Design of Hyperbolic Billiards

We formulate a general framework for the construction of hyperbolic billiards. Spherical symmetry is exploited for a simple treatment of billiards with spherical caps and soft billiards in higher dimensions. Other examples include the Papenbrock stadium. Reproduction of the entire article for non-commercial purposes is permitted without charge.     

Additional Symmetries and String Equation of the CKP Hierarchy

Based on the Orlov and Shulman’s M operator, the additional symmetries and the string equation of the CKP hierarchy are established, and then the higher order constraints on L ^l are obtained. In addition, the generating function and some properties are also given. In particular, the additional symmetry flows form a new infinite dimensional algebra , which is a subalgebra of W _1+∞.      

Performance limits of pico-cell systems using radio-over-fiber techniques with an electroabsorption modulator

We investigate the performance limits of a pico-cell system using the radio- over-fiber technique with an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) in a 2.4 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. To understand the performance limits of the system using an EAM as the optical transceiver, we vary the optical modulation index (OMI) of the transmitter for different bias voltages to the EAM. Power margins in the links are found to estimate a possible service range, and packet loss rates (PLRs) in the pico-cell system are measured to evaluate the transmission performance. The total service range can be extended up to 3 m by adjusting the OMI of the transmitter for different applied bias voltages to the EAM.     

A Dielectric Chirped Layered Mirror for Optical Telecommunication Wavelengths

We describe in this paper a design procedure for omnidirectional high reflectors with wide bandwidths for optical telecommunication bands. From the numerical results achieved by the transfer matrix method, it is found that a partial omnidirectional high-reflector covering the optical telecommunication wavelengths 1.3 and 1.55 μm is obtained for a partially deformed quarter-wave stack air/H(LH)¹⁵/glass by using the tellurium as a material of high refractive index (n _H = 4.6). The partially deformed stack is a periodic system deformed by a power law y = x ^1+k. Here y is the coordinates of the deformed object, x is the coordinates of the periodic stack and k is the coefficient defining the deformation degree. The study of this system leads to an omnidirectional high reflector band covering the optical telecommunication wavelengths 1.3 and 1.55 μm for k = 0.2.     

基于微机电系统光栅平动式光调制器实验和优化设计

基于微机电系统(MEMS)的光栅平动式光调制器(光栅平动式光调制器)调制性能的实验研究关系到其进一步应用。设计了光栅平动式光调制器的相干光学信息处理系统实验方案,He-Ne激光器出射的光束经扩束器和准直透射后成为平行光入射光栅平动式光调制器,被测光栅平动式光调制器放置在相干光学信息处理系统的输入面,滤波器在频谱面上,显微镜放大像面上的信号,经CCD在计算机上记录存储;实验结果和理论分析吻合。对光栅平动式光调制器进行方案优化,将可动光栅边框和悬臂梁表面处理成不反光,使可动光栅和下反射镜构成的整个反射面为光栅周期的整数倍。经理论计算,在光栅周期为8μm,光栅占空比为0.5,光栅边距为2μm,周期数为6的条件下,光栅平动式光调制器图像填充率为74.67%,光学效率为81.06%,衬比度大于5000∶1。     

Squeezed states and uncertainty relations since 1991

A brief review of the history of ten workshops/conferences on “Squeezed States and Uncertainty Relations” and main achievements in the related fields of quantum physics for the period from 1991 to 2007 are presented.     

Calcium signals can freely cross the nuclear envelope in hippocampal neurons: somatic calcium increases generate nuclear calcium transients

Background  

In hippocampal neurons, nuclear calcium signaling is important for learning- and neuronal survival-associated gene expression. However, it is unknown whether calcium signals generated by neuronal activity at the cell membrane and propagated to the soma can unrestrictedly cross the nuclear envelope to invade the nucleus. The nuclear envelope, which allows ion transit via the nuclear pore complex, may represent a barrier for calcium and has been suggested to insulate the nucleus from activity-induced cytoplasmic calcium transients in some cell types.     

The contribution of high frequencies to human brain activity underlying horizontal localization of natural spatial sounds

Background  

In the field of auditory neuroscience, much research has focused on the neural processes underlying human sound localization. A recent magnetoencephalography (MEG) study investigated localization-related brain activity by measuring the N1m event-related response originating in the auditory cortex. It was found that the dynamic range of the right-hemispheric N1m response, defined as the mean difference in response magnitude between contralateral and ipsilateral stimulation, reflects cortical activity related to the discrimination of horizontal sound direction. Interestingly, the results also suggested that the presence of realistic spectral information within horizontally located spatial sounds resulted in a larger right-hemispheric N1m dynamic range. Spectral cues being predominant at high frequencies, the present study further investigated the issue by removing frequencies from the spatial stimuli with low-pass filtering. This resulted in a stepwise elimination of direction-specific spectral information. Interaural time and level differences were kept constant. The original, unfiltered stimuli were broadband noise signals presented from five frontal horizontal directions and binaurally recorded for eight human subjects with miniature microphones placed in each subject's ear canals. Stimuli were presented to the subjects during MEG registration and in a behavioral listening experiment.     

Generation of vortices by a streamwise oscillating cylinder

The wake of a streamwise oscillating cylinder is presently investigated. The Reynolds number investigated is 300, based on the cylinder diameterd. The cylinder oscillates at an amplitude of 0.5d and a frequencyf _e/f_s=1.8, wheref _e is the cylinder oscillating frequency andf _s is the natural vortex shedding frequency of a stationary cylinder. Under these conditions the flow is essentially two dimensional. A two-dimensional direct numerical simulation (DNS) scheme has been developed to calculate the flow. The DNS results display a street of binary vortices, each containing two counter-rotating vortical structures, symmetrical about the centerline, which is in excellent agreement with measurements. The drag and lift on the cylinder have been examined. The time averaged drag and lift are 1.4 and 0, respectively, which are the same as those on a stationary cylinder at the sameRe. However, the fluctuating drag was high, about 2.68. It has been found that, being symmetrically formed about the centerline, the binary vortices induce an essentially zero fluctuating lift, which may have a profound implication in flow control and engineering.     

New insight into the role of the β3 subunit of the GABA<Subscript>A</Subscript>-R in development,behavior, body weight regulation,and anesthesia revealed by conditional gene knockout

Background  

The β3 subunit of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABA_A-R) has been reported to be important for palate formation, anesthetic action, and normal nervous system function. This subunit has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of Angelman syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. To further investigate involvement of this subunit, we previously produced mice with a global knockout of β3. However, developmental abnormalities, compensation, reduced viability, and numerous behavioral abnormalities limited the usefulness of that murine model. To overcome many of these limitations, a mouse line with a conditionally inactivated β3 gene was engineered.