Structure of the Energy Landscape of Short Peptides

We have simulated, as a showcase, the pentapeptide Met-enkephalin (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met) to visualize the energy landscape and investigate the conformational coverage by the multicanonical method. We have obtained a three-dimensional topographic picture of the whole energy landscape by plotting the histogram with respect to energy(temperature) and the order parameter, which gives the degree of resemblance of any created conformation with the global energy minimum (GEM).Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure

The effects of different warm stratification periods on the seed germination of some Rosa taxa

In this study, the effects of different warm stratification periods on the seed germination of some Rosa species such as Rosa heckellana ssp. vanheurckiana, Rosa canina, Rosa pulverelanta and Rosa dumalis naturally grown in the Van region were investigated. In 2007, seeds of these species were kept at 25°C warm stratification for 10, 11 and 12 weeks, and then transferred to 5°C for cold stratification till the initiation of germination. Germination response to treatments of R. heckellana ssp. vanheurckiana seeds was different compared to the other species. The seeds of R. heckellana ssp. vanheurckiana germinated in a short time (when they kept in warm stratification followed by cold stratification between 1 - 3 weeks). The seeds of the other species required 5 months of cold stratification after warm stratification to overcome seed dormancy. The overall germination percentage were 18.80% in R. canina, 13.80% in R. pulverelanta and 13.53% in R. dumalis at 25°C of warm stratification followed by 5°C cold stratification. We determined that for these three taxa, the most appropriate method of stratification was 11 week warm stratification followed by cold stratification

A Multi-Mode Pattern Diverse Microstrip Patch Antenna Having a Constant Gain in the Elevation Plane

This study investigates a multi-mode pattern diverse microstrip patch antenna operating at 2.45 GHz. The study aims to have a flat top gain covering more than 900 in the elevation plane to provide equal service quality to everyone in the region of interest. In order to achieve such a crucial goal, the cavity model approach for the rectangular patches is employed. TM01 and TM02 modes are selected for the design since their corresponding radiation patterns are suitable for scanning a wide range. The superposition of boreside and conical (monopole-like) beams form a wide beam radiation pattern in elevation. Coupling between different modes is reduced by placing two radiators perpendicular to each other. In addition, the design aims to reduce both initial dimensions of the antenna by using fractalization, slotting, and perpendicular positioning techniques. These techniques reduce the original dimension of the design to less than its 60%. The simulation and experimental results reveal many similarities regarding the scattering parameters, radiation patterns, and gain. The scattering parameters, |S11| and |S22| at the operating frequency, are less than -10 dB, and the wide beam radiation pattern (more than 900) is obtained in the elevation plane

The Thermodynamics of Quarks and Gluons

This is an introduction to the study of strongly interacting matter. We survey its different possible states and discuss the transition from hadronic matter to a plasma of deconfined quarks and gluons. Following this, we summarize the results provided by lattice QCD finite temperature and density, and then investigate the nature of the deconfinement transition. Finally we give a schematic overview of possible ways to study the properties of the quark-gluon plasma.Comment: 19 pages, 21 figures; lecture given at the QGP Winter School, Jaipur/India, Feb.1-3, 2008; to appear in Springer Lecture Notes in Physic

The Legacy of Rolf Hagedorn: Statistical Bootstrap and Ultimate Temperature

In the latter half of the last century, it became evident that there exists an ever increasing number of different states of the so-called elementary particles. The usual reductionist approach to this problem was to search for a simpler infrastructure, culminating in the formulation of the quark model and quantum chromodynamics. In a complementary, completely novel approach, Hagedorn suggested that the mass distribution of the produced particles follows a self-similar composition pattern, predicting an unbounded number of states of increasing mass. He then concluded that such a growth would lead to a limiting temperature for strongly interacting matter. We discuss the conceptual basis for this approach, its relation to critical behavior, and its subsequent applications in different areas of high energy physics.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figures; to appear in R. Hagedorn and J. Rafelski (Ed.), "Melting Hadrons, Boiling Quarks", Springer Verlag 201

Droplet Misalignment Limit for Inkjet Printing into Cavities on Textured Surfaces

The control of droplets deposited onto textured surfaces is of great importance for both engineering and medical applications. This research investigates the dynamics of a single droplet deposited into a confined space and its final equilibrium morphology, with emphasis given to droplet deposition under print head misalignment, the effect of nonuniform wettability, and deposition of droplets with varying sizes. A multiphase pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann methodology is used to simulate the process of deposition. The print quality is characterized in terms of a parameter referred to as the wetted fraction, which describes the proportion of the cavity that is wetted by the droplet. Our results show how single and multiple axis misalignment affect the final equilibrium morphology, and it was found for comparable configurations that multiaxis misalignment resulted in a higher wetted fraction. Investigations into wettabilities of the substrate and cavity wall revealed how larger ratios of the contact angles between the two enhance the ability for the droplet to self-align within the cavity. Additionally, a range of uniform wettabilities between the substrate and cavity were found, which mitigate against misalignment. Investigations into varying droplet sizes relative to the cavity revealed how misalignment can be compensated for with larger droplets, and limits for filling a cavity with a single drop are defined. Finally, we explore the deposition with misalignment into closely positioned cavities where it is found that the spacing between cavities is a key factor in determining the maximum permissible misalignment

Trace Anomaly and Quasi-Particles in Finite Temperature SU(N) Gauge Theory

We consider deconfined matter in SU(N) gauge theory as an ideal gas of transversely polarized quasi-particle modes having a temperature-dependent mass m(T). Just above the transition temperature, the mass is assumed to be determined by the critical behavior of the energy density and the screening length in the medium. At high temperature, it becomes proportional to T as the only remaining scale. The resulting (trace anomaly based) interaction measure Delta=(e - 3P)/T^4 and energy density are found to agree well with finite temperature SU(3) lattice calculations.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures; references added for version