18,882 research outputs found
Cortical free association dynamics: distinct phases of a latching network
A Potts associative memory network has been proposed as a simplified model of
macroscopic cortical dynamics, in which each Potts unit stands for a patch of
cortex, which can be activated in one of S local attractor states. The internal
neuronal dynamics of the patch is not described by the model, rather it is
subsumed into an effective description in terms of graded Potts units, with
adaptation effects both specific to each attractor state and generic to the
patch. If each unit, or patch, receives effective (tensor) connections from C
other units, the network has been shown to be able to store a large number p of
global patterns, or network attractors, each with a fraction a of the units
active, where the critical load p_c scales roughly like p_c ~ (C S^2)/(a
ln(1/a)) (if the patterns are randomly correlated). Interestingly, after
retrieving an externally cued attractor, the network can continue jumping, or
latching, from attractor to attractor, driven by adaptation effects. The
occurrence and duration of latching dynamics is found through simulations to
depend critically on the strength of local attractor states, expressed in the
Potts model by a parameter w. Here we describe with simulations and then
analytically the boundaries between distinct phases of no latching, of
transient and sustained latching, deriving a phase diagram in the plane w-T,
where T parametrizes thermal noise effects. Implications for real cortical
dynamics are briefly reviewed in the conclusions
Density Functional Calculations On First-Row Transition Metals
The excitation energies and ionization potentials of the atoms in the first
transition series are notoriously difficult to compute accurately. Errors in
calculated excitation energies can range from 1--4 eV at the Hartree-Fock
level, and errors as high as 1.5eV are encountered for ionization energies. In
the current work we present and discuss the results of a systematic study of
the first transition series using a spin-restricted Kohn-Sham
density-functional method with the gradient-corrected functionals of Becke and
Lee, Yang and Parr. Ionization energies are observed to be in good agreement
with experiment, with a mean absolute error of approximately 0.15eV; these
results are comparable to the most accurate calculations to date, the Quadratic
Configuration Interaction (QCISD(T)) calculations of Raghavachari and Trucks.
Excitation energies are calculated with a mean error of approximately 0.5eV,
compared with \sim 1\mbox{eV} for the local density approximation and 0.1eV
for QCISD(T). These gradient-corrected functionals appear to offer an
attractive compromise between accuracy and computational effort.Comment: Journal of Chemical Physics, 29, LA-UR-93-425
CSP Plant Thermal-hydraulic Simulation
Abstract In the frame of the development of new solar plants and their innovative components, our research activities focus on theoretical elaborations and simulation to support basic design and assistance to manufacturing. The aim is to describe the use of Relap5 code [1] for analyzing the thermal-hydraulic behavior of a CSP Plant based on parabolic through collectors. Here a fluid dynamic simulation of the Test Plant, situated at Casaccia Research Center, will be evaluated. For the first simulation, the filling and draining phase of the circuit has been considered. It has been simulated a time period corresponding to the plant starting with the switch on of the pump, the filling of the circuit, a steady state condition and the pump switching off until the complete draining of the circuit. This studies have been performed in different collectors configurations and different logics of the operation valves in order to define the better system control and the better operating procedure
Deregulation and environmental differentiation in the electric utility industry.
This paper analyzes how economic deregulation impacts firm strategies and environmental quality in the electric utility industry. We find evidence that the deregulation introduced to this historically staid industry has stimulated environmental differentiation. Differentiation is most likely to appear where its point of uniqueness is valued by customers, and we confirm this relationship in our sample. Specifically, utilities that served customers who exhibited higher levels of environmental sensitivity generated more green power. The tendency for firms to differentiate in this way is lessened if they are relatively more dependent on coal-fired generation or relatively more efficient. Thus, there is evidence that firms sort themselves into either differentiation or low-cost strategies as the competitive realities of a deregulated world unfold. Deregulation and the ensuing environmental differentiation illustrate how utilities exploited formerly unmet customer demand for green power. The result has been greater levels of renewable generation and, hence, a cleaner environment.Deregulation; Environmental differentiation; Electric utility; Renewable energy; Productive efficiency;
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