Optimizing the ensemble for equilibration in broad-histogram Monte Carlo simulations

We present an adaptive algorithm which optimizes the statistical-mechanical ensemble in a generalized broad-histogram Monte Carlo simulation to maximize the system's rate of round trips in total energy. The scaling of the mean round-trip time from the ground state to the maximum entropy state for this local-update method is found to be O([N log N]^2) for both the ferromagnetic and the fully frustrated 2D Ising model with N spins. Our new algorithm thereby substantially outperforms flat-histogram methods such as the Wang-Landau algorithm.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Development of the Astyanax mexicanus circadian clock and non-visual light responses

Most animals and plants live on the planet exposed to periods of rhythmic light and dark. As such, they have evolved endogenous circadian clocks to regulate their physiology rhythmically, and non-visual light detection mechanisms to set the clock to the environmental light-dark cycle. In the case of fish, circadian pacemakers are not only present in the majority of tissues and cells, but these tissues are themselves directly light-sensitive, expressing a wide range of opsin photopigments. This broad non-visual light sensitivity exists to set the clock, but also impacts a wide range of fundamental cell biological processes, such as DNA repair regulation. In this context, Astyanax mexicanus is a very intriguing model system with which to explore non-visual light detection and circadian clock function. Previous work has shown that surface fish possess the same directly light entrainable circadian clocks, described above. The same is true for cave strains of Astyanax in the laboratory, though no daily rhythms have been observed under natural dark conditions in Mexico. There are, however, clear alterations in the cave strain light response and changes to the circadian clock, with a difference in phase of peak gene expression and a reduction in amplitude. In this study, we expand these early observations by exploring the development of non-visual light sensitivity and clock function between surface and cave populations. When does the circadian pacemaker begin to oscillate during development, and are there differences between the various strains? Is the difference in acute light sensitivity, seen in adults, apparent from the earliest stages of development? Our results show that both cave and surface populations must experience daily light exposure to establish a larval gene expression rhythm. These oscillations begin early, around the third day of development in all strains, but gene expression rhythms show a significantly higher amplitude in surface fish larvae. In addition, the light induction of clock genes is developmentally delayed in cave populations. Zebrafish embryonic light sensitivity has been shown to be critical not only for clock entrainment, but also for transcriptional activation of DNA repair processes. Similar downstream transcriptional responses to light also occur in Astyanax. Interestingly, the establishment of the adult timing profile of clock gene expression takes several days to become apparent. This fact may provide mechanistic insight into the key differences between the cave and surface fish clock mechanisms

Global Stratospheric Measurements of the Isotopologues of Methane From the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer

This paper presents an analysis of observations of methane and its two major isotopologues, CH3D and 13CH4, from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite between 2004 and 2013. Additionally, atmospheric methane chemistry is modeled using the Whole Atmospheric Community Climate Model (WACCM). ACE retrievals of methane extend from 6 km for all isotopologues to 75 km for 12CH4, 35 km for CH3D, and 50 km for 13CH4. While total methane concentrations retrieved from ACE agree well with the model, values of δD-CH4 and δ13C-CH4 show a bias toward higher δ compared to the model and balloon-based measurements. Errors in spectroscopic constants used during the retrieval process are the primary source of this disagreement. Calibrating δD and δ13C from ACE using WACCM in the troposphere gives improved agreement in δD in the stratosphere with the balloon measurements, but values of δ13C still disagree. A model analysis of methane\u27s atmospheric sinks is also performed

\u3ci\u3eDay to Day Eats\u3c/i\u3e: Using an Educational Blog to Extend Nutrition Education

An educational blog was created for the purposes of extending learning beyond the reach of organized classes and supplementing the core themes of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. Focus group members reacted to the format, content, visual appeal, and writing style of the blog and addressed their likelihood of reading the blog because of these elements. Their overall acceptance of the blog as a relevant source of nutrition information confirms the usefulness of this mode of social media for expanding the sharing of information beyond in-person interactions

Health Technology Scenarios and Implications for Spectrum

Supporting Informatio

Determination of the nature of the Cu coordination complexes formed in the presence of NO and NH3 within SSZ-13

Ammonia-selective catalytic reduction (NH3-SCR) using Cu zeolites is a well-established strategy for the abatement of NOx gases. Recent studies have demonstrated that Cu is particularly active when exchanged into the SSZ-13 zeolite, and its location in either the 6r or 8r renders it an excellent model system for fundamental studies. In this work, we examine the interaction of NH3-SCR relevant gases (NO and NH3) with the Cu2+ centers within the SSZ-13 structure, coupling powder diffraction (PD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS), and density functional theory (DFT). This combined approach revealed that, upon calcination, cooling and gas exposure Cu ions tend to locate in the 8r window. After NO introduction, Cu-ions are seen to coordinate to two framework oxygens and one NO molecule, resulting in a bent Cu-nitrosyl complex with a Cu-N-O bond angle of similar to 150 degrees. Whilst Cu seems to be partially reduced/changed in coordination state, NO is partially oxidized. On exposure to NH3 while the PD data suggest the Cu2+ ion occupies a similar position, simulation and XAFS pointed toward the formation of a Jahn-Teller distorted hexaamine complex [Cu(NH3)(6)](2+) in the center of the cha cage. These results have important implications in terms of uptake and storage of these reactive gases and potentially for the mechanisms involved in the NH3-SCR process

Generalized Euler-Poincar\'e equations on Lie groups and homogeneous spaces, orbit invariants and applications

We develop the necessary tools, including a notion of logarithmic derivative for curves in homogeneous spaces, for deriving a general class of equations including Euler-Poincar\'e equations on Lie groups and homogeneous spaces. Orbit invariants play an important role in this context and we use these invariants to prove global existence and uniqueness results for a class of PDE. This class includes Euler-Poincar\'e equations that have not yet been considered in the literature as well as integrable equations like Camassa-Holm, Degasperis-Procesi, $\mu$CH and $\mu$DP equations, and the geodesic equations with respect to right invariant Sobolev metrics on the group of diffeomorphisms of the circle