Aligned natural inflation in the Large Volume Scenario

We embed natural inflation in an explict string theory model and derive observables in cosmology. We achieve this by compactifying the type IIB string on a Calabi-Yau orientifold, stabilizing moduli via the Large Volume Scenario, and configuring axions using D7-brane stacks. In order to obtain a large effective decay constant, we employ the Kim-Nilles-Peloso alignment mechanism, with the required multiple axions arising naturally from generically anisotropic bulk geometries. The bulk volumes, and hence the axion decay constants, are stabilized by generalized one-loop corrections and subject to various conditions: the Kähler cone condition on the string geometry; the convex hull condition of the weak gravity conjecture; and the constraint from the power spectrum of scalar perturbations. We find that all constraints can be satisfied in a geometry with relatively small volume and thus heavy bulk axion mass. We also covariantize the convex hull condition for the axion-dilaton-instanton system and verify the normalization of the extremal bound.

Influence of the accumulation chamber insertion depth to measure surface radon exhalation rates

<p>A common method to measure radon exhalation rates relies on the accumulation chamber technique. Usually, this approach only considers one-dimensional gas transport within the soil that neglects lateral diffusion. However, this lateral transport could reduce the reliability of the method. In this work, several cylindrical- shaped accumulation chambers were built with different heights to test if the insertion depth of the chamber into the soil improves the reliability of the method and, in that case, if it could limit the radon lateral diffusion effects. To check this hypothesis in laboratory, two reference exhalation boxes were manufactured using phospho- gypsum from a repository located nearby the city of Huelva, in the southwest of Spain. Laboratory experiments showed that insertion depth had a deep impact in reducing the effective decay constant of the system, extending the interval where the linear fitting can be applied, and consistently obtaining reliable exhalation measurements once a minimum insertion depth is employed. Field experiments carried out in the phosphogypsum repository showed that increasing the insertion depth could reduce the influence of external effects, increasing the re- peatability of the method. These experiments provided a method to obtain consistent radon exhalation mea- surements over the phosphogypsum repository.</p>

The quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects with driving fields in the weak and strong coupling regimes

Repeated measurements in quantum mechanics can freeze (the quantum Zeno effect) or enhance (the quantum anti-Zeno effect) the time-evolution of a quantum system. In this paper, we present a general treatment of the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects for arbitrary driven open quantum systems, assuming only that the system–environment coupling is weak. In particular, we obtain a general expression for the effective decay rate of a two-level system subjected to arbitrary driving fields as well as periodic measurements. We demonstrate that the driving fields change the decay rate, and hence the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno behavior, both qualitatively and quantitatively. We also extend our results to systems consisting of more than one two-level system, as well as a two-level system strongly coupled to an environment of harmonic oscillators, to further illustrate the non-trivial effect of the driving fields on the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects.

The Effect of Eutypella parasitica on the Wood Decay of Three Maple Species

Eutypella parasitica R.W. Davidson & R.C. Lorenz is the causative agent of Eutypella canker of maple, a destructive disease of maples in Europe and North America. The fungus E. parasitica is known to cause wood stain and decay. However, it is not known how effectively it decomposes the wood of the most widespread maple species in Europe. Wood samples of Acer pseudoplatanus L., A. platanoides L., and A. campestre L. were exposed to four isolates of E. parasitica and nine other fungal species for comparison, according to the modified EN 113 standard. After 15 weeks of incubation, mass loss and microscopical analysis of samples showed evidence of colonization and different wood decay potentials among fungal species. A highly significant positive correlation was found between mass loss and moisture content for all fungal species. Similarly, the measured cell wall thickness correlated well with the calculated mass loss of the samples. On average, the fungal species caused the lowest mass loss in A. pseudoplatanus (10.0%) and the highest in A. campestre (12.6%) samples. Among the samples exposed to E. parasitica isolates, the highest mass loss was recorded in A. pseudoplatanus (6.6%). Statistical analysis showed significant differences in mass loss and moisture content between different E. parasitica isolates. Based on the results of staining, we discuss the type of decay caused by E. parasitica. Although E. parasitica isolates caused smaller mass loss of samples compared to other more effective decay species, we should not disregard its capability of degrading maple wood. Because E. parasitica usually infects the lower portion of the trunk, which is the largest and most valuable part of the tree, any damage can cause significant economic and resource loss.

eMap: A Web Application for Identifying and Visualizing Electron or Hole Hopping Pathways in Proteins

<p>eMap is a web-based platform for identifying and visualizing electron or hole transfer pathways in proteins based on their crystal structures. The underlying model can be viewed as a coarse-grained version of the Pathways model, where each tunneling step between hopping sites represented by electron transfer active (ETA) moieties is described with one effective decay parameter that describes protein-mediated tunneling. ETA moieties include aromatic amino acid residue side chains and aromatic fragments of cofactors that are automatically detected, and, in addition, electron/hole residing sites that can be specified by the users. The software searches for the shortest paths connecting the user-specified electron/hole source to either all surface-exposed ETA residues or to the user-specified target. The identified pathways are ranked based on their length. The pathways are visualized in 2D as a graph, in which each node represents an ETA site, and in 3D using available protein visualization tools. Here, we present the capability and user interface of eMap 1.0, which is available at https://emap.bu.edu.</p>

eMap: A Web Application for Identifying and Visualizing Electron or Hole Hopping Pathways in Proteins

<p>eMap is a web-based platform for identifying and visualizing electron or hole transfer pathways in proteins based on their crystal structures. The underlying model can be viewed as a coarse-grained version of the Pathways model, where each tunneling step between hopping sites represented by electron transfer active (ETA) moieties is described with one effective decay parameter that describes protein-mediated tunneling. ETA moieties include aromatic amino acid residue side chains and aromatic fragments of cofactors that are automatically detected, and, in addition, electron/hole residing sites that can be specified by the users. The software searches for the shortest paths connecting the user-specified electron/hole source to either all surface-exposed ETA residues or to the user-specified target. The identified pathways are ranked based on their length. The pathways are visualized in 2D as a graph, in which each node represents an ETA site, and in 3D using available protein visualization tools. Here, we present the capability and user interface of eMap 1.0, which is available at https://emap.bu.edu.</p>

Effective scheme for enhancing entanglement in distant optomechanical system by injecting the atomic medium

In this paper, we propose a method to enhance the steady-state entanglement between cavity fields and mechanical modes by injecting atomic media into the cavities. The atomic medium interaction with the cavities can change the effective decay rate of the photons and the radiation pressure of the cavity fields on the two mirrors. Thus it provides us with a way to enhance the quantum entanglement in the optomechanical system.

Green Chemical Treatment of Natural Wood Material for Decay Resistance by 3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate (IPBC) with Supercritical CO2 as a Carrier Solvent

In order to improve the decay resistance of wood as the renewable natural material of biological origin, an organic preservative, 3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate (IPBC), was penetrated into wood matrix by supercritical CO2 as a carrier solvent. And the effectiveness of penetrating IPBC into wood matrix through SC-CO2 was also examined in terms of preservative distribution, leachability resistance of preservative as well as decay resistance of wood. The results indicate that the optimum penetration craft under the adopted conditions was pressure: 19MPa, temperature: 35°C, pressure time: 2.5h and time for releasing pressure: 20min. And under the optimum condition, the mechanical properties of SC-CO2 treated wood were not significantly affected. SEM-EDX analysis indicate that IPBC mainly distributed in wood matrix due to the higher penetration of supercritical CO2 as a carrier solvent, and its leachability was remarkably reduced after such penetration. The decay resistance of SC-CO2 treated wood against fungi attack was improved 90.96% over untreated wood, indicating effective decay resistance of wood after preservative penetration with SC-CO2.