6,784 research outputs found
Dynamic model of fiber bundles
A realistic continuous-time dynamics for fiber bundles is introduced and
studied both analytically and numerically. The equation of motion reproduces
known stationary-state results in the deterministic limit while the system
under non-vanishing stress always breaks down in the presence of noise.
Revealed in particular is the characteristic time evolution that the system
tends to resist the stress for considerable time, followed by sudden complete
rupture. The critical stress beyond which the complete rupture emerges is also
obtained
Burst avalanches in solvable models of fibrous materials
We review limiting models for fracture in bundles of fibers, with
statistically distributed thresholds for breakdown of individual fibers. During
the breakdown process, avalanches consisting of simultaneous rupture of several
fibers occur, and the distribution of the magnitude of
such avalanches is the central characteristics in our analysis. For a bundle of
parallel fibers two limiting models of load sharing are studied and contrasted:
the global model in which the load carried by a bursting fiber is equally
distributed among the surviving members, and the local model in which the
nearest surviving neighbors take up the load. For the global model we
investigate in particular the conditions on the threshold distribution which
would lead to anomalous behavior, i.e. deviations from the asymptotics
, known to be the generic behavior. For the local
model no universal power-law asymptotics exists, but we show for a particular
threshold distribution how the avalanche distribution can nevertheless be
explicitly calculated in the large-bundle limit.Comment: 28 pages, RevTeX, 3 Postscript figure
Shear stress fluctuations in the granular liquid and solid phases
We report on experimentally observed shear stress fluctuations in both
granular solid and fluid states, showing that they are non-Gaussian at low
shear rates, reflecting the predominance of correlated structures (force
chains) in the solidlike phase, which also exhibit finite rigidity to shear.
Peaks in the rigidity and the stress distribution's skewness indicate that a
change to the force-bearing mechanism occurs at the transition to fluid
behaviour, which, it is shown, can be predicted from the behaviour of the
stress at lower shear rates. In the fluid state stress is Gaussian distributed,
suggesting that the central limit theorem holds. The fibre bundle model with
random load sharing effectively reproduces the stress distribution at the yield
point and also exhibits the exponential stress distribution anticipated from
extant work on stress propagation in granular materials.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, latex. Replacement adds journal reference and
addresses referee comment
Revealing Repton: bringing landscape to life at Sheringham Park
The year 2012 marked 200 years since Humphry Repton (1752–1818) produced his design for Sheringham Park in north Norfolk, bound as one of his Red Books. On paper, Repton is England’s best-known and most influential landscape gardener. On the ground, his work is much harder to identify, focused as it was on light touches that equated more to landscape makeover than the landscape making of his predecessor Lancelot “Capability” Brown. This paper documents and evaluates a project that celebrated this bicentenary through a temporary exhibition within the visitor centre of Sheringham Park, whilst also making reference to the commemoration of his work in other places and on paper. In attempting to reveal Repton at Sheringham, we explore the context of the 1812 commission and the longer landscape history of the site, as well as the different methods of representing Repton on site that are open to site owners and managers
Tailoring of unipolar strain in lead-free piezoelectrics using the ceramic/ceramic composite approach
The electric-field-induced strain response mechanism in a polycrystalline ceramic/ceramic composite of relaxor and ferroelectric materials has been studied using in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction. The addition of ferroelectric phase material in the relaxor matrix has produced a system where a small volume fraction behaves independently of the bulk under an applied electric field. Inter- and intra-grain models of the strain mechanism in the composite material consistent with the diffraction data have been proposed. The results show that such ceramic/ceramic composite microstructure has the potential for tailoring properties of future piezoelectric materials over a wider range than is possible in uniform compositions.open1
Requirement of a Membrane Potential for the Posttranslational Transfer of Proteins into Mitochondsria
Posttranslational transfer of most precursor proteins into mitochondria is dependent on energization of the mitochondria. Experiments were carried out to determine whether the membrane potential or the intramitochondrial ATP is the immediate energy source. Transfer in vitro of precursors to the ADP/ATP carrier and to ATPase subunit 9 into isolated Neurospora mitochondria was investigated. Under conditions where the level of intramitochondrial ATP was high and the membrane potential was dissipated, import and processing of these precursor proteins did not take place. On the other hand, precursors were taken up and processed when the intramitochondrial ATP level was low, but the membrane potential was not dissipated. We conclude that a membrane potential is involved in the import of those mitochondrial precursor proteins which require energy for intracellular translocatio
Bimodal distribution function of a 3d wormlike chain with a fixed orientation of one end
We study the distribution function of the three dimensional wormlike chain
with a fixed orientation of one chain end using the exact representation of the
distribution function in terms of the Green's function of the quantum rigid
rotator in a homogeneous external field. The transverse 1d distribution
function of the free chain end displays a bimodal shape in the intermediate
range of the chain lengths (). We present also
analytical results for short and long chains, which are in complete agreement
with the results of previous studies obtained using different methods.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Perturbation Theory for Path Integrals of Stiff Polymers
The wormlike chain model of stiff polymers is a nonlinear -model in
one spacetime dimension in which the ends are fluctuating freely. This causes
important differences with respect to the presently available theory which
exists only for periodic and Dirichlet boundary conditions. We modify this
theory appropriately and show how to perform a systematic large-stiffness
expansions for all physically interesting quantities in powers of ,
where is the length and the persistence length of the polymer. This
requires special procedures for regularizing highly divergent Feynman integrals
which we have developed in previous work. We show that by adding to the
unperturbed action a correction term , we can calculate
all Feynman diagrams with Green functions satisfying Neumann boundary
conditions. Our expansions yield, order by order, properly normalized
end-to-end distribution function in arbitrary dimensions , its even and odd
moments, and the two-point correlation function
Amelioration of Binge Eating by Nucleus Accumbens Shell Deep Brain Stimulation in Mice Involves D2 Receptor Modulation
Hedonic overconsumption contributing to obesity involves altered activation within the mesolimbic dopamine system. Dysregulation of dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAS) has been implicated in reward-seeking behaviors, such as binge eating, which contributes to treatment resistance in obesity (Wise, 2012). Direct modulation of the NAS with deep brain stimulation (DBS), a surgical procedure currently under investigation in humans for the treatment of major depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and addiction, may also be effective in ameliorating binge eating. Therefore, we examined the ability of DBS of the NAS to block this behavior in mice. c-Fos immunoreactivity was assessed as a marker of DBS-mediated neuronal activation. NAS DBS was found to reduce binge eating and increased c-Fos levels in this region. DBS of the dorsal striatum had no influence on this behavior, demonstrating anatomical specificity for this effect. The dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, raclopride, attenuated the action of DBS, whereas the D1 receptor antagonist, SCH-23390, was ineffective, suggesting that dopamine signaling involving D2 receptors underlies the effect of NAS DBS. To determine the potential translational relevance to the obese state, chronic NAS DBS was also examined in diet-induced obese mice and was found to acutely reduce caloric intake and induce weight loss. Together, these findings support the involvement of the mesolimbic dopamine pathways in the hedonic mechanisms contributing to obesity, and the efficacy of NAS DBS to modulate this system
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