923 research outputs found
Ringing the initial Universe: the response of overdensity and transformed-density power spectra to initial spikes
We present an experiment in which we 'ring' a set of cosmological
N-body-simulation initial conditions, placing spikes in the initial power
spectrum at different wavenumber bins. We then measure where these spikes end
up in the final conditions. In the usual overdensity power spectrum, most
sensitive to contracting and collapsing dense regions, initial power on
slightly non-linear scales (k ~ 0.3 h/Mpc) smears to smaller scales, coming to
dominate the initial power once there. Log-density and Gaussianized-density
power spectra, sensitive to low-density (expanding) and high-density regions,
respond differently: initial spikes spread symmetrically in scale, both upward
and downward. In fact, in the power spectrum of 1/(1 + {\delta}), spikes
migrate to larger scales, showing the magnifying effect of voids on small-scale
modes. These power spectra show much greater sensitivity to small-scale initial
features. We also test the difference between an approximation of the
Ly-{\alpha} flux field, and its Gaussianized form, and give a toy model that
qualitatively explains the symmetric power spreading in Gaussianized-density
power spectra. Also, we discuss how to use this framework to estimate
power-spectrum covariance matrices. This can be used to track the fate of
information in the Universe, that takes the form of initial degrees of freedom,
one random spike per initial mode.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS Letters. 6 pages, 5 figure
New Time-Space Upperbounds for Directed Reachability in High-genus and H-minor-free Graphs
We obtain the following new simultaneous time-space upper bounds for the directed reachability problem. (1) A polynomial-time, O(n^{2/3} * g^{1/3})-space algorithm for directed graphs embedded on orientable surfaces of genus g. (2) A polynomial-time, O(n^{2/3})-space algorithm for all H-minor-free graphs given the tree decomposition, and (3) for K_{3,3}-free and K_5-free graphs, a polynomial-time, O(n^{1/2 + epsilon})-space algorithm, for every epsilon > 0.
For the general directed reachability problem, the best known simultaneous time-space upper bound is the BBRS bound, due to Barnes, Buss, Ruzzo, and Schieber, which achieves a space bound of O(n/2^{k * sqrt(log(n))}) with polynomial running time, for any constant k. It is a significant open question to improve this bound for reachability over general directed graphs. Our algorithms beat the BBRS bound for graphs embedded on surfaces of genus n/2^{omega(sqrt(log(n))}, and for all H-minor-free graphs. This significantly broadens the class of directed graphs for which the BBRS bound can be improved
Competitive Advantages and Values Created and Attained Out of Well-Crafted Customer Value Propositions
To help facilitate the development of a theoretically rigorous and practically useful theory of customer value propositions (CVP), as called for repeatedly by the extant literature, this paper establishes a game-theoretic theorem regarding the dynamics of market competition and potential market entry. On top of this result and by employing logical rigor and analytical reasoning, eight generally true facts are developed without suffering from the constraints of data- and anecdote- based approaches, as widely used in the literature. In particular, these established results reveal how a newly adopted CVP is associated with the three essential processes underlying a company’s operation, how it will be pivotal for the company to attain competitive advantages, how the value added by adopted CVPs can be determined, etc. At the end, recommendations for decision-making managers and entrepreneurs and potential questions for future research are provided
Best practices for measuring emerging light-emitting diode technologies
The arrival of light-emitting diodes based on new materials is posing challenges for the characterization and comparison of devices in a trusted and consistent manner. Here we provide some advice and guidelines that we hope will benefit the community
Hierarchical simulations of hybrid polymer-solid materials
Complex polymer-solid materials have gained a lot of attention during the last 2-3 decades due to the fundamental physical problems and the broad spectrum of technological applications in which they are involved. Therefore, significant progress concerning the simulations of such hybrid soft-hard nanostructured systems has been made in the last few years. Simulation techniques vary from quantum to microscopic (atomistic) up to mesoscopic (coarse-grained) level. Here we give a short overview of simulation approaches on model polymer-solid interfacial systems for all different levels of description. In addition, we also present a brief outlook concerning the open questions in this field, from the point of view of both physical problems and computational methodologies
Amphiphilic block copolymers from a renewable Ɛ-decalactone monomer: prediction and characterization of micellar core effects on drug encapsulation and release
Here we describe a methoxy poly(ethyleneglycol)-b-poly(ε-decalactone) (mPEG-b-PεDL) copolymer and investigate the potential of the copolymer as a vehicle for solubilisation and sustained release of indomethacin (IND). The indomethacin loading and release from mPEG-b-PεDL micelles (amorphous cores) was compared against methoxy poly(ethyleneglycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone)(mPEG-b-PCL) micelles (semicrystalline cores). The drug–polymer compatibility was determined through a theoretical approach to predict drug incorporation into hydrated micelles. Polymer micelles were prepared by solvent evaporation and characterised for size, morphology, indomethacin loading and release. All the formulations generated spherical micelles but significantly larger mPEG-b-PεDL micelles were observed compared to mPEG-b-PCL micelles. A higher compatibility of the drug was predicted for PCL cores based on Flory–Huggins interaction parameters (χsp) using the Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) approach, but higher measured drug loadings were found in micelles with PεDL cores compared to PCL cores. This we attribute to the higher amorphous content in the PεDL-rich regions which generated higher micellar core volumes. Drug release studies showed that the semicrystalline PCL core was able to release IND over a longer period (80% drug release in 110 h) compared to PεDL core micelles (80% drug release in 72 h)
High Photoelectric Conversion Efficiency of Metal Phthalocyanine/Fullerene Heterojunction Photovoltaic Device
This paper introduces the fundamental physical characteristics of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. Photoelectric conversion efficiency is crucial to the evaluation of quality in OPV devices, and enhancing efficiency has been spurring on researchers to seek alternatives to this problem. In this paper, we focus on organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices and review several approaches to enhance the energy conversion efficiency of small molecular heterojunction OPV devices based on an optimal metal-phthalocyanine/fullerene (C60) planar heterojunction thin film structure. For the sake of discussion, these mechanisms have been divided into electrical and optical sections: (1) Electrical: Modification on electrodes or active regions to benefit carrier injection, charge transport and exciton dissociation; (2) Optical: Optional architectures or infilling to promote photon confinement and enhance absorption
Shrinking a large dataset to identify variables associated with increased risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection in Western Kenya
Large datasets are often not amenable to analysis using traditional single-step approaches. Here, our general objective was to apply imputation techniques, principal component analysis (PCA), elastic net and generalized linear models to a large dataset in a systematic approach to extract the most meaningful predictors for a health outcome. We extracted predictors for Plasmodium falciparum infection, from a large covariate dataset while facing limited numbers of observations, using data from the People, Animals, and their Zoonoses (PAZ) project to demonstrate these techniques: data collected from 415 homesteads in western Kenya, contained over 1500 variables that describe the health, environment, and social factors of the humans, livestock, and the homesteads in which they reside. The wide, sparse dataset was simplified to 42 predictors of P. falciparum malaria infection and wealth rankings were produced for all homesteads. The 42 predictors make biological sense and are supported by previous studies. This systematic data-mining approach we used would make many large datasets more manageable and informative for decision-making processes and health policy prioritization
High Throughput Genome-Wide Survey of Small RNAs from the Parasitic Protists Giardia intestinalis and Trichomonas vaginalis
RNA interference (RNAi) is a set of mechanisms which regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. Key elements of RNAi are small sense and antisense RNAs from 19 to 26 nt generated from double-stranded RNAs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a major type of RNAi-associated small RNAs and are found in most eukaryotes studied to date. To investigate whether small RNAs associated with RNAi appear to be present in all eukaryotic lineages, and therefore present in the ancestral eukaryote, we studied two deep-branching protozoan parasites, Giardia intestinalis and Trichomonas vaginalis. Little is known about endogenous small RNAs involved in RNAi of these organisms. Using Illumina Solexa sequencing and genome-wide analysis of small RNAs from these distantly related deep-branching eukaryotes, we identified 10 strong miRNA candidates from Giardia and 11 from Trichomonas. We also found evidence of Giardia short-interfering RNAs potentially involved in the expression of variant-specific surface proteins. In addition, eight new small nucleolar RNAs from Trichomonas are identified. Our results indicate that miRNAs are likely to be general in ancestral eukaryotes and therefore are likely to be a universal feature of eukaryotes
A search for resonant production of pairs in $4.8\ \rm{fb}^{-1}p\bar{p}\sqrt{s}=1.96\ \rm{TeV}$
We search for resonant production of tt pairs in 4.8 fb^{-1} integrated
luminosity of ppbar collision data at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV in the lepton+jets decay
channel, where one top quark decays leptonically and the other hadronically. A
matrix element reconstruction technique is used; for each event a probability
density function (pdf) of the ttbar candidate invariant mass is sampled. These
pdfs are used to construct a likelihood function, whereby the cross section for
resonant ttbar production is estimated, given a hypothetical resonance mass and
width. The data indicate no evidence of resonant production of ttbar pairs. A
benchmark model of leptophobic Z \rightarrow ttbar is excluded with m_{Z'} <
900 GeV at 95% confidence level.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review D Sep 21, 201
- …