scholarly journals Hotspots of boundary accumulation: dynamics and statistics of micro-swimmers in flowing films

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (115) ◽  
pp. 20150936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold J. T. M. Mathijssen ◽  
Amin Doostmohammadi ◽  
Julia M. Yeomans ◽  
Tyler N. Shendruk

Biological flows over surfaces and interfaces can result in accumulation hotspots or depleted voids of microorganisms in natural environments. Apprehending the mechanisms that lead to such distributions is essential for understanding biofilm initiation. Using a systematic framework, we resolve the dynamics and statistics of swimming microbes within flowing films, considering the impact of confinement through steric and hydrodynamic interactions, flow and motility, along with Brownian and run–tumble fluctuations. Micro-swimmers can be peeled off the solid wall above a critical flow strength. However, the interplay of flow and fluctuations causes organisms to migrate back towards the wall above a secondary critical value. Hence, faster flows may not always be the most efficacious strategy to discourage biofilm initiation. Moreover, we find run–tumble dynamics commonly used by flagellated microbes to be an intrinsically more successful strategy to escape from boundaries than equivalent levels of enhanced Brownian noise in ciliated organisms.

2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin N. Goodhand ◽  
Robert J. Miller ◽  
Hang W. Lung

An important question for a designer is how, in the design process, to deal with the small geometric variations which result from either the manufacture process or in-service deterioration. For some blade designs geometric variations will have little or no effect on the performance of a row of blades, while in others their effects can be significant. This paper shows that blade designs which are most sensitive are those which are susceptible to a distinct switch in the fluid mechanisms responsible for limiting blade performance. To demonstrate this principle, the sensitivity of compressor 2D incidence range to manufacture variations is considered. Only one switch in mechanisms was observed, the onset of flow separation at the leading edge. This switch is only sensitive to geometric variations around the leading edge, 0–3% of the suction surface. The consequence for these manufacture variations was a 10% reduction in the blade's positive incidence range. For this switch, the boundary in the design space is best defined in terms of the blade pressure distribution. Blade designs where the acceleration exceeds a critical value just downstream of the leading edge are shown to be robust to geometric variation. Two historic designs, supercritical blades and blades with sharp leading edges, though superior in design intent, are shown to sit outside this robust region and thus, in practice, perform worse. The improved understanding of the robust, region of the design space is then used to design a blade capable of a robust, 5% increase in operating incidence range.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Williams

This paper introduces a novel set of component importance measures that are based on the concept of critical flow. Various research communities have developed techniques for identifying critical components of networks. The methods in this paper extend previous work on flow-based centrality measures by adapting them to the assessment of critical infrastructure in urban systems. The motivation is to provide municipalities with a means of reasoning about the impact of urban interventions. An infrastructure system is represented as a flow network in which demand nodes are assigned both demand values and criticality ratings. Sensitive elements in the network are those that carry critical flows, where a flow is deemed critical to the extent that it satisfies critical demand. A method for computing these flows is presented, and its utility is demonstrated by comparing the new measures to existing flow centrality measures. The paper also shows how the method may be combined with standard approaches to reliability analysis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oselyne Ong ◽  
Elise Kho ◽  
Pedro Esperança ◽  
Chris Freebairn ◽  
Floyd Dowell ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Practical, field-ready age-grading tools for mosquito vectors of disease are urgently needed because of the impact that daily survival has on vectorial capacity. Previous studies have shown that near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), in combination with chemometrics and predictive modeling, can forecast the age of laboratory-reared mosquitoes with moderate to high accuracy. It remains unclear whether the technique has utility for identifying shifts in the age structure of wild-caught mosquitoes. Here we investigate whether models derived from the laboratory strain of mosquitoes can be used to predict the age of mosquitoes grown from pupae collected in the field. Methods: NIR spectra from adult female Aedes albopictus mosquitoes reared in the laboratory (2, 5, 8, 12 and 15 days old) were compared to spectra from mosquitoes emerging from wild-caught pupae (1, 7 and 14 days old). Different partial least squares (PLS) regression methods trained on spectra from laboratory mosquitoes were evaluated on their ability to predict the age of mosquitoes from more natural environments. Results: Models trained on spectra from laboratory-reared material were able to predict the age of other laboratory-reared mosquitoes with moderate accuracy and successfully differentiated all day 2 and 15 mosquitoes. Models derived with laboratory mosquitoes could not differentiate between field-derived age groups, with age predictions relatively indistinguishable for day 1-14. Pre-processing of spectral data and improving the PLS regression framework to avoid overfitting can increase accuracy, but predictions of mosquitoes reared in different environments remained poor. Principle component analysis confirms substantial spectral variations between laboratory and field-derived mosquitoes despite both originating from the same island population. Conclusions: Models trained on laboratory mosquitoes were able to predict ages of laboratory mosquitoes with good sensitivity and specificity though they were unable to predict age of field-derived mosquitoes. This study suggests that laboratory-reared mosquitoes do not capture enough environmental variation to accurately predict the age of the same species reared under different conditions. Further research is needed to explore alternative pre-processing methods and machine learning techniques, and to understand factors that affect absorbance in mosquitoes before field application using NIRS.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 475-512
Author(s):  
B.-W. Shen

Abstract. In this study, a six-dimensional Lorenz model (6DLM) is derived, based on a recent study using a five-dimensional (5-D) Lorenz model (LM), in order to examine the impact of an additional mode and its accompanying heating term on solution stability. The new mode added to improve the representation of the steamfunction is referred to as a secondary streamfunction mode, while the two additional modes, that appear in both the 6DLM and 5DLM but not in the original LM, are referred to as secondary temperature modes. Two energy conservation relationships of the 6DLM are first derived in the dissipationless limit. The impact of three additional modes on solution stability is examined by comparing numerical solutions and ensemble Lyapunov exponents of the 6DLM and 5DLM as well as the original LM. For the onset of chaos, the critical value of the normalized Rayleigh number (rc) is determined to be 41.1. The critical value is larger than that in the 3DLM (rc ~ 24.74), but slightly smaller than the one in the 5DLM (rc ~ 42.9). A stability analysis and numerical experiments obtained using generalized LMs, with or without simplifications, suggest the following: (1) negative nonlinear feedback in association with the secondary temperature modes, as first identified using the 5DLM, plays a dominant role in providing feedback for improving the solution's stability of the 6DLM, (2) the additional heating term in association with the secondary streamfunction mode may destabilize the solution, and (3) overall feedback due to the secondary streamfunction mode is much smaller than the feedback due to the secondary temperature modes; therefore, the critical Rayleigh number of the 6DLM is comparable to that of the 5DLM. The 5DLM and 6DLM collectively suggest different roles for small-scale processes (i.e., stabilization vs. destabilization), consistent with the following statement by Lorenz (1972): If the flap of a butterfly's wings can be instrumental in generating a tornado, it can equally well be instrumental in preventing a tornado. The implications of this and previous work, as well as future work, are also discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junji Jia ◽  
Ke Huang

AbstractA perturbative method to compute the deflection angle of both timelike and null rays in arbitrary static and spherically symmetric spacetimes in the strong field limit is proposed. The result takes a quasi-series form of $$(1-b_c/b)$$ ( 1 - b c / b ) where b is the impact parameter and $$b_c$$ b c is its critical value, with coefficients of the series explicitly given. This result also naturally takes into account the finite distance effect of both the source and detector, and allows to solve the apparent angles of the relativistic images in a more precise way. From this, the BH angular shadow size is expressed as a simple formula containing metric functions and particle/photon sphere radius. The magnification of the relativistic images were shown to diverge at different values of the source-detector angular coordinate difference, depending on the relation between the source and detector distance from the lens. To verify all these results, we then applied them to the Hayward BH spacetime, concentrating on the effects of its charge parameter l and the asymptotic velocity v of the signal. The BH shadow size were found to decrease slightly as l increases to its critical value, and increase as v decreases from light speed. For the deflection angle and the magnification of the images however, both the increase of l and decrease of v will increase their values.


Author(s):  
Jourdan Witt

Advancements in synthetic biology have led to the use of genetically modified organisms in research and industrial fields. Bacteria were one of the first organisms to be genetically engineered due to their fast growth and simple genetics, and have emerged as a major scientific and commercial interest. For instance, modified commensal bacteria can be used as an oral delivery vector of therapeutics, or as probiotics to target specific pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract. The impact of the release of pathogens used in research or vaccine development could be catastrophic to the environment and public health. In addition, there is growing concern about using genetically modified organisms in open systems, as there is a possibility for unintentional proliferation into natural environments. Therefore, is imperative that the environmental safety of genetically modified organisms are addressed, and that adequate biocontainment mechanisms are developed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 742-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Jung ◽  
M Inanici

The human ocular system functions in a dual manner. While the most well-known function is to facilitate vision, a growing body of research demonstrates its role in resetting the internal body clock to synchronize with the 24-hour daily cycle. Most research on circadian rhythms is performed in controlled laboratory environments. Little is known about the variability of circadian light within the built and natural environments. Currently, very few specialized devices measure the circadian light, and they are not accessible to many researchers and practitioners. In this paper, tristimulus colour calibration procedures for high dynamic range photography are developed to measure circadian lighting. Camera colour accuracy is evaluated through CIE trichromatic (XYZ) measurements; and the results demonstrate a strong linear relationship between the camera recordings and a scientific-grade colorimeter. Therefore, it is possible to correct for the colour aberrations and use high dynamic range photographs to measure both photopic and circadian lighting values. Spectrophotometric measurements are collected to validate the methodology. Results demonstrate that measurements from high dynamic range photographs can correspond to the physical quantity of circadian luminance with reasonable precision and repeatability. Circadian data collected in built environments can be utilized to study the impact of design decisions on human circadian entrainment and to create guidelines and metrics for designing circadian friendly environments.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Bastin ◽  
Philippe Drobinski ◽  
Marjolaine Chiriaco ◽  
Olivier Bock ◽  
Romain Roehrig ◽  
...  

Abstract. This work uses a network of GPS stations over Europe from which a homogenised integrated water vapor (IWV) dataset has been retrieved, completed with colocated temperature and precipitation measurements over specific stations to i) estimate the biases of six regional climate models over Europe in terms of humidity; ii) understand their origins; iii) and finally assess the impact of these biases on the frequency of occurrence of precipitation. The evaluated simulations have been performed in the framework of HYMEX/Med-CORDEX programs and cover the Mediterranean area and part of Europe at horizontal resolutions of 50 to 12 km. The analysis shows that models tend to overestimate the low values of IWV and the use of the nudging technique reduces the differences between GPS and simulated IWV. Results suggest that physics of models mostly explain the mean biases, while dynamics affects the variability. The land surface/atmosphere exchanges affect the estimation of IWV over most part of Europe, especially in summer. The limitations of the models to represent these processes explain part of their baises in IWV. However, models correctly simulate the dependance between IWV and temperature, and specifically the deviation that this relationship experiences regarding the Clausius-Clapeyron law after a critical value of temperature (Tbreak). The high spatial variability of Tbreak indicates that it has a strong dependence on local processes which drive the local humidity sources. This explains why the maximum values of IWV are not necessarely observed over warmer area, that are often dry area. Finally, it is shown over SIRTA observatory (near Paris) that the frequency of occurrence of light precipitation is strongly conditioned by the biases in IWV and by the precision of the models to reproduce the distribution of IWV as a function of the temperature. The results of the models indicate that a similar dependence occurs in other areas of Europe, especially where precipitation has a predominantly convective character. According to the observations, for each range of temperature, there is a critical value of IWV from which precipitation picks up. The critical values and the probability to exceed them are simulated with a bias that depends on the model. Those models which present too often light precipitation generally show lower critical values and higher probability to exceed them.


Facilities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 2-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darja Kobal Grum

Purpose In comparison with the relations between the human and natural environments that have been the central focus of environmental psychology for many years, the interactions between the psychological processes underlying human behaviour and the built environment have only recently regained the interest of researchers. In this paper, the author first discusses the reasons for the slower development of human – built environment relations. Afterwards, the author systematically examines the impact that the research of environmental stress, namely, poor housing and poor neighbourhood quality, had on the contemporary understanding of human – built environment relations. Design/methodology/approach The author focuses on social, biophilic and evidence-based design. The author proposes deeper psychological engagement in correlation with human behaviour, psychological well-being and society. The author highlights the inclusion of psychologists in interdisciplinary research teams addressing the development of sustainable solutions to the issues of residential environments. Findings It has been shown that substandard house quality, high noise, lack of natural light in houses, poorer physical quality of urban neighbourhoods, living in a low-income neighbourhood, etc. are linked to elevated physiological and psychological stress. Despite this evidence, there is still a gap between building designers and building users in modern industrialised societies, which could deepen tenants’ dissatisfaction due to specific behavioural needs and consequently lower their psychological well-being and health risk behaviour. Research limitations/implications These are potential risks of error arising from the use of assumptions, limited samples size and data from the secondary resources. Originality/value The major contributions of this paper are as follows. If the environment is understood as a dynamic, constantly changing and complex system of a wide range of players, the author can discern in this environment a dynamic that is otherwise characteristic of emotional dynamics. Expressed participants’ high satisfaction with residential status does not necessarily generate high expectations regarding real estate factors.


Author(s):  
Stefano Malavasi ◽  
Emanuele Zappa

We investigate the impact of different boundary conditions on the flow field developing around a tilted rectangular cylinder. We are mainly interested in analyzing the changes in force coefficients and in the vortex shedding Strouhal number due to the proximity of the cylinder to a bottom plate (placed at various distances from the cylinder) at different angles of attack. The angle of attack ranges between −30° and +30° and the cylinder elevation above the bottom wall is varied between almost zero and 200 mm. The effects of the different boundary conditions on the vortex shedding phenomenon are investigated by considering the Strouhal number of the vortex shedding as the key controlling parameter. The experimental results mimicking the unbounded conditions (relative large elevation of the cylinder above the solid wall) are in close agreement with those already found in literature. On the contrary, remarkable differences occur when the elevation of the cylinder is decreased. A large body of experimental results is related to the small elevation conditions at different attack angles, where the presence of the wall has a non-negligible effect on the behavior of the force coefficients and Strouhal number of the vortex shedding.


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