680 research outputs found

    Distance, dissimilarity index, and network community structure

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    We address the question of finding the community structure of a complex network. In an earlier effort [H. Zhou, {\em Phys. Rev. E} (2003)], the concept of network random walking is introduced and a distance measure defined. Here we calculate, based on this distance measure, the dissimilarity index between nearest-neighboring vertices of a network and design an algorithm to partition these vertices into communities that are hierarchically organized. Each community is characterized by an upper and a lower dissimilarity threshold. The algorithm is applied to several artificial and real-world networks, and excellent results are obtained. In the case of artificially generated random modular networks, this method outperforms the algorithm based on the concept of edge betweenness centrality. For yeast's protein-protein interaction network, we are able to identify many clusters that have well defined biological functions.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, REVTeX4 forma

    What can the braking indices tell us about pulsars' nature?

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    As a result of observational difficulties, braking indices of only six rotation-powered pulsars are obtained with certainty, all of which are remarkably smaller than the value (n=3n=3) expected for pure magnetodipole radiation model. This is still a real fundamental question not being well answered after nearly forty years of the discovery of pulsar. The main problem is that we are shamefully not sure about the dominant mechanisms that result in pulsars' spin-down. Based on the previous works, the braking index is re-examined, with a conclusion of suggesting a constant gap potential drop for pulsars with magnetospheric activities. New constrains on model parameters from observed braking indices are presented.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to "Advances in Space Research" (Proceedings of COSPAR 2006

    Network Landscape from a Brownian Particle's Perspective

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    Given a complex biological or social network, how many clusters should it be decomposed into? We define the distance di,jd_{i,j} from node ii to node jj as the average number of steps a Brownian particle takes to reach jj from ii. Node jj is a global attractor of ii if di,j≤di,kd_{i,j}\leq d_{i,k} for any kk of the graph; it is a local attractor of ii, if j∈Eij\in E_i (the set of nearest-neighbors of ii) and di,j≤di,ld_{i,j}\leq d_{i,l} for any l∈Eil\in E_i. Based on the intuition that each node should have a high probability to be in the same community as its global (local) attractor on the global (local) scale, we present a simple method to uncover a network's community structure. This method is applied to several real networks and some discussion on its possible extensions is made.Comment: 5 pages, 4 color-figures. REVTeX 4 format. To appear in PR

    The benefits of intermittent fasting: A review of possible mechanisms on central neurological disorders

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    Intermittent fasting (IF) is a dietary strategy that involves alternating periods of abstention from calorie consumption with periods of ad libitum food intake and has been shown to have beneficial effects in many ways. Recent studies have shown that IF attenuates neurodegeneration and improves cognitive decline, enhances functional recovery after stroke as well as attenuates the pathological and clinical features of epilepsy in animal models. Furthermore, IF induced several molecular and cellular adaptations in neurons that overall enhanced cellular stress resistance, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis. In this review, the beneficial effects of IF on central neurological disorders are discussed. The information summarised in this review can be used to help contextualise existing research and better guide the development of future IF interventions

    Boty-II, a novel LTR retrotransposon in Botrytis cinerea B05.10 revealed by genomic sequence

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    Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen causing pre- and post-harvest diseases in at least 235 plant species. It manifests extraordinary genotype and phenotype variation. One of the causes of this variation is transposable elements. Two transposable elements have been discovered in this fungus, the retrotransposon (Boty), and the transposon (Flipper). In this work, two complete (Boty-II-76 and Boty-II-103) and two partial (Boty-II-95 and Boty-II-141) long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons were identified by an in silico genomic sequence analysis. Boty-II-76 and Boty-II-103 contain 6439 bp nucleotides with a pair of LTRs at both ends, and an internal deduced pol gene encoding a polyprotein with reverse transcriptase and DDE integrase domains. They are flanked by 5 bp direct repeats (ACCAT, CTTTC). In Boty-II-141, two LTRs at both ends, and a partial internal pol gene encoding a protein with a DDE integrase domain were identified. In Boty-II-95, a right LTR and a partial internal pol gene encoding a protein with no conserved domains were identified. Boty-II uses a self-priming mechanism to initiate synthesis of reverse transcripts. The sequence of the presumed primer binding site for first-strand reverse transcription is 5'-TTGTACCAT-3'. The polypurine-rich sequence for plus-strand DNA synthesis is 5'-GCCTTGAGCGGGGGGTAC-3'. Fourteen Boty-II LTRs that contain 125-158 bp nucleotides and share 69.1 ~ 100% identities with the short inverted terminal repeats of 5 bp (TGTCA\u2026TGACA) were discovered. Analysis of structural features and phylogeny revealed that Boty-II is a novel LTR retrotransposon. It could potentially be used as a novel molecular marker for the investigation of genetic variation in B. cinerea

    How control systems influence product innovation processes: examining the role of entrepreneurial orientation

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    This paper yields insights into the channels through which Management Accounting and Control Systems (MACS) exert an influence on product innovation by examining the extent to which different forms of control (i.e. value systems, diagnostic control systems, interactive control systems) are directly associated with the distinct phases of innovation processes. Using survey data collected from 118 medium and large Spanish companies, we find that: (1) value systems and interactive control systems have significant main effects on the creativity, coordination and knowledge integration, and filtering (sub-)phases of innovation processes; and (2) the significance and direction of these influences vary depending on the Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) of firms. By highlighting the relevance of EO in shaping the influence of MACS on product innovation processes, this study calls for caution in generalising the expected effects of MACS on innovation

    Measurement of the Charged Multiplicities in b, c and Light Quark Events from Z0 Decays

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    Average charged multiplicities have been measured separately in bb, cc and light quark (u,d,su,d,s) events from Z0Z^0 decays measured in the SLD experiment. Impact parameters of charged tracks were used to select enriched samples of bb and light quark events, and reconstructed charmed mesons were used to select cc quark events. We measured the charged multiplicities: nˉuds=20.21±0.10(stat.)±0.22(syst.)\bar{n}_{uds} = 20.21 \pm 0.10 (\rm{stat.})\pm 0.22(\rm{syst.}), nˉc=21.28±0.46(stat.)−0.36+0.41(syst.)\bar{n}_{c} = 21.28 \pm 0.46(\rm{stat.}) ^{+0.41}_{-0.36}(\rm{syst.}) nˉb=23.14±0.10(stat.)−0.37+0.38(syst.)\bar{n}_{b} = 23.14 \pm 0.10(\rm{stat.}) ^{+0.38}_{-0.37}(\rm{syst.}), from which we derived the differences between the total average charged multiplicities of cc or bb quark events and light quark events: Δnˉc=1.07±0.47(stat.)−0.30+0.36(syst.)\Delta \bar{n}_c = 1.07 \pm 0.47(\rm{stat.})^{+0.36}_{-0.30}(\rm{syst.}) and Δnˉb=2.93±0.14(stat.)−0.29+0.30(syst.)\Delta \bar{n}_b = 2.93 \pm 0.14(\rm{stat.})^{+0.30}_{-0.29}(\rm{syst.}). We compared these measurements with those at lower center-of-mass energies and with perturbative QCD predictions. These combined results are in agreement with the QCD expectations and disfavor the hypothesis of flavor-independent fragmentation.Comment: 19 pages LaTex, 4 EPS figures, to appear in Physics Letters
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