3,762 research outputs found
Channel Flow of a Tensorial Shear-Thinning Maxwell Model: Lattice Boltzmann Simulations
We introduce a nonlinear generalized tensorial Maxwell-type constitutive
equation to describe shear-thinning glass-forming fluids, motivated by a recent
microscopic approach to the nonlinear rheology of colloidal suspensions. The
model captures a nonvanishing dynamical yield stress at the glass transition
and incorporates normal-stress differences. A modified lattice-Boltzmann (LB)
simulation scheme is presented that includes non-Newtonian contributions to the
stress tensor and deals with flow-induced pressure differences. We test this
scheme in pressure-driven 2D Poiseuille flow of the nonlinear generalized
Maxwell fluid. In the steady state, comparison with an analytical solution
shows good agreement. The transient dynamics after startup and cessation of the
pressure gradient are studied; the simulation reproduces a finite stopping time
for the cessation flow of the yield-stress fluid in agreement with previous
analytical estimates
Estimating novel potential drug targets of Plasmodium falciparum by analysing the metabolic network of knock-out strains in silico
Malaria is one of the worldâs most common and serious diseases causing death of about 3 million people
each year. Its most severe occurrence is caused by the protozoan Plasmodium falciparum. Biomedical
research could enable treating the disease by effectively and specifically targeting essential enzymes of
this parasite. However, the parasite has developed resistance to existing drugsmaking it indispensable to
discover new drugs. We have established a simple computational tool which analyses the topology of the
metabolic network of P. falciparum to identify essential enzymes as possible drug targets.Weinvestigated
the essentiality of a reaction in the metabolic network by deleting (knocking-out) such a reaction in silico.
The algorithmselected neighbouring compounds of the investigated reaction that had to be produced by
alternative biochemical pathways. Using breadth first searches, we tested qualitatively if these products
could be generated by reactions that serve as potential deviations of the metabolic flux. With this we
identified 70 essential reactions. Our results were compared with a comprehensive list of 38 targets of
approved malaria drugs. When combining our approach with an in silico analysis performed recently
[Yeh, I., Hanekamp, T., Tsoka, S., Karp, P.D., Altman, R.B., 2004. Computational analysis of Plasmodium
falciparum metabolism: organizing genomic information to facilitate drug discovery. Genome Res. 14,
917â924] we could improve the precision of the prediction results. Finally we present a refined list of 22
new potential candidate targets for P. falciparum, half of which have reasonable evidence to be valid
targets against micro-organisms and cancer
A systematic study of non-ideal contacts in integer quantum Hall systems
In the present article we investigate the influence of the contact region on
the distribution of the chemical potential in integer quantum Hall samples, as
well as the longitudinal and Hall resistance as a function of the magnetic
field. First we use a standard quantum Hall sample geometry and analyse the
influence of the length of the leads where current enters/leaves the sample and
the ratio of the contact width to the width of these leads. Furthermore we
investigate potential barriers in the current injecting leads and the
measurement arms in order to simulate non-ideal contacts. Second we simulate
nonlocal quantum Hall samples with applied gating voltage at the metallic
contacts. For such samples it has been found experimentally that both the
longitudinal and Hall resistance as a function of the magnetic field can change
significantly. Using the nonequilibrium network model we are able to reproduce
most qualitative features of the experiments.Comment: 29 pages, 16 Figure
Elasticity of smectic liquid crystals with focal conic domains
We study the elastic properties of thermotropic smectic liquid crystals with
focal conic domains (FCDs). After the application of the controlled preshear at
different temperatures, we independently measured the shear modulus G' and the
FCD size L. We find out that these quantities are related by the scaling
relation G' ~ \gamma_{eff}/L where \gamma_{eff} is the effective surface
tension of the FCDs. The experimentally obtained value of \gamma_{\rm eff}
shows the same scaling as the effective surface tension of the layered systems
\sqrt{KB} where K and B are the bending modulus and the layer compression
modulus, respectively. The similarity of this scaling relation to that of the
surfactant onion phase suggests an universal rheological behavior of the
layered systems with defects.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in JPC
Theory and computation of directional nematic phase ordering
A computational study of morphological instabilities of a two-dimensional
nematic front under directional growth was performed using a Landau-de Gennes
type quadrupolar tensor order parameter model for the first-order
isotropic/nematic transition of 5CB (pentyl-cyanobiphenyl). A previously
derived energy balance, taking anisotropy into account, was utilized to account
for latent heat and an imposed morphological gradient in the time-dependent
model. Simulations were performed using an initially homeotropic
isotropic/nematic interface. Thermal instabilities in both the linear and
non-linear regimes were observed and compared to past experimental and
theoretical observations. A sharp-interface model for the study of linear
morphological instabilities, taking into account additional complexity
resulting from liquid crystalline order, was derived. Results from the
sharp-interface model were compared to those from full two-dimensional
simulation identifying the specific limitations of simplified sharp-interface
models for this liquid crystal system. In the nonlinear regime, secondary
instabilities were observed to result in the formation of defects, interfacial
heterogeneities, and bulk texture dynamics.Comment: first revisio
Analysis of nickel concentration profiles around the roots of the hyperaccumulator plant Berkheya coddii using MRI and numerical simulations
Investigations of soil-root interactions are hampered by the difficult experimental accessibility of the rhizosphere. Here we show the potential of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a non-destructive measurement technique in combination with numerical modelling to study the dynamics of the spatial distribution of dissolved nickel (Ni2+) around the roots of the nickel hyperaccumulator plant Berkheya coddii. Special rhizoboxes were used in which a root monolayer had been grown, separated from an adjacent inert glass bead packing by a nylon membrane. After applying a Ni2+ solution of 10mglâ1, the rhizobox was imaged repeatedly using MRI. The obtained temporal sequence of 2-dimensional Ni2+ maps in the vicinity of the roots showed that Ni2+ concentrations increased towards the root plane, revealing an accumulation pattern. Numerical modelling supported the Ni2+ distributions to result from advective water flow towards the root plane, driven by transpiration, and diffusion of Ni2+ tending to eliminate the concentration gradient. With the model, we could study how the accumulation pattern of Ni2+ in the root zone transforms into a depletion pattern depending on transpiration rate, solute uptake rate, and Ni2+ concentration in solutio
Non-isothermal model for the direct isotropic/smectic-A liquid crystalline transition
An extension to a high-order model for the direct isotropic/smectic-A liquid
crystalline phase transition was derived to take into account thermal effects
including anisotropic thermal diffusion and latent heat of phase-ordering.
Multi-scale multi-transport simulations of the non-isothermal model were
compared to isothermal simulation, showing that the presented model extension
corrects the standard Landau-de Gennes prediction from constant growth to
diffusion-limited growth, under shallow quench/undercooling conditions.
Non-isothermal simulations, where meta-stable nematic pre-ordering precedes
smectic-A growth, were also conducted and novel non-monotonic
phase-transformation kinetics observed.Comment: First revision: 20 pages, 7 figure
Economic precariousness: A new channel in the housing market cycle
Abstract: Demographic and institutional elements, as important drivers of the housing market, should not be neglected since it is not only financial and monetary elements that matter in the case of the housing market. In this context, one relationship, which still remains unclear, is the relationship between the housing and the labour markets. Some research has been undertaken to support the hypothesis that high rates of
homeownership lead to high unemployment via increases in the reservation wage. However, further research is needed to address the possible implications of the institutional settings of the labour market in the dynamics of the housing market. The aim of this paper is to bring some light on the link between both markets. In particular, this contribution explains how the housing cycle could be âamplifiedâ via a new
channel, i.e. economic precariousness, which is closely related to job insecurity. Subsequently, we provide evidence in the case of five developed economies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, over the period 1985-2013.Not appicabl
Calculating Milnor Numbers and Versal Component Dimensions from P-Resolution Fans
We use Altmann's toric fan description of P-resolutions to formulate a new
description of deformation theory invariants for two-dimensional cyclic
quotient singularities. In particular, we show how to calculate the dimensions
of the (reduced) versal base space components as well as Milnor numbers of
smoothings over them.Comment: 8 pages; 2 figures; v2 added section on Milnor numbers, reworked
proof of dimension formula, new example, and new titl
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