Bunge’s Mathematical Structuralism Is Not a Fiction

In this paper, I explore Bunge’s fictionism in philosophy of mathematics. After an overview of Bunge’s views, in particular his mathematical structuralism, I argue that the comparison between mathematical objects and fictions ultimately fails. I then sketch a different ontology for mathematics, based on Thomasson’s metaphysical work. I conclude that mathematics deserves its own ontology, and that, in the end, much work remains to be done to clarify the various forms of dependence that are involved in mathematical knowledge, in particular its dependence on mental/brain states and material objects

Optimizing the architecture of lung-inspired fuel cells

A finite-element model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with fractal branching, lung-inspired flow-field is presented. The effect of the number of branching generations N on the thickness of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and fuel cell performance is determined. Introduction of a fractal flow-field to homogenize reactant concentration at the flow-field | GDL interface allows for the use of thinner GDLs. The model is coupled with an optimized cathode catalyst layer microstructure with respect to platinum utilization and power density, revealing that the 2020 DoE target of ~8 kW/gPt is met at N = 4 generations, and a platinum utilization of ~36 kW/gPt is achieved at N = 6 generations. In terms of the overall fuel cell stack architecture, our results indicate that either the platinum loading or the number of cells in the stack can be reduced by ~75%, the latter option of which, when combined with a 100 µm GDL, can lead to >80% increase in the volumetric power density of the fuel cell stack

Incorporating Ambipolar and Ohmic Diffusion in the AMR MHD code RAMSES

We have implemented non-ideal Magneto-Hydrodynamics (MHD) effects in the Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) code RAMSES, namely ambipolar diffusion and Ohmic dissipation, as additional source terms in the ideal MHD equations. We describe in details how we have discretized these terms using the adaptive Cartesian mesh, and how the time step is diminished with respect to the ideal case, in order to perform a stable time integration. We have performed a large suite of test runs, featuring the Barenblatt diffusion test, the Ohmic diffusion test, the C-shock test and the Alfven wave test. For the latter, we have performed a careful truncation error analysis to estimate the magnitude of the numerical diffusion induced by our Godunov scheme, allowing us to estimate the spatial resolution that is required to address non-ideal MHD effects reliably. We show that our scheme is second-order accurate, and is therefore ideally suited to study non-ideal MHD effects in the context of star formation and molecular cloud dynamics

Aerosol direct radiative effects under cloud-free conditions over highly-polluted areas in europe and mediterranean: A ten-years analysis (2007–2016)

This study investigates changes in aerosol radiative effects on two highly urbanized regions across the Euro-Mediterranean basin with respect to a natural desert region as Sahara over a decade through space-based lidar observations. The research is based on the monthly-averaged vertically-resolved aerosol optical depth (AOD) atmospheric profiles along a 1◦ × 1◦ horizontal grid, obtained from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument measurements aboard the Cloud-Aerosol lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO). To assess the variability of the anthropogenic aerosols on climate, we compared the aerosol vertical profile observations to a one-dimensional radiative transfer model in two metropolitan climate sensible hot-spots in Europe, namely the Po Valley and Benelux, to investigate the variability of the aerosol radiative effects and heating rate over ten years. The same analysis is carried out as reference on the Sahara desert region, considered subject just to natural local emission. Our findings show the efficacy of emission reduction policies implemented at government level in strongly urbanized regions. The total atmospheric column aerosol load reduction (not observed in Sahara desert region) in Po Valley and Benelux can be associated with: (i) an increase of the energy flux at the surface via direct effects confirmed also by long term surface temperature observations, (ii) a general decrease of the atmospheric column heating rate, and likely (iii) an increase in surface temperatures during a ten-year period. Summarizing, the analysis, based on the decade 2007–2016, clearly show an increase of solar irradiation under cloud-free conditions at the surface of +3.6 % and +16.6% for the Po Valley and Benelux, respectively, and a reduction of −9.0% for the Sahara Desert

Genetic Susceptibility Determines β-Cell Function and Fasting Glycemia Trajectories Throughout Childhood: A 12-Year Cohort Study (EarlyBird 76)

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Phenomenological modelling of damage in polymer blends

To describe the constitutive behaviour of a certain class of polymer blends an elastoperfectly-viscoplastic and creep damageable material characterization is proposed. For a composite of 80 % Polystyrene and 20 % Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer rubber (PSIEPDM) the specific parameters are determined from tensile tests in a particular range of strain velocities. To investigate the applicability of the model, the results of a finite element analysis for a laterally loaded thin plate (plane stress) with a circular hole are compared to measurements. Numerically calculated values are in reasonable agreement with reality; discrepancies can be ascribed to noise in experimental data. The finite element approach is evaluated with respect to the occurrence of mesh-dependence. Mesh-refinement shows convergence of solutions, attributable to the stabilizing influence of the viscous contribution in the constitutive equations

A lung-inspired approach to scalable and robust fuel cell design

A lung-inspired approach is employed to overcome reactant homogeneity issues in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. The fractal geometry of the lung is used as the model to design flow-fields of different branching generations, resulting in uniform reactant distribution across the electrodes and minimum entropy production of the whole system. 3D printed, lung-inspired flow field based PEFCs with N = 4 generations outperform the conventional serpentine flow field designs at 50% and 75% RH, exhibiting a 20% and 30% increase in performance (at current densities higher than 0.8 A cm2) and maximum power density, respectively. In terms of pressure drop, fractal flow-fields with N = 3 and 4 generations demonstrate 75% and 50% lower values than conventional serpentine flow-field design for all RH tested, reducing the power requirements for pressurization and recirculation of the reactants. The positive effect of uniform reactant distribution is pronounced under extended current-hold measurements, where lung-inspired flow field based PEFCs with N = 4 generations exhibit the lowest voltage decay (B5 mV h1). The enhanced fuel cell performance and low pressure drop values of fractal flow field design are preserved at large scale (25 cm2), in which the excessive pressure drop of a large-scale serpentine flow field renders its use prohibitive

Coherent motion of stereocilia assures the concerted gating of hair-cell transduction channels

The hair cell's mechanoreceptive organelle, the hair bundle, is highly sensitive because its transduction channels open over a very narrow range of displacements. The synchronous gating of transduction channels also underlies the active hair-bundle motility that amplifies and tunes responsiveness. The extent to which the gating of independent transduction channels is coordinated depends on how tightly individual stereocilia are constrained to move as a unit. Using dual-beam interferometry in the bullfrog's sacculus, we found that thermal movements of stereocilia located as far apart as a bundle's opposite edges display high coherence and negligible phase lag. Because the mechanical degrees of freedom of stereocilia are strongly constrained, a force applied anywhere in the hair bundle deflects the structure as a unit. This feature assures the concerted gating of transduction channels that maximizes the sensitivity of mechanoelectrical transduction and enhances the hair bundle's capacity to amplify its inputs.Comment: 24 pages, including 6 figures, published in 200

Measuring the quality of family-professional partnerships in special education services

This is the published version, also found here: http://cec.metapress.com/content/jr8655lg61k1n440/?p=edbc223bb2fb4291b6b55663014711a2&pi=3One difficulty in monitoring the quality of family-professional partnerships has been the lack of a psychometrically acceptable and sufficiently general instrument with which to assess them. The current work describes the development of the Family-Professional Partnership Scale, which assesses parents' perceptions of the importance of and their satisfaction with family-professional partnerships. Indicators were constructed from qualitative research on families with children with and without disabilities, and the scale was refined across two field tests that included families with children with a wide range of ages and disability types and severity. Both the 18-item overall scale and the two 9-item subscales demonstrated excellent psychometric properties. The possible uses of this scale in future research and service delivery are discus