Pairing gaps from nuclear mean-field models

We discuss the pairing gap, a measure for nuclear pairing correlations, in chains of spherical, semi-magic nuclei in the framework of self-consistent nuclear mean-field models. The equations for the conventional BCS model and the approximate projection-before-variation Lipkin-Nogami method are formulated in terms of local density functionals for the effective interaction. We calculate the Lipkin-Nogami corrections of both the mean-field energy and the pairing energy. Various definitions of the pairing gap are discussed as three-point, four-point and five-point mass-difference formulae, averaged matrix elements of the pairing potential, and single-quasiparticle energies. Experimental values for the pairing gap are compared with calculations employing both a delta pairing force and a density-dependent delta interaction in the BCS and Lipkin-Nogami model. Odd-mass nuclei are calculated in the spherical blocking approximation which neglects part of the the core polarization in the odd nucleus. We find that the five-point mass difference formula gives a very robust description of the odd-even staggering, other approximations for the gap may differ from that up to 30% for certain nuclei.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in EPJ

Consequences of the center-of-mass correction in nuclear mean-field models

We study the influence of the scheme for the correction for spurious center-of-mass motion on the fit of effective interactions for self-consistent nuclear mean-field calculations. We find that interactions with very simple center-of-mass correction have significantly larger surface coefficients than interactions for which the center-of-mass correction was calculated for the actual many-body state during the fit. The reason for that is that the effective interaction has to counteract the wrong trends with nucleon number of all simplified schemes for center-of-mass correction which puts a wrong trend with mass number into the effective interaction itself. The effect becomes clearly visible when looking at the deformation energy of largely deformed systems, e.g. superdeformed states or fission barriers of heavy nuclei.Comment: 12 pages LATeX, needs EPJ style files, 5 eps figures, accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.

Inhibition mechanism of the chloride channel TMEM16A by the pore blocker 1PBC

TMEM16A, a calcium-activated chloride channel involved in multiple cellular processes, is a proposed target for diseases such as hypertension, asthma, and cystic fibrosis. Despite these therapeutic promises, its pharmacology remains poorly understood. Here, we present a cryo-EM structure of TMEM16A in complex with the channel blocker 1PBC and a detailed functional analysis of its inhibition mechanism. A pocket located external to the neck region of the hourglass-shaped pore is responsible for open-channel block by 1PBC and presumably also by its structural analogs. The binding of the blocker stabilizes an open-like conformation of the channel that involves a rearrangement of several pore helices. The expansion of the outer pore enhances blocker sensitivity and enables 1PBC to bind at a site within the transmembrane electric field. Our results define the mechanism of inhibition and gating and will facilitate the design of new, potent TMEM16A modulators

Seasonal Variation in Carcinops pumilio (Coleoptera: Histeridae) Dispersal and Potential for Suppression of Dispersal Behavior

Seasonal dispersal of Carcinops pumilio (Erichson) was evaluated using two trapping methods-a black-light pitfall trap and a mesh-bottomed trap placed on poultry manure. The black-light trap collected larger numbers than the mesh-bottomed trap from March through June. The mesh-bottomed trap gathered larger numbers of beetles from June through August and numbers were less variable throughout the year. Often, when very low numbers of beetles were recovered from manure cores, large numbers of beetles could be collected with the black-light trap suggesting that beetle density may not be an important factor in dispersal behavior. The greatest dispersal in the dispersal arenas (≈90%) occurred using beetles collected by both trap types in June 2000. Beginning in March and ending in August, a cyclic rise and then fall pattern in both laboratory dispersal and beetle collections was observed. Trap collection patterns were similar in both years of the study. In January and March, we were unable to prevent dispersal behavior of beetles captured in black-light traps. However, in May, after beetles had been in a dispersal phase for several months, we were able to suppress dispersal. In contrast, dispersal behavior among beetles captured with the mesh-bottomed trap did not change following the photoperiod-altered exposur

An HFB scheme in natural orbitals

We present a formulation of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) equations which solves the problem directly in the basis of natural orbitals. This provides a very efficient scheme which is particularly suited for large scale calculations on coordinate-space grids.Comment: 5 pages RevTeX, (Postscript-file also available at http://www.th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~bender/nucl_struct_publications.html or at ftp://th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/pub/bender ), accepted for publication in Z. Phys.

House Fly (Musca domestica L.) Survival after Mechanical Incorporation of Poultry Manure into Field Soil

Land application is often a routine part of manure management. Not only is it a practical means of disposing large amounts of poultry wastes, it is an efficient use of an organic fertilizer. Unfortunately, poultry manure may contain a large number of house fly larvae and pupae that can become a nuisance if they complete development. Mechanical incorporation of poultry manure is often recommended to help reduce odor; it has also been though to reduce the potential for a fly outbreak. This study examined fly survival following burial in field soil at depths of 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 in. One quarter of the adult house flies developing from pupae were able to crawl through 12 in. of soil to reach the surface. Survival of flies buried closer to the surface was greater. We compared house fly survival following disk, harrow, and moldboard plow incorporation of manure to surface application. No method of incorporation was better than the surface application. Adult flies reached outbreak proportions 10 days following application and the outbreak lasted another 11 day

Potential energy surfaces of superheavy nuclei

We investigate the structure of the potential energy surfaces of the superheavy nuclei 258Fm, 264Hs, (Z=112,N=166), (Z=114,N=184), and (Z=120,N=172) within the framework of self-consistent nuclear models, i.e. the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach and the relativistic mean-field model. We compare results obtained with one representative parametrisation of each model which is successful in describing superheavy nuclei. We find systematic changes as compared to the potential energy surfaces of heavy nuclei in the uranium region: there is no sufficiently stable fission isomer any more, the importance of triaxial configurations to lower the first barrier fades away, and asymmetric fission paths compete down to rather small deformation. Comparing the two models, it turns out that the relativistic mean-field model gives generally smaller fission barriers.Comment: 8 pages RevTeX, 6 figure

Left ventricular dyssynchrony in patients with left bundle branch block and patients after myocardial infarction: integration of mechanics and viability by cardiac magnetic resonance

Aims To quantify left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and in patients after myocardial infarction (MI) applying an accelerated three-dimensional (3D) tagging cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) technique, and to combine dyssynchrony information with viability data obtained by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR. Methods and results Thirty-two patients (59 ± 11 years) after first MI (PatsMI), 10 patients (63 ± 10 years) with LBBB (ejection fraction < 40%; PatsLBBB<40), 13 patients (63 ± 11) with LBBB (ejection fraction ≥ 40%; PatsLBBB≥40), and 15 healthy controls (53 ± 10 years) underwent 3D tagging CMR and LGE imaging at 1.5 T. As a measure of mechanical LV dyssynchrony, the standard deviation of Tmax over the LV, the circumferential uniformity ratio estimate (CURE) index, and a segmental-based circumferential systolic dyssynchrony index (SDI) were calculated. All three parameters detected significantly increased circumferential dyssynchrony in patients compared with controls. The CURE and SDI showed a good correlation (r = 0.93, P < 0.0001) and detected most severe dyssynchrony in PatsLBBB<40 (P < 0.001 vs. controls, P < 0.005 vs. PatsMI). Systolic dyssynchrony index additionally allowed integration of localized viability information to yield SDIviable which was highest in PatsLBBB<40. Conclusion Dyssynchrony patterns in the LV can be quantified globally and regionally by 3D tagging CMR. Combination of viability and dyssynchrony information allows for a comprehensive dyssynchrony quantification in patients with LBBB or post-MI. Future studies are required to test the value of the method to predict responsiveness to resynchronizatio

Nuclear Ground State Observables and QCD Scaling in a Refined Relativistic Point Coupling Model

We present results obtained in the calculation of nuclear ground state properties in relativistic Hartree approximation using a Lagrangian whose QCD-scaled coupling constants are all natural (dimensionless and of order 1). Our model consists of four-, six-, and eight-fermion point couplings (contact interactions) together with derivative terms representing, respectively, two-, three-, and four-body forces and the finite ranges of the corresponding mesonic interactions. The coupling constants have been determined in a self-consistent procedure that solves the model equations for representative nuclei simultaneously in a generalized nonlinear least-squares adjustment algorithm. The extracted coupling constants allow us to predict ground state properties of a much larger set of even-even nuclei to good accuracy. The fact that the extracted coupling constants are all natural leads to the conclusion that QCD scaling and chiral symmetry apply to finite nuclei.Comment: 44 pages, 13 figures, 9 tables, REVTEX, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Comment on ``Structure of exotic nuclei and superheavy elements in a relativistic shell model''

A recent paper [M. Rashdan, Phys. Rev. C 63, 044303 (2001)] introduces the new parameterization NL-RA1 of the relativistic mean-field model which is claimed to give a better description of nuclear properties than earlier ones. Using this model ^{298}114 is predicted to be a doubly-magic nucleus. As will be shown in this comment these findings are to be doubted as they are obtained with an unrealistic parameterization of the pairing interaction and neglecting ground-state deformation.Comment: 2 pages REVTEX, 3 figures, submitted to comment section of Phys. Rev. C. shortened and revised versio