Example of function optimization via hybrid computation

Iterative techniques for function optimization have been considered extensivezy for use in all-digital computation. Relatively little has been done to take advantage of the much higher integration speed of hybrid computation systems. This paper demonstrates application of one simple procedure in a hybrid envi ronment and compares the results to those obtained by an efficient digital procedure. Even though a much more efficient procedure was used on the digital, time-saving factors between 8 and 2 were obtained via the simpler hybrid implementation. Since the dollar cost of the hybrid is much less than that of the digital, the hybrid has a large advantage per solution.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68324/2/10.1177_003754977302100204.pd

Large enhancement of deuteron polarization with frequency modulated microwaves

We report a large enhancement of 1.7 in deuteron polarization up to values of 0.6 due to frequency modulation of the polarizing microwaves in a two liters polarized target using the method of dynamic nuclear polarization. This target was used during a deep inelastic polarized muon-deuteron scattering experiment at CERN. Measurements of the electron paramagnetic resonance absorption spectra show that frequency modulation gives rise to additional microwave absorption in the spectral wings. Although these results are not understood theoretically, they may provide a useful testing ground for the deeper understanding of dynamic nuclear polarization.Comment: 10 pages, including the figures coming in uuencoded compressed tar files in poltar.uu, which also brings cernart.sty and crna12.sty files neede

Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities

Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations1,2,3,4,5,6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees

All-Arthroscopic Osteochondral Autograft Transfer Technique for Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Talus

Juvenile osteochondritis dissecans of the talus can be a challenging condition to treat in young patients. Previously described osteochondral autograft transfer techniques for medial talar lesions have been done via open approach, often requiring medial malleolus osteotomy. The purpose of this article is to present an all-arthroscopic osteochondral autograft transfer technique for a medial talar osteochondritis dissecans lesion in a skeletally immature patient