Source time reversal (STR) method for linear elasticity

We study the problem of source reconstruction for a linear elasticity problem applied to seismicity induced by mining. We assume the source is written as a variable separable function $\mathit{f}\left(\mathit{x}\right)g\left(t\right)$. We first present a simple proof a local decay result for elasticity in the case of homogeneous media. We then extend the source time reversal method, originally developed for acoustic waves, to an elastic system of waves. Additionally, we present a fast reconstruction implementation for large data sets. This is especially useful in the elastic case, in which the numerical cost is higher than in fluid acoustics. We complement this work with several 2D and 3D numerical experiments and an analysis of the results.     

Generalised multivariable supertwisting algorithm

The purpose of this paper is to present an extension of the generalised supertwisting algorithm (STA) to the multivariable framework. We begin by introducing an algorithm that may be deemed as a linear, quasicontinuous, or discontinuous multivariable system, depending on the functions that define them. For the class represented by such an algorithm we prove the robust, Lyapunov stability of the origin and characterise the perturbations that preserve its stability. In particular, when its vector field is discontinuous or quasicontinuous our algorithm is endowed with finite‐time stability. Due to its resemblance to the scalar case, we denote such finite‐time stable systems as generalised multivariable STA. Furthermore, the class of finite‐time stable systems comprise the currently available versions of STAs. To finalise, by means of simulation examples, we show that our proposed finite‐time stable algorithms are well suited for signals online differentiation and highlight their dynamical traits.     

Circulating Insulin-Like Growth Factor I is Involved in the Effect of High Fat Diet on Peripheral Amyloid β Clearance

Obesity is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but underlying mechanisms are not clear. We analyzed peripheral clearance of amyloid β (Aβ) in overweight mice because its systemic elimination may impact brain Aβ load, a major landmark of AD pathology. We also analyzed whether circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) intervenes in the effects of overweight as this growth factor modulates brain Aβ clearance and is increased in the serum of overweight mice. Overweight mice showed increased Aβ accumulation by the liver, the major site of elimination of systemic Aβ, but unaltered brain Aβ levels. We also found that Aβ accumulation by hepatocytes is stimulated by IGF-I, and that mice with low serum IGF-I levels show reduced liver Aβ accumulation—ameliorated by IGF-I administration, and unchanged brain Aβ levels. In the brain, IGF-I favored the association of its receptor (IGF-IR) with the Aβ precursor protein (APP), and at the same time, stimulated non-amyloidogenic processing of APP in astrocytes, as indicated by an increased sAPPα/sAPPβ ratio after IGF-I treatment. Since serum IGF-I enters into the brain in an activity-dependent manner, we analyzed in overweight mice the effect of brain activation by environmental enrichment (EE) on brain IGF-IR phosphorylation and its association to APP, as a readout of IGF-I activity. After EE, significantly reduced brain IGF-IR phosphorylation and APP/IGF-IR association were found in overweight mice as compared to lean controls. Collectively, these results indicate that a high-fat diet influences peripheral clearance of Aβ without affecting brain Aβ load. Increased serum IGF-I likely contributes to enhanced peripheral Aβ clearance in overweight mice, without affecting brain Aβ load probably because its brain entrance is reduced.     

EETP-MAC: energy efficient traffic prioritization for medium access control in wireless body area networks

Wireless body area network (WBAN) has witnessed significant attentions in the healthcare domain using biomedical sensor-based monitoring of heterogeneous nature of vital signs of a patient’s body. The design of frequency band, MAC superframe structure, and slots allocation to the heterogeneous nature of the patient’s packets have become the challenging problems in WBAN due to the diverse QoS requirements. In this context, this paper proposes an Energy Efficient Traffic Prioritization for Medium Access Control (EETP-MAC) protocol, which provides sufficient slots with higher bandwidth and guard bands to avoid channels interference causing longer delay. Specifically, the design of EETP-MAC is broadly divided in to four folds. Firstly, patient data traffic prioritization is presented with broad categorization including Non-Constrained Data (NCD), Delay-Constrained Data (DCD), Reliability-Constrained Data (RCD) and Critical Data (CD). Secondly, a modified superframe structure design is proposed for effectively handling the traffic prioritization. Thirdly, threshold based slot allocation technique is developed to reduce contention by effectively quantifying criticality on patient data. Forth, an energy efficient frame design is presented focusing on beacon interval, superframe duration, and packet size and inactive period. Simulations are performed to comparatively evaluate the performance of the proposed EETP-MAC with the state-of-the-art MAC protocols. The comparative evaluation attests the benefit of EETP-MAC in terms of efficient slot allocation resulting in lower delay and energy consumption.

     

Effect of mixer geometry and operating conditions on flow mixing of shear thinning fluids with yield stress

Flow mixing of a non‐Newtonian fluid in a stirred tank equipped with a side‐entry impeller was observed using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The effects of some geometrical parameters including the mixer shape and impeller type and position on the flow pattern were studied on velocity fields obtained at different locations inside the mixing domain. The different flow structures revealed that the ratio of inertial and viscous forces largely defines the flow pattern. Dead zones were observed inside the tank due to the rheological properties of the fluid. The size of the dynamic regions and the average velocity near the impeller were enhanced by increasing the suction area. Likewise, large pitch ratios were found to improve the active mixing zone and the axial discharge. Curves for the power and pumping numbers are reported for different axial flow impellers. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 1156–1167, 2014     

Identification of the Trail Pheromone of the Pavement Ant Tetramorium immigrans (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Journal of Chemical Ecology - Four species of Tetramorium pavement ants are known to guide foraging activities of nestmates via trail pheromones secreted from the poison gland of worker ants, but...     

Synthetic Crystals of Silver with Carbon: 3D Epitaxy of Carbon Nanostructures in the Silver Lattice

Only minimum amounts of carbon can be incorporated into silver, gold, and copper in a thermodynamically stable form. Here, the structure of stable silver carbon alloys is described, which are produced by thermoelectrically charging molten silver with carbon ions. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman scattering are combined to establish that large amount of carbon is accommodated in the form of epitaxial graphene‐like sheets. The carbon bonds covalently to the silver matrix as predicted from density functional theory (DFT) calculations with bond energies in the range 1.1–2.2 eV per atom or vacancy. Graphitic‐like sheets embedded in the crystal lattice of silver form 3D epitaxial structures with the host metal with a strain of ≈13% compared to equilibrium graphene. The carbon nanostructures persist upon remelting and resolidification. A DFT‐based analysis of the phonon density of states confirms the presence of intense vibration modes related to the Ag? C bonds observed in the Raman spectra of the alloy. The solid silver–high carbon alloy, termed “Ag‐covetic,” displays room temperature electrical conductivity of 5.62 × 10⁷ S m^?1 even for carbon concentrations of up to ≈6 wt% (36 at%). This process of incorporation of carbon presents a new paradigm for electrocharging assisted bulk processing.