Structure of the lightest tin isotopes

We link the structure of nuclei around $^{100}$Sn, the heaviest doubly magic nucleus with equal neutron and proton numbers ($N=Z=50$), to nucleon-nucleon ($NN$) and three-nucleon ($NNN$) forces constrained by data of few-nucleon systems. Our results indicate that $^{100}$Sn is doubly magic, and we predict its quadrupole collectivity. We present precise computations of $^{101}$Sn based on three-particle--two-hole excitations of $^{100}$Sn, and reproduce the small splitting between the lowest $J^\pi=7/2^+$ and $5/2^+$ states. Our results are consistent with the sparse available data.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Ground-State Electromagnetic Moments of Calcium Isotopes

High-resolution bunched-beam collinear laser spectroscopy was used to measure the optical hyperfine spectra of the $^{43-51}$Ca isotopes. The ground state magnetic moments of $^{49,51}$Ca and quadrupole moments of $^{47,49,51}$Ca were measured for the first time, and the $^{51}$Ca ground state spin $I=3/2$ was determined in a model-independent way. Our results provide a critical test of modern nuclear theories based on shell-model calculations using phenomenological as well as microscopic interactions. The results for the neutron-rich isotopes are in excellent agreement with predictions using interactions derived from chiral effective field theory including three-nucleon forces, while lighter isotopes illustrate the presence of particle-hole excitations of the $^{40}$Ca core in their ground state.Comment: Accepted as a Rapid Communication in Physical Review

Optimal General Matchings

Given a graph $G=(V,E)$ and for each vertex $v \in V$ a subset $B(v)$ of the set $\{0,1,\ldots, d_G(v)\}$, where $d_G(v)$ denotes the degree of vertex $v$ in the graph $G$, a $B$-factor of $G$ is any set $F \subseteq E$ such that $d_F(v) \in B(v)$ for each vertex $v$, where $d_F(v)$ denotes the number of edges of $F$ incident to $v$. The general factor problem asks the existence of a $B$-factor in a given graph. A set $B(v)$ is said to have a {\em gap of length} $p$ if there exists a natural number $k \in B(v)$ such that $k+1, \ldots, k+p \notin B(v)$ and $k+p+1 \in B(v)$. Without any restrictions the general factor problem is NP-complete. However, if no set $B(v)$ contains a gap of length greater than $1$, then the problem can be solved in polynomial time and Cornuejols \cite{Cor} presented an algorithm for finding a $B$-factor, if it exists. In this paper we consider a weighted version of the general factor problem, in which each edge has a nonnegative weight and we are interested in finding a $B$-factor of maximum (or minimum) weight. In particular, this version comprises the minimum/maximum cardinality variant of the general factor problem, where we want to find a $B$-factor having a minimum/maximum number of edges. We present an algorithm for the maximum/minimum weight $B$-factor for the case when no set $B(v)$ contains a gap of length greater than $1$. This also yields the first polynomial time algorithm for the maximum/minimum cardinality $B$-factor for this case

Electronic transport in polycrystalline graphene

Most materials in available macroscopic quantities are polycrystalline. Graphene, a recently discovered two-dimensional form of carbon with strong potential for replacing silicon in future electronics, is no exception. There is growing evidence of the polycrystalline nature of graphene samples obtained using various techniques. Grain boundaries, intrinsic topological defects of polycrystalline materials, are expected to dramatically alter the electronic transport in graphene. Here, we develop a theory of charge carrier transmission through grain boundaries composed of a periodic array of dislocations in graphene based on the momentum conservation principle. Depending on the grain boundary structure we find two distinct transport behaviours - either high transparency, or perfect reflection of charge carriers over remarkably large energy ranges. First-principles quantum transport calculations are used to verify and further investigate this striking behaviour. Our study sheds light on the transport properties of large-area graphene samples. Furthermore, purposeful engineering of periodic grain boundaries with tunable transport gaps would allow for controlling charge currents without the need of introducing bulk band gaps in otherwise semimetallic graphene. The proposed approach can be regarded as a means towards building practical graphene electronics.Comment: accepted in Nature Material

Breakdown of the Isobaric Multiplet Mass Equation for the A = 20 and 21 Multiplets

Using the Penning trap mass spectrometer TITAN, we performed the first direct mass measurements of 20,21Mg, isotopes that are the most proton-rich members of the A = 20 and A = 21 isospin multiplets. These measurements were possible through the use of a unique ion-guide laser ion source, a development that suppressed isobaric contamination by six orders of magnitude. Compared to the latest atomic mass evaluation, we find that the mass of 21Mg is in good agreement but that the mass of 20Mg deviates by 3{\sigma}. These measurements reduce the uncertainties in the masses of 20,21Mg by 15 and 22 times, respectively, resulting in a significant departure from the expected behavior of the isobaric multiplet mass equation in both the A = 20 and A = 21 multiplets. This presents a challenge to shell model calculations using either the isospin non-conserving USDA/B Hamiltonians or isospin non-conserving interactions based on chiral two- and three-nucleon forces.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Enrichment analysis of Alu elements with different spatial chromatin proximity in the human genome

Transposable elements (TEs) have no longer been totally considered as “junk DNA” for quite a time since the continual discoveries of their multifunctional roles in eukaryote genomes. As one of the most important and abundant TEs that still active in human genome, Alu, a SINE family, has demonstrated its indispensable regulatory functions at sequence level, but its spatial roles are still unclear. Technologies based on 3C(chromosomeconformation capture) have revealed the mysterious three-dimensional structure of chromatin, and make it possible to study the distal chromatin interaction in the genome. To find the role TE playing in distal regulation in human genome, we compiled the new released Hi-C data, TE annotation, histone marker annotations, and the genome-wide methylation data to operate correlation analysis, and found that the density of Alu elements showed a strong positive correlation with the level of chromatin interactions (hESC: r=0.9, P<2.2×1016; IMR90 fibroblasts: r = 0.94, P < 2.2 × 1016) and also have a significant positive correlation withsomeremote functional DNA elements like enhancers and promoters (Enhancer: hESC: r=0.997, P=2.3×10−4; IMR90: r=0.934, P=2×10−2; Promoter: hESC: r = 0.995, P = 3.8 × 10−4; IMR90: r = 0.996, P = 3.2 × 10−4). Further investigation involving GC content and methylation status showed the GC content of Alu covered sequences shared a similar pattern with that of the overall sequence, suggesting that Alu elements also function as the GC nucleotide and CpG site provider. In all, our results suggest that the Alu elements may act as an alternative parameter to evaluate the Hi-C data, which is confirmed by the correlation analysis of Alu elements and histone markers. Moreover, the GC-rich Alu sequence can bring high GC content and methylation flexibility to the regions with more distal chromatin contact, regulating the transcription of tissue-specific genes

The heritability of HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in different measurement settings.

In an extended twin study we estimated the heritability of fasting HbA1c and blood glucose levels. Blood glucose was assessed in different settings (at home and in the clinic). We tested whether the genetic factors influencing fasting blood glucose levels overlapped with those influencing HbA1c and whether the same genetic factors were expressed across different settings. Fasting blood glucose was measured at home and during two visits to the clinic in 77 healthy families with same-sex twins and siblings, aged 20 to 45 years. HbA1c was measured during the first clinic visit. A 4-variate genetic structural equation model was used that estimated the heritability of each trait and the genetic correlations among traits. Heritability explained 75% of the variance in HbA1c. The heritability of fasting blood glucose was estimated at 66% at home and lower in the clinic (57% and 38%). Fasting blood glucose levels were significantly correlated across settings (0.34 < r < 0.54), mostly due to a common set of genes that explained between 53% and 95% of these correlations. Correlations between HbA1c and fasting blood glucoses were low (0.11 < r < 0.23) and genetic factors influencing HbA1c and fasting glucose were uncorrelated. These results suggest that in healthy adults the genes influencing HbA1c and fasting blood glucose reflect different aspects of the glucose metabolism. As a consequence these two glycemic parameters can not be used interchangeably in diagnostic procedures or in studies attempting to find genes for diabetes. Both contribute unique (genetic) information

Measurements of branching fraction ratios and CP-asymmetries in suppressed B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decays

We report the first reconstruction in hadron collisions of the suppressed decays B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^-, sensitive to the CKM phase gamma, using data from 7 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. We reconstruct a signal for the B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- suppressed mode with a significance of 3.2 standard deviations, and measure the ratios of the suppressed to favored branching fractions R(K) = [22.0 \pm 8.6(stat)\pm 2.6(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^+(K) = [42.6\pm 13.7(stat)\pm 2.8(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^-(K)= [3.8\pm 10.3(stat)\pm 2.7(syst]\times 10^-3, as well as the direct CP-violating asymmetry A(K) = -0.82\pm 0.44(stat)\pm 0.09(syst) of this mode. Corresponding quantities for B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decay are also reported.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Phys.Rev.D Rapid Communications for Publicatio