1,611 research outputs found
Should we doubt the cosmological constant?
While Bayesian model selection is a useful tool to discriminate between
competing cosmological models, it only gives a relative rather than an absolute
measure of how good a model is. Bayesian doubt introduces an unknown benchmark
model against which the known models are compared, thereby obtaining an
absolute measure of model performance in a Bayesian framework. We apply this
new methodology to the problem of the dark energy equation of state, comparing
an absolute upper bound on the Bayesian evidence for a presently unknown dark
energy model against a collection of known models including a flat LambdaCDM
scenario. We find a strong absolute upper bound to the Bayes factor B between
the unknown model and LambdaCDM, giving B < 3. The posterior probability for
doubt is found to be less than 6% (with a 1% prior doubt) while the probability
for LambdaCDM rises from an initial 25% to just over 50% in light of the data.
We conclude that LambdaCDM remains a sufficient phenomenological description of
currently available observations and that there is little statistical room for
model improvement.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
The impact of priors and observables on parameter inferences in the Constrained MSSM
We use a newly released version of the SuperBayeS code to analyze the impact
of the choice of priors and the influence of various constraints on the
statistical conclusions for the preferred values of the parameters of the
Constrained MSSM. We assess the effect in a Bayesian framework and compare it
with an alternative likelihood-based measure of a profile likelihood. We employ
a new scanning algorithm (MultiNest) which increases the computational
efficiency by a factor ~200 with respect to previously used techniques. We
demonstrate that the currently available data are not yet sufficiently
constraining to allow one to determine the preferred values of CMSSM parameters
in a way that is completely independent of the choice of priors and statistical
measures. While b->s gamma generally favors large m_0, this is in some contrast
with the preference for low values of m_0 and m_1/2 that is almost entirely a
consequence of a combination of prior effects and a single constraint coming
from the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, which remains somewhat
controversial. Using an information-theoretical measure, we find that the
cosmological dark matter abundance determination provides at least 80% of the
total constraining power of all available observables. Despite the remaining
uncertainties, prospects for direct detection in the CMSSM remain excellent,
with the spin-independent neutralino-proton cross section almost guaranteed
above sigma_SI ~ 10^{-10} pb, independently of the choice of priors or
statistics. Likewise, gluino and lightest Higgs discovery at the LHC remain
highly encouraging. While in this work we have used the CMSSM as particle
physics model, our formalism and scanning technique can be readily applied to a
wider class of models with several free parameters.Comment: Minor changes, extended discussion of profile likelihood. Matches
JHEP accepted version. SuperBayeS code with MultiNest algorithm available at
http://www.superbayes.or
Bayesian analysis of Friedmannless cosmologies
Assuming only a homogeneous and isotropic universe and using both the 'Gold'
Supernova Type Ia sample of Riess et al. and the results from the Supernova
Legacy Survey, we calculate the Bayesian evidence of a range of different
parameterizations of the deceleration parameter. We consider both spatially
flat and curved models. Our results show that although there is strong evidence
in the data for an accelerating universe, there is little evidence that the
deceleration parameter varies with redshift.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Effects of Trichoderma harzianum Strain T22 on the Arthropod Community Associated with Tomato Plants and on the Crop Performance in an Experimental Field
Fungi belonging to the genus Trichoderma have received much attention in recent years due to their beneficial effects on crop health and their use as pest control agents. Trichoderma activates direct plant defenses against phytophagous arthropods and reinforces indirect plant defense through the attraction of predators. Although the plant defenses against insect herbivores were demonstrated in laboratory experiments, little attention has been paid to the use of Trichoderma spp. in open field conditions. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the inoculation of the commercial Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 on the arthropod community associated with tomato plants and on the crop performance in an experimental field located in South Italy. Our results showed that inoculation with T. harzianum could alter the arthropod community and reduce the abundance of specific pests under field conditions with respect to the sampling period. The present study also confirmed the beneficial effect of T. harzianum against plant pathogens and on tomato fruit. The complex tomato–arthropod–microorganism interactions that occurred in the field are discussed to enrich our current information on the possibilities of using Trichoderma as a green alternative agent in agricultur
Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) effect on the growth of Solanum lycopersicum cv. Roma plants
This study shows the direct effect of atmospheric particulate matter on plant growth. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants were grown for 18. d directly on PM10 collected on quartz fiber filters. Organic and elemental carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contents were analyzed on all the tested filters. The toxicity indicators (i.e., seed germination, root elongation, shoot and/or fresh root weight, chlorophyll and carotenoids content) were quantified to study the negative and/or positive effects in the plants via root uptake. Substantial differences were found in the growth of the root apparatus with respect to that of the control plants. A 17-58% decrease of primary root elongation, a large amount of secondary roots and a decrease in shoot (32%) and root (53-70%) weights were found. Quantitative analysis of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) indicated that an oxidative burst in response to abiotic stress occurred in roots directly grown on PM10, and this detrimental effect was also confirmed by the findings on the chlorophyll content and chlorophyll-to-carotenoid ratio
Esters and Orthoesters as Alkylating Agents at High Temperature. Applicationsto Continuous-flow Processes
At high temperature (1 80-200 "C) esters, orthoesters, carbonates and orthocarbonates have been
found to alkylate acidic compounds via a B,,2 mechanism. Phenol gives anisole with methyl
acetate in the presence of potassium carbonate. Thiols and other CH-acidic compounds are also
alkylated under such conditions.
The results obtained under batch conditions can be repeated under continuous-flow conditions, if
the base which promotes the reaction can be used in catalytic amount. Continuous-flow alkylation
of thiophenol by methyl acetate on a sodium acetate-type fixed bed, and other alkylations by
orthoesters or orthocarbonates on a potassium carbonate catalytic bed, have been achieved
Engineering of quantum dot photon sources via electro-elastic fields
The possibility to generate and manipulate non-classical light using the
tools of mature semiconductor technology carries great promise for the
implementation of quantum communication science. This is indeed one of the main
driving forces behind ongoing research on the study of semiconductor quantum
dots. Often referred to as artificial atoms, quantum dots can generate single
and entangled photons on demand and, unlike their natural counterpart, can be
easily integrated into well-established optoelectronic devices. However, the
inherent random nature of the quantum dot growth processes results in a lack of
control of their emission properties. This represents a major roadblock towards
the exploitation of these quantum emitters in the foreseen applications. This
chapter describes a novel class of quantum dot devices that uses the combined
action of strain and electric fields to reshape the emission properties of
single quantum dots. The resulting electro-elastic fields allow for control of
emission and binding energies, charge states, and energy level splittings and
are suitable to correct for the quantum dot structural asymmetries that usually
prevent these semiconductor nanostructures from emitting polarization-entangled
photons. Key experiments in this field are presented and future directions are
discussed.Comment: to appear as a book chapter in a compilation "Engineering the
Atom-Photon Interaction" published by Springer in 2015, edited by A.
Predojevic and M. W. Mitchel
New poly(β-cyclodextrin)/poly(vinyl alcohol) electrospun sub-micrometric fibers and their potential application for wastewater treatments
- …