3,056 research outputs found
Effects of Bridge Functions on Radial Distribution Functions of Liquid Water
In this report the radial distribution functions (RDFs) of liquid water are
calculated on the basis of the classical density functional theory combined
with the reference interaction site model for molecular liquids. The bridge
functions, which are neglected in the hypernetted-chain (HNC) approximation,
are taken into account through the density expansion for the Helmholtz free
energy functional up to the third order. A factorization approximation to the
ternary direct correlation functions in terms of the site-site pair correlation
functions is then employed in the expression of the bridge functions, thus
leading to a closed set of integral equations for the determination of the
RDFs. It is confirmed through numerical calculations that incorporation of the
oxygen-oxygen bridge function substantially improves the poor descriptions by
the HNC approximation at room temperature, e.g., for the second peak of the
oxygen-oxygen RDF.Comment: 2 figures, Interdisciplinary Sciences: Computational Life Sciences
(2014
Community structure and the evolution of interdisciplinarity in Slovenia's scientific collaboration network
Interaction among the scientific disciplines is of vital importance in modern
science. Focusing on the case of Slovenia, we study the dynamics of
interdisciplinary sciences from 1960 to 2010. Our approach relies on
quantifying the interdisciplinarity of research communities detected in the
coauthorship network of Slovenian scientists over time. Examining the evolution
of the community structure, we find that the frequency of interdisciplinary
research is only proportional with the overall growth of the network. Although
marginal improvements in favor of interdisciplinarity are inferable during the
70s and 80s, the overall trends during the past 20 years are constant and
indicative of stalemate. We conclude that the flow of knowledge between
different fields of research in Slovenia is in need of further stimulation.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in PLoS ONE [related
work available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1004.4824 and
http://www.matjazperc.com/sicris/stats.html
Comparing reverse complementary genomic words based on their distance distributions and frequencies
In this work we study reverse complementary genomic word pairs in the human
DNA, by comparing both the distance distribution and the frequency of a word to
those of its reverse complement. Several measures of dissimilarity between
distance distributions are considered, and it is found that the peak
dissimilarity works best in this setting. We report the existence of reverse
complementary word pairs with very dissimilar distance distributions, as well
as word pairs with very similar distance distributions even when both
distributions are irregular and contain strong peaks. The association between
distribution dissimilarity and frequency discrepancy is explored also, and it
is speculated that symmetric pairs combining low and high values of each
measure may uncover features of interest. Taken together, our results suggest
that some asymmetries in the human genome go far beyond Chargaff's rules. This
study uses both the complete human genome and its repeat-masked version.Comment: Post-print of a paper accepted to publication in "Interdisciplinary
Sciences: Computational Life Sciences" (ISSN: 1913-2751, ESSN: 1867-1462
Two semi-automated computational approaches for spectroscopic analysis of stellar photospheres: detailed characterization at high resolution and abundance determination at medium resolution
We report on two distinct computational approaches to self-consistently
measure photospheric properties of large samples of stars. Both procedures
consist of a set of several semi-integrated tasks based on shell and Python
scripts, which efficiently run either our own codes or open source software
commonly adopted by the astronomical community. One approach aims to derive the
main stellar photospheric parameters and abundances of a few elements by
analysing high-resolution spectra from a given public library homogeneously
constructed. The other one is applied to recover the abundance of a single
element in stars with known photospheric parameters by using mid-resolution
spectra from another open homogeneous database and calibrating derived
abundances. Both semi-automated computational approaches provide homogeneity
and objectivity to every step of the process and represent a fast way to reach
partial and final results as well as to estimate measurement errors, making
possible to systematically evaluate and improve the distinct steps.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, conference paper (I Workshop of Computacao
Cientifica em Astronomia, Brazil, 2011) to appear in the Journal of
Computational Interdisciplinary Sciences - JCI
Exogenous Enzymes in Animal Nutrition- Benefits and Limitations
The use of exogenous enzymes in animal nutrition dates back to the mid-1920s, however, nowadays the development of interdisciplinary sciences exploiting molecular methods create new opportunities and deliver new tools to assess effectiveness of their utilization. The proper use of enzymes in animal nutrition allows to obtain maximum benefit from their action not only for the animals, but also for the environment
Ante Ĺ iljeg, PhD in Interdisciplinary Sciences
Ante Šiljeg obranio je 20. lipnja 2013. na Prirodoslovno-matematičkom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu doktorsku disertaciju Digitalni model reljefa u analizi geomorfometrijskih parametara - primjer PP Vransko jezero (mentorica doc. dr. sc. Sanja Lozić) i time stekao akademski stupanj doktora znanosti, u području interdisciplinarnih znanosti, polje geografija, grana primijenjena geografija. Doktorska disertacija obranjena je pred povjerenstvom u sastavu dr. sc. Mladen Pahernik, naslovni docent, dr. sc. Danijel Orešić, izv. prof. i dr. sc. Aleksandar Toskić, izv. prof. Povjerenstvo za ocjenu doktorske disertacije bilo je u istom sastavu.Ante Šiljeg defended his doctoral thesis The Digital Relief Model in Analysis of Geomorphometric Parameters – Example of PP Vrana Lake at Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb on June 20th, 2013 (supervisor Sanja Lozić, PhD, assistant professor) and received a PhD degree in the field of interdisciplinary science, field of geography, branch of applied geography. Doctoral thesis was defended in front of committee composed of Mladen Pahernik, PhD, assistant professor, Danijel Orešić, PhD, associate professor and Aleksandar Toskić, PhD, associate professor. Commitee for disertation review was in the same composition
Data Descriptors: Providing the necessary information to make data open, discoverable and reusable.
Data need to be more than just available, they need to be discoverable and understandable. Iain Hrynaszkiewicz introduces Nature’s new published data paper format, a Data Descriptor. Peer-review and curation of these data papers will facilitate open access to knowledge and interdisciplinary research, pushing the boundaries of discovery. Some of the most tangible benefits of open data stem from social and interdisciplinary sciences as these fields require effective cross-disciplinary communication
Education for sustainable development and meat consumption among inhabitants of two Maltese districts - a qualitative study
Malta and Gozo, two small islands forming part of the Maltese archipelago, are so near yet so distinct. As the two islands possess differing geographical features, two districts were selected – the predominantly urban Northern Harbour District (NHD) in Malta and the fertile rural district of Gozo – the main aim being to determine whether there is a relation between the inhabitants’ geographical location, the extent of meat consumption and the possible links of education for sustainable development to a sustainable diet. In fact, global patterns of meat consumption differ between and within countries. In view of this, the role played by the geographical location together with other motivating factors affecting meat consumption were explored, as also the level of awareness related to the environmental impact of meat production. Awareness on how our dietary choices impact our health and the environment is vital and the key vehicle required for citizens to be informed is Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
The qualitative data was collected through four focus groups – two for each district – with the data collected being mainly analysed through thematic analysis. Based on the results emerging from the transcribed focus group texts, this study reveals that the absolute majority of participants in both districts are meat eaters although their meat consumption patterns differ. Gozitans are still more inclined to adhere to the traditional way of life, conforming to religious practices by including a variety of non-meat local produce in their menus. While taste and health are the two most determining factors for consuming meat, chicken is the preferred meat of both districts. The absolute majority are unaware of the negative environmental impact of meat production and consumption, although Gozitans are more knowledgeable about current farming systems.
This study therefore reveals that geographical location does have an influential role in the dietary patterns of its inhabitants and that environmental attitudes are not a strong deciding factor. This study continues to uphold the vision that culture should be considered as one of the main pillars of ESD.peer-reviewe
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