1,715 research outputs found
Perspective: Matching, Mate Choice, and Speciation
Matching was developed in the 1960s to match such entities as residents and hospitals, colleges and students, or employers and employees. This approach is based on “preference lists,” whereby each participant ranks potential partners according to his/her preferences and tries to match with the highest-ranking partner available. Here, we discuss the implications of matching for the study of mate choice and speciation. Matching differs from classic approaches in several respects, most notably because under this theoretical framework, the formation of mating pairs is context-dependant (i.e., it depends on the configuration of pairings in the entire population), because the stability of mating pairs is considered explicitly, and because mate choice is mutual. The use of matching to study mate choice and speciation is not merely a theoretical curiosity; its application can generate counter-intuitive predictions and lead to conclusions that differ fundamentally from classic theories about sexual selection and speciation. For example, it predicts that when mate choice is mutual and the stability of mating pairs is critical for successful reproduction, sympatric speciation is a robust evolutionary outcome. Yet the application of matching to the study of mate choice and speciation has been largely dominated by theoretical studies. We present the hamlets, a group of brightly colored Caribbean coral reef fishes in the genus Hypoplectrus (Serranidae), as a particularly apt system to test empirically specific predictions generated by the application of matching to mate choice and speciation
The Domination Number of Grids
In this paper, we conclude the calculation of the domination number of all
grid graphs. Indeed, we prove Chang's conjecture saying that for
every , .Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
1-1.4 Micron Spectral Atlas of Stars
We present a catalog of J-band (1.08 um to 1.35 um) stellar spectra at low
resolution (R ~ 400). The targets consist of 105 stars ranging in spectral type
from O9.5 to M7 and luminosity classes I through V. The relatively featureless
spectra of hot stars, earlier than A4, can be used to remove the atmospheric
features which dominate ground-based J-band spectroscopy. We measure equivalent
widths for three absorption lines and nine blended features which we identify
in the spectra. Using detailed comparison with higher resolution spectra, we
demonstrate that low resolution data can be used for stellar classification,
since several features depend on the effective temperature and gravity. For
example The CN index (1.096 - 1.104 um) decreases with temperature, but the
strength of a blended feature at 1.28 um (consisting of primarily P beta)
increases. The slope of a star's spectrum can also be used to estimate its
effective temperature. The luminosity class of a star correlates with the ratio
of the Mg I (1.1831 um) line to a blend of several species at 1.16 um. Using
these indicators, a star can be classified to within several subclasses.
Fifteen stars with particularly high and low metal abundances are included in
the catalog and some spectral dependence on metal abundance is also found.Comment: 35 pages, 10 figures (3a-e are in gif format. For complete high
resolution figures, go to http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~malkan/newjspec/) ;
Accepted for published in ApJS; For associated spectra files, see
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~malkan/newjspec
Phase-charge duality in Josephson junction circuits: Role of inertia and effect of microwave irradiation
We investigate the physics of coherent quantum phase slips in two distinct
circuits containing small Josephson junctions: (i) a single junction embedded
in an inductive environment and (ii) a long chain of junctions. Starting from
the standard Josephson Hamiltonian, the single junction circuit can be analyzed
using quasi-classical methods; we formulate the conditions under which the
resulting quasi-charge dynamics is exactly dual to the usual phase dynamics
associated with Josephson tunneling. For the chain we use the fact that its
collective behavior can be characterized by one variable: the number of
quantum phase slips present on it. We conclude that the dynamics of the
conjugate quasi-charge is again exactly dual to the standard phase dynamics of
a single Josephson junction. In both cases we elucidate the role of the
inductance, essential to obtain exact duality. These conclusions have profound
consequences for the behavior of single junctions and chains under microwave
irradiation. Since both systems are governed by a model exactly dual to the
standard resistively and capacitively shunted junction model, we expect the
appearance of current-Shapiro steps. We numerically calculate the corresponding
current-voltage characteristics in a wide range of parameters. Our results are
of interest in view of a metrological current standard
Kerr non-linearity in a superconducting Josephson metamaterial
We present a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the dispersion
and non-linear Kerr frequency shifts of plasma modes in a one-dimensional
Josephson junction chain containing 500 SQUIDs in the regime of weak
nonlinearity. The measured low-power dispersion curve agrees perfectly with the
theoretical model if we take into account the Kerr renormalisation of the bare
frequencies and the long-range nature of the island charge screening by a
remote ground plane. We measured the self- and cross-Kerr shifts for the
frequencies of the eight lowest modes in the chain. We compare the measured
Kerr coefficients with theory and find good agreement
Premature atrial contractions: A predictor of atrial fibrillation and a relevant marker of atrial cardiomyopathy
An increased burden of premature atrial contractions (PACs) has long been considered a benign phenomenon. However, strong evidence of their involvement in the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), ischemic stroke, and excess mortality suggests the need for management. The central question to be resolved is whether increased ectopic atrial rhythm is only a predictor of AF or whether it is a marker of atrial cardiomyopathy and therefore of ischemic stroke. After reviewing the pathophysiology of PACs and its impact on patient prognosis, this mini-review proposes to 1) detail the physiological and clinical elements linking PACs and AF, 2) present the evidence in favor of supraventricular ectopic activity as a marker of cardiomyopathy, and 3) outline the current limitations of this concept and the potential future clinical implications
Reaction ⁶Li(p, Δ⁺⁺)⁶He At 1.04 GeV And The Δ−N Interaction
The reaction ⁶Li(p, Δ⁺⁺)⁶He has been studied at 1.04 GeV for transferred momenta ranging from 0.11 to 0.35 (GeV/c)2. An exponential decrease of the cross section is observed. A Glauber-type calculation is presented. The possibility of extracting information on σ(ΔN) and α(ΔN) is discussed
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