2,296 research outputs found
Host plant recognition by the root feeding clover weevil, Sitona lepidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
This study investigated the ability of neonatal larvae of the root-feeding weevil, Sitona lepidus Gyllenhal, to locate white clover Trifolium repens L. (Fabaceae) roots growing in soil and to distinguish them from the roots of other species of clover and a co-occurring grass species. Choice experiments used a combination of invasive techniques and the novel technique of high resolution X-ray microtomography to non-invasively track larval movement in the soil towards plant roots. Burrowing distances towards roots of different plant species were also examined. Newly hatched S. lepidus recognized T. repens roots and moved preferentially towards them when given a choice of roots of subterranean clover, Trifolium subterraneum L. (Fabaceae), strawberry clover Trifolium fragiferum L. (Fabaceae), or perennial ryegrass Lolium perenneL. (Poaceae). Larvae recognized T. repens roots, whether released in groups of five or singly, when released 25 mm (meso-scale recognition) or 60 mm (macro-scale recognition) away from plant roots. There was no statistically significant difference in movement rates of larvae
Occlusal Features and Caries Experience of Hong Kong Chinese Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study
published_or_final_versio
Reliability-based code revision for design of pile foundations: Practice in Shanghai, China
AbstractThis paper describes how the code for the design of pile foundations in Shanghai, China is revised based on the reliability theory. With quality static load test data, both within-site and cross-site variabilities for design methods of piles in Shanghai are characterized. It is found that the amount of uncertainties associated with the design of piles in Shanghai is less than the typical values reported in the literature. With the partial factors specified in the previous design code, the reliability indexes of piles designed with empirical methods are in the range of 3.08–4.64, while those of piles designed with the load test-based method are in the range of 5.67–5.89. The load factors in the revised local design code have been reduced according to the national design code. As a result, the resistance factors have been increased in the revised code based on a combination of a reliability analysis and engineering judgment. In the revised design code, the reliability level of piles designed with the empirical methods is similar to that in the previous design code; the reliability level of piles designed with the load test-based method is lowered to achieve cost-effectiveness. Partial factors have been suggested for side and toe resistances based on the reliability theory considering their relative importance as well as the uncertainties involved
Scaling of mean first-passage time as efficiency measure of nodes sending information on scale-free Koch networks
A lot of previous work showed that the sectional mean first-passage time
(SMFPT), i.e., the average of mean first-passage time (MFPT) for random walks
to a given hub node (node with maximum degree) averaged over all starting
points in scale-free small-world networks exhibits a sublinear or linear
dependence on network order (number of nodes), which indicates that hub
nodes are very efficient in receiving information if one looks upon the random
walker as an information messenger. Thus far, the efficiency of a hub node
sending information on scale-free small-world networks has not been addressed
yet. In this paper, we study random walks on the class of Koch networks with
scale-free behavior and small-world effect. We derive some basic properties for
random walks on the Koch network family, based on which we calculate
analytically the partial mean first-passage time (PMFPT) defined as the average
of MFPTs from a hub node to all other nodes, excluding the hub itself. The
obtained closed-form expression displays that in large networks the PMFPT grows
with network order as , which is larger than the linear scaling of
SMFPT to the hub from other nodes. On the other hand, we also address the case
with the information sender distributed uniformly among the Koch networks, and
derive analytically the entire mean first-passage time (EMFPT), namely, the
average of MFPTs between all couples of nodes, the leading scaling of which is
identical to that of PMFPT. From the obtained results, we present that although
hub nodes are more efficient for receiving information than other nodes, they
display a qualitatively similar speed for sending information as non-hub nodes.
Moreover, we show that the location of information sender has little effect on
the transmission efficiency. The present findings are helpful for better
understanding random walks performed on scale-free small-world networks.Comment: Definitive version published in European Physical Journal
Relativistic photoionization cross sections for C II
High resolution measurements of photoionization cross sections for atomic
ions are now being made on synchrotron radiation sources. The recent
measurements by Kjeldsen etal. (1999) showed good agreement between the
observed resonance features and the the theoretical calculations in the close
coupling approximation (Nahar 1995). However, there were several observed
resonances that were missing in the theoretical predictions. The earlier
theoretical calculation was carried out in LS coupling where the relativistic
effects were not included. Present work reports photoionization cross sections
including the relativistic effects in Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM)
approximation. The configuration interaction eigenfunction expansion for the
core ion C III consists of 20 fine structure levels dominated by the
configurations from 1s^22s^2 to 1s^22s3d. Detailed features in the calculated
cross sections exhibit the missing resonances due to fine structure. The
results benchmark the accuracy of BPRM photoionization cross sections as needed
for recent and ongoing experiments.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
Role of fractal dimension in random walks on scale-free networks
Fractal dimension is central to understanding dynamical processes occurring
on networks; however, the relation between fractal dimension and random walks
on fractal scale-free networks has been rarely addressed, despite the fact that
such networks are ubiquitous in real-life world. In this paper, we study the
trapping problem on two families of networks. The first is deterministic, often
called -flowers; the other is random, which is a combination of
-flower and -flower and thus called hybrid networks. The two
network families display rich behavior as observed in various real systems, as
well as some unique topological properties not shared by other networks. We
derive analytically the average trapping time for random walks on both the
-flowers and the hybrid networks with an immobile trap positioned at an
initial node, i.e., a hub node with the highest degree in the networks. Based
on these analytical formulae, we show how the average trapping time scales with
the network size. Comparing the obtained results, we further uncover that
fractal dimension plays a decisive role in the behavior of average trapping
time on fractal scale-free networks, i.e., the average trapping time decreases
with an increasing fractal dimension.Comment: Definitive version published in European Physical Journal
Effective action approach and Carlson-Goldman mode in d-wave superconductors
We theoretically investigate the Carlson-Goldman (CG) mode in two-dimensional
clean d-wave superconductors using the effective ``phase only'' action
formalism. In conventional s-wave superconductors, it is known that the CG mode
is observed as a peak in the structure factor of the pair susceptibility
only just below the transition temperature T_c and only
in dirty systems. On the other hand, our analytical results support the
statement by Y.Ohashi and S.Takada, Phys.Rev.B {\bf 62}, 5971 (2000) that in
d-wave superconductors the CG mode can exist in clean systems down to the much
lower temperatures, . We also consider the manifestations of
the CG mode in the density-density and current-current correlators and discuss
the gauge independence of the obtained results.Comment: 23 pages, RevTeX4, 12 EPS figures; final version to appear in PR
Degree-distribution Stability of Growing Networks
In this paper, we abstract a kind of stochastic processes from evolving
processes of growing networks, this process is called growing network Markov
chains. Thus the existence and the formulas of degree distribution are
transformed to the corresponding problems of growing network Markov chains.
First we investigate the growing network Markov chains, and obtain the
condition in which the steady degree distribution exists and get its exact
formulas. Then we apply it to various growing networks. With this method, we
get a rigorous, exact and unified solution of the steady degree distribution
for growing networks.Comment: 12 page
Relativistic close coupling calculations for photoionization and recombination of Ne-like Fe XVII
Relativistic and channel coupling effects in photoionization and unified
electronic recombination of Fe XVII are demonstrated with an extensive 60-level
close coupling calculation using the Breit-Pauli R-matrix method.
Photoionization and (e + ion) recombination calculations are carried out for
the total and the level-specific cross sections, including the ground and
several hundred excited bound levels of Fe XVII (up to fine structure levels
with n = 10). The unified (e + ion) recombination calculations for (e + Fe
XVIII --> Fe XVII) include both the non-resonant and resonant recombination
(`radiative' and `dielectronic recombination' -- RR and DR). The low-energy and
the high energy cross sections are compared from: (i) a 3-level calculation
with 2s^2p^5 (^2P^o_{1/2,3/2}) and 2s2p^6 (^2S_{1/2}), and (ii) the first
60-level calculation with \Delta n > 0 coupled channels with spectroscopic
2s^2p^5, 2s2p^6, 2s^22p^4 3s, 3p, 3d, configurations, and a number of
correlation configurations. Strong channel coupling effects are demonstrated
throughout the energy ranges considered, in particular via giant
photoexcitation-of-core (PEC) resonances due to L-M shell dipole transition
arrays 2p^5 --> 2p^4 3s, 3d in Fe XIII that enhance effective cross sections by
orders of magnitude. Comparison is made with previous theoretical and
experimental works on photoionization and recombination that considered the
relatively small low-energy region (i), and the weaker \Delta n = 0 couplings.
While the 3-level results are inadequate, the present 60-level results should
provide reasonably complete and accurate datasets for both photoionization and
(e + ion) recombination of Fe~XVII in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, Phys. Rev. A (submitted
Comparisons of self-annealing behaviour of HPT-processed high purity Cu and a Pb–Sn alloy.
Early published results have demonstrated that high purity Cu and a Pb–62% Sn alloy exhibit very different behaviour during high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing at room temperature and subsequent room temperature storage. High purity Cu showed strain hardening behaviour with a refined grain structure during HPT processing whereas a Pb–62% Sn alloy displayed a strain weakening behaviour because the hardness values after HPT processing were significantly lower than in the initial as-cast condition even though the grain size was reduced. During room temperature storage after HPT processing, high purity Cu with lower numbers of rotations softened with the time of storage due to local recrystallization and abnormal grain growth whereas the Pb–62% Sn alloy hardened with the time of storage accompanied by grain growth. Through comparisons and analysis, it is shown that the low absolute melting point and the high homologous temperature at room temperature in the Pb–62% Sn alloy contribute to the increase in hardness with coarsening grain size during room temperature storage
- …