3,154 research outputs found
Site-averaging in the integral equation theory of interaction site models of macromolecular fluids: An exact approach
A simple "trick" is proposed, which allows to perform exactly the
site-averaging procedure required when developing integral equation theories of
interaction site models of macromolecular fluids. It shows that no
approximation is involved when the number of Ornstein-Zernike equations
coupling the site-site correlation functions is reduced to one. Its potential
practical interest for future theoretical developments is illustrated with a
rederivation of the so-called molecular closures.Comment: 2 pages, revTeX
Explicit generating functional for pions and virtual photons
We construct the explicit one-loop functional of chiral perturbation theory
for two light flavours, including virtual photons. We stick to contributions
where 1 or 2 mesons and at most one photon are running in the loops. With the
explicit functional at hand, the evaluation of the relevant Green functions
boils down to performing traces over the flavour matrices. For illustration, we
work out the pi+ pi- -> pi0 pi0 scattering amplitude at threshold at order p^4,
e^2p^2.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures; version accepted for publication, minor
typographical changes, acknowledgments adde
European Option Pricing with Liquidity Shocks
We study the valuation and hedging problem of European options in a market
subject to liquidity shocks. Working within a Markovian regime-switching
setting, we model illiquidity as the inability to trade. To isolate the impact
of such liquidity constraints, we focus on the case where the market is
completely static in the illiquid regime. We then consider derivative pricing
using either equivalent martingale measures or exponential indifference
mechanisms. Our main results concern the analysis of the semi-linear coupled
HJB equation satisfied by the indifference price, as well as its asymptotics
when the probability of a liquidity shock is small. We then present several
numerical studies of the liquidity risk premia obtained in our models leading
to practical guidelines on how to adjust for liquidity risk in option valuation
and hedging.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure
Shifts in carbon and nitrogen stable isotope composition and epicuticular lipids in leaves reflect early water-stress in vineyards
Changes in leaf carbon and nitrogen isotope composition (δ <sup>13</sup> C and δ <sup>15</sup> N values) and the accumulation of epicuticular lipids have been associated with plant responses to water stress. We investigated their potential use as indicators of early plant water deficit in two grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars, Chasselas and Pinot noir, that were field-grown under well-watered and water-deficient conditions. We tested the hypothesis that the bulk δ <sup>13</sup> C and δ <sup>15</sup> N values and the concentrations of epicuticular fatty acids may change in leaves of similar age with the soil water availability. For this purpose, leaves were sampled at the same position in the canopy at different times (phenological stages) during the 2014 growing season. Bulk dry matter of young leaves from flowering to veraison had higher δ <sup>13</sup> C values, higher total nitrogen content, and lower δ <sup>15</sup> N values than old leaves. In both cultivars, δ <sup>15</sup> N values were strongly correlated with plant water deficiency, demonstrating their integration of the plant water stress response. δ <sup>13</sup> C values recorded the water deficiency only in those plants that had not received foliar organic fertilization. The soil water deficiency triggered the accumulation of C <sub>>26</sub> fatty acids in the cuticular waxes. The compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of fatty acids from old leaves showed an increase in δ <sup>13</sup> C among the C <sub>16</sub> -C <sub>22</sub> chains, including stress signaling linoleic and linolenic acids. Our results provide evidence for leaf <sup>13</sup> C-enrichment, <sup>15</sup> N-depletion, and enhanced FA-chain elongation and epicuticular accumulation in the grapevine response to water stress. The leaf δ <sup>13</sup> C and δ <sup>15</sup> N values, and the concentration of epicuticular fatty acids can be used as reliable and sensitive indicators of plant water deficit even when the level of water stress is low to moderate. They could also be used, particularly the more cost-efficient δ <sup>13</sup> C and δ <sup>15</sup> N measurements, for periodic biogeochemical mapping of the plant water availability at the vineyard and regional scale
Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after thyroid and parathyroid surgery: Incidence and postoperative evolution assessment.
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is a feared complication after thyroid and parathyroid surgery. It induces important postoperative morbidity. The present study aimed to assess the incidence of transient/permanent postoperative RLN injuries after thyroid and parathyroid surgery in the present cohort, to observe the timing of recovery, and to identify risk factors for permanent RLN injury after thyroidectomy.All consecutive patients operated on at our institution for thyroid and parathyroid pathologies from 2005 to 2013 were reviewed for vocal cord paresis. Vocal cord paresis was defined based on postoperative fiberoptic laryngoscopy. Demographics, intraoperative details, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Treatment types were assessed, and recovery times collected. Patients with vocal cord paresis on preoperative fiberoptic laryngoscopy were excluded from the analysis.The cohort included 451 thyroidectomies (756 nerves at risk) and 197 parathyroidectomies (276 nerves at risk). There were 63 postoperative vocal cord pareses after thyroidectomy and 13 after parathyroidectomy. Sixty-nine were transient (10.6%) and 7 permanent (1.1%). The main performed treatment was speech therapy in 51% (39/76) of the patients. Median recovery time after transient injuries was 8 weeks. In the group with vocal cord paresis, risk factors for permanent injuries after thyroidectomy were previous thyroidectomy and intraoperative RLN injury on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, only intraoperative RLN injury remained significant.Most of the patients with transient postoperative RLN injury recovered normal vocal cord mobility within 6 months. The most common performed treatment was in this cohort speech therapy. Permanent RLN injuries remained rare (1.1%)
Evidence for Three Subpopulations of Globular Clusters in the Early-Type Post-Starburst Shell Galaxy AM 0139-655
We present deep HST ACS images of the post-starburt shell galaxy AM 0139-655.
We find evidence for the presence of three distinct globular cluster
subpopulations associated with this galaxy: a centrally concentrated young
population (~ 0.4 Gyr), an intermediate age population (~ 1 Gyr) and an old,
metal-poor population similar to that seen around normal galaxies. The g-I
color distribution of the clusters is bimodal with peaks at 0.85 and 1.35. The
redder peak at g-I=1.35 is consistent with the predicted color for an old
metal-poor population. The clusters associated with the peak at g-I=0.85 are
centrally concentrated and interpreted as a younger and more metal-rich
population. We suggest that these clusters have an age of ~ 0.4 Gyr and solar
metallicity based on a comparison with population synthesis models. The
luminosity function of these "blue" clusters is well represented by a power
law. Interestingly, the brightest shell associated with the galaxy harbors some
of the youngest clusters observed. This seems to indicate that the same merger
event was responsible for the formation of both the shells and the young
clusters. The red part of the color distribution contains several very bright
clusters, which are not expected for an old, metal-poor population.
Furthermore, the luminosity function of the "red" GCs cannot be fit well by
either a single gaussian or a single power law. A composite (gaussian + power
law) fit to the LF of the red clusters yields both a low rms and very plausible
properties for an old population plus an intermediate-age population of GCs.
Hence, we suggest that the red clusters in AM 0139-655 consist of two distinct
GC subpopulations, one being an old, metal-poor population as seen in normal
galaxies and one having formed during a recent dissipative galaxy merger.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A
Inter-molecular structure factors of macromolecules in solution: integral equation results
The inter-molecular structure of semidilute polymer solutions is studied
theoretically. The low density limit of a generalized Ornstein-Zernicke
integral equation approach to polymeric liquids is considered. Scaling laws for
the dilute-to-semidilute crossover of random phase (RPA) like structure are
derived for the inter-molecular structure factor on large distances when
inter-molecular excluded volume is incorporated at the microscopic level. This
leads to a non-linear equation for the excluded volume interaction parameter.
For macromolecular size-mass scaling exponents, , above a
spatial-dimension dependent value, , mean field like density scaling
is recovered, but for the density scaling becomes non-trivial in
agreement with field theoretic results and justifying phenomenological
extensions of RPA. The structure of the polymer mesh in semidilute solutions is
discussed in detail and comparisons with large scale Monte Carlo simulations
are added. Finally a new possibility to determine the correction to scaling
exponent is suggested.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures; to be published in Phys. Rev. E (1999
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