26 research outputs found
Three-integral oblate galaxy models
A simple numerical scheme is presented for the construction of three-integral
phase-space distribution functions for oblate galaxy models with a
gravitational potential of St\"{a}ckel form, and an arbitrary axisymmetric
luminous density distribution. The intrinsic velocity moments can be obtained
simultaneously with little extra effort. The distribution of the inner and
outer turning points of the short-axis tube orbits that are populated can be
specified freely, and is chosen in advance. The entire distribution function is
then derived from the density by an iterative scheme that starts from the
explicitly known distribution function of the thin-orbit (maximum streaming)
model, in which only the tubes with equal inner and outer turning points are
populated. The versatility and limitations of this scheme are illustrated by
the construction of a number of self-consistent three-integral flattened
isochrone models of Kuzmin--Kutuzov type, and by investigation of special cases
where the scheme is tractable analytically. This includes the behaviour of the
distribution functions in the outer regions of the models. The scheme converges
rapidly for models containing orbits with ratios of the outer to inner turning
point as large as ten, and is particularly suited for the construction of
tangentially anisotropic flattened models, self-consistent as well as
non-consistent. The algorithm simplifies in the disk and spherical limit, and
can be generalized to triaxial models.Comment: uuencoded gziped PostScript, 21 pages without figures. PostScript
with figures available from http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/dynamics/Papers/ or
ftp://ftp.strw.leidenuniv.nl/pub/dynamics/Papers/RobijnDeZeeuw95.tar.Z
Accepted by MNRA
Folding Langmuir Monolayers
The maximum pressure a two-dimensional surfactant monolayer is able to
withstand is limited by the collapse instability towards formation of
three-dimensional material. We propose a new description for reversible
collapse based on a mathematical analogy between the formation of folds in
surfactant monolayers and the formation of Griffith Cracks in solid plates
under stress. The description, which is tested in a combined microscopy and
rheology study of the collapse of a single-phase Langmuir monolayer of
2-hydroxy-tetracosanoic acid (2-OH TCA), provides a connection between the
in-plane rheology of LM's and reversible folding
Phase Diagram of Chiral Biopolymer Wigner Crystals
We study the statistical mechanics of counterion Wigner crystals associated
with hexagonal bundles of chiral biopolymers. We show that, due to spontaneous
chiral symmetry breaking induced by frustration, these Wigner crystals would be
chiral even if the biopolymers themselves were not chiral. Using a duality
transformation of the model onto a "spin-charge" Hamiltonian, we show that
melting of the Wigner crystal is due to the unbinding of screw dislocations and
that the melting temperature has a singular dependence on the intrinsic
chirality of the biopolymers. Finally, we report that, if electrostatic
interactions are strongly screened, the counterions can condense in the form of
an intermediate achiral Wigner solid phase that melts by the unbinding of
fractional topological charges.Comment: 43 pages, 13 figure
Rhythmogenic neuronal networks, pacemakers, and k-cores
Neuronal networks are controlled by a combination of the dynamics of
individual neurons and the connectivity of the network that links them
together. We study a minimal model of the preBotzinger complex, a small
neuronal network that controls the breathing rhythm of mammals through periodic
firing bursts. We show that the properties of a such a randomly connected
network of identical excitatory neurons are fundamentally different from those
of uniformly connected neuronal networks as described by mean-field theory. We
show that (i) the connectivity properties of the networks determines the
location of emergent pacemakers that trigger the firing bursts and (ii) that
the collective desensitization that terminates the firing bursts is determined
again by the network connectivity, through k-core clusters of neurons.Comment: 4+ pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Screened and Unscreened Phases in Sedimenting Suspensions
A coarse-grained stochastic hydrodynamical description of velocity and
concentration fluctuations in steadily sedimenting suspensions is constructed,
and analyzed using self-consistent and renormalization group methods. We find
that there exists a dynamical, non-equilibrium phase transition from an
"unscreened" phase in which we recover the Caflisch-Luke (R.E. Caflisch and
J.H.C. Luke, Phys. Fluids 28, 759 (1985)) divergence of the velocity variance
to a "screened" phase where the velocity fluctuations have a finite correlation
length growing as where is the particle volume fraction,
in agreement with Segr\`e et. al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2574 (1997)) and the
velocity variance is independent of system size. Detailed predictions are made
for the correlation function in both phases and at the transition.Comment: 4 pages, revtex 1 figur
Towards the reconstruction of the genome-scale metabolic model of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a probiotic lactic acid bacterium used in food and dietary supplements for many years. However, despite its importance for industrial development and recognized health-promoting effects, no genome-scale metabolic model has been reported. A GSM model for L. acidophilus La-14 was developed, accounting 494 genes and 783 reactions. A genome annotation was performed to identify the metabolic potential of the bacterium. The biomass composition was determined based on information available in literature and previously published models. The model was validated by comparing in silico simulations with experimental data, regarding the aerobic and anaerobic growth. The reconstruction of the metabolic model has confirmed the fastidious requirements of L. acidophilus for amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins. This model can be used for a better understanding of the metabolism of this bacterium and identification of industrially desirable compounds.This study was performed under the scope of the project “BIODATA.PT – Portuguese Biological Data Network” (ref. LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022231), funded by FCT/MCTES, through national funds of PIDDAC, Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), Programa Operacional de Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa (Lisboa 2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Elliptical Galaxy Dynamics
A review of elliptical galaxy dynamics, with a focus on nonintegrable models.
Topics covered include torus construction; modelling axisymmetric galaxies;
triaxiality; collisionless relaxation; and collective instabilities.Comment: 97 Latex pages, 14 Postscript figures, uses aastex. To appear in
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, February 199
Effect of surgical experience and spine subspecialty on the reliability of the {AO} Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this paper was to determine the interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System based on surgeon experience (< 5 years, 5–10 years, 10–20 years, and > 20 years) and surgical subspecialty (orthopedic spine surgery, neurosurgery, and "other" surgery).
METHODS
A total of 11,601 assessments of upper cervical spine injuries were evaluated based on the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System. Reliability and reproducibility scores were obtained twice, with a 3-week time interval. Descriptive statistics were utilized to examine the percentage of accurately classified injuries, and Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used to screen for potentially relevant differences between study participants. Kappa coefficients (κ) determined the interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility.
RESULTS
The intraobserver reproducibility was substantial for surgeon experience level (< 5 years: 0.74 vs 5–10 years: 0.69 vs 10–20 years: 0.69 vs > 20 years: 0.70) and surgical subspecialty (orthopedic spine: 0.71 vs neurosurgery: 0.69 vs other: 0.68). Furthermore, the interobserver reliability was substantial for all surgical experience groups on assessment 1 (< 5 years: 0.67 vs 5–10 years: 0.62 vs 10–20 years: 0.61 vs > 20 years: 0.62), and only surgeons with > 20 years of experience did not have substantial reliability on assessment 2 (< 5 years: 0.62 vs 5–10 years: 0.61 vs 10–20 years: 0.61 vs > 20 years: 0.59). Orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons had substantial intraobserver reproducibility on both assessment 1 (0.64 vs 0.63) and assessment 2 (0.62 vs 0.63), while other surgeons had moderate reliability on assessment 1 (0.43) and fair reliability on assessment 2 (0.36).
CONCLUSIONS
The international reliability and reproducibility scores for the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System demonstrated substantial intraobserver reproducibility and interobserver reliability regardless of surgical experience and spine subspecialty. These results support the global application of this classification system