Delayed feedback control of phase synchronisation in a neuronal network model

The human cerebral cortex can be separated into cortical areas forming a clustered network structure. We build two different clustered networks, where one network is based on a healthy brain and the other according to a brain affected by a neurodegenerative process. Each cortical area has a subnetwork with small-world properties. We verify that both networks exhibit rich-club organisation and phase synchronisation. Due to the fact that neuronal synchronisation can be related to brain diseases, we consider the delayed feedback control as a method to suppress synchronous behaviours. In this work, it is presented that depending on the feedback parameters, intensity and time delay, phase synchronisation in both networks can be suppressed. Therefore, one of our main results is to show that delayed feedback control can be used to suppress undesired synchronous behaviours not only in the healthy brain, but also in the brain marked by neurodegenerative processes.     

The effect of air exposure on palladium–copper composite membranes

It was found that when electrolessly deposited thin Pd and Pd–Cu membranes were exposed to air at temperatures above 350 °C, their H₂ flux increased substantially immediately after the air exposure, then decreased to a new steady-state value. While this was a quasi-reversible change for the H₂ flux, the flux of insoluble species, such as N₂, irreversibly increased with every air exposure but by a much smaller extent. The extent of these changes was found to be dependent on the exposure time and the temperature of the tests. Thus, we decided to investigate the effect of gas exposures on the properties of these materials.

Palladium and palladium–copper films, prepared by electroless deposition on ceramic supports, and commercial foils were exposed to air, hydrogen and helium at 500 and 900 °C for times varying from 1 h to 1 week with the objective of determining the effect of the different exposure conditions on the surface morphology, the flux of different penetrants and the crystalline structure of the materials. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the changes occurring in the films under those conditions.

It was observed that the exposure of both the electroless films and the foils to hydrogen and air markedly modified their surface morphology. The hydrogen exposure tended to smooth the surface features whereas the oxygen exposure created new surface features such holes and large peaks. Additionally it was found that the air exposure produced some oxidation of the film to create PdO.

These results suggested that a common hypothesis stating that air oxidation just cleans the surface of the membrane might not be sufficient to explain all of those changes. A contributing effect of air exposure may be the increase in surface area due to the formation of palladium oxide. However, the extent of the surface area increase was insufficient to explain the increase in steady-state H₂ flux.     

Karyotype characterization of Eurysternus caribaeus: the smallest diploid number among Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)

Eurysternus caribaeus was analyzed cytologically by conventional chromosomal staining. The species presents a diploid number of 2n=8, chromosomes with two arms and an XY sex determining mechanism. This is the first karyotype described for the genus Eurysternus and the tribe Eurysternini, and is also the smallest diploid number observed in the family Scarabaeidae and superfamily Scarabaeoidea.     

Refinements of the Weyl Pure Geometrical Thick Branes From Information‐Entropic Measure

This work aims to analyse the so‐called configurational entropy in the Weyl pure geometrical thick brane model. The Weyl structure plays a prominent role in the brane thickness of this model. We find a set of parameters associated to the brane width where the configurational entropy exhibits critical points. The information‐theoretical measure sets bounds into parameter of Weyl pure geometrical brane model. In addition, we also argue that a similar approach can be useful to analyze the corrections to Newtonian and Coulombian potentials in Weyl scenarios.     

Pulsed arterial spin labeling perfusion imaging at 3 T: estimating the number of subjects required in common designs of clinical trials

Pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL) is an increasingly common technique for noninvasively measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) and has previously been shown to have good repeatability. It is likely to find a place in clinical trials and in particular the investigation of pharmaceutical agents active in the central nervous system. We aimed to estimate the sample sizes necessary to detect regional changes in CBF in common types of clinical trial design including (a) between groups, (b) a two-period crossover and (3) within-session single dosing. Whole brain CBF data were acquired at 3 T in two independent groups of healthy volunteers at rest; one of the groups underwent a repeat scan. Using these data, we were able to estimate between-groups, between-session and within-session variability along with regional mean estimates of CBF. We assessed the number of PASL tag-control image pairs that was needed to provide stable regional estimates of CBF and variability of regional CBF across groups. Forty tag-control image pairs, which take approximately 3 min to acquire using a single inversion label delay time, were adequate for providing stable CBF estimates at the group level. Power calculations based on the variance estimates of regional CBF measurements suggest that comparatively small cohorts are adequate. For example, detecting a 15% change in CBF, depending on the region of interest, requires from 7-15 subjects per group in a crossover design, 6-10 subjects in a within-session design and 20-41 subjects in a between-groups design. Such sample sizes make feasible the use of such CBF measurements in clinical trials of drugs.     

Localization in the ground state of a disordered array of quantum rotators

We consider the zero-temperature behavior of a disordered array of quantum rotators given by the finite-volume Hamiltonian: $$H_\Lambda = - \mathop \Sigma \limits_{x \in \Lambda } \frac{{h(x)}}{2}\frac{{\partial ^2 }}{{\partial \varphi (x)^2 }} - J\mathop \Sigma \limits_{\left\langle {x,y} \right\rangle \in \Lambda } \cos (\varphi (x) - \varphi (y))$$ , wherex,y∈Z ^d , 〈,〉 denotes nearest neighbors inZ ^d ;J>0 andh={h(x)>0,x∈Z ^d } are independent identically distributed random variables with common distributiondμ(h), satisfying ∫h ^?δ dμ(h)<∞ for some δ>0. We prove that for anym>0 it is possible to chooseJ(m) sufficiently small such that, if 0<J<J(m), for almost every choice ofh and everyx∈Z ^d the ground state correlation function satisfies $$\left\langle {\cos (\varphi (x) - \varphi (y))} \right\rangle \leqq C_{x,h,J} e^{ - m\left| {x - y} \right|} $$ for ally∈Z ^d withC _x,h,J <∞.     

Boundary G/G Theory and Topological Poisson–Lie Sigma Model

We study a boundary version of the gauged WZW model with a Poisson–Lie group G as the target. The Poisson–Lie structure of G is used to define the Wess–Zumino term of the action on surfaces with boundary. We clarify the relation of the model to the topological Poisson sigma model with the dual Poisson–Lie group G ^* as the target and show that the phase space of the theory on a strip is essentially the Heisenberg double of G introduced by Semenov–Tian–Shansky.     

Finite element three-dimensional analysis of the vibrational behaviour of the Langevin-type transducer

The vibrational behaviour of the Langevin transducer is usually analysed using 1D Mason model which is valid when the lateral dimensions of the transducer are smaller than a quarter wavelength at the fundamental longitudinal resonance. In this work a 3D finite element analysis of the Langevin transducer's behaviour operating in the underwater sonar range of frequencies (30-140 kHz) is presented. Several samples with total length greater, comparable to, and smaller than the diameter of the transducer are analysed. For each sample, the resonance frequencies in the observed frequency range are computed and compared with those obtained experimentally from the measurements carried out using several in-house built prototypes. For the most important aspect ratios the resonance displacement distributions are presented and discussed. The results obtained permit to gain insight into the coupling phenomenon between thickness-extensional and radial modes and suggest that in practical applications transducers with diameters comparable to or greater than total length of the active stack can also be used. The trade-off between the efficiency and power handling ability for different designs is also discussed.     

Spatially resolved dynamic eigenmode spectrum of Co rings

The spatially resolved eigenmode spectrum of micrometer-sized Co ring elements has been determined by means of combined vector network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance and time resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements. Up to 5 resonant eigenmodes were observed in the frequency range from 45 MHz to 20 GHz as a function of an external magnetic bias field. A well-defined mode structure was found for the two equilibrium states (vortex and onion) which correspond to distinctive spatial modes. The effect of dynamic inter-ring coupling on the modes in the remanent states was evinced. The experimental results are found to be in good agreement with those of micromagnetic simulations. Our results demonstrate that, in analogy to the well-defined static equilibrium magnetic states of ring elements, the eigenmode spectra of this high symmetry geometry consist of a well-defined and simple mode structure.