2,907 research outputs found
Spark Ignition of Monodisperse Fuel Sprays
A study of spark ignition energy requirements was conducted with a monodisperse spray system allowing independent control of droplet size, equivalent ratio, and fuel type. Minimum ignition energies were measured for n-heptane and methanol sprays characterized at the spark gap in terms of droplet diameter, equivalence ratio (number density) and extent of prevaporization. In addition to sprays, minimum ignition energies were measured for completely prevaporized mixtures of the same fuels over a range of equivalence ratios to provide data at the lower limit of droplet size. Results showed that spray ignition was enhanced with decreasing droplet size and increasing equivalence ratio over the ranges of the parameters studied. By comparing spray and prevaporized ignition results, the existence of an optimum droplet size for ignition was indicated for both fuels. Fuel volatility was seen to be a critical factor in spray ignition. The spray ignition results were analyzed using two different empirical ignition models for quiescent mixtures. Both models accurately predicted the experimental ignition energies for the majority of the spray conditions. Spray ignition was observed to be probabilistic in nature, and ignition was quantified in terms of an ignition frequency for a given spark energy. A model was developed to predict ignition frequencies based on the variation in spark energy and equivalence ratio in the spark gap. The resulting ignition frequency simulations were nearly identical to the experimentally observed values
Identifying features predictive of faculty integrating computation into physics courses
Computation is a central aspect of 21st century physics practice; it is used
to model complicated systems, to simulate impossible experiments, and to
analyze mountains of data. Physics departments and their faculty are
increasingly recognizing the importance of teaching computation to their
students. We recently completed a national survey of faculty in physics
departments to understand the state of computational instruction and the
factors that underlie that instruction. The data collected from the faculty
responding to the survey included a variety of scales, binary questions, and
numerical responses. We then used Random Forest, a supervised learning
technique, to explore the factors that are most predictive of whether a faculty
member decides to include computation in their physics courses. We find that
experience using computation with students in their research, or lack thereof
and various personal beliefs to be most predictive of a faculty member having
experience teaching computation. Interestingly, we find demographic and
departmental factors to be less useful factors in our model. The results of
this study inform future efforts to promote greater integration of computation
into the physics curriculum as well as comment on the current state of
computational instruction across the United States
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Single-Cell Transcriptomes Reveal a Complex Cellular Landscape in the Middle Ear and Differential Capacities for Acute Response to Infection.
Single-cell transcriptomics was used to profile cells of the normal murine middle ear. Clustering analysis of 6770 transcriptomes identified 17 cell clusters corresponding to distinct cell types: five epithelial, three stromal, three lymphocyte, two monocyte, two endothelial, one pericyte and one melanocyte cluster. Within some clusters, cell subtypes were identified. While many corresponded to those cell types known from prior studies, several novel types or subtypes were noted. The results indicate unexpected cellular diversity within the resting middle ear mucosa. The resolution of uncomplicated, acute, otitis media is too rapid for cognate immunity to play a major role. Thus innate immunity is likely responsible for normal recovery from middle ear infection. The need for rapid response to pathogens suggests that innate immune genes may be constitutively expressed by middle ear cells. We therefore assessed expression of innate immune genes across all cell types, to evaluate potential for rapid responses to middle ear infection. Resident monocytes/macrophages expressed the most such genes, including pathogen receptors, cytokines, chemokines and chemokine receptors. Other cell types displayed distinct innate immune gene profiles. Epithelial cells preferentially expressed pathogen receptors, bactericidal peptides and mucins. Stromal and endothelial cells expressed pathogen receptors. Pericytes expressed pro-inflammatory cytokines. Lymphocytes expressed chemokine receptors and antimicrobials. The results suggest that tissue monocytes, including macrophages, are the master regulators of the immediate middle ear response to infection, but that virtually all cell types act in concert to mount a defense against pathogens
Shaped nozzles for cryogenic buffer gas beam sources
Cryogenic buffer gas beams are important sources of cold molecules. In this
work we explore the use of a converging-diverging nozzle with a buffer-gas
beam. We find that, under appropriate circumstances, the use of a nozzle can
produce a beam with improved collimation, lower transverse temperatures, and
higher fluxes per solid angle
Can manipulation of differentiation conditions eliminate proliferative cells from a population of ES cell-derived forebrain cells?
There is preliminary evidence that implantation of primary fetal striatal cells provides functional
benefit in patients with Huntington’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition resulting in loss of
medium-sized spiny neurons (MSN) of the striatum. Scarcity of primary fetal tissue means it is
important to identify a renewable source of cells from which to derive donor MSNs. Embryonic stem
(ES) cells, which predominantly default to telencephalic-like precursors in chemically defined
medium (CDM), offer a potentially inexhaustible supply of cells capable of generating the desired
neurons. Using an ES cell line, with the forebrain marker FoxG1 tagged to the LacZ reporter, we
assessed effects of known developmental factors on the yield of forebrain-like precursor cells in
CDM suspension culture. Addition of FGF2, but not DKK1, increased the proportion of FoxG1-
expressing cells at day 8 of neural induction. Oct4 was expressed at day 8, but was undetectable by
day 16. Differentiation of day 16 precursors generated GABA-expressing neurons, with few
DARPP32 positive MSNs. Transplantation of day 8 precursor cells into quinolinic acid-lesioned striata
resulted in generation of teratomas. However, transplantation of day 16 precursors yielded grafts
expressing neuronal markers including NeuN, calbindin and parvalbumin, but no DARPP32 6 weeks
post-transplantation. Manipulation of fate of ES cells requires optimization of both concentration
and timing of addition of factors to culture systems to generate the desired phenotypes.
Furthermore, we highlight the value of increasing the precursor phase of ES cell suspension culture
when directing differentiation toward forebrain fate, so as to dramatically reduce the risk of
teratoma formation
Pressure-energy correlations in liquids. V. Isomorphs in generalized Lennard-Jones systems
This series of papers is devoted to identifying and explaining the properties
of strongly correlating liquids, i.e., liquids with more than 90% correlation
between their virial W and potential energy U fluctuations in the NVT ensemble.
Paper IV [N. Gnan et al., J. Chem. Phys. v131, 234504 (2009)] showed that
strongly correlating liquids have "isomorphs", which are curves in the phase
diagram along which structure, dynamics, and some thermodynamic properties are
invariant in reduced units. In the present paper, using the fact that
reduced-unit radial distribution functions are isomorph invariant, we derive an
expression for the shapes of isomorphs in the WU phase diagram of generalized
Lennard-Jones systems of one or more types of particles. The isomorph shape
depends only on the Lennard-Jones exponents; thus all isomorphs of standard
Lennard-Jones systems (with exponents 12 and 6) can be scaled onto to a single
curve. Two applications are given. One is testing the prediction that the
solid-liquid coexistence curve follows an isomorph by comparing to recent
simulations by Ahmed and Sadus [J. Chem. Phys. v131, 174504 (2009)]. Excellent
agreement is found on the liquid side of the coexistence, whereas the agreement
is worse on the solid side. A second application is the derivation of an
approximate equation of state for generalized Lennard-Jones systems by
combining the isomorph theory with the Rosenfeld-Tarazona expression for the
temperature dependence of potential energy on isochores. It is shown that the
new equation of state agrees well with simulations.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, Section on solid-liquid coexistence expande
Long-term behavior at foraging sites of adult female loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from three Florida rookeries
We used satellite telemetry to study behavior at foraging sites of 40 adult female loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from three Florida (USA) rookeries. Foraging sites were located in four countries (USA, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Cuba). We were able to determine home range for 32 of the loggerheads. One turtle moved through several temporary residence areas, but the rest had a primary residence area in which they spent all or most of their time (usually >11 months per year). Twenty-four had a primary residence area that was <500 km(2) (mean = 191). Seven had a primary residence area that was ≥500 km(2) (range = 573–1,907). Primary residence areas were mostly restricted to depths <100 m. Loggerheads appeared to favor areas with larger-grained sediment (gravel and rock) over areas with smaller-grained sediment (mud). Short-term departures from primary residence areas were either looping excursions, typically involving 1–2 weeks of continuous travel, or movement to a secondary residence area where turtles spent 25–45 days before returning to their primary residence area. Ten turtles had a secondary residence area, and six used it as an overwintering site. For those six turtles, the primary residence area was in shallow water (<17 m) in the northern half of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and overwintering sites were farther offshore or farther south. We documented long winter dive times (>4 h) for the first time in the GOM. Characterizing behaviors at foraging sites helps inform and assess loggerhead recovery efforts
Equilibrium Simulation of the Slip Coefficient in Nanoscale Pores
Accurate prediction of interfacial slip in nanoscale channels is required by
many microfluidic applications. Existing hydrodynamic solutions based on
Maxwellian boundary conditions include an empirical parameter that depends on
material properties and pore dimensions. This paper presents a derivation of a
new expression for the slip coefficient that is not based on the assumptions
concerning the details of solid-fluid collisions and whose parameters are
obtainable from \textit{equilibrium} simulation. The results for the slip
coefficient and flow rates are in good agreement with non-equilibrium molecular
dynamics simulation.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys Rev Let
Strong pressure-energy correlations in van der Waals liquids
Strong correlations between equilibrium fluctuations of the configurational
parts of pressure and energy are found in the Lennard-Jones liquid and other
simple liquids, but not in hydrogen-bonding liquids like methanol and water.
The correlations, that are present also in the crystal and glass phases,
reflect an effective inverse power-law repulsive potential dominating
fluctuations, even at zero and slightly negative pressure. In experimental data
for supercritical Argon, the correlations are found to be approximately 96%.
Consequences for viscous liquid dynamics are discussed.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett., in pres
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