9,542 research outputs found
Universality of residence-time distributions in non-adiabatic stochastic resonance
We present mathematically rigorous expressions for the residence-time and
first-passage-time distributions of a periodically forced Brownian particle in
a bistable potential. For a broad range of forcing frequencies and amplitudes,
the distributions are close to periodically modulated exponential ones.
Remarkably, the periodic modulations are governed by universal functions,
depending on a single parameter related to the forcing period. The behaviour of
the distributions and their moments is analysed, in particular in the low- and
high-frequency limits.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure New version includes distinction between
first-passage-time and residence-time distribution
Thermopower as a Possible Probe of Non-Abelian Quasiparticle Statistics in Fractional Quantum Hall Liquids
We show in this paper that thermopower is enhanced in non-Abelian quantum
Hall liquids under appropriate conditions. This is because thermopower measures
entropy per electron in the clean limit, while the degeneracy and entropy
associated with non-Abelian quasiparticles enhance entropy when they are
present. Thus thermopower can potentially probe non-Abelian nature of the
quasiparticles, and measure their quantum dimension.Comment: 5 pages. Minor revisions in response to referee comments. Published
versio
Overcoming entrenched disagreements. the case of misoprostol for post-partum haemorrhage.
The debate about whether misoprostol should be distributed to low resource communities to prevent post-partum haemorrhage (PPH), recognised as a major cause of maternal mortality, is deeply polarised. This is in spite of stakeholders having access to the same evidence about the risks and benefits of misoprostol. To understand the disagreement, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the values underpinning debates surrounding community distribution of misoprostol. We found that different moral priorities, epistemic values, and attitudes towards uncertainty were the main factors sustaining the debate. With this understanding, we present a model for ethical discourse that might overcome the current impasse
Observable and hidden singular features of large fluctuations in nonequilibrium systems
We study local features, and provide a topological insight into the global
structure of the probability density distribution and of the pattern of the
optimal paths for large rare fluctuations away from a stable state. In contrast
to extremal paths in quantum mechanics, the optimal paths do {\it not}
encounter caustics. We show how this occurs, and what, instead of caustics, are
the experimentally observable singularities of the pattern. We reveal the
possibility for a caustic and a switching line to start at a saddle point, and
discuss the consequences.Comment: 10 pages, 3 ps figures by request, LaTeX Article Format (In press,
Phys. Lett. A
Possible Association of APOE Genotype with Working Memory in Young Adults
Possession of the ε4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Early adult life effects of ε4 are less well understood. Working memory has been relatively little studied (compared to episodic memory) in relation to APOE genotype despite its importance in cognitive functioning. Our hypothesis was that ε4 would lead to an impairment in working memory in young adults.We studied working memory using a computerised n-back task in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at age 18. Data was available for 1049-1927 participants and for the 2- and 3-back versions of the task. Using multiple and multi-level regression controlling for important confounders we examined the association between APOE genotype on accuracy and reaction times.There was no evidence of a genotype effect on accuracy when the two difficulty levels were examined separately. There was some evidence to support a deleterious effect of the ε4 allele on n-back accuracy in the multi-level regression. There was weak evidence that the ε22 group were less accurate but the numbers were very low in this group. The ε34 group had faster reaction times than the reference ε33 group in all adjusted analyses but the ε44 group were only faster in the 3-back condition in multi-level analyses.There was no evidence of benefit in ε4 carriers, but there was some evidence of a detrimental effect on working memory in this large study
Influence of Spin Orbit Coupling in the Iron-Based Superconductors
We report on the influence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the Fe-based
superconductors (FeSCs) via application of circularly-polarized spin and
angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We combine this technique in
representative members of both the Fe-pnictides and Fe-chalcogenides with ab
initio density functional theory and tight-binding calculations to establish an
ubiquitous modification of the electronic structure in these materials imbued
by SOC. The influence of SOC is found to be concentrated on the hole pockets
where the superconducting gap is generally found to be largest. This result
contests descriptions of superconductivity in these materials in terms of pure
spin-singlet eigenstates, raising questions regarding the possible pairing
mechanisms and role of SOC therein.Comment: For supplementary information, see
http://qmlab.ubc.ca/ARPES/PUBLICATIONS/articles.htm
Targeted capture and sequencing of Orientia tsutsugamushi genomes from chiggers and humans
Scrub typhus is a febrile disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted by larval stage Trombiculid mites (chiggers), whose primary hosts are small mammals. The phylogenomics of O. tsutsugamushi in chiggers, small mammals and humans remains poorly understood. To combat the limitations imposed by the low relative quantities of pathogen DNA in typical O. tsutsugamushi clinical and ecological samples, along with the technical, safety and cost limitations of cell culture, a novel probe-based target enrichment sequencing protocol was developed. The method was designed to capture variation among conserved genes and facilitate phylogenomic analysis at the scale of population samples. A whole-genome amplification step was incorporated to enhance the efficiency of sequencing by reducing duplication rates. This resulted in on-target capture rates of up to 93% for a diverse set of human, chigger, and rodent samples, with the greatest success rate in samples with real-time PCR Ct values below 35. Analysis of the best-performing samples revealed phylogeographic clustering at local, provincial and international scales. Applying the methodology to a comprehensive set of samples could yield a more complete understanding of the ecology, genomic evolution and population structure of O. tsutsugamushi and other similarly challenging organisms, with potential benefits in the development of diagnostic tests and vaccines
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