Some effects of different constitutive laws on simulating mitral valve dynamics with FSI

In this paper, three different constitutive laws for mitral leaflets and two laws for chordae tendineae are selected to study their effects on mitral valve dynamics with fluid-structure interaction. We first fit these three mitral leaflet constitutive laws and two chordae tendineae laws with experimental data. The fluid-structure interaction is implemented in an immersed boundary framework with finite element extension for solid, that is the hybrid immersed boundary/finite element(IB/FE) method. We specifically compare the fluid-structure results of different constitutive laws since fluid-structure interaction is the physiological loading environment. This allows us to look at the peak jet velocity, the closure regurgitation volume, and the orifice area. Our numerical results show that different constitutive laws can affect mitral valve dynamics, such as the transvalvular flow rate, closure regurgitation and the orifice area, while the differences in fiber strain and stress are insignificant because all leaflet constitutive laws are fitted to the same set of experimental data. In addition, when an exponential constitutive law of chordae tendineae is used, a lower closure regurgitation flow is observed compared to that of a linear material model. In conclusion, combining numerical dynamic simulations and static experimental tests, we are able to identify suitable constitutive laws for dynamic behaviour of mitral leaflets and chordae under physiological conditions

The Transformation from Translucent into Transparent Rare Earth Ions Doped Oxyfluoride Glass-Ceramics with Enhanced Luminescence

Article reporting a scenario where a translucent Er3+−Yb3+ doped oxyfluoride precursor glass-ceramic (P-GC) becomes transparent with increasing crystal size and crystallinity

Multiple sources of infection and potential endemic characteristics of the large outbreak of dengue in Guangdong in 2014

A large outbreak of dengue, with the most documented cases, occurred in Guangdong China in 2014. Epidemiological studies and phylogenetic analysis of the isolated dengue virus (DENV) showed this outbreak was attributed to multiple sources and caused by at least two genotypes of DENV-1 (Genotypes I and III) and two genotypes of DENV-2 (Cosmopolitan and Asian I Genotypes). A retrospective review and phylogenetic analysis of DENV isolated in Guangdong showed that DENV-1 Genotype I strains were reported continuously during 2004-2014, Genotype III strains were reported during 2009-2014 ; DENV-2 Cosmopolitan and Asian I Genotype strains were reported continuously during 2012-2014. At least 45,171 cases were reported in this outbreak, with 65.9% of the patients in the 21-55-year-old group. A trend toward a decrease in the daily newly emerged cases lagged by approximately 20 days compared with the mosquito density curve. Several epidemiological characteristics of this outbreak and the stably sustained serotypes and genotypes of DENV isolated in Guangdong suggest that Guangdong has been facing a threat of transforming from a dengue epidemic area to an endemic area. The high temperature, drenching rain, rapid urbanization, and pandemic of dengue in Southeast Asia may have contributed to this large outbreak of dengue

A spherical perfect lens

It has been recently proved that a slab of negative refractive index material acts as a perfect lens in that it makes accessible the sub-wavelength image information contained in the evanescent modes of a source. Here we elaborate on perfect lens solutions to spherical shells of negative refractive material where magnification of the near-field images becomes possible. The negative refractive materials then need to be spatially dispersive with $\epsilon(r) \sim 1/r$ and $\mu(r)\sim 1/r$. We concentrate on lens-like solutions for the extreme near-field limit. Then the conditions for the TM and TE polarized modes become independent of $\mu$ and $\epsilon$ respectively.Comment: Revtex4, 9 pages, 2 figures (eps

A minimum single-band model for low-energy excitations in superconducting Kx_xFe2_2Se2_2

We propose a minimum single-band model for the newly discovered iron-based superconducting K$_x$Fe$_2$Se$_2$. Our model is found to be numerically consistent with the five-orbital model at low energies. Based on our model and the random phase approximation, we study the spin fluctuation and the pairing symmetry of superconducting gap function. The $(\pi/2,\pi/2)$ spin excitation and the $d_{x^2-y^2}$ pairing symmetry are revealed. All of the results can well be understood in terms of the interplay between the Fermi surface topology and the local spin interaction, providing a sound picture to explain why the superconducting transition temperature is as high as to be comparable to those in pnictides and some cuprates. A common origin of superconductivity is elucidated for this compound and other high-T$_c$ materials.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Measurements of the Mass and Full-Width of the ηc\eta_c Meson

In a sample of 58 million $J/\psi$ events collected with the BES II detector, the process J/$\psi\to\gamma\eta_c$ is observed in five different decay channels: $\gamma K^+K^-\pi^+\pi^-$, $\gamma\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$, $\gamma K^\pm K^0_S \pi^\mp$ (with $K^0_S\to\pi^+\pi^-$), $\gamma \phi\phi$ (with $\phi\to K^+K^-$) and $\gamma p\bar{p}$. From a combined fit of all five channels, we determine the mass and full-width of $\eta_c$ to be $m_{\eta_c}=2977.5\pm1.0 ({stat.})\pm1.2 ({syst.})$ MeV/$c^2$ and $\Gamma_{\eta_c} = 17.0\pm3.7 ({stat.})\pm7.4 ({syst.})$ MeV/$c^2$.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures and 4 table. Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Direct Measurements of the Branching Fractions for D0→K−e+νeD^0 \to K^-e^+\nu_e and D0→π−e+νeD^0 \to \pi^-e^+\nu_e and Determinations of the Form Factors f+K(0)f_{+}^{K}(0) and f+π(0)f^{\pi}_{+}(0)

The absolute branching fractions for the decays $D^0 \to K^-e ^+\nu_e$ and $D^0 \to \pi^-e^+\nu_e$ are determined using $7584\pm 198 \pm 341$ singly tagged $\bar D^0$ sample from the data collected around 3.773 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC. In the system recoiling against the singly tagged $\bar D^0$ meson, $104.0\pm 10.9$ events for $D^0 \to K^-e ^+\nu_e$ and $9.0 \pm 3.6$ events for $D^0 \to \pi^-e^+\nu_e$ decays are observed. Those yield the absolute branching fractions to be $BF(D^0 \to K^-e^+\nu_e)=(3.82 \pm 0.40\pm 0.27)$ and $BF(D^0 \to \pi^-e^+\nu_e)=(0.33 \pm 0.13\pm 0.03)$. The vector form factors are determined to be $|f^K_+(0)| = 0.78 \pm 0.04 \pm 0.03$ and $|f^{\pi}_+(0)| = 0.73 \pm 0.14 \pm 0.06$. The ratio of the two form factors is measured to be $|f^{\pi}_+(0)/f^K_+(0)|= 0.93 \pm 0.19 \pm 0.07$.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Partial wave analysis of J/\psi \to \gamma \phi \phi

Using $5.8 \times 10^7 J/\psi$ events collected in the BESII detector, the radiative decay $J/\psi \to \gamma \phi \phi \to \gamma K^+ K^- K^0_S K^0_L$ is studied. The $\phi\phi$ invariant mass distribution exhibits a near-threshold enhancement that peaks around 2.24 GeV/$c^{2}$. A partial wave analysis shows that the structure is dominated by a $0^{-+}$ state ($\eta(2225)$) with a mass of $2.24^{+0.03}_{-0.02}{}^{+0.03}_{-0.02}$ GeV/$c^{2}$ and a width of $0.19 \pm 0.03^{+0.06}_{-0.04}$ GeV/$c^{2}$. The product branching fraction is: $Br(J/\psi \to \gamma \eta(2225))\cdot Br(\eta(2225)\to \phi\phi) = (4.4 \pm 0.4 \pm 0.8)\times 10^{-4}$.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. corrected proof for journa