Experimental evidence for the interplay between individual wealth and transaction network

We conduct a market experiment with human agents in order to explore the structure of transaction networks and to study the dynamics of wealth accumulation. The experiment is carried out on our platform for 97 days with 2,095 effective participants and 16,936 times of transactions. From these data, the hybrid distribution (log-normal bulk and power-law tail) in the wealth is observed and we demonstrate that the transaction networks in our market are always scale-free and disassortative even for those with the size of the order of few hundred. We further discover that the individual wealth is correlated with its degree by a power-law function which allows us to relate the exponent of the transaction network degree distribution to the Pareto index in wealth distribution.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

The role of the Treaty of Waitangi in contemporary public law : does the Treaty have to be incorporated into municipal law to be of effect?

Recent work on Al-Cu-Mg based alloys with Cu:Mg atomic ratio close to unity is reviewed to clarify the mechanisms for age hardening. During the first stage of hardening a substantial exothermic heat evolution occurs whilst the microstructural change involves the formation of initially Cu-rich / Mg-rich clusters and later Cu-Mg co-clusters. The data show that the first stage of the age hardening is due to the formation of Cu-Mg co-clusters. The combined experimental methods show the second stage hardening is dominated by formation of S phase, which forms a dense precipitation at the peak hardness stage, whilst no significant amounts of other phases or zones are detected. S phase strengthens the alloy predominantly through the Orowan looping mechanism. These findings are incorporated into a multi-phase, multi-mechanism model for yield strength of Al-Cu-Mg based alloys

Micro flow synthesis enabled by a supported aqueous phase catalyst coating

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Accounting for variability in the detection and use of markers for simple and complex traits

There are many sources of variability in gene–phenotype associations. During the measurement of genotype and phenotype and during selection, researchers must deal with experimental error in trials; gene-gene interaction (epistasis) for sub-traits and observed traits; trait-trait interaction (pleiotropy) and gene- or genotype-by-environment interaction. These effects can be structured in a framework that allows simulation of the entire gene-environment ‘landscape’. Studies of these landscapes have been published by others. Here we aim to explain with simple examples some of the types of insights that can be made. A current challenge for breeders working with simple marker–phenotype associations is to design selection strategies that can rapidly create new combinations of multiple marker-based traits. For a real-world example in wheat, we have used simulation to show how gene enrichment during early generations (selection of homozygotes and heterozygotes with desirable alleles) can greatly reduce resource requirements when combining 9 genes into one genotype through marker-assisted selection. Another wheat example compares phenotypic and QTL-based selection for coleoptile length where the QTL also had a pleiotropic association with plant height. These simulations show the relative negative effects of either low heritability, or less than complete detection of QTL associated with traits. Finally, we revisit a marker-assisted selection (MAS) example whereby a QTL study is undertaken on a population for a complex trait, and then those QTL are used in selection. This process is subject to all sources of error described above. If the trait is complex, then interactions among sub-traits; between sub-traits and the environment; or between the chromosomal locations of controlling genes, create an extremely ‘rugged’ selection landscape that slows breeding progress. In this situation, a detailed understanding of some of these interactions is required if MAS is to be able to exceed the progress of conventional breedin

SnapShot: Lysine Methylation beyond Histones

Lysine methylation is a prevalent post-translational modification (PTM) used by the cell to reversibly regulate protein function. Although it has been extensively studied in the context of histones and the associated chromatin, the remaining methyllysine proteome remains largely unexplored. This SnapShot provides an overview of the current state of lysine methylation research and its emergence as a dynamic PTM occurring on histone and non-histone proteins. Lysine methylation is a prevalent post-translational modification (PTM) used by the cell to reversibly regulate protein function. Although it has been extensively studied in the context of histones and the associated chromatin, the remaining methyllysine proteome remains largely unexplored. This SnapShot provides an overview of the current state of lysine methylation research and its emergence as a dynamic PTM occurring on histone and non-histone proteins

A view through novel process windows

This mini-review discusses some of the recent work on novel process windows by the Micro Flow Chemistry and Process Technology group at the Eindhoven University of Technology, and their associates. Novel process windows consist of unconventional approaches to boost chemical production, often requiring harsh reaction conditions at short to very short time-scales. These approaches are divided into six routes: the use of high temperatures, high pressures, and high concentrations (or solvent-free), new chemical transformations, explosive conditions, and process simplification and integration. Microstructured reactors, due to their inherent safety, short time-scales, and the high degree of process control, are the means that make such extreme chemistry possible

Adiabatic evolution under quantum control

One of the difficulties in adiabatic quantum computation is the limit on the computation time. Here we propose two schemes to speed-up the adiabatic evolution. To apply this controlled adiabatic evolution to adiabatic quantum computation, we design one of the schemes without any prior knowledge of the instantaneous eigenstates of the final Hamiltonian. Whereas in another scheme, the control is constructed with the instantaneous eigenstate that is the target state of the control. As an illustration, we study a two-level system driven by a time-dependent magnetic field under the control. The physics behind the control scheme is explained.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Fluorescence spectra and elastic scattering characteristics of atmospheric aerosol in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA: Variability of concentrations and possible constituents and sources of particles in various spectral clusters

The UV-excited laser-induced-fluorescence (UV-LIF) spectra of single atmospheric particles and the three-band integrating-nephelometer elastic scattering of atmospheric aerosol were measured during four approximately 24-h periods on May 2007 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. Aerosol scattering measurements in the nephelometer red channel (50-nm band centered at 700-nm) ranged from around 3e10 times the molecular (Rayleigh) scattering background. On average 22.8% of particles with size greater than about 1 μm diameter have fluorescence above a preset fluorescence threshold. A hierarchical cluster analysis indicates that most of the single-particle UV-LIF spectra fall into about 10 categories (spectral clusters) as found previously at other geographic sites (Pinnick et al., 2004; Pan et al., 2007). The clusters include spectra characteristic of various humic/fulvic acids, humic-like-substances (HULIS), chemically aged terpenes, fungal spores, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bacteria, cellulose/ pollens, and mixtures of various organic carbon compounds. By far the most populated cluster category is similar to those of chemically aged terpenes/humic-materials; on average this population comprises about 62% of fluorescent particles. Clusters with spectra similar to that of some HULIS aerosol contain on average 10.0% of particles; those characteristic of some fungal spores (or perhaps mixtures of aromatic organic compounds) 8.4% of particles; bacteria-like spectra 1.6% of particles; and cellulose/pollen-like spectra 0.8% of particles. Measurements of fluorescent particles over relatively short (24 min) periods reveal that the concentrations of particles in the most populated clusters are highly correlated, suggesting that the particles populating them derive from the same region; these particles might be composed of crustal material coated with secondary organic carbon. On the other hand, concentrations of particles having cellulose-like spectra are generally uncorrelated with those in any other cluster. No clear distinction in fluorescent aerosol characteristics can be seen for different air mass trajectories arriving at the sampling site, suggesting that fluorescent aerosol particles are primarily of local origin. Integrations of the single-particle UV-LIF spectra over approximate 24 h time intervals reveal two broad peaks around 350 nm and 450 nm (for 263 nm excitation); the 450 nm peak is somewhat similar to that measured previously for water soluble organic carbon derived from aerosol collections. The 350 nm peak apparently has not been seen before in measurements of aerosol collections and may derive from nonsoluble primary biological aerosol particles such as fungal spores. Further measurements are needed to investigate in more detail the generality of these results

Identification of Species of Botryosphaeriaceae Causing Bot Gummosis in Citrus in California

Members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family are known to cause Bot gummosis on many woody plants worldwide. To identify pathogens associated with Bot gummosis on citrus in California, scion and rootstock samples were collected in 2010 and 2011 from five citrusgrowing counties in California. Symptoms observed on citrus included branch cankers, dieback, and gumming. Various fungal species were recovered from necrotic tissues of branch canker and rootstock samples. Species were identified morphologically and by phylogenetic comparison as ‘Eureka’ lemon, ‘Valencia’, ‘Washington Navel’, ‘Fukumoto’, grapefruit, ‘Satsuma’, and ‘Meyer’ lemon. Species were identified morphologically and by phylogenetic comparison of the complete sequence of the internal transcribed spacer regions, β-tubulin gene, and elongation factor α-1 genes with those of other species in GenBank. A consensus-unrooted most parsimonious tree resulting from multigene phylogenetic analysis showed the existence of three major clades in the Botryosphaeriaceae family. In total, 74 isolates were identified belonging to the Botryosphaeriaceae family, with Neofusicoccum spp., Dothiorella spp., Diplodia spp., (teleomorph Botryosphaeria), Lasiodiplodia spp., and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (teleomorphs unknown) accounting for 39, 25, 23, 10, and 3% of the total, respectively. On inoculated Eureka lemon shoots, lesion length was significantly different (P \u3c 0.05) among 14 isolates recovered from portions of cankered tissues of the original trees. Lesion lengths were significantly longer (P \u3c 0.05) for shoots inoculated with isolates of Neofusicoccum luteum and shorter for shoots inoculated with isolates of Dothiorella viticola (P \u3c 0.05) than those of other species. Identifying the distribution and occurrence of these fungal pathogens associated with Bot gummosis is useful for management applications during occasional outbreaks in California