1,305 research outputs found
PowerModelsADA: A Framework for Solving Optimal Power Flow using Distributed Algorithms
This paper presents PowerModelsADA, an open-source framework for solving
Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problems using Alternating Distributed Algorithms
(ADA). PowerModelsADA provides a framework to test, verify, and benchmark both
existing and new ADAs. This paper demonstrates use cases for PowerModelsADA and
validates its implementation with multiple OPF formulations.Comment: This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publicatio
Spatial Resolution of a Micromegas-TPC Using the Charge Dispersion Signal
The Time Projection Chamber (TPC) for the International Linear Collider will
need to measure about 200 track points with a resolution close to 100 m. A
Micro Pattern Gas Detector (MPGD) readout TPC could achieve the desired
resolution with existing techniques using sub-millimeter width pads at the
expense of a large increase in the detector cost and complexity. We have
recently applied a new MPGD readout concept of charge dispersion to a prototype
GEM-TPC and demonstrated the feasibility of achieving good resolution with pads
similar in width to the ones used for the proportional wire TPC. The charge
dispersion studies were repeated with a Micromegas TPC amplification stage. We
present here our first results on the Micromegas-TPC resolution with charge
dispersion. The TPC resolution with the Micromegas readout is compared to our
earlier GEM results and to the resolution expected from electron statistics and
transverse diffusion in a gaseous TPC.Comment: 5 pages, 8 figures, to appar in the Proceedings of the 2005
International Linear Collider Workshop (LCWS05), Stanford, 18-22 March 200
Arcing in space structures in low Earth orbit
This report describes results of an experimental and theoretical program to investigate arcing of structures containing dielectric and conducting materials when they are biased negatively with respect to a plasma. An argon ion source generated Ar(+) ions of directed energy 20 to 40 eV and density approximately 10(exp 7) cm(exp -3) that impinged upon samples containing a dielectric material on top of a negatively biased Kovar plate. Arcing events were studied for bias voltages between -300 and -1000V with respect to the ion beam. The samples were Dow Corning 93-500 adhesive on Kovar, fused silica cover slips bonded on Kovar, and silicon solar cells mounted on Kovar. Measurements of discharge current, Kovar plate voltage, and radiation from the arc versus time were carried out. Microsecond duration exposure images and optical spectra in the 0.24 to 0.40 micron band were also acquired during arcing events. Arcing events were found to be associated with exposed adhesive and means were found to eliminate arcing altogether. The charging of a silica cover plate and the fields around the plate were calculated using a particle-in-cell code. Models were developed to explain the ignition of the arc and the physical processes occurring during the discharge
Disruption of Kcc2-dependent inhibition of olfactory bulb output neurons suggests its importance in odour discrimination
Synaptic inhibition in the olfactory bulb (OB), the first relay station of
olfactory information, is believed to be important for odour discrimination.
We interfered with GABAergic inhibition of mitral and tufted cells (M/T
cells), the principal neurons of the OB, by disrupting their potassium-
chloride cotransporter 2 (Kcc2). Roughly, 70% of mice died around 3 weeks, but
surviving mice appeared normal. In these mice, the resulting increase in the
intracellular Cl− concentration nearly abolished GABA-induced
hyperpolarization of mitral cells (MCs) and unexpectedly increased the number
of perisomatic synapses on MCs. In vivo analysis of odorant-induced OB
electrical activity revealed increased M/T cell firing rate, altered phasing
of action potentials in the breath cycle and disrupted separation of odour-
induced M/T cell activity patterns. Mice also demonstrated a severely impaired
ability to discriminate chemically similar odorants or odorant mixtures. Our
work suggests that precisely tuned GABAergic inhibition onto M/T cells is
crucial for M/T cell spike pattern separation needed to distinguish closely
similar odours
Infrared Imaging of Capella with the IOTA Closure Phase Interferometer
We present infrared aperture synthesis maps produced with the upgraded IOTA
interferometer. Michelson interferograms on the close binary system Capella
(Alpha Aur) were obtained in the H-band between 2002 November 12 and 16 using
the IONIC3 beam combiner. With baselines of 15m < B < 38m, we were able to
determine the relative position of the binary components with milliarcsecond
(mas) precision and to track their movement along the approx. 14 degree arc
covered by our observation run. We briefly describe the algorithms used for
visibility and closure phase estimation. Three different Hybrid Mapping and
Bispectrum Fitting techniques were implemented within one software framework
and used to reconstruct the source brightness distribution. By dividing our
data into subsets, the system could be mapped at three epochs, revealing the
motion of the stars. The precise position of the binary components was also
determined with model fits, which in addition revealed I_Aa/I_Ab=1.49 +/- 0.10
and apparent stellar uniform-disk (UD) diameters of Theta_Aa=8.9 +/- 0.6 mas
and Theta_Ab=5.8 +/- 0.8 mas.
To improve the u, v-plane coverage, we compensated this orbital motion by
applying a rotation-compensating coordinate transformation. The resulting
model-independent map with a beam size of 5.4 x 2.6 mas allows the resolution
of the stellar surfaces of the Capella giants themselves.Comment: Accepted by the Astronomical Journal (2005-03-21
Investigating interactions between phentermine, dexfenfluramine, and 5-HT2C agonists, on food intake in the rat
QCD thermodynamics with two flavors of Wilson quarks at N_t=6
We report on a study of hadron thermodynamics with two flavors of Wilson
quarks on 12^3x6 lattices. We have studied the crossover between the high and
low temperature regimes for three values of the hopping parameter, kappa=0.16,
0.17, and 0.18. At each of these values of kappa we have carried out spectrum
calculations on 12^3x24 lattices for two values of the gauge coupling in the
vicinity of the crossover in order to set an energy scale for our
thermodynamics calculations and to determine the critical value of the gauge
coupling for which the pion and quark masses vanish. For kappa=0.17 and 0.18 we
find coexistence between the high and low temperature regimes over 1,000
simulation time units indicating either that the equilibration time is
extremely long or that there is a possibility of a first order phase
transition. The pion mass is large at the crossover values of the gauge
coupling, but the crossover curve has moved closer to the critical curve along
which the pion and quark masses vanish, than it was on lattices with four time
slices. In addition, values of the dimensionless quantity T_c/m_rho are in
closer agreement with those for staggered quarks than was the case at N_t=4. (A
POSTSCRIPT VERSION OF THIS PAPER IS AVAILABLE BY ANONYMOUS FTP FROM
sarek.physics.ucsb.edu (128.111.8.250) IN THE FILE pub/wilson_thermo.ps)Comment: 24 page
Intermediate Vancomycin Susceptibility in a Community-associated MRSA Clone
We describe a case of treatment failure caused by a strain of USA300 community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with intermediate susceptibility to vancomycin and reduced susceptibility to daptomycin. The strain was isolated from the bone of a 56-year-old man with lumbar osteomyelitis after a 6-week treatment course of vancomycin for catheter-associated septic thrombophlebitis
NEXUS/Physics: An interdisciplinary repurposing of physics for biologists
In response to increasing calls for the reform of the undergraduate science
curriculum for life science majors and pre-medical students (Bio2010,
Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians, Vision & Change), an
interdisciplinary team has created NEXUS/Physics: a repurposing of an
introductory physics curriculum for the life sciences. The curriculum interacts
strongly and supportively with introductory biology and chemistry courses taken
by life sciences students, with the goal of helping students build general,
multi-discipline scientific competencies. In order to do this, our two-semester
NEXUS/Physics course sequence is positioned as a second year course so students
will have had some exposure to basic concepts in biology and chemistry.
NEXUS/Physics stresses interdisciplinary examples and the content differs
markedly from traditional introductory physics to facilitate this. It extends
the discussion of energy to include interatomic potentials and chemical
reactions, the discussion of thermodynamics to include enthalpy and Gibbs free
energy, and includes a serious discussion of random vs. coherent motion
including diffusion. The development of instructional materials is coordinated
with careful education research. Both the new content and the results of the
research are described in a series of papers for which this paper serves as an
overview and context.Comment: 12 page
- …