Cosmological Tests with the Joint Lightcurve Analysis

We examine whether a comparison between wCDM and R_h=ct using merged Type Ia SN catalogs produces results consistent with those based on a single homogeneous sample. Using the Betoule et al. (2014) joint lightcurve analysis (JLA) of a combined sample of 613 events from SNLS and SDSS-II, we estimate the parameters of the two models and compare them. We find that the improved statistics can alter the model selection in some cases, but not others. In addition, based on the model fits, we find that there appears to be a lingering systematic offset of ~0.04-0.08 mag between the SNLS and SDSS-II sources, in spite of the cross-calibration in the JLA. Treating wCDM, LCDM and R_h=ct as separate models, we find in an unbiased pairwise statistical comparison that the Bayes Information Criterion (BIC) favors the R_h=ct universe with a likelihood of 82.8% versus 17.2% for wCDM, but the ratio of likelihoods is reversed (16.2% versus 83.8%) when w_de=-1 (i.e., LCDM) and strongly reversed (1.0% versus 99.0%) if in addition k=0 (i.e., flat LCDM). We point out, however, that the value of k is a measure of the net energy (kinetic plus gravitational) in the Universe and is not constrained theoretically, though some models of inflation would drive k to 0 due to an expansion-enforced dilution. Since we here consider only the basic LCDM model, the value of k needs to be measured and, therefore, the pre-assumption of flatness introduces a significant bias into the BIC.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in EP

Analysis of High-Perimeter Planar Electrodes for Efficient Neural Stimulation

Planar electrodes are used in epidural spinal cord stimulation and epidural cortical stimulation. Electrode geometry is one approach to increase the efficiency of neural stimulation and reduce the power required to produce the level of activation required for clinical efficacy. Our hypothesis was that electrode geometries that increased the variation of current density on the electrode surface would increase stimulation efficiency. High-perimeter planar disk electrodes were designed with sinuous (serpentine) variation in the perimeter. Prototypes were fabricated that had equal surface areas but perimeters equal to two, three or four times the perimeter of a circular disk electrode. The interface impedance of high-perimeter prototype electrodes measured in vitro did not differ significantly from that of the circular electrode over a wide range of frequencies. Finite element models indicated that the variation of current density was significantly higher on the surface of the high-perimeter electrodes. We quantified activation of 100 model axons randomly positioned around the electrodes. Input–output curves of the percentage of axons activated as a function of stimulation intensity indicated that the stimulation efficiency was dependent on the distance of the axons from the electrode. The high-perimeter planar electrodes were more efficient at activating axons a certain distance away from the electrode surface. These results demonstrate the feasibility of increasing stimulation efficiency through the design of novel electrode geometries

Mode and vibration characteristics of a flexible manipulator with elastic restraint joint

To construct a precise model for investigating the dynamic characteristics and vibration control strategies of flexible manipulators, restraints of the joint should be fully considered and precisely described. Considering the effect of the elastic restraints of the joint, this paper investigated the mode and vibration characteristics of a flexible manipulator with elastic restraint joint (FMERJ). The elastic restraint model and boundary conditions of the FMERJ were established. With the boundary conditions, natural frequency equation and mode shapes of the FMERJ were derived. Subsequently, vibration responses of the FMERJ were obtained. Numerical results demonstrated that the mode and vibration characteristics of the FMERJ are obviously different from that of flexible manipulator with fixed restraint joint (FMFRJ) which was commonly idealized in present research, and the elastic restraints of the joint have a considerable effect on the dynamic characteristics and should be considered in precise dynamic analysis and further constructing vibration control strategies of the flexible manipulator

Finite Element Solutions of Cantilever and Fixed Actuator Beams Using Augmented Lagrangian Methods

In this paper we develop a numerical procedure using finite element and augmented Lagrangian meth-ods that simulates electro-mechanical pull-in states of both cantilever and fixed beams in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches. We devise the augmented Lagrangian methods for the well-known Euler-Bernoulli beam equation which also takes into consideration of the fringing effect of electric field to allow a smooth transi-tion of the electric field between center of a beam and edges of the beam. The numerical results obtained by the procedure are tabulated and compared with some existing results for beams in MEMS switches in literature. This procedure produces stable and accurate numerical results for simulation of these MEMS beams and can be a useful and efficient alternative for design and determining onset of pull-in for such devices