Group testing problems in experimental molecular biology

In group testing, the task is to determine the distinguished members of a set of objects L by asking subset queries of the form ``does the subset Q of L contain a distinguished object?'' The primary biological application of group testing is for screening libraries of clones with hybridization probes. This is a crucial step in constructing physical maps and for finding genes. Group testing has also been considered for sequencing by hybridization. Another important application includes screening libraries of reagents for useful chemically active zones. This preliminary report discusses some of the constrained group testing problems which arise in biology.Comment: 7 page

On fiber diameters of continuous maps

We present a surprisingly short proof that for any continuous map $f : \mathbb{R}^n \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^m$, if $n>m$, then there exists no bound on the diameter of fibers of $f$. Moreover, we show that when $m=1$, the union of small fibers of $f$ is bounded; when $m>1$, the union of small fibers need not be bounded. Applications to data analysis are considered.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

Multi-Transparency Windows and Fano interference Induced by Dipole-Dipole Couplings

We investigate the optical properties of a two-level system (TLS) coupled to a linear series of $N$ other TLS's with dipole-dipole coupling between the first neighbours. The first TLS is probed by weak field and we assume that it has a decay rate much stronger than the decay rates of the other TLS's. For N=1 and in the limit of a probe field much weaker than the dipole-dipole coupling, the optical response of the first TLS, i.e., its absorption and dispersion, are equivalent to those of a three-level atomic system in the configuration which allow one to observe electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon. Thus, here we are investigating a new kind of induced transparency where the dipole-dipole coupling plays the same role of the control field in EIT in three-level atoms. We describe this physical phenomenon, here named as Dipole-Dipole Induced Transparency (DDIT), and investigate how it scales with the number of coupled TLS's. In particular we have shown that the number of TLS's coupled to the main one is exactly equals to the number of transparency windows. The ideas presented here are very general and can be implemented in different physical systems such as array of superconducting qubits, array of quantum dots, spin chains, optical lattices, etc.Comment: 14 pages including the supplementary material and 5 figure

Ergonomic Investigation of Occupational Drivers and Seat Design of Taxicabs in Nigeria

Repetitive trauma disorder and other work related musculoskeletal problems are prevalent among occupational drivers worldwide. This justifies the continue research and development efforts in the area of design of comfortable, safe and effective seat system by the automotive industry. The misfit seat variables are traceable to the difference between the adopted anthropometric measurement and that of the user population in the affected countries where the vehicle are exported. The objective of this paper is to investigate the ergonomic suitability of imported technological system specifically taxicab driver seat in Nigeria. Particular focus was placed to identify seat features that contribute to discomfort and work related MSDs of the operator. The application of participatory ergonomic intervention (PEI) approach is explored to achieve the objectives of this paper

Long-term trends in tropical cyclone tracks around Korea and Japan in late summer and early fall

This study investigates long-term trends in tropical cyclones (TCs) over the extratropical western North Pacific (WNP) over a period of 35 years (1982-2016). The area analyzed extended across 30-45 degrees N and 120-150 degrees E, including the regions of Korea and Japan that were seriously affected by TCs. The northward migration of TCs over the WNP to the mid-latitudes showed a sharp increase in early fall. In addition, the duration of TCs over the WNP that migrated northwards showed an increase, specifically in early to mid-September. Therefore, more recently, TC tracks have been observed to significantly extend into the mid-latitudes. The recent northward extension of TC tracks over the WNP in early fall was observed to be associated with changes in environmental conditions that were favorable for TC activities, including an increase in sea surface temperature (SST), decrease in vertical wind shear, expansion of subtropical highs, strong easterly steering winds, and an increase in relative vorticity. In contrast, northward migrations of TCs to Korea and Japan showed a decline in late August, because of the presence of unfavorable environmental conditions for TC activities. These changes in environmental conditions, such as SST and vertical wind shear, can be partially associated with the Pacific decadal oscillation

A subsystem-independent generalization of entanglement

We introduce a generalization of entanglement based on the idea that entanglement is relative to a distinguished subspace of observables rather than a distinguished subsystem decomposition. A pure quantum state is entangled relative to such a subspace if its expectations are a proper mixture of those of other states. Many information-theoretic aspects of entanglement can be extended to the general setting, suggesting new ways of measuring and classifying entanglement in multipartite systems. By going beyond the distinguishable-subsystem framework, generalized entanglement also provides novel tools for probing quantum correlations in interacting many-body systems.Comment: 5 pages, 1 encapsulated color figure, REVTeX4 styl

Lynching and the Law in Georgia Circa 1931: A Chapter in the Legal Career of Judge Elbert Tuttle

Elbert Parr Tuttle joined the federal bench in 1954, shortly after the Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education. In 1960, he became the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the court with jurisdiction over most of the deep south. As Chief Judge, he forged a jurisprudence that proved effective in overcoming the intransigence and outright rebellion of those who had long denied fundamental constitutional rights to African Americans. This Essay traces an episode that occurred in 1931, when Tuttle spearheaded an effort to obtain a fair trial for John Downer, a black man accused by a white woman of rape. As a National Guard officer, Tuttle joined in an effort that saved Downer from lynching by a mob. He then took up Downer\u27s cause in the courts. Even with the help of a number of highly regarded attorneys, he was unable to save Downer from death in Georgia\u27s electric chair. Tuttle\u27s commitment to obtaining justice for one man, John Downer, would be echoed in a long and distinguished career. Elbert Tuttle died at the age of ninety-eight on June 23, 1996. An editorial in The New York Times commemorating his life and work closed with a fitting epitaph: He brought honor to his calling and justice to millions of Americans