Tensor stability in Born-Infeld determinantal gravity

We consider the transverse-traceless tensor perturbation of a spatial flat homogeneous and isotropic spacetime in Born-Infeld determinantal gravity, and investigate the evolution of the tensor mode for two solutions in the early universe. For the first solution where the initial singularity is replaced by a regular geometric de Sitter inflation of infinite duration, the evolution of the tensor mode is stable for the parameter spaces $\alpha<-1$, $\omega\geq-1/3$ and $\alpha=-1$, $\omega>0$. For the second solution where the initial singularity is replaced by a primordial brusque bounce, which suffers a sudden singularity at the bouncing point, the evolution of the tensor mode is stable for all regions of the parameter space. Our calculation suggests that the tensor evolution can hold stability in large parameter spaces, which is a remarkable property of Born-Infeld determinantal gravity. We also constrain the theoretical parameter $|\lambda|\geq 10^{-38} \text{m}^{-2}$ by resorting to the current bound on the speed of the gravitational waves.Comment: 14 pages, added a general discussion on the tensor stability in Sec. 3, and added Sec. 5 on the parameter constraint, published versio

Amphiphilic blockers punch through a mutant CLC-0 pore.

Intracellularly applied amphiphilic molecules, such as p-chlorophenoxy acetate (CPA) and octanoate, block various pore-open mutants of CLC-0. The voltage-dependent block of a particular pore-open mutant, E166G, was found to be multiphasic. In symmetrical 140 mM Cl(-), the apparent affinity of the blocker in this mutant increased with a negative membrane potential but, paradoxically, decreased when the negative membrane potential was greater than -80 mV, a phenomenon similar to the blocker "punch-through" shown in many blocker studies of cation channels. To provide further evidence of the punch-through of CPA and octanoate, we studied the dissociation rate of the blocker from the pore by measuring the time constant of relief from the block under various voltage and ionic conditions. Consistent with the voltage dependence of the effect on the steady-state current, the rate of CPA dissociation from the E166G pore reached a minimum at -80 mV in symmetrical 140 mM Cl(-), and the direction of current recovery suggested that the bound CPA in the pore can dissociate into both intracellular and extracellular solutions. Moreover, the CPA dissociation depends upon the Cl(-) reversal potential with a minimal dissociation rate at a voltage 80 mV more negative than the Cl(-) reversal potential. That the shift of the CPA-dissociation rate follows the Cl(-) gradient across the membrane argues that these blockers can indeed punch through the channel pore. Furthermore, a minimal CPA-dissociation rate at a voltage 80 mV more negative than the Cl(-) reversal potential suggests that the outward blocker movement through the CLC-0 pore is more difficult than the inward movement

Contributions of natural and human factors to increases in vegetation productivity in China

Increasing trends in vegetation productivity have been identified for the last three decades for many regions in the northern hemisphere including China. Multiple natural and human factors are possibly responsible for the increases in vegetation productivity, while their relative contributions remain unclear. Here we analyzed the long-term trends in vegetation productivity in China using the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and assessed the relationships of NDVI with a suite of natural (air temperature, precipitation, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, and nitrogen (N) deposition) and human (afforestation and improved agricultural management practices) factors. Overall, China exhibited an increasing trend in vegetation productivity with an increase of 2.7%. At the provincial scale, eleven provinces exhibited significant increases in vegetation productivity, and the majority of these provinces are located within the northern half of the country. At the national scale, annual air temperature was most closely related to NDVI and explained 36.8% of the variance in NDVI, followed by afforestation (25.5%) and crop yield (15.8%). Altogether, temperature, total forest plantation area, and crop yield explained 78.1% of the variance in vegetation productivity at the national scale, while precipitation, PAR, atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and N deposition made no significant contribution to the increases in vegetation productivity. At the provincial scale, each factor explained a part of the variance in NDVI for some provinces, and the increases in NDVI for many provinces could be attributed to the combined effects of multiple factors. Crop yield and PAR were correlated with NDVI for more provinces than were other factors, indicating that both elevated crop yield resulting from improved agricultural management practices and increasing diffuse radiation were more important than other factors in increasing vegetation productivity at the provincial scale. The relative effects of the natural and human factors on vegetation productivity varied with spatial scale. The true contributions of multiple factors can be obscured by the correlation among these variables, and it is essential to examine the contribution of each factor while controlling for other factors. Future changes in climate and human activities will likely have larger influences on vegetation productivity in China

Full linear perturbations and localization of gravity on f(R,T)f(R,T) brane

We study the thick brane world system constructed in the recently proposed $f(R,T)$ theories of gravity, with $R$ the Ricci scalar and $T$ the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. We try to get the analytic background solutions and discuss the full linear perturbations, especially the scalar perturbations. We compare how the brane world model is modified with that of general relativity coupled to a canonical scalar field. It is found that some more interesting background solutions are allowed, and only the scalar perturbation mode is modified. There is no tachyon state exists in this model and only the massless tensor mode can be localized on the brane, which recovers the effective four-dimensional gravity. These conclusions hold provided that two constraints on the original formalism of the action are satisfied.Comment: v3: 8 pages, 2 figures, improved version with minor corrections, accepted by EPJ