575 research outputs found
High-gain nonlinear observer for simple genetic regulation process
High-gain nonlinear observers occur in the nonlinear automatic control theory
and are in standard usage in chemical engineering processes. We apply such a
type of analysis in the context of a very simple one-gene regulation circuit.
In general, an observer combines an analytical differential-equation-based
model with partial measurement of the system in order to estimate the
non-measured state variables. We use one of the simplest observers, that of
Gauthier et al., which is a copy of the original system plus a correction term
which is easy to calculate. For the illustration of this procedure, we employ a
biological model, recently adapted from Goodwin's old book by De Jong, in which
one plays with the dynamics of the concentrations of the messenger RNA coding
for a given protein, the protein itself, and a single metabolite. Using the
observer instead of the metabolite, it is possible to rebuild the non-measured
concentrations of the mRNA and the proteinComment: 9 pages, one figur
Presupernova Structure of Massive Stars
Issues concerning the structure and evolution of core collapse progenitor
stars are discussed with an emphasis on interior evolution. We describe a
program designed to investigate the transport and mixing processes associated
with stellar turbulence, arguably the greatest source of uncertainty in
progenitor structure, besides mass loss, at the time of core collapse. An
effort to use precision observations of stellar parameters to constrain
theoretical modeling is also described.Comment: Proceedings for invited talk at High Energy Density Laboratory
Astrophysics conference, Caltech, March 2010. Special issue of Astrophysics
and Space Science, submitted for peer review: 7 pages, 3 figure
Photoproduction of the f2(1270) resonance
We have performed a calculation of the ÎłpâÏ+Ïâp reaction, where the two pions have been separated in D-wave producing the f2(1270) resonance. We use elements of the local hidden gauge approach that provides the interaction of vector mesons in which the f2(1270) resonance appears as a Ï-Ï molecular state in L=0 and spin 2. The vector meson dominance, incorporated in the local hidden gauge approach converts a photon into a Ï0 meson and the other meson connects the photon with the proton. The picture is simple and has no free parameters, since the parameters of the theory have been constrained in the previous study of the vector-vector states. In a second step we introduce new elements, not present in the local hidden gauge approach, adapting the Ï propagator to Regge phenomenology and introducing the ÏNN tensor coupling. We find that both the differential cross section as well as the t dependence of the cross section are in good agreement with the experimental results and provide support for the molecular picture of the f2(1270) in the first baryonic reaction where it has been tested
Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed
evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the
Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min energy threshold, \nobreak{eV}. The
anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less
than from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc
(using the V\'eron-Cetty and V\'eron catalog). An updated
measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of
cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009.
The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more
precise measurement. The correlating fraction is , compared
with expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early
estimate of . The enlarged set of arrival directions is
examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects:
galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in
hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the
position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions
relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is
shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic
expectation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics on 31 August 201
The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy
cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at
ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development
of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector
comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen
fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this
paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its
optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for
relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the
monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and
precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics
Research Section
Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The advent of the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) necessitates the
development of a powerful framework for the analysis of radio measurements of
cosmic ray air showers. As AERA performs "radio-hybrid" measurements of air
shower radio emission in coincidence with the surface particle detectors and
fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the radio analysis
functionality had to be incorporated in the existing hybrid analysis solutions
for fluoresence and surface detector data. This goal has been achieved in a
natural way by extending the existing Auger Offline software framework with
radio functionality. In this article, we lay out the design, highlights and
features of the radio extension implemented in the Auger Offline framework. Its
functionality has achieved a high degree of sophistication and offers advanced
features such as vectorial reconstruction of the electric field, advanced
signal processing algorithms, a transparent and efficient handling of FFTs, a
very detailed simulation of detector effects, and the read-in of multiple data
formats including data from various radio simulation codes. The source code of
this radio functionality can be made available to interested parties on
request.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM A, 13 pages, minor corrections to
author list and references in v
Search for First Harmonic Modulation in the Right Ascension Distribution of Cosmic Rays Detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present the results of searches for dipolar-type anisotropies in different
energy ranges above eV with the surface detector array of
the Pierre Auger Observatory, reporting on both the phase and the amplitude
measurements of the first harmonic modulation in the right-ascension
distribution. Upper limits on the amplitudes are obtained, which provide the
most stringent bounds at present, being below 2% at 99% for EeV
energies. We also compare our results to those of previous experiments as well
as with some theoretical expectations.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figure
Association of Sex with Neurobehavioral Markers of Executive Function in 2-Year-Olds at High and Low Likelihood of Autism
Importance: Children with autism and their siblings exhibit executive function (EF) deficits early in development, but associations between EF and biological sex or early brain alterations in this population are largely unexplored. Objective: To investigate the interaction of sex, autism likelihood group, and structural magnetic resonance imaging alterations on EF in 2-year-old children at high familial likelihood (HL) and low familial likelihood (LL) of autism, based on having an older sibling with autism or no family history of autism in first-degree relatives. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study assessed 165 toddlers at HL (n = 110) and LL (n = 55) of autism at 4 university-based research centers. Data were collected from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2013, and analyzed between August 2021 and June 2022 as part of the Infant Brain Imaging Study. Main Outcomes and Measures: Direct assessments of EF and acquired structural magnetic resonance imaging were performed to determine frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and total cerebral brain volume. Results: A total of 165 toddlers (mean [SD] age, 24.61 [0.95] months; 90 [54%] male, 137 [83%] White) at HL for autism (n = 110; 17 diagnosed with ASD) and LL for autism (n = 55) were studied. The toddlers at HL for autism scored lower than the toddlers at LL for autism on EF tests regardless of sex (mean [SE] B = -8.77 [4.21]; 95% CI, -17.09 to -0.45; η2p= 0.03). With the exclusion of toddlers with autism, no group (HL vs LL) difference in EF was found in boys (mean [SE] difference, -7.18 [4.26]; 95% CI, 1.24-15.59), but EF was lower in HL girls than LL girls (mean [SE] difference, -9.75 [4.34]; 95% CI, -18.32 to -1.18). Brain-behavior associations were examined, controlling for overall cerebral volume and developmental level. Sex differences in EF-frontal (B [SE] = 16.51 [7.43]; 95% CI, 1.36-31.67; η2p= 0.14) and EF-parietal (B [SE] = 17.68 [6.99]; 95% CI, 3.43-31.94; η2p= 0.17) associations were found in the LL group but not the HL group (EF-frontal: B [SE] = -1.36 [3.87]; 95% CI, -9.07 to 6.35; η2p= 0.00; EF-parietal: B [SE] = -2.81 [4.09]; 95% CI, -10.96 to 5.34; η2p= 0.01). Autism likelihood group differences in EF-frontal (B [SE] = -9.93 [4.88]; 95% CI, -19.73 to -0.12; η2p= 0.08) and EF-parietal (B [SE] = -15.44 [5.18]; 95% CI, -25.86 to -5.02; η2p= 0.16) associations were found in girls not boys (EF-frontal: B [SE] = 6.51 [5.88]; 95% CI, -5.26 to 18.27; η2p= 0.02; EF-parietal: B [SE] = 4.18 [5.48]; 95% CI, -6.78 to 15.15; η2p= 0.01). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of toddlers at HL and LL of autism suggests that there is an association between sex and EF and that brain-behavior associations in EF may be altered in children at HL of autism. Furthermore, EF deficits may aggregate in families, particularly in girls
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