2,603 research outputs found
A weighted configuration model and inhomogeneous epidemics
A random graph model with prescribed degree distribution and degree dependent
edge weights is introduced. Each vertex is independently equipped with a random
number of half-edges and each half-edge is assigned an integer valued weight
according to a distribution that is allowed to depend on the degree of its
vertex. Half-edges with the same weight are then paired randomly to create
edges. An expression for the threshold for the appearance of a giant component
in the resulting graph is derived using results on multi-type branching
processes. The same technique also gives an expression for the basic
reproduction number for an epidemic on the graph where the probability that a
certain edge is used for transmission is a function of the edge weight. It is
demonstrated that, if vertices with large degree tend to have large (small)
weights on their edges and if the transmission probability increases with the
edge weight, then it is easier (harder) for the epidemic to take off compared
to a randomized epidemic with the same degree and weight distribution. A recipe
for calculating the probability of a large outbreak in the epidemic and the
size of such an outbreak is also given. Finally, the model is fitted to three
empirical weighted networks of importance for the spread of contagious diseases
and it is shown that can be substantially over- or underestimated if the
correlation between degree and weight is not taken into account
Towards gravitationally assisted negative refraction of light by vacuum
Propagation of electromagnetic plane waves in some directions in
gravitationally affected vacuum over limited ranges of spacetime can be such
that the phase velocity vector casts a negative projection on the time-averaged
Poynting vector. This conclusion suggests, inter alia, gravitationally assisted
negative refraction by vacuum.Comment: 6 page
Equivariant cohomology and analytic descriptions of ring isomorphisms
In this paper we consider a class of connected closed -manifolds with a
non-empty finite fixed point set, each of which is totally non-homologous
to zero in (or -equivariantly formal), where . With the
help of the equivariant index, we give an explicit description of the
equivariant cohomology of such a -manifold in terms of algebra, so that we
can obtain analytic descriptions of ring isomorphisms among equivariant
cohomology rings of such -manifolds, and a necessary and sufficient
condition that the equivariant cohomology rings of such two -manifolds are
isomorphic. This also leads us to analyze how many there are equivariant
cohomology rings up to isomorphism for such -manifolds in 2- and
3-dimensional cases.Comment: 20 pages, updated version with two references adde
Order-by-disorder in the antiferromagnetic Ising model on an elastic triangular lattice
Geometrically frustrated materials have a ground-state degeneracy that may be
lifted by subtle effects, such as higher order interactions causing small
energetic preferences for ordered structures. Alternatively, ordering may
result from entropic differences between configurations in an effect termed
order-by-disorder. Motivated by recent experiments in a frustrated colloidal
system in which ordering is suspected to result from entropy, we consider in
this paper, the antiferromagnetic Ising model on a deformable triangular
lattice. We calculate the displacements exactly at the microscopic level, and
contrary to previous studies, find a partially disordered ground state of
randomly zigzagging stripes. Each such configuration is deformed differently
and thus has a unique phonon spectrum with distinct entropy, thus lifting the
degeneracy at finite temperature. Nonetheless, due to the free-energy barriers
between the ground-state configurations, the system falls into a disordered
glassy state.Comment: Accepted to PNA
Coexistence of Ferroelectric Triclinic Phases and Origin of Large Piezoelectric Responses in Highly Strained BiFeO3 films
The structural evolution of the strain-driven morphotropic phase boundary
(MPB) in BiFeO3 films has been investigated using synchrotron x-ray
diffractometry in conjunction with scanning probe microscopy. Our results
demonstrate the existence of mixed-phase regions that are mainly made up of two
heavily tilted ferroelectric triclinic phases. Analysis of first-principles
computations suggests that these two triclinic phases originate from a phase
separation of a single monoclinic state accompanied by elastic matching between
the phase-separated states. These first-principle calculations further reveal
that the intrinsic piezoelectric response of these two low-symmetry triclinic
phases is not significantly large, which thus implies that the ease of phase
transition between these two energetically close triclinic phases is likely
responsible for the large piezoelectric response found in the BiFeO3 films near
its MPB. These findings not only enrich the understandings of the lattice and
domain structure of epitaxial BiFeO3 films but may also shed some light on the
origin of enhanced piezoelectric response near MPB.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures and 1 tabl
On the Crepant Resolution Conjecture in the Local Case
In this paper we analyze four examples of birational transformations between
local Calabi-Yau 3-folds: two crepant resolutions, a crepant partial
resolution, and a flop. We study the effect of these transformations on
genus-zero Gromov-Witten invariants, proving the
Coates-Corti-Iritani-Tseng/Ruan form of the Crepant Resolution Conjecture in
each case. Our results suggest that this form of the Crepant Resolution
Conjecture may also hold for more general crepant birational transformations.
They also suggest that Ruan's original Crepant Resolution Conjecture should be
modified, by including appropriate "quantum corrections", and that there is no
straightforward generalization of either Ruan's original Conjecture or the
Cohomological Crepant Resolution Conjecture to the case of crepant partial
resolutions. Our methods are based on mirror symmetry for toric orbifolds.Comment: 27 pages. This is a substantially revised and shortened version of my
preprint "Wall-Crossings in Toric Gromov-Witten Theory II: Local Examples";
all results contained here are also proved there. To appear in Communications
in Mathematical Physic
Spectral Line-by-Line Pulse Shaping of an On-Chip Microresonator Frequency Comb
We report, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, spectral phase
characterization and line-by-line pulse shaping of an optical frequency comb
generated by nonlinear wave mixing in a microring resonator. Through
programmable pulse shaping the comb is compressed into a train of
near-transform-limited pulses of \approx 300 fs duration (intensity full width
half maximum) at 595 GHz repetition rate. An additional, simple example of
optical arbitrary waveform generation is presented. The ability to characterize
and then stably compress the frequency comb provides new data on the stability
of the spectral phase and suggests that random relative frequency shifts due to
uncorrelated variations of frequency dependent phase are at or below the 100
microHertz level.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure
T helper cell subsets specific for pseudomonas aeruginosa in healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis
Background: We set out to determine the magnitude of antigen-specific memory T helper cell responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in healthy humans and patients with cystic fibrosis.
Methods: Peripheral blood human memory CD4+ T cells were co-cultured with dendritic cells that had been infected with different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The T helper response was determined by measuring proliferation, immunoassay of cytokine output, and immunostaining of intracellular cytokines.
Results: Healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis had robust antigen-specific memory CD4+ T cell responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa that not only contained a Th1 and Th17 component but also Th22 cells. In contrast to previous descriptions of human Th22 cells, these Pseudomonal-specific Th22 cells lacked the skin homing markers CCR4 or CCR10, although were CCR6+. Healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis had similar levels of Th22 cells, but the patient group had significantly fewer Th17 cells in peripheral blood.
Conclusions: Th22 cells specific to Pseudomonas aeruginosa are induced in both healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis. Along with Th17 cells, they may play an important role in the pulmonary response to this microbe in patients with cystic fibrosis and other conditions
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