Quark number Susceptibility and Phase Transition in hQCD Models

We study the quark number susceptibility, an indicator of QCD phase transition, in the hard wall and soft wall models of hQCD. We find that the susceptibilities in both models are the same, jumping up at the deconfinement phase transition temperature. We also find that the diffusion constant in the soft wall model is enhanced compared to the one in the hard wall model.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Selenocysteine modulates resistance to environmental stress and confers anti-aging effects in C. elegans

OBJECTIVE: The free radical theory of aging suggests that cellular oxidative damage caused by free radicals is a leading cause of aging. In the present study, we examined the effects of a well-known anti-oxidant amino acid derivative, selenocysteine, in response to environmental stress and aging using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. METHOD: The response to oxidative stress induced by H2O2 or ultraviolet irradiation was compared between the untreated control and selenocysteine-treated groups. The effect of selenocysteine on lifespan and fertility was then determined. To examine the effect of selenocysteine on muscle aging, we monitored the change in motility with aging in both the untreated control and selenocysteine-treated groups. RESULTS: Dietary supplementation with selenocysteine significantly increased resistance to oxidative stress. Survival after ultraviolet irradiation was also increased by supplementation with selenocysteine. Treatment with selenocysteine confers a longevity phenotype without an accompanying reduction in fertility, which is frequently observed in lifespan-extending interventions as a trade-off in C. elegans. In addition, the age-related decline in motility was significantly delayed by supplementation of selenocysteine. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that dietary supplementation of selenocysteine can modulate response to stressors and lead to lifespan extension, thus supporting the free radical theory of aging

Direct femtosecond observation of the transient intermediate in the α-cleavage reaction of (CH_3)_2CO to 2CH_3+CO: Resolving the issue of concertedness

When a reaction involving two equivalent bonds has sufficient energy to break both of them, it can proceed by either a concerted or a stepwise mechanism. For Norrish type‐I and other reactions, this issue has been controversial since direct time resolution of the individual C–C cleavage events was not possible. Here, for the elementary α‐cleavage of acetone, we report on the femtosecond resolution of the intermediates using mass spectrometry. The results show the nonconcertedness of the reaction, provide the times for the primary and secondary C–C breakage, and indicate the role of electronic structure (σ^*, antibonding impulse) and the vibrational motions involved

Test Platform Development of Vessel???s Power Management System Using Hardware- in-the-Loop-Simulation Technique

A PMS (Power Management System) controls vessel's power systems to improve the system efficiency and to protect a blackout condition. The PMS should be developed with considering the type and the capacity of the vessel???s power system. It is necessary to test the PMS functions developed for vessel???s safe operations under various sailing situations. Therefore, the function tests in cooperation with practical power systems are required in the PMS development. In this paper, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulator is developed for the purposes of the PMS function tests. The HIL simulator can be more cost-effective, more time-saved, easier to reproduce, and safer beyond the normal operating range than conventional off-line simulators, especially at early stages in development processes or during fault tests. Vessel's power system model is developed by using a MATLAB/SIMULINK software and by communicating between an OPAL-RT???s OP5600 simulator. The PMS uses a Modbus communication protocol implemented using LabVIEW software. Representative tests of the PMS functions are performed to verify the validity of the proposed HIL-based test platform

The chiastic inversion in the argument of Romans 2:1−3:9 and the identity of the interlocutor in Romans 2:17−29

This article intends to understand the identity of the interlocutor in Romans 2:17–29 by analysing Paul’s argument design of Romans 2:1–3:9. Specifically, this work will focus on the identity of the interlocutor in Romans 2:17–29. This study detects Paul’s elaborate chiastic structure in Romans 2:1–3:9, and we argue that the identity of the interlocutor should be considered in this structural context. Through our structural analysis, we will more clearly understand the intention of the author regarding the interlocutor. Contrary to the view of Thorsteinsson and Thiessen, it can be inferred that the identity of the interlocutor is not the Jewish proselytes but the Jews on the basis of our structural analysis. In Romans 2:17–29, the identity of the people of God is redefined in terms of the transformation of mind (i.e. the circumcision of the heart), and the discussions on the historical context of the transformation of the mind. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This work challenges the previous understanding of the structural design of the Pauline texts, adding fresh insights on the identity of the interlocutor in Romans 2:17–29. It is expected that studies on the authorial design and its semantic implications are further developed through this work

Illumination invariant head pose estimation using random forests classifier and binary pattern run length matrix

In this paper, a novel approach for head pose estimation in gray-level images is presented. In the proposed algorithm, two techniques were employed. In order to deal with the large set of training data, the method of Random Forests was employed; this is a state-of-the-art classification algorithm in the field of computer vision. In order to make this system robust in terms of illumination, a Binary Pattern Run Length matrix was employed; this matrix is combination of Binary Pattern and a Run Length matrix. The binary pattern was calculated by randomly selected operator. In order to extract feature of training patch, we calculate statistical texture features from the Binary Pattern Run Length matrix. Moreover we perform some techniques to real-time operation, such as control the number of binary test. Experimental results show that our algorithm is efficient and robust against illumination change. © 2014, Kim et al.; licensee Springer.1