Testing mechanisms of compensatory fitness of dioecy in a cosexual world

Questions: All else being equal, populations of dioecious species with a 50:50 sex ratio have only half the effective reproductive population size of bisexual species of equal abundance. Consequently, there is a need to explain how dioecious and bisexual species coexist. Increased mean individual seed mass, fecundity, and population density have all been proposed as attributes of unisexual individuals or populations that may contribute to the persistence or resilience of dioecious species. To date, no studies have compared sympatric dioecious and cosexual species with respect to all three components of fitness. In this study, we sought evidence for these compensatory advantages (higher seed mass, greater seed production per unit basal area, and higher population density) in dioecious species. Location: Five 20–25 ha forest dynamic plots spanning a latitudinal gradient in China, including two temperate, two subtropical, and one tropical forest. Methods: We used a phylogenetically corrected generalized linear modelling approach to assess the phylogenetic dependence and joint evolution of sexual system, seed mass and production, and ecological abundances among 48–333 species and 32,568–136,237 individuals per forest. Results: Across all five forests, we detected no consistent advantage for dioecious relative to sympatric cosexual species with respect to mean individual seed mass, seed production or the density of stems in any size class. Conclusions: Our study suggests that seed traits may provide compensatory mechanisms in some forests, but most often the coexistence of sexual systems cannot be explained by advantages of dioecy related to seed quality and demographic parameters. Future investigations of the factors that promote coexistence may increase our understanding by expanding the search to include attributes such as lifespan and tolerance or resistance to herbivores

Bidirectional optimization of the melting spinning process

This is the author's accepted manuscript (under the provisional title "Bi-directional optimization of the melting spinning process with an immune-enhanced neural network"). The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright 2014 @ IEEE.A bidirectional optimizing approach for the melting spinning process based on an immune-enhanced neural network is proposed. The proposed bidirectional model can not only reveal the internal nonlinear relationship between the process configuration and the quality indices of the fibers as final product, but also provide a tool for engineers to develop new fiber products with expected quality specifications. A neural network is taken as the basis for the bidirectional model, and an immune component is introduced to enlarge the searching scope of the solution field so that the neural network has a larger possibility to find the appropriate and reasonable solution, and the error of prediction can therefore be eliminated. The proposed intelligent model can also help to determine what kind of process configuration should be made in order to produce satisfactory fiber products. To make the proposed model practical to the manufacturing, a software platform is developed. Simulation results show that the proposed model can eliminate the approximation error raised by the neural network-based optimizing model, which is due to the extension of focusing scope by the artificial immune mechanism. Meanwhile, the proposed model with the corresponding software can conduct optimization in two directions, namely, the process optimization and category development, and the corresponding results outperform those with an ordinary neural network-based intelligent model. It is also proved that the proposed model has the potential to act as a valuable tool from which the engineers and decision makers of the spinning process could benefit.National Nature Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Education of China, the Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

Gauged Q ball in a piecewise parabolic potential

Q ball solutions are considered within the theory of a complex scalar field with a gauged U(1) symmetry and a parabolic-type potential. In the thin-walled limit, we show explicitly that there is a maximum size for these objects because of the repulsive Coulomb force. The size of Q ball will increase with the decrease of local minimum of the potential. And when the two minima degenerate, the energy stored within the surface of the Q ball becomes significant. Furthermore, we find an analytic expression for gauged Q ball, which is beyond the conventional thin-walled limit.Comment: 1 figure

Cosmological dynamics of scalar fields with O(N) symmetry

In this paper, we study the cosmological dynamics of scalar fields with O(N) symmetry in general potentials. We compare the phase space of the dynamical systems of the quintessence and phantom and give the conditions for the existence of various attractors as well as their cosmological implications. We also show that the existence of tracking attractor in O(N) phantom models require the potential with $\Gamma<1/2$, which makes the models with exponential potential possess no tracking attractor.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures; Replaced with the version to be published in Classical and Quantum Gravity. Reference adde

Exotic mesons from quantum chromodynamics with improved gluon and quark actions on the anisotropic lattice

Hybrid (exotic) mesons, which are important predictions of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), are states of quarks and anti-quarks bound by excited gluons. First principle lattice study of such states would help us understand the role of ``dynamical'' color in low energy QCD and provide valuable information for experimental search for these new particles. In this paper, we apply both improved gluon and quark actions to the hybrid mesons, which might be much more efficient than the previous works in reducing lattice spacing error and finite volume effect. Quenched simulations were done at $\beta=2.6$ and on a $\xi=3$ anisotropic $12^3\times36$ lattice using our PC cluster. We obtain $2013 \pm 26 \pm 71$ MeV for the mass of the $1^{-+}$ hybrid meson ${\bar q}qg$ in the light quark sector, and $4369 \pm 37 \pm 99$Mev in the charm quark sector; the mass splitting between the $1^{-+}$ hybrid meson ${\bar c}c g$ in the charm quark sector and the spin averaged S-wave charmonium mass is estimated to be $1302 \pm 37 \pm 99$ MeV. As a byproduct, we obtain $1438 \pm 32 \pm 57$ MeV for the mass of a P-wave $1^{++}$ ${\bar u}u$ or ${\bar d}d$ meson and $1499 \pm 28 \pm 65$ MeV for the mass of a P-wave $1^{++}$ ${\bar s}s$ meson, which are comparable to their experimental value 1426 MeV for the $f_1(1420)$ meson. The first error is statistical, and the second one is systematical. The mixing of the hybrid meson with a four quark state is also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. Published versio

First-principles study of native point defects in Bi2Se3

Using first-principles method within the framework of the density functional theory, we study the influence of native point defect on the structural and electronic properties of Bi$_2$Se$_3$. Se vacancy in Bi$_2$Se$_3$ is a double donor, and Bi vacancy is a triple acceptor. Se antisite (Se$_{Bi}$) is always an active donor in the system because its donor level ($\varepsilon$(+1/0)) enters into the conduction band. Interestingly, Bi antisite(Bi$_{Se1}$) in Bi$_2$Se$_3$ is an amphoteric dopant, acting as a donor when $\mu$$_e$$<$0.119eV (the material is typical p-type) and as an acceptor when $\mu$$_e$$>$0.251eV (the material is typical n-type). The formation energies under different growth environments (such as Bi-rich or Se-rich) indicate that under Se-rich condition, Se$_{Bi}$ is the most stable native defect independent of electron chemical potential $\mu$$_e$. Under Bi-rich condition, Se vacancy is the most stable native defect except for under the growth window as $\mu$$_e$$>$0.262eV (the material is typical n-type) and $\Delta$$\mu$$_{Se}$$<$-0.459eV(Bi-rich), under such growth windows one negative charged Bi$_{Se1}$ is the most stable one.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Drought events and their effects on vegetation productivity in China

Many parts of the world have experienced frequent and severe droughts during the last few decades. Most previous studies examined the effects of specific drought events on vegetation productivity. In this study, we characterized the drought events in China from 1982 to 2012 and assessed their effects on vegetation productivity inferred from satellite data. We first assessed the occurrence, spatial extent, frequency, and severity of drought using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). We then examined the impacts of droughts on China\u27s terrestrial ecosystems using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). During the period 1982–2012, China\u27s land area (%) experiencing drought showed an insignificant trend. However, the drought conditions had been more severe over most regions in northern parts of China since the end of the 1990s, indicating that droughts hit these regions more frequently due to the drier climate. The severe droughts substantially reduced annual and seasonal NDVI. The magnitude and direction of the detrended NDVI under drought stress varied with season and vegetation type. The inconsistency between the regional means of PDSI and detrended NDVI could be attributed to different responses of vegetation to drought and the timing, duration, severity, and lag effects of droughts. The negative effects of droughts on vegetation productivity were partly offset by the enhancement of plant growth resulting from factors such as lower cloudiness, warming climate, and human activities (e.g., afforestation, improved agricultural management practices)

Aeroelastic Performance Analysis of Wind Turbine in the Wake with a New Elastic Actuator Line Model

The scale of a wind turbine is getting larger with the development of wind energy recently. Therefore, the effect of the wind turbine blades deformation on its performances and lifespan has become obvious. In order to solve this research rapidly, a new elastic actuator line model (EALM) is proposed in this study, which is based on turbinesFoam in OpenFOAM (Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation, a free, open source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package released by the OpenFOAM Foundation, which was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales). The model combines the actuator line model (ALM) and a beam solver, which is used in the wind turbine blade design. The aeroelastic performances of the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) 5 MW wind turbine like power, thrust, and blade tip displacement are investigated. These results are compared with some research to prove the new model. Additionally, the influence caused by blade deflections on the aerodynamic performance is discussed. It is demonstrated that the tower shadow effect becomes more obvious and causes the power and thrust to get a bit lower and unsteady. Finally, this variety is analyzed in the wake of upstream wind turbine and it is found that the influence on the performance and wake flow field of downstream wind turbine becomes more serious

Understanding the white-light flare on 2012 March 9 : Evidence of a two-step magnetic reconnection

We attempt to understand the white-light flare (WLF) that was observed on 2012 March 9 with a newly constructed multi-wavelength solar telescope called the Optical and Near-infrared Solar Eruption Tracer (ONSET). We analyzed WLF observations in radio, H-alpha, white-light, ultraviolet, and X-ray bands. We also studied the magnetic configuration of the flare via the nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation and the vector magnetic field observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Continuum emission enhancement clearly appeared at the 3600 angstrom and 4250 angstrom bands, with peak contrasts of 25% and 12%, respectively. The continuum emission enhancement closely coincided with the impulsive increase in the hard X-ray emission and a microwave type III burst at 03:40 UT. We find that the WLF appeared at one end of either the sheared or twisted field lines or both. There was also a long-lasting phase in the H-alpha and soft X-ray bands after the white-light emission peak. In particular, a second, yet stronger, peak appeared at 03:56 UT in the microwave band. This event shows clear evidence that the white-light emission was caused by energetic particles bombarding the lower solar atmosphere. A two-step magnetic reconnection scenario is proposed to explain the entire process of flare evolution, i.e., the first-step magnetic reconnection between the field lines that are highly sheared or twisted or both, and the second-step one in the current sheet, which is stretched by the erupting flux rope. The WLF is supposed to be triggered in the first-step magnetic reconnection at a relatively low altitude.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, published in A&A Lette

The Physical Connections Among IR QSOs, PG QSOs and Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

We study the properties of infrared-selected QSOs (IR QSOs), optically-selected QSOs (PG QSOs) and Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s). We compare their properties from the infrared to the optical and examine various correlations among the black hole mass, accretion rate, star formation rate and optical and infrared luminosities. We find that the infrared excess in IR QSOs is mostly in the far infrared, and their infrared spectral indices suggest that the excess emission is from low temperature dust heated by starbursts rather than AGNs. The infrared excess is therefore a useful criterion to separate the relative contributions of starbursts and AGNs. We further find a tight correlation between the star formation rate and the accretion rate of central AGNs for IR QSOs. The ratio of the star formation rate and the accretion rate is about several hundred for IR QSOs, but decreases with the central black hole mass. This shows that the tight correlation between the stellar mass and the central black hole mass is preserved in massive starbursts during violent mergers. We suggest that the higher Eddington ratios of NLS1s and IR QSOs imply that they are in the early stage of evolution toward classical Seyfert 1's and QSOs, respectively.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Ap