Opinion Dynamics with Random Actions and a Stubborn Agent

We study opinion dynamics in a social network with stubborn agents who influence their neighbors but who themselves always stick to their initial opinion. We consider first the well-known DeGroot model. While it is known in the literature that this model can lead to consensus even in the presence of a stubborn agent, we show that the same result holds under weaker assumptions than has been previously reported. We then consider a recent extension of the DeGroot model in which the opinion of each agent is a random Bernoulli distributed variable, and by leveraging on the first result we establish that this model also leads to consensus, in the sense of convergence in probability, in the presence of a stubborn agent. Moreover, all agents' opinions converge to that of the stubborn agent.Comment: 5 pages; This work was presented at Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems, and Computers 201

PRODUCTION OF NOVEL BIOACTIVE SECONDARY METABOLITES FROM TRICHOTOMOSPORA CAESIA AC-1134 FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

Microorganisms and plants produce different kinds of secondary metabolites which are important in industry and medicine. The manipulation of microbial metabolism is useful and can stimulate the synthesis of bioactive substances that can be used as drugs or chemicals with diverse industrial relevance [1], [2]. The aim of this work was to produce bioactive secondary metabolites from the bacteria Trichotomospora Caesia AC-1134. The bacteria were cultured on four different nutritional agar and fermentation was carried out for 10 days. The metabolites were extracted from the solid media using ethyl acetate and chloroform. The profiling and identification of bacterial secondary metabolite was performed using GC-MS analysis

Observation of exotic meson production in the reaction π−p→η′π−p \pi^{-} p \to \eta^{\prime} \pi^- p at 18 GeV/c

An amplitude analysis of an exclusive sample of 5765 events from the reaction $\pi^{-} p \to \eta^{\prime} \pi^- p$ at 18 GeV/c is described. The $\eta^{\prime} \pi^-$ production is dominated by natural parity exchange and by three partial waves: those with $J^{PC} = 1^{-+}, 2^{++},$ and $4^{++}$. A mass-dependent analysis of the partial-wave amplitudes indicates the production of the $a_2(1320)$ meson as well as the $a_4(2040)$ meson, observed for the first time decaying to $\eta^{\prime}\pi^-$. The dominant, exotic (non-$q\bar{q})$ $1^{-+}$ partial wave is shown to be resonant with a mass of $1.597 \pm 0.010^{+0.045}_{-0.010}$ GeV/c^2 and a width of $0.340 \pm 0.040 \pm 0.050$ GeV/c^2 . This exotic state, the $\pi_1(1600)$, is produced with a $t$ dependence which is different from that of the $a_2(1320)$ meson, indicating differences between the production mechanisms for the two states.Comment: 5 pages with 4 figure

Evidence for a narrow dip structure at 1.9 GeV/c2^2 in 3π+3π−3\pi^+ 3\pi^- diffractive photoproduction

A narrow dip structure has been observed at 1.9 GeV/c$^2$ in a study of diffractive photoproduction of the $~3\pi^+3\pi^-$ final state performed by the Fermilab experiment E687.Comment: The data of Figure 6 can be obtained by downloading the raw data file e687_6pi.txt. v5 (2nov2018): added Fig. 7, the 6 pion energy distribution as requested by a reade

Evidence for Exotic J^{PC}=1^{-+} Meson Production in the Reaction pi- p --> eta pi- p at 18 GeV/c

Details of the analysis of the eta pi- system studied in the reaction pi^{-} p --> eta pi^{-} p at 18 GeV/c are given. Separate analyses for the 2 gamma and pi+ pi- pi0 decay modes of the eta are presented. An amplitude analysis of the data indicates the presence of interference between the a(2)(1320)- and a J^{PC}=1^{-+} wave between 1.2 and 1.6 GeV/c^2. The phase difference between these waves shows phase motion not attributable solely to the a(2)(1320)-. The data can be fitted by interference between the a(2)(1320)- and an exotic 1^{-+} resonance with M = 1370 +-16 +50 -30} MeV/c^2 and Gamma = 385 +- 40 +65 -105 MeV/c^2. Our results are compared with those of other experiments.Comment: 50 pages of text and 34 figure

A partial wave analysis of the π0π0\pi ^0\pi ^0 system produced in π−p\pi ^-p charge exchange collisions

A partial wave analysis of the of the $\pi ^0\pi ^0$ system produced in the charge exchange reaction: $\pi ^-p\to \pi ^0\pi ^0n$ at an incident momentum of $18.3 GeV/c$ is presented as a function of ${\pi ^0\pi ^0}$ invariant mass, $m_{\pi^0\pi^0}$, and momentum transfer squared, $| {t} |$, from the incident $\pi^-$ to the outgoing ${\pi ^0\pi ^0}$ system.Comment: 24 pages total,8 pages text, 14 figures, 1 table. Submitted to Phys Rev

Partial-wave analysis of the eta pi+ pi- system produced in the reaction pi-p --> eta pi+ pi- n at 18 GeV/c

A partial-wave analysis of 9082 eta pi+ pi- n events produced in the reaction pi- p --> eta pi+ pi- n at 18.3 GeV/c has been carried out using data from experiment 852 at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The data are dominated by J^{PC} = 0^{-+} partial waves consistent with observation of the eta(1295) and the eta(1440). The mass and width of the eta(1295) were determined to be 1282 +- 5 MeV and 66 +- 13 Mev respectively while the eta(1440) was observed with a mass of 1404 +- 6 MeV and width of 80 +- 21 MeV. Other partial waves of importance include the 1++ and the 1+- waves. Results of the partial wave analysis are combined with results of other experiments to estimate f1(1285) branching fractions. These values are considerably different from current values determined without the aid of amplitude analyses.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

The effect of packaging material and storage method on shelf life and post harvest loses of cocoyam cormels (Xanthosoma mafaffa) Schott

Poor harvesting, packaging, and storage practices harm cocoyam (Xanthosoma spp) cormels resulting in short shelf life and post harvest loses. Packaging materials namely, jute sack and woven polypropylene sack, and storage methods namely, storage in moistened ‘wawa’ sawdust and on platform in open-air were employed in the storage of cocoyam cormels, purchased from the open markets in the Greater Accra Region, to determine the packaging material(s) and storage method(s) most efficient and ideal for prolonging shelf life and reducing post harvest loses of cocoyam cormels. Most of the fungal species encountered were wound pathogens, belonging to five different genera: Aspergillus, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Lasiodiplodia. The resident mycoflora in the cormels increased from an initial 3.0 - 3.5 log10 CFU to 4.2 – 5.3 log10 CFU/g in 30 days. Of all the Aspergillus species encountered, only A. fumigates failed to colonize the cormels upon inoculation. The presence of these fungi on the cocoyam cormels varied according to the type of packaging material and storage method employed. Packaging in woven polypropylene sack and storage on platform in open-air recorded higher mycoflora population, and were also less suitable for prolonging shelf life and reducing post harvest loses of cocoyam cormels. Jute sack, and moistened ‘wawa’ sawdust were the better packaging material and storage method respectively. Storage in moistened ‘wawa’ sawdust for 50 days, did not significantly affect the texture and the nutritional status of the cormels. Overall, the red cocoyam variety stored better than the white variety