Correlation and response in a driven dissipative model

We consider a simple dissipative system with spatial structure in contact with a heat bath. The system always exhibits correlations except in the cases of zero and maximal dissipation. We explicitly calculate the correlation function and the nonlocal response function of the system and show that they have the same spatial dependence. Finally, we examine heat transfer in the model, which agrees qualitatively with simulations of vibrated granular gases

The area of horizons and the trapped region

This paper considers some fundamental questions concerning marginally trapped surfaces, or apparent horizons, in Cauchy data sets for the Einstein equation. An area estimate for outermost marginally trapped surfaces is proved. The proof makes use of an existence result for marginal surfaces, in the presence of barriers, curvature estimates, together with a novel surgery construction for marginal surfaces. These results are applied to characterize the boundary of the trapped region.Comment: 44 pages, v3: small changes in presentatio

Testing systems of identical components

We consider the problem of testing sequentially the components of a multi-component reliability system in order to figure out the state of the system via costly tests. In particular, systems with identical components are considered. The notion of lexicographically large binary decision trees is introduced and a heuristic algorithm based on that notion is proposed. The performance of the heuristic algorithm is demonstrated by computational results, for various classes of functions. In particular, in all 200 random cases where the underlying function is a threshold function, the proposed heuristic produces optimal solutions

Apparent wave function collapse caused by scattering

Some experimental implications of the recent progress on wave function collapse are calculated. Exact results are derived for the center-of-mass wave function collapse caused by random scatterings and applied to a range of specific examples. The results show that recently proposed experiments to measure the GRW effect are likely to fail, since the effect of naturally occurring scatterings is of the same form as the GRW effect but generally much stronger. The same goes for attempts to measure the collapse caused by quantum gravity as suggested by Hawking and others. The results also indicate that macroscopic systems tend to be found in states with (Delta-x)(Delta-p) = hbar/sqrt(2), but microscopic systems in highly tiltedly squeezed states with (Delta-x)(Delta-p) >> hbar.Comment: Final published version. 20 pages, Plain TeX, no figures. Online at http://astro.berkeley.edu/~max/collapse.html (faster from the US), from http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~max/collapse.html (faster from Europe) or from [email protected]

Geographic patterns of mtDNA and Z-linked sequence variation in the Common Chiffchaff and the ‘chiffchaff complex’

We are grateful to the University of Washington Burke Museum (UWBM), US National Museum of Natural History (USNM), National History Museum Belgrade (NHMBEO), State Darwin Museum (SDM), Zoological Museum of Moscow State University (MSUZM), Yale Peabody Museum (YPM), University of Minnesota Bell Museum (MMNH), Texas A&M University Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections (TCWC), Staffan Bensch, Stephen Menzie and Nigel Odin for sample loans. This is publication number 1585 of the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections at Texas A&M University. Funding: This work was supported by FEDER funds through the COMPETE programme, POPH/QREN/FSE funds to S.V.D. and NORTE2020/PORTUGAL funds (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-AGRIGEN) to R.J.L., by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/MEC to S.V.D. (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-008941; PTDC/BIA- BEC/103435/2008) and R.J.L (SFRH/BPD/84141/2012), by the National Geographic Society to S.V.D, by Torino University Grant ex 60% 2017 and 2018 to M. P. and by Ministarstvo Kulture I Informisanja Republike Srbije (Project: Ptice zapadnog palearktika) to M.R. The Russian Science Foundation grant No. 14-50-00029 'Scientific basis of the national biobank – depository of living systems' (to E.A.K). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The Russian Science Foundation grant No. 14-50-00029 'Scientific basis of the national biobank – depository of living systems' (to E.A.K).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

How does flow in a pipe become turbulent?

The transition to turbulence in pipe flow does not follow the scenario familiar from Rayleigh-Benard or Taylor-Couette flow since the laminar profile is stable against infinitesimal perturbations for all Reynolds numbers. Moreover, even when the flow speed is high enough and the perturbation sufficiently strong such that turbulent flow is established, it can return to the laminar state without any indication of the imminent decay. In this parameter range, the lifetimes of perturbations show a sensitive dependence on initial conditions and an exponential distribution. The turbulence seems to be supported by three-dimensional travelling waves which appear transiently in the flow field. The boundary between laminar and turbulent dynamics is formed by the stable manifold of an invariant chaotic state. We will also discuss the relation between observations in short, periodically continued domains, and the dynamics in fully extended puffs.Comment: for the proceedings of statphys 2

Corynebacterium marinum sp. nov. isolated from coastal sediment

A taxonomic study was performed on strain D7015T, which was isolated from coastal sediment close to a coal-fired power station in Qingdao, China. Strain D7015T comprised Gram-positive, non-motile diphtheroid rods, which grew in the presence of 0-8% (w/v) NaCl and at 4-37°C, with optimum growth at 1% (w/v) NaCl and 30-32°C. The G+C content was 65.0 mol%. The major fatty acids were C18:1ω9c (56.18%), C16:0 (38.02%), C16:1ω7c (4.45%), C18:0 (1.0%) and C14:0 (0.35%). On the basis of the morphological, physiological and phylogenetic characteristics, strain D7015T was classified in the genus Corynebacterium. It exhibited a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 95.9% and a DNA:DNA relatedness value of 20.4% with Corynebacterium halotolerans DSM 44683T. Strain D7015T was sufficiently different from hitherto described Corynebacterium species to be considered as a novel species. The name Corynebacterium marinum sp. nov. is proposed, with strain D7015T (=CGMCC 1.6998T =NRRL B-24779T) as the type strain

Does the universe in fact contain almost no information?

At first sight, an accurate description of the state of the universe appears to require a mind-bogglingly large and perhaps even infinite amount of information, even if we restrict our attention to a small subsystem such as a rabbit. In this paper, it is suggested that most of this information is merely apparent, as seen from our subjective viewpoints, and that the algorithmic information content of the universe as a whole is close to zero. It is argued that if the Schr\"odinger equation is universally valid, then decoherence together with the standard chaotic behavior of certain non-linear systems will make the universe appear extremely complex to any self-aware subsets that happen to inhabit it now, even if it was in a quite simple state shortly after the big bang. For instance, gravitational instability would amplify the microscopic primordial density fluctuations that are required by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle into quite macroscopic inhomogeneities, forcing the current wavefunction of the universe to contain such Byzantine superpositions as our planet being in many macroscopically different places at once. Since decoherence bars us from experiencing more than one macroscopic reality, we would see seemingly complex constellations of stars etc, even if the initial wavefunction of the universe was perfectly homogeneous and isotropic.Comment: 17 pages, LATeX, no figures. Online with refs at http://astro.berkeley.edu/~max/nihilo.html (faster from the US), from http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~max/nihilo.html (faster from Europe) or from [email protected]

Primary growth hormone insensitivity (Laron syndrome) and acquired hypothyroidism: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Primary growth hormone resistance or growth hormone insensitivity syndrome, also known as Laron syndrome, is a hereditary disease caused by deletions or different types of mutations in the growth hormone receptor gene or by post-receptor defects. This disorder is characterized by a clinical appearance of severe growth hormone deficiency with high levels of circulating growth hormone in contrast to low serum insulin-like growth factor 1 values.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 15-year-old Caucasian girl who was diagnosed with Silver-Russell syndrome at the age of four and a half years. Recombinant growth hormone was administered for 18 months without an appropriate increase in growth velocity. At the age of seven years, her serum growth hormone levels were high, and an insulin-like growth factor 1 generation test did not increase insulin-like growth factor 1 levels (baseline insulin-like growth factor 1 levels, 52 μg/L; reference range, 75 μg/L to 365 μg/L; and peak, 76 μg/L and 50 μg/L after 12 and 84 hours, respectively, from baseline). The genetic analysis showed that the patient was homozygous for the R217X mutation in the growth hormone receptor gene, which is characteristic of Laron syndrome. On the basis of these results, the diagnosis of primary growth hormone insensitivity syndrome was made, and recombinant insulin-like growth factor 1 therapy was initiated. The patient's treatment was well tolerated, but unexplained central hypothyroidism occurred at the age of 12.9 years. At the age of 15 years, when the patient's sexual development was almost completed and her menstrual cycle occurred irregularly, her height was 129.8 cm, which is 4.71 standard deviations below the median for normal girls her age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The most important functional tests for the diagnosis of growth hormone insensitivity are the insulin-like growth factor 1 generation test and genetic analysis. Currently, the only effective treatment is daily administration of recombinant insulin-like growth factor 1 starting from early childhood. However, these patients show a dramatically impaired final height. In our case, unexplained central hypothyroidism occurred during treatment.</p