678 research outputs found
A Study on the Parallelization of Terrain-Covering Ant Robots Simulations
Agent-based simulation is used as a tool for supporting (time-critical) decision making in differentiated contexts. Hence, techniques for speeding up the execution of agent-based models, such as Parallel Discrete Event Simulation (PDES), are of great relevance/benefit. On the other hand, parallelism entails that the final output provided by the simulator should closely match the one provided by a traditional sequential run. This is not obvious given that, for performance and efficiency reasons, parallel simulation engines do not allow the evaluation of global predicates on the simulation model evolution with arbitrary time-granularity along the simulation time-Axis. In this article we present a study on the effects of parallelization of agent-based simulations, focusing on complementary aspects such as performance and reliability of the provided simulation output. We target Terrain Covering Ant Robots (TCAR) simulations, which are useful in rescue scenarios to determine how many agents (i.e., robots) should be used to completely explore a certain terrain for possible victims within a given time. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
A retrospective comparison of false negative skin test rates in penicillin allergy, using pencilloyl-poly-lysine and minor determinants or Penicillin G, followed by open challenge
A Search for Very Low-mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in the Young sigma Orionis Cluster
We present a CCD-based photometric survey covering 870 sq. arcmin in a young
stellar cluster around the young multiple star sigma Orionis. Our survey
limiting R, I, and Z magnitudes are 23.2, 21.8, and 21.0, respectively. From
our colour-magnitude diagrams, we have selected 49 faint objects, which
smoothly extrapolate the photometric sequence defined by more massive known
members. Adopting the currently accepted age interval of 2-10 Myr for the Orion
1b association and considering recent evolutionary models, our objects may span
a mass range from 0.1 down to 0.02 Msun, well within the substellar regime.
Follow-up low-resolution optical spectroscopy (635-920 nm) for eight of our
candidates (I=16-19.5) shows that they have spectral types M6-M8.5 which are
consistent with the expectations for true members. Compared with their Pleiades
counterparts of similar types, Halpha emission is generally stronger, while NaI
and KI absorption lines appear weaker, as expected for lower surface gravities
and younger ages. Additionally, TiO bands and in particular VO bands appear
clearly enhanced in our candidate with the latest spectral type, SOri 45 (M8.5,
I=19.5), compared to objects of similar types in older clusters and the field.
We have estimated the mass of this candidate at only 0.020-0.040 Msun, hence it
is one of the least massive brown dwarfs yet discovered. We also discuss in
this paper the potential role of deuterium as a tracer of both substellar
nature and age in very young clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Main Journal. 32 pages of text and
tables + 9 pages of figures. Figures 3a and 3b (gif format) provided
separatel
Coexistence of Merons with Skyrmions in the Centrosymmetric van der Waals Ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2
FeGeTe is a centrosymmetric, layered van der Waals (vdW)
ferromagnet that displays Curie temperatures (270-330 K) that are within
the useful range for spintronic applications. However, little is known about
the interplay between its topological spin textures (e.g., merons, skyrmions)
with technologically relevant transport properties such as the topological Hall
effect (THE), or topological thermal transport. Here, we show via
high-resolution Lorentz transmission electron microscopy that merons and
anti-meron pairs coexist with N\'{e}el skyrmions in FeGeTe over a
wide range of temperatures and probe their effects on thermal and electrical
transport. We detect a THE, even at room , that senses merons at higher s
as well as their coexistence with skyrmions as is lowered indicating an
on-demand thermally driven formation of either type of spin texture.
Remarkably, we also observe an unconventional THE in absence of Lorentz force
and attribute it to the interaction between charge carriers and magnetic
field-induced chiral spin textures. Our results expose FeGeTe as a
promising candidate for the development of applications in skyrmionics/meronics
due to the interplay between distinct but coexisting topological magnetic
textures and unconventional transport of charge/heat carriers.Comment: In press. Four figures in the main text. Includes SI file with 19
additional figure
Bacteroides fragilis requires the ferrous-iron transporter FeoAB and the CobN-like proteins BtuS1 and BtuS2 for assimilation of iron released from heme
The intestinal commensal and opportunistic anaerobic pathogen Bacteroides fragilis has an essential requirement for both heme and free iron to support growth in extraintestinal infections. In the absence of free iron, B. fragilis can utilize heme as the sole source of iron. However, the mechanisms to remove iron from heme are not completely understood. In this study, we show that the inner membrane ferrous iron
transporter ∆feoAB mutant strain is no longer able to grow with heme as the sole source of iron. Genetic complementation with the feoAB gene operon completely restored growth. Our data indicate that iron is removed from heme in the periplasmic space, and the released iron is transported by the FeoAB system. Interestingly, when B. fragilis utilizes iron from heme, it releases heme-derived porphyrins by a dechelatase activity which is upregulated under low iron conditions. This is supported by the findings showing that formation of heme-derived porphyrins in the ∆feoAB mutant and the parent strain increased 30-fold and fivefold (respectively) under low iron conditions compared to iron replete conditions. Moreover, the btuS1 btuS2 doublemutant strain (lacking the predicted periplasmic, membrane anchored CobN-like proteins) also showed growth defect with heme as the sole source of iron, suggesting that BtuS1 and BtuS2 are involved in heme-iron assimilation. Though the dechelatase mechanism remains uncharacterized, assays performed in bacterial crude extracts show that BtuS1 and BtuS2 affect the regulation of the dechelatase-specific activities in an iron-dependent manner. These findings suggest that the mechanism to extract iron from heme in Bacteroides requires a group of proteins, which spans the
periplasmic space to make iron available for cellular functions
Anomalous metamagnetism in the low carrier density Kondo lattice YbRh3Si7
We report complex metamagnetic transitions in single crystals of the new low
carrier Kondo antiferromagnet YbRh3Si7. Electrical transport, magnetization,
and specific heat measurements reveal antiferromagnetic order at T_N = 7.5 K.
Neutron diffraction measurements show that the magnetic ground state of
YbRh3Si7 is a collinear antiferromagnet where the moments are aligned in the ab
plane. With such an ordered state, no metamagnetic transitions are expected
when a magnetic field is applied along the c axis. It is therefore surprising
that high field magnetization, torque, and resistivity measurements with H||c
reveal two metamagnetic transitions at mu_0H_1 = 6.7 T and mu_0H_2 = 21 T. When
the field is tilted away from the c axis, towards the ab plane, both
metamagnetic transitions are shifted to higher fields. The first metamagnetic
transition leads to an abrupt increase in the electrical resistivity, while the
second transition is accompanied by a dramatic reduction in the electrical
resistivity. Thus, the magnetic and electronic degrees of freedom in YbRh3Si7
are strongly coupled. We discuss the origin of the anomalous metamagnetism and
conclude that it is related to competition between crystal electric field
anisotropy and anisotropic exchange interactions.Comment: 23 pages and 4 figures in the main text. 7 pages and 5 figures in the
supplementary materia
Cooperation, Norms, and Revolutions: A Unified Game-Theoretical Approach
Cooperation is of utmost importance to society as a whole, but is often
challenged by individual self-interests. While game theory has studied this
problem extensively, there is little work on interactions within and across
groups with different preferences or beliefs. Yet, people from different social
or cultural backgrounds often meet and interact. This can yield conflict, since
behavior that is considered cooperative by one population might be perceived as
non-cooperative from the viewpoint of another.
To understand the dynamics and outcome of the competitive interactions within
and between groups, we study game-dynamical replicator equations for multiple
populations with incompatible interests and different power (be this due to
different population sizes, material resources, social capital, or other
factors). These equations allow us to address various important questions: For
example, can cooperation in the prisoner's dilemma be promoted, when two
interacting groups have different preferences? Under what conditions can costly
punishment, or other mechanisms, foster the evolution of norms? When does
cooperation fail, leading to antagonistic behavior, conflict, or even
revolutions? And what incentives are needed to reach peaceful agreements
between groups with conflicting interests?
Our detailed quantitative analysis reveals a large variety of interesting
results, which are relevant for society, law and economics, and have
implications for the evolution of language and culture as well
Individualization as driving force of clustering phenomena in humans
One of the most intriguing dynamics in biological systems is the emergence of
clustering, the self-organization into separated agglomerations of individuals.
Several theories have been developed to explain clustering in, for instance,
multi-cellular organisms, ant colonies, bee hives, flocks of birds, schools of
fish, and animal herds. A persistent puzzle, however, is clustering of opinions
in human populations. The puzzle is particularly pressing if opinions vary
continuously, such as the degree to which citizens are in favor of or against a
vaccination program. Existing opinion formation models suggest that
"monoculture" is unavoidable in the long run, unless subsets of the population
are perfectly separated from each other. Yet, social diversity is a robust
empirical phenomenon, although perfect separation is hardly possible in an
increasingly connected world. Considering randomness did not overcome the
theoretical shortcomings so far. Small perturbations of individual opinions
trigger social influence cascades that inevitably lead to monoculture, while
larger noise disrupts opinion clusters and results in rampant individualism
without any social structure. Our solution of the puzzle builds on recent
empirical research, combining the integrative tendencies of social influence
with the disintegrative effects of individualization. A key element of the new
computational model is an adaptive kind of noise. We conduct simulation
experiments to demonstrate that with this kind of noise, a third phase besides
individualism and monoculture becomes possible, characterized by the formation
of metastable clusters with diversity between and consensus within clusters.
When clusters are small, individualization tendencies are too weak to prohibit
a fusion of clusters. When clusters grow too large, however, individualization
increases in strength, which promotes their splitting.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
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