Nonlinear analysis of orthotropic composite slabs in fire

In this study an orthotropic slab finite element is developed to model orthotropic slabs in fire, using a layered 9-noded isoparametric slab element and a 3-noded beam element. The element is assembled from a solid slab element which represents the continuous upper portion of the profile, and a special beam element which represents the ribbed lower portion. An equivalent width for the cross-section of this beam element is determined according to the dimensions of the solid slab element and the cross-section of the ribbed profile, and the beam shares the nodes of the solid slab element. The temperature within each layer of the slab element can vary between adjacent Gauss integration points so as to reflect temperature variations in the horizontal plane. Several fire tests on composite slabs have been modelled to validate the approach. Cases of orthotropic slabs with wide range of parameters defining the ribbed profile have been studied, which show that the orthotropic slab model is robust and effective in reflecting the influence of the shape of ribs on the thermal and structural performance of the slabs in fire. The study shows the influence of decking shape on the thermal and structural behaviours of orthotropic slabs. A simple evaluation method for profile selection is proposed

EGAM Induced by Energetic-electrons and Nonlinear Interactions among EGAM, BAEs and Tearing Modes in a Toroidal Plasma

In this letter, it is reported that the first experimental results are associated with the GAM induced by energetic electrons (eEGAM) in HL-2A Ohmic plasma. The energetic-electrons are generated by parallel electric fields during magnetic reconnection associated with tearing mode (TM). The eEGAM localizes in the core plasma, i.e. in the vicinity of q=2 surface, and is very different from one excited by the drift-wave turbulence in the edge plasma. The analysis indicated that the eEGAM is provided with the magnetic components, whose intensities depend on the poloidal angles, and its mode numbers are jm/nj=2/0. Further, there exist intense nonlinear interactions among eEGAM, BAEs and strong tearing modes (TMs). These new findings shed light on the underlying physics mechanism for the excitation of the low frequency (LF) Alfv\'enic and acoustic uctuations.Comment: 5 pages,4 figure

PENENTUAN MASSA FOTOKATALIS DAN SUHU OPTIMUM PADA PROSES FOTODEGRADASI ZAT WARNA RHODAMIN B MENGGUNAKAN FOTOKATALIS TiO2(DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE AND PHOTOCATALYST MASS OF RHODAMINE B PHOTODEGRADATION PROCESS BY TiO2 PHOTOCATALYST)

Abstrak Telah dilakukan penelitian tentang penentuan massa fotokatalis dan suhu optimum pada proses fotodegradasi zat warna Rhodamin B menggunakan fotokatalis TiO2. Massa fotokatalis dan suhu optimum pada proses fotodegradasi zat warna Rhodamin B ditentukan dengan variasi massa 0 mg sampai 100 mg dan variasi suhu 30 oC sampai 60 oC. Fotodegradasi dilakukan dalam reaktor tertutup yang dilengkapi dengan lampu UV. Konsentrasi zat warna yang tersisa setelah fotodegradasi diukur dengan spektrofotometer UV-Vis. Kondisi maksimum pengukuran adalah pada panjang gelombang 553,40 nm.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa massa fotokatalis optimum pada proses fotodegradasi zat warna Rhodamin B sebesar 70 mg dan suhu optimum pada 50 oC. Kata kunci: massa fotokatalis, suhu larutan, Rhodamin B, TiO2. Abstract The determination of optimum temperature and photocatalyst mass of Rhodamine B photodegradation process was studied using TiO2 as catalyst. Optimum temperature and photocatalyst mass of Rhodamine B photodegradation process was determined by variation of mass 0 mg to 100 mg and variation of temperature at 30 oC to 60 oC. Photodegradation carried out in a closed reactor completed with UV lamp. The remaining of Rhodamine B concentration after photodegradation was measured by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Maximum condition of measurement was at wavelength of 553,40 nm. The result showed that optimum photocatalyst mass of Rhodamine B photodegradation process was 70 mg and optimum temperature was 50 oC. Key Words: photocatalyst mass, solution’s temperature, Rhodamine B, TiO

High pressure synthesis of a new superconductor Sr2CuO2+xCl2-y induced by apical oxygen doping

Using the apical oxygen doping mechanism, i.e. a partial substitution of divalence O for the monovalence Cl, a p-type oxychloride cuprate superconductor, Sr2CuO2+xCl2-y, was synthesized at high pressure high temperature. The x-ray diffraction refinement suggests the superconductor crystallizes into a 0201 structure with space group I4/mmm and lattice parameters being a=3.92A, c=15.6 A. The magnetic susceptibility as well as resistance measurements indicated that the bulk superconductivity with transition temperature 30K was achieved in the sample.Comment: accepted by physica

Running coupling: Does the coupling between dark energy and dark matter change sign during the cosmological evolution?

In this paper we put forward a running coupling scenario for describing the interaction between dark energy and dark matter. The dark sector interaction in our scenario is free of the assumption that the interaction term $Q$ is proportional to the Hubble expansion rate and the energy densities of dark sectors. We only use a time-variable coupling $b(a)$ (with $a$ the scale factor of the universe) to characterize the interaction $Q$. We propose a parametrization form for the running coupling $b(a)=b_0a+b_e(1-a)$ in which the early-time coupling is given by a constant $b_e$, while today the coupling is given by another constant, $b_0$. For investigating the feature of the running coupling, we employ three dark energy models, namely, the cosmological constant model ($w=-1$), the constant $w$ model ($w=w_0$), and the time-dependent $w$ model ($w(a)=w_0+w_1(1-a)$). We constrain the models with the current observational data, including the type Ia supernova, the baryon acoustic oscillation, the cosmic microwave background, the Hubble expansion rate, and the X-ray gas mass fraction data. The fitting results indicate that a time-varying vacuum scenario is favored, in which the coupling $b(z)$ crosses the noninteracting line ($b=0$) during the cosmological evolution and the sign changes from negative to positive. The crossing of the noninteracting line happens at around $z=0.2-0.3$, and the crossing behavior is favored at about 1$\sigma$ confidence level. Our work implies that we should pay more attention to the time-varying vacuum model and seriously consider the phenomenological construction of a sign-changeable or oscillatory interaction between dark sectors.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; refs added; to appear in EPJ

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

Search for the Rare Decays J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e, J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e, and J/Psi --> D0bar e+ e-

We report on a search for the decays J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e + c.c., J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e + c.c., and J/Psi --> D0bar e+ e- + c.c. in a sample of 5.8 * 10^7 J/Psi events collected with the BESII detector at the BEPC. No excess of signal above background is observed, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions are set: B(J/Psi --> Ds- e+ nu_e + c.c.)<4.8*10^-5, B(J/Psi --> D- e+ nu_e + c.c.) D0bar e+ e- + c.c.)<1.1*10^-5Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Role of spdef in the regulation of muc5b expression in the airways of naive and mucoobstructed mice

Understanding how expression of airway secretory mucins MUC5B and MUC5AC is regulated in health and disease is important to elucidating the pathogenesis of mucoobstructive respiratory diseases. The transcription factor SPDEF (sterile a-motif pointed domain epithelial specific transcription factor) is a key regulator of MUC5AC, but its role in regulating MUC5B in health and in mucoobstructive lung diseases is unknown. Characterization of Spdef-deficient mice upper and lower airways demonstrated region-specific, Spdef-dependent regulation of basal Muc5b expression. Neonatal Spdef-deficient mice exhibited reductions in BAL Muc5ac and Muc5b. Adult Spdef-deficient mice partially phenocopied Muc5b-deficient mice as they exhibited reduced Muc5b in nasopharyngeal and airway epithelia but not in olfactory Bowman glands, 75% incidence of nasopharyngeal hair/mucus plugs, and mild bacterial otitis media, without defective mucociliary clearance in the nasopharynx. In contrast, tracheal mucociliary clearance was reduced in Spdef-deficient mice in the absence of lung disease. To evaluate the role of Spdef in the development and persistence of Muc5b-predominant mucoobstructive lung disease, Spdef-deficient mice were crossed with Scnn1b-transgenic (Scnn1b-Tg) mice, which exhibit airway surface dehydration-induced airway mucus obstruction and inflammation. Spdef-deficient Scnn1b-Tg mice exhibited reduced Muc5ac, but not Muc5b, expression and BAL content. Airway mucus obstruction was not decreased in Spdef-deficient Scnn1b-Tg mice, consistent with Muc5b-dominant Scnn1b disease, but increased airway neutrophilia was observed compared with Spdef-sufficient Scnn1b-Tg mice. Collectively, these results indicate that Spdef regulates baseline Muc5b expression in respiratory epithelia but does not contribute to Muc5b regulation in a mouse model of Muc5b-predominant mucus obstruction caused by airway dehydration

Measurements of J/psi Decays into 2(pi+pi-)eta and 3(pi+pi-)eta

Based on a sample of 5.8X 10^7 J/psi events taken with the BESII detector, the branching fractions of J/psi--> 2(pi+pi-)eta and J/psi-->3(pi+pi-)eta are measured for the first time to be (2.26+-0.08+-0.27)X10^{-3} and (7.24+-0.96+-1.11)X10^{-4}, respectively.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

BESII Detector Simulation

A Monte Carlo program based on Geant3 has been developed for BESII detector simulation. The organization of the program is outlined, and the digitization procedure for simulating the response of various sub-detectors is described. Comparisons with data show that the performance of the program is generally satisfactory.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, uses elsart.cls, to be submitted to NIM