ADIPLS -- the Aarhus adiabatic oscillation package

Development of the Aarhus adiabatic pulsation code started around 1978. Although the main features have been stable for more than a decade, development of the code is continuing, concerning numerical properties and output. The code has been provided as a generally available package and has seen substantial use at a number of installations. Further development of the package, including bringing the documentation closer to being up to date, is planned as part of the HELAS Coordination Action.Comment: Astrophys. Space Sci., in the pres

Modelling the multi-wavelength emissions from PSR B1259-63/LS 2883: the effects of the stellar disc on shock radiations

PSR B1259-63/LS 2883 is an elliptical pulsar/Be star binary and emits broadband emissions from radio to TeV $\gamma$-rays. The massive star possesses an equatorial disc, which is inclined with the orbital plane of the pulsar. The non-thermal emission from the system is believed to be produced by the pulsar wind shock and the double-peak profiles in the X-ray and TeV $\gamma$-ray light curves are related to the phases of the pulsar passing through the disc region of the star. In this paper, we investigate the interactions between the pulsar wind and stellar outflows, especially with the presence of the disc, and present a multi-wavelength modelling of the emission from this system. We show that the double-peak profiles of X-ray and TeV $\gamma$-ray light curves are caused by the enhancements of the magnetic field and the soft photons at the shock during the disc passages. As the pulsar is passing through the equatorial disc, the additional pressure of the disc pushes the shock surface closer to the pulsar, which causes the enhancement of magnetic field in the shock, and thus increases the synchrotron luminosity. The TeV $\gamma$-rays due to the inverse-Compton (IC) scattering of shocked electrons with seed photons from the star is expected to peak around periastron which is inconsistent with observations. However, the shock heating of the stellar disc could provide additional seed photons for IC scattering during the disc passages, and thus produces the double-peak profiles as observed in the TeV $\gamma$-ray light curve. Our model can possibly be examined and applied to other similar gamma-ray binaries, such as PSR J2032+4127/MT91 213, HESS J0632+057, and LS I+61$^{\circ}$303.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Strong valence fluctuation in the quantum critical heavy fermion superconductor beta-YbAlB4: A hard x-ray photoemission study

Electronic structures of the quantum critical superconductor beta-YbAlB4 and its polymorph alpha-YbAlB4 are investigated by using bulk-sensitive hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. From the Yb 3d core level spectra, the values of the Yb valence are estimated to be ~2.73 and ~2.75 for alpha- and beta-YbAlB4, respectively, thus providing clear evidence for valence fluctuations. The valence band spectra of these compounds also show Yb2+ peaks at the Fermi level. These observations establish an unambiguous case of a strong mixed valence at quantum criticality for the first time among heavy fermion systems, calling for a novel scheme for a quantum critical model beyond the conventional Doniach picture in beta-YbAlB4.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, revised version accepted for publication in PR

Characterization of Ascaris from Ecuador and Zanzibar

To shed light on the epidemiology of ascariasis in Ecuador and Zanzibar, 177 adult worms retrieved by chemo-expulsion from either people or pigs were collected, measured and subjected to polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Upon double digestion with RsaI and HaeIII, PCR-RFLP analysis revealed the presence of A. lumbricoides in people and A. suum in pigs in Ecuador. In contrast, while there are no pigs on Zanzibar, of the 56 worms obtained from people, one was genotyped as A. suum. No additional genetic variation was detected upon further PCR-RFLP analysis with several other restriction enzymes. Upon measurement, worm mass and length differed by location and by species, A. suum being lighter and longer. While there is no evidence to suggest zoonotic transmission in Ecuador, an enduring historical signature of previous zoonotic transmission remains on Zanzibar

Ventilation with "clinically relevant" high tidal volumes does not promote stretch-induced injury in the lungs of healthy mice

OBJECTIVE: Ventilator-induced lung injury is a crucial determinant of the outcome of mechanically ventilated patients. Increasing numbers of mouse studies have identified numerous pathways and mediators that are modulated by ventilation, but it is conceptually difficult to reconcile these into a single paradigm. There is substantial variability in tidal volumes used in these studies, and no certainty about the pathophysiology that such varied models actually represent. This study was designed to investigate whether ventilation strategies ranging from ‘very high’ to more ‘clinically-relevant’ tidal volumes induce similar pathophysiologies in healthy mice, or represent distinct entities. DESIGN: In vivo study. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: C57/Bl6 mice. INTERVENTIONS: Anesthetised mice were ventilated with various tidal volumes up to 40ml/kg. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Respiratory system compliance and arterial blood gases were used to evaluate physiological parameters of injury. Lung wet:dry weight ratio, lavage fluid protein and cytokines were used to assess pulmonary edema and inflammation. All ventilation strategies induced changes in respiratory system compliance, although the pattern of change was unique for each strategy. 10ml/kg and 40ml/kg ventilation also induced decreases in arterial pO(2) and blood pressure. Any physiological changes induced during the 10, 20 and 30ml/kg strategies were largely reversed by recruitment maneuvers at the end of the protocol. Markers of pulmonary edema and inflammation indicated that only 40ml/kg induced substantial increases in both, consistent with development of lung injury. CONCLUSIONS: Tidal volumes up to 20ml/kg are unlikely to induce substantial lung over-stretch in models using healthy, young mice. Signs of injury/inflammation using such models are likely to result from other factors, particularly alveolar derecruitment and atelectasis. The results of such studies may need to be re-evaluated before clinical relevance can be accurately determined

Study on the behavior of small droplet impinging onto a hot surface

This paper was presented at the 3rd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2011), which was held at the Makedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki in Greece. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Thessaly, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute.The effects of droplet diameter, surface roughness, and impinging velocity on the behavior of droplet impinging onto a hot surface have been studied. The surface samples used in the experiment were cylinder blocks of stainless steel having four different degrees of roughness, i.e., Ra 0.04, 0.2, 3, and 10. The diameter and impinging velocity were controlled independently by using a micro-jet dispenser. Their values were in the ranges of 300–700 μm and 1.0–4.0 m/s, respectively. The contact time was found to increase with an increase in the surface roughness and was of the order of the self-oscillation of the water droplet. The maximum spread of droplet decreased with increasing impinging velocity. The cooling curve was obtained for the range of surface temperatures from 500 oC to 100 oC, and it was found that the cooling time decreased with an increase in the surface roughness of stainless steel. Moreover, the cooling effectiveness of each droplet increased with an increase in the surface roughness.This study was supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) 21246036 from MEXT