3,927 research outputs found
Measurement of g-factor tensor in a quantum dot and disentanglement of exciton spins
We perform polarization-resolved magneto-optical measurements on single InAsP
quantum dots embedded in an InP nanowire. In order to determine all elements of
the electron and hole -factor tensors, we measure in magnetic field with
different orientations. The results of these measurements are in good agreement
with a model based on exchange terms and Zeeman interaction. In our experiment,
polarization analysis delivers a powerful tool that not only significantly
increases the precision of the measurements, but also enables us to probe the
exciton spin state evolution in magnetic fields. We propose a disentangling
scheme of heavy-hole exciton spins enabling a measurement of the electron spin
time
Influence of a monitored aerobic training and a low-energy diet on serum leptin concentration in obese women
The study focused on the influence of a 9-week monitored energy deficit on serum leptin level in 16 obese women. Additionally, measurements of body components and total cholesterol (CHO), HDL cholesterol (HDL) and triacylglycerols (TRG) concentration in blood were carried out, concentration of LDL cholesterol (LDL) was evaluated. Energy deficit was induced by a diet and “fat burning” type exercises. Leptin concentration in blood serum was significantly higher before (41.7±16.5 ng/ml) than after the accomplishment of experiment (24.7±16.2 ng/ml). Body mass decreased, which was mainly due to a drop in body fat (from 36.6±13.9 kg to 29.0±12.5 kg). All changes have been statistically significant at the level of P<0.001. A significant decrease of CHO (from 187.9±26.3 mg/dl to 167.1±25.4 mg/dl; P<0.001) and LDL (from 115.5±25.1 mg/dl to 102.3±21.5 mg/dl; P<0.05) concentration in blood was noticed. However, changes in HDL and TRG concentration were statistically insignificant. There was a statistically significant correlation (P<0.05) recorded between changes in leptin concentration in blood and changes in body mass, BMI and body fat (0.51; 0.58; 0.64 respectively). No correlation was observed between leptin and lean body mass, CHO, HDL, LDL or TRG
Geodesic stability, Lyapunov exponents and quasinormal modes
Geodesic motion determines important features of spacetimes. Null unstable
geodesics are closely related to the appearance of compact objects to external
observers and have been associated with the characteristic modes of black
holes. By computing the Lyapunov exponent, which is the inverse of the
instability timescale associated with this geodesic motion, we show that, in
the eikonal limit, quasinormal modes of black holes in any dimensions are
determined by the parameters of the circular null geodesics. This result is
independent of the field equations and only assumes a stationary, spherically
symmetric and asymptotically flat line element, but it does not seem to be
easily extendable to anti-de Sitter spacetimes. We further show that (i) in
spacetime dimensions greater than four, equatorial circular timelike geodesics
in a Myers-Perry black hole background are unstable, and (ii) the instability
timescale of equatorial null geodesics in Myers-Perry spacetimes has a local
minimum for spacetimes of dimension d > 5.Comment: 13 pages, 2 Figs, RevTex4. v2: Minor corrections. v3: more minor
correction
Development of parasitic Maculinea teleius (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) larvae in laboratory nests of four Myrmica ant host species
Maculinea butterflies are social parasites of Myrmica ants. Methods to study the strength of host ant specificity in the Maculinea–Myrmica association include research on chemical and acoustic mimicry as well as experiments on ant adoption and rearing behaviour of Maculinea larvae. Here we present results of laboratory experiments on adoption, survival, development and integration of M. teleius larvae within the nests of different Myrmica host species, with the objective of quantifying the degree of specialization of this Maculinea species. In the laboratory, a total of 94 nests of four Myrmica species: M. scabrinodis, M. rubra, M.ruginodis and M. rugulosa were used. Nests of M. rubra and M. rugulosa adopted M. teleius larvae more readily and quickly than M. ruginodis colonies. No significant differences were found in the survival rates of M. teleius larvae reared by different ant species. Early larval growth of M. teleius larvae differed slightly among nests of four Myrmica host species. Larvae reared by colonies of M. rugulosa which were the heaviest at the beginning of larval development had the lowest mean larval body mass after 18 weeks compared to those reared by other Myrmica species. None of the M.teleius larvae was carried by M. scabrinodis or M. rubra workers after ant nests were destroyed, which suggests a lack of integration with host colonies. Results indicate that Myrmica species coming from the same site differ in their ability to adopt and rear M. teleius larvae but there was no obvious adaptation of this butterfly species to one of the host ant species. This may explain why, under natural conditions, all four ants can be used as hosts of this butterfly species. Slight advantages of particular Myrmica species as hosts at certain points in butterfly larval development can be explained by the ant species biology and colony structure rather than by specialization of M. teleius
Improved performance of the LHCb Outer Tracker in LHC Run 2
The LHCb Outer Tracker is a gaseous detector covering an area of with 12 double layers of straw tubes. The performance of the detector is
presented based on data of the LHC Run 2 running period from 2015 and 2016.
Occupancies and operational experience for data collected in , pPb and
PbPb collisions are described. An updated study of the ageing effects is
presented showing no signs of gain deterioration or other radiation damage
effects. In addition several improvements with respect to LHC Run 1 data taking
are introduced. A novel real-time calibration of the time-alignment of the
detector and the alignment of the single monolayers composing detector modules
are presented, improving the drift-time and position resolution of the detector
by 20\%. Finally, a potential use of the improved resolution for the timing of
charged tracks is described, showing the possibility to identify low-momentum
hadrons with their time-of-flight.Comment: 29 pages, 20 figures, minor changes to match the published versio
On Field Theory Thermalization from Gravitational Collapse
Motivated by its field theory interpretation, we study gravitational collapse
of a minimally coupled massless scalar field in Einstein gravity with a
negative cosmological constant. After demonstrating the accuracy of the
numerical algorithm for the questions we are interested in, we investigate
various aspects of the apparent horizon formation. In particular, we study the
time and radius of the apparent horizon formed as functions of the initial
Gaussian profile for the scalar field. We comment on several aspects of the
dual field theory picture.Comment: 31 pages, 17 figures; V2 Some figures corrected, minor revision.
arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1106.233
Impact of implant thread design on insertion torque and osseointegration:a preclinical model
Successful osseointegration of endosteal dental implants has been attributed to implant design, including the macro-, micro- and nano- geometric properties. Based on current literature pertaining to implant design, the resultant cellular and bone healing response is unknown when the thread thickness of the implants is increased, resulting in an increased contact area in implants designed with healing chambers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two implant designs with different thread profiles on the osseointegration parameters and implant stability at 3- and 6-weeks in vivo using a well-established preclinical dog model. A total of 48 type V Ti alloy implants were divided in two groups according to their thread design (D1= +0.1x/mm and D2= +0.15x/mm) and placed in an interpolated fashion into the radii of six beagles. Insertion torque was measured at time of placement, radii were extracted for histological processing following 3- and 6-week healing intervals. Histologic and histomorphometric analyses were performed in terms of bone to implant contact (%BIC) and bone area fraction occupancy within implant threads (%BAFO). Statistical analyses were performed through a linear mixed model with fixed factors of time and implant thread design. Surface roughness analysis demonstrated no significant differences in Sa and Sq between D1 and D2 implant designs, which confirmed that both implant designs were homogenous except for their respective thread profiles. For insertion torque, statistically significant lower values were recorded for D1 in comparison to D2 (59.6 ± 11.1 and 78.9 ± 10.1 N?cm, respectively). Furthermore, there were no significant differences with respect to histological analysis and histomorphometric parameters, between D1 and D2 at both time points. Both thread profiles presented equivalent potential to successfully osseointegrate in the osteotomies, with D2 yielding higher mechanical retention upon placement without detrimental bone resorption
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