Rate of convergence for shuffling cards by transpositions

Suppose we are given a graph with a label on each vertex and a rate assigned to each edge, and suppose that edges flip (that is, the labels at the two endpoints switch) randomly with the given rates. We consider two Markov processes on this graph: one whose states are the permutations of then labels, and one whose states are the positions of a single label. We show that for several classes of graphs these two processes have the same spectral gap.     

Spectrum of hot water in the 2000-4750 cm frequency range

An emission spectrum recorded in an oxyacetylene torch [P.-F. Coheur, P.F. Bernath, M. Carleer, R. Colin, O.L. Polyansky, N.F. Zobov, S.V. Shirin, R.J. Barber, J. Tennyson, J. Chem. Phys. 122 (2005) 074307] is analyzed for the region covering stretching fundamentals and associated hot bands of water. Many lines could be assigned on the basis of previously determined energy levels. New assignments made with a new variational linelist allow a further 800 energy levels covering 15 vibrational states and rotations up to J = 32 to be assigned. A simultaneous re-analysis of previously reported sunspot absorption spectra leads to the assignment of 581 further lines in the L-band spectrum and 67 in the N-band spectrum.     

Design and synthesis of novel protein kinase R (PKR) inhibitors

Protein kinase RNA-activated (PKR) plays an important role in a broad range of intracellular regulatory mechanisms and in the pathophysiology of many human diseases, including microbial and viral infections, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, several potent PKR inhibitors have been synthesized. However, the enzyme’s multifunctional character and a multitude of PKR downstream targets have prevented the successful transformation of such inhibitors into effective drugs. Thus, the need for additional PKR inhibitors remains. With the help of computer-aided drug-discovery tools, we designed and synthesized potential PKR inhibitors. Indeed, two compounds were found to inhibit recombinant PKR in pharmacologically relevant concentrations. One compound, 6-amino-3-methyl-2-oxo-N-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-1-carboxamide, also showed anti-apoptotic properties. The novel molecules diversify the existing pool of PKR inhibitors and provide a basis for the future development of compounds based on PKR signal transduction mechanism.     

A review on ternary immiscible polymer blends: morphology and effective parameters

In this paper a review of studies on ternary polymer blends, reported in the period from 1980s to 2007, is presented. This review covers the investigations carried out on the formation of morphologies observed in ternary blends including separated disperse, core–shell and co‐continuous morphologies; and also the parameters affecting the type of morphology and its distribution state. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Further dynamical analysis of modified Fitzhugh–Nagumo model under the electric field

Nonlinear Dynamics - Models of neurons play an essential role in computational neuroscience. They provide a virtual laboratory to analyze the different regimes in the electrical activities of a...     

Analysis of high temperature ammonia spectra from 780 to 2100 cm

A recently-recorded set [Hargreaves et al., Astrophys. J., in press] of Fourier transform emission spectra of hot ammonia is analyzed using a variational line list. Approximately 3350 lines are newly assigned to mainly hot bands from vibrational states as high as v₂ = 2. 431 new energy levels of these states are experimentally determined, considerably extending the range of known rotationally-excited states. Comparisons with a recent study of high J levels in the ground and first vibrational states [Yu et al., J. Chem. Phys., 133 (2010) 174317] suggests that while the line assignments presented in that work are correct, their energy level predictions suffer from problems associated with the use of very high-order perturbation series in the effective Hamiltonian. It is suggested that variational calculations provide a more stable method for analyzing spectra involving highly-excited states of ammonia.     

Optimized semiempirical potential energy surface for H<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>16</Superscript>O up to 26000 cm<Superscript>−1</Superscript>

A semiempirical potential energy surface is obtained for the major isotopologue of the water molecule H₂ ¹⁶O that allows the vibration-rotation energy levels in the range of 0–26000 cm⁻¹ to be calculated with an accuracy almost equal to the average experimental accuracy of measurements in the infrared and visible ranges. Variational calculations using this potential energy surface reproduce the experimental energy values of more than 1500 vibration-rotation levels of H₂ ¹⁶O with the total angular momentum quantum number J = 0, 2, and 5 in the indicated range with a standard deviation of 0.022 cm⁻¹. The potential was obtained by optimizing a starting ab initio surface using a combination of two approaches, i.e., (1) the multiplication of the starting ab initio surface by a morphing function whose parameters were optimized and (2) the optimization of parameters of the ab initio surface using both the experimental values of energy levels and the results of quantum-chemical electronic structure calculations.     

Creation of cluster state of four ions in ion-trap system by individual addressing

The cluster state is a special, highly entangled quantum state that forms the universal resource, on which measurement-based quantum computation can be performed. In this study, a new scheme is presented for creating four-ions cluster state in ion-trap system. This scheme is based on resonant sideband excitation in which the population is transferred to target states by precise control of pulse area. Meanwhile, the scheme is consist of combination of elementary stages belonging to a universal set whereby cluster state has been created in five interaction stages by individually addressed ions with red- or blue-sideband resonance laser pulses. The paper studies the population transfer of the system by numerical solutions of the master equation, considering the effect of decoherence channels due to dissipation in the phonon modes. The presented scheme does not require control of the turn-off ratio and time delay among pulses.     

Complete dynamical analysis of a neuron under magnetic flow effect

In the last decades, many studies have been done about nervous system from the mathematical and computational point of view. Many mathematical models have been proposed to describe neuron. Most of them have described the membrane potential of a neuron in terms of the leakage current and the synaptic inputs. Very recently, according to the Maxwell electromagnetic induction theorem, researchers proposed a new neuron model which considers inner magnetic fluctuation and external electromagnetic radiation as a significant missing part that can participate in neural activity. In this paper, dynamical properties of this new model, such as equilibria and its stability, phase portraits, bifurcation diagram, Lyapunov exponents, and basin of attraction, are investigated. Moreover, an implementation of electronic circuit and FPGA is also done to verify the feasibility of the theoretical model.