583 research outputs found
Dynamic Peer-to-Peer Competition
The dynamic behavior of a multiagent system in which the agent size
is variable it is studied along a Lotka-Volterra approach. The agent size has
hereby for meaning the fraction of a given market that an agent is able to
capture (market share). A Lotka-Volterra system of equations for prey-predator
problems is considered, the competition factor being related to the difference
in size between the agents in a one-on-one competition. This mechanism
introduces a natural self-organized dynamic competition among agents. In the
competition factor, a parameter is introduced for scaling the
intensity of agent size similarity, which varies in each iteration cycle. The
fixed points of this system are analytically found and their stability analyzed
for small systems (with agents). We have found that different scenarios
are possible, from chaotic to non-chaotic motion with cluster formation as
function of the parameter and depending on the initial conditions
imposed to the system. The present contribution aim is to show how a realistic
though minimalist nonlinear dynamics model can be used to describe market
competition (companies, brokers, decision makers) among other opinion maker
communities.Comment: 17 pages, 50 references, 6 figures, 1 tabl
Superdeformed rotational bands in the Mercury region; A Cranked Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov study
A study of rotational properties of the ground superdeformed bands in \Hg{0},
\Hg{2}, \Hg{4}, and \Pb{4} is presented. We use the cranked
Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method with the {\skm} parametrization of the Skyrme
force in the particle-hole channel and a seniority interaction in the pairing
channel. An approximate particle number projection is performed by means of the
Lipkin-Nogami prescription. We analyze the proton and neutron quasiparticle
routhians in connection with the present information on about thirty presently
observed superdeformed bands in nuclei close neighbours of \Hg{2}.Comment: 26 LaTeX pages, 14 uuencoded postscript figures included, Preprint
IPN-TH 93-6
A synthetic biology approach to probing nucleosome symmetry
The repeating subunit of chromatin, the nucleosome, includes two copies of each of the four core histones, and several recent studies have reported that asymmetrically-modified nucleosomes occur at regulatory elements in vivo. To probe the mechanisms by which histone modifications are read out, we designed an obligate pair of H3 heterodimers, termed H3X and H3Y, which we extensively validated genetically and biochemically. Comparing the effects of asymmetric histone tail point mutants with those of symmetric double mutants revealed that a single methylated H3K36 per nucleosome was sufficient to silence cryptic transcription in vivo. We also demonstrate the utility of this system for analysis of histone modification crosstalk, using mass spectrometry to separately identify modifications on each H3 molecule within asymmetric nucleosomes. The ability to generate asymmetric nucleosomes in vivo and in vitro provides a powerful and generalizable tool to probe the mechanisms by which H3 tails are read out by effector proteins in the cell
Semiparametric theory and empirical processes in causal inference
In this paper we review important aspects of semiparametric theory and
empirical processes that arise in causal inference problems. We begin with a
brief introduction to the general problem of causal inference, and go on to
discuss estimation and inference for causal effects under semiparametric
models, which allow parts of the data-generating process to be unrestricted if
they are not of particular interest (i.e., nuisance functions). These models
are very useful in causal problems because the outcome process is often complex
and difficult to model, and there may only be information available about the
treatment process (at best). Semiparametric theory gives a framework for
benchmarking efficiency and constructing estimators in such settings. In the
second part of the paper we discuss empirical process theory, which provides
powerful tools for understanding the asymptotic behavior of semiparametric
estimators that depend on flexible nonparametric estimators of nuisance
functions. These tools are crucial for incorporating machine learning and other
modern methods into causal inference analyses. We conclude by examining related
extensions and future directions for work in semiparametric causal inference
Tomonaga-Luttinger parameters for quantum wires
The low-energy properties of a homogeneous one-dimensional electron system
are completely specified by two Tomonaga-Luttinger parameters and
. In this paper we discuss microscopic estimates of the values of
these parameters in semiconductor quantum wires that exploit their relationship
to thermodynamic properties. Motivated by the recognized similarity between
correlations in the ground state of a one-dimensional electron liquid and
correlations in a Wigner crystal, we evaluate these thermodynamic quantities in
a self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation. According to our calculations,
the Hartree-Fock approximation ground state is a Wigner crystal at all electron
densities and has antiferromagnetic order that gradually evolves from
spin-density-wave to localized in character as the density is lowered. Our
results for are in good agreement with weak-coupling perturbative
estimates at high densities, but deviate strongly at low
densities, especially when the electron-electron interaction is screened at
long distances. vanishes at small carrier density
whereas we conjecture that when , implying that
should pass through a minimum at an intermediate density.
Observation of such a non-monotonic dependence on particle density would allow
to measure the range of the microscopic interaction. In the spin sector we find
that the spin velocity decreases with increasing interaction strength or
decreasing . Strong correlation effects make it difficult to obtain fully
consistent estimates of from Hartree-Fock calculations. We
conjecture that v_{\sigma}/\vf\propto n/V_0 in the limit where
is the interaction strength.Comment: RevTeX, 23 pages, 8 figures include
Recoil Polarization for Delta Excitation in Pion Electroproduction
We measured angular distributions of recoil-polarization response functions
for neutral pion electroproduction for W=1.23 GeV at Q^2=1.0 (GeV/c)^2,
obtaining 14 separated response functions plus 2 Rosenbluth combinations; of
these, 12 have been observed for the first time. Dynamical models do not
describe quantities governed by imaginary parts of interference products well,
indicating the need for adjusting magnitudes and phases for nonresonant
amplitudes. We performed a nearly model-independent multipole analysis and
obtained values for Re(S1+/M1+)=-(6.84+/-0.15)% and Re(E1+/M1+)=-(2.91+/-0.19)%
that are distinctly different from those from the traditional Legendre analysis
based upon M1+ dominance and sp truncation.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, for PR
A Measurement of Psi(2S) Resonance Parameters
Cross sections for e+e- to hadons, pi+pi- J/Psi, and mu+mu- have been
measured in the vicinity of the Psi(2S) resonance using the BESII detector
operated at the BEPC. The Psi(2S) total width; partial widths to hadrons,
pi+pi- J/Psi, muons; and corresponding branching fractions have been determined
to be Gamma(total)= (264+-27) keV; Gamma(hadron)= (258+-26) keV, Gamma(mu)=
(2.44+-0.21) keV, and Gamma(pi+pi- J/Psi)= (85+-8.7) keV; and Br(hadron)=
(97.79+-0.15)%, Br(pi+pi- J/Psi)= (32+-1.4)%, Br(mu)= (0.93+-0.08)%,
respectively.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Measurements of the Mass and Full-Width of the Meson
In a sample of 58 million events collected with the BES II detector,
the process J/ is observed in five different decay
channels: , , (with ), (with
) and . From a combined fit of all five
channels, we determine the mass and full-width of to be
MeV/ and
MeV/.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures and 4 table. Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Advances in Antisense Oligonucleotide Development for Target Identification, Validation, and as Novel Therapeutics
Antisense oligonucleotides (As-ODNs) are single stranded, synthetically prepared strands of deoxynucleotide sequences, usually 18–21 nucleotides in length, complementary to the mRNA sequence of the target gene. As-ODNs are able to selectively bind cognate mRNA sequences by sequence-specific hybridization. This results in cleavage or disablement of the mRNA and, thus, inhibits the expression of the target gene. The specificity of the As approach is based on the probability that, in the human genome, any sequence longer than a minimal number of nucleotides (nt), 13 for RNA and 17 for DNA, normally occurs only once. The potential applications of As-ODNs are numerous because mRNA is ubiquitous and is more accessible to manipulation than DNA. With the publication of the human genome sequence, it has become theoretically possible to inhibit mRNA of almost any gene by As-ODNs, in order to get a better understanding of gene function, investigate its role in disease pathology and to study novel therapeutic targets for the diseases caused by dysregulated gene expression. The conceptual simplicity, the availability of gene sequence information from the human genome, the inexpensive availability of synthetic oligonucleotides and the possibility of rational drug design makes As-ODNs powerful tools for target identification, validation and therapeutic intervention. In this review we discuss the latest developments in antisense oligonucleotide design, delivery, pharmacokinetics and potential side effects, as well as its uses in target identification and validation, and finally focus on the current developments of antisense oligonucleotides in therapeutic intervention in various diseases
Luminescence characteristics of quartz from Brazilian sediments and constraints for OSL dating
This study analyzes the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) characteristics of quartz grains from fluvial, eolian and shallow marine sands of northeastern and southeastern Brazil, with especial focus on the applicability of the single-aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) dating protocol. All analyzed Brazilian sediments presented relatively high OSL sensitivity and good behavior regarding their luminescence characteristics relevant for radiation dose estimation. However, some samples from the Lençóis Maranhenses region in northeastern Brazil showed inadequate OSL sensitivity correction, hampering the implementation of the SAR protocol and their ability to behave as a natural dosimeter. While the shallow marine and eolian samples showed a narrow and reliable dose distribution, the fluvial sample had a wide dose distribution, suggesting incomplete bleaching and natural doses estimates dependent on age models
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