20,016 research outputs found
Simulating disease transmission dynamics at a multi-scale level
We present a model of the global spread of a generic human infectious disease using a Monte Carlo micro-simulation with large-scale parallel-processing. This prototype has been constructed and tested on a model of the entire population of the British Isles. Typical results are presented. A microsimulation of this order of magnitude of population simulation has not been previously attained. Further, an efficiency assessment of processor usage indicates that extension to the global scale is feasible. We conclude that the flexible approach outlined provides the framework for a virtual laboratory capable of supporting public health policy making at a variety of spatial scales.high-performance computing; global modelling; disease transmission
Vibrations of closed-shell Lennard-Jones icosahedral and cuboctahedral clusters and their effect on the cluster ground state energy
Vibrational spectra of closed shell Lennard-Jones icosahedral and
cuboctahedral clusters are calculated for shell numbers between 2 and 9.
Evolution of the vibrational density of states with the cluster shell number is
examined and differences between icosahedral and cuboctahedral clusters
described. This enabled a quantum calculation of quantum ground state energies
of the clusters in the quasiharmonic approximation and a comparison of the
differences between the two types of clusters. It is demonstrated that in the
quantum treatment, the closed shell icosahedral clusters binding energies
differ from those of cuboctahedral clusters more than is the case in classical
treatment
Observed Effects of a Changing Step-Edge Density on Thin-Film Growth Dynamics
We grew SrTiO3 on SrTiO3 [001] by pulsed laser deposition, while observing
x-ray diffraction at the (0 0 .5) position. The drop dI in the x-ray intensity
following a laser pulse contains information about plume-surface interactions.
Kinematic theory predicts dI/I = -4sigma(1-sigma), so that dI/I depends only on
the amount of deposited material sigma. In contrast, we observed experimentally
that |dI/I| < 4sigma(1-sigma), and that dI/I depends on the phase of x-ray
growth oscillations. The combined results suggest a fast smoothing mechanism
that depends on surface step-edge density.Comment: 4 figure
A kinetic model of radiating electrons
A kinetic theory is developed to describe radiating electrons whose motion is governed by the Lorentz-Dirac equation. This gives rise to a generalized Vlasov equation coupled to an equation for the evolution of the physical submanifold of phase space. The pathological solutions of the 1-particle theory may be removed by expanding the latter equation in powers of τ ≔ q 2/6πm. The radiation-induced change in entropy is explored and its physical origin is discussed. As a simple demonstration of the theory, the radiative damping rate of longitudinal plasma waves is calculated
Tetratic Order in the Phase Behavior of a Hard-Rectangle System
Previous Monte Carlo investigations by Wojciechowski \emph{et al.} have found
two unusual phases in two-dimensional systems of anisotropic hard particles: a
tetratic phase of four-fold symmetry for hard squares [Comp. Methods in Science
and Tech., 10: 235-255, 2004], and a nonperiodic degenerate solid phase for
hard-disk dimers [Phys. Rev. Lett., 66: 3168-3171, 1991]. In this work, we
study a system of hard rectangles of aspect ratio two, i.e., hard-square dimers
(or dominos), and demonstrate that it exhibits a solid phase with both of these
unusual properties. The solid shows tetratic, but not nematic, order, and it is
nonperiodic having the structure of a random tiling of the square lattice with
dominos. We obtain similar results with both a classical Monte Carlo method
using true rectangles and a novel molecular dynamics algorithm employing
rectangles with rounded corners. It is remarkable that such simple convex
two-dimensional shapes can produce such rich phase behavior. Although we have
not performed exact free-energy calculations, we expect that the random domino
tiling is thermodynamically stabilized by its degeneracy entropy, well-known to
be per particle from previous studies of the dimer problem on the
square lattice. Our observations are consistent with a KTHNY two-stage phase
transition scenario with two continuous phase transitions, the first from
isotropic to tetratic liquid, and the second from tetratic liquid to solid.Comment: Submitted for publicatio
Chronic acceleration studies - Physiological responses to artificial alterations in weight Progress report
Influence of chronic acceleration on energy metabolism of chickens and animals, as indicated by maintenance feed requiremen
Non-metric chaotic inflation
We consider inflation within the context of what is arguably the simplest
non-metric extension of Einstein gravity. There non-metricity is described by a
single graviscalar field with a non-minimal kinetic coupling to the inflaton
field , parameterized by a single parameter . We discuss the
implications of non-metricity for chaotic inflation and find that it
significantly alters the inflaton dynamics for field values , dramatically changing the qualitative behaviour in this regime.
For potentials with a positive slope non-metricity imposes an upper bound on
the possible number of e-folds. For chaotic inflation with a monomial
potential, the spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio receive small
corrections dependent on the non-metricity parameter. We also argue that
significant post-inflationary non-metricity may be generated.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur
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What motivates academic dishonesty in students? A reinforcement sensitivity theory explanation
BACKGROUND: Academic dishonesty (AD) is an increasing challenge for universities worldwide. The rise of the Internet has further increased opportunities for students to cheat.
AIMS: In this study, we investigate the role of personality traits defined within Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) as potential determinants of AD. RST defines behaviour as resulting from approach (Reward Interest/reactivity, goal-drive, and Impulsivity) and avoidance (behavioural inhibition and Fight-Flight-Freeze) motivations. We further consider the role of deep, surface, or achieving study motivations in mediating/moderating the relationship between personality and AD.
SAMPLE: A sample of UK undergraduates (N = 240).
METHOD: All participants completed the RST Personality Questionnaire, a short-form version of the study process questionnaire and a measure of engagement in AD, its perceived prevalence, and seriousness.
RESULTS: Results showed that RST traits account for additional variance in AD. Mediation analysis suggested that GDP predicted dishonesty indirectly via a surface study approach while the indirect effect via deep study processes suggested dishonesty was not likely. Likelihood of engagement in AD was positively associated with personality traits reflecting Impulsivity and Fight-Flight-Freeze behaviours. Surface study motivation moderated the Impulsivity effect and achieving motivation the FFFS effect such that cheating was even more likely when high levels of these processes were used.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that motivational personality traits defined within RST can explain variance in the likelihood of engaging in dishonest academic behaviours
The properties of the Galactic bar implied by gas kinematics in the inner Milky Way
Longitude-velocity (l-V) diagrams of H I and CO gas in the inner Milky Way
have long been known to be inconsistent with circular motion in an axisymmetric
potential. Several lines of evidence suggest that the Galaxy is barred, and gas
flow in a barred potential could be consistent with the observed ``forbidden''
velocities and other features in the data. We compare the H I observations to
l-V diagrams synthesized from 2-D fluid dynamical simulations of gas flows in a
family of barred potentials. The gas flow pattern is very sensitive to the
parameters of the assumed potential, which allows us to discriminate among
models. We present a model that reproduces the outer contour of the H I l-V
diagram reasonably well; this model has a strong bar with a semimajor axis of
3.6 kpc, an axis ratio of approximately 3:1, an inner Lindblad resonance (ILR),
and a pattern speed of 42 km/s/kpc, and matches the data best when viewed from
34\deg to the bar major axis. The behavior of the models, combined with the
constraint that the shocks in the Milky Way bar should resemble those in
external barred galaxies, leads us to conclude that wide ranges of parameter
space are incompatible with the observations. In particular we suggest that the
bar must be fairly strong, must have an ILR, and cannot be too end-on, with the
bar major axis at 35\deg +/- 5\deg to the line of sight. The H I data exhibit
larger forbidden velocities over a wider longitude range than are seen in
molecular gas; this important difference is the reason our favored model
differs so significantly from other recently proposed models.Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, uses emulateapj and psfig, 640 kb.
Submitted to Ap
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