5,591 research outputs found

    Nonlinear Dynamics of Spherical Shells Buckling under Step Pressure

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    This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from The Royal Society via the DOI in this record.Dynamic buckling is addressed for complete elastic spherical shells subject to a rapidly applied step in external pressure. Insights from the perspective of nonlinear dynamics reveal essential mathematical features of the buckling phenomena. To capture the strong buckling imperfection-sensitivity, initial geometric imperfections in the form of an axisymmetric dimple at each pole are introduced. Dynamic buckling under the step pressure is related to the quasi-static buckling pressure. Both loadings produce catastrophic collapse of the shell for conditions in which the pressure is prescribed. Damping plays an important role in dynamic buckling because of the time-dependent nonlinear interaction among modes, particularly the interaction between the spherically symmetric 'breathing' mode and the buckling mode. In this paper we argue that the precise frequency dependence of the damping does not matter as most of the damping happens at a single frequency (the breathing frequency). In general, there is not a unique step pressure threshold separating responses associated with buckling from those that do not buckle. Instead there exists a cascade of buckling thresholds, dependent on the damping and level of imperfection, separating pressures for which buckling occurs from those for which it does not occur. For shells with small and moderately small imperfections the dynamic step buckling pressure can be substantially below the quasi-static buckling pressure

    Management of conjugate heat transfer using various arrangements of cylindrical vortex generators in micro-channels

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    Placing cylindrical vortex generators (VGs) at the base of a uniform micro-channel heat sink (MCHS) enhances the heat transfer, but incurs a substantial pressure drop. The effect of different VG parameters, including position (front, middle or back), radius (R) in the range of (100–300) μm and distance (D) between them (0–500) μm are considered to enhance the conjugate heat transfer. Laminar flow and heat flux conditions relevant to microelectronics water cooling systems (100 W/cm2) are used. The numerical approach, using COMSOL Multiphysics® software, is validated and found to be in good agreement against benchmark experimental and numerical studies. It is generally found that VGs enhance heat transfer but that the pressure drop increases. The lowest thermal resistance is achieved when placing VGs at the front of the MCHS with no distance between them and R = 300 μm, but this also results in the highest pressure penalty. Results also show that it is not necessarily the best heat transfer enhancement that leads to the highest thermal-hydraulic performance (PEC) index. The highest PEC index is achieved at the front position, with R = 100, D = 0 μm and Re > 250

    Molecular dynamics simulations of oscillatory Couette flows with slip boundary conditions

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    The effect of interfacial slip on steady-state and time-periodic flows of monatomic liquids is investigated using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The fluid phase is confined between atomically smooth rigid walls, and the fluid flows are induced by moving one of the walls. In steady shear flows, the slip length increases almost linearly with shear rate. We found that the velocity profiles in oscillatory flows are well described by the Stokes flow solution with the slip length that depends on the local shear rate. Interestingly, the rate dependence of the slip length obtained in steady shear flows is recovered when the slip length in oscillatory flows is plotted as a function of the local shear rate magnitude. For both types of flows, the friction coefficient at the liquid-solid interface correlates well with the structure of the first fluid layer near the solid wall.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figure

    A practical evaluation of the performance of Al2O3-water, TiO2-water and CuO-water nanofluids for convective cooling

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    The convective heat transfer, pressure drop and required pumping power for the turbulent flow of Al2O3-water, TiO2-water and CuO-water nanofluids in a heated, horizontal tube with a constant heat flux are investigated experimentally. Results show that presenting nanofluid performance by the popular approach of plotting Nusselt number versus Reynolds number is misleading and can create the impression that nanofluids enhance heat transfer efficiency. This approach is shown to be problematic since both Nusselt number and Reynolds number are functions of nanofluid concentration. When results are presented in terms of actual heat transfer coefficient or tube temperature versus flow rate or pressure drop, adding nanoparticles to the water is shown to degrade heat transfer for all the nanofluids and under all conditions considered. Replacing water with nanofluid at the same flow rate reduces the convective heat transfer rate by reducing the operating Reynolds number of the system. Achieving a target temperature under a given heat load is shown to require significantly higher flow rates and pumping power when using nanofluids compared to water, and hence none of the nanofluids are found to offer any practical benefits

    Effects of ecstasy/polydrug use on memory for associative information

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    Rationale Associative learning underpins behaviours that are fundamental to the everyday functioning of the individual. Evidence pointing to learning deficits in recreational drug users merits further examination. Objectives A word pair learning task was administered to examine associative learning processes in ecstasy/polydrug users. Methods After assignment to either single or divided attention conditions, 44 ecstasy/polydrug users and 48 non-users were presented with 80 word pairs at encoding. Following this, four types of stimuli were presented at the recognition phase: the words as originally paired (old pairs), previously presented words in different pairings (conjunction pairs), old words paired with new words, and pairs of new words (not presented previously). The task was to identify which of the stimuli were intact old pairs. Results Ecstasy/ploydrug users produced significantly more false-positive responses overall compared to non-users. Increased long-term frequency of ecstasy use was positively associated with the propensity to produce false-positive responses. It was also associated with a more liberal signal detection theory decision criterion value. Measures of long term and recent cannabis use were also associated with these same word pair learning outcome measures. Conjunction word pairs, irrespective of drug use, generated the highest level of false-positive responses and significantly more false-positive responses were made in the divided attention condition compared to the single attention condition. Conclusions Overall, the results suggest that long-term ecstasy exposure may induce a deficit in associative learning and this may be in part a consequence of users adopting a more liberal decision criterion value

    Mood instability, mental illness and suicidal ideas : results from a household survey

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    Purpose: There is weak and inconsistent evidence that mood instability (MI) is associated with depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidality although the basis of this is unclear. Our objectives were first to test whether there is an association between depression and PTSD, and MI and secondly whether MI exerts an independent effect on suicidal thinking over and above that explained by common mental disorders. Methods: We used data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 (N = 7,131). Chi-square tests were used to examine associations between depression and PTSD, and MI, followed by regression modelling to examine associations between MI and depression, and with PTSD. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the independent effect of MI on suicidal thinking, after adjustment for demographic factors and the effects of common mental disorder diagnoses. Results: There are high rates of MI in depression and PTSD and the presence of MI increases the odds of depression by 10.66 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 7.51–15.13] and PTSD by 8.69 (95 % CI 5.90–12.79), respectively, after adjusting for other factors. Mood instability independently explained suicidal thinking, multiplying the odds by nearly five (odds ratio 4.82; 95 % CI 3.39–6.85), and was individually by some way the most important single factor in explaining suicidal thoughts. Conclusions: MI is strongly associated with depression and PTSD. In people with common mental disorders MI is clinically significant as it acts as an additional factor exacerbating the risk of suicidal thinking. It is important to enquire about MI as part of clinical assessment and treatment studies are required

    Fast Purcell-enhanced single photon source in 1,550-nm telecom band from a resonant quantum dot-cavity coupling

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    High-bit-rate nanocavity-based single photon sources in the 1,550-nm telecom band are challenges facing the development of fibre-based long-haul quantum communication networks. Here we report a very fast single photon source in the 1,550-nm telecom band, which is achieved by a large Purcell enhancement that results from the coupling of a single InAs quantum dot and an InP photonic crystal nanocavity. At a resonance, the spontaneous emission rate was enhanced by a factor of 5 resulting a record fast emission lifetime of 0.2 ns at 1,550 nm. We also demonstrate that this emission exhibits an enhanced anti-bunching dip. This is the first realization of nanocavity-enhanced single photon emitters in the 1,550-nm telecom band. This coupled quantum dot cavity system in the telecom band thus provides a bright high-bit-rate non-classical single photon source that offers appealing novel opportunities for the development of a long-haul quantum telecommunication system via optical fibres.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

    Nutrition Education: The Older Adult With Diabetes

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    Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68337/2/10.1177_014572179101700505.pd

    Constitutive cytoplasmic localization of p21Waf1/Cip1 affects the apoptotic process in monocytic leukaemia

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    In the present study, we analysed the expression and localization of p21Waf1/Cip1 in normal and malignant haematopoietic cells. We demonstrate that in normal monocytic cells, protein kinase C (PKC)-induced p21 gene activation, which is nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) independent, results in predominantly cytoplasmic localized p21 protein. In acute monocytic leukaemia (M4, M5), monocytic blasts (N=12) show constitutive cytoplasmic p21 expression in 75% of the cases, while in myeloid leukaemic blasts (N=10), low nuclear and cytoplasmic localization of p21 could be detected, which is also PKC dependent. Constitutive p21 expression in monocytic leukaemia might have important antiapoptotic functions. This is supported by the finding that in U937 cells overexpressing p21, VP16-induced apoptosis is significantly reduced (20.0±0.9 vs 55.8±3.8%, P<0.01, N=5), reflected by a reduced phosphorylation of p38 and JNK. Similarly, AML blasts with high cytoplasmic p21 were less sensitive to VP16-induced apoptosis as compared to AML cases with low or undetectable p21 expression (42.25 vs 12.3%, P<0.01). Moreover, complex formation between p21 and ASK1 could be demonstrated in AML cells, by means of coimmunoprecipitation. In summary, these results indicate that p21 has an antiapoptotic role in monocytic leukaemia, and that p21 expression is regulated in a PKC-dependent and NF-κB independent manner.

    Acute effects of nicotine on visual search tasks in young adult smokers

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    Rationale Nicotine is known to improve performance on tests involving sustained attention and recent research suggests that nicotine may also improve performance on tests involving the strategic allocation of attention and working memory. Objectives We used measures of accuracy and response latency combined with eye-tracking techniques to examine the effects of nicotine on visual search tasks. Methods In experiment 1 smokers and non-smokers performed pop-out and serial search tasks. In experiment 2, we used a within-subject design and a more demanding search task for multiple targets. In both studies, 2-h abstinent smokers were asked to smoke one of their own cigarettes between baseline and tests. Results In experiment 1, pop-out search times were faster after nicotine, without a loss in accuracy. Similar effects were observed for serial searches, but these were significant only at a trend level. In experiment 2, nicotine facilitated a strategic change in eye movements resulting in a higher proportion of fixations on target letters. If the cigarette was smoked on the first trial (when the task was novel), nicotine additionally reduced the total number of fixations and refixations on all letters in the display. Conclusions Nicotine improves visual search performance by speeding up search time and enabling a better focus of attention on task relevant items. This appears to reflect more efficient inhibition of eye movements towards task irrelevant stimuli, and better active maintenance of task goals. When the task is novel, and therefore more difficult, nicotine lessens the need to refixate previously seen letters, suggesting an improvement in working memory
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