Compressed Exponential Relaxation as Superposition of Dual Structure in Pattern Dynamics of Nematic Liquid Crystals

Soft-mode turbulence (SMT) is the spatiotemporal chaos observed in homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystals, where non-thermal fluctuations are induced by nonlinear coupling between the Nambu-Goldstone and convective modes. The net and modal relaxations of the disorder pattern dynamics in SMT have been studied to construct the statistical physics of nonlinear nonequilibrium systems. The net relaxation dynamics is well-described by a compressed exponential function and the modal one satisfies a dual structure, dynamic crossover accompanied by a breaking of time-reversal invariance. Because the net relaxation is described by a weighted mean of the modal ones with respect to the wave number, the compressed-exponential behavior emerges as a superposition of the dual structure. Here, we present experimental results of the power spectra to discuss the compressed-exponential behavior and the dual structure from a viewpoint of the harmonic analysis. We also derive a relationship of the power spectra from the evolution equation of the modal autocorrelation function. The formula will be helpful to study non-thermal fluctuations in experiments such as the scattering methods.Comment: 17pages, 3 figures, to be published on AIP conference proceedings for "The 4th International Symposium on Slow Dynamics in Complex Systems

Evaluation of recharge areas of Arusha Aquifer, Northern Tanzania: application of water isotope tracers

This research article published by IWA Publishing, 2020In Arusha urban, northern Tanzania, groundwater contributes about 80% of the water supply. However, elevated fluoride levels and evidence of anthropogenic pollution have been reported in the groundwater around Mount Meru which is a water source for Arusha urban. This study aims at understanding the recharge areas and flow pathways of groundwater in what has been a poorly monitored area. The study uses the isotopic ratio of oxygen and hydrogen to estimate the groundwater recharge area and flow pathway. The results show the recharge elevation of groundwater is between 1,800 and 3,500 m above mean sea level on the slopes of Mount Meru. The average fluoride contents in the study area are 5.3 ± 0.4 mg/L greater than the limits of 1.5 mg/L set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Tanzania. The nitrate concentration of 83.9 mg/L at the lower elevation areas (<1,400 m above mean sea level) exceeds the 50 mg/L WHO limit. The relationship of F− with δ18O and NO3− suggests the leaching of fluoride in high altitudes and dilution in lower altitudes

Symptomatic periesophageal vagal nerve injury by different energy sources during atrial fibrillation ablation

BackgroundSymptomatic gastric hypomotility (SGH) is a rare but major complication of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, but data on this are scarce.ObjectiveWe compared the clinical course of SGH occurring with different energy sources.MethodsThis multicenter study retrospectively collected the characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with SGH after AF ablation.ResultsThe data of 93 patients (67.0 ± 11.2 years, 68 men, 52 paroxysmal AF) with SGH after AF ablation were collected from 23 cardiovascular centers. Left atrial (LA) ablation sets included pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone, a PVI plus a roof-line, and an LA posterior wall isolation in 42 (45.2%), 11 (11.8%), and 40 (43.0%) patients, respectively. LA ablation was performed by radiofrequency ablation, cryoballoon ablation, or both in 38 (40.8%), 38 (40.8%), and 17 (18.3%) patients, respectively. SGH diagnoses were confirmed at 2 (1–4) days post-procedure, and 28 (30.1%) patients required re-hospitalizations. Fasting was required in 81 (92.0%) patients for 4 (2.5–5) days; the total hospitalization duration was 11 [7–19.8] days. After conservative treatment, symptoms disappeared in 22.3% of patients at 1 month, 48.9% at 2 months, 57.6% at 3 months, 84.6% at 6 months, and 89.7% at 12 months, however, one patient required surgery after radiofrequency ablation. Symptoms persisted for &gt;1-year post-procedure in 7 patients. The outcomes were similar regardless of the energy source and LA lesion set.ConclusionsThe clinical course of SGH was similar regardless of the energy source. The diagnosis was often delayed, and most recovered within 6 months, yet could persist for over 1 year in 10%

Airborne Measurements of Volcanic Ash and Current State of Ash Cloud Prediction

Eyjafjallajökull 2010 and Grímsvötn 2011 eruptions created great problems for commercial aviation in the North Atlantic because of the large extent of the predicted ash clouds from these eruptions. Comparison to satellite pictures showed the predictions very much larger than the ash cloud. Measurements also showed lower ash concentrations over Europe than the predicted. Papers on simulation of the Eyjafjallajökull Ash cloud in peer reviewed journals, usually tried to simulate the VAAC predictions rather than the satellite pictures, an example is shown. In the newest eruption in Iceland (Holuhraun – Bardarbunga) mostly SO2 was produced but if its output had been ash, it could have produced similar problems for the aviation as Eyjafjallajökull did. The plume was successfully modeled using the WRF-chem model. Kyoto Universities measurements and research of eruptions in Sakurajima has shown weak points in the diffusion theory used for ash cloud prediction of tropospheric plumes that tend to ride in stable temperature inversionsEyjafjallajökull 2010 and Grímsvötn 2011 eruptions created great problems for commercial aviation in the North Atlantic because of the large extent of the predicted ash clouds from these eruptions. Comparison to satellite pictures showed the predictions very much larger than the ash cloud. Measurements also showed lower ash concentrations over Europe than the predicted. Papers on simulation of the Eyjafjallajökull Ash cloud in peer reviewed journals, usually tried to simulate the VAAC predictions rather than the satellite pictures, an example is shown. In the newest eruption in Iceland (Holuhraun – Bardarbunga) mostly SO2 was produced but if its output had been ash, it could have produced similar problems for the aviation as Eyjafjallajökull did. The plume was successfully modeled using the WRF-chem model. Kyoto Universities measurements and research of eruptions in Sakurajima has shown weak points in the diffusion theory used for ash cloud prediction of tropospheric plumes that tend to ride in stable temperature inversion