Transonic small disturbances equation applied to the solution of two-dimensional nonsteady flows

Transonic nonsteady flows are of large practical interest. Aeroelastic instability prediction, control figured vehicle techniques or rotary wings in forward flight are some examples justifying the effort undertaken to improve knowledge of these problems is described. The numerical solution of these problems under the potential flow hypothesis is described. The use of an alternating direction implicit scheme allows the efficient resolution of the two dimensional transonic small perturbations equation

An Information Theoretic perspective on perceptual structure: cross-accent vowel perception

Analytical tools from Information Theory were used to quantify behaviour in cross-accent vowel perception by Australian, London, New Zealand, Yorkshire and Newcastle UK listeners. Results show that Australian listeners impose expected patterns of perceptual similarity from their own accent experience on unfamiliar accents, regardless of the actual phonetic distance between accents

Giant crystal-electric-field effect and complex magnetic behavior in single-crystalline CeRh3Si2

Single-crystalline CeRh3Si2 was investigated by means of x-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements carried out in wide temperature and magnetic field ranges. Moreover, the electronic structure of the compound was studied at room temperature by cerium core-level x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The physical properties were analyzed in terms of crystalline electric field and compared with results of ab-initio band structure calculations performed within the density functional theory approach. The compound was found to crystallize in the orthorhombic unit cell of the ErRh3Si2 type (space group Imma -- No.74, Pearson symbol: oI24) with the lattice parameters: a = 7.1330(14) A, b = 9.7340(19) A, and c = 5.6040(11) A. Analysis of the magnetic and XPS data revealed the presence of well localized magnetic moments of trivalent cerium ions. All physical properties were found to be highly anisotropic over the whole temperature range studied, and influenced by exceptionally strong crystalline electric field with the overall splitting of the 4f1 ground multiplet exceeding 5700 K. Antiferromagnetic order of the cerium magnetic moments at TN = 4.70(1)K and their subsequent spin rearrangement at Tt = 4.48(1) K manifest themselves as distinct anomalies in the temperature characteristics of all investigated physical properties and exhibit complex evolution in an external magnetic field. A tentative magnetic B-T phase diagram, constructed for B parallel to the b-axis being the easy magnetization direction, shows very complex magnetic behavior of CeRh3Si2, similar to that recently reported for an isostructural compound CeIr3Si2. The electronic band structure calculations corroborated the antiferromagnetic ordering of the cerium magnetic moments and well reproduced the experimental XPS valence band spectrum.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, to appear in Physical Review

United European Gastroenterology (UEG) and European Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility (ESNM) consensus on Functional Dyspepsia

BackgroundFunctional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common conditions in clinical practice. In spite of its prevalence, FD is associated with major uncertainties in terms of its definition, underlying pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.MethodsA Delphi consensus was initiated with 41 experts from 22 European countries who conducted a literature summary and voting process on 87 statements. Quality of evidence was evaluated using the grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Consensus (defined as >80% agreement) was reached for 36 statements.ResultsThe panel agreed with the definition in terms of its cardinal symptoms (early satiation, postprandial fullness, epigastric pain, and epigastric burning), its subdivision into epigastric pain syndrome and postprandial distress syndrome, and the presence of accessory symptoms (upper abdominal bloating, nausea, belching), and overlapping conditions. Also, well accepted are the female predominance of FD, its impact on quality of life and health costs, and acute gastrointestinal infections, and anxiety as risk factors. In terms of pathophysiological mechanisms, the consensus supports a role for impaired gastric accommodation, delayed gastric emptying, hypersensitivity to gastric distention, Helicobacter pylori infection, and altered central processing of signals from the gastroduodenal region. There is consensus that endoscopy is mandatory for establishing a firm diagnosis of FD, but that in primary care, patients without alarm symptoms or risk factors can be managed without endoscopy. There is consensus that H. pylori status should be determined in every patient with dyspeptic symptoms and H. pylori positive patients should receive eradication therapy. Also, proton pump inhibitor therapy is considered an effective therapy for FD, but no other treatment approach reached a consensus. The long‐term prognosis and life expectancy are favorable.Conclusions and InferencesA multinational group of European experts summarized the current state of consensus on the definition, diagnosis and management of FD

The effective crystal field potential

As it results from the very nature of things, the spherical symmetry of the surrounding of a site in a crystal lattice or an atom in a molecule can never occur. Therefore, the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of any bound ion or atom have to differ from those of spherically symmetric respective free ions. In this way, the most simplified concept of the crystal field effect or ligand field effect in the case of individual molecules can be introduced. The conventional notion of the crystal field potential is narrowed to its non-spherical part only through ignoring the dominating spherical part which produces only a uniform energy shift of gravity centres of the free ion terms. It is well understood that the non-spherical part of the effective potential "seen" by open-shell electrons localized on a metal ion plays an essential role in most observed properties. Light adsorption, electron paramagnetic resonance, inelastic neutron scattering and basic characteristics derived from magnetic and thermal measurements, are only examples of a much wider class of experimental results dependent on it. The influence is discerned in all kinds of materials containing unpaired localized electrons: ionic crystals, semiconductors and metallic compounds including materials as intriguing as high-Tc superconductors, or heavy fermion systems. It is evident from the above that we deal with a widespread effect relative to all free ion terms except those which can stand the lowered symmetry, e.g. S-terms. Despite the universality of the phenomenon, the available handbooks on solid state physics pay only marginal attention to it, merely making mention of its occurrence. Present understanding of the origins of the crystal field potential differs essentially from the pioneering electrostatic picture postulated in the twenties. The considerable development of the theory that has been put forward since then can be traced in many regular articles scattered throughout the literature. The last two decades have left their impression as well but, to the authors'' best knowledge, this period has not been closed with a more extended review. This has also motivated us to compile the main achievements in the field in the form of a book