Assessing Urban Qualities Within the New Economy: A value based approach to cities

This thesis sets out to answer the following question: How can cities detect the key drivers that make cities work better for the new emerging economy

Signature inversion -- manifestation of drift of the rotational axis in triaxial nuclei

A possible scheme of realizing shell model calculations for heavy nuclei is based on a deformed basis and the projection technique. Here we present a new development for odd-odd nuclei, in which one starts with triaxially-deformed multi-quasi-particle configurations, builds the shell-model space through exact three-dimensional angular-momentum-projection, and diagonalizes a two-body Hamiltonian in this space. The model enables us to study the old problem of signature inversion from a different view. With an excellent reproduction of the experimental data in the mass-130 region, the results tend to interpret the phenomenon as a manifestation of dynamical drift of the rotational axis with presence of axial asymmetry in these nuclei.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Distributed H∞-consensus filtering in sensor networks with multiple missing measurements: The finite-horizon case

The official published version of the article can be found at the link below.This paper is concerned with a new distributed H∞-consensus filtering problem over a finite-horizon for sensor networks with multiple missing measurements. The so-called H∞-consensus performance requirement is defined to quantify bounded consensus regarding the filtering errors (agreements) over a finite-horizon. A set of random variables are utilized to model the probabilistic information missing phenomena occurring in the channels from the system to the sensors. A sufficient condition is first established in terms of a set of difference linear matrix inequalities (DLMIs) under which the expected H∞-consensus performance constraint is guaranteed. Given the measurements and estimates of the system state and its neighbors, the filter parameters are then explicitly parameterized by means of the solutions to a certain set of DLMIs that can be computed recursively. Subsequently, two kinds of robust distributed H∞-consensus filters are designed for the system with norm-bounded uncertainties and polytopic uncertainties. Finally, two numerical simulation examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed filters design scheme.This work was supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the UK under Grant GR/S27658/01, the Royal Society of the UK, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany

Global analysis of regulatory divergence in the evolution of mouse alternative polyadenylation

Alternative polyadenylation (APA), which is regulated by both cis-elements and trans-factors, plays an important role in post-transcriptional regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. However, comparing to the extensively studied transcription and alternative splicing, the extent of APA divergence during evolution and the relative cis- and trans-contribution remain largely unexplored. To directly address these questions for the first time in mammals, by using deep sequencing-based methods, we measured APA divergence between C57BL/6J and SPRET/EiJ mouse strains as well as allele-specific APA pattern in their F1 hybrids. Among the 24,721 polyadenylation sites (pAs) from 7,271 genes expressing multiple pAs, we identified 3,747 pAs showing significant divergence between the two strains. After integrating the allele-specific data from F1 hybrids, we demonstrated that these events could be predominately attributed to cis-regulatory effects. Further systematic sequence analysis of the regions in proximity to cis-divergent pAs revealed that the local RNA secondary structure and a poly(U) tract in the upstream region could negatively modulate the pAs usage

Response of an Indented Square Tube under Impact Loading

The dynamic buckling of the square tube with a V-shape indent under impact loading was investigated by experimental and numerical methods. The collapse modes of square tubes with different locations of indentation points were obtained experimentally. Numerical calculations of each experimental load case were conducted to analyze the effect of the indentation point location on the crush force and energy absorption of the tube. Numerical results agree well with the experimental ones. The results show that the indentation point location exerts a significant influence on the crush force and energy absorption. Compared to an indentation-free tube, the peak force of the indented tube is evidently reduced. The collapse process of the tube includes two buckling steps. The first one begins from the indentation either forward or backward with respect to the end until the folds are densified, then the second buckling starts backward or forward, which results in a second peak force in the collapse process.Динамическое коробление квадратной трубки с V-образным отпечатком в условиях ударного нагружения исследовано экспериментальными и численными методами. Режимы сплющивания квадратных трубок с различным расположением точек индентирования реализовывали экспериментально. Выполнены численные расчеты каждого случая экспериментального нагружения с целью анализа влияния месторасположения точки индентирования на разрушающее усилие и энергию поглощения квадратной трубки. Численные результаты хорошо согласуются с экспериментом. Установлено, что расположение точки индентирования оказывает значительное влияние на разрушающее усилие и энергию поглощения. По сравнению с неиндентированной трубкой максимальное усилие, действующее на индентированную трубку, явно уменьшается. Процесс сплющивания трубки включает два этапа коробления. Первый начинается с индентирования вперед или назад относительно конца до тех пор, пока не происходит уплотнения складок, второй осуществляется назад или вперед , что создает в результате второе максимальное усилие

Added Value of Computed Tomography Virtual Intravascular Endoscopy in the Evaluation of Coronary Arteries with Stents or Plaques

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a widely used imaging modality for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) but is limited by a high false positive rate when evaluating coronary arteries with stents and heavy calcifications. Virtual intravascular endoscopy (VIE) images generated from CCTA can be used to qualitatively assess the vascular lumen and might be helpful for overcoming this challenge. In this study, one hundred subjects with coronary stents underwent both CCTA and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). A total of 902 vessel segments were analyzed using CCTA and VIE. The vessel segments were first analyzed on CCTA alone. Then, using VIE, the segments were classified qualitatively as either negative or positive for in-stent restenosis (ISR) or CAD. These results were compared, using ICA as the reference, to determine the added diagnostic value of VIE. Of the 902 analyzed vessel segments, CCTA/VIE had sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value (shown in %) of 93.9/90.2, 96.2/98.2, 96.0/97.7, 70.0/83.1, and 99.4/99.0, respectively, in diagnosing ISR or CAD, with significantly improved specificity (p = 0.025), accuracy (p = 0.046), and positive predictive value (p = 0.047). VIE can be a helpful addition to CCTA when evaluating coronary arterie

Density Matrix in Quantum Mechanics and Distinctness of Ensembles Having the Same Compressed Density Matrix

We clarify different definitions of the density matrix by proposing the use of different names, the full density matrix for a single-closed quantum system, the compressed density matrix for the averaged single molecule state from an ensemble of molecules, and the reduced density matrix for a part of an entangled quantum system, respectively. We show that ensembles with the same compressed density matrix can be physically distinguished by observing fluctuations of various observables. This is in contrast to a general belief that ensembles with the same compressed density matrix are identical. Explicit expression for the fluctuation of an observable in a specified ensemble is given. We have discussed the nature of nuclear magnetic resonance quantum computing. We show that the conclusion that there is no quantum entanglement in the current nuclear magnetic resonance quantum computing experiment is based on the unjustified belief that ensembles having the same compressed density matrix are identical physically. Related issues in quantum communication are also discussed.Comment: 26 pages. To appear in Foundations of Physics, 36 (8), 200

Thermodynamic properties of excess-oxygen-doped La2CuO4.11 near a simultaneous transition to superconductivity and long-range magnetic order

We have measured the specific heat and magnetization {\it versus} temperature in a single crystal sample of superconducting La$_{2}$CuO$_{4.11}$ and in a sample of the same material after removing the excess oxygen, in magnetic fields up to 15 T. Using the deoxygenated sample to subtract the phonon contribution, we find a broad peak in the specific heat, centered at 50 K. This excess specific heat is attributed to fluctuations of the Cu spins possibly enhanced by an interplay with the charge degrees of freedom, and appears to be independent of magnetic field, up to 15 T. Near the superconducting transition $T_{c}$($H$=0)= 43 K, we find a sharp feature that is strongly suppressed when the magnetic field is applied parallel to the crystallographic c-axis. A model for 3D vortex fluctuations is used to scale magnetization measured at several magnetic fields. When the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the c-axis, the only observed effect is a slight shift in the superconducting transition temperature.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Search for the Rare Decays J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e, J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e, and J/Psi --> D0bar e+ e-

We report on a search for the decays J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e + c.c., J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e + c.c., and J/Psi --> D0bar e+ e- + c.c. in a sample of 5.8 * 10^7 J/Psi events collected with the BESII detector at the BEPC. No excess of signal above background is observed, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions are set: B(J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e + c.c.)<4.8*10^-5, B(J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e + c.c.) D0bar e+ e- + c.c.)<1.1*10^-5Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Partial wave analysis of J/\psi \to \gamma \phi \phi

Using $5.8 \times 10^7 J/\psi$ events collected in the BESII detector, the radiative decay $J/\psi \to \gamma \phi \phi \to \gamma K^+ K^- K^0_S K^0_L$ is studied. The $\phi\phi$ invariant mass distribution exhibits a near-threshold enhancement that peaks around 2.24 GeV/$c^{2}$. A partial wave analysis shows that the structure is dominated by a $0^{-+}$ state ($\eta(2225)$) with a mass of $2.24^{+0.03}_{-0.02}{}^{+0.03}_{-0.02}$ GeV/$c^{2}$ and a width of $0.19 \pm 0.03^{+0.06}_{-0.04}$ GeV/$c^{2}$. The product branching fraction is: $Br(J/\psi \to \gamma \eta(2225))\cdot Br(\eta(2225)\to \phi\phi) = (4.4 \pm 0.4 \pm 0.8)\times 10^{-4}$.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. corrected proof for journa