16,300 research outputs found
Analysis and Optimization of Deep Counterfactual Value Networks
Recently a strong poker-playing algorithm called DeepStack was published,
which is able to find an approximate Nash equilibrium during gameplay by using
heuristic values of future states predicted by deep neural networks. This paper
analyzes new ways of encoding the inputs and outputs of DeepStack's deep
counterfactual value networks based on traditional abstraction techniques, as
well as an unabstracted encoding, which was able to increase the network's
accuracy.Comment: Long version of publication appearing at KI 2018: The 41st German
Conference on Artificial Intelligence
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00111-7_26). Corrected typo in titl
Hot dense capsule implosion cores produced by z-pinch dynamic hohlraum radiation
Hot dense capsule implosions driven by z-pinch x-rays have been measured for
the first time. A ~220 eV dynamic hohlraum imploded 1.7-2.1 mm diameter
gas-filled CH capsules which absorbed up to ~20 kJ of x-rays. Argon tracer atom
spectra were used to measure the Te~ 1keV electron temperature and the ne ~ 1-4
x10^23 cm-3 electron density. Spectra from multiple directions provide core
symmetry estimates. Computer simulations agree well with the peak compression
values of Te, ne, and symmetry, indicating reasonable understanding of the
hohlraum and implosion physics.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Efeito do período pós-parto na fertilidade de vacas de corte submetidas à re-sincronização do estro.
Um grupo de 118 vacas dividido segundo o período pós-parto em G1 (<42 dias pós-parto) e G2 (3 42 dias) foi submetido a sincronização do estro e inseminação artificial em momento pre-estabelecido (IAME). Doze dias depois procedeu-se a re-sincronização com um implante de 6 mg de norgestomet, que foi retirado nove dias depois. Uma segunda IAME foi feita 48 horas depois, apenas nas vacas nao-prenhes a 1 IAME. As vacas do G2 tiveram taxa de prenhez maior na IAME inicial. As taxas de prenhez a 2 IA e cumulativa não deferiram entre grupos
Fully Dynamic Matching in Bipartite Graphs
Maximum cardinality matching in bipartite graphs is an important and
well-studied problem. The fully dynamic version, in which edges are inserted
and deleted over time has also been the subject of much attention. Existing
algorithms for dynamic matching (in general graphs) seem to fall into two
groups: there are fast (mostly randomized) algorithms that do not achieve a
better than 2-approximation, and there slow algorithms with \O(\sqrt{m})
update time that achieve a better-than-2 approximation. Thus the obvious
question is whether we can design an algorithm -- deterministic or randomized
-- that achieves a tradeoff between these two: a approximation
and a better-than-2 approximation simultaneously. We answer this question in
the affirmative for bipartite graphs.
Our main result is a fully dynamic algorithm that maintains a 3/2 + \eps
approximation in worst-case update time O(m^{1/4}\eps^{/2.5}). We also give
stronger results for graphs whose arboricity is at most \al, achieving a (1+
\eps) approximation in worst-case time O(\al (\al + \log n)) for constant
\eps. When the arboricity is constant, this bound is and when the
arboricity is polylogarithmic the update time is also polylogarithmic.
The most important technical developement is the use of an intermediate graph
we call an edge degree constrained subgraph (EDCS). This graph places
constraints on the sum of the degrees of the endpoints of each edge: upper
bounds for matched edges and lower bounds for unmatched edges. The main
technical content of our paper involves showing both how to maintain an EDCS
dynamically and that and EDCS always contains a sufficiently large matching. We
also make use of graph orientations to help bound the amount of work done
during each update.Comment: Longer version of paper that appears in ICALP 201
Controllable Internal Mixing in Coalescing Droplets Induced by The Solutal Marangoni Convection of Surfactants with Distinct Headgroup Architectures
Through several complementary experiments, an investigation of the bulk and interfacial flows that emerged during the coalescence of two water-in-oil droplets with asymmetric compositional properties was performed. By adding surfactant to one of the coalescing droplets and leaving the other surfactant-free, a strong interfacial tension gradient (i.e., solutal Marangoni) driving energy between the merging droplets generated pronounced internal mixing. The contributions of two distinct types of surfactant, anionic ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) and cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on the rate of coalescence bridge expansion and on the generation of opposing flows during coalescence were investigated. All coalescence experiments supported the power law relation between the radius of the expanding connective liquid bridge and time, rb ∝ t1/2. However, the presence of surfactant decreased the magnitude of the prefactor in this relationship due to induced interfacial solutal Marangoni convection. Experiments showed that packing efficiency, diffusivity, and bulk concentration of the selected surfactant are vital in solutal Marangoni convection and thus the degree and timescale of internal mixing between merging droplets, which has yet to be adequately discussed within the literature. Denser interfacial packing efficiency and lower diffusivity of CTAB produced stronger opposing bulk and interfacial flow as well as greater bulk mixing. A discussion of how optimized surfactant selection and solutal Marangoni convection can be used for passively inducing convective mixing between coalescing drops in microfluidic channels when viscosity modulation is not feasible is provided
Rta of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 reactivates the complete lytic cycle from latency
Herpesviruses are characterized as having two distinct life cycle phases: lytic replication and latency. The mechanisms of latency establishment and maintenance, as well as the switch from latency to lytic replication, are poorly understood. Human gammaherpesviruses, including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), also known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), are associated with lymphoproliferative diseases and several human tumors. Unfortunately, the lack of cell lines to support efficient de novo productive infection and restricted host ranges of EBV and HHV-8 make it difficult to explore certain important biological questions. Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68, or γHV68) can establish de novo lytic infection in a variety of cell lines and is also able to infect laboratory mice, offering an ideal model with which to study various aspects of gammaherpesvirus infection. Here we describe in vitro studies of the mechanisms of the switch from latency to lytic replication of MHV-68. An MHV-68 gene, rta (replication and transcription activator), encoded primarily by open reading frame 50 (ORF50), is homologous to the rta genes of other gammaherpesviruses, including HHV-8 and EBV. HHV-8 and EBV Rta have been shown to play central roles in viral reactivation from latency. We first studied the kinetics of MHV-68 rta gene transcription during de novo lytic infection. MHV-68 rta was predominantly expressed as a 2-kb immediate-early transcript. Sequence analysis of MHV-68 rta cDNA revealed that an 866-nucleotide intron 5′ of ORF50 was removed to create the Rta ORF of 583 amino acids. To test the functions of MHV-68 Rta in reactivation, a plasmid expressing Rta was transfected into a latently infected cell line, S11E, which was established from a B-cell lymphoma in an MHV-68-infected mouse. Rta induced expression of viral early and late genes, lytic replication of viral DNA, and production of infectious viral particles. We conclude that Rta alone is able to disrupt latency, activate viral lytic replication, and drive the lytic cycle to completion. This study indicates that MHV-68 provides a valuable model for investigating regulation of the balance between latency and lytic replication in vitro and in vivo
On Random Bubble Lattices
We study random bubble lattices which can be produced by processes such as
first order phase transitions, and derive characteristics that are important
for understanding the percolation of distinct varieties of bubbles. The results
are relevant to the formation of topological defects as they show that infinite
domain walls and strings will be produced during appropriate first order
transitions, and that the most suitable regular lattice to study defect
formation in three dimensions is a face centered cubic lattice. Another
application of our work is to the distribution of voids in the large-scale
structure of the universe. We argue that the present universe is more akin to a
system undergoing a first-order phase transition than to one that is
crystallizing, as is implicit in the Voronoi foam description. Based on the
picture of a bubbly universe, we predict a mean coordination number for the
voids of 13.4. The mean coordination number may also be used as a tool to
distinguish between different scenarios for structure formation.Comment: several modifications including new abstract, comparison with froth
models, asymptotics of coordination number distribution, further discussion
of biased defects, and relevance to large-scale structur
Liquid Crystal WDM filter in Si photonic crystal technology with individual channel fine-tuning capability
We demonstrate a simple, low-cost solution for a single multi-channel WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) filter with fine–tuning capability of individual channels. The filter is based on Si photonic crystal technology and can be integrated with CMOS processes. Although, fabrication technologies of Si integrated WDM systems have significantly advanced over the last decade, the most difficult challenges are posed by wavelength accuracy control as well as wavelength drifts and optical switching time. The proposed novel design of a multichannel integrated filter is based on the 1D silicon photonic crystal (PhC) model. By infiltration of the certain grooves of 1D PhC with matching filler, an efficient coupled Fabry-Pérot microresonator can be realized in which the wide-band stop band (SB) is used for frequency channel separation. By using the commercial nematic liquid crystal 5CB [1], we demonstrated electro-optical switching in the range of 30-50 nanoseconds and the continuous tuning of the individual channels up to 30 % of the channel-spacing. The fabricated multichannel filters have bandwidth of 0.1-0.9 nm with high extinction ration of 20dB at high modulation of reflection/ transmission coefficient. Using the gap map approach as a core engineering tool allows to predict formation and separation of transmission channels within the SBs and, thus, effectively determine the exact design parameters of the optical device. The obtained experimental spectral characteristics in the NIR range around 1.31 and 1.55 μm validated the proposed method and its applicability for the wavelength selective switching (WSS) as well as for the WDM in Si chip optical interconnects. [1] M. W. Geis, T. M. Lyszczarz, R. M. Osgood, and B. R. Kimball, " 30 to 50 ns liquid-crystal optical switches", Opt. Express 18, 18886-18893 (2010)The authors acknowledge the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in
Metamaterials, Exeter, Devon for the continue support in this project
Multichannel Si Photonic Crystal filters with Fine-Tuning Capability of Individual Channels for WDM optical interconnects
This is the author accepted manuscriptWe demonstrate a simple, low-cost solution for a single multi-channel WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) filter with fine-tuning capability at the level of the individual channels. The filter is based on silicon photonic crystal and microfluidic technologies and can be integrated with CMOS processes.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC
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