Evolution of isolated turbulent trailing vortices

In this work, the temporal evolution of a low swirl-number turbulent Batchelor vortex is studied using pseudospectral direct numerical simulations. The solution of the governing equations in the vorticity-velocity form allows for accurate application of boundary conditions. The physics of the evolution is investigated with an emphasis on the mechanisms that influence the transport of axial and angular momentum. Excitation of normal mode instabilities gives rise to coherent large scale helical structures inside the vortical core. The radial growth of these helical structures and the action of axial shear and differential rotation results in the creation of a polarized vortex layer. This vortex layer evolves into a series of hairpin-shaped structures that subsequently breakdown into elongated fine scale vortices. Ultimately, the radially outward propagation of these structures results in the relaxation of the flow towards a stable high-swirl configuration. Two conserved quantities, based on the deviation from the laminar solution, are derived and these prove to be useful in characterizing the polarized vortex layer and enhancing the understanding of the transport process. The generation and evolution of the Reynolds stresses is also addressed

Response of spinal myoclonus to a combination therapy of autogenic training and biofeedback

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Clinical evidence indicates that certain types of movement disorders are due to psychosomatic factors. Patients with myoclonic movements are usually treated by a variety of therapeutic agents. Autogenic training (AT), a recognized form of psychosomatic therapies, is suitable for certain types of neurological diseases. We describe a patient with myoclonus who failed to respond to conventional medical therapy. His symptoms were exaggerated by psychogenic factors, especially anger.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital, Preventive Welfare Clinic, for severe paroxysmal axial myoclonus of the left shoulder and abdominal muscles. The initial diagnosis was "combination of spinal segmental myoclonus and propriospinal myoclonus". The myoclonic movements did not occur during sleep but were aggravated by bathing, alcohol drinking, and anger. Psychological examination indicated hostile attribution. Although considered not to be a case of psychogenic myoclonus, a "<it>psychogenic factor</it>" was definitely involved in the induction of the organic myoclonus. The final diagnosis was "combination of spinal segmental myoclonus and propriospinal myoclonus accompanied by features of psychosomatic disorders". The patient underwent psychosomatic therapy including AT and surface electromyography (EMG)-biofeedback therapy and treatment with clonazepam and carbamazepine.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>AT and EMG-biofeedback resulted in shortening the duration and reducing the amplitude and frequency of the myoclonic discharges.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Psychosomatic therapy with AT and surface EMG-biofeedback produced excellent improvement of myoclonic movements and allowed the reduction of the dosage of conventional medications.</p

Nearest symmetric trapezoidal approximation of fuzzy numbers

Abstract Many authors analyzed triangular and trapezoidal approximation of fuzzy numbers. But, to best of our knowledge, there is no method for symmetric trapezoidal fuzzy number approximation of fuzzy numbers. So, in this paper, we try to convert any fuzzy number into symmetric trapezoidal fuzzy number by using metric distance. This approximation helps us to avoid the computational complexity in the process of decision making problems. Moreover, we investigate some reasonable properties of this approximation. An application of this new method is also provided

Mercury induces inflammatory mediator release from human mast cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mercury is known to be neurotoxic, but its effects on the immune system are less well known. Mast cells are involved in allergic reactions, but also in innate and acquired immunity, as well as in inflammation. Many patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have "allergic" symptoms; moreover, the prevalence of ASD in patients with mastocytosis, characterized by numerous hyperactive mast cells in most tissues, is 10-fold higher than the general population suggesting mast cell involvement. We, therefore, investigated the effect of mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) on human mast cell activation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Human leukemic cultured LAD2 mast cells and normal human umbilical cord blood-derived cultured mast cells (hCBMCs) were stimulated by HgCl2 (0.1-10 μM) for either 10 min for beta-hexosaminidase release or 24 hr for measuring vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and IL-6 release by ELISA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HgCl₂induced a 2-fold increase in β-hexosaminidase release, and also significant VEGF release at 0.1 and 1 μM (311 ± 32 pg/10⁶cells and 443 ± 143 pg/10⁶cells, respectively) from LAD2 mast cells compared to control cells (227 ± 17 pg/10⁶cells, n = 5, p < 0.05). Addition of HgCl₂(0.1 μM) to the proinflammatory neuropeptide substance P (SP, 0.1 μM) had synergestic action in inducing VEGF from LAD2 mast cells. HgCl₂also stimulated significant VEGF release (360 ± 100 pg/10⁶cells at 1 μM, n = 5, p < 0.05) from hCBMCs compared to control cells (182 ± 57 pg/10⁶cells), and IL-6 release (466 ± 57 pg/10⁶cells at 0.1 μM) compared to untreated cells (13 ± 25 pg/10⁶cells, n = 5, p < 0.05). Addition of HgCl₂(0.1 μM) to SP (5 μM) further increased IL-6 release.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HgCl₂stimulates VEGF and IL-6 release from human mast cells. This phenomenon could disrupt the blood-brain-barrier and permit brain inflammation. As a result, the findings of the present study provide a biological mechanism for how low levels of mercury may contribute to ASD pathogenesis.</p

Half-Guarding Weakly-Visible Polygons and Terrains

We consider a variant of the art gallery problem where all guards are limited to seeing 180degree. Guards that can only see in one direction are called half-guards. We give a polynomial time approximation scheme for vertex guarding the vertices of a weakly-visible polygon with half-guards. We extend this to vertex guarding the boundary of a weakly-visible polygon with half-guards. We also show NP-hardness for vertex guarding a weakly-visible polygon with half-guards. Lastly, we show that the orientation of half-guards is critical in terrain guarding. Depending on the orientation of the half-guards, the problem is either very easy (polynomial time solvable) or very hard (NP-hard)

Contact Interactions and Resonance-Like Physics at Present and Future Colliders from Unparticles

High scale conformal physics can lead to unusual unparticle stuff at our low energies. In this paper we discuss how the exchange of unparticles between Standard Model fields can lead to new contact interaction physics as well as a pseudoresonance-like structure, an unresonance, that might be observable at the Tevatron or LHC in, e.g., the Drell-Yan channel. The specific signatures of this scenario are quite unique and can be used to easily identify this new physics given sufficient integrated luminosity.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figs; minor text changes, ref added; typos correcte

Unparticles-Higgs Interplay

We show that scalar unparticles coupled to the Standard Model Higgs at the renormalizable level can have a dramatic impact in the breaking of the electroweak symmetry already at tree level. In particular one can get the proper electroweak scale without the need of a Higgs mass term in the Lagrangian. By studying the mixed unparticle-Higgs propagator and spectral function we also show how unparticles can shift the Higgs mass away from its Standard Model value, \lambda v^2, and influence other Higgs boson properties. Conversely, we study in some detail how electroweak symmetry breaking affects the unparticle sector by breaking its conformal symmetry and generating a mass gap. We also show that, for Higgs masses above that gap, unparticles can increase quite significantly the Higgs width.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, typos correcte

Characterization of the inflammatory cells in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in patients with Marfan syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysms, and sporadic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to characterize the inflammatory infiltrate in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm in patients with Marfan syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysm, or nonfamilial thoracic aortic aneurysm. BACKGROUND: Thoracic aortic aneurysms are associated with a pathologic lesion termed medial degeneration, which is described as a noninflammatory lesion. Thoracic aortic aneurysms are a complication of Marfan syndrome and can be inherited in an autosomal dominant manner of familial thoracic aortic aneurysm. METHODS: Full aortic segments were collected from patients undergoing elective repair with Marfan syndrome (n = 5), familial thoracic aortic aneurysm (n = 6), and thoracic aortic aneurysms (n = 9), along with control aortas (n = 5). Immunohistochemistry staining was performed using antibodies directed against markers of lymphocytes and macrophages. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to quantify the expression level of the T-cell receptor beta-chain variable region gene. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry of thoracic aortic aneurysm aortas demonstrated that the media and adventitia from Marfan syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysm, and sporadic cases had increased numbers of T lymphocytes and macrophages when compared with control aortas. The number of T cells and macrophages in the aortic media of the aneurysm correlated inversely with the patient\u27s age at the time of prophylactic surgical repair of the aorta. T-cell receptor profiling indicated a similar clonal nature of the T cells in the aortic wall in a majority of aneurysms, whether the patient had Marfan syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysm, or sporadic disease. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the infiltration of inflammatory cells contributes to the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysms. Superantigen-driven stimulation of T lymphocytes in the aortic tissues of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms may contribute to the initial immune response