Depolarization-activated potentiation of the T fiber synapse in the blue crab

The blue crab T fiber synapse, associated with the stretch receptor of the swimming leg, has a nonspiking presynaptic element that mediates tonic transmission. This synapse was isolated and a voltage clamp circuit was used to control the membrane potential at the release sites. The dependence of transmitter release on extracellular calcium, [Ca]o, was studied over a range of 2.5-40 mM. A power relationship of 2.7 was obtained between excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) rate of rise and [Ca]o. Brief presynaptic depolarizing steps, 5-10 ms, presented at 0.5 Hz activated EPSP's of constant amplitude. Inserting a 300-ms pulse (conditioning pulse) between these test pulses potentiated the subsequent test EPSPs. This depolarization-activated potentiation (DAP) lasted for 10-20 s and decayed with a single exponential time course. The decay time course remained invariant with test pulse frequencies ranging from 0.11 to 1.1 Hz. The magnitude and decay time course of DAP were independent of the test pulse amplitudes. The magnitude of DAP was a function of conditioning pulse amplitudes. Large conditioning pulses activated large potentiations, whereas the decay time constants were not changed. The DAP is a Ca-dependent process. When the amplitude of conditioning pulses approached the Ca equilibrium potential, the magnitude of potentiation decreased. Repeated application of conditioning pulses, at 2-s intervals, did not produce additional potentiation beyond the level activated by the first conditioning pulse. Comparison of the conditioning EPSP waveforms activated repetitively indicated that potentiation lasted transiently, 100 ms, during a prolonged release. Possible mechanisms of the potentiation are discussed in light of these new findings.The blue crab T fiber synapse, associated with the stretch receptor of the swimming leg, has a nonspiking presynaptic element that mediates tonic transmission. This synapse was isolated and a voltage clamp circuit was used to control the membrane potential at the release sites. The dependence of transmitter release on extracellular calcium, [Ca]o, was studied over a range of 2.5-40 mM. A power relationship of 2.7 was obtained between excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) rate of rise and [Ca]o. Brief presynaptic depolarizing steps, 5-10 ms, presented at 0.5 Hz activated EPSP's of constant amplitude. Inserting a 300-ms pulse (conditioning pulse) between these test pulses potentiated the subsequent test EPSPs. This depolarization-activated potentiation (DAP) lasted for 10-20 s and decayed with a single exponential time course. The decay time course remained invariant with test pulse frequencies ranging from 0.11 to 1.1 Hz. The magnitude and decay time course of DAP were independent of the test pulse amplitudes. The magnitude of DAP was a function of conditioning pulse amplitudes. Large conditioning pulses activated large potentiations, whereas the decay time constants were not changed. The DAP is a Ca-dependent process. When the amplitude of conditioning pulses approached the Ca equilibrium potential, the magnitude of potentiation decreased. Repeated application of conditioning pulses, at 2-s intervals, did not produce additional potentiation beyond the level activated by the first conditioning pulse. Comparison of the conditioning EPSP waveforms activated repetitively indicated that potentiation lasted transiently, 100 ms, during a prolonged release. Possible mechanisms of the potentiation are discussed in light of these new findings.NS-07942 - NINDS NIH HHS; NS-13742 - NINDS NIH HH

Tip vortex computer code SRATIP. User's guide

This User's Guide applies to the three dimensional viscous flow forward marching analysis, PEPSIG, as used for the calculation of the helicopter tip vortex flow field. The guide presents a discussion of the program flow and subroutines, as well as a list of sample input and output

Numerical solutions of 2-D multi-stage rotor/stator unsteady flow interactions

The Rai method of single-stage rotor/stator flow interaction is extended to handle multistage configurations. In this study, a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes multi-zone approach was used to investigate unsteady flow interactions within two multistage axial turbines. The governing equations are solved by an iterative, factored, implicit finite-difference, upwind algorithm. Numerical accuracy is checked by investigating the effect of time step size, the effect of subiteration in the Newton-Raphson technique, and the effect of full viscous versus thin-layer approximation. Computer results compared well with experimental data. Unsteady flow interactions, wake cutting, and the associated evolution of vortical entities are discussed

Core-collapse supernovae ages and metallicities from emission-line diagnostics of nearby stellar populations

Massive stars are the main objects that illuminate H II regions and they evolve quickly to end their lives in core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). Thus it is important to investigate the association between CCSNe and H II regions. In this paper, we present emission line diagnostics of the stellar populations around nearby CCSNe, that include their host H II regions, from the PMAS/PPAK Integral-field Supernova hosts COmpilation (PISCO). We then use BPASS stellar population models to determine the age, metallicity and gas parameters for H II regions associated with CCSNe, contrasting models that consider either single star evolution alone or incorporate interacting binaries. We find binary-star models, that allow for ionizing photon loss, provide a more realistic fit to the observed CCSN hosts with metallicities that are closer to those derived from the oxygen abundance in O3N2. We also find that type II and type Ibc SNe arise from progenitor stars of similar age, mostly from 7 to 45 Myr, which corresponds to stars with masses < 20 solar mass . However these two types SNe have little preference in their host environment metallicity measured by oxygen abundance or in progenitor initial mass. We note however that at lower metallicities supernovae are more likely to be of type II.Comment: 22 pages, 19 Figures, 6 Tables. Accepted by MNRAS. Comments welcom

Tooth profile analysiis of circular-cut, spiral-bevel gears

An analysis of tooth profile changes in the transverse plane of circular-cut, spiral-bevel crown gears is presented. The analysis assumes a straight-line profile in the mid-transverse plane. The profile variation along the centerline is determined by using expressions for the variation of the spiral angle along the tooth centerline, together with the profile description at the mid-transverse plane. It is shown that the tooth surface is a hyperboloid and that significant variations in the pressure angle are possible

A three-dimensional viscous flow analysis for the helicopter tip vortex generation problem

The tip vortex flow field occurring in the vicinity of the tip region of a a helicopter rotor blade is a very complicated three-dimensional, viscous flow phenomenon. The details of the flow in the tip region can have a major effect in determining the generated rotor noise and can significantly affect the performance and dynamic loading of the rotor blade. The three-dimensional viscous subsonic tip vortex generation processes is investigated by a numerical procedure which allows spatial forward-marching integration, utilizing flow approximations from the velocity-decomposition approach of Briley and McDonald. The approach has been applied to compute the laminar and turbulent tip vortex flows for a constant thickness slab airfoil with a square tip, a constant thickness slab airfoil with a half round tip and a NACA 0012 airfoil with a half round tip. The basic mechanism of the tip vortex generation process as well as the prediction of vortex appearance, strength and secondary flow shown by the calculations are in qualitative agreement with experimental results

The Green-function transform and wave propagation

Fourier methods well known in signal processing are applied to three-dimensional wave propagation problems. The Fourier transform of the Green function, when written explicitly in terms of a real-valued spatial frequency, consists of homogeneous and inhomogeneous components. Both parts are necessary to result in a pure out-going wave that satisfies causality. The homogeneous component consists only of propagating waves, but the inhomogeneous component contains both evanescent and propagating terms. Thus we make a distinction between inhomogenous waves and evanescent waves. The evanescent component is completely contained in the region of the inhomogeneous component outside the k-space sphere. Further, propagating waves in the Weyl expansion contain both homogeneous and inhomogeneous components. The connection between the Whittaker and Weyl expansions is discussed. A list of relevant spherically symmetric Fourier transforms is given

Drag of two-dimensional small-amplitude symmetric and asymmetric wavy walls in turbulent boundary layers

Included are results of an experimental investigation of low-speed turbulent flow over multiple two-dimensional transverse rigid wavy surfaces having a wavelength on the order of the boundary-layer thickness. Data include surface pressure and total drag measurements on symmetric and asymmetric wall waves under a low-speed turbulent boundary-layer flow. Several asymmetric wave configurations exhibited drag levels below the equivalent symmetric (sine) wave. The experimental results compare favorably with numerical predictions from a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes spectral code. The reported results are of particular interest for the estimation of drag, the minimization of fabrication waviness effects, and the study of wind-wave interactions

Three-Layer Magnetoconvection

It is believed that some stars have two or more convection zones in close proximity near to the stellar photosphere. These zones are separated by convectively stable regions that are relatively narrow. Due to the close proximity of these regions it is important to construct mathematical models to understand the transport and mixing of passive and dynamic quantities. One key quantity of interest is a magnetic field, a dynamic vector quantity, that can drastically alter the convectively driven flows, and have an important role in coupling the different layers. In this paper we present the first investigation into the effect of an imposed magnetic field in such a geometry. We focus our attention on the effect of field strength and show that, while there are some similarities with results for magnetic field evolution in a single layer, new and interesting phenomena are also present in a three layer system