Mixing of Ground States in Vertex Models

We consider the analogue of the 6-vertex model constructed from alternating spin n/2 and spin m/2 lines, where $1\leq n<m$. We identify the transfer matrix and the space on which it acts in terms of the representation theory of $U_q(sl_2)$. We diagonalise the transfer matrix and compute the S-matrix. We give a trace formula for local correlation functions. When n=1, the 1-point function of a spin m/2 local variable for the alternating lattice with a particular ground state is given as a linear combination of the 1-point functions of the pure spin m/2 model with different ground states. The mixing ratios are calculated exactly and are expressed in terms of irreducible characters of $U_q(sl_2)$ and the deformed Virasoro algebra.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, typos correcte

Classification of phase transitions and ensemble inequivalence, in systems with long range interactions

Systems with long range interactions in general are not additive, which can lead to an inequivalence of the microcanonical and canonical ensembles. The microcanonical ensemble may show richer behavior than the canonical one, including negative specific heats and other non-common behaviors. We propose a classification of microcanonical phase transitions, of their link to canonical ones, and of the possible situations of ensemble inequivalence. We discuss previously observed phase transitions and inequivalence in self-gravitating, two-dimensional fluid dynamics and non-neutral plasmas. We note a number of generic situations that have not yet been observed in such systems.Comment: 42 pages, 11 figures. Accepted in Journal of Statistical Physics. Final versio

Development of a Radio Frequency Remote-Controlled Amphibious Solid Waste Collecting Mobot

Robots in general are used to aid people in different tasks from simple activities to activities that prevent also people from harm. In fields of Robotics it is important that these robots are not complete replacements of humanity but mere tools that will improve human lives and more so save lives if possible. In this paper, the group presented a remote-controlled mobot with amphibious capabilities. The system is accessible through a radio frequency transmitter and receiver which there is an executable file that allows the mobot to be controlled. The characterization of the system and its performance are presented here as well

Glacier expansion in southern Patagonia throughout the Antarctic cold reversal

Resolving debated climate changes in the southern middle latitudes and potential teleconnections between southern temperate and polar latitudes during the last glacial-interglacial transition is required to help understand the cause of the termination of ice ages. Outlet glaciers of the Patagonian Ice Fields are primarily sensitive to atmospheric temperature and also precipitation, thus former ice margins record the extent and timing of past climate changes. 38 10Be exposure ages from moraines show that outlet glaciers in Torres del Paine (51°S, south Patagonia, Chile) advanced during the time of the Antarctic cold reversal (ACR; ca. 14.6–12.8 ka), reaching a maximum extent by ∼14,200 ± 560 yr ago. The evidence here indicates that the South Patagonian Ice Field was responding to late glacial climate change distinctly earlier than the onset of the European Younger Dryas stadial (ca. 12.9 ka). Major glacier recession and deglaciation in the Torres del Paine region occurred by 12.5 ka and thus early in the Younger Dryas. We provide direct evidence for extensive ice in Patagonia at the very start of the ACR that agrees with atmospheric and marine records from the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. Atmospheric conditions responsible for the early late glacial expansion at Torres del Paine resulted from a climate reorganization that prompted a northern migration of the south westerly wind belt to the latitude of Torres del Paine at the onset of the ACR chronozone

Travelling for Umrah:destination attributes, destination image, and post-travel intentions

This paper examines the links between cosmopolitanism, self-identity, and a desire for social interaction perceived destination image and behavioural intentions. A model tested using a sample of 538 Iranian visitors to Mecca for the purpose of Umrah. The result from the structural model suggests that destination attributes influence perceived destination image. Further, such tourists are likely to revisit or recommend Islamic destinations if their experience matches their perceived image of the destination. This implies that, while the religious characteristics of the destination remain important, destination managers cannot disregard the tangential, non-religious attributes of a destination which are crucial in order to satisfy more conventional tourist desires. As such, this study suggests that those managing religious travel destinations should endeavour to foster a welcoming image, where experience, interaction and tolerance are at the forefront of the destination’s offering

Multidecadal observations of the Antarctic ice sheet from restored analog radar records.

Airborne radar sounding can measure conditions within and beneath polar ice sheets. In Antarctica, most digital radar-sounding data have been collected in the last 2 decades, limiting our ability to understand processes that govern longer-term ice-sheet behavior. Here, we demonstrate how analog radar data collected over 40 y ago in Antarctica can be combined with modern records to quantify multidecadal changes. Specifically, we digitize over 400,000 line kilometers of exploratory Antarctic radar data originally recorded on 35-mm optical film between 1971 and 1979. We leverage the increased geometric and radiometric resolution of our digitization process to show how these data can be used to identify and investigate hydrologic, geologic, and topographic features beneath and within the ice sheet. To highlight their scientific potential, we compare the digitized data with contemporary radar measurements to reveal that the remnant eastern ice shelf of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica had thinned between 10 and 33% between 1978 and 2009. We also release the collection of scanned radargrams in their entirety in a persistent public archive along with updated geolocation data for a subset of the data that reduces the mean positioning error from 5 to 2.5 km. Together, these data represent a unique and renewed extensive, multidecadal historical baseline, critical for observing and modeling ice-sheet change on societally relevant timescales

Expression of miR-15/107 Family MicroRNAs in Human Tissues and Cultured Rat Brain Cells

The miR-15/107 family comprises a group of 10 paralogous microRNAs (miRNAs), sharing a 5\u27 AGCAGC sequence. These miRNAs have overlapping targets. In order to characterize the expression of miR-15/107 family miRNAs, we employed customized TaqMan Low-Density micro-fluid PCR-array to investigate the expression of miR-15/107 family members, and other selected miRNAs, in 11 human tissues obtained at autopsy including the cerebral cortex, frontal cortex, primary visual cortex, thalamus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, stomach and skeletal muscle. miR-103, miR-195 and miR-497 were expressed at similar levels across various tissues, whereas miR-107 is enriched in brain samples. We also examined the expression patterns of evolutionarily conserved miR-15/107 miRNAs in three distinct primary rat brain cell preparations (enriched for cortical neurons, astrocytes and microglia, respectively). In primary cultures of rat brain cells, several members of the miR-15/107 family are enriched in neurons compared to other cell types in the central nervous system (CNS). In addition to mature miRNAs, we also examined the expression of precursors (pri-miRNAs). Our data suggested a generally poor correlation between the expression of mature miRNAs and their precursors. In summary, we provide a detailed study of the tissue and cell type-specific expression profile of this highly expressed and phylogenetically conserved family of miRNA genes

Bringing "The Moth" to Light: A Planet-Sculpting Scenario for the HD 61005 Debris Disk

The HD 61005 debris disk ("The Moth") stands out from the growing collection of spatially resolved circumstellar disks by virtue of its unusual swept-back morphology, brightness asymmetries, and dust ring offset. Despite several suggestions for the physical mechanisms creating these features, no definitive answer has been found. In this work, we demonstrate the plausibility of a scenario in which the disk material is shaped dynamically by an eccentric, inclined planet. We present new Keck NIRC2 scattered-light angular differential imaging of the disk at 1.2-2.3 microns that further constrains its outer morphology (projected separations of 27-135 AU). We also present complementary Gemini Planet Imager 1.6 micron total intensity and polarized light detections that probe down to projected separations less than 10 AU. To test our planet-sculpting hypothesis, we employed secular perturbation theory to construct parent body and dust distributions that informed scattered-light models. We found that this method produced models with morphological and photometric features similar to those seen in the data, supporting the premise of a planet-perturbed disk. Briefly, our results indicate a disk parent body population with a semimajor axis of 40-52 AU and an interior planet with an eccentricity of at least 0.2. Many permutations of planet mass and semimajor axis are allowed, ranging from an Earth mass at 35 AU to a Jupiter mass at 5 AU.Comment: Accepted to AJ; added Figure 5 and minor text edit

Genetic effects on tolerance to acute cold stress in red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus L

Abstract Genetic e¡ects on cold-stress tolerance were assessed for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), an economically important sciaenid ¢sh in the southern USA. Thirty¢ve families were generated via &apos;natural&apos;spawning of multiple sets of ¢ve breeders (three dams  two sires) in individual brood tanks. O¡spring from the 35 families were transferred abruptly from an acclimation temperature of $24 1C to 5.7 1C and maintained subsequently at an average temperature of 6.5 1C. O¡spring were assigned a posteriori to individual brood¢sh (dam and sire) based on genotypes at nuclear-encoded microsatellites. Heritability of the survival^time probability function was estimated using a proportional hazard approach and an animaladditive model. The estimated heritability was 0.20 (95% CI: 0.07^0.40), indicating a signi¢cant genetic component to acute cold-stress tolerance in red drum