Holographic superconductor in a deformed four-dimensional STU model

In this paper, we consider deformed STU model in four dimensions including both electric and magnetic charges. Using AdS/CFT correspondence, we study holographic superconductor and obtain transport properties like electrical and thermal conductivities. We obtain transport properties in terms of the black hole magnetic charge and interpret it as magnetic monopole of dual field theory. We find that presence of magnetic charge is necessary to have maximum conductivities, and existence of magnetic monopole with a critical charge (137 e) to reach the maximum superconductivity is important. Also, we show that thermal conductivity increases with increasing of magnetic charge. It may be concluded that the origin of superconductivity is magnetic monopole.Comment: 19 pages, 8 Figures. Accepted for publication in EPJ

Action for Rehabilitation from Neurological Injury (ARNI): A pragmatic study of functional training for stroke survivors

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright @ 2013 Cherry Kilbride et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This study evaluated the effectiveness of a twelve-week community-based functional training on measures of impairment, activity and participation in a group of stroke survivors. Isometric strength of the knee musculature, Centre-Of-Pressure (COP) based measures of balance, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 10 m walk test, and the Subjective Index of Physical and Social Out come (SIPSO), were recorded at baseline, post-intervention, and after twelve weeks (follow-up). Exercise instructors delivered training once a week in a group format at a community centre. Significant improvement was noted in the BBS (p < 0.002), and 10 m walk speed (p = 0.03) post intervention which remained unchanged at follow-up. Total SIPSO score improved significantly post-intervention (p = 0.044). No other significant differences and no adverse effects were observed. It is possible that functional training provided more opportunity for the improvement of dynamic aspects of balance control that could be captured by the BBS but not with the traditional measures of balance using COP data. Results also suggest positive effects on the level of participation, and lack of association between measures of impairment and activity. Community based functional training could be effective and used to extend access to rehabilitation services beyond the acute and sub-acute stages after stroke.London Borough of Hillingdo

Network Science of Teams: Dynamics, Algorithms, and Implications

The scientific world has witnessed a significant paradigm shift in recent years: that the networks should not be studied in isolation from the processes taking place over them and the large amounts of data derived and generated by them. Science has now embraced a systems approach that captures the effect of the interconnections between individual units and the behavior of a network system. This dissertation provides modeling and analysis of dynamical phenomena over interconnected network systems.In chapter 1, we review a class of deterministic nonlinear models for the propagation of infectious diseases over contact networks with strongly-connected topologies. We consider network models for susceptible-infected (SI), susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS), andsusceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) settings. In each setting, we provide a comprehensive nonlinear analysis of equilibria, stability properties, convergence, monotonicity, positivity, and threshold conditions.The recent convergence of research in social sciences, dynamic modeling, and network science has encouraged reexamining the collective team behavior from a quantitative perspective. Research shows that teams cannot be understood fully by studying their members in isolation. To study the coordination and control features of a group task, the multiple subgroups' performances must be fitted together. On such decomposed tasks, group performance is more than a simple union of subgroup performances. This work aims to understand how patterns of interactions among teams impact performance.In chapter 2, we investigate the implications of dierent forms of multi-group connecviiitivity. Four multi-group connectivity modalities are considered: co-memberships, edge bundles, bridges, and liaison hierarchies. We propose generative models to generate these four modalities. Our models are variants of planted partition or stochastic block models conditioned under certain topological constraints. We report findings of a comparative analysis in which we evaluate these structures, controlling for their edge densities and sizes, on mean rates of information propagation, convergence times to consensus, and steady state deviations from the consensus value in the presence of noise as network size increases.In chapter 3, we present a strategic network formation model predicting the emergence of multigroup structures. Individuals decide to form or remove links based on the benets and costs those connections carry; we focus on bilateral consent for link formation. We are interested in structures that arise to resolve coordination issues and, specifically, structures in which groups are linked through bridging, redundant, and co-membership interconnections. We characterize the conditions under which certain structures are stable and study their efficiency as well as the convergence of formation dynamics

A Multi-dimensional Framework for Characterizing Domain Specific Languages

The paper presents a questionnaire to assess Domain Specific Languages based on a multi-dimensional framework for characterizing languages. An issue is whether and how to distinguish between characteristics of domain-specific and general purpose languages. We discuss how to emphasize dimensions that are particularly important for domain-specific languages such as being formal, yet transparent as well as integrable with other languages. We consider hazards and potentials of the approach.A Multi-dimensional Framework for Characterizing Domain Specific Language

MDE Adoption in Industry: Challenges and Success Criteria

Model-Driven Engineering has been promoted for some time as the solution for the main problem software industry is facing, i.e. complexity of software development, by raising the abstraction level and introducing more automation in the process. The promises are many; among them improved software quality by increased traceability between artifacts, early defect detection, reducing manual and error-prone work and including knowledge in generators. However, in our opinion MDE is still in the early adoption phase and to be successfully adopted by industry, it must prove its superiority over other development paradigms and be supported by a rich ecosystem of stable, compatible and standardized tools. It should also not introduce more complexity than it removes. The subject of this paper is the challenges in MDE adoption from our experience of using MDE in real and research projects, where MDE has potential for success and what the key success criteria are.MDE Adoption in Industry: Challenges and Success Criteri

Dynamics and Self-assembly of Single and Multi-component Polymeric Flows: A Mesoscopic Computational Study

The focus of this dissertation is on the development of computational models to elucidate the underlying physics of single- and multi- component polymeric fluids in equilibrium and non-equilibrium settings. I have utilized a combination of a dissipative particle dynamics methodology and an entanglement network analysis algorithm, the so-called “Z1” code, to examine the relaxation mechanisms, their corresponding time scales and single chain dynamics of moderately entangled, linear, monodisperse polymer melts undergoing simple shear flow. In so doing, not only the fidelity of the DPD methodology for entangled polymeric melts at equilibrium and under flow has been examined for the first time, but also, the intricate relationship between single chain dynamics and chain relaxation mechanisms are elaborated. Specifically, it is shown that three main time scales, τR (Rouse), τd (disengagement), and τrot (rotation) are the dominant relaxation mechanisms at three distinct flow regimes. In turn, the molecular origin of shear banding in unidirectional flow of entangled polymeric melts is investigated for the first time. It is revealed that the temporal evolution of shear banding is a very sensitive function of the time scale over which the deformation rate is imposed. It is demonstrated that the stress overshoot locally inhomogeneous chain deformation and thus spatially inhomogeneous chain disentanglement. Furthermore, the localized jump in entanglement density results in a considerable jump in first normal stress and viscosity leading to the incipient shear banding. The stability of the incipient shear banded structures is studied via interfacial stability analyses. Finally, we applied a 3D self-consistent-field theory simulations to determine the equilibrium morphologies formed by ABC triblock copolymer melts confined between two parallel plates. The main goal is the determination of conditions under which the perpendicular lamella and cylinder is stabilized; since these structures play a central role in many nanotechnology applications. To this end, the chain architecture, surface energy, and film thickness are varied to find the rational process conditions to stabilize the aforementioned morphologies. Specifically, it is shown that the perpendicular lamella and cylinder morphology is stabilized if both confined walls attract the middle block and the surface energy is large