General patterns of interaction in stochastic fusion

A stochastic version of the fusion calculus is presented. The stochastic nature is evident in the labelled transition system providing the operational semantics of stochastic fusion calculus, where labels represent the rates corresponding to exponential distributions. We extend the notion of hyperbisimulation to stochastic fusion calculus, and prove that the stochastic hyperequivalence is a congruence. A complete axiomatic system for the stochastic hyperbisimulation is defined. Some examples inspired by gene regulation illustrate the general patterns of interactions by using stochastic fusion calculus.     

Modeling of program, erase and retention characteristics of charge-trap gate all around memories

This paper describes the effect of geometry in charge-trap (CT) memory devices. We first theoretically analyze the impact of the curvature radius on the behavior of the gate current in Gate-All-Around devices, and then describe the change to make to planar model in order to fit the cylindrical devices characteristics. This model is used to simulate Nanocrystal and SONOS program, erase and retention behaviors. The dynamics enhancement during program/erase due to the bending of the active region in such cylindrical devices is explained. The scaling perspectives conclude this paper.     

Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of a Laser Textured Thrust Bearing

In this article, a laser partially textured thrust bearing is theoretically and experimentally analyzed. An adiabatic model is developed in order to theoretically investigate the performances of the bearing. The bearing sample is partially textured both in radial and circumferential direction using the laser texturing process. The performance of the bearing (fluid film thickness and friction torque) is evaluated on a specially adapted test rig and the experimental results are compared with the theoretical model. A good agreement is found between the theoretical model and the experimental data. Also a comparison between a laser textured bearing and a bearing textured using the photolithographic method is presented.     

Principal component analysis of the electricity consumption in residential dwellings

Data gathered from energy audits, phone surveys and smart meter readings are used to derive regression models of the electricity consumption of housing units in Oshawa (Ontario, Canada). The database used comprises 59 predictors, for 62 observations. To address the problem of multi-collinearities among the predictors and at the same time reduce the number of needed predictors, a methodology is developed based on the latent root regression technique of Hawkins [5]. Contrary to other variable selection techniques such as the stepwise method, the technique used in this paper allows an easy identification of alternative subsets. Using this technique, a reduction of 85% in the number of predictors is obtained, leaving only nine of them in the final subset. These nine variables are the number of occupants, the house status (owned or rented), the number of weeks of vacation per year, the type of fuel used in the pool heater, the type of fuel used in the heating system, the type of fuel used in the domestic hot water heater, the existence or not of an air conditioning system, the type of air conditioning system, and the number of air changes per hour at 50 Pa. A regression with these nine predictors leads to an R² of 0.79, with an adjusted R² of 0.75 and all regression coefficients statistically significant at the 95% confidence level.     

Parent–offspring conflict theory: An evolutionary framework for understanding conflict within human families.

Decades of research demonstrate that conflict shapes and permeates a broad range of family processes. In the current article, we argue that greater insight, integration of knowledge, and empirical achievement in the study of family conflict can be realized by utilizing a powerful theory from evolutionary biology that is barely known within psychology: parent–offspring conflict theory (POCT). In the current article, we articulate POCT for psychological scientists, extend its scope by connecting it to the broader framework of life history theory, and draw out its implications for understanding conflict within human families. We specifically apply POCT to 2 instances of early mother–offspring interaction (prenatal conflict and weaning conflict); discuss the effects of genetic relatedness on behavioral conflict between parents, children, and their siblings; review the emerging literature on parent–offspring conflict over the choice of mates and spouses; and examine parent–offspring conflict from the perspective of imprinted genes. This review demonstrates the utility of POCT, not only for explaining what is known about conflict within families but also for generating novel hypotheses, suggesting new lines of research, and moving us toward the “big picture” by integrating across biological and psychological domains of knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A residual-based a posteriori error estimator for a fully-mixed formulation of the Stokes–Darcy coupled problem

In this paper we develop an a posteriori error analysis of a new fully mixed finite element method for the coupling of fluid flow with porous media flow in 2D. Flows are governed by the Stokes and Darcy equations, respectively, and the corresponding transmission conditions are given by mass conservation, balance of normal forces, and the Beavers–Joseph–Saffman law. We consider dual-mixed formulations in both media, which yields the pseudostress and the velocity in the fluid, together with the velocity and the pressure in the porous medium, and the traces of the porous media pressure and the fluid velocity on the interface, as the resulting unknowns. The set of feasible finite element subspaces includes Raviart–Thomas elements of lowest order and piecewise constants for the velocities and pressures, respectively, in both domains, together with continuous piecewise linear elements for the traces. We derive a reliable and efficient residual-based a posteriori error estimator for the coupled problem. The proof of reliability makes use of the global inf–sup condition, Helmholtz decompositions in both media, and local approximation properties of the Clément interpolant and Raviart–Thomas operator. On the other hand, inverse inequalities, the localization technique based on element-bubble and edge-bubble functions, and known results from previous works, are the main tools for proving the efficiency of the estimator. Finally, some numerical results confirming the theoretical properties of this estimator, and illustrating the capability of the corresponding adaptive algorithm to localize the singularities of the solution, are reported.     

Solving a weak NP-complete problem in polynomial time by using mutual mobile membrane systems

Mutual mobile membrane systems represent a variant of mobile membrane systems in which endocytosis and exocytosis work whenever the involved membranes ??agree?? on the movement by using mutual complement objects placed in membranes. We provide a semi-uniform polynomial solution for a weak NP-complete problem (namely partition problem) by means of mutual mobile membrane systems.