Linear stability theory as an early warning sign for transitions in high dimensional complex systems

We analyse in detail a new approach to the monitoring and forecasting of the onset of transitions in high dimensional complex systems by application to the Tangled Nature model of evolutionary ecology and high dimensional replicator systems with a stochastic element. A high dimensional stability matrix is derived in the mean field approximation to the stochastic dynamics. This allows us to determine the stability spectrum about the observed quasi-stable configurations. From overlap of the instantaneous configuration vector of the full stochastic system with the eigenvectors of the unstable directions of the deterministic mean field approximation, we are able to construct a good early-warning indicator of the transitions occurring intermittently

Heart rate variability before and after cycle exercise in relation to different body positions

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of three different body positions on HRV measures following short-term submaximal exercise. Thirty young healthy males performed submaximal cycling for five minutes on three different occasions. Measures of HRV were obtained from 5-min R to R wave intervals before the exercise (baseline) and during the last five minutes of a 15 min recovery (post-exercise) in three different body positions (seated, supine, supine with elevated legs). Measures of the mean RR normal-to-normal intervals (RRNN), the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the low-frequency (LF) and the high-frequency (HF) spectral power were analyzed. Post-exercise RRNN, RMSSD were significantly higher in the two supine positions (p 0.05). Post-exercise time domain measures of HRV (RRNN, SDNN, RMSSD) were significantly lower compared with baseline values (p < 0.01) regardless body position. Post-exercise ln LF and ln HF in all three positions remained significantly reduced during recovery compared to baseline values (p < 0.01). The present study suggests that 15 minutes following short-term submaximal exercise most of the time and frequency domain HRV measures have not returned to pre-exercise values. Modifications in autonomic cardiac regulation induced by body posture present at rest remained after exercise, but the post-exercise differences among the three positions did not resemble the ones established at res

Non-equilibrium many-body effects in driven nonlinear resonator arrays

We study the non-equilibrium behavior of optically driven dissipative coupled resonator arrays. Assuming each resonator is coupled with a two-level system via a Jaynes-Cummings interaction, we calculate the many-body steady state behavior of the system under coherent pumping and dissipation. We propose and analyze the many-body phases using experimentally accessible quantities such as the total excitation number, the emitted photon spectra and photon coherence functions for different parameter regimes. In parallel, we also compare and contrast the expected behavior of this system assuming the local nonlinearity in the cavities is generated by a generic Kerr effect rather than a Jaynes-Cummings interaction. We find that the behavior of the experimentally accessible observables produced by the two models differs for realistic regimes of interactions even when the corresponding nonlinearities are of similar strength. We analyze in detail the extra features available in the Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard (JCH) model originating from the mixed nature of the excitations and investigate the regimes where the Kerr approximation would faithfully match the JCH physics. We find that the latter is true for values of the light-matter coupling and losses beyond the reach of current technology. Throughout the study we operate in the weak pumping, fully quantum mechanical regime where approaches such as mean field theory fail, and instead use a combination of quantum trajectories and the time evolving block decimation algorithm to compute the relevant steady state observables. In our study we have assumed small to medium size arrays (from 3 up to 16 sites) and values of the ratio of coupling to dissipation rate $g/\gamma \sim 20$ which makes our results implementable with current designs in Circuit QED and with near future photonic crystal set ups.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure

Timing and mechanism of the rise of the Shillong Plateau in the Himalayan foreland

The Shillong Plateau (northeastern India) constitutes the only significant topography in the Himalayan foreland. Knowledge of its surface uplift history is key to understanding topographic development and unraveling tectonic–climate–topographic coupling in the eastern Himalaya. We use the sedimentary record of the Himalayan foreland basin north of the Shillong Plateau to show that the paleo-Brahmaputra river was redirected north and west by the rising plateau at 5.2–4.9 Ma. We suggest that onset of plateau uplift is a result of increased fault-slip rates in response to stresses caused by the Indian lithosphere bending beneath the Himalaya

Non-equilibrium supercurrent through mesoscopic ferromagnetic weak links

We consider a mesoscopic normal metal, where the spin degeneracy is lifted by a ferromagnetic exchange field or Zeeman splitting, coupled to two superconducting reservoirs. As a function of the exchange field or the distance between the reservoirs, the supercurrent through this device oscillates with an exponentially decreasing envelope. This phenomenon is similar to the tuning of a supercurrent by a non-equilibrium quasiparticle distribution between two voltage-biased reservoirs. We propose a device combining the exchange field and non-equilibrium effects, which allows us to observe a range of novel phenomena. For instance, part of the field-suppressed supercurrent can be recovered by a voltage between the additional probes.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, Europhys. Lett., to be published, corrected two reference

Human alpha 2A-adrenergic receptor gene expressed in transgenic mouse adipose tissue under the control of its regulatory elements.

Catecholamines regulate white adipose tissue function and development by acting through beta- and alpha2-adrenergic receptors (ARs). Human adipocytes express mainly alpha 2A- but few or no beta 3-ARs while the reverse is true for rodent adipocytes. Our aim was to generate a mouse model with a human-like alpha2/beta-adrenergic balance in adipose tissue by creating transgenic mice harbouring the human alpha 2A-AR gene under the control of its own regulatory elements in a combined mouse beta 3-AR-/- and human beta 3-AR+/+ background. Transgenic mice exhibit functional human alpha 2A-ARs only in white fat cells. Interestingly, as in humans, subcutaneous adipocytes expressed higher levels of alpha2-AR than perigonadal fat cells, which are associated with a better antilipolytic response to epinephrine. High-fat-diet-induced obesity was observed in transgenic mice in the absence of fat cell size modifications. In addition, analysis of gene expression related to lipid metabolism in isolated adipocytes suggested reduced lipid mobilization and no changes in lipid storage capacity of transgenic mice fed a high-fat diet. Finally, the development of adipose tissue in these mice was not associated with significant modifications of glucose and insulin blood levels. Thus, these transgenic mice constitute an original model of diet-induced obesity for in vivo physiological and pharmacological studies with respect to the alpha2/beta-AR balance in adipose tissue

Electron Impact Ionization Close to the Threshold: Classical Calculations

In this paper we present Classical Trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) calculations for single and multiple electron ionization of Argon atoms and ions in the threshold region. We are able to recover the Wannier exponents a for the power-law behavior of the cross section s versus excess energy: the exact value of the exponent as well as the existence of its saturation for multiple ionization appear to be related to how the total binding energy is shared between target electrons.Comment: 9 pages. To be published in Journal of Physics

Energy Metabolism in Uncoupling Protein 3 Gene Knockout Mice

Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is a member of the mitochondrial anion carrier superfamily. Based upon its high homology with UCP1 and its restricted tissue distribution to skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, UCP3 has been suggested to play important roles in regulating energy expenditure, body weight, and thermoregulation. Other postulated roles for UCP3 include regulation of fatty acid metabolism, adaptive responses to acute exercise and starvation, and prevention of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. To address these questions, we have generated mice lacking UCP3 (UCP3 knockout (KO) mice). Here, we provide evidence that skeletal muscle mitochondria lacking UCP3 are more coupled (i.e. increased state 3/state 4 ratio), indicating that UCP3 has uncoupling activity. In addition, production of ROS is increased in mitochondria lacking UCP3. This study demonstrates that UCP3 has uncoupling activity and that its absence may lead to increased production of ROS. Despite these effects on mitochondrial function, UCP3 does not seem to be required for body weight regulation, exercise tolerance, fatty acid oxidation, or cold-induced thermogenesis. The absence of such phenotypes in UCP3 KO mice could not be attributed to up-regulation of other UCP mRNAs. However, alternative compensatory mechanisms cannot be excluded. The consequence of increased mitochondrial coupling in UCP3 KO mice on metabolism and the possible role of yet unidentified compensatory mechanisms, remains to be determined