Inhomogeneous Environment Research Articles

Дрейф, стабилизация и дестабилизация систем Патлака – Келлера – Cегеля с коротковолновым внешним сигналом

In this article, we explore a community of two species placed on the inhomogeneous environment. We assume interspecific taxis as well as responding to the environmental fluctuations by tactic movement. We study the effect of the small-scale environmental fluctuations on the large-scale dynamics of the community following the line of Kapitza's theory of the upside-down pendulum. It turns out that, the only conductor of the effect of the fluctuations on the large-scale patterns is some drift of species. When the fluctuation takes the form of a travelling wave, there exist the quasi-equilibria, which are equilibria on average, roughly speaking. Examining the stability of the quasi-equilibria shows that, compared to the case of the homogeneous environment, increasing the magnitude of the fluctuations can destabilize the quasi-equilibria as well as stabilize them. It depends only on the speed at which the fluctuation wave prop-agates which of these effects occurs. Anyway, the effect is exponential in the amplitude of the wave.

One-step self-assembly of lamellar MWW crystals through intergrowth driven by centrifugal force to form hollownest structure Zeolite

From the considering of simple synthesis step, low cost, and energy saving, one-step synthesis of hierarchical zeolite without involving additional template has obvious advantages compared with post-synthetic modification or one-step templating methods, by which Ti-containing hollownest structure zeolite (Ti-HSZ) has been successfully synthesized. Herein, the origin of Ti-HSZʼs hollownest structure has been investigated by systematical comparison study between the rotating hydrothermal (RH) and static hydrothermal (SH) synthesis routes. It is found that different synthesis routes not only influence the crystallization but also determine the chemical and physical properties of zeolites. Compared with the catalyst prepared by flower-like precursor with larger size obtained by SH route in 12 days, Ti-HSZ catalyst with smaller size formed by RH route in 3.5 days shows higher catalytic activity for the epoxidation of bulky alkenes with H2O2. On one hand, the rapid and efficient transports of various reaction species in RH environment has accelerated the crystallization rate greatly; on the other hand, the one-step self-assembly of lamellar MWW crystals has happened to facilitate the formation of hollownest structure with hierarchical pores through intergrowth driven by centrifugal force. The different evolution processes of the Si chemical environments during the early stages of crystallization reflected by the percentage of intrinsic defects origin from the different hydrothermal environments. Highly mixed and dispersed reaction species under RH condition accelerate the uniform of gel concentration, and the condensation of smaller clusters with different orientation direction through frequent contacting under dynamic condition is easy to happen to form bigger clusters, which is the basis for the further crystal intergrowth. In contrast, the relatively inhomogeneous gel environments under SH condition has led to the increase of intrinsic defects in the solid phases, and bigger clusters tend to be formed by the condensation of smaller ones with the same orientation direction. This work will be instructive not only for the understanding of zeolites’ crystallization mechanism, but also for the design and synthesis of zeolite materials with unique morphology characteristics.

Indirect Taxis on a Fluctuating Environment

In this article, we study a Patlak–Keller–Siegel (PKS) model of a community of two species placed in the inhomogeneous environment. We employ PKS law for modeling tactic movement due to interspecific taxis and in response to the environmental fluctuations. These fluctuations can arise for natural reasons, e.g., the terrain relief, the sea currents and the food resource distribution, and there are artificial ones. The main result in the article elucidates the effect of the small-scale environmental fluctuations on the large-scale pattern formation in PKS systems. This issue remains uncharted, although numerous studies have addressed the pattern formation while assuming an homogeneous environment. Meanwhile, exploring the role of the fluctuating environment is substantial in many respects, for instance, for predicting the side effects of human activity or for designing the control of biological systems. As well, it is necessary for understanding the roles played in the dynamics of trophic communities by the natural environmental inhomogeneities—those mentioned above, for example. We examined the small-scale environmental inhomogeneities in the spirit of Kapitza’s theory of the upside-down pendulum, but we used the homogenization instead of classical averaging. This approach is novel for the dynamics of PKS systems (though used commonly for other areas). Employing it has unveiled a novel mechanism of exerting the effect from the fluctuating environment on the pattern formation by the drift of species arising upon the homogenization of the fluctuations.

In‐silico and in‐vitro testing of an implantable superstrate loaded biocompatible antenna for MICS band applications

AbstractA superstrate loaded body implantable microstrip patch antenna working on Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) (402‐405 MHz) band for biotelemetry applications is proposed. A 0.64‐mm thick high‐dielectric material Rogers RO Duroid 3010 is used both as substrate and superstrate of dielectric constant 10.2. Shorting pin is used to make compact antenna with footprint of 13.3 × 14.6 mm2. Appreciable bandwidth of 40% is covered by antenna with return loss of −30.95. In‐silico testing inside skin, brain and three layered tissue models is done to test functionality of antenna in homogeneous as well as inhomogeneous tissue environment. For validation of results the fabricated antenna is successfully tested inside in‐vitro solution of homogeneous skin mimicking liquid.

The Pupillary Response of the Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris).

Cephalopods have very conspicuous eyes that are often compared to fish eyes. However, in contrast to many fish, the eyes of cephalopods possess mobile pupils. To increase the knowledge of pupillary and thus visual function in cephalopods, the dynamics of the pupil of one of the model species among cephalopods, the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), was determined in this study. We measured pupillary area as a function of ambient luminance to document the light and dark reaction of the octopus eye. The results show that weak light (<1 cd/m2) is enough to cause a pupil constriction in octopus, and that the pupil reacts fast to changing light conditions. The t50-value defined as the time required for achieving half-maximum constriction ranged from 0.45 to 1.29 s and maximal constriction from 10 to 20% of the fully dilated pupil area, depending on the experimental condition. Axial light had a stronger influence on pupil shape than light from above, which hints at a shadow effect of the horizontal slit pupil. We observed substantial variation of the pupil area under all light conditions indicating that light-independent factors such as arousal or the need to camouflage the eye affect pupil dilation/constriction. In conclusion, the documentation of pupil dynamics provides evidence that the pupil of octopus is adapted to low ambient light levels. Nevertheless it can quickly adapt to and thus function under brighter illumination and in a very inhomogeneous light environment, an ability mediated by the dynamic pupil in combination with previously described additional processes of light/dark adaptation in octopus.

Deflection of phototactic microswimmers through obstacle arrays

We study the effect of inhomogeneous environments on the swimming direction of the microalgae \textit{Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii} (CR) in the presence of a light stimulus. Positive or negative phototaxis describe the ability of microorganisms to bias their swimming towards or away from a light source. Here we consider microswimmers with negative phototaxis in a microfluidic device with a microfabricated square lattice of pillars as obstacles. We measured a mean deflection of microswimmers that shows an interesting nonlinear dependence on the direction of the guiding light beam with respect to the symmetry axes of the pillar lattice. By simulating a model swimmer in a pillar lattice and analyzing its scattering behavior, we identified the width of the reorientation distribution of swimmers to be also crucial for the nonlinear behavior of the swimmer deflection. On the basis of these results we suggest in addition an analytical model for microswimmers, where the pillar lattice is replaced by an anisotropic scattering medium, that depends only on a scattering rate and the width of the reorientation distribution of swimmers. This flexible and handy model fits the experimental results as well. The presented analysis of the deflection of light guided swimmers through pillar lattice may be used for separating swimmers having different reorientation distributions.

ANALYSIS OF A REACTION–DIFFUSION EPIDEMIC MODEL WITH ASYMPTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

We develop a dynamic model of an evolving epidemic in a spatially inhomogeneous environment. We analyze the model, as a system of reaction–diffusion partial differential equations, to predict the outbreak and spatio-temporal spread of the disease. The model features both an asymptomatic infectious stage and symptomatic infectious stage, with both the asymptomatic and the symptomatic infected populations dispersing through the susceptible population. We prove the existence and uniform boundedness of solutions, and investigate their long-time behavior. We apply the spatially homogeneous version of the model to the current COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil.

Frustration and inhomogeneous environments in relaxation of open chains with Ising-type interactions.

Frustration can contribute to very slow relaxation times in large open chains, as in spin glasses and in biopolymers. However, frustration may not be sufficient to produce broken ergodicity in finite systems. Here we employ a system-plus-reservoir approach to investigate how strongly inhomogeneous environments and frustration compete in the relaxation of finite open chains. We find a sufficient condition for our inhomogeneous environments to break ergodicity. We use the microscopic model to derive a Markovian quantum master equation for a generic chain with ultrastrong intrachain couplings. We show that this microscopic model avoids a spurious broken ergodicity we find in the phenomenological model. We work out an explicit example of broken ergodicity due to the inhomogeneous environment of an unfrustrated spin chain as far as simulating a recent experiment on protein denaturation (where environment inhomogeneity is especially relevant). We finally show that an inhomogeneous environment can mitigate the effects of frustration-induced degeneracies.

Investigation of cell line specific responses to pH inhomogeneity and consequences for process design.

With increasing bioreactor volumes, the mixing time of the reactor increases as well, which creates an inhomogeneous environment for the cells. This can result in impaired process performance in large‐scale production reactors. Particularly the addition of base through the reactor headspace can be problematic, since it creates an area, where cells are repeatedly exposed to an increased pH. The aim of this study is to simulate this large‐scale phenomenon at lab‐scale and investigate its impact. Two different cell lines were exposed to pH amplitudes of a maximal magnitude of 0.05 units (pH of 6.95). Both cell lines showed similar responses, like decreased viable cell counts, but unaffected lactate levels. However, cell line B showed an initially increased specific productivity in response to the introduced amplitudes, whereas cell line A showed a consistently lower specific productivity. Furthermore, the time point at which base addition is started influences the impact, which pH amplitudes have on process performance. When pH control was started earlier in the process, maximal viable cell counts decreased and the lactate metabolic shift was less pronounced. These results show that the potential negative impact of pH amplitudes can be minimized by strategic process design.

In situ temperature profile measurements with high-energy X-rays as a probe of optical floating zone crystal growth environment

The ability of optical floating zone (OFZ) furnaces to rapidly produce large single crystals of complex emerging materials has had a transformative effect on many scientific fields that require samples of this type. However, the crystal growth process within the OFZ furnace is not well understood owing to the challenges involved in monitoring the high-temperature crystal growth process. Novel beamline-compatible optical furnaces that approximate the inhomogeneous growth environment within an OFZ furnace have been fabricated and tested in high-energy synchrotron beamlines. It is demonstrated that temperature profiles can be effectively extracted from powder diffraction data collected on polycrystalline ceramic rods heated at their tip. Furthermore, these measured temperature profiles can be accurately reproduced using a heat-transfer model that accounts for solid-state thermal conduction, partial sample lamp power absorption, convective air cooling and radiative cooling, allowing key thermal parameters such as thermal conductivity to be extracted from experimental data.

The motion of the system of two bodies and their center of mass in an inhomogeneous environment

In this paper, a material system consisting of two spherically symmetric bodies of comparable masses located inside a gas-dust ball with a spherically symmetric distribution of the density of the medium in it is considered. After choosing the corresponding energy-momentum tensor from the Einstein field equations using the Einstein-Infeld approximation procedure, the metric of the corresponding space-time, the gravitational field created by the «two-body – medium» system are found, and then the equations of motion of the bodies and their center of mass are obtained in Newton’s and post-Newtonian approximations of the general theory of relativity. It is proved that in the case of the indicated density of the medium, the following effect should exist already in the Newtonian approximation. The center of mass of two bodies shifts at a variable speed, although it was at rest in the void. This situation is a consequence of the fact that the two-body-medium system is not closed. For the first time, formulas for calculating the displacement value, which is proportional to the density of the medium in the center of the gas-dust ball and the 5th degree of the distance between the bodies, are derived. Therefore, at large distances between bodies, their center of mass has large displacements (it can reach several million kilometers per revolution of bodies around their center of mass). If the masses of the bodies are equal, their center of mass is at rest if it is at rest in the void.

Observation of Translational Diffusion in a Planer Supported Lipid Bilayer Membrane by Total Internal Reflection-Transient Grating Method

Abstract Total internal reflection-transient grating (TIR-TG) method has been applied to diffusion coefficient measurements of trans-stilbene in a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) lipid bilayer membrane at a silica/water interface. The observed TIR-TG signal consisted of four decay components. The rate constants of the third and fourth components quadratically depended on grating wavenumbers, which indicates that these components represent diffusion processes of trans-stilbene (diffusion signals). From the decay rate constants of the diffusion signals, two different diffusion coefficients, (5.7 ± 1.0) × 10−10 and (2.8 ± 0.5) × 10−12 m2s−1 were obtained for trans-stilbene in the DMPC membrane. This result indicates that the DMPC membrane is an inhomogeneous environment that can be described with two different effective viscosities.

Molecular Force Field Development for Aqueous Electrolytes: 2. Polarizable Models Incorporating Crystalline Chemical Potential and Their Accurate Simulations of Halite, Hydrohalite, Aqueous Solutions of NaCl, and Solubility.

The current state-of-the-art force fields (FFs) for Na+ and Cl- ions are not capable of simultaneously predicting the thermodynamic properties of the aqueous solution and the crystalline phase. This is primarily due to an oversimplification of the interaction models used but partially also due to the insufficient parametrization of the FFs. We have devised a straightforward and simple parametrization procedure for determining the ion-ion interaction parameters in complex molecular models of NaCl electrolytes which involves fitting the density, lattice energy, and chemical potential of crystalline NaCl at ambient conditions. Starting from the AH/BK3 and MAH/BK3 FFs, the parametrization approach is employed to develop a complex and accurate polarizable molecular model for the NaCl electrolyte by parametrizing the ion-ion interactions. The performance of the refined polarizable NaCl FF is assessed by evaluating the different thermodynamic and mechanical properties of the crystal, density of crystalline and molten NaCl, along with the melting temperature, properties of aqueous solutions, and the structure and stability of hydrohalite. The simulation results confirm the superiority of the refined FF in comparison with the existing state-of-the-art FFs to accurately predict a wide range of system properties in different NaCl phases, including NaCl aqueous solubility. The refined FF may find applications in the accurate simulations of NaCl electrolytes including inhomogeneous environment, phase equilibria and interfaces, and metastable states. Finally, the parametrization strategy is robust and general and can be used to devise molecular models for other electrolytes.

Rototaxis: Localization of active motion under rotation

The ability to navigate in complex, inhomogeneous environments is fundamental to survival at all length scales, giving rise to the rapid development of various subfields in bio-locomotion such as the well established concept of chemotaxis. In this work, we extend this existing notion of taxis to rotating environments and introduce the idea of roto-taxis to bio-locomotion. In particular, we explore both overdamped and inertial dynamics of a model synthetic self-propelled particle in the presence of constant global rotation, focusing on the particle's ability to localize near a rotation center as a survival strategy. We find that in the overdamped regime, the swimmer is in general able to generate a self restoring active torque that enables it to remain on stable epicyclical-like trajectories. On the other hand, for underdamped motion with inertial effects, the intricate competition between self-propulsion and inertial forces, in conjunction with the rototactic torque leads to complex dynamical behavior with non-trivial phase space of initial conditions which we reveal by numerical simulations. Our results are relevant for a wide range of setups, from vibrated granular matter on turntables to microorganisms or animals swimming near swirls or vortices.

Importance of Intermonomer Couplings of the FMO Complex in Coherently Initiated Dynamics.

In this work, the hierarchical equation of motion approach was employed to study the excitation transfer efficiency (ETE) from the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex to the reaction center core complex (RCC). Further, the realistic initial pure state (created by the interaction of femtosecond laser pulse with the isolated FMO complex) was used in the presence of an inhomogeneous protein environment. We observed the same amount of excitation transfer from the FMO to the RCC, in agreement with the experiment using femtosecond absorption spectroscopy. Simulation analysis shows weak intermonomer couplings are strongly affecting the dynamics of ETE, which implies that all the monomers of the FMO complex need to be considered as connected with the RCC pigment for a better estimate of the ETE.

Collective excitations in gapped graphene-GaAs double-layer structures

The aim of this work is to determine the collective excitations and decay rate of plasma oscillations in a gapped graphene-GaAs double-layer structure within random phase approximation without temperature effects. Firstly, we utilize long wavelength approximation expansions of polarization functions and Coulomb bare interactions to observe the analytical expressions for plasmon frequencies. These analytical formulae demonstrate that the band gap has significant contributions to collective excitations. Secondly, our numerical calculations illustrate that in-phase optical plamon branch continues in single-particle excitation area while acoustic out-of-phase one merges into the boundary of this area then disappears. Besides, taking into account the band gap decreases remarkably optical plasmon frequency meanwhile carrier density affects on acoustic branch, dissimilar to that in other double-layer structures. Finally, the interlayer separation and the inhomogeneous dielectric environment affect on both plasmon modes, similar to those obtained in previous works.

Hydrodynamic simulations unravel the progenitor-supernova-remnant connection in SN 1987A

Context.Massive stars end their lives in catastrophic supernova (SN) explosions. Key information on the explosion processes and on the progenitor stars can be extracted from observations of supernova remnants (SNRs), which are the outcome of SNe. Deciphering these observations, however, is challenging because of the complex morphology of SNRs.Aims.We aim to link the dynamical and radiative properties of the remnant of SN 1987A to the geometrical and physical characteristics of the parent aspherical SN explosion and to the internal structure of its progenitor star.Methods.We performed comprehensive three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations which describe the long-term evolution of SN 1987A from the onset of the SN to the full-fledged remnant at the age of 50 years, accounting for the pre-SN structure of the progenitor star. The simulations include all physical processes relevant for the complex phases of SN evolution and for the interaction of the SNR with the highly inhomogeneous ambient environment around SN 1987A. Furthermore, the simulations follow the life cycle of elements from the synthesis in the progenitor star through the nuclear reaction network of the SN to the enrichment of the circumstellar medium as a result of the mixing of chemically homogeneous layers of ejecta. From the simulations, we synthesize observables that are to be compared with observations.Results.By comparing the model results with observations, we constrained the initial SN anisotropy causing Doppler shifts, observed in the emission lines of heavy elements from ejecta, and leading to the remnant evolution observed in the X-ray band in the last thirty years. In particular, we found that the high mixing of ejecta unveiled by high redshifts and broadenings of [Fe II] and44Ti lines require a highly asymmetric SN explosion channeling a significant fraction of energy along an axis that is almost lying in the plane of the central equatorial ring around SN 1987A, roughly along the line-of-sight, but with an offset of 40°, with the lobe propagating away from the observer slightly more energetic than the other. Furthermore, we found unambiguously that the observed distribution of ejecta and the dynamical and radiative properties of the SNR can be best reproduced if the structure of the progenitor star was that of a blue supergiant which had resulted from the merging of two massive stars.

Chemo‐ and Magnetotaxis of Self‐Propelled Light‐Emitting Chemo‐electronic Swimmers

AbstractMiniaturized autonomous chemo‐electronic swimmers, based on the coupling of spontaneous oxidation and reduction reactions at the two poles of light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), are presented as chemotactic and magnetotactic devices. In homogeneous aqueous media, random motion caused by a bubble‐induced propulsion mechanism is observed. However, in an inhomogeneous environment, the self‐propelled devices exhibit positive chemotactic behavior, propelling themselves along a pH or ionic strength gradient (∇pH and ∇I, respectively) in order to reach a thermodynamically higher active state. In addition, the intrinsic permanent magnetic moment of the LED allows self‐orientation in the terrestrial magnetic field or following other external magnetic perturbations, which enables a directional motion control coupled with light emission. The interplay between chemotaxis and magnetotaxis allows fine‐tuning of the dynamic behavior of these swimmers.

Chemo- and Magnetotaxis of Self-Propelled Light-Emitting Chemo-electronic Swimmers.

Miniaturized autonomous chemo-electronic swimmers, based on the coupling of spontaneous oxidation and reduction reactions at the two poles of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), are presented as chemotactic and magnetotactic devices. In homogeneous aqueous media, random motion caused by a bubble-induced propulsion mechanism is observed. However, in an inhomogeneous environment, the self-propelled devices exhibit positive chemotactic behavior, propelling themselves along a pH or ionic strength gradient (∇pH and ∇I, respectively) in order to reach a thermodynamically higher active state. In addition, the intrinsic permanent magnetic moment of the LED allows self-orientation in the terrestrial magnetic field or following other external magnetic perturbations, which enables a directional motion control coupled with light emission. The interplay between chemotaxis and magnetotaxis allows fine-tuning of the dynamic behavior of these swimmers.

A generalization of the Gurtin’s variational principle in thermoelasticity without energy dissipation of dipolar bodies

In our present paper, we approach the mixed problem with initial and boundary conditions, in the context of thermoelasticity without energy dissipation of bodies with a dipolar structure. Our first result is a reciprocal relation for the mixed problem which is reformulated by including the initial data into the field equations. Then, we deduce a generalization of Gurtin’s variational principle, which covers our generalized theory for bodies with a dipolar structure. It is important to emphasize that both results are obtained in a very general context, namely that of anisotropic and inhomogeneous environments, having a center of symmetry at each point.