Effects of demographic noise on the synchronization of a metapopulation in a fluctuating environment

We use the theory of noise-induced phase synchronization to analyze the effects of demographic noise on the synchronization of a metapopulation of predator-prey systems within a fluctuating environment (Moran effect). Treating each local predator–prey population as a stochastic urn model, we derive a Langevin equation for the stochastic dynamics of the metapopulation. Assuming each local population acts as a limit cycle oscillator in the deterministic limit, we use phase reduction and averaging methods to derive the steady state probability density for pairwise phase differences between oscillators, which is then used to determine the degree of synchronization of\ud the metapopulation

A computer-aided design for digital filter implementation

Imperial Users onl

Early life growth patterns persist for 12 years and impact pulmonary outcomes in cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: In children with cystic fibrosis (CF), recovery from growth faltering within 2 years of diagnosis (Responders) is associated with better growth and less lung disease at age 6 years. This study examined whether these benefits are sustained through 12 years of age. METHODS: Longitudinal growth from 76 children with CF enrolled in the Wisconsin CF Neonatal Screening Project was examined and categorized into 5 groups: R12, R6, and R2, representing Responders who maintained growth improvement to age 12, 6, and 2 years, respectively, and I6 and N6, representing Non-responders whose growth did and did not improve during ages 2-6 years, respectively. Lung disease was evaluated by % predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and chest radiograph (CXR) scores. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent were Responders. Within this group, 47% were R12, 28% were R6, and 25% were R2. Among Non-responders, 76% were N6. CF children with meconium ileus (MI) had worse lung function and CXR scores compared to other CF children. Among 53 children with pancreatic insufficiency without MI, R12 had significantly better FEV1 (97-99% predicted) and CXR scores during ages 6-12 years than N6 (89-93% predicted). Both R6 and R2 experienced a decline in FEV1 by ages 10-12 years. CONCLUSIONS: Early growth recovery in CF is critical, as malnutrition during infancy tends to persist and catch-up growth after age 2 years is difficult. The longer adequate growth was maintained after early growth recovery, the better the pulmonary outcomes at age 12 years

Entanglement-Assisted Quantum Error-Correcting Codes with Imperfect Ebits

The scheme of entanglement-assisted quantum error-correcting (EAQEC) codes assumes that the ebits of the receiver are error-free. In practical situations, errors on these ebits are unavoidable, which diminishes the error-correcting ability of these codes. We consider two different versions of this problem. We first show that any (nondegenerate) standard stabilizer code can be transformed into an EAQEC code that can correct errors on the qubits of both sender and receiver. These EAQEC codes are equivalent to standard stabilizer codes, and hence the decoding techniques of standard stabilizer codes can be applied. Several EAQEC codes of this type are found to be optimal. In a second scheme, the receiver uses a standard stabilizer code to protect the ebits, which we call a "combination code." The performances of different quantum codes are compared in terms of the channel fidelity over the depolarizing channel. We give a formula for the channel fidelity over the depolarizing channel (or any Pauli error channel), and show that it can be efficiently approximated by a Monte Carlo calculation. Finally, we discuss the tradeoff between performing extra entanglement distillation and applying an EAQEC code with imperfect ebits.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figure

DDSL: Efficient Subgraph Listing on Distributed and Dynamic Graphs

Subgraph listing is a fundamental problem in graph theory and has wide applications in areas like sociology, chemistry, and social networks. Modern graphs can usually be large-scale as well as highly dynamic, which challenges the efficiency of existing subgraph listing algorithms. Recent works have shown the benefits of partitioning and processing big graphs in a distributed system, however, there is only few work targets subgraph listing on dynamic graphs in a distributed environment. In this paper, we propose an efficient approach, called Distributed and Dynamic Subgraph Listing (DDSL), which can incrementally update the results instead of running from scratch. DDSL follows a general distributed join framework. In this framework, we use a Neighbor-Preserved storage for data graphs, which takes bounded extra space and supports dynamic updating. After that, we propose a comprehensive cost model to estimate the I/O cost of listing subgraphs. Then based on this cost model, we develop an algorithm to find the optimal join tree for a given pattern. To handle dynamic graphs, we propose an efficient left-deep join algorithm to incrementally update the join results. Extensive experiments are conducted on real-world datasets. The results show that DDSL outperforms existing methods in dealing with both static dynamic graphs in terms of the responding time

CFD analysis of jet mixing in low NOx flametube combustors

The Rich-burn/Quick-mix/Lean-burn (RQL) combustor was identified as a potential gas turbine combustor concept to reduce NO(x) emissions in High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) aircraft. To demonstrate reduced NO(x) levels, cylindrical flametube versions of RQL combustors are being tested at NASA Lewis Research Center. A critical technology needed for the RQL combustor is a method of quickly mixing by-pass combustion air with rich-burn gases. Jet mixing in a cylindrical quick-mix section was numerically analyzed. The quick-mix configuration was five inches in diameter and employed twelve radial-inflow slots. The numerical analyses were performed with an advanced, validated 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code named REFLEQS. Parametric variation of jet-to-mainstream momentum flux ratio (J) and slot aspect ratio was investigated. Both non-reacting and reacting analyses were performed. Results showed mixing and NO(x) emissions to be highly sensitive to J and slot aspect ratio. Lowest NO(x) emissions occurred when the dilution jet penetrated to approximately mid-radius. The viability of using 3-D CFD analyses for optimizing jet mixing was demonstrated

H3++H_3^{++} molecular ions can exist in strong magnetic fields

Using the variational method it is shown that for magnetic fields $B\geq 10^{11}$ G there can exist a molecular ion $H_3^{++}$.Comment: LaTeX, 7 pp, 1 table, 4 figures. Title modified. Consideration of the longitudinal size of the system was adde