Thin-film flow in helically wound rectangular channels with small torsion

Laminar gravity-driven thin-film flow down a helically-wound channel of rectangular cross-section with small torsion in which the fluid depth is small is considered. Neglecting the entrance and exit regions we obtain the steady-state solution that is independent of position along the axis of the channel, so that the flow, which comprises a primary flow in the direction of the axis of the channel and a secondary flow in the cross-sectional plane, depends only on position in the two-dimensional cross-section of the channel. A thin-film approximation yields explicit expressions for the fluid velocity and pressure in terms of the free-surface shape, the latter satisfying a non-linear ordinary differential equation that has a simple exact solution in the special case of a channel of rectangular cross-section. The predictions of the thin-film model are shown to be in good agreement with much more computationally intensive solutions of the small-helix-torsion Navier–Stokes equations. The present work has particular relevance to spiral particle separators used in the mineral-processing industry. The validity of an assumption commonly used in modelling flow in spiral separators, namely that the flow in the outer region of the separator cross-section is described by a free vortex, is shown to depend on the problem parameters

Simulation model of erosion and deposition on a barchan dune

Erosion and deposition over a barchan dune near the Salton Sea, California, are modeled by bookkeeping the quantity of sand in saltation following streamlines of transport. Field observations of near surface wind velocity and direction plus supplemental measurements of the velocity distribution over a scale model of the dune are combined as input to Bagnold type sand transport formulas corrected for slope effects. A unidirectional wind is assumed. The resulting patterns of erosion and deposition compare closely with those observed in the field and those predicted by the assumption of equilibrium (downwind translation of the dune without change in size or geometry). Discrepancies between the simulated results and the observed or predicted erosional patterns appear to be largely due to natural fluctuations in the wind direction. The shape of barchan dunes is a function of grain size, velocity, degree of saturation of the oncoming flow, and the variability in the direction of the oncoming wind. The size of the barchans may be controlled by natural atmospheric scales, by the age of the dunes, or by the upwind roughness. The upwind roughness can be controlled by fixed elements or by sand in the saltation. In the latter case, dune scale is determined by grain size and wind velocity

The interaction of unidirectional winds with an isolated barchan sand dune

Velocity profile measurements are determined on and around a barchan dune model inserted in the roughness layer on the tunnel floor. A theoretical investigation is made into the factors influencing the rate of sand flow around the dune. Flow visualization techniques are employed in the mapping of streamlines of flow on the dune's surface. Maps of erosion and deposition of sand are constructed for the barchan model, utilizing both flow visualization techniques and friction velocities calculated from the measured velocity profiles. The sediment budget found experimentally for the model is compared to predicted and observed results reported. The comparison shows fairly good agreement between the experimentally determined and predicted sediment budgets

An investigation of social activities of neurologically healthy older adults and relevance of the Social Activities Checklist (SOCACT-2)

Purpose: This preliminary study aimed to describe the type, range, partner and frequency of social activity among neurologically healthy older people in order to evaluate the content validity of the SOCial ACTivities Checklist (SOCACT-2). Method: Ten neurologically healthy older people were recruited. Participants’ social activities were investigated through the completion of the SOCACT-2. Naturalistically occurring social activities were then recorded in a social activity diary over 28 consecutive days. Items recorded in the diaries were compared with SOCACT-2 items, and new items not included in the SOCACT-2 were noted. Frequency and location of participation was also recorded. Results: All SOCACT-2 items were recorded in the diaries, with the exception of two. Findings suggest that another two SOCACT-2 items could be rephrased to more accurately reflect naturalistically occurring social activities, and two new categories of social activities were identified. Conclusions: The results provide preliminary evidence for the relevance of the majority of SOCACT items. Revisions to four existing items included in the SOCACT-2, as well as the inclusion of two additional items may be indicated to capture the range of activities participated in by older people

Exploring the Interaction of Drosophila TDP-43 and the Type II Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel, Cacophony, in Regulating Motor Function and Behavior

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult onset motor neurodegenerative disease. The cause of the disease remains obscure, and as such there is no effective treatment or cure. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases are frequently characterized by dysfunction of the RNA-binding protein, TDP-43. Using model systems to understand the mechanisms underlying TDP-43 dysfunction should accelerate identification of therapeutic targets. A recent report has shown that motor defects caused by the deletion of the Drosophila TDP-43 ortholog, tbph, are not driven by changes in the physiology at the neuromuscular junction. Rather, defective motor burst rhythmicity and coordination, displayed by tbph mutants, are rescued by genetically restoring a voltage-gated calcium channel to either motor neurons or just a single pair of neurons in the brain. If these effects are mirrored in human TDP-43 proteinopathies, these observations could open new avenues to investigate alternative therapeutic targets for these neurodegenerative diseases

Biodiversity and ecosystem function in soil

1. Soils are one of the last great frontiers for biodiversity research and are home to an extraordinary range of microbial and animal groups. Biological activities in soils drive many of the key ecosystem processes that govern the global system, especially in the cycling of elements such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. 2. We cannot currently make firm statements about the scale of biodiversity in soils, or about the roles played by soil organisms in the transformations of organic materials that underlie those cycles. The recent UK Soil Biodiversity Programme (SBP) has brought a unique concentration of researchers to bear on a single soil in Scotland, and has generated a large amount of data concerning biodiversity, carbon flux and resilience in the soil ecosystem. 3. One of the key discoveries of the SBP was the extreme diversity of small organisms: researchers in the programme identified over 100 species of bacteria, 350 protozoa, 140 nematodes and 24 distinct types of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Statistical analysis of these results suggests a much greater 'hidden diversity'. In contrast, there was no unusual richness in other organisms, such as higher fungi, mites, collembola and annelids. 4. Stable-isotope (C-13) technology was used to measure carbon fluxes and map the path of carbon through the food web. A novel finding was the rapidity with which carbon moves through the soil biota, revealing an extraordinarily dynamic soil ecosystem. 5. The combination of taxonomic diversity and rapid carbon flux makes the soil ecosystem highly resistant to perturbation through either changing soil structure or removing selected groups of organisms

Global Optical Control of a Quantum Spin Chain

Quantum processors which combine the long decoherence times of spin qubits together with fast optical manipulation of excitons have recently been the subject of several proposals. I show here that arbitrary single- and entangling two-qubit gates can be performed in a chain of perpetually coupled spin qubits solely by using laser pulses to excite higher lying states. It is also demonstrated that universal quantum computing is possible even if these pulses are applied {\it globally} to a chain; by employing a repeating pattern of four distinct qubit units the need for individual qubit addressing is removed. Some current experimental qubit systems would lend themselves to implementing this idea.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Probing anharmonic properties of nuclear surface vibration by heavy-ion fusion reactions

Describing fusion reactions between ^{16}O and ^{154}Dy and, between ^{16}O and ^{144}Sm by the $sd-$ and $sdf-$ interacting boson model, we show that heavy-ion fusion reactions are strongly affected by anharmonic properties of nuclear surface vibrations and nuclear shape, and thus provide a powerful method to study details of nuclear structure and dynamics.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, To be published in the Proceedings of the FUSION 97 Conference, South Durras, Australia, March 1997 (J. Phys. G

Monte Carlo studies of a novel X-ray tube anode design

When energetic electrons are incident on high atomic number absorbers, a substantial fraction is back-scattered. This phenomenon is responsible for several undesirable effects in X-ray tubes, in particular a reduction in the X-ray output. The extent of this shortfall has been estimated by using Monte Carlo simulation to start electrons at increasing depth inside the anode, the results indicating that an output enhancement of nearly 50% could be achieved in principle if the electrons wasted in back-scatter events could be trapped inside a tungsten anode. To test this idea a further set of simulations were done for a novel anode geometry. Results showed that X-ray tube efficiencies might be substantially enhanced by this approach.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TVT-43P41Y7-30/1/526566f6ea15332c302cdad2886e583

Observations of X-rays and Thermal Dust Emission from the Supernova Remnant Kes 75

We present Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of the composite Galactic supernova remnant Kes 75 (G29.7-0.3). We use the detected flux at 24 microns and hot gas parameters from fitting spectra from new, deep X-ray observations to constrain models of dust emission, obtaining a dust-to-gas mass ratio M_dust/M_gas ~0.001. We find that a two-component thermal model, nominally representing shocked swept-up interstellar or circumstellar material and reverse-shocked ejecta, adequately fits the X-ray spectrum, albeit with somewhat high implied densities for both components. We surmise that this model implies a Wolf-Rayet progenitor for the remnant. We also present infrared flux upper limits for the central pulsar wind nebula.Comment: 7 pages, 2 tables, 4 figures, uses emulateapj. Accepted for publication in Ap