600 research outputs found
The Carnot Cycle for Small Systems: Irreversibility and the Cost of Operations
We employ the recently developed framework of the energetics of stochastic
processes (called `stochastic energetics'), to re-analyze the Carnot cycle in
detail, taking account of fluctuations, without taking the thermodynamic limit.
We find that both processes of connection to and disconnection from heat
baths and adiabatic processes that cause distortion of the energy distribution
are sources of inevitable irreversibility within the cycle. Also, the so-called
null-recurrence property of the cumulative efficiency of energy conversion over
many cycles and the irreversible property of isolated, purely mechanical
processes under external `macroscopic' operations are discussed in relation to
the impossibility of a perpetual machine, or Maxwell's demon.Comment: 11 pages with 3 figures. Resubmitted to Physical Review E. Many
paragraphs have been modifie
Development of Genome-wide Simple Sequence Repeat Markers Using Whole-genome Shotgun Sequences of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)
Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers with a high degree of polymorphism contribute to the molecular dissection of agriculturally important traits in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). We designed 5599 non-redundant SSR markers, including regions flanking the SSRs, in whole-genome shotgun sequences of sorghum line ATx623. (AT/TA)n repeats constituted 26.1% of all SSRs, followed by (AG/TC)n at 20.5%, (AC/TG)n at 13.7% and (CG/GC)n at 11.8%. The chromosomal locations of 5012 SSR markers were determined by comparing the locations identified by means of electronic PCR with the predicted positions of 34 008 gene loci. Most SSR markers had a similar distribution to the gene loci. Among 970 markers validated by fragment analysis, 67.8% (658 of 970) markers successfully provided PCR amplification in sorghum line BTx623, with a mean polymorphism rate of 45.1% (297 of 658) for all SSR loci in combinations of 11 sorghum lines and one sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf) line. The product of 5012 and 0.678 suggests that ∼3400 SSR markers could be used to detect SSR polymorphisms and that more than 1500 (45.1% of 3400) markers could reveal SSR polymorphisms in combinations of Sorghum lines
Progress in Classical and Quantum Variational Principles
We review the development and practical uses of a generalized Maupertuis
least action principle in classical mechanics, in which the action is varied
under the constraint of fixed mean energy for the trial trajectory. The
original Maupertuis (Euler-Lagrange) principle constrains the energy at every
point along the trajectory. The generalized Maupertuis principle is equivalent
to Hamilton's principle. Reciprocal principles are also derived for both the
generalized Maupertuis and the Hamilton principles. The Reciprocal Maupertuis
Principle is the classical limit of Schr\"{o}dinger's variational principle of
wave mechanics, and is also very useful to solve practical problems in both
classical and semiclassical mechanics, in complete analogy with the quantum
Rayleigh-Ritz method. Classical, semiclassical and quantum variational
calculations are carried out for a number of systems, and the results are
compared. Pedagogical as well as research problems are used as examples, which
include nonconservative as well as relativistic systems
Language vs individuals in cross-linguistic corpus typology
Published as a special publication of Language Documentation & Conservation (No. 25).Peer reviewe
Language vs individuals in cross-linguistic corpus typology
Published as a special publication of Language Documentation & Conservation (No. 25).Peer reviewe
Constraints on neutrino oscillation parameters from the measurement of day-night solar neutrino fluxes at Super-Kamiokande
A search for day-night variations in the solar neutrino flux resulting from
neutrino oscillations has been carried out using the 504 day sample of solar
neutrino data obtained at Super-Kamiokande. The absence of a significant
day-night variation has set an absolute flux independent exclusion region in
the two neutrino oscillation parameter space.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PRL, single-spacin
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