Nuclear energy density optimization: Large deformations

A new Skyrme-like energy density suitable for studies of strongly elongated nuclei has been determined in the framework of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory using the recently developed model-based, derivative-free optimization algorithm POUNDerS. A sensitivity analysis at the optimal solution has revealed the importance of states at large deformations in driving the parameterization of the functional. The good agreement with experimental data on masses and separation energies, achieved with the previous parameterization UNEDF0, is largely preserved. In addition, the new energy density UNEDF1 gives a much improved description of the fission barriers in 240Pu and neighboring nuclei.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Instabilities in the Nuclear Energy Density Functional

In the field of Energy Density Functionals (EDF) used in nuclear structure and dynamics, one of the unsolved issues is the stability of the functional. Numerical issues aside, some EDFs are unstable with respect to particular perturbations of the nuclear ground-state density. The aim of this contribution is to raise questions about the origin and nature of these instabilities, the techniques used to diagnose and prevent them, and the domain of density functions in which one should expect a nuclear EDF to be stable.Comment: Special issue "Open Problems in Nuclear Structure Theory" of Jour.Phys.G - accepted. 7 pages, 2 figure

Síndrome de Turner: Relación entre Genotipo 45X0/46XY y los diferentes Fenotipos encontrados. Riesgo de desarrollo de Gonadoblastoma.

El Síndrome de Turner (ST) se caracteriza por disgenesia gonadal con amenorrea primaria, infantilismo sexual, talla baja y fenotipo femenino con múltiples anomalías congénitas. Es uno de los trastornos cromosómicos humanos más frecuentes; afecta a una niña por cada 2.500 recién nacidas vivas. El diagnóstico se basa en el reconocimiento clínico del cuadro, que debe ser confirmado mediante la práctica de un cariotipo. De acuerdo con los análisis citogenéticos, el 50-60% de los pacientes con ST tienen un cariotipo de 45, X. El resto, presentan aberraciones estructurales de uno de los cromosomas X o, más frecuentemente, un mosaicismo. La detección de un mosaicismo, conteniendo el cromosoma Y en el ST (45,X0/46XY), es de crucial importancia clínica, debido a que esta combinación se acompaña de un elevado riesgo de desarrollo de gonadoblastoma o de otro tumor gonadal; riesgo que ha sido estimado entre un 15-20%

Genetic and Environmental Influences in Delinquent Peer Affiliation: From the Peer Network Approach

Mainstream criminologists have long maintained that delinquent peer group formation is largely a function of family-environmental variables, and have ignored self-selection into peer groups because of genetic proclivities. A small number of recent studies, however, suggest that genes are implicated in delinquent peer affiliation. Given the potentially far-reaching implication of such research findings, the authors replicate Beaver, Wright, & DeLisi\u27s (2008) study, among others, using a direct measure of peer delinquency. That is, the authors analyze the Add Health genetic data employing a measure of peer delinquency which is based on the delinquency counts reported by peers themselves rather than respondents‘ self-reports. Even employing this alternative measure, their results clearly support the original study, providing further evidence of genetic underpinnings of delinquent peer group formation

Variational Approach to Molecular Kinetics

The eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the molecular dynamics propagator (or transfer operator) contain the essential information about the molecular thermodynamics and kinetics. This includes the stationary distribution, the metastable states, and state-to-state transition rates. Here, we present a variational approach for computing these dominant eigenvalues and eigenvectors. This approach is analogous the variational approach used for computing stationary states in quantum mechanics. A corresponding method of linear variation is formulated. It is shown that the matrices needed for the linear variation method are correlation matrices that can be estimated from simple MD simulations for a given basis set. The method proposed here is thus to first define a basis set able to capture the relevant conformational transitions, then compute the respective correlation matrices, and then to compute their dominant eigenvalues and eigenvectors, thus obtaining the key ingredients of the slow kinetics