1,050 research outputs found
On variational principles for coherent vortex structures
Different approaches are discussed of variational principles characterizing coherent vortex structures in two-dimensional flows. Turbulent flows seem to form ordered structures in the large scales of the motion and the self-organization principle predicts asymptotic states realizing an extremal value of the energy or a minimum of enstrophy. On the other hand the small scales take care of the increase of entropy, and asymptotic results can be obtained by applying the theory of equilibrium statistical mechanics
An investigation of the influence of supraglacial debris on glacier-hydrology
Abstract. The influence of supraglacial debris on the rate and spatial distribution of glacier surface melt is well established, but its potential impact on the structure and evolution of the drainage system of extensively debris-covered glaciers has not been previously investigated. Forty-eight dye injections were conducted on Miage Glacier, Italian Alps, throughout the 2010 and 2011 ablation seasons. An efficient conduit system emanates from moulins in the mid-part of the glacier, which are downstream of a high melt area of dirty ice and patchy debris. High melt rates and runoff concentration by intermoraine troughs encourages the early-season development of a channelized system downstream of this area. Conversely, the drainage system beneath the continuously debris-covered lower ablation area is generally inefficient, with multi-peaked traces suggesting a distributed network, which likely feeds into the conduit system fed by the upglacier moulins. Drainage efficiency from the debris-covered area increased over the season but trace flow velocity remained lower than from the upper glacier moulins. Low and less-peaked melt inputs combined with the hummocky topography of the debris-covered area inhibits the formation of an efficient drainage network. These findings are relevant to regions with extensive glacial debris cover and where debris cover is expanding.</jats:p
Metric characterization of cluster dynamics on the Sierpinski gasket
We develop and implement an algorithm for the quantitative characterization
of cluster dynamics occurring on cellular automata defined on an arbitrary
structure. As a prototype for such systems we focus on the Ising model on a
finite Sierpsinski Gasket, which is known to possess a complex thermodynamic
behavior. Our algorithm requires the projection of evolving configurations into
an appropriate partition space, where an information-based metrics (Rohlin
distance) can be naturally defined and worked out in order to detect the
changing and the stable components of clusters. The analysis highlights the
existence of different temperature regimes according to the size and the rate
of change of clusters. Such regimes are, in turn, related to the correlation
length and the emerging "critical" fluctuations, in agreement with previous
thermodynamic analysis, hence providing a non-trivial geometric description of
the peculiar critical-like behavior exhibited by the system. Moreover, at high
temperatures, we highlight the existence of different time scales controlling
the evolution towards chaos.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure
Do debris-covered glaciers demonstrate distinctive hydrological behaviour compared to clean glaciers?
Supraglacial debris is known to strongly influence the distribution of glacier surface melt. Since melt inputs drive the formation and evolution of glacial drainage systems, it should follow that the drainage systems of debris-covered glaciers will differ from those of debris-free glaciers. This would have implications for the proglacial runoff regime, subglacial erosion and glacier dynamics. This paper presents analysis of return curves from 33 successful dye injections into the extensively debris-covered Miage Glacier, Italian Alps. It demonstrates that the spatial distribution of supraglacial debris influences the structure and seasonal evolution of the glacial drainage system. Where the debris cover is continuous, melt is lower and the surface topography is chaotic, with many small supraglacial catchments. These factors result in an inefficient englacial/subglacial drainage network beneath continuous debris, which drains to the conduit system emanating from the upper ablation zone. Melt rates are high in areas of clean and dirty ice above the continuous debris. Runoff from these areas is concentrated by inter-moraine troughs into large supraglacial streams, which encourages the early-season development of an efficient englacial/subglacial conduit system downstream of this area. Drainage efficiency from the debris-covered area increases over the melt season but dye-trace transit velocity remains lower than from moulins on the upper glacier. Future runoff models should account for the influence of supraglacial debris on the hydrological system
Magnetoresistance through a single molecule
The use of single molecules to design electronic devices is an extremely
challenging and fundamentally different approach to further downsizing
electronic circuits. Two-terminal molecular devices such as diodes were first
predicted [1] and, more recently, measured experimentally [2]. The addition of
a gate then enabled the study of molecular transistors [3-5]. In general terms,
in order to increase data processing capabilities, one may not only consider
the electron's charge but also its spin [6,7]. This concept has been pioneered
in giant magnetoresistance (GMR) junctions that consist of thin metallic films
[8,9]. Spin transport across molecules, i.e. Molecular Spintronics remains,
however, a challenging endeavor. As an important first step in this field, we
have performed an experimental and theoretical study on spin transport across a
molecular GMR junction consisting of two ferromagnetic electrodes bridged by a
single hydrogen phthalocyanine (H2Pc) molecule. We observe that even though
H2Pc in itself is nonmagnetic, incorporating it into a molecular junction can
enhance the magnetoresistance by one order of magnitude to 52%.Comment: To appear in Nature Nanotechnology. Present version is the first
submission to Nature Nanotechnology, from May 18th, 201
Evolution favors protein mutational robustness in sufficiently large populations
BACKGROUND: An important question is whether evolution favors properties such
as mutational robustness or evolvability that do not directly benefit any
individual, but can influence the course of future evolution. Functionally
similar proteins can differ substantially in their robustness to mutations and
capacity to evolve new functions, but it has remained unclear whether any of
these differences might be due to evolutionary selection for these properties.
RESULTS: Here we use laboratory experiments to demonstrate that evolution
favors protein mutational robustness if the evolving population is sufficiently
large. We neutrally evolve cytochrome P450 proteins under identical selection
pressures and mutation rates in populations of different sizes, and show that
proteins from the larger and thus more polymorphic population tend towards
higher mutational robustness. Proteins from the larger population also evolve
greater stability, a biophysical property that is known to enhance both
mutational robustness and evolvability. The excess mutational robustness and
stability is well described by existing mathematical theories, and can be
quantitatively related to the way that the proteins occupy their neutral
network.
CONCLUSIONS: Our work is the first experimental demonstration of the general
tendency of evolution to favor mutational robustness and protein stability in
highly polymorphic populations. We suggest that this phenomenon may contribute
to the mutational robustness and evolvability of viruses and bacteria that
exist in large populations
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The influence of the accessory genome on bacterial pathogen evolution
Bacterial pathogens exhibit significant variation in their genomic content of virulence factors. This reflects the abundance of strategies pathogens evolved to infect host organisms by suppressing host immunity. Molecular arms-races have been a strong driving force for the evolution of pathogenicity, with pathogens often encoding overlapping or redundant functions, such as type III protein secretion effectors and hosts encoding ever more sophisticated immune systems. The pathogens’ frequent exposure to other microbes, either in their host or in the environment, provides opportunities for the acquisition or interchange of mobile genetic elements. These DNA elements accessorise the core genome and can play major roles in shaping genome structure and altering the complement of virulence factors. Here, we review the different mobile genetic elements focusing on the more recent discoveries and highlighting their role in shaping bacterial pathogen evolution
QCD Corrections to Scalar Diquark Production at Hadron Colliders
We calculate the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to quark-quark
annihilation to a scalar resonant state ("diquark") in a color representation
of antitriplet or sextet at the Tevatron and LHC energies. At the LHC, we find
the enhancement (K-factor) for the antitriplet diquark is typically about
1.31--1.35, and for the sextet diquark is about 1.22--1.32 for initial-state
valence quarks. The full transverse-momentum spectrum for the diquarks is also
calculated at the LHC by performing the soft gluon resummation to the leading
logarithm and all orders in the strong coupling.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figure
Formal modeling and analysis of cognitive agent behavior
From an external perspective, cognitive agent behavior can be described by specifying (temporal) correlations of a certain
complexity between stimuli (input states) and (re)actions (output states) of the agent. From an internal perspective the agent’s
dynamics can be characterized by direct (causal) temporal relations between internal and mental states of the agent. The latter
type of specifications can be represented in a relatively simple, executable format, which enables different types of analysis
of the agent’s behavior. In particular, simulations of the agent’s behavior under different (environmental) circumstances
can be explored. Furthermore, by applying verification techniques, automated analysis of the consequences of the agent’s behavior
can be carried out. To enable such types of analysis when only given an external behavioral specification, this has to be
transformed first into some type of executable format. An automated procedure for such a transformation is proposed in this
paper. The application of the transformation procedure is demonstrated for a number of cases, showing examples of the types
of analysis as mentioned for different forms of behavior
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