2,092 research outputs found
Interplay between function and structure in complex networks
We show that abrupt structural transitions can arise in functionally optimal
networks, driven by small changes in the level of transport congestion. Our
results offer an explanation as to why so many diverse species of network
structure arise in Nature (e.g. fungal systems) under essentially the same
environmental conditions. Our findings are based on an exactly solvable model
system which mimics a variety of biological and social networks. We then extend
our analysis by introducing a novel renormalization scheme involving cost
motifs, to describe analytically the average shortest path across
multiple-ring-and-hub networks. As a consequence, we uncover a 'skin effect'
whereby the structure of the inner multi-ring core can cease to play any role
in terms of determining the average shortest path across the network.Comment: Expanded version of physics/0508228 with additional new result
Optimisation and validation of a PCR for Antigen Receptor Rearrangement (PARR) assay to detect clonality in canine lymphoid malignancies
PCR for antigen receptor gene rearrangements (PARR) analysis is being increasingly used to assist diagnosis of canine lymphoma. In this study, PARR was carried out on consecutive samples received as part of routine diagnostic practice from 271 patients: 195 with lymphoid malignancies, 53 with reactive conditions and 23 with other neoplasms. Initially, published primer sets were used but later minor primer modifications were introduced and primers were rationalised to give a PARR panel that provides a good compromise between sensitivity and cost. Results were compared to diagnoses made by histology or cytology, coupled with immunophenotyping by flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry where possible. After exclusion of 11 poor quality samples, 230/260 (88%) gave a clear result with 162/163 (99%) of samples classified as clonal and 56/67 (84%) classified as polyclonal giving results concordant with the cytological/histological diagnosis. Among 30 samples with equivocal results, 21 had clonal peaks in a polyclonal background and nine showed little amplification. These were from patients with a range of neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions emphasising the need to interpret such results carefully in concert with other diagnostic tests. The combination of primer sets used in this study resulted in a robust, highly specific and sensitive assay for detecting clonality
Variability Flagging in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Preliminary Data Release
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer Preliminary Data Release Source Catalog contains over 257 million objects. We describe the method used to flag variable source candidates in the Catalog. Using a method based on the chi-square of single-exposure flux measurements, we generated a variability flag for each object, and have identified almost 460,000 candidate sources that exhibit significant flux variability with greater than ~7σ confidence. We discuss the flagging method in detail and describe its benefits and limitations. We also present results from the flagging method, including example light curves of several types of variable sources including Algol-type eclipsing binaries, RR Lyr, W UMa, and a blazar candidate
Radio galaxies and their magnetic fields out to z <= 3
We present polarisation properties at GHz of two separate
extragalactic source populations: passive quiescent galaxies and luminous
quasar-like galaxies. We use data from the {\it Wide-Field Infrared Survey
Explorer} data to determine the host galaxy population of the polarised
extragalactic radio sources. The quiescent galaxies have higher percentage
polarisation, smaller radio linear size, and GHz luminosity of
W Hz, while the quasar-like
galaxies have smaller percentage polarisation, larger radio linear size at
radio wavelengths, and a GHz luminosity of W Hz, suggesting that the environment of the
quasar-like galaxies is responsible for the lower percentage polarisation. Our
results confirm previous studies that found an inverse correlation between
percentage polarisation and total flux density at GHz. We suggest that
the population change between the polarised extragalactic radio sources is the
origin of this inverse correlation and suggest a cosmic evolution of the space
density of quiescent galaxies. Finally, we find that the extragalactic
contributions to the rotation measures (RMs) of the nearby passive galaxies and
the distant quasar-like galaxies are different. After accounting for the RM
contributions by cosmological large-scale structure and intervening Mg\,{II}
absorbers we show that the distribution of intrinsic RMs of the distant
quasar-like sources is at most four times as wide as the RM distribution of the
nearby quiescent galaxies, if the distribution of intrinsic RMs of the
WISE-Star sources itself is at least several rad m wide.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication into MNRA
Infrared-Faint Radio Sources: A New Population of High-redshift Radio Galaxies
We present a sample of 1317 Infrared-Faint Radio Sources (IFRSs) that, for
the first time, are reliably detected in the infrared, generated by
cross-correlating the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) all-sky survey
with major radio surveys. Our IFRSs are brighter in both radio and infrared
than the first generation IFRSs that were undetected in the infrared by the
Spitzer Space Telescope. We present the first spectroscopic redshifts of IFRSs,
and find that all but one of the IFRSs with spectroscopy has z > 2. We also
report the first X-ray counterparts of IFRSs, and present an analysis of radio
spectra and polarization, and show that they include Gigahertz-Peaked Spectrum,
Compact Steep Spectrum, and Ultra-Steep Spectrum sources. These results,
together with their WISE infrared colours and radio morphologies, imply that
our sample of IFRSs represents a population of radio-loud Active Galactic
Nuclei at z > 2. We conclude that our sample consists of lower-redshift
counterparts of the extreme first generation IFRSs, suggesting that the fainter
IFRSs are at even higher redshift.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures. Submitted to MNRA
Optically controlled spin-glasses in multi-qubit cavity systems
Recent advances in nanostructure fabrication and optical control, suggest
that it will soon be possible to prepare collections of interacting two-level
systems (i.e. qubits) within an optical cavity. Here we show theoretically that
such systems could exhibit novel phase transition phenomena involving
spin-glass phases. By contrast with traditional realizations using magnetic
solids, these phase transition phenomena are associated with both matter and
radiation subsystems. Moreover the various phase transitions should be tunable
simply by varying the matter-radiation coupling strength.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Catalog of Isolated Galaxies Selected from the 2MASS Survey
We search for isolated galaxies based on the automatic identification of
isolated sources from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) followed by a
visual inspection of their surroundings. We use the modified Karachentseva
criterion to compile a catalog of 3227 isolated galaxies (2MIG), which contains
6% of 2MASS Extended Sources Catalog (or 2MASX) sources brighter than Ks = 12
mag with angular diameters a_K > 30 arcsec. The catalog covers the entire sky
and has an effective depth of z = 0.02. The 2493 very isolated objects of the
catalog, which we include into the 2MVIG catalog, can be used as a reference
sample to investigate the effects of the environment on the structure and
evolution of galaxies located in regions with extremely low density of matter.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figure
Preliminary Results from NEOWISE: An Enhancement to the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer for Solar System Science
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has surveyed the entire sky at four infrared wavelengths with greatly improved sensitivity and spatial resolution compared to its predecessors, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite and the Cosmic Background Explorer. NASA's Planetary Science Division has funded an enhancement to the WISE data processing system called "NEOWISE" that allows detection and archiving of moving objects found in the WISE data. NEOWISE has mined the WISE images for a wide array of small bodies in our solar system, including near-Earth objects (NEOs), Main Belt asteroids, comets, Trojans, and Centaurs. By the end of survey operations in 2011 February, NEOWISE identified over 157,000 asteroids, including more than 500 NEOs and ~120 comets. The NEOWISE data set will enable a panoply of new scientific investigations
Infrared luminosities of galaxies in the Local Volume
Near-infrared properties of 451 galaxies with distances D \leq 10 Mpc are
considered basing on the all-sky two micron survey (2MASS). A luminosity
function of the galaxies in the K-band is derived within [-25,-11] mag. The
local (D < 8 Mpc) luminosity density is estimated to be 6.8*10^8 L_sun/Mpc^3
that exceeds (1.5+-0.1) times the global cosmic density in the K-band. Virial
mass-to-K-luminosity ratios are determined for nearby groups and clusters. In
the luminosity range of (5*10^{10} - 2*10^{13})L_sun, the groups and clusters
follow the relation \lg(M/L_K) propto (0.27+-0.03) lg(L_K) with a scatter of
\~0.1 comparable to errors of the observables. The mean ratio ~=
(20-25) M_sun/L_sun for the galaxy systems turns out to be significantly lower
than the global ratio, (80-90)M_sun/L_sun, expected in the standard
cosmological model with the matter density of Omega_m =0.27. This discrepancy
can be resolved if most of dark matter in the universe is not associated with
galaxies and their systems.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures. Astronomy Letters, submitte
Global anisotropy of arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays: capabilities of space-based detectors
Planned space-based ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray detectors (TUS, JEM-EUSO and
S-EUSO) are best suited for searches of global anisotropies in the distribution
of arrival directions of cosmic-ray particles because they will be able to
observe the full sky with a single instrument. We calculate quantitatively the
strength of anisotropies associated with two models of the origin of the
highest-energy particles: the extragalactic model (sources follow the
distribution of galaxies in the Universe) and the superheavy dark-matter model
(sources follow the distribution of dark matter in the Galactic halo). Based on
the expected exposure of the experiments, we estimate the optimal strategy for
efficient search of these effects.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, iopart style. v.2: discussion of the effect of
the cosmic magnetic fields added; other minor changes. Simulated UHECR
skymaps available at http://livni.inr.ac.ru/UHECRskymaps
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