2,243 research outputs found
Systems Analysis of GPS Electrical Power System Redesign
A systematic analysis is applied to the electrical power subsystem of the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system. Results determined the most appropriate power source and conversion system Options. Photovoltaic solar arrays, the current power system, were not included in the analysis. The best electrical power subsystem options found in the analysis include a solar power source with either a dynamic or direct conversion technique, and a direct conversion nuclear source. The two solar options are designed, at a low level of detail, to provide the same level of power the current GPS photovoltaic solar array system provides. These two designs are then compared with the current system, stressing mass and area. Results show that the solar dynamic design has approximately 28% less mass and approximately 35% less area than the GPS lIR design. The solar direct model has approximately 38% more mass and 72% more area than the GPS design
Towards Universal Topological Quantum Computation in the Fractional Quantum Hall State
The Pfaffian state, which may describe the quantized Hall plateau observed at
Landau level filling fraction , can support topologically-protected
qubits with extremely low error rates. Braiding operations also allow perfect
implementation of certain unitary transformations of these qubits. However, in
the case of the Pfaffian state, this set of unitary operations is not quite
sufficient for universal quantum computation (i.e. is not dense in the unitary
group). If some topologically unprotected operations are also used, then the
Pfaffian state supports universal quantum computation, albeit with some
operations which require error correction. On the other hand, if certain
topology-changing operations can be implemented, then fully
topologically-protected universal quantum computation is possible. In order to
accomplish this, it is necessary to measure the interference between
quasiparticle trajectories which encircle other moving trajectories in a
time-dependent Hall droplet geometry.Comment: A related paper, cond-mat/0512072, explains the topological issues in
greater detail. It may help the reader to look at this alternate presentation
if confused about any poin
Does phenotypic plasticity initiate developmental bias?
Acknowledgements We thank attendees and organizers of the “developing a theory of developmental bias” workshop for stimulating discussion on the topics in this manuscript. We are grateful to Matt Wund and an anonymous reviewer who provided thoughtful and constructive comments that helped to improve the manuscript. We also thank Calum Campbell,Joey Humble, and Iain Hill for photographing sticklebacks that were used to generate Figure 2. This paper was partially supported by NERC grant NE/N016734/1 and by an EPSRC studentship grant EP/M508056/1.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Banner News
https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1033/thumbnail.jp
Canalization and Symmetry in Boolean Models for Genetic Regulatory Networks
Canalization of genetic regulatory networks has been argued to be favored by
evolutionary processes due to the stability that it can confer to phenotype
expression. We explore whether a significant amount of canalization and partial
canalization can arise in purely random networks in the absence of evolutionary
pressures. We use a mapping of the Boolean functions in the Kauffman N-K model
for genetic regulatory networks onto a k-dimensional Ising hypercube to show
that the functions can be divided into different classes strictly due to
geometrical constraints. The classes can be counted and their properties
determined using results from group theory and isomer chemistry. We demonstrate
that partially canalized functions completely dominate all possible Boolean
functions, particularly for higher k. This indicates that partial canalization
is extremely common, even in randomly chosen networks, and has implications for
how much information can be obtained in experiments on native state genetic
regulatory networks.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures; version to appear in J. Phys.
Projective Ribbon Permutation Statistics: a Remnant of non-Abelian Braiding in Higher Dimensions
In a recent paper, Teo and Kane proposed a 3D model in which the defects
support Majorana fermion zero modes. They argued that exchanging and twisting
these defects would implement a set R of unitary transformations on the zero
mode Hilbert space which is a 'ghostly' recollection of the action of the braid
group on Ising anyons in 2D. In this paper, we find the group T_{2n} which
governs the statistics of these defects by analyzing the topology of the space
K_{2n} of configurations of 2n defects in a slowly spatially-varying gapped
free fermion Hamiltonian: T_{2n}\equiv {\pi_1}(K_{2n})$. We find that the group
T_{2n}= Z \times T^r_{2n}, where the 'ribbon permutation group' T^r_{2n} is a
mild enhancement of the permutation group S_{2n}: T^r_{2n} \equiv \Z_2 \times
E((Z_2)^{2n}\rtimes S_{2n}). Here, E((Z_2)^{2n}\rtimes S_{2n}) is the 'even
part' of (Z_2)^{2n} \rtimes S_{2n}, namely those elements for which the total
parity of the element in (Z_2)^{2n} added to the parity of the permutation is
even. Surprisingly, R is only a projective representation of T_{2n}, a
possibility proposed by Wilczek. Thus, Teo and Kane's defects realize
`Projective Ribbon Permutation Statistics', which we show to be consistent with
locality. We extend this phenomenon to other dimensions, co-dimensions, and
symmetry classes. Since it is an essential input for our calculation, we review
the topological classification of gapped free fermion systems and its relation
to Bott periodicity.Comment: Missing figures added. Fixed some typos. Added a paragraph to the
conclusio
Variation in salamander tail regeneration is associated with genetic factors that determine tail morphology
Very little is known about the factors that cause variation in regenerative potential within and between species. Here, we used a genetic approach to identify heritable genetic factors that explain variation in tail regenerative outgrowth. A hybrid ambystomatid salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum x A. andersoni) was crossed to an A. mexicanum and 217 offspring were induced to undergo metamorphosis and attain terrestrial adult morphology using thyroid hormone. Following metamorphosis, each salamander’s tail tip was amputated and allowed to regenerate, and then amputated a second time and allowed to regenerate. Also, DNA was isolated from all individuals and genotypes were determined for 187 molecular markers distributed throughout the genome. The area of tissue that regenerated after the first and second amputations was highly positively correlated across males and females. Males presented wider tails and regenerated more tail tissue during both episodes of regeneration. Approximately 66–68% of the variation in regenerative outgrowth was explained by tail width, while tail length and genetic sex did not explain a significant amount of variation. A small effect QTL was identified as having a sex-independent effect on tail regeneration, but this QTL was only identified for the first episode of regeneration. Several molecular markers significantly affected regenerative outgrowth during both episodes of regeneration, but the effect sizes were small (\u3c4%) and correlated with tail width. The results show that ambysex and minor effect QTL explain variation in adult tail morphology and importantly, tail width. In turn, tail width at the amputation plane largely determines the rate of regenerative outgrowth. Because amputations in this study were made at approximately the same position of the tail, our results resolve an outstanding question in regenerative biology: regenerative outgrowth positively co-varies as a function of tail width at the amputation site
Whole-genome sequencing shows that patient-to-patient transmission rarely accounts for acquisition of Staphylococcus aureus in an intensive care unit
BACKGROUND
Strategies to prevent Staphylococcus aureus infection in hospitals focus on patient-to-patient transmission. We used whole-genome sequencing to investigate the role of colonized patients as the source of new S. aureus acquisitions, and the reliability of identifying patient-to-patient transmission using the conventional approach of spa typing and overlapping patient stay.
METHODS
Over 14 months, all unselected patients admitted to an adult intensive care unit (ICU) were serially screened for S. aureus. All available isolates (n = 275) were spa typed and underwent whole-genome sequencing to investigate their relatedness at high resolution.
RESULTS
Staphylococcus aureus was carried by 185 of 1109 patients sampled within 24 hours of ICU admission (16.7%); 59 (5.3%) patients carried methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Forty-four S. aureus (22 MRSA) acquisitions while on ICU were detected. Isolates were available for genetic analysis from 37 acquisitions. Whole-genome sequencing indicated that 7 of these 37 (18.9%) were transmissions from other colonized patients. Conventional methods (spa typing combined with overlapping patient stay) falsely identified 3 patient-to-patient transmissions (all MRSA) and failed to detect 2 acquisitions and 4 transmissions (2 MRSA).
CONCLUSIONS
Only a minority of S. aureus acquisitions can be explained by patient-to-patient transmission. Whole-genome sequencing provides the resolution to disprove transmission events indicated by conventional methods and also to reveal otherwise unsuspected transmission events. Whole-genome sequencing should replace conventional methods for detection of nosocomial S. aureus transmission
Changes in the capacity of visual working memory in 5- to 10-year-olds
Using the Luck and Vogel change detection paradigm, we sought to investigate the capacity of visual working memory in 5-, 7-, and 10-year-olds. We found that performance on the task improved significantly with age and also obtained evidence that the capacity of visual working memory approximately doubles between 5 and 10 years of age, where it reaches adult levels of approximately three to four items
- …