Numerical simulations of complex fluid-fluid interface dynamics

Interfaces between two fluids are ubiquitous and of special importance for industrial applications, e.g., stabilisation of emulsions. The dynamics of fluid-fluid interfaces is difficult to study because these interfaces are usually deformable and their shapes are not known a priori. Since experiments do not provide access to all observables of interest, computer simulations pose attractive alternatives to gain insight into the physics of interfaces. In the present article, we restrict ourselves to systems with dimensions comparable to the lateral interface extensions. We provide a critical discussion of three numerical schemes coupled to the lattice Boltzmann method as a solver for the hydrodynamics of the problem: (a) the immersed boundary method for the simulation of vesicles and capsules, the Shan-Chen pseudopotential approach for multi-component fluids in combination with (b) an additional advection-diffusion component for surfactant modelling and (c) a molecular dynamics algorithm for the simulation of nanoparticles acting as emulsifiers.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figure

Cardiometabolic Pregnancy Complications in Association With Autism-Related Traits as Measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale in ECHO

Prior work has examined associations between cardiometabolic pregnancy complications and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but not how these complications may relate to social communication traits more broadly. We addressed this question within the Environmental Inf luences on Child Health Outcomes program, with 6,778 participants from 40 cohorts conducted from 1998–2021 with information on ASD-related traits via the Social Responsiveness Scale. Four metabolic pregnancy complications were examined individually, and combined, in association with Social Responsiveness Scale scores, using crude and adjusted linear regression as well as quantile regression analyses. We also examined associations stratified by ASD diagnosis, and potential mediation by preterm birth and low birth weight, and modification by child sex and enriched risk of ASD. Increases in ASD-related traits were associated with obesity (β = 4.64, 95% confidence interval: 3.27, 6.01) and gestational diabetes (β = 5.21, 95% confidence interval: 2.41, 8.02), specifically, but not with hypertension or preeclampsia. Results among children without ASD were similar to main analyses, but weaker among ASD cases. There was not strong evidence for mediation or modification. Results suggest that common cardiometabolic pregnancy complications may inf luence child ASD-related traits, not only above a diagnostic threshold relevant to ASD but also across the population

Wet heathlands of the southern Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia: a phytosociological study

Wet heathlands, formed by sclerophyllous nanophanerophytes and graminoids growing on seasonally waterlogged soil, were surveyed on the southern Swan Coastal Plain and classified using TWINSPAN. Three main wet heathland groups were identified: the Pericalymma- Hypocalymma, Pericalymma-Regelia and Melaleuca-Cassytha alliances respectively. The Pericalymma-Hypocalymma alliance is found north of the Capel River in depressions in the Bassendean Dune system on colluvial sands. The Pericalymma-Regelia alliance is found south of the Capel River primarily on colluvial wet sands, and shallow sands and loams. The Melaleuca-Cassytha alliance was found north of the Capel River mainly on heavy clays. These heathlands were species poor compared to Australian dry heathlands, with the number of species per 100 m2 ranging from 9 to 26. The ecology of these heathlands is discussed