8,860 research outputs found
Random packing of spheres in Menger sponge
Random packing of spheres inside fractal collectors of dimension 2 < d < 3 is
studied numerically using Random Sequential Adsorption (RSA) algorithm. The
paper focuses mainly on the measurement of random packing saturation limit.
Additionally, scaling properties of density autocorrelations in the obtained
packing are analyzed. The RSA kinetics coefficients are also measured. Obtained
results allow to test phenomenological relation between random packing
saturation density and collector dimension. Additionally, performed simulations
together with previously obtained results confirm that, in general, the known
dimensional relations are obeyed by systems having non-integer dimension, at
least for d < 3.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure
Using cascading Bloom filters to improve the memory usage for de Brujin graphs
De Brujin graphs are widely used in bioinformatics for processing
next-generation sequencing data. Due to a very large size of NGS datasets, it
is essential to represent de Bruijn graphs compactly, and several approaches to
this problem have been proposed recently. In this work, we show how to reduce
the memory required by the algorithm of [3] that represents de Brujin graphs
using Bloom filters. Our method requires 30% to 40% less memory with respect to
the method of [3], with insignificant impact to construction time. At the same
time, our experiments showed a better query time compared to [3]. This is, to
our knowledge, the best practical representation for de Bruijn graphs.Comment: 12 pages, submitte
Nonlinear Dynamics of Capacitive Charging and Desalination by Porous Electrodes
The rapid and efficient exchange of ions between porous electrodes and
aqueous solutions is important in many applications, such as electrical energy
storage by super-capacitors, water desalination and purification by capacitive
deionization (or desalination), and capacitive extraction of renewable energy
from a salinity difference. Here, we present a unified mean-field theory for
capacitive charging and desalination by ideally polarizable porous electrodes
(without Faradaic reactions or specific adsorption of ions) in the limit of
thin double layers (compared to typical pore dimensions). We illustrate the
theory in the case of a dilute, symmetric, binary electrolyte using the
Gouy-Chapman-Stern (GCS) model of the double layer, for which simple formulae
are available for salt adsorption and capacitive charging of the diffuse part
of the double layer. We solve the full GCS mean-field theory numerically for
realistic parameters in capacitive deionization, and we derive reduced models
for two limiting regimes with different time scales: (i) In the
"super-capacitor regime" of small voltages and/or early times where the porous
electrode acts like a transmission line, governed by a linear diffusion
equation for the electrostatic potential, scaled to the RC time of a single
pore. (ii) In the "desalination regime" of large voltages and long times, the
porous electrode slowly adsorbs neutral salt, governed by coupled, nonlinear
diffusion equations for the pore-averaged potential and salt concentration
On the Response of an OST to a Point-like Heat Source
A new technique of superconducting cavity diagnostics has been introduced by
D. Hartrill at Cornell University, Ithaca, USA. Oscillating Superleak
Transducers (OST) detect the heat transferred from a cavity's quench point via
"Second Sound" through the superfluid He bath, needed to cool the
superconducting cavity. The observed response of an OST is a complex, but
reproducible pattern of oscillations. A small helium evaporation cryostat was
built which allows the investigation of the response of an OST in greater
detail. The distance between a point-like electrical heater and the OST can be
varied. The OST can be mounted either parallel or perpendicular to the plate,
housing the heat source. If the artificial quench-point releases an amount of
energy compatible to a real quench spot on a cavity's surface, the OST signal
starts with a negative pulse, which is usually strong enough to allow automatic
detection. Furthermore, the reflection of the Second Sound on the wall is
observed. A reflection coefficient R = 0.39 +- 0.05 of the glass wall is
measured. This excludes a strong influence of multiple reflections in the
complex OST response. Fourier analyses show three main frequencies, found in
all OST spectra. They can be interpreted as modes of an oscillating circular
membrane.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figure
Discovery of circularly polarised radio emission from SS 433
We report the discovery of circularly polarised radio emission from the
radio-jet X-ray binary SS 433 with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The
flux density spectrum of the circular polarization, clearly detected at four
frequencies between 1 - 9 GHz, has a spectral index of (-0.9 +/- 0.1). Multiple
components in the source and a lack of very high spatial resolution do not
allow a unique determination of the origin of the circular polarization, nor of
the spectrum of fractional polarization. However, we argue that the emission is
likely to arise in the inner regions of the binary, possibly via
propagation-induced conversion of linear to circular polarization, and the
fractional circular polarization of these regions may be as high as 10%.
Observations such as these have the potential to investigate the composition,
whether pairs or baryonic, of the ejecta from X-ray binaries.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Residue codes of extremal Type II Z_4-codes and the moonshine vertex operator algebra
In this paper, we study the residue codes of extremal Type II Z_4-codes of
length 24 and their relations to the famous moonshine vertex operator algebra.
The main result is a complete classification of all residue codes of extremal
Type II Z_4-codes of length 24. Some corresponding results associated to the
moonshine vertex operator algebra are also discussed.Comment: 21 pages, shortened from v
Concurrent Learning of Adjacent and Nonadjacent Dependencies in Visuo-Spatial and Visuo-Verbal Sequences
Both adjacent and non-adjacent dependencies (AD and NAD) are present in natural language and other domains, yet the learning of non-adjacent sequential dependencies generally only occurs under favorable circumstances. It is currently unknown to what extent adults can learn AD and NAD, presented concurrently in spatial and verbal sequences during a single session, and whether a second session improves performance. In addition, the relationship between AD and NAD learning and other theoretically related cognitive and language processes has not yet been fully established. In this study, participants reproduced two types of sequences generated from an artificial grammar: visuo-spatial sequences with stimuli presented in four spatial locations, and visuo-verbal sequences with printed syllables. Participants were tested for incidental learning by reproducing novel sequences, half consistent with the grammar and half containing violations of either AD or NAD. The procedure was repeated on a second day. Results showed that both AD and NAD were learned in both visuo-spatial and visuo-verbal tasks, although AD learning was better than NAD and learning of NAD decreased over time. Furthermore, NAD learning for both spatial and verbal tasks was positively correlated with a language measure, whereas AD learning for both spatial and verbal tasks was negatively associated with working memory measures in the opposite domain. These results demonstrate that adults can learn both AD and NAD within a single session, but NAD learning is more easily disrupted than AD and both types of learning are sub-served by partially distinct cognitive processes. These findings increase our understanding of the processes governing the learning of AD and NAD in verbal and spatial domains
Anaerobic Respiration of \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e in the Mouse Intestine
The intestine is inhabited by a large microbial community consisting primarily of anaerobes and, to a lesser extent, facultative anaerobes, such as Escherichia coli, which we have shown requires aerobic respiration to compete successfully in the mouse intestine (S. A. Jones et al., Infect. Immun. 75:4891-4899, 2007). If facultative anaerobes efficiently lower oxygen availability in the intestine, then their sustained growth must also depend on anaerobic metabolism. In support of this idea, mutants lacking nitrate reductase or fumarate reductase have extreme colonization defects. Here, we further explore the role of anaerobic respiration in colonization using the streptomycin-treated mouse model. We found that respiratory electron flow is primarily via the naphthoquinones, which pass electrons to cytochrome bd oxidase and the anaerobic terminal reductases. We found that E. coli uses nitrate and fumarate in the intestine, but not nitrite, dimethyl sulfoxide, or trimethylamine N-oxide. Competitive colonizations revealed that cytochrome bd oxidase is more advantageous than nitrate reductase or fumarate reductase. Strains lacking nitrate reductase outcompeted fumarate reductase mutants once the nitrate concentration in cecal mucus reached submillimolar levels, indicating that fumarate is the more important anaerobic electron acceptor in the intestine because nitrate is limiting. Since nitrate is highest in the absence of E. coli, we conclude that E. coli is the only bacterium in the streptomycin-treated mouse large intestine that respires nitrate. Lastly, we demonstrated that a mutant lacking the NarXL regulator (activator of the NarG system), but not a mutant lacking the NarP-NarQ regulator, has a colonization defect, consistent with the advantage provided by NarG. The emerging picture is one in which gene regulation is tuned to balance expression of the terminal reductases that E. coli uses to maximize its competitiveness and achieve the highest possible population in the intestine
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