7,332 research outputs found
The look-ahead effect of phenotypic mutations
The evolution of complex molecular traits such as disulphide bridges often
requires multiple mutations. The intermediate steps in such evolutionary
trajectories are likely to be selectively neutral or deleterious. Therefore,
large populations and long times may be required to evolve such traits. We
propose that errors in transcription and translation may allow selection for
the intermediate mutations if the final trait provides a large enough selective
advantage. We test this hypothesis using a population based model of protein
evolution. If an individual acquires one of two mutations needed for a novel
trait, the second mutation can be introduced into the phenotype due to
transcription and translation errors. If the novel trait is advantageous
enough, the allele with only one mutation will spread through the population,
even though the gene sequence does not yet code for the complete trait. The
first mutation then has a higher frequency than expected without phenotypic
mutations giving the second mutation a higher probability of fixation. Thus,
errors allow protein sequences to ''look-ahead'' for a more direct path to a
complex trait.Comment: Submitted to "Genetics
An outlook for cargo aircraft of the future
An assessment is provided of the future of air cargo by analyzing air cargo statistics and trends, by noting air cargo system problems and inefficiencies, by analyzing characteristics of air-eligible commodities, and by showing the promise of new technology for future cargo aircraft with significant improvements in costs and efficiency. NASA's proposed program is reviewed which would sponsor the research needed to provide for development of advanced designs by 1985
The Welfare Effects of Pfiesteria-Related Fish Kills in Seafood Markets: A Contingent Behavior Analysis
We use contingent behavior analysis to study the effects of Pfiesteria related fish kills on the demand for seafood in the Mid-Atlantic region. We use a phone-mail-phone survey to look at the effects of various information provision mechanisms used to ameliorate the effects of misinformation regarding fish kills. A set of demand difference models are estimated based on individual responses to multiple questions about seafood consumption with and without fish kills present and with various health risk information treatments. Random effects Tobit models are used to control for the panel nature of responses and natural censoring of the stated responses. We find that 1) Pfiesteria related fish kills have a significant negative effect on the demand for seafood, 2) seafood consumers are nonresponsive to expert risk information designed to reassure consumers that seafood is safe in the presence of a fish kill, and 3) a mandatory seafood inspection program completely eliminates avoidance costs incurred due to misinformation. We estimate that the aggregate avoidance costs incurred in the month immediately following a Pfiesteria related fish kill is 130 million.
Tennessee Municipal Benchmarking Project FY2011
In this FY2011 annual report, there are a total of seven services measured and analyzed: police, fire, refuse collection and disposal, employment benefits, human resources, financial services, and code enforcement/building inspection/planning and zoning
Generalized seniority from random Hamiltonians
We investigate the generic pairing properties of shell-model many-body
Hamiltonians drawn from ensembles of random two-body matrix elements. Many
features of pairing that are commonly attributed to the interaction are in fact
seen in a large part of the ensemble space. Not only do the spectra show
evidence of pairing with favored J=0 ground states and an energy gap, but the
relationship between ground state wave functions of neighboring nuclei show
signatures of pairing as well. Matrix elements of pair creation/annihilation
operators between ground states tend to be strongly enhanced. Furthermore, the
same or similar pair operators connect several ground states along an isotopic
chain. This algebraic structure is reminiscent of the generalized seniority
model. Thus pairing may be encoded to a certain extent in the Fock space
connectivity of the interacting shell model even without specific features of
the interaction required.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
Turbulent mixing of two-layer stratified fluid
Author Posting. © American Institute of Physics, 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of American Institute of Physics for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Physics of Fluids 19 (2007): 125104, doi:10.1063/1.2821913.A two-layer salt-stratified tank of water was mixed by turbulence generated by many
excursions of a horizontally moving vertical rod. The objective is to observe the timedependent
response of the mean density field for ranges of Richardson number Ri>0.9
and Reynolds Number Re>600. As the density profile of the fluid gradually evolves from
a single step to a mixed state over a wide range of time, there is almost perfect collapse of
all the profiles to one universal profile as a function of a similarity variable. Although
the turbulent diffusion is not constant, the value in the limit of small stratification has
similar magnitude to values found by others
Asymmetric Squares as Standing Waves in Rayleigh-Benard Convection
Possibility of asymmetric square convection is investigated numerically using
a few mode Lorenz-like model for thermal convection in Boussinesq fluids
confined between two stress free and conducting flat boundaries. For relatively
large value of Rayleigh number, the stationary rolls become unstable and
asymmetric squares appear as standing waves at the onset of secondary
instability. Asymmetric squares, two dimensional rolls and again asymmetric
squares with their corners shifted by half a wavelength form a stable limit
cycle.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Micromagnetic simulations of interacting dipoles on a fcc lattice: Application to nanoparticle assemblies
Micromagnetic simulations are used to examine the effects of cubic and axial
anisotropy, magnetostatic interactions and temperature on M-H loops for a
collection of magnetic dipoles on fcc and sc lattices. We employ a simple model
of interacting dipoles that represent single-domain particles in an attempt to
explain recent experimental data on ordered arrays of magnetoferritin
nanoparticles that demonstrate the crucial role of interactions between
particles in a fcc lattice. Significant agreement between the simulation and
experimental results is achieved, and the impact of intra-particle degrees of
freedom and surface effects on thermal fluctuations are investigated.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure
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