1,853 research outputs found
Correlations, fluctuations and stability of a finite-size network of coupled oscillators
The incoherent state of the Kuramoto model of coupled oscillators exhibits
marginal modes in mean field theory. We demonstrate that corrections due to
finite size effects render these modes stable in the subcritical case, i.e.
when the population is not synchronous. This demonstration is facilitated by
the construction of a non-equilibrium statistical field theoretic formulation
of a generic model of coupled oscillators. This theory is consistent with
previous results. In the all-to-all case, the fluctuations in this theory are
due completely to finite size corrections, which can be calculated in an
expansion in 1/N, where N is the number of oscillators. The N -> infinity limit
of this theory is what is traditionally called mean field theory for the
Kuramoto model.Comment: 25 pages (2 column), 12 figures, modifications for resubmissio
Dissociation of circadian and circatidal time-keeping in the marine crustacean Eurydice pulchra
BACKGROUND: Tidal (12.4 hr) cycles of behavior and physiology adapt intertidal organisms to temporally complex coastal environments, yet their underlying mechanism is unknown. However, the very existence of an independent âcircatidalâ clock has been disputed, and it has been argued that tidal rhythms arise as a submultiple of a circadian clock, operating in dual oscillators whose outputs are held in antiphase i.e., âŒ12.4 hr apart. RESULTS: We demonstrate that the intertidal crustacean Eurydice pulchra (Leach) exhibits robust tidal cycles of swimming in parallel to circadian (24 hr) rhythms in behavioral, physiological and molecular phenotypes. Importantly, âŒ12.4 hr cycles of swimming are sustained in constant conditions, they can be entrained by suitable stimuli, and they are temperature compensated, thereby meeting the three criteria that define a biological clock. Unexpectedly, tidal rhythms (like circadian rhythms) are sensitive to pharmacological inhibition of Casein kinase 1, suggesting the possibility of shared clock substrates. However, cloning the canonical circadian genes of E. pulchra to provide molecular markers of circadian timing and also reagents to disrupt it by RNAi revealed that environmental and molecular manipulations that confound circadian timing do not affect tidal timing. Thus, competent circadian timing is neither an inevitable nor necessary element of tidal timekeeping. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that tidal rhythms are driven by a dedicated circatidal pacemaker that is distinct from the circadian system of E. pulchra, thereby resolving a long-standing debate regarding the nature of the circatidal mechanism
Statistical Properties of Galactic Starlight Polarization
We present a statistical analysis of Galactic interstellar polarization from
the largest compilation available of starlight data. The data comprises ~ 9300
stars of which we have selected ~ 5500 for our analysis. We find a nearly
linear growth of mean polarization degree with extinction. The amplitude of
this correlation shows that interstellar grains are not fully aligned with the
Galactic magnetic field, which can be interpreted as the effect of a large
random component of the field. In agreement with earlier studies of more
limited scope, we estimate the ratio of the uniform to the random
plane-of-the-sky components of the magnetic field to be B_u/B_r = 0.8.
Moreover, a clear correlation exists between polarization degree and
polarization angle what provides evidence that the magnetic field geometry
follows Galactic structures on large-scales. The angular power spectrum C_l of
the starlight polarization degree for Galactic plane data (|b| < 10 deg) is
consistent with a power-law, C_l ~ l^{-1.5} (where l ~ 180 deg/\theta is the
multipole order), for all angular scales \theta > 10 arcmin. An investigation
of sparse and inhomogeneous sampling of the data shows that the starlight data
analyzed traces an underlying polarized continuum that has the same power
spectrum slope, C_l ~ l^{-1.5}. Our findings suggest that starlight data can be
safely used for the modeling of Galactic polarized continuum emission at other
wavelengths.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figures. Minor corrections and some clarifications
included. Matches version accepted for publication by the Astrophysical
Journa
A Search for Small-Scale Clumpiness in Dense Cores of Molecular Clouds
We have analyzed HCN(1-0) and CS(2-1) line profiles obtained with high
signal-to-noise ratios toward distinct positions in three selected objects in
order to search for small-scale structure in molecular cloud cores associated
with regions of high-mass star formation. In some cases, ripples were detected
in the line profiles, which could be due to the presence of a large number of
unresolved small clumps in the telescope beam. The number of clumps for regions
with linear scales of ~0.2-0.5 pc is determined using an analytical model and
detailed calculations for a clumpy cloud model; this number varies in the
range: ~2 10^4-3 10^5, depending on the source. The clump densities range from
~3 10^5-10^6 cm^{-3}, and the sizes and volume filling factors of the clumps
are ~(1-3) 10^{-3} pc and ~0.03-0.12. The clumps are surrounded by inter-clump
gas with densities not lower than ~(2-7) 10^4 cm^{-3}. The internal thermal
energy of the gas in the model clumps is much higher than their gravitational
energy. Their mean lifetimes can depend on the inter-clump collisional rates,
and vary in the range ~10^4-10^5 yr. These structures are probably connected
with density fluctuations due to turbulence in high-mass star-forming regions.Comment: 23 pages including 4 figures and 4 table
On the Conformal forms of the Robertson-Walker metric
All possible transformations from the Robertson-Walker metric to those
conformal to the Lorentz-Minkowski form are derived. It is demonstrated that
the commonly known family of transformations and associated conformal factors
are not exhaustive and that there exists another relatively less well known
family of transformations with a different conformal factor in the particular
case that K = -1. Simplified conformal factors are derived for the special case
of maximally-symmetric spacetimes. The full set of all possible
cosmologically-compatible conformal forms is presented as a comprehensive
table. A product of the analysis is the determination of the set-theoretical
relationships between the maximally symmetric spacetimes, the Robertson-Walker
spacetimes, and functionally more general spacetimes. The analysis is preceded
by a short historical review of the application of conformal metrics to
Cosmology.Comment: Historical review added. Accepted by J. Math. Phy
Evaluation of early and late presentation of patients with ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid to two major tertiary referral hospitals in the United Kingdom
PURPOSE: Ocular mucous membrane pemphigoid (OcMMP) is a sight-threatening autoimmune disease in which referral to specialists units for further management is a common practise. This study aims to describe referral patterns, disease phenotype and management strategies in patients who present with either early or established disease to two large tertiary care hospitals in the United Kingdom.\ud
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PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 54 consecutive patients with a documented history of OcMMP were followed for 24 months. Two groups were defined: (i) early-onset disease (EOD:<3 years, n=26, 51 eyes) and (ii) established disease (EstD:>5 years, n=24, 48 eyes). Data were captured at first clinic visit, and at 12 and 24 months follow-up. Information regarding duration, activity and stage of disease, visual acuity (VA), therapeutic strategies and clinical outcome were analysed.\ud
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RESULTS: Patients with EOD were younger and had more severe conjunctival inflammation (76% of inflamed eyes) than the EstD group, who had poorer VA (26.7%=VA<3/60, P<0.01) and more advanced disease. Although 40% of patients were on existing immunosuppression, 48% required initiation or switch to more potent immunotherapy. In all, 28% (14) were referred back to the originating hospitals for continued care. Although inflammation had resolved in 78% (60/77) at 12 months, persistence of inflammation and progression did not differ between the two phenotypes. Importantly, 42% demonstrated disease progression in the absence of clinically detectable inflammation.\ud
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CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight that irrespective of OcMMP phenotype, initiation or escalation of potent immunosuppression is required at tertiary hospitals. Moreover, the conjunctival scarring progresses even when the eye remains clinically quiescent. Early referral to tertiary centres is recommended to optimise immunosuppression and limit long-term ocular damage.\ud
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Colony-Level Effects of Amygdalin on Honeybees and Their Microbes
Amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside, is found in the nectar and pollen of almond trees, as well as in a variety of other crops, such as cherries, nectarines, apples and others. It is inevitable that western honeybees (Apis mellifera) consistently consume amygdalin during almond pollination season because almond crops are almost exclusively pollinated by honeybees. This study tests the effects of a field-relevant concentration of amygdalin on honeybee microbes and the activities of key honeybee genes. We executed a two-month field trial providing sucrose solutions with or without amygdalin ad libitum to free-flying honeybee colonies. We collected adult worker bees at four time points and used RNA sequencing technology and our HoloBee database to assess global changes in microbes and honeybee transcripts. Our hypothesis was that amygdalin will negatively affect bee microbes and possibly immune gene regulation. Using a log2 fold-change cutoff at two and intraday comparisons, we show no large change of bacterial counts, fungal counts or key bee immune gene transcripts, due to amygdalin treatment in relation to the control. However, relatively large titer decreases in the amygdalin treatment relative to the control were found for several viruses. Chronic bee paralysis virus levels had a sharp decrease (â14.4) with titers then remaining less than the control, Black queen cell virus titers were lower at three time points (\u3câ2) and Deformed wing virus titers were lower at two time points (\u3câ6) in amygdalin-fed compared to sucrose-fed colonies. Titers of Lotmaria passim were lower in the treatment group at three of the four dates (\u3câ4). In contrast, Sacbrood virus had two dates with relative increases in its titers (\u3e2). Overall, viral titers appeared to fluctuate more so than bacteria, as observed by highly inconstant patterns between treatment and control and throughout the season. Our results suggest that amygdalin consumption may reduce several honeybee viruses without affecting other microbes or colony-level expression of immune genes
Simulated ecology-driven sympatric speciation
We introduce a multi-locus genetically acquired phenotype, submitted to
mutations and with selective value, in an age-structured model for biological
aging. This phenotype describes a single-trait effect of the environment on an
individual, and we study the resulting distribution of this trait among the
population. In particular, our simulations show that the appearance of a double
phenotypic attractor in the ecology induces the emergence of a stable
polymorphism, as observed in the Galapagos finches. In the presence of this
polymorphism, the simulations generate short-term speciation, when mating
preferences are also allowed to suffer mutations and acquire selective value.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, uses package RevTe
The Self Model and the Conception of Biological Identity in Immunology
The self/non-self model, first proposed by F.M. Burnet, has dominated immunology for sixty years now. According to this model, any foreign element will trigger an immune reaction in an organism, whereas endogenous elements will not, in normal circumstances, induce an immune reaction. In this paper we show that the self/non-self model is no longer an appropriate explanation of experimental data in immunology, and that this inadequacy may be rooted in an excessively strong metaphysical conception of biological identity. We suggest that another hypothesis, one based on the notion of continuity, gives a better account of immune phenomena. Finally, we underscore the mapping between this metaphysical deflation from self to continuity in immunology and the philosophical debate between substantialism and empiricism about identity
Probing the last scattering surface through the recent and future CMB observations
We have constrained the extended (delayed and accelerated) models of hydrogen
recombination, by investigating associated changes of the position and the
width of the last scattering surface. Using the recent CMB and SDSS data, we
find that the recent data constraints favor the accelerated recombination
model, though the other models (standard, delayed recombination) are not ruled
out at 1- confidence level. If the accelerated recombination had
actually occurred in our early Universe, baryonic clustering on small-scales is
likely to be the cause of it. By comparing the ionization history of baryonic
cloud models with that of the best-fit accelerated recombination model, we find
that some portion of our early Universe has baryonic underdensity. We have made
the forecast on the PLANCK data constraint, which shows that we will be able to
rule out the standard or delayed recombination models, if the recombination in
our early Universe had proceeded with or lower, and
residual foregrounds and systematic effects are negligible.Comment: v2: matched with the accepted version (conclusions unchanged
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