Analytical Studies on a Modified Nagel-Schreckenberg Model with the Fukui-Ishibashi Acceleration Rule

We propose and study a one-dimensional traffic flow cellular automaton model of high-speed vehicles with the Fukui-Ishibashi-type (FI) acceleration rule for all cars, and the Nagel-Schreckenberg-type (NS) stochastic delay mechanism. By using the car-oriented mean field theory, we obtain analytically the fundamental diagrams of the average speed and vehicle flux depending on the vehicle density and stochastic delay probability. Our theoretical results, which may contribute to the exact analytical theory of the NS model, are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations.Comment: 3 pages previous; now 4 pages 2 eps figure

Genetic Variation of Wood Density in Luanta Fir Tested in Central Taiwan

Forty-nine wind-pollinated families representing 8 provenances of Luanta fir (Cunninghamia konishii) were sampled from the species' range in Taiwan. The study plantation was established in central Taiwan with 49 ten-tree linear plots in each of 5 blocks in the randomized complete block design. In July 1998 at plantation age 25, a 0.45-cm caliber increment core sample was extracted at breast height in the east cardinal direction from the best tree per plot; altogether 245 cores (1 core/family/plot X 49 families X 5 blocks) were sampled. From each core, only the 6 outermost growth rings (near the bark) were used to determine extracted specific gravity according to the maximum moisture content method. Genetic variations among provenances and among families within provenances were tested following a general linear model. There was no apparent geographic variation pattern, and the main source of specific gravity variation was attributable to differences among families within provenance. Overall specific gravity was 0.36 and the narrow-sense family heritability was 0.46. Wood specific gravity is strongly controlled by additive genetic variance, suggesting that this trait would respond to selection breeding. The importance of family selection was emphasized in the improvement of this wood property in Taiwan

Motivating and Sustaining Women\u27s Digital Literacy through ICT Learning

Digital literacy is one of the most important issues that women confront today. Lacking of digital literacy excludes women from lifelong learning and development. Our two-phase, multi-method study attempted to examine how ICT literacy affects women and identifies the key factors that motivate adult females to acquire ICT skills. The first phase identified important theoretical constructs that affect and sustain ICT learning and usage among women, using a qualitative approach based on Social Cognitive and Social Capital Theories. In the second phase, a quantitative study was conducted to validate the research model. Our findings suggest that social capital and learning satisfaction contribute significantly to ICT usage, and that this in turn has a positive impact on the level of well-being

Efficient routing on scale-free networks based on local information

In this letter, we propose a new routing strategy with a single free parameter $\alpha$ only based on local information of network topology. In order to maximize the packets handling capacity of underlying structure that can be measured by the critical point of continuous phase transition from free flow to congestion, the optimal value of $\alpha$ is sought out. By investigating the distributions of queue length on each node in free state, we give an explanation why the delivering capacity of the network can be enhanced by choosing the optimal $\alpha$. Furthermore, dynamic properties right after the critical point are also studied. Interestingly, it is found that although the system enters the congestion state, it still possesses partial delivering capability which do not depend on $\alpha$. This phenomenon suggests that the capacity of the network can be enhanced by increasing the forwarding ability of small important nodes which bear severe congestion.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure

Formation and properties of glycinin-rich and -conglycinin-rich soy protein isolate gels induced by microbial transglutaminase

Abstract The gelation and gel properties of glycinin-rich and -conglycinin-rich soy protein isolates (SPIs) induced by microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) were investigated. At the same enzyme and protein substrate concentrations, the on-set of gelation of native SPI and the viscoelasticity development of correspondingly formed gels depended upon the relative ratio of glycinin to -conglycinin. The turbidity analysis showed that the glycinin components also contributed to the increase in the turbidity of SPI solutions incubated with MTGase (at 37°C). Textural proWle analysis indicated that the glycinin components of SPIs principally contributed to the hardness, fracturability, gumminess and chewiness values of corresponding gels, while the cohesiveness and springness were mainly associated with the -conglycinin components. The strength of MTGase-induced gels of various kinds of SPIs could be signiWcantly improved by the thermal treatment. The protein solubility analyses of MTGase-induced gels, indicated that besides the covalent cross-links, hydrophobic and H-bondings and disulWde bonds were involved in the formation and maintenance of the glycinin-rich SPI gels, while in -conglycinin-rich SPI case, the hydrophobic and H-bondings were the principal forces responsible for the maintenance of the gel structure. The results suggested that various kinds of SPI gels with diVerent properties could be induced by MTGase, through controlling the glycinin to -conglycinin ratio

Atomically Thin Resonant Tunnel Diodes built from Synthetic van der Waals Heterostructures

Vertical integration of two-dimensional van der Waals materials is predicted to lead to novel electronic and optical properties not found in the constituent layers. Here, we present the direct synthesis of two unique, atomically thin, multi-junction heterostructures by combining graphene with the monolayer transition-metal dichalocogenides: MoS2, MoSe2, and WSe2.The realization of MoS2-WSe2-Graphene and WSe2-MoSe2-Graphene heterostructures leads toresonant tunneling in an atomically thin stack with spectrally narrow room temperature negative differential resistance characteristics