Transport by Molecular Motors in the Presence of Static Defects

The transport by molecular motors along cytoskeletal filaments is studied theoretically in the presence of static defects. The movements of single motors are described as biased random walks along the filament as well as binding to and unbinding from the filament. Three basic types of defects are distinguished, which differ from normal filament sites only in one of the motors’ transition probabilities. Both stepping defects with a reduced probability for forward steps and unbinding defects with an increased probability for motor unbinding strongly reduce the velocities and the run lengths of the motors with increasing defect density. For transport by single motors, binding defects with a reduced probability for motor binding have a relatively small effect on the transport properties. For cargo transport by motors teams, binding defects also change the effective unbinding rate of the cargo particles and are expected to have a stronger effect.     

Random walks of cytoskeletal motors in open and closed compartments

Random walks of molecular motors, which bind to and unbind from cytoskeletal filaments, are studied theoretically. The bound and unbound motors undergo directed and nondirected motion, respectively. Motors in open compartments exhibit anomalous drift velocities. Motors in closed compartments generate stationary nonequilibrium states with spatially varying densities of the motor concentrations and currents. "Traffic jams" on the filaments lead to a maximum of the motor current at an optimal motor concentration. Quantitative estimates based on experimental data for bound motors indicate that these transport phenomena are accessible to experiments.     

Classical spin in a potential field

We consider an ensemble of restricted discrete random walks in 2+1 dimensions. The restriction on the walks is such as to given particles an intrinsic angular momentum. The walks are embedded in a field which affects the mean free path of the walks. We show that the dynamics of the walks is such that second-order effects are described by a discrete form of Schrödinger's equation for particles in a potential field. This provides a classical context of the equation which is independent of its quantum context.     

Short linear random walks

Linear random walks are usually described by formulae valid for a large number of steps. Formulae applicable to short walks and to walks in the presence of traps as well as of rotations are given and the pertinent activation energies in thermally activated processes are discussed. Applicability to interpretation of experimental data is pointed out.     

First passage time distributions for finite one-dimensional random walks

We present closed expressions for the characteristic function of the first passage time distribution for biased and unbiased random walks on finite chains and continuous segments with reflecting boundary conditions. Earlier results on mean first passage times for one-dimensional random walks emerge as special cases. The divergences that result as the boundary is moved out to infinity are exhibited explicitly. For a symmetric random walk on a line, the distribution is an elliptic theta function that goes over into the known Lévy distribution with exponent 1/2 as the boundary tends to ∞.     

Scattering theory and discrete-time quantum walks

We study quantum walks on general graphs from the point of view of scattering theory. For a general finite graph we choose two vertices and attach one half line to each, and consider walks that proceed from one half line, through the graph, to the other. The probability of starting on one line and reaching the other after n steps can be expressed in terms of the transmission amplitude for the graph.     

Random Walks with Invariant Loop Probabilities: Stereographic Random Walks

Random walks with invariant loop probabilities comprise a wide family of Markov processes with site-dependent, one-step transition probabilities. The whole family, which includes the simple random walk, emerges from geometric considerations related to the stereographic projection of an underlying geometry into a line. After a general introduction, we focus our attention on the elliptic case: random walks on a circle with built-in reflexing boundaries.     

Aging in subdiffusion generated by a deterministic dynamical system

We investigate aging behavior in a simple dynamical system: a nonlinear map which generates subdiffusion deterministically. Asymptotic behaviors of the diffusion process are described using aging continuous time random walks. We show how these processes are described by an aging diffusion equation which is of fractional order. Our work demonstrates that aging behavior can be found in deterministic low dimensional dynamical systems.     

Continuum description of anomalous diffusion on a comb structure

Anomalous diffusion on a comb structure consisting of a one-dimensional backbone and lateral branches (teeth) of random length is considered. A well-defined classification of the trajectories of random walks reduces the original problem to an analysis of classical diffusion on the backbone, where, however, the time of this process is a random quantity. Its distribution is dictated by the properties of the random walks of the diffusing particles on the teeth. The feasibility of applying mean-field theory in such a model is demonstrated, and the equation for the Green’s function with a partial derivative of fractional order is obtained. The characteristic features of the propagation of particles on a comb structure are analyzed. We obtain a model of an effective homogeneous medium in which diffusion is described by an equation with a fractional derivative with respect to time and an initial condition that is an integral of fractional order. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 1284–1312 (October 1998)     

Diagnosis of the three-phase induction motor using thermal imaging

Three-phase induction motors are used in the industry commonly for example woodworking machines, blowers, pumps, conveyors, elevators, compressors, mining industry, automotive industry, chemical industry and railway applications. Diagnosis of faults is essential for proper maintenance. Faults may damage a motor and damaged motors generate economic losses caused by breakdowns in production lines. In this paper the authors develop fault diagnostic techniques of the three-phase induction motor. The described techniques are based on the analysis of thermal images of three-phase induction motor. The authors analyse thermal images of 3 states of the three-phase induction motor: healthy three-phase induction motor, three-phase induction motor with 2 broken bars, three-phase induction motor with faulty ring of squirrel-cage. In this paper the authors develop an original method of the feature extraction of thermal images MoASoID (Method of Areas Selection of Image Differences). This method compares many training sets together and it selects the areas with the biggest changes for the recognition process. Feature vectors are obtained with the use of mentioned MoASoID and image histogram. Next 3 methods of classification are used: NN (the Nearest Neighbour classifier), K-means, BNN (the back-propagation neural network). The described fault diagnostic techniques are useful for protection of three-phase induction motor and other types of rotating electrical motors such as: DC motors, generators, synchronous motors.     

Protein motors induced enhanced diffusion in intracellular transport

Diffusion of transported particles in the intracellular medium is described by means of a generalized diffusion equation containing forces due to the cytoskeleton network and to the protein motors. We find that the enhanced diffusion observed in experiments depends on the nature of the force exerted by the protein motors and on parameters characterizing the intracellular medium which is described in terms of a generalized Debye spectrum for the noise density of states.     

Asymptotic survival probability of random walks on a semi-infinite line

Symmetric and asymmetric random walks on a segment (−∞,T>0) of the real line are considered. There is a non-zero probability for the random walk to get absorbed at a site it visits. We derive for such random walks, expressions for survival probabilities in the asymptotic limit ofT→∞. An application of this asymptotic formulation to the problem of radiation transport through thick shields is presented.     

Lingering Random Walks in Random Environment on a Strip

We consider a recurrent random walk (RW) in random environment (RE) on a strip. We prove that if the RE is i. i. d. and its distribution is not supported by an algebraic subsurface in the space of parameters defining the RE then the RW exhibits the (log t)² asymptotic behaviour. The exceptional algebraic subsurface is described by an explicit system of algebraic equations. One-dimensional walks with bounded jumps in a RE are treated as a particular case of the strip model. If the one dimensional RE is i. i. d., then our approach leads to a complete and constructive classification of possible types of asymptotic behaviour of recurrent random walks. Namely, the RW exhibits the (log t)² asymptotic behaviour if the distribution of the RE is not supported by a hyperplane in the space of parameters which shall be explicitly described. And if the support of the RE belongs to this hyperplane then the corresponding RW is a martingale and its asymptotic behaviour is governed by the Central Limit Theorem.     

Nonperturbative renormalization-group study of reaction-diffusion processes

We generalize nonperturbative renormalization group methods to nonequilibrium critical phenomena. Within this formalism, reaction-diffusion processes are described by a scale-dependent effective action, the flow of which is derived. We investigate branching and annihilating random walks with an odd number of offspring. Along with recovering their universal physics (described by the directed percolation universality class), we determine their phase diagrams and predict that a transition occurs even in three dimensions, contrarily to what perturbation theory suggests.     

Quantum Field Theory of Black-Swan Events

Free and weakly interacting particles are described by a second-quantized nonlinear Schrödinger equation, or relativistic versions of it. They describe Gaussian random walks with collisions. By contrast, the fields of strongly interacting particles are governed by effective actions, whose extremum yields fractional field equations. Their particle orbits perform universal Lévy walks with heavy tails, in which rare events are much more frequent than in Gaussian random walks. Such rare events are observed in exceptionally strong windgusts, monster or rogue waves, earthquakes, and financial crashes. While earthquakes may destroy entire cities, the latter have the potential of devastating entire economies.     

Non-Markovian decoherent quantum walks

Quantum walks act in obviously different ways from their classical counterparts, but decoherence will lessen and close this gap between them. To understand this process, it is necessary to investigate the evolution of quantum walks under different decoherence situations. In this article, we study a non-Markovian decoherent quantum walk on a line. In a short time regime, the behavior of the walk deviates from both ideal quantum walks and classical random walks. The position variance as a measure of the quantum walk collapses and revives for a short time, and tends to have a linear relation with time. That is, the walker's behavior shows a diffusive spread over a long time limit, which is caused by non-Markovian dephasing affecting the quantum correlations between the quantum walker and his coin. We also study both quantum discord and measurement-induced disturbance as measures of the quantum correlations, and observe both collapse and revival in the short time regime, and the tendency to be zero in the long time limit. Therefore, quantum walks with non-Markovian decoherence tend to have diffusive spreading behavior over long time limits, while in the short time regime they oscillate between ballistic and diffusive spreading behavior, and the quantum correlation collapses and revives due to the memory effect.     

Obtaining Fractal Dimensions and Examining Boundaries by Coordinate Averaging

Problems with automated techniques for measuring boundary fractal dimensions using structured walks are described and a new method is proposed, coordinate averaging. The actual polygon generated by a structured walk is variable and depends upon the chosen starting point. This noise is apparent in the resulting Richardson plots. The use of multiple starting points enhances the Fast (equipaced) method but is less productive with the Hybrid (fixed step) method because the paths followed around the perimeter tend to converge. Coordinate averaging uses perimeters that have been mapped as a list of sequential coordinates. They are then examined by averaging every coordinate with an increasing number of neighbours. The resulting family of shapes progressively shed detail and can be used to generate fractal dimensions. Coordinate averaging appears to be free from the noise found with structured walks and is able to examine highly convoluted shapes. In addition it appears well suited to the examination of the homogeneity of boundaries and can follow the detailed evolution of individual features.     

Anyonic quantum walks

The one dimensional quantum walk of anyonic systems is presented. The anyonic walker performs braiding operations with stationary anyons of the same type ordered canonically on the line of the walk. Abelian as well as non-Abelian anyons are studied and it is shown that they have very different properties. Abelian anyonic walks demonstrate the expected quadratic quantum speedup. Non-Abelian anyonic walks are much more subtle. The exponential increase of the system’s Hilbert space and the particular statistical evolution of non-Abelian anyons give a variety of new behaviors. The position distribution of the walker is related to Jones polynomials, topological invariants of the links created by the anyonic world-lines during the walk. Several examples such as the SU(2)_k and the quantum double models are considered that provide insight to the rich diffusion properties of anyons.     

分子马达与布朗马达

综述了有关分子马达,主要是肌球蛋白马达和动蛋白马达的实验研究进展情况,并对理论模型,特别是近年来广为流行的布朗马达模型作了介绍和评论。最后展望了这一领域的发展前景及其所面临的挑战性问题。