153 research outputs found
Force chains and contact network topology in packings of elongated particles
By means of contact dynamic simulations, we investigate the contact network
topology and force chains in two-dimensional packings of elongated particles
modeled by rounded-cap rectangles. The morphology of large packings of
elongated particles in quasistatic equilibrium is complex due to the combined
effects of local nematic ordering of the particles and orientations of contacts
between particles. We show that particle elongation affects force distributions
and force/fabric anisotropy via various local structures allowed by steric
exclusions and the requirement of force balance. As a result, the force
distributions become increasingly broader as particles become more elongated.
Interestingly, the weak force network transforms from a passive stabilizing
agent with respect to strong force chains to an active force-transmitting
network for the whole system. The strongest force chains are carried by
side/side contacts oriented along the principal stress direction.Comment: Soumis a Physical Review
Vibrational dynamics of confined granular material
By means of two-dimensional contact dynamics simulations, we analyze the
vibrational dynamics of a confined granular layer in response to harmonic
forcing. We use irregular polygonal grains allowing for strong variability of
solid fraction. The system involves a jammed state separating passive (loading)
and active (unloading) states. We show that an approximate expression of the
packing resistance force as a function of the displacement of the free
retaining wall from the jamming position provides a good description of the
dynamics. We study in detail the scaling of displacements and velocities with
loading parameters. In particular, we find that, for a wide range of
frequencies, the data collapse by scaling the displacements with the inverse
square of frequency, the inverse of the force amplitude and the square of
gravity. Interestingly, compaction occurs during the extension of the packing,
followed by decompaction in the contraction phase. We show that the mean
compaction rate increases linearly with frequency up to a characteristic
frequency and then it declines in inverse proportion to frequency. The
characteristic frequency is interpreted in terms of the time required for the
relaxation of the packing through collective grain rearrangements between two
equilibrium states
Force transmission in a packing of pentagonal particles
We perform a detailed analysis of the contact force network in a dense
confined packing of pentagonal particles simulated by means of the contact
dynamics method. The effect of particle shape is evidenced by comparing the
data from pentagon packing and from a packing with identical characteristics
except for the circular shape of the particles. A counterintuitive finding of
this work is that, under steady shearing, the pentagon packing develops a lower
structural anisotropy than the disk packing. We show that this weakness is
compensated by a higher force anisotropy, leading to enhanced shear strength of
the pentagon packing. We revisit "strong" and "weak" force networks in the
pentagon packing, but our simulation data provide also evidence for a large
class of "very weak" forces carried mainly by vertex-to-edge contacts. The
strong force chains are mostly composed of edge-to-edge contacts with a marked
zig-zag aspect and a decreasing exponential probability distribution as in a
disk packing
Currents and Superpotentials in classical gauge invariant theories I. Local results with applications to Perfect Fluids and General Relativity
E. Noether's general analysis of conservation laws has to be completed in a
Lagrangian theory with local gauge invariance. Bulk charges are replaced by
fluxes of superpotentials. Gauge invariant bulk charges may subsist when
distinguished one-dimensional subgroups are present. As a first illustration we
propose a new {\it Affine action} that reduces to General Relativity upon gauge
fixing the dilatation (Weyl 1918 like) part of the connection and elimination
of auxiliary fields. It allows a comparison of most gravity superpotentials and
we discuss their selection by the choice of boundary conditions. A second and
independent application is a geometrical reinterpretation of the convection of
vorticity in barotropic nonviscous fluids. We identify the one-dimensional
subgroups responsible for the bulk charges and thus propose an impulsive
forcing for creating or destroying selectively helicity. This is an example of
a new and general Forcing Rule.Comment: 64 pages, LaTeX. Version 2 has two more references and one misprint
corrected. Accepted in Classical and Quantum Gravit
The First α Helix of Interleukin (Il)-2 Folds as a Homotetramer, Acts as an Agonist of the IL-2 Receptor ÎČ Chain, and Induces Lymphokine-Activated Killer Cells
Interleukin (IL)-2 interacts with two types of functional receptors (IL-2RαÎČÎł and IL-2RÎČÎł) and acts on a broad range of target cells involved in inflammatory reactions and immune responses. For the first time, we show that a chemically synthesized fragment of the IL-2 sequence can fold into a molecule mimicking the quaternary structure of a hemopoietin. Indeed, peptide p1â30 (containing amino acids 1â30, covering the entire α helix A of IL-2) spontaneously folds into an α-helical homotetramer and stimulates the growth of T cell lines expressing human IL-2RÎČ, whereas shorter versions of the peptide lack helical structure and are inactive. We also demonstrate that this neocytokine interacts with a previously undescribed dimeric form of IL-2RÎČ. In agreement with its binding to IL-2RÎČ, p1â30 activates Shc and p56lck but unlike IL-2, fails to activate Janus kinase (Jak)1, Jak3, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). Unexpectedly, we also show that p1â30 activates Tyk2, thus suggesting that IL-2RÎČ may bind to different Jaks depending on its oligomerization. At the cellular level, p1â30 induces lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and preferentially activates CD8low lymphocytes and natural killer cells, which constitutively express IL-2RÎČ. A significant interferon Îł production is also detected after p1â30 stimulation. A mutant form of p1â30 (Asp20âLys), which is likely unable to induce vascular leak syndrome, remains capable of generating LAK cells, like the original p1â30 peptide. Altogether, our data suggest that p1â30 has therapeutic potential
Activating Generalized Fuzzy Implications from Galois Connections
This paper deals with the relation between fuzzy implications and Galois connections, trying to raise the awareness that the fuzzy implications are indispensable to generalise Formal Concept Analysis. The concrete goal of the paper is to make evident that Galois connections, which are at the heart of some of the generalizations of Formal Concept Analysis, can be interpreted as fuzzy incidents. Thus knowledge processing, discovery, exploration and visualization as well as data mining are new research areas for fuzzy implications as they are areas where Formal Concept Analysis has a niche.F.J. Valverde-Albaceteâwas partially supported by EU FP7 project LiMoSINe, (contract 288024). C. PelĂĄez-Morenoâwas partially supported by the Spanish Government-CICYT project 2011-268007/TEC.Publicad
Numerical simulation of 2D steady granular flows in rotating drum: On surface flows rheology
13 pages, 14 figures, 61 references, submitted to Phys. FluidsThe rheology of 2D steady surface flow of cohesionless cylinders in a rotating drum is investigated through {\em Non Smooth Contact Dynamics} simulations. Profile of volume fraction, translational and angular velocity, rms velocity, strain rate and stress tensor were measured at the midpoint along the length of the surface flowing layer where the flow is generally considered as steady and homogeneous. Analysis of these data and their inter-relations suggest the local inertial number - defined as the ratio between local inertial forces and local confinement forces - to be the relevant dimensionless parameter to describe the transition from the quasi-static part of the packing to the flowing part at the surface of the heap. Variations of the components of the stress tensor as well as the ones of rms velocity as a function of the inertial number are analysed within both the quasi-static and the flowing phases. Their implications are discussed
Action anticipation based on an agent's epistemic state in toddlers and adults
Do toddlers and adults engage in spontaneous Theory of Mind (ToM)? Evidence from anticipatory looking (AL) studies suggests that they do. But a growing body of failed replication studies raised questions about the paradigmâs suitability. In this multi-lab collaboration, we test the robustness of spontaneous ToM measures. We examine whether 18- to 27-month-oldsâ and adultsâ anticipatory looks distinguish between two basic forms of an agentâs epistemic states: knowledge and ignorance. In toddlers [ANTICIPATED n = 520 50% FEMALE] and adults [ANTICIPATED n = 408, 50% FEMALE] from diverse ethnic backgrounds, we found [SUPPORT/NO SUPPORT] for epistemic state-based action anticipation. Future research can probe whether this conclusion extends to more complex kinds of epistemic states, such as true and false beliefs
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