943 research outputs found
On the Price of Anarchy of Highly Congested Nonatomic Network Games
We consider nonatomic network games with one source and one destination. We
examine the asymptotic behavior of the price of anarchy as the inflow
increases. In accordance with some empirical observations, we show that, under
suitable conditions, the price of anarchy is asymptotic to one. We show with
some counterexamples that this is not always the case. The counterexamples
occur in very simple parallel graphs.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure
Congested traffic equilibria and degenerate anisotropic PDEs
Congested traffic problems on very dense networks lead, at the limit, to minimization problems posed on measures on curves as shown in Baillon and Carlier (Netw. Heterogenous Media 7: 219--241, 2012). Here, we go one step further by showing that these problems can be reformulated in terms of the minimization of an integral functional over a set of vector fields with prescribed divergence. We prove a Sobolev regularity result for their minimizers despite the fact that the Euler-Lagrange equation of the dual is highly degenerate and anisotropic. This somehow extends the analysis of Brasco et al. (J. Math. Pures Appl. 93: 652--671, 2010) to the anisotropic case
Mechanical Metamaterials with Negative Compressibility Transitions
When tensioned, ordinary materials expand along the direction of the applied
force. Here, we explore network concepts to design metamaterials exhibiting
negative compressibility transitions, during which a material undergoes
contraction when tensioned (or expansion when pressured). Continuous
contraction of a material in the same direction of an applied tension, and in
response to this tension, is inherently unstable. The conceptually similar
effect we demonstrate can be achieved, however, through destabilisations of
(meta)stable equilibria of the constituents. These destabilisations give rise
to a stress-induced solid-solid phase transition associated with a twisted
hysteresis curve for the stress-strain relationship. The strain-driven
counterpart of negative compressibility transitions is a force amplification
phenomenon, where an increase in deformation induces a discontinuous increase
in response force. We suggest that the proposed materials could be useful for
the design of actuators, force amplifiers, micro-mechanical controls, and
protective devices.Comment: Supplementary information available at
http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v11/n7/abs/nmat3331.htm
Molecular, spectroscopic, and magnetic properties of cobalt(II) complexes with heteroaromatic N(O)-donor ligands
New [Co(SCN)2(L)4/2] complexes, where
L = b-pic (1), pyCH2OH (2), py(CH2)3OH (3), 1,2,4-
triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (4), [CoCl2(urotrop)2] (5), and
[Co(DMIM)3]Cl2 H2O (6) where urotrop = hexamethylenetetramine
and DMIM = 2,20-bis(4,5-dimethylimidazolyl)
were synthesized in simple reactions of CoCl2 6H2O
with ammonia thiocyanate and pyridine type ligands or
urotropine and diimidazolyl ligands with cobalt(II) chloride
in methanol solutions. The orthorhombic crystallization
for (1), (2), and (4), the monoclinic one for (3) and (5)
as well as the hexagonal one for (6) were found. The plots
of the overlap population density-of-states indicated nonbonding
character of the interactions between pyridine
derivatives ligands and cobalt(II) ions in the complexes
(1)–(4). The electronic spectra showed almost perfect
octahedral complex in the case of (6). The magnetic susceptibility
measurements revealed paramagnetic behavior
with low values of the Curie–Weiss temperature, positive
for complex (5) and negative for the other ones, although
the transition to collective magnetic state at low temperatures
for (4) and (5) was evidenced by an observation of
antiferromagnetic coupling with Ne´el temperature of 4.5 K
and the ferromagnetic one with Curie temperature of 10 K,
respectively
A resting state network in the motor control circuit of the basal ganglia
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the absence of overt stimuli, the brain shows correlated fluctuations in functionally related brain regions. Approximately ten largely independent resting state networks (RSNs) showing this behaviour have been documented to date. Recent studies have reported the existence of an RSN in the basal ganglia - albeit inconsistently and without the means to interpret its function. Using two large study groups with different resting state conditions and MR protocols, the reproducibility of the network across subjects, behavioural conditions and acquisition parameters is assessed. Independent Component Analysis (ICA), combined with novel analyses of temporal features, is applied to establish the basis of signal fluctuations in the network and its relation to other RSNs. Reference to prior probabilistic diffusion tractography work is used to identify the basal ganglia circuit to which these fluctuations correspond.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An RSN is identified in the basal ganglia and thalamus, comprising the pallidum, putamen, subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra, with a projection also to the supplementary motor area. Participating nuclei and thalamo-cortical connection probabilities allow this network to be identified as the motor control circuit of the basal ganglia. The network was reproducibly identified across subjects, behavioural conditions (fixation, eyes closed), field strength and echo-planar imaging parameters. It shows a frequency peak at 0.025 ± 0.007 Hz and is most similar in spectral composition to the Default Mode (DM), a network of regions that is more active at rest than during task processing. Frequency features allow the network to be classified as an RSN rather than a physiological artefact. Fluctuations in this RSN are correlated with those in the task-positive fronto-parietal network and anticorrelated with those in the DM, whose hemodynamic response it anticipates.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the basal ganglia RSN has not been reported in most ICA-based studies using a similar methodology, we demonstrate that it is reproducible across subjects, common resting state conditions and imaging parameters, and show that it corresponds with the motor control circuit. This characterisation of the basal ganglia network opens a potential means to investigate the motor-related neuropathologies in which the basal ganglia are involved.</p
Effects of Separate and Concomitant TLR-2 and TLR-4 Activation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Newborn and Adult Horses
Deficient innate and adaptive immune responses cause newborn mammals to be more susceptible to bacterial infections than adult individuals. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are known to play a pivotal role in bacterial recognition and subsequent immune responses. Several studies have indicated that activation of certain TLRs, in particular TLR-2, can result in suppression of inflammatory pathology. In this study, we isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from adult and newborn horses to investigate the influence of TLR-2 activation on the inflammatory response mediated by TLR-4. Data were analysed in a Bayesian hierarchical linear regression model, accounting for variation between horses. In general, cytokine responses were lower in PBMCs derived from foals compared with PBMCs from adult horses. Whereas in foal PBMCs expression of TLR-2, TLR-4, and TLR-9 was not influenced by separate and concomitant TLR-2 and TLR-4 activation, in adult horse PBMCs, both TLR ligands caused significant up-regulation of TLR-2 and down-regulation of TLR-9. Moreover, in adult horse PBMCs, interleukin-10 protein production and mRNA expression increased significantly following concomitant TLR-2 and TLR-4 activation (compared with sole TLR-4 activation). In foal PBMCs, this effect was not observed. In both adult and foal PBMCs, the lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory response was not influenced by pre-incubation and co-stimulation with the specific TLR-2 ligand Pam3-Cys-Ser-Lys4. This indicates that the published data on other species cannot be translated directly to the horse, and stresses the necessity to confirm results obtained in other species in target animals. Future research should aim to identify other methods or substances that enhance TLR functionality and bacterial defence in foals, thereby lowering susceptibility to life-threatening infections during the first period of life
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