Anharmonic oscillator and double-well potential: approximating eigenfunctions

A simple uniform approximation of the logarithmic derivative of the ground state eigenfunction for both the quantum-mechanical anharmonic oscillator and the double-well potential given by $V= m^2 x^2+g x^4$ at arbitrary $g \geq 0$ for $m^2>0$ and $m^2<0$, respectively, is presented. It is shown that if this approximation is taken as unperturbed problem it leads to an extremely fast convergent perturbation theory.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

Spatial transformations of diffusion tensor magnetic resonance images

The authors address the problem of applying spatial transformations (or “image warps”) to diffusion tensor magnetic resonance images. The orientational information that these images contain must be handled appropriately when they are transformed spatially during image registration. The authors present solutions for global transformations of three-dimensional images up to 12-parameter affine complexity and indicate how their methods can be extended for higher order transformations. Several approaches are presented and tested using synthetic data. One method, the preservation of principal direction algorithm, which takes into account shearing, stretching and rigid rotation, is shown to be the most effective. Additional registration experiments are performed on human brain data obtained from a single subject, whose head was imaged in three different orientations within the scanner. All of the authors' methods improve the consistency between registered and target images over naive warping algorithms

Experimental model of the interfacial instability in aluminium reduction cells

A solution has been found to the long-standing problem of experimental modelling of the interfacial instability in aluminium reduction cells. The idea is to replace the electrolyte overlaying molten aluminium with a mesh of thin rods supplying current down directly into the liquid metal layer. This eliminates electrolysis altogether and all the problems associated with it, such as high temperature, chemical aggressiveness of media, products of electrolysis, the necessity for electrolyte renewal, high power demands, etc. The result is a room temperature, versatile laboratory model which simulates Sele-type, rolling pad interfacial instability. Our new, safe laboratory model enables detailed experimental investigations to test the existing theoretical models for the first time

Teknik Klasifikasi Prediksi Kelulusan Mahasiswa Sistem Informasi Universitas Sari Mutiara Indonesia Menggunakan K- Nearest Neighbors

Tidak stabilnya rasio tingkat kelulusan mahasiswa program studi Sistem Informasi pada Universitas Sari Mutiara Indonesia menciptakan kondisi yang membuat adanya suatu penumpukan data. Teknik data mining dapat digunakan untuk memprediksi kelulusan tepat waktu mahasiswa. Penelitian menggunakan metode k-Nearest Nieghbors yang merupakan sebuah metode untuk melakukan klasifikasi terhadap objek berdasarkan data training yang jaraknya paling dekat dengan objek tersebut. Pada penelitian ini menggunakan data mahasiswa tahun angkatan 2014 sampai dengan 2017 dengan jumlah data sebanyak 104 orang. Hasil dari perhitungan algoritma kNN diimplememetasikan dengan jupyter notebook. Tingkat akurasi pengujian model kelulusan mahasiswa dengan menggunakan algoritma k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN)&nbsp;dipengaruhi oleh missing value indeks prestasi semester. missing value diganti dengan angka 0 maka hasil akurasi tertinggi adalah 95% dengan k=3. Jadi k terbaik adalah k=3 berdasarkan indeks prestasi sampai dengan semester 6

Quantum well and dot self-aligned stripe lasers utilizing an InGaP optoelectronic confinement layer

We demonstrate and study a novel process for fabrication of GaAs-based self-aligned lasers based upon a single over-growth. A lattice-matched n-doped InGaP layer is utilized for both electrical and optical confinements. Single-lateral-mode emission is demonstrated initially from an In0.17Ga0.83 As double quantum well laser emitting similar to 980 nm. We then apply the fabrication technique to a quantum dot laser emitting similar to 1300 nm. Furthermore, we analyze the breakdown mechanism in our devices and discuss the limitations of index guiding in our structures

Paradigm of biased PAR1 (protease-activated receptor-1) activation and inhibition in endothelial cells dissected by phosphoproteomics

Thrombin is the key serine protease of the coagulation cascade and mediates cellular responses by activation of PARs (protease-activated receptors). The predominant thrombin receptor is PAR1, and in endothelial cells (ECs), thrombin dynamically regulates a plethora of phosphorylation events. However, it has remained unclear whether thrombin signaling is exclusively mediated through PAR1. Furthermore, mechanistic insight into activation and inhibition of PAR1-mediated EC signaling is lacking. In addition, signaling networks of biased PAR1 activation after differential cleavage of the PAR1 N terminus have remained an unresolved issue. Here, we used a quantitative phosphoproteomics approach to show that classical and peptide activation of PAR1 induce highly similar signaling, that low thrombin concentrations initiate only limited phosphoregulation, and that the PAR1 inhibitors vorapaxar and parmodulin-2 demonstrate distinct antagonistic properties. Subsequent analysis of the thrombin-regulated phosphosites in the presence of PAR1 inhibitors revealed that biased activation of PAR1 is not solely linked to a specific G-protein downstream of PAR1. In addition, we showed that only the canonical thrombin PAR1 tethered ligand induces extensive early phosphoregulation in ECs. Our study provides detailed insight in the signaling mechanisms downstream of PAR1. Our data demonstrate that thrombin-induced EC phosphoregulation is mediated exclusively through PAR1, that thrombin and thrombin-tethered ligand peptide induce similar phosphoregulation, and that only canonical PAR1 cleavage by thrombin generates a tethered ligand that potently induces early signaling. Furthermore, platelet PAR1 inhibitors directly affect EC signaling, indicating that it will be a challenge to design a PAR1 antagonist that will target only those pathways responsible for tissue pathology

Multiple-fiber reconstruction algorithms for diffusion MRI

This chapter reviews multiple-fiber reconstruction algorithms for diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and provides some initial comparative results for two such algorithms, q-ball imaging and PASMRI, on data from a typical clinical diffusion MRI acquisition. The chapter highlights the problems with standard approaches, such as diffusion-tensor MRI, to motivate a recent set of alternative approaches. The review concentrates on the software implementation of the new techniques. Results of the preliminary comparison show that PASMRI recovers the principal directions of simple test functions more consistently than q-ball imaging and produces qualitatively better results on the test data set. Further simulations suggest that a moderate increase in data quality allows q-ball, which is much faster to run, to recover directions with consistency comparable to that of PASMRI on the test data

Pharmacological ablation of the airway smooth muscle layer—Mathematical predictions of functional improvement in asthma

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) plays a major role in acute airway narrowing and reducing ASM thickness is expected to attenuate airway hyper-responsiveness and disease burden. There are two therapeutic approaches to reduce ASM thickness: (a) a direct approach, targeting specific airways, best exemplified by bronchial thermoplasty (BT), which delivers radiofrequency energy to the airway via bronchoscope; and (b) a pharmacological approach, targeting airways more broadly. An example of the less well-established pharmacological approach is the calcium-channel blocker gallopamil which in a clinical trial effectively reduced ASM thickness; other agents may act similarly. In view of established anti-proliferative properties of the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin, we examined its effects in naive mice and report a reduction in ASM thickness of 29% (p <.01). We further considered the potential functional implications of this finding, if it were to extend to humans, by way of a mathematical model of lung function in asthmatic patients which has previously been used to understand the mechanistic action of BT. Predictions show that pharmacological reduction of ASM in all airways of this magnitude would reduce ventilation heterogeneity in asthma, and produce a therapeutic benefit similar to BT. Moreover there are differences in the expected response depending on disease severity, with the pharmacological approach exceeding the benefits provided by BT in more severe disease. Findings provide further proof of concept that pharmacological targeting of ASM thickness will be beneficial and may be facilitated by azithromycin, revealing a new mode of action of an existing agent in respiratory medicine