454 research outputs found
Coordinated Self-Adaptation in Large-Scale Peer-to-Peer Overlays
Self-adaptive systems typically rely on a closed control loop which detects when the current behavior deviates too much from the optimal one, determines new optimal values for system parameters, and applies changes to the system configuration. In decentralized systems, implementing each of these steps is challenging, especially when nodes need to coordinate their local configurations. In this paper, we propose a decentralized method to automatically tune global system parameters in a coordinated manner. We use gossip-based protocols to continuously monitor system properties and to disseminate parameter updates. We show that this method applied to a decentralized resource selection service allows the system to quickly adapt to changes in workload types and node properties, and only incurs a negligible communication overhead
Phase behavior of a system of particles with core collapse
The pressure-temperature phase diagram of a one-component system, with
particles interacting through a spherically symmetric pair potential in two
dimensions is studied. The interaction consists of a hard core plus an
additional repulsion at low energies. It is shown that at zero temperature,
instead of the expected isostructural transition due to core collapse occurring
when increasing pressure, the system passes through a series of ground states
that are not triangular lattices. In particular, and depending on parameters,
structures with squares, chains, hexagons and even quasicrystalline ground
states are found. At finite temperatures the solid-fluid coexistence line
presents a zone with negative slope (which implies melting with decreasing in
volume) and the fluid phase has a temperature of maximum density, similar to
that in water.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures included. To appear in PRE. Some figures in low
quality format. Better ones available upon request from [email protected]
The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution
Plastic pollution and climate change have commonly been treated as two separate issues and sometimes are even seen as competing. Here we present an alternative view that these two issues are fundamentally linked. Primarily, we explore how plastic contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the beginning to the end of its life cycle. Secondly, we show that more extreme weather and floods associated with climate change, will exacerbate the spread of plastic in the natural environment. Finally, both issues occur throughout the marine environment, and we show that ecosystems and species can be particularly vulnerable to both, such as coral reefs that face disease spread through plastic pollution and climate-driven increased global bleaching events. A Web of Science search showed climate change and plastic pollution studies in the ocean are often siloed, with only 0.4% of the articles examining both stressors simultaneously. We also identified a lack of regional and industry-specific life cycle analysis data for comparisons in relative GHG contributions by materials and products. Overall, we suggest that rather than debate over the relative importance of climate change or marine plastic pollution, a more productive course would be to determine the linking factors between the two and identify solutions to combat both crises
Partially directed paths in a wedge
The enumeration of lattice paths in wedges poses unique mathematical
challenges. These models are not translationally invariant, and the absence of
this symmetry complicates both the derivation of a functional recurrence for
the generating function, and solving for it. In this paper we consider a model
of partially directed walks from the origin in the square lattice confined to
both a symmetric wedge defined by , and an asymmetric wedge defined
by the lines and Y=0, where is an integer. We prove that the
growth constant for all these models is equal to , independent of
the angle of the wedge. We derive functional recursions for both models, and
obtain explicit expressions for the generating functions when . From these
we find asymptotic formulas for the number of partially directed paths of
length in a wedge when .
The functional recurrences are solved by a variation of the kernel method,
which we call the ``iterated kernel method''. This method appears to be similar
to the obstinate kernel method used by Bousquet-Melou. This method requires us
to consider iterated compositions of the roots of the kernel. These
compositions turn out to be surprisingly tractable, and we are able to find
simple explicit expressions for them. However, in spite of this, the generating
functions turn out to be similar in form to Jacobi -functions, and have
natural boundaries on the unit circle.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to JCT
From Capillary Condensation to Interface Localization Transitions in Colloid Polymer Mixtures Confined in Thin Film Geometry
Monte Carlo simulations of the Asakura-Oosawa (AO) model for colloid-polymer
mixtures confined between two parallel repulsive structureless walls are
presented and analyzed in the light of current theories on capillary
condensation and interface localization transitions. Choosing a polymer to
colloid size ratio of q=0.8 and studying ultrathin films in the range of D=3 to
D=10 colloid diameters thickness, grand canonical Monte Carlo methods are used;
phase transitions are analyzed via finite size scaling, as in previous work on
bulk systems and under confinement between identical types of walls. Unlike the
latter work, inequivalent walls are used here: while the left wall has a
hard-core repulsion for both polymers and colloids, at the right wall an
additional square-well repulsion of variable strength acting only on the
colloids is present. We study how the phase separation into colloid-rich and
colloid-poor phases occurring already in the bulk is modified by such a
confinement. When the asymmetry of the wall-colloid interaction increases, the
character of the transition smoothly changes from capillary condensation-type
to interface localization-type. The critical behavior of these transitions is
discussed, as well as the colloid and polymer density profiles across the film
in the various phases, and the correlation of interfacial fluctuations in the
direction parallel to the confining walls. The experimental observability of
these phenomena also is briefly discussed.Comment: 36 pages, 15 figure
Surface Grafting of Poly(L-glutamates). 3. Block Copolymerization
This paper describes for the first time the synthesis of surface-grafted AB-block copolypeptides, consisting of poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate) (PBLG) as the A-block and poly(γ-methyl L-glutamate) (PMLG) as the B-block. Immobilized primary amine groups of (γ-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APS) on silicon wafers initiated the ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides of glutamic acid esters (NCAs). After removal of the BLG-NCA monomer solution after a certain reaction time, the amine end groups of the formed PBLG blocks acted as initiators for the second monomers. This method provides the possibility of making layered structures of surface-grafted block copolymers with tuned properties. Ellipsometry and small-angle X-ray reflection (SAXR) measurements revealed the thickness of the polypeptide layers ranging from 45-100 Å of the first block to 140-270 Å for the total block copolypeptides. The chemical composition of the blocks was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, Fourier transform infrared transmission spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed that the polypeptide main chains of both blocks consisted of pure R-helices. The average orientation of the helices ranging from 22-42° with respect to the substrate within the first block to 31-35° in the second block could be derived with FT-IR as well.
Adsorption transition of a self-avoiding polymer chain onto a rigid rod
The subject of this work is the adsorption transition of a long flexible
self-avoiding polymer chain onto a rigid thin rod. The rod is represented by a
cylinder of radius R with a short-ranged attractive surface potential for the
chain monomers. General scaling results are obtained by using renormalization
group arguments in conjunction with available results for quantum field
theories with curved boundaries [McAvity and Osborn 1993 Nucl. Phys. B 394,
728]. Relevant critical exponents are identified and estimated using geometric
arguments.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures. To appear in: J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, special
issue dedicated to Lothar Schaefer on the occasion of his 60th birthda
Effects of polymer polydispersity on the phase behaviour of colloid-polymer mixtures
We study the equilibrium behaviour of a mixture of monodisperse hard sphere
colloids and polydisperse non-adsorbing polymers at their -point, using
the Asakura-Oosawa model treated within the free-volume approximation. Our
focus is the experimentally relevant scenario where the distribution of polymer
chain lengths across the system is fixed. Phase diagrams are calculated using
the moment free energy method, and we show that the mean polymer size at which gas-liquid phase separation first occurs decreases with increasing
polymer polydispersity . Correspondingly, at fixed mean polymer size,
polydispersity favours gas-liquid coexistence but delays the onset of
fluid-solid separation. On the other hand, we find that systems with different
but the same {\em mass-averaged} polymer chain length have nearly
polydispersity-independent phase diagrams. We conclude with a comparison to
previous calculations for a semi-grandcanonical scenario, where the polymer
chemical potentials are imposed, which predicted that fluid-solid coexistence
was over gas-liquid in some areas of the phase diagram. Our results show that
this somewhat counter-intuitive result arose because the actual polymer size
distribution in the system is shifted to smaller sizes relative to the polymer
reservoir distribution.Comment: Changes in v2: sketch in Figure 1 corrected, other figures improved;
added references to experimental work and discussion of mapping from polymer
chain length to effective radiu
Structure of Colloid-Polymer Suspensions
We discuss structural correlations in mixtures of free polymer and colloidal
particles based on a microscopic, 2-component liquid state integral equation
theory. Whereas in the case of polymers much smaller than the spherical
particles the relevant polymer degree of freedom is the center of mass, for
polymers larger than the (nano-) particles conformational rearrangements need
to be considered. They have the important consequence that the polymer
depletion layer exhibits two widely different length scales, one of the order
of the particle radius, the other of the order of the polymer radius or the
polymer density screening length in dilute or semidilute concentrations,
respectively. Their consequences on phase stability and structural correlations
are discussed extensively.Comment: 37 pages, 17 figures; topical feature articl
Continuous Commissioning of Public Schools
Continuous Commissioning (CC) is a proven, highly cost-effective process that can improve building comfort and reduce energy consumption. This paper discusses the CC of three public schools in Austin, Texas. These schools include one high school and two elementary schools, one of which also includes a community center. Major CC measures implemented include resetting supply air temperature, duct static pressure, chilled and hot water loop ?P setpoints, condenser water temperature, and reheat water temperature; optimizing economizer operation and heat recovery unit operation; improving equipment scheduling and staging sequence; and adjusting terminal box air flow settings. Also included are some minor retrofits that convert a few constant volume units to variable air volume units and adjusting the fan pulleys for units that are oversized. Even though all three schools are well maintained, the CC project was able to achieve 10-14% energy reduction, which amounts to an annual cost saving of 201,800, the simple payback is about 2.5 years
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