Revealing the Systematic Nature of Coral Attachment to Reef Substrates

Reef-building coral colonies propagate by periodic sexual reproduction and continuous asexual fragmentation. The latter depends on successful attachment to the reef substrate through modification of soft tissues and skeletal growth. Despite decades of research examining coral sexual and asexual propagation, the contact response, tissue motion, and cellular reorganisation responsible for attaching to the substrate via a newly formed skeleton have not been documented. Here, we correlated fluorescence and electron microscopy image data with ‘live’ microscopic time-lapse of the coral tissue biomechanics and developed a multiscale imaging approach to establish the first “coral attachment model” (CAM) - identifying three distinct phases that determine the timing and success of attachment during asexual propagation: (i) an initial immune response, followed by (ii) fragment stabilisation through anchoring by the soft tissue and (iii) formation of a “lappet appendage” structure leading to substrate bonding of the tissue for encrustation through the onset of skeletal calcification. In developing CAM, we provide new frameworks and metrics that enable reef researchers, managers and coral restoration practitioners to evaluate attachment effectiveness needed to optimise species-substrate compatibility.

Contact Residue for Simultaneous Removal of Vehicle’s Frequency and Surface Roughness in Scanning Bridge Frequencies Using Two Connected Vehicles

Two factors are critical to the effectiveness of the vehicle scanning method for bridge frequencies. One is the frequency of the test vehicle itself. This can be eliminated by using the vehicle–bridge contact point response calculated from the vehicle response. The other is the surface roughness of the bridge, which can be removed by using the residual response of two connected vehicles. In this paper, it is demonstrated for the first time that both vehicle’s frequency and surface roughness can be simultaneously eliminated using the contact residue of two connected vehicles. Theoretically, a formulation is presented for both the contact response and residues. In the numerical study, the contact response is demonstrated to outperform the vehicle response as more bridge frequencies can be identified, while the contact residue is verified to work well for various surface roughnesses, vehicle spacings, and bridge damping ratios. For damped bridges with rough surfaces, the contact residue enables us to extract the first three bridge frequencies.

Using a Single-DOF Test Vehicle to Simultaneously Retrieve the First Few Frequencies and Damping Ratios of the Bridge

Bridge damping ratios are extracted via the skillful use of the single-degree-of-freedom (DOF) test vehicle for the first time in this paper. Central to the simultaneous retrieval of the first few frequencies and damping ratios from the contact (point) response of the bridge is the use of the variational mode decomposition (VMD) and random-decrement technique (RDT). Closed-form solutions are newly derived for the vehicle and contact responses of the damped bridge and validated later numerically. Using the proposed method, one calculates first the mono-component from the contact response by the VMD; then extracts the free-decay response for each mode by the RDT; and finally identifies the frequency and damping ratio by the Hilbert transform. The parametric study confirms that: (1) the contact response outperforms vehicle’s response in retrieving bridge frequencies and damping ratios; (2) the first few frequencies can be identified with robustness for reasonable levels of road roughness, vehicle speed, bridge damping and noise; (1) good result is obtained for the first damping ratio, in spite of the traditional uncertainty existing with damping; and (2) ongoing traffic can enhance the proposed method for bridge identification.

Focal Laser Stimulation of Fly Nociceptors Activates Distinct Axonal and Dendritic Ca2+ Signals

Drosophila Class IV neurons are polymodal nociceptors that detect noxious mechanical, thermal, optical and chemical stimuli. Escape behaviors in response to attacks by parasitoid wasps are dependent on Class IV cells, whose highly branched dendritic arbors form a fine meshwork that is thought to enable detection of the wasp's needle-like ovipositor barb. To understand how mechanical stimuli trigger cellular responses, we used a focused 405-nm laser to create highly local lesions to probe the precise position needed in evoke responses. By imaging calcium signals in dendrites, axons, and soma in response to stimuli of varying positions, intensities and spatial profiles, we discovered that there are two distinct nociceptive pathways. Direct stimulation to dendrites (the contact pathway) produces calcium responses in axons, dendrites and the cell body whereas stimulation adjacent to the dendrite (the non-contact pathway) produces calcium responses in the axons only. We interpret the non-contact pathway as damage to adjacent cells releasing diffusible molecules that act on the dendrites. Axonal responses have higher sensitivities and shorter latencies. In contrast, dendritic responses have lower sensitivities and longer latencies. Stimulation of finer, distal dendrites leads to smaller responses than stimulation of coarser, proximal dendrites, as expected if the contact response depends on the geometric overlap of the laser profile and the dendrite diameter. Because the axon signals to the CNS to trigger escape behaviors, we propose that the density of the dendritic meshwork is high not only to enable direct contact with the ovipositor, but also to enable neuronal activation via diffusing signals from damaged surrounding cells. Dendritic contact evokes responses throughout the dendritic arbor, even to regions distant and distal from the stimulus. These dendrite-wide calcium signals may facilitate hyperalgesia or cellular morphological changes following dendritic damage.

Elastomeric door seal analysis under aircraft cabin pressure

Simple strategies are used to physically represent the cabin pressure acting on elastomeric seals for aircraft door applications. The relationships between rubber response, contact problem and air pressure are assumed as the initial step to understand the risks of air leakage during the early stages of a flight cycle. Through the finite element method, the non-linear boundary problem is investigated with the distinct contact response from two types of door interfaces. The options available within the ABAQUS commercial software are explored to model the seal as nearly incompressible, whereby the limitations are compared for each solution. In a qualitative approach, the simulations use the contact pressure distributions to define the pressure load for air leakage investigations on the door corners.

Simulation Research on the Influence of the Clearance to the Impact Contact Characteristics between Coal Gangue and the Clearance-Contained Tail Beam Structure

There are various forms of clearance at the connection of various parts of the hydraulic support. However, the influence of clearance has been ignored in various related research studies of the hydraulic support. In order to clearly grasp the accurate impact contact response law between coal gangue and the hydraulic support, the radial clearance in the pin shaft connection structure of the tail beam is considered for the first time in this paper. By constructing the theoretical contact model of the pin shaft connection, the difficulty of studying the interaction between coal gangue and the hydraulic support through theoretical solution is proved. On this basis, the finite element contact simulation analysis method is proposed to study the impact contact behavior between coal gangue and the tail beam. This paper constructed the finite element impacting simulation model between coal gangue and the radial clearance-contained tail beam structure and carried out impact contact simulation between coal gangue and the multiple clearance-contained tail beam structure as well as the changing clearance-contained tail beam structure, respectively, and contact responses of the tail beam structure such as the spring stress, the pin shaft test point stress, acceleration, and velocity of the tail beam test point under different working conditions are obtained. The influence law of clearance on different contact responses is studied, and the differences of contact responses after coal gangue impact between two clearance-contained tail beam structures and three clearance-contained tail beam structures are compared and analyzed. Research results show that, in the condition of multiclearance, the amplitude of each contact response when gangue is impacted is greater than that of coal. When the radial clearance of the connection unit increases from 0 to 0.25 mm, the overall fluctuation amplitude of the contact responses decreases. In 3-clearance state, increase of the radial clearance size of the connection unit will lead to the increase of the spring stress, the stress of the pin shaft test point, and the velocity of the tail beam test point gradually and the decrease of the acceleration of the tail beam test point. Throughout the research, the vibration response of the pin shaft can be taken as coal gangue recognition parameter. The work provides a theoretical basis for the study of the influence law of clearance on hydraulic support and provides a reference for the study of contact behavior between coal gangue and the hydraulic support.

Reperfusion times for ST elevation myocardial infarction: a prospective audit

Background: New published guidelines recommend treatment of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) within 30 minutes of first medical contact to thrombolysis and 90 minutes to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Objectives: To determine how a tertiary care center compares to these new guidelines and to evaluate the success of measures directed to shorten delays. Methods: This was a prospectively designed audit loop using retrospective chart review. Specific time intervals were evaluated: 1) T2 (ER presentation to diagnostic EKG; 2) T ER (ER presentation to reperfusion); and 3) T AHA (first medical contact to reperfusion). Results of the initial 12-month data were conveyed to Emergency Room staff and a dedicated EKG machine was placed in the ER for the subsequent 12 months, and the results were then re-analyzed. Results: In 2003-4, 58 patients with STEMI were identified, with 41 (70.7%) receiving reperfusion. Of those receiving thrombolysis, median T AHA was 54 [37-72] minutes, with 12.0% <30 minutes, while those receiving PCI, median T AHA was 58 [43-78] minutes, with 25.0% <90 minutes. In 2004-5, 52 patients had STEMI, with 40 (76.9%) receiving reperfusion. The percentage of patients meeting the guidelines was 14.3% for the thrombolysis group and 11.1% for the PCI group. Introduction of a dedicated EKG machine led to a strong trend towards improvement in median T2 (22 vs 10 minutes; P=0.07), but other treatment times remained unchanged. Conclusions: Treatment times are longer than recommended guidelines. More comprehensive strategies and improved coordination of medical services are required to shorten pre-contact and post-contact response times.

Dynamic finite element simulation of wheel–rail contact response for the straight track case

The dynamic effects, mainly including the inertia effect and strain-rate effect, on the dynamic wheel–rail contact behavior become more and more serious as the train speed increases. The inertia effect can be automatically taken into account in explicit finite element analysis codes, while the strain-rate effect needs to be considered via inputting the related material parameters. In the present paper, the influence of strain rate on the dynamic wheel–rail contact response for the straight track case was explored, based on a 3D wheel–rail rolling contact finite element model, via LS-DYNA/explicit algorithm. Effects of the axle load and train speed on typical dynamic wheel–rail responses were discussed, and the results indicate that the coupled train speed with strain rate has a non-negligible influence on dynamic contact responses. The strain rate hardening effect increases the maximum contact pressure and stress, and inhibits the plastic deformation of the wheel–rail system. A rate-sensitive factor (RSF) was then introduced to describe the strain rate hardening effect, confirming that the rail is more sensitive to strain rate compared to the wheel. Finally, an error analysis of the wheel–rail Hertz contact theory was conducted, which further verify the differences between elastic and elastic-plastic contact solutions.