On the origins of the compressive cochlear nonlinearity

Various simple mathematical models of the dynamics of the organ of Corti in the mammalian cochlea are analysed. The models are assessed against their ability to explain the compressive nonlinear response of the basilar membrane. The speci fic models considered are: phenomenological Hopf and cusp normal forms, a recently-proposed description combining active hair-bundle motility and somatic motility, a reduction thereof, and finally a new model highlighting the importance of the coupling between the nonlinear transduction current and somatic motility. The overall conclusion is that neither a Hopf bifurcation nor cusp bifurcation are necessary for realistic compressive nonlinearity. Moreover, two physiological models are discussed showing compressive nonlinearities similar to experimental observations without the need for tuning near any bifurcation

Modulation of the CD8+-T-cell response by CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in patients with Hepatitis B virus infection

CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells have been shown to maintain peripheral tolerance against self and foreign antigens. In this study we analyzed the effect of circulating CD4+ CD25+ T cells on CD8+-T-cell responses of patients with chronic and resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We demonstrated that circulating CD4+ CD25+ T cells modulate the function and expansion of HBV-specific CD8+ cells ex vivo in all patients, regardless of whether they have chronic or resolved HBV infection. The possible role of CD4+ CD25+ T cells in the pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection is not supported by these data. However, these results might have implications for optimizing future immunotherapeutic approaches to HBV treatment

A Fast Algorithm for Simulating the Chordal Schramm-Loewner Evolution

The Schramm-Loewner evolution (SLE) can be simulated by dividing the time interval into N subintervals and approximating the random conformal map of the SLE by the composition of N random, but relatively simple, conformal maps. In the usual implementation the time required to compute a single point on the SLE curve is O(N). We give an algorithm for which the time to compute a single point is O(N^p) with p<1. Simulations with kappa=8/3 and kappa=6 both give a value of p of approximately 0.4.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. Version 2 revisions: added a paragraph to introduction, added 5 references and corrected a few typo

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 2:] External Information Sources and aerospace R&D: The use and importance of technical reports by US aerospace engineers and scientists

This paper formulates and studies two propositions. Proposition 1 states that information that is external to the aerospace organization tends to be used less than internal sources of information; the more geographically removed the information is from the organization, the less likely it is to be used. Proposition 2 states that of the various sociometric variables assumed to influence the use of an information channel or source, perceived accessibility exerts the greatest influence. Preliminary analysis based on surveys supports Proposition 1. This analysis does not support Proposition 2, however. Evidence here indicates that reliability and relevance influence the use of an information source more than the idea of perceived accessibility

2-Amino­ethanaminium iodide

The title salt, [NH3CH2CH2NH2]+·I−, has an array structure based on strong inter­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bonding formed between the ammonium and amine groups of adjacent cations. This inter­action gives a helical chain of cations that runs parallel to the b axis. The four remaining NH group H atoms all form hydrogen bonds to the iodide anion, and these iodide anions lie in channels parallel to the cation–cation chains

New exact solution of the one dimensional Dirac Equation for the Woods-Saxon potential within the effective mass case

We study the one-dimensional Dirac equation in the framework of a position dependent mass under the action of a Woods-Saxon external potential. We find that constraining appropriately the mass function it is possible to obtain a solution of the problem in terms of the hypergeometric function. The mass function for which this turns out to be possible is continuous. In particular we study the scattering problem and derive exact expressions for the reflection and transmission coefficients which are compared to those of the constant mass case. For the very same mass function the bound state problem is also solved, providing a transcendental equation for the energy eigenvalues which is solved numerically.Comment: Version to match the one which has been accepted for publication by J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. Added one figure, several comments and few references. (24 pages and 7 figures

Computing the Loewner driving process of random curves in the half plane

We simulate several models of random curves in the half plane and numerically compute their stochastic driving process (as given by the Loewner equation). Our models include models whose scaling limit is the Schramm-Loewner evolution (SLE) and models for which it is not. We study several tests of whether the driving process is Brownian motion. We find that just testing the normality of the process at a fixed time is not effective at determining if the process is Brownian motion. Tests that involve the independence of the increments of Brownian motion are much more effective. We also study the zipper algorithm for numerically computing the driving function of a simple curve. We give an implementation of this algorithm which runs in a time O(N^1.35) rather than the usual O(N^2), where N is the number of points on the curve.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures. Changes to second version: added new paragraph to conclusion section; improved figures cosmeticall

The cobalt(II) salt of the azo dye Orange G

Crystallizing the cobalt(II) salt of the azo dye Orange G from water was found to give the solvent-separated ion-pair species hexa­aqua­cobalt(II) 7-oxo-8-(2-phenyl­hydrazin-1-ylidene)-7,8-dihydro­naphthalene-1,3-disulfonate tetra­hydrate, [Co(H2O)6](C16H10N2O7S2)·4H2O. The asymmetric unit of the cobalt(II) salt contains three independent octa­hedral [Co(OH2)6]2+ cations, three azo anions, all with similar configurations, and 12 uncoordinated water mol­ecules. The structure is closely related to that of one of the known magnesium analogues. Both structures have Z′ = 3, feature nearly planar azo anions [maximum displacement of azo-N atoms from the plane of the phenyl ring = 0.058 (7) Å] in their hydrazone tautomeric form, form layer structures with hydro­philic and hydro­phobic layers alternating along the b-axis direction, and are stabilized by an extensive network of hydrogen bonds.

Entanglement of light-shift compensated atomic spin waves with telecom light

Entanglement of a 795 nm light polarization qubit and an atomic Rb spin wave qubit for a storage time of 0.1 s is observed by measuring the violation of Bell's inequality (S = 2.65 \pm 0.12). Long qubit storage times are achieved by pinning the spin wave in a 1064 nm wavelength optical lattice, with a magic-valued magnetic field superposed to eliminate lattice-induced dephasing. Four-wave mixing in a cold Rb gas is employed to perform light qubit conversion between near infra red (795 nm) and telecom (1367 nm) wavelengths, and after propagation in a telecom fiber, to invert the conversion process. Observed Bell inequality violation (S = 2.66 \pm 0.09), at 10 ms storage, confirms preservation of memory/light entanglement through the two stages of light qubit frequency conversion.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

\u27Stay-Green\u27 and Non-\u27Stay-Green\u27 Perennial Ryegrass in Field Swards with Different Intervals between Cuts

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the \u27stay-green\u27 character, originally introduced into perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) for amenity purposes, on herbage yield, N concentration and colour in field swards of \u27stay-green\u27 forage ryegrass managed in different ways for agricultural use. The conclusions were that the introduction of the \u27stay-green\u27 character (1) confers greater greenness only at some times of year and only when there has been a sufficiently long period of regrowth, (2) is expressed only in older, as distinct from young, tillers, (3) reduces herbage yield, particularly when a long interval is allowed between defoliations, and (4) reduces the decline in the concentration of N in herbage during the latter part of a long period of regrowth