3,956 research outputs found
Scaling Behavior of Quasi-One-Dimensional Vortex Avalanches in Superconducting Films
Scaling behaviour of dynamically driven vortex avalanches in superconducting
YBaCuO films deposited on tilted crystalline
substrates has been observed using quantitative magneto-optical imaging. Two
films with different tilt angles are characterized by the probability
distributions of avalanche size in terms of the number of moving vortices. It
is found in both samples that these distributions follow power-laws over up to
three decades, and have exponents ranging between 1.0 and 1.4. The
distributions also show clear finite-size scaling, when the system size is
defined by the depth of the flux penetration front -- a signature of
self-organized criticality. A scaling relation between the avalanche size
exponent and the fractal dimension, previously derived theoretically from
conservation of the number of magnetic vortices in the stationary state and
shown in numerical simulations, is here shown to be satisfied also
experimentally.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
A multiscale view on inverse statistics and gain/loss asymmetry in financial time series
Researchers have studied the first passage time of financial time series and
observed that the smallest time interval needed for a stock index to move a
given distance is typically shorter for negative than for positive price
movements. The same is not observed for the index constituents, the individual
stocks. We use the discrete wavelet transform to illustrate that this is a long
rather than short time scale phenomenon -- if enough low frequency content of
the price process is removed, the asymmetry disappears. We also propose a new
model, which explain the asymmetry by prolonged, correlated down movements of
individual stocks
A Novel Auxiliary Agarolytic Pathway Expands Metabolic Versatility in the Agar-Degrading Marine Bacterium Colwellia echini A3(T)
Marine microorganisms encode a complex repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) for the catabolism of algal cell wall polysaccharides. While the core enzyme cascade for degrading agar is conserved across agarolytic marine bacteria, gain of novel metabolic functions can lead to the evolutionary expansion of the gene repertoire. Here, we describe how two less-abundant GH96 a-agarases harbored in the agar-specific polysaccharide utilization locus (PUL) of Colwellia echini strain A3(T) facilitate the versatility of the agarolytic pathway. The cellular and molecular functions of the a-agarases examined by genomic, transcriptomic, and biochemical analyses revealed that alpha-agarases of C. echini A3(T) create a novel auxiliary pathway. alpha-Agarases convert even-numbered neoagarooligo-saccharides to odd-numbered agaro- and neoagarooligosaccharides, providing an alternative route for the depolymerization process in the agarolytic pathway. Comparative genomic analysis of agarolytic bacteria implied that the agarolytic gene repertoire in marine bacteria has been diversified during evolution, while the essential core agarolytic gene set has been conserved. The expansion of the agarolytic gene repertoire and novel hydrolytic functions, including the elucidated molecular functionality of alpha-agarase, promote metabolic versatility by channeling agar metabolism through different routes. IMPORTANCE Colwellia echini A3(T) is an example of how the gain of gene(s) can lead to the evolutionary expansion of agar-specific polysaccharide utilization loci (PUL). C. echini A3(T) encodes two a-agarases in addition to the core beta-agarolytic enzymes in its agarolytic PUL. Among the agar-degrading CAZymes identified so far, only a few alpha-agarases have been biochemically characterized. The molecular and biological functions of two alpha-agarases revealed that their unique hydrolytic pattern leads to the emergence of auxiliary agarolytic pathways. Through the combination of transcriptomic, genomic, and biochemical evidence, we elucidate the complete alpha-agarolytic pathway in C. echini A3(T). The addition of alpha-agarases to the agarolytic enzyme repertoire might allow marine agarolytic bacteria to increase competitive abilities through metabolic versatility
Power Laws, Precursors and Predictability During Failure
We investigate the dynamics of a modified Burridge-Knopoff model by
introducing a dissipative term to mimic the bursts of acoustic emission (AE)
from rock samples. The model explains many features of the statistics of AE
signals observed in experiments such as the crossover in the exponent value
from relatively small amplitude AE signals to larger regime, and their
dependence on the pulling speed. Significantly, we find that the cumulative
energy dissipated identified with acoustic emission can be used to predict a
major slip event. We also find a data collapse of the acoustic activity for
several major slip events describable by a universal stretched exponential with
corrections in terms of time-to-failure.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, Final version with minor change
Prevalence of pain-free weeks in chiropractic subjects with low back pain - a longitudinal study using data gathered with text messages
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The use of automated text messages has made it possible to identify different courses of low back pain (LBP), and it has been observed that pain often fluctuates and that absolute recovery is rather rare. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of pain-free weeks and pain-free periods in subjects with non-specific LBP treated by chiropractors, and to compare subjects from two different countries in these aspects.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were obtained from two practice-based multicentre prospective outcome studies, one Danish and one Swedish, involving subjects being treated by chiropractors for non-specific LBP. Over 18 weeks, subjects answered a weekly automated text message question on the number of days in the past week that they had experienced bothersome LBP, i.e. a number between 0 and 7. The number of weeks in a row without any LBP at all ("zero weeks") as well as the maximum number of zero weeks in a row was determined for each individual. Comparisons were made between the two study samples. Estimates are presented as percentages with 95% confidence intervals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the Danish and the Swedish populations respectively, 93/110 (85%) and 233/262 (89%) of the subjects were eligible for analysis. In both groups, zero weeks were rather rare and were most commonly (in 40% of the zero weeks) reported as a single isolated week. The prevalence of pain free periods, i.e. reporting a maximum of 0, 1 or 2, or 3-6 zero weeks in a row, were similar in the two populations (20-31%). Smaller percentages were reported for ⼠7 zero weeks in a row. There were no significant differences between the two study groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It was uncommon that chiropractic subjects treated for non-specific LBP experienced an entire week without any LBP at all over 18 weeks. When this occurred, it was most commonly reported for brief periods only. Hence, recovery in the sense that patients become absolutely pain free is rare, even in a primary care population.</p
Dust Removal Technolgy for a Mars In Situ Resource Utilization System
Several In Situ Resource Utilization (lSRU) systems being considered to enable future manned exploration of Mars require capture of Martian atmospheric gas to extract oxygen and other commodities. However, the Martian atmosphere contains relatively large amounts of dust which must be removed in tbe collection systems of the ISRU chambers. The amount of atmospheric dust varies largely with the presence of daily dust devils and the less frequent but much more powerful global dust storms. A common and mature dust removal technology for terrestrial systems is the electrostatic precipitator. With this technology, dust particles being captured are imparted an electrostatic charge by means of a corona discharge. Charged dust particles are then driven to a region of high electric field which forces the particles onto a collector for capture. Several difficulties appear when this technology is adapted to the Martian atmospheric environment At the low atmospheric pressure of Mars, electrical breakdown occurs at much lower voltages than on Earth and corona discharge is difficult to sustain. In this paper, we report on our efforts to obtain a steady corona/glow discharge in a simulated Martian atmosphere of carbon dioxide at 9 millibars of pressure. We also present results on the design of a dust capture system under these atmospheric conditions
Central peak position in magnetization loops of high- superconductors
Exact analytical results are obtained for the magnetization of a
superconducting thin strip with a general behavior J_c(B) of the critical
current density. We show that within the critical-state model the magnetization
as function of applied field, B_a, has an extremum located exactly at B_a=0.
This result is in excellent agreement with presented experimental data for a
YBCO thin film. After introducing granularity by patterning the film, the
central peak becomes shifted to positive fields on the descending field branch
of the loop. Our results show that a positive peak position is a definite
signature of granularity in superconductors.Comment: $ pages, 6 figure
Interactions of Heavy Hadrons using Regge Phenomenology and the Quark Gluon String Model
The search for stable heavy exotic hadrons is a promising way to observe new
physics processes at collider experiments. The discovery potential for such
particles can be enhanced or suppressed by their interactions with detector
material. This paper describes a model for the interactions in matter of stable
hadrons containing an exotic quark of charges or
using Regge phenomenology and the Quark Gluon String Model. The influence of
such interactions on searches at the LHC is also discussed
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