15,989 research outputs found
Solving the mystery of human sleep schedules one mutation at a time.
Sleep behavior remains one of the most enigmatic areas of life. The unanswered questions range from "why do we sleep?" to "how we can improve sleep in today's society?" Identification of mutations responsible for altered circadian regulation of human sleep lead to unique opportunities for probing these territories. In this review, we summarize causative circadian mutations found from familial genetic studies to date. We also describe how these mutations mechanistically affect circadian function and lead to altered sleep behaviors, including shifted or shortening of sleep patterns. In addition, we discuss how the investigation of mutations can not only expand our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the circadian clock and sleep duration, but also bridge the pathways between clock/sleep and other human physiological conditions and ailments such as metabolic regulation and migraine headaches
Darboux and binary Darboux transformations for discrete integrable systems 1. Discrete potential KdV equation
The Hirota-Miwa equation can be written in `nonlinear' form in two ways: the
discrete KP equation and, by using a compatible continuous variable, the
discrete potential KP equation. For both systems, we consider the Darboux and
binary Darboux transformations, expressed in terms of the continuous variable,
and obtain exact solutions in Wronskian and Grammian form. We discuss
reductions of both systems to the discrete KdV and discrete potential KdV
equations, respectively, and exploit this connection to find the Darboux and
binary Darboux transformations and exact solutions of these equations
Resource costs for fault-tolerant linear optical quantum computing
Linear optical quantum computing (LOQC) seems attractively simple:
information is borne entirely by light and processed by components such as beam
splitters, phase shifters and detectors. However this very simplicity leads to
limitations, such as the lack of deterministic entangling operations, which are
compensated for by using substantial hardware overheads. Here we quantify the
resource costs for full scale LOQC by proposing a specific protocol based on
the surface code. With the caveat that our protocol can be further optimised,
we report that the required number of physical components is at least five
orders of magnitude greater than in comparable matter-based systems. Moreover
the resource requirements grow higher if the per-component photon loss rate is
worse than one in a thousand, or the per-component noise rate is worse than
. We identify the performance of switches in the network as the single
most influential factor influencing resource scaling
Euler solution of multiblade rotor flow
A numerical method for solving the Euler equations for multiblade rotors has been developed and some preliminary results reported. The numerical scheme is a combination of several recent methods and algorithm improvements, adapted to the particular requirements of rotor-body interactions. A cylindrical basic grid has been used to study conventional multiblade helicopter rotors. Test calculations have been made for two- and six-blade rotors in hover and for a two-blade rotor in forward flight, under transonic tip conditions but without lift. The results show good agreement with experimental data
Modelling the Extreme X-ray Spectrum of IRAS 13224-3809
The extreme NLS1 galaxy IRAS 13224-3809 shows significant variability,
frequency depended time lags, and strong Fe K line and Fe L features in the
long 2011 XMM-Newton observation. In this work we study the spectral properties
of IRAS 13224-3809 in detail, and carry out a series of analyses to probe the
nature of the source, focusing in particular on the spectral variability
exhibited. The RGS spectrum shows no obvious signatures of absorption by
partially ionised material (warm absorbers). We fit the 0.3-10.0 keV spectra
with a model that includes relativistic reflection from the inner accretion
disc, a standard powerlaw AGN continuum, and a low-temperature (~0.1 keV)
blackbody, which may originate in the accretion disc, either as direct or
reprocessed thermal emission. We find that the reflection model explains the
time-averaged spectrum well, and we also undertake flux-resolved and
time-resolved spectral analyses, which provide evidence of gravitational
light-bending effects. Additionally, the temperature and flux of the blackbody
component are found to follow the relation expected for simple
thermal blackbody emission from a constant emitting area, indicating a physical
origin for this component.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Equilibrium Shape and Size of Supported Heteroepitaxial Nanoislands
We study the equilibrium shape, shape transitions and optimal size of
strained heteroepitaxial nanoislands with a two-dimensional atomistic model
using simply adjustable interatomic pair potentials. We map out the global
phase diagram as a function of substrate-adsorbate misfit and interaction. This
phase diagram reveals all the phases corresponding to different well-known
growth modes. In particular, for large enough misfits and attractive substrate
there is a Stranski-Krastanow regime, where nano-sized islands grow on top of
wetting films. We analyze the various terms contributing to the total island
energy in detail, and show how the competition between them leads to the
optimal shape and size of the islands. Finally, we also develop an analytic
interpolation formula for the various contributions to the total energy of
strained nanoislands.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure
Do Linear Dispersions of Classical Waves Mean Dirac Cones?
By using the \vec{k}\cdot\vec{p} method, we propose a first-principles theory
to study the linear dispersions in phononic and photonic crystals. The theory
reveals that only those linear dispersions created by doubly-degenerate states
can be described by a reduced Hamiltonian that can be mapped into the Dirac
Hamiltonian and possess a Berry phase of -\pi. Triply-degenerate states can
also generate Dirac-like cone dispersions, but the wavefunctions transform like
a spin-1 particle and the Berry phase is zero. Our theory is capable of
predicting accurately the linear slopes of Dirac/Dirac-like cones at various
symmetry points in a Brilliouin zone, independent of frequency and lattice
structure
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