Efficient computation of quasiperiodic oscillations in nonlinear systems with fast rotating parts

We present a numerical method for the investigation of quasiperiodic oscillations in applications modeled by systems of ordinary differential equations. We focus on systems with parts that have a significant rotational speed. An important element of our approach is to change coordinates into a co-rotating frame. We show that this leads to a dramatic reduction of computational effort in the case that gravitational forces can be neglected. As a practical example we study a turbocharger model for which we give a thorough comparison of results for a model with and without gravitational forces

High mobility titanium-doped indium oxide for use in tandem solar cells deposited via pulsed DC magnetron sputtering

© 2014 The Authors. The effects of pulsed DC (PDC) magnetron sputtering on the crystalline structure of the high mobility transparent conducting oxide (TCO), titanium-doped indium oxide (ITiO), are investigated. High mobility (μ >100 V-1s-1cm2) ITiO films are deposited by PDC magnetron sputtering and compared to RF deposited films using optimized conditions. These high mobility ITiO films have shown to extend the transmission in the NIR region compared to typical TCOs, such as ITO, exhibiting their potential in a tandem or multiple junction solar cell application. ITiO films deposited by PDC magnetron sputtering offer an increased deposition rate without a significant reduction in mobility when compared to RF sputtering, thus potentially offering PDC as a preferred industrial choice over RF sputtering. Structural characterization of the ITiO films prepared by PDC show a change in crystalline orientation and crystallite shape when compared to RF films, measured by XRD and SEM, which have been linked with the electrical parameters of the TCO

Predicting cortical bone adaptation to axial loading in the mouse tibia

The development of predictive mathematical models can contribute to a deeper understanding of the specific stages of bone mechanobiology and the process by which bone adapts to mechanical forces. The objective of this work was to predict, with spatial accuracy, cortical bone adaptation to mechanical load, in order to better understand the mechanical cues that might be driving adaptation. The axial tibial loading model was used to trigger cortical bone adaptation in C57BL/6 mice and provide relevant biological and biomechanical information. A method for mapping cortical thickness in the mouse tibia diaphysis was developed, allowing for a thorough spatial description of where bone adaptation occurs. Poroelastic finite-element (FE) models were used to determine the structural response of the tibia upon axial loading and interstitial fluid velocity as the mechanical stimulus. FE models were coupled with mechanobiological governing equations, which accounted for non-static loads and assumed that bone responds instantly to local mechanical cues in an on–off manner. The presented formulation was able to simulate the areas of adaptation and accurately reproduce the distributions of cortical thickening observed in the experimental data with a statistically significant positive correlation (Kendall's τ rank coefficient τ = 0.51, p < 0.001). This work demonstrates that computational models can spatially predict cortical bone mechanoadaptation to a time variant stimulus. Such models could be used in the design of more efficient loading protocols and drug therapies that target the relevant physiological mechanisms

Cd36 Is Expressed In A Defined Subpopulation Of Neurons In The Olfactory Epithelium

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)The sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium (OSNs) are equipped with a large repertoire of olfactory receptors and the associated signal transduction machinery. In addition to the canonical OSNs, which express odorant receptors (ORs), the epithelium contains specialized subpopulations of sensory neurons that can detect specific information from environmental cues and relay it to relevant neuronal circuitries. Here we describe a subpopulation of mature OSNs in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) which expresses CD36, a multifunctional receptor involved in a series of biological processes, including sensory perception of lipid ligands. The Cd36 expressing neurons coexpress markers of mature OSNs and are dispersed throughout the MOE. Unlike several ORs analyzed in our study, we found frequent coexpression of the OR Olfr287 in these neurons, suggesting that only a specific set of ORs may be coexpressed with CD36 in OSNs. We also show that CD36 is expressed in the cilia of OSNs, indicating a possible role in odorant detection. CD36-deficient mice display no signs of gross changes in the organization of the olfactory epithelium, but show impaired preference for a lipid mixture odor. Our results show that CD36-expressing neurons represent a distinct population of OSNs, which may have specific functions in olfaction.6Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo [FAPESP: 2007/53732-8]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico [CNPq 484869/2012-4]FAPESP [FAPESP11/51604-8]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Electron transport and band structure in phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon films

We study transport mechanisms, effective mass, and band structure by measuring the resistivity, Hall, and Seebeck and Nernst coefficients in heavily phosphorus-doped polycrystalline silicon films made by thermal crystallization of amorphous silicon. We observe a change in transport mechanism which results in an increase in electron mobility from 10% to 80% of the single-crystal silicon mobility as the carrier concentration increases from 1019 to 1020 cm-3. Our measurements of effective mass at the Fermi level indicate that as the carrier concentration increases, there is a shift from impurity-band transport to conduction-band transport, and that the electron effective mass is lower in the impurity band than in the conduction band of Si. The shift to conduction-band transport improves electron mobility with carrier density by improving intragrain carrier mean free path lengths and relaxation times. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

Intraspecfic variation in cold-temperature metabolic phenotypes of Arabidopsis lyrata ssp petraea

Atmospheric temperature is a key factor in determining the distribution of a plant species. Alongside this, plant populations growing at the margin of their range may exhibit traits that indicate genetic differentiation and adaptation to their local abiotic environment. We investigated whether geographically separated marginal populations of Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea have distinct metabolic phenotypes associated with exposure to cold temperatures. Seeds of A. petraea were obtained from populations along a latitudinal gradient, namely Wales, Sweden and Iceland and grown in a controlled cabinet environment. Mannose, glucose, fructose, sucrose and raffinose concentrations were different between cold treatments and populations, especially in the Welsh population, but polyhydric alcohol concentrations were not. The free amino acid compositions were population specific, with fold differences in most amino acids, especially in the Icelandic populations, with gross changes in amino acids, particularly those associated with glutamine metabolism. Metabolic fingerprints and profiles were obtained. Principal component analysis (PCA) of metabolite fingerprints revealed metabolic characteristic phenotypes for each population and temperature. It is suggested that amino acids and carbohydrates were responsible for discriminating populations within the PCA. Metabolite fingerprinting and profiling has proved to be sufficiently sensitive to identify metabolic differences between plant populations at different atmospheric temperatures. These findings show that there is significant natural variation in cold metabolism among populations of A. l. petraea which may signify plant adaptation to local climates

The Psy-Security-Curriculum ensemble: British Values curriculum policy in English schools

Framed as being in response to terrorist attacks and concerns about religious bias in some English schools, ‘British Values’ (BV) curriculum policy forms part of the British Government’s Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, 2015. This includes a Duty on teachers in England to actively promote British Values to deter students from radicalisation. This paper, first, traces the history of Britishness in the curriculum to reveal a prevalence of nationalistic, colonial values. Next, an ensemble of recent policies and speeches focusing on British Values is analysed, using a psycho-political approach informed by anti-colonial scholarship. Finally, we interrogate two key critiques of the British Values curriculum discourse: the universality of British Values globally, and concerns over the securitisation of education. Findings indicate that the constitution of white British supremacist subjectivities operate through curriculum as a defence mechanism against perceived threats to white privilege, by normalising a racialised state-controlled social order. The focus is on ‘British’ values, but the analytic framework and findings have wider global significance

Spectrum and Thermodynamics of the one-dimensional supersymmetric t-J model with 1/r21/r^2 exchange and hopping

We derive the spectrum and the thermodynamics of the one-dimensional supersymmetric t-J model with long range hopping and spin exchange using a set of maximal-spin eigenstates. This spectrum confirms the recent conjecture that the asymptotic Bethe-ansatz spectrum is exact. By empirical determining the spinon degeneracies of each state, we are able to explicitly construct the free energy.Comment: 13 pages, Latex, (published in PRB46, 6639 (1992)

The Benefits of B ---> K* l+ l- Decays at Low Recoil

Using the heavy quark effective theory framework put forward by Grinstein and Pirjol we work out predictions for B -> K* l+ l-, l = (e, mu), decays for a softly recoiling K*, i.e., for large dilepton masses sqrt{q^2} of the order of the b-quark mass m_b. We work to lowest order in Lambda/Q, where Q = (m_b, sqrt{q^2}) and include the next-to-leading order corrections from the charm quark mass m_c and the strong coupling at O(m_c^2/Q^2, alpha_s). The leading Lambda/m_b corrections are parametrically suppressed. The improved Isgur-Wise form factor relations correlate the B -> K* l+ l- transversity amplitudes, which simplifies the description of the various decay observables and provides opportunities for the extraction of the electroweak short distance couplings. We propose new angular observables which have very small hadronic uncertainties. We exploit existing data on B -> K* l+ l- distributions and show that the low recoil region provides powerful additional information to the large recoil one. We find disjoint best-fit solutions, which include the Standard Model, but also beyond-the-Standard Model ones. This ambiguity can be accessed with future precision measurements.Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures; Instability near minimal recoil from numerics removed, Fig. 1 replaced and minor shifts in short distance uncertainties in SM predictions; typos corrected and references added; main results and conclusions unchange