Pole structure of the Hamiltonian ζ\zeta-function for a singular potential

We study the pole structure of the $\zeta$-function associated to the Hamiltonian $H$ of a quantum mechanical particle living in the half-line $\mathbf{R}^+$, subject to the singular potential $g x^{-2}+x^2$. We show that $H$ admits nontrivial self-adjoint extensions (SAE) in a given range of values of the parameter $g$. The $\zeta$-functions of these operators present poles which depend on $g$ and, in general, do not coincide with half an integer (they can even be irrational). The corresponding residues depend on the SAE considered.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, RevTeX. References added. Version to appear in Jour. Phys. A: Math. Ge

Honey bee foraging distance depends on month and forage type

To investigate the distances at which honey bee foragers collect nectar and pollen, we analysed 5,484 decoded waggle dances made to natural forage sites to determine monthly foraging distance for each forage type. Firstly, we found significantly fewer overall dances made for pollen (16.8 %) than for non-pollen, presumably nectar (83.2 %; P < 2.2 × 10−23). When we analysed distance against month and forage type, there was a significant interaction between the two factors, which demonstrates that in some months, one forage type is collected at farther distances, but this would reverse in other months. Overall, these data suggest that distance, as a proxy for forage availability, is not significantly and consistently driven by need for one type of forage over the other

Discrete Symmetries in the Weyl Expansion for Quantum Billiards

We consider two and three-dimensional quantum billiards with discrete symmetries. We derive the first terms of the Weyl expansion for the level density projected onto the irreducible representations of the symmetry group. As an illustration the method is applied to the icosahedral billiard. The paper was published in J. Phys. A /27/ (1994) 4317-4323Comment: 8 printed pages Latex fil

Distinctive Structural and Molecular Features of Myelinated Inhibitory Axons in Human Neocortex.

Numerous types of inhibitory neurons sculpt the performance of human neocortical circuits, with each type exhibiting a constellation of subcellular phenotypic features in support of its specialized functions. Axonal myelination has been absent among the characteristics used to distinguish inhibitory neuron types; in fact, very little is known about myelinated inhibitory axons in human neocortex. Here, using array tomography to analyze samples of neurosurgically excised human neocortex, we show that inhibitory myelinated axons originate predominantly from parvalbumin-containing interneurons. Compared to myelinated excitatory axons, they have higher neurofilament and lower microtubule content, shorter nodes of Ranvier, and more myelin basic protein (MBP) in their myelin sheath. Furthermore, these inhibitory axons have more mitochondria, likely to sustain the high energy demands of parvalbumin interneurons, as well as more 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP), a protein enriched in the myelin cytoplasmic channels that are thought to facilitate the delivery of nutrients from ensheathing oligodendrocytes. Our results demonstrate that myelinated axons of parvalbumin inhibitory interneurons exhibit distinctive features that may support the specialized functions of this neuron type in human neocortical circuits

Collective dynamics of liquid aluminum probed by Inelastic X-ray Scattering

An inelastic X-ray scattering experiment has been performed in liquid aluminum with the purpose of studying the collective excitations at wavevectors below the first sharp diffraction peak. The high instrumental resolution (up to 1.5 meV) allows an accurate investigation of the dynamical processes in this liquid metal on the basis of a generalized hydrodynamics framework. The outcoming results confirm the presence of a viscosity relaxation scenario ruled by a two timescale mechanism, as recently found in liquid lithium.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Structural revelations of photosynthesis' membrane protein complexes

Photosynthetic organisms appeared early in evolution and their photosynthetic apparatus has evolved along. The first bacteria carried out only anoxygenic photosynthesis catalyzed by one type of reaction center, type I or II, which somehow came together in cyanobacteria, and evolved into photosystems I and II. This was an evolutionary step that enabled cyanobacteria to carry out oxygenic photosynthesis. The photosystems have the unique capacity to perform and fix energy in a process where water splitting and oxygen evolution takes place, providing planet Earth with an essential molecule for development of life, i.e. Oxygen. Throughout evolution, primordial organisms became more complex upon colonizing diverse environments resulting into the current day sophisticated systems. Nevertheless, the photosystems have preserved their vital mechanisms of sunlight conversion with PSI at almost 100% efficiency, and PSII’s unique water splitting property. Important about photosynthesis systems are the high-energy conversion efficiency and oxygen evolution besides hydrogen generation by some organisms like cyanobacteria. These features are precious global demands for efficient sun utilizing devices, environmental concerns and current economics of alternative energy source to fossil fuel depletion. The diversity of the photosynthesis proteins due to evolution upon adaptation and exploitability is intriguing for researchers from all fields of science to understand aspects of structural diversity, function and dynamics. This work is highly complementary and has been carried out in multidisciplinary collaborations to get more impact for understanding the photosynthesis systems that evolved early or later. The results of which can be integrated into applied technology.

Detailed balance in Horava-Lifshitz gravity

We study Horava-Lifshitz gravity in the presence of a scalar field. When the detailed balance condition is implemented, a new term in the gravitational sector is added in order to maintain ultraviolet stability. The four-dimensional theory is of a scalar-tensor type with a positive cosmological constant and gravity is nonminimally coupled with the scalar and its gradient terms. The scalar field has a double-well potential and, if required to play the role of the inflation, can produce a scale-invariant spectrum. The total action is rather complicated and there is no analog of the Einstein frame where Lorentz invariance is recovered in the infrared. For these reasons it may be necessary to abandon detailed balance. We comment on open problems and future directions in anisotropic critical models of gravity.Comment: 10 pages. v2: discussion expanded and improved, section on generalizations added, typos corrected, references added, conclusions unchange

Poincare gauge invariance and gravitation in Minkowski spacetime

A formulation of Poincare symmetry as an inner symmetry of field theories defined on a fixed Minkowski spacetime is given. Local P gauge transformations and the corresponding covariant derivative with P gauge fields are introduced. The renormalization properties of scalar, spinor and vector fields in P gauge field backgrounds are determined. A minimal gauge field dynamics consistent with the renormalization constraints is given.Comment: 36 pages, latex-fil