Sobolev Stability of Plane Wave Solutions to the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

This article explores the questions of long time orbital stability in high order Sobolev norms of plane wave solutions to the NLSE in the defocusing case.     

Point Mutations of Nicotinic Receptor α1 Subunit Reveal New Molecular Features of G153S Slow-Channel Myasthenia

Slow-channel congenital myasthenic syndromes (SCCMSs) are rare genetic diseases caused by mutations in muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits. Most of the known SCCMS-associated mutations localize at the transmembrane region near the ion pore. Only two SCCMS point mutations are at the extracellular domains near the acetylcholine binding site, α1(G153S) being one of them. In this work, a combination of molecular dynamics, targeted mutagenesis, fluorescent Ca²⁺ imaging and patch-clamp electrophysiology has been applied to G153S mutant muscle nAChR to investigate the role of hydrogen bonds formed by Ser 153 with C-loop residues near the acetylcholine-binding site. Introduction of L199T mutation to the C-loop in the vicinity of Ser 153 changed hydrogen bonds distribution, decreased acetylcholine potency (EC₅₀ 2607 vs. 146 nM) of the double mutant and decay kinetics of acetylcholine-evoked cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ rise (τ 14.2 ± 0.3 vs. 34.0 ± 0.4 s). These results shed light on molecular mechanisms of nAChR activation-desensitization and on the involvement of such mechanisms in channelopathy genesis.     

Heuristic Solution Methods for the Multilevel Generalized Assignment Problem

The multilevel generalized assignment problem is a problem of assigning agents to tasks where the agents can perform tasks at more than one efficiency level. A profit is associated with each assignment and the objective of the problem is profit maximization. Two heuristic solution methods are presented for the problem. The heuristics are developed from solution methods for the generalized assignment problem. One method uses a regret minimization approach whilst the other method uses a repair approach on a relaxation of the problem. The heuristics are able to solve moderately large instances of the problem rapidly and effectively. Procedures for deriving an upper bound on the solution of the problem are also described. On larger and harder instances of the problem one heuristic is particularly effective.     

On the critical exponents of random k‐SAT

There has been much recent interest in the satisfiability of random Boolean formulas. A random k‐SAT formula is the conjunction of m random clauses, each of which is the disjunction of k literals (a variable or its negation). It is known that when the number of variables n is large, there is a sharp transition from satisfiability to unsatisfiability; in the case of 2‐SAT this happens when m/n → 1, for 3‐SAT the critical ratio is thought to be m/n ≈ 4.2. The sharpness of this transition is characterized by a critical exponent, sometimes called ν = ν_k (the smaller the value of ν the sharper the transition). Experiments have suggested that ν₃ = 1.5 ± 0.1. ν₄ = 1.25 ± 0.05, ν₅ = 1.1 ± 0.05, ν₆ = 1.05 ± 0.05, and heuristics have suggested that ν_k → 1 as k → ∞. We give here a simple proof that each of these exponents is at least 2 (provided the exponent is well defined). This result holds for each of the three standard ensembles of random k‐SAT formulas: m clauses selected uniformly at random without replacement, m clauses selected uniformly at random with replacement, and each clause selected with probability p independent of the other clauses. We also obtain similar results for q‐colorability and the appearance of a q‐core in a random graph. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 21: 182–195, 2002     

Quasi-wavelet calculations of sound scattering behind barriers

Quasi-wavelets (QWs) are a representation of turbulence consisting of self-similar, eddy-like structures with random orientations and positions in space. They are used in this paper to calculate the scattering, due to turbulent velocity fluctuations, of sound behind noise barriers as a function of the size and spatial location of the eddies. The sound scattering cross-section for QWs of an individual size class (eddy size) is derived and shown to reproduce results for the von Kármán spectrum when the scattered energies from a continuous distribution of QW sizes are combined. A Bragg resonance condition is derived for the eddy size that scatters most strongly for a given acoustic wavenumber and scattering angle. Results for scattering over barriers show that, for typical barrier conditions, most of the scattered energy originates from eddies in the size range of approximately one-half to twice the size of the eddies responsible for maximum scattering. The results also suggest that scattering over the barrier due to eddies with a line of sight to both the source and receiver is generally significant only for frequencies above several kilohertz, for sources and receivers no more than a few meters below the top of the barrier, and for very turbulent atmospheric conditions.     

PSL2(59) is a Subgroup of the Monster

A computer construction of the Monster is used to prove thatPSL(2, 59) is a subgroup of the Monster.