1,273 research outputs found
Two scenarios for avalanche dynamics in inclined granular layers
We report experimental measurements of avalanche behavior of thin granular
layers on an inclined plane for low volume flow rate. The dynamical properties
of avalanches were quantitatively and qualitatively different for smooth glass
beads compared to irregular granular materials such as sand. Two scenarios for
granular avalanches on an incline are identified and a theoretical explanation
for these different scenarios is developed based on a depth-averaged approach
that takes into account the differing rheologies of the granular materials.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted to Phys. Rev. Let
Prevalence and patterns of higher-order drug interactions in Escherichia coli.
Interactions and emergent processes are essential for research on complex systems involving many components. Most studies focus solely on pairwise interactions and ignore higher-order interactions among three or more components. To gain deeper insights into higher-order interactions and complex environments, we study antibiotic combinations applied to pathogenic Escherichia coli and obtain unprecedented amounts of detailed data (251 two-drug combinations, 1512 three-drug combinations, 5670 four-drug combinations, and 13608 five-drug combinations). Directly opposite to previous assumptions and reports, we find higher-order interactions increase in frequency with the number of drugs in the bacteria's environment. Specifically, as more drugs are added, we observe an elevated frequency of net synergy (effect greater than expected based on independent individual effects) and also increased instances of emergent antagonism (effect less than expected based on lower-order interaction effects). These findings have implications for the potential efficacy of drug combinations and are crucial for better navigating problems associated with the combinatorial complexity of multi-component systems
Preference purification and the inner rational agent:A critique of the conventional wisdom of behavioural welfare economics
Neoclassical economics assumes that individuals have stable and context-independent preferences, and uses preference-satisfaction as a normative criterion. By calling this assumption into question, behavioural findings cause fundamental problems for normative economics. A common response to these problems is to treat deviations from conventional rational-choice theory as mistakes, and to try to reconstruct the preferences that individuals would have acted on, had they reasoned correctly. We argue that this preference purification approach implicitly uses a dualistic model of the human being, in which an inner rational agent is trapped in an outer psychological shell. This model is psychologically and philosophically problematic
Automated inspection of solder joints for surface mount technology
Researchers at NASA/GSFC evaluated various automated inspection systems (AIS) technologies using test boards with known defects in surface mount solder joints. These boards were complex and included almost every type of surface mount device typical of critical assemblies used for space flight applications: X-ray radiography; X-ray laminography; Ultrasonic Imaging; Optical Imaging; Laser Imaging; and Infrared Inspection. Vendors, representative of the different technologies, inspected the test boards with their particular machine. The results of the evaluation showed limitations of AIS. Furthermore, none of the AIS technologies evaluated proved to meet all of the inspection criteria for use in high-reliability applications. It was found that certain inspection systems could supplement but not replace manual inspection for low-volume, high-reliability, surface mount solder joints
Single-shot measurement of triplet-singlet relaxation in a Si/SiGe double quantum dot
We investigate the lifetime of two-electron spin states in a few-electron
Si/SiGe double dot. At the transition between the (1,1) and (0,2) charge
occupations, Pauli spin blockade provides a readout mechanism for the spin
state. We use the statistics of repeated single-shot measurements to extract
the lifetimes of multiple states simultaneously. At zero magnetic field, we
find that all three triplet states have equal lifetimes, as expected, and this
time is ~10 ms. At non-zero field, the T0 lifetime is unchanged, whereas the T-
lifetime increases monotonically with field, reaching 3 seconds at 1 T.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, supplemental information. Typos fixed; updated to
submitted versio
Plug flow and the breakdown of Bagnold scaling in cohesive granular flows
Cohesive granular media flowing down an inclined plane are studied by
discrete element simulations. Previous work on cohesionless granular media
demonstrated that within the steady flow regime where gravitational energy is
balanced by dissipation arising from intergrain forces, the velocity profile in
the flow direction scales with depth in a manner consistent with the
predictions of Bagnold. Here we demonstrate that this Bagnold scaling does not
hold for the analogous steady-flows in cohesive granular media. We develop a
generalization of the Bagnold constitutive relation to account for our
observation and speculate as to the underlying physical mechanisms responsible
for the different constitutive laws for cohesive and noncohesive granular
media.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure
Pauli spin blockade and lifetime-enhanced transport in a Si/SiGe double quantum dot
We analyze electron transport data through a Si/SiGe double quantum dot in
terms of spin blockade and lifetime-enhanced transport (LET), which is
transport through excited states that is enabled by long spin relaxation times.
We present a series of low-bias voltage measurements showing the sudden
appearance of a strong tail of current that we argue is an unambiguous
signature of LET appearing when the bias voltage becomes greater than the
singlet-triplet splitting for the (2,0) electron state. We present eight
independent data sets, four in the forward bias (spin-blockade) regime and four
in the reverse bias (lifetime-enhanced transport) regime, and show that all
eight data sets can be fit to one consistent set of parameters. We also perform
a detailed analysis of the reverse bias (LET) regime, using transport rate
equations that include both singlet and triplet transport channels. The model
also includes the energy dependent tunneling of electrons across the quantum
barriers, and resonant and inelastic tunneling effects. In this way, we obtain
excellent fits to the experimental data, and we obtain quantitative estimates
for the tunneling rates and transport currents throughout the reverse bias
regime. We provide a physical understanding of the different blockade regimes
and present detailed predictions for the conditions under which LET may be
observed.Comment: published version, 18 page
The habitats humans provide:factors affecting the diversity and composition of arthropods in houses
Abstract The indoor biome is a novel habitat which recent studies have shown exhibit not only high microbial diversity, but also high arthropod diversity. Here, we analyze findings from a survey of 50 houses (southeastern USA) within the context of additional survey data concerning house and room features, along with resident behavior, to explore how arthropod diversity and community composition are influenced by physical aspects of rooms and their usage, as well as the lifestyles of human residents. We found that indoor arthropod diversity is strongly influenced by access to the outdoors and carpeted rooms hosted more types of arthropods than non-carpeted rooms. Arthropod communities were similar across most room types, but basements exhibited more unique community compositions. Resident behavior such as house tidiness, pesticide usage, and pet ownership showed no significant influence on arthropod community composition. Arthropod communities across all rooms in houses exhibit trophic structure—with both generalized predators and scavengers included in the most frequently found groups. These findings suggest that indoor arthropods serve as a connection to the outdoors, and that there is still much yet to be discovered about their impact on indoor health and the unique ecological dynamics within our homes
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Tidal Modulation of Ice Streams: Effect of Periodic Sliding Velocity on Ice Friction and Healing
This is an experimental study of how temperature, normal stress and and a periodic forcing velocity influence ice-on-rock friction. The motivation for the study is that many glaciers and ice streams show downstream velocities that are modulated by the tides, but with various sensitivities and styles of sliding. We found that by varying amplitude and frequency we could replicate the entire slip response of glaciers, including stick-slip, earthquake-like behavior
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