Non-abelian T-duality, Ramond Fields and Coset Geometries

We extend previous work on non-abelian T-duality in the presence of Ramond fluxes to cases in which the duality group acts with isotropy such as in backgrounds containing coset spaces. In the process we generate new supergravity solutions related to D-brane configurations and to standard supergravity compactifications.Comment: 35 pages, Late

Non-Abelian T-duality and consistent truncations in type-II supergravity

For a general class of SO(4) symmetric backgrounds in type II-supergravity, we show that the action of non-Abelian T-duality can be described via consistent truncation to seven dimensional theories with seemingly massive modes. As such, any solution to these theories uplifts to both massive type IIA and IIB supergravities presenting an invertible map between the two. For supersymmetric backgrounds, we show that for spinors transforming under SO(4) the non-Abelian T-duality transformation breaks the original supersymmetry by half. We use these mappings to generate the non-Abelian T-duals of the maximally supersymmetric pp-wave, the Lin, Lunin, Maldacena geometries and spacetimes with Lifshitz symmetry.Comment: 41 pages, references added, published versio

The Genetics and Genomics of Virus Resistance in Maize

Viruses cause significant diseases on maize worldwide. Intensive agronomic practices, changes in vector distribution, and the introduction of vectors and viruses into new areas can result in emerging disease problems. Because deployment of resistant hybrids and cultivars is considered to be both economically viable and environmentally sustainable, genes and quantitative trait loci for most economically important virus diseases have been identified. Examination of multiple studies indicates the importance of regions of maize chromosomes 2, 3, 6, and 10 in virus resistance. An understanding of the molecular basis of virus resistance in maize is beginning to emerge, and two genes conferring resistance to sugarcane mosaic virus, Scmv1 and Scmv2, have been cloned and characterized. Recent studies provide hints of other pathways and genes critical to virus resistance in maize, but further work is required to determine the roles of these in virus susceptibility and resistance. This research will be facilitated by rapidly advancing technologies for functional analysis of genes in maize