity does not exert significant influence. Because brand fit generally fosters a benevolent consumer attitude towards a co-branding alliance, the findings suggest that high partner dissimilarity may reduce overall co-branding alliance performance
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Conserved community structure and simultaneous divergence events in the fig wasps associated with Ficus benjamina in Australia and China
Localised patterns of species diversity can be influenced by many factors, including regional species pools, biogeographic features and interspecific interactions. Despite recognition of these issues, we still know surprisingly little about how invertebrate biodiversity is structured across geographic scales. In particular, there have been few studies of how insect communities vary geographically while using the same plant host. We compared the composition (species, genera) and functional structure (guilds) of the chalcid wasp communities associated with the widespread fig tree, Ficus benjamina, towards the northern (Hainan province, China) and southern (Queensland, Australia) edges of its natural range. Sequence data were generated for nuclear and mtDNA markers and used to delimit species, and Bayesian divergence analyses were used to test patterns of community cohesion through evolutionary time. Both communities host at least 14 fig wasp species, but no species are shared across continents. Community composition is similar at the genus level, with six genera shared although some differ in species diversity between China and Australia; a further three genera occur in only China or Australia. Community functional structure remains very similar in terms of numbers of species in each ecological guild despite community composition differing a little (genera) or a lot (species), depending on taxonomic level. Bayesian clustering analyses favour a single community divergence event across continents over multiple events for different ecological guilds. Molecular dating estimates of lineage splits between nearest inter-continental species pairs are broadly consistent with a scenario of synchronous community divergence from a shared "ancestral community". Fig wasp community structure and genus-level composition are largely conserved in a wide geographic comparison between China and Australia. Moreover, dating analyses suggest that the functional community structure has remained stable for long periods during historic range expansions. This suggests that ecological interactions between species may play a persistent role in shaping these communities, in contrast to findings in some comparable temperate systems
Measurement of the multi-TeV neutrino cross section with IceCube using Earth absorption
Neutrinos interact only very weakly, so they are extremely penetrating.
However, the theoretical neutrino-nucleon interaction cross section rises with
energy such that, at energies above 40 TeV, neutrinos are expected to be
absorbed as they pass through the Earth. Experimentally, the cross section has
been measured only at the relatively low energies (below 400 GeV) available at
neutrino beams from accelerators \cite{Agashe:2014kda, Formaggio:2013kya}. Here
we report the first measurement of neutrino absorption in the Earth, using a
sample of 10,784 energetic upward-going neutrino-induced muons observed with
the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. The flux of high-energy neutrinos transiting
long paths through the Earth is attenuated compared to a reference sample that
follows shorter trajectories through the Earth. Using a fit to the
two-dimensional distribution of muon energy and zenith angle, we determine the
cross section for neutrino energies between 6.3 TeV and 980 TeV, more than an
order of magnitude higher in energy than previous measurements. The measured
cross section is (stat.) (syst.)
times the prediction of the Standard Model \cite{CooperSarkar:2011pa},
consistent with the expectation for charged and neutral current interactions.
We do not observe a dramatic increase in the cross section, expected in some
speculative models, including those invoking new compact dimensions
\cite{AlvarezMuniz:2002ga} or the production of leptoquarks
\cite{Romero:2009vu}.Comment: Preprint version of Nature paper 10.1038/nature2445
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