Post-plus languages

AbstractIn this paper, a post-plus language is defined as a language which contains all the catenations of each word in the language with a proper suffix of this word. The set of all d-primitive words is a natural post-plus language. The family of all post-plus languages is a subfamily of all non-counting languages. Some basic properties and characterizations of post-plus languages are investigated. We obtain that a post-plus language spanned by a word over an alphabet with two letters is context-free if and only if the language is regular. Some general properties of post-plus languages related to code, dense property and formal language theory such as the nature of context-free, context-sensitive languages are also studied in this paper

Quantitative Evaluation of Crystallographic Texture in Aluminum Alloy Builds Fabricated by Very High Power Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing

Very high power ultrasonic additive manufacturing (VHPUAM) has shown good bond quality over traditional ultrasonic consolidation processes. However, the stability of microstructure in bulk and interface regions is unknown. Our earlier research showed a large difference in grain growth kinetics between bulk and interface regions. Therefore, we have performed in-situ studies of crystallographic texture evolution using a neutron beam line, before, during, and after heat treatment at 343oC for 2 hours. Shear texture in the as-received condition was found to be stronger with higher vibration amplitudes. We also observed rapid reduction of rolling textures in the initial material and presence of shear textures even after heat treatment.Mechanical Engineerin

Evolution of asexual and sexual reproduction in the aspergilli

Aspergillus nidulans has long-been used as a model organism to gain insights into the genetic basis of asexual and sexual developmental processes both in other members of the genus Aspergillus, and filamentous fungi in general. Paradigms have been established concerning the regulatory mechanisms of conidial development. However, recent studies have shown considerable genome divergence in the fungal kingdom, questioning the general applicability of findings from Aspergillus, and certain longstanding evolutionary theories have been questioned. The phylogenetic distribution of key regulatory elements of asexual reproduction in A. nidulans was investigated in a broad taxonomic range of fungi. This revealed that some proteins were well conserved in the Pezizomycotina (e.g. AbaA, FlbA, FluG, NsdD, MedA, and some velvet proteins), suggesting similar developmental roles. However, other elements (e.g. BrlA) had a more restricted distribution solely in the Eurotiomycetes, and it appears that the genetic control of sporulation seems to be more complex in the aspergilli than in some other taxonomic groups of the Pezizomycotina. The evolution of the velvet protein family is discussed based on the history of expansion and contraction events in the early divergent fungi. Heterologous expression of the A. nidulans abaA gene in Monascus ruber failed to induce development of complete conidiophores as seen in the aspergilli, but did result in increased conidial production. The absence of many components of the asexual developmental pathway from members of the Saccharomycotina supports the hypothesis that differences in the complexity of their spore formation is due in part to the increased diversity of the sporulation machinery evident in the Pezizomycotina. Investigations were also made into the evolution of sex and sexuality in the aspergilli. MAT loci were identified from the heterothallic Aspergillus (Emericella) heterothallicus and Aspergillus (Neosartorya) fennelliae and the homothallic Aspergillus pseudoglaucus (=Eurotium repens). A consistent architecture of the MAT locus was seen in these and other heterothallic aspergilli whereas much variation was seen in the arrangement of MAT loci in homothallic aspergilli. This suggested that it is most likely that the common ancestor of the aspergilli exhibited a heterothallic breeding system. Finally, the supposed prevalence of asexuality in the aspergilli was examined. Investigations were made using A. clavatus as a representative ‘asexual’ species. It was possible to induce a sexual cycle in A. clavatus given the correct MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 partners and environmental conditions, with recombination confirmed utilising molecular markers. This indicated that sexual reproduction might be possible in many supposedly asexual aspergilli and beyond, providing general insights into the nature of asexuality in fungi.National Natural Science Foundation of China 31601446National Research Foundation of Korea 2016010945Intelligent Synthetic Biology Center of Global Frontier Projects 2015M3A6A8065838Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilGovernment of IraqMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2015-67148-

A Comparative Study of fBf_B within QCD Sum Rules with Two Typical Correlators up to Next-to-Leading Order

The B-decay constant $f_B$ is an important component for studying $B$-meson decays, which can be studied through QCD sum rules. We make a detailed discussion on $f_B$ from two sum rules, i.e. sum rules I and II, which are derived from the conventional correlator and the correlator with chiral currents respectively. It is found that these two sum rules are consistent with each other. However, the sum rules II has less uncertainty sources than that of sum rules I, and then it can be more accurate if we know the dimension-four gluon condensate well. It is found that $f_B$ decreases with the increment of $m_b$, and to compare with the Belle experimental data on $f_B$, both sum rules prefer smaller pole $b$-quark mass, $m_b=4.68\pm0.07$ GeV. By varying all the input parameters in their reasonable region and adding all the uncertainties together in quadrature, we obtain $f_B=172^{+23}_{-25}$ MeV for sum rules I and $f_B=214_{-34}^{+26}$ MeV for sum rules II.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. To match the printed version. To be published in Communications in Theoretical Physic

Clifford algebras and universal sets of quantum gates

In this paper is shown an application of Clifford algebras to the construction of computationally universal sets of quantum gates for $n$-qubit systems. It is based on the well-known application of Lie algebras together with the especially simple commutation law for Clifford algebras, which states that all basic elements either commute or anticommute.Comment: 4 pages, REVTeX (2 col.), low-level language corrections, PR

Renormalization group approach to an Abelian sandpile model on planar lattices

One important step in the renormalization group (RG) approach to a lattice sandpile model is the exact enumeration of all possible toppling processes of sandpile dynamics inside a cell for RG transformations. Here we propose a computer algorithm to carry out such exact enumeration for cells of planar lattices in RG approach to Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld sandpile model [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 59}, 381 (1987)] and consider both the reduced-high RG equations proposed by Pietronero, Vespignani, and Zapperi (PVZ) [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 72}, 1690 (1994)] and the real-height RG equations proposed by Ivashkevich [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 76}, 3368 (1996)]. Using this algorithm we are able to carry out RG transformations more quickly with large cell size, e.g. $3 \times 3$ cell for the square (sq) lattice in PVZ RG equations, which is the largest cell size at the present, and find some mistakes in a previous paper [Phys. Rev. E {\bf 51}, 1711 (1995)]. For sq and plane triangular (pt) lattices, we obtain the only attractive fixed point for each lattice and calculate the avalanche exponent $\tau$ and the dynamical exponent $z$. Our results suggest that the increase of the cell size in the PVZ RG transformation does not lead to more accurate results. The implication of such result is discussed.Comment: 29 pages, 6 figure

Flexural behaviour of hybrid FRP-concrete-steel double skin tubular members

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the flexural behavior of a new type of hybrid FRP-concrete-steel member as well as results from a corresponding theoretical model based on the plane section assumption and the fiber element approach. This new type of hybrid member is in the form of a double-skin tube, composed of a steel inner tube and an FRP outer tube with a concrete infill between the two tubes, and may be employed as columns or beams. The parameters examined in this study include the section configuration, the concrete strength, and the thicknesses of the steel tube and the FRP tube, respectively. The results presented in this paper show that these hybrid beams have a very ductile response because the compressive concrete is confined by the FRP tube and the steel tube provides ductile longitudinal reinforcement. The beams\u27 flexural response, including the flexural stiffness, ultimate load, and cracking, can be substantially improved by shifting the inner steel tube toward the tension zone or by providing FRP bars as additional longitudinal reinforcement. The predictions from the theoretical model are in reasonably close agreement with the test results. Differences between the test and predicted results arise from factors not considered in the theoretical model, including the existence of a strain gradient in the confined concrete, concentrations of cracks and the slips between the concrete and the two tubes; these are issues to be accounted for in the development of a more accurate model in the future

Current Density Distribution in 2G HTS Tape in an External Magnetic Field

AbstractThis paper describes the method of study of the critical current density distribution across a tape in a background magnetic field. We measured the current distribution by the scanning Hall probe method. Then we measured field across a tape by a set of 10 Hall probes placed on a single substrate. By comparison of data from these two experiments we determined positions of Hall probes at a tape. Then we measured the current distribution of current density across a tape inside a magnet in parallel and perpendicular magnetic field of 30 mT. The details of measuring method and results are presented

Data Locality Aware Strategy for Two-Phase Collective I/O

Abstract. This paper presents Locality-Aware Two-Phase (LATP) I/O, an opti-mization of the Two-Phase collective I/O technique from ROMIO, the most pop-ular MPI-IO implementation. In order to increase the locality of the file accesses, LATP employs the Linear Assignment Problem (LAP) for finding an optimal dis-tribution of data to processes, an aspect that is not considered in the original tech-nique. This assignment is based on the local data that each process stores and has as main purpose the reduction of the number of communication involved in the I/O collective operation and, therefore, the improvement of the global execution time. Compared with Two-Phase I/O, LATP I/O obtains important improvements in most of the considered scenarios.

Conserved mechanisms of microtubule-stimulated ADP release, ATP binding, and force generation in transport kinesins

Kinesins are a superfamily of microtubule-based ATP-powered motors, important for multiple, essential cellular functions. How microtubule binding stimulates their ATPase and controls force generation is not understood. To address this fundamental question, we visualized microtubule-bound kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 motor domains at multiple steps in their ATPase cycles - including their nucleotide-free states - at ~7Å resolution using cryo-electron microscopy. In both motors, microtubule binding promotes ordered conformations of conserved loops that stimulate ADP release, enhance microtubule affinity and prime the catalytic site for ATP binding. ATP binding causes only small shifts of these nucleotide-coordinating loops but induces large conformational changes elsewhere that allow force generation and neck linker docking towards the microtubule plus end. Family-specific differences across the kinesin-microtubule interface account for the distinctive properties of each motor. Our data thus provide evidence for a conserved ATP-driven mechanism for kinesins and reveal the critical mechanistic contribution of the microtubule interface