4,415 research outputs found
Lightside Atmospheric Revitalization System
The system was studied as a replacement to the present baseline LiOH system for extended duration shuttle missions. The system consists of three subsystems: a solid amine water desorbed regenerable carbon dioxide removal system, a water vapor electrolysis oxygen generating system, and a Sabatier reactor carbon dioxide reduction system. The system is designed for use on a solar powered shuttle vehicle. The majority of the system's power requirements are utilized on the Sun side of each orbit, when solar power is available
Spatially-explicit estimation of Wright's neighborhood size in continuous populations
Effective population size (Ne) is an important parameter in conservation genetics because it quantifies a population’s capacity to resist loss of genetic diversity due to inbreeding and drift. The classical approach to estimate Ne from genetic data involves grouping sampled individuals into discretely defined subpopulations assumed to be panmictic. Importantly, this assumption does not capture the continuous nature of populations genetically isolated by distance. Alternative approaches based on Wright’s genetic neighborhood concept quantify the local number of breeding individuals (NS) in a continuous population (as opposed to the global Ne). However, they do not reflect the potential for NS to vary spatially nor do they account for the resistance of a heterogeneous landscape to gene flow (isolation by resistance). Here, we describe an application of Wright’s neighborhood concept that provides spatially-explicit estimates of local NS from genetic data in continuous populations isolated by distance or resistance. We delineated local neighborhoods surrounding each sampled individual based on sigma (), a measure of the local extent of breeding. When was known, the linkage disequilibrium method applied to local neighborhoods produced unbiased estimates of NS that were highly variable across the landscape. NS near the periphery or areas surrounded by high resistance was as much as an order of magnitude lower compared to the center, raising the potential for a spatial component to extinction vortex dynamics in continuous populations. When is not known, it may be estimated from genetic data, but two methods we evaluated identified analysis extents that produced considerable bias or error in the estimate of NS. When is known or accurately estimated, and the assumptions of Wright’s neighborhood are met, the method we describe provides spatially explicit information regarding short-term genetic processes that may inform conservation genetic analyses and management
The Maslov index and nondegenerate singularities of integrable systems
We consider integrable Hamiltonian systems in R^{2n} with integrals of motion
F = (F_1,...,F_n) in involution. Nondegenerate singularities are critical
points of F where rank dF = n-1 and which have definite linear stability. The
set of nondegenerate singularities is a codimension-two symplectic submanifold
invariant under the flow. We show that the Maslov index of a closed curve is a
sum of contributions +/- 2 from the nondegenerate singularities it is encloses,
the sign depending on the local orientation and stability at the singularities.
For one-freedom systems this corresponds to the well-known formula for the
Poincar\'e index of a closed curve as the oriented difference between the
number of elliptic and hyperbolic fixed points enclosed. We also obtain a
formula for the Liapunov exponent of invariant (n-1)-dimensional tori in the
nondegenerate singular set. Examples include rotationally symmetric n-freedom
Hamiltonians, while an application to the periodic Toda chain is described in a
companion paper.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figure; published versio
Evolution of spectral properties along the O(6)-U(5) transition in the interacting boson model. II. Classical trajectories
This article continues our previous study of level dynamics in the
[O(6)-U(5)]O(5) transition of the interacting boson model
[nucl-th/0504016] using the semiclassical theory of spectral fluctuations. We
find classical monodromy, related to a singular bundle of orbits with infinite
period at energy E=0, and bifurcations of numerous periodic orbits for E>0. The
spectrum of allowed ratios of periods associated with beta- and
gamma-vibrations exhibits an abrupt change around zero energy. These findings
explain anomalous bunching of quantum states in the E0 region, which
is responsible for the redistribution of levels between O(6) and U(5)
multiplets.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures; continuation of nucl-th/050401
Re-evaluating causal modeling with mantel tests in landscape genetics
The predominant analytical approach to associate landscape patterns with gene flow processes is based on the association of cost distances with genetic distances between individuals. Mantel and partial Mantel tests have been the dominant statistical tools used to correlate cost distances and genetic distances in landscape genetics. However, the inherent high correlation among alternative resistance models results in a high risk of spurious correlations using simple Mantel tests. Several refinements, including causal modeling, have been developed to reduce the risk of affirming spurious correlations and to assist model selection. However, the evaluation of these approaches has been incomplete in several respects. To demonstrate the general reliability of the causal modeling approach with Mantel tests, it must be shown to be able to correctly identify a wide range of landscape resistance models as the correct drivers relative to alternative hypotheses. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of the originally published causal modeling framework to support the correct model and reject alternative hypotheses of isolation by distance and isolation by barriers and to (2) evaluate the effectiveness of causal modeling involving direct competition of all hypotheses to support the correct model and reject all alternative landscape resistance models. We found that partial Mantel tests have very low Type II error rates, but elevated Type I error rates. This leads to frequent identification of support for spurious correlations between alternative resistance hypotheses and genetic distance, independent of the true resistance model. The frequency in which this occurs is directly related to the degree of correlation between true and alternative resistance models. We propose an improvement based on the relative support of the causal modeling diagnostic tests
Planning the Future of U.S. Particle Physics (Snowmass 2013): Chapter 4: Cosmic Frontier
These reports present the results of the 2013 Community Summer Study of the
APS Division of Particles and Fields ("Snowmass 2013") on the future program of
particle physics in the U.S. Chapter 4, on the Cosmic Frontier, discusses the
program of research relevant to cosmology and the early universe. This area
includes the study of dark matter and the search for its particle nature, the
study of dark energy and inflation, and cosmic probes of fundamental
symmetries.Comment: 61 page
Poisson structures for reduced non-holonomic systems
Borisov, Mamaev and Kilin have recently found certain Poisson structures with
respect to which the reduced and rescaled systems of certain non-holonomic
problems, involving rolling bodies without slipping, become Hamiltonian, the
Hamiltonian function being the reduced energy. We study further the algebraic
origin of these Poisson structures, showing that they are of rank two and
therefore the mentioned rescaling is not necessary. We show that they are
determined, up to a non-vanishing factor function, by the existence of a system
of first-order differential equations providing two integrals of motion. We
generalize the form of that Poisson structures and extend their domain of
definition. We apply the theory to the rolling disk, the Routh's sphere, the
ball rolling on a surface of revolution, and its special case of a ball rolling
inside a cylinder.Comment: 22 page
Proteomic analyses identify differences between bovine epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa that contribute to longevity
Sperm are stored for extended periods of time in the epididymis, but upon ejaculation motility is increased and lifespan is decreased. The objective of this study was to identify differences in proteins between epididymis and ejaculated samples that are associated with longevity. Ejaculated semen was collected from mature Angus bulls (n = 9); bulls were slaughtered and epididymal semen was collected. Epididymal and ejaculated semen were centrifuged to separate sperm and fluid. Fluids were removed and sperm pellets were resuspended in a high ionic solution and vortexed to remove loosely attached proteins. Sperm samples were centrifuged, and the supernatant was removed; both fluid and sperm samples were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 oC. Protein analysis was performed by LCMS/MS. A different group of yearling Angus cross bulls (n = 40) were used for sperm cultures. Ejaculated (n = 20) and epididymal (n = 20) semen were diluted and cultured in a commercial media at pH 5.8, 6.8 and 7.3, at 4 oC. Sperm were evaluated for motility and viability every 24 h until motility was lower than 20%. There was an effect of pH, time and pH by time interaction for motility and viability for both ejaculated and epididymal sperm (P ≤ 0.05). At 216 h of incubation epididymal sperm at pH 7.3 and ejaculated sperm at pH 6.8 reached motility below 20%. A total of 458 unique proteins were identified; 178, 298, 311, and 344 proteins were identified in ejaculated fluid, ejaculated sperm, epididymal fluid and epididymal sperm, respectively. There were 8, 24, 10, and 18 significant KEGG pathways (FDR \u3c0.05) for ejaculated fluid, epididymal fluid, ejaculated sperm, and epididymal sperm, respectively. The metabolic pathway was identified as the most important KEGG pathway; glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate, and glutathione metabolism pathways were significant among proteins only present in epididymal samples within the metabolic pathway. Other proteins identified that may be related to epididymal sperm\u27s increased longevity were peroxidases and glutathione peroxidases for their antioxidant properties. In summary, energy metabolism in the epididymis appears to be more glycolytic compared to ejaculated and epididymis sperm have a larger number of antioxidants available which may be helping to maintain sperm in a quiescent state. Epididymal sperm remained viable (membrane integrity) longer than ejaculated sperm when cultured at the same pH
Maslov Indices and Monodromy
We prove that for a Hamiltonian system on a cotangent bundle that is
Liouville-integrable and has monodromy the vector of Maslov indices is an
eigenvector of the monodromy matrix with eigenvalue 1. As a corollary the
resulting restrictions on the monodromy matrix are derived.Comment: 6 page
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