A hybrid boundary for the prediction of intake wave dynamics in IC engines

This paper concerns the calculation of wave dynamics in the intake systems of naturally aspirated internal combustion (I.C.) engines. In particular it presents a method for improving the boundary conditions required to solve the one-dimensional Euler equations that are commonly used to describe the wave dynamics in time and space. A number of conclusions are reached in this work. The first relates to the quasi-steady state inflow boundary specified in terms of ingoing and outgoing characteristics that is commonly adopted for engine simulation. This is correctly specified by using the pair of primitive variables pressure (p) and density (ρ) but will be unrealistic at frequencies above a Hemholtz number of 0.1 as only stagnation values po, ρo are used. For the case of I.C. engine intake simulations this sets a maximum frequency of around 300Hz. Above that frequency the results obtained will become increasingly unrealistic. Secondly, a hybrid time and frequency domain boundary has been developed and tested against linear acoustic theory. This agrees well with results obtained using a quasi-steady state boundary at low frequencies (Helmholtz number less than 0.1) and should remain realistic at higher frequencies in the range of Helmholtz number 0.1 - 1.84. Thirdly, the cyclic nature of the operation of the IC engine has been exploited to make use of the inverse Fourier transform to develop an analytical hybrid boundary that functions for non-sinusoidal waves in ducts. The method is self starting, does not rely on iterations over complete cycles and is entirely analytical and therefore is an improvement over earlier hybrid boundaries

Hindgut specification and cell-adhesion functions of Sphox11/13b in the endoderm of the sea urchin embryo

Sphox11/13b is one of the two hox genes of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus expressed in the embryo. Its dynamic pattern of expression begins during gastrulation, when the transcripts are transiently located in a ring of cells at the edge of the blastopore. After gastrulation, expression is restricted to the anus–hindgut region at the boundary between the ectoderm and the endoderm. The phenotype that results when translation of Sphox11/13b mRNA is knocked down by treatment with morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MASO) suggests that this gene may be indirectly involved in cell adhesion functions as well as in the proper differentiation of the midgut–hindgut and midgut–foregut sphincters. The MASO experiments also reveal that Sphox11/13b negatively regulates several downstream endomesoderm genes. For some of these genes, Sphox11/13b function is required to restrict expression to the midgut by preventing ectopic expression in the hindgut. The evolutionary conservation of these functions indicates the general roles of posterior Hox genes in regulating cell-adhesion, as well as in spatial control of gene regulatory network subcircuits in the regionalizing gut

Spatial expression of Hox cluster genes in the ontogeny of a sea urchin

The Hox cluster of the sea urchin Strongylocentrous purpuratus contains ten genes in a 500 kb span of the genome. Only two of these genes are expressed during embryogenesis, while all of eight genes tested are expressed during development of the adult body plan in the larval stage. We report the spatial expression during larval development of the five 'posterior' genes of the cluster: SpHox7, SpHox8, SpHox9/10, SpHox11/13a and SpHox11/13b. The five genes exhibit a dynamic, largely mesodermal program of expression. Only SpHox7 displays extensive expression within the pentameral rudiment itself. A spatially sequential and colinear arrangement of expression domains is found in the somatocoels, the paired posterior mesodermal structures that will become the adult perivisceral coeloms. No such sequential expression pattern is observed in endodermal, epidermal or neural tissues of either the larva or the presumptive juvenile sea urchin. The spatial expression patterns of the Hox genes illuminate the evolutionary process by which the pentameral echinoderm body plan emerged from a bilateral ancestor

Dynamical properties of model communication networks

We study the dynamical properties of a collection of models for communication processes, characterized by a single parameter $\xi$ representing the relation between information load of the nodes and its ability to deliver this information. The critical transition to congestion reported so far occurs only for $\xi=1$. This case is well analyzed for different network topologies. We focus of the properties of the order parameter, the susceptibility and the time correlations when approaching the critical point. For $\xi<1$ no transition to congestion is observed but it remains a cross-over from a low-density to a high-density state. For $\xi>1$ the transition to congestion is discontinuous and congestion nuclei arise.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Communication in networks with hierarchical branching

We present a simple model of communication in networks with hierarchical branching. We analyze the behavior of the model from the viewpoint of critical systems under different situations. For certain values of the parameters, a continuous phase transition between a sparse and a congested regime is observed and accurately described by an order parameter and the power spectra. At the critical point the behavior of the model is totally independent of the number of hierarchical levels. Also scaling properties are observed when the size of the system varies. The presence of noise in the communication is shown to break the transition. Despite the simplicity of the model, the analytical results are a useful guide to forecast the main features of real networks.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Final version accepted in PR

Communication and optimal hierarchical networks

We study a general and simple model for communication processes. In the model, agents in a network (in particular, an organization) interchange information packets following simple rules that take into account the limited capability of the agents to deal with packets and the cost associated to the existence of open communication channels. Due to the limitation in the capability, the network collapses under certain conditions. We focus on when the collapse occurs for hierarchical networks and also on the influence of the flatness or steepness of the structure. We find that the need for hierarchy is related to the existence of costly connections.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. NATO ARW on Econophysic