Delay-induced multistability near a global bifurcation

We study the effect of a time-delayed feedback within a generic model for a saddle-node bifurcation on a limit cycle. Without delay the only attractor below this global bifurcation is a stable node. Delay renders the phase space infinite-dimensional and creates multistability of periodic orbits and the fixed point. Homoclinic bifurcations, period-doubling and saddle-node bifurcations of limit cycles are found in accordance with Shilnikov's theorems.Comment: Int. J. Bif. Chaos (2007), in prin

Was tun im Niedriglohnbereich? Eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit einem neueren Kombilohnkonzept

Das von einer Forschergruppe um Prof. Dr. Peter Bofinger entwickelte Kombilohnmodell bessert die Situation auf dem Arbeitsmarkt kaum. Würde es umgesetzt, entstünden nur wenige neue Arbeitsplätze, während viele Geringverdiener Einbußen erleiden würden. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt eine Analyse des Instituts für Makroökonomie und Konjunkturforschung (IMK) und des Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Instituts (WSI). Die beiden Forschungsinstitute in der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung unterstützen aber den Bofinger-Ansatz, die Subventionen für Minijobs abzuschaffen, weil so die Verdrängung regulärer Beschäftigung gestoppt werden könne. Zudem empfehlen IMK und WSI einen existenzsichernden Mindestlohn und auf begrenzte Zielgruppen zugeschnittene Lohnzuschüsse als sinnvolle Komponenten für eine Reform des Niedriglohnsektors.In Germany the discussion about wage subsidies continues. Most recently it has concentrated on a model developed by a research team of Professor Bofinger and other economists, who suggest that the employee's share of the social security contributions should be subsidised via a negative income tax for low-paid employees, whose weekly working time exceeds a defined minimum. This is combined with a minimum wage of 4.50 euros. If this concept were applied, it would create only a limited number of new jobs, while the income of a large number of low-paid employees would decline. This is the result of an analysis by the Institute of Social and Economic Research (WSI) and the Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK). However, both research institutes of the Hans-Boeckler-Foundation support Professor Bofinger's proposal to abolish subsidies for marginal employment (so-called "Minijobs" of up to 400 euros per month). At the same time the WSI and the IMK recommend the introduction of a minimum wage that ensures a decent living. This should be much higher than the proposed 4.50 euros. For limited time periods and special target groups wage subsidies might make sense as an additional measure

The magnetic interactions in spin-glasslike Ge/1-x-y/Sn/x/Mn/y/Te diluted magnetic semiconductor

We investigated the nature of the magnetic phase transition in the Ge/1-x-y/Sn/x/Mn/y/Te mixed crystals with chemical composition changing in the range of 0.083 < x < 0.142 and 0.012 < y < 0.119. The DC magnetization measurements performed in the magnetic field up to 90 kOe and temperature range 2-200 K showed that the magnetic ordering at temperatures below T = 50 K exhibits features characteristic for both spin-glass and ferromagnetic phases. The modified Sherrington - Southern model was applied to explain the observed transition temperatures. The calculations showed that the spin-glass state is preferred in the range of the experimental carrier concentrations and Mn content. The value of the Mn hole exchange integral was estimated to be J/pd/ = 0.45+/-0.05 eV. The experimental magnetization vs temperature curves were reproduced satisfactory using the non-interacting spin-wave theory with the exchange constant J/pd/ values consistent with those calculated using modified Sherrington - Southern model. The magnetization vs magnetic field curves showed nonsaturating behavior at magnetic fields B < 90 kOe indicating the presence of strong magnetic frustration in the system. The experimental results were reproduced theoretically with good accuracy using the molecular field approximation-based model of a disordered ferromagnet with long-range RKKY interaction.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

The Role of Mesotocin on Social Bonding in Pinyon Jays

The neuropeptide oxytocin influences mammalian social bonding by facilitating the building and maintenance of parental, sexual, and same‐sex social relationships. However, we do not know whether the function of the avian homologue mesotocin is evolutionarily conserved across birds. While it does influence avian prosocial behavior, mesotocin\u27s role in avian social bonding remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether mesotocin regulates the formation and maintenance of same‐sex social bonding in pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), a member of the crow family. We formed squads of four individually housed birds. In the first, “pair‐formation” phase of the experiment, we repeatedly placed pairs of birds from within the squad together in a cage for short periods of time. Prior to entering the cage, we intranasally administered one of three hormone solutions to both members of the pair: mesotocin, oxytocin antagonist, or saline. Pairs received repeated sessions with administration of the same hormone. In the second, “pair‐maintenance” phase of the experiment, all four members of the squad were placed together in a large cage, and no hormones were administered. For both phases, we measured the physical proximity between pairs as our proxy for social bonding. We found that, compared with saline, administering mesotocin or oxytocin antagonist did not result in different proximities in either the pair‐formation or pair‐maintenance phase of the experiment. Therefore, at the dosages and time frames used here, exogenously introduced mesotocin did not influence same‐sex social bond formation or maintenance. Like oxytocin in mammals, mesotocin regulates avian prosocial behavior; however, unlike oxytocin, we do not have evidence that mesotocin regulates social bonds in birds

Multi-Particle Collision Dynamics -- a Particle-Based Mesoscale Simulation Approach to the Hydrodynamics of Complex Fluids

In this review, we describe and analyze a mesoscale simulation method for fluid flow, which was introduced by Malevanets and Kapral in 1999, and is now called multi-particle collision dynamics (MPC) or stochastic rotation dynamics (SRD). The method consists of alternating streaming and collision steps in an ensemble of point particles. The multi-particle collisions are performed by grouping particles in collision cells, and mass, momentum, and energy are locally conserved. This simulation technique captures both full hydrodynamic interactions and thermal fluctuations. The first part of the review begins with a description of several widely used MPC algorithms and then discusses important features of the original SRD algorithm and frequently used variations. Two complementary approaches for deriving the hydrodynamic equations and evaluating the transport coefficients are reviewed. It is then shown how MPC algorithms can be generalized to model non-ideal fluids, and binary mixtures with a consolute point. The importance of angular-momentum conservation for systems like phase-separated liquids with different viscosities is discussed. The second part of the review describes a number of recent applications of MPC algorithms to study colloid and polymer dynamics, the behavior of vesicles and cells in hydrodynamic flows, and the dynamics of viscoelastic fluids

A participatory physical and psychosocial intervention for balancing the demands and resources among industrial workers (PIPPI): study protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Background: Need for recovery and work ability are strongly associated with high employee turnover, well-being and sickness absence. However, scientific knowledge on effective interventions to improve work ability and decrease need for recovery is scarce. Thus, the present study aims to describe the background, design and protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce need for recovery and improve work ability among industrial workers. Methods/Design: A two-year cluster randomized controlled design will be utilized, in which controls will also receive the intervention in year two. More than 400 workers from three companies in Denmark will be aimed to be cluster randomized into intervention and control groups with at least 200 workers (at least 9 work teams) in each group. An organizational resources audit and subsequent action planning workshop will be carried out to map the existing resources and act upon initiatives not functioning as intended. Workshops will be conducted to train leaders and health and safety representatives in supporting and facilitating the intervention activities. Group and individual level participatory visual mapping sessions will be carried out allowing team members to discuss current physical and psychosocial work demands and resources, and develop action plans to minimize strain and if possible, optimize the resources. At all levels, the intervention will be integrated into the existing organization of work schedules. An extensive process and effect evaluation on need for recovery and work ability will be carried out via questionnaires, observations, interviews and organizational data assessed at several time points throughout the intervention period. Discussion: This study primarily aims to develop, implement and evaluate an intervention based on the abovementioned features which may improve the work environment, available resources and health of industrial workers, and hence their need for recovery and work ability

Preoperative prism adaptation test in normosensoric strabismus

In 19 patients with normosensoric esotropia, the squint angles measured with the alternate cover test were compared with those after prolonged prismatic correction of the squint angle and with those after prolonged occlusion of one eye. All patients showed an increase of the squint angle after prism adaptation. The angle was generally smaller after diagnostic occlusion of one eye than after prism adaptation. We assume that the increase in the squint angle after prism adaptation is caused by an anomalous sensorial relationship between the two eyes that was not detected with the usual psychophysical tests. Surgery tailored to the squint angle after prism adaptation seems advisable in patients with normosensoric esotropia

Modulation-Mode Assignment in SVD-Aided Downlink Multiuser MIMO-OFDM Systems

Multicarrier transmission such as OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) is an established technique for radio transmission systems and it can be considered as a promising approach for next generation wireless systems. However, in order to comply with the demand on increasing available data rates in particular in wireless technologies, systems with multiple transmit and receive antennas, also called MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) systems, have become indispensable for future generations of wireless systems. Due to the strongly increasing demand in high-data rate transmission systems, frequency non-selective MIMO links have reached a state of maturity and frequency selective MIMO links are in the focus of interest. In this field, the combination of MIMO transmission and OFDM can be considered as an essential part of fulfilling the requirements of future generations of wireless systems. However, single-user scenarios have reached a state of maturity. By contrast multiple users' scenarios require substantial further research, where in comparison to ZF (zero-forcing) multiuser transmission techniques, the individual user's channel characteristics are taken into consideration in this contribution. The performed joint optimization of the number of activated MIMO layers and the number of transmitted bits per subcarrier shows that not necessarily all user-specific MIMO layers per subcarrier have to be activated in order to minimize the overall BER under the constraint of a given fixed data throughput

Synchronisation in networks of delay-coupled type-I excitable systems

We use a generic model for type-I excitability (known as the SNIPER or SNIC model) to describe the local dynamics of nodes within a network in the presence of non-zero coupling delays. Utilising the method of the Master Stability Function, we investigate the stability of the zero-lag synchronised dynamics of the network nodes and its dependence on the two coupling parameters, namely the coupling strength and delay time. Unlike in the FitzHugh-Nagumo model (a model for type-II excitability), there are parameter ranges where the stability of synchronisation depends on the coupling strength and delay time. One important implication of these results is that there exist complex networks for which the adding of inhibitory links in a small-world fashion may not only lead to a loss of stable synchronisation, but may also restabilise synchronisation or introduce multiple transitions between synchronisation and desynchronisation. To underline the scope of our results, we show using the Stuart-Landau model that such multiple transitions do not only occur in excitable systems, but also in oscillatory ones.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

Online forest biology and tree identification graduate class for public school educators

As a result of certification and accreditation standards, public school teachers are often required to take graduate education courses. However, it is often difficult for these teachers/students to take courses in residence at campuses. Further, there is often a shortage of specialized courses in their area of teaching. There is also a demand for natural-resource-based classes since, in Virginia, many of the standards of learning can be effectively taught using examples from forests. In response to the above issues, we developed an entirely online graduate course that covered forest biology, management, and tree identification. In the summer of 2001, 24 students successfully completed the course. Students were required to learn to identify 80 trees and shrubs in nine separate groups. They were also taught tree growth and structure, reproduction, carbon uptake, water relations, growth regulators, cold hardiness and dormancy, soils and site productivity, and silviculture. The course content was delivered on three CD-ROMS and administration occurred through a Web site. Nine cumulative tree ID quizzes were given online as well as two comprehensive exams covering the tree biology topics. We will present the basic structure of the course, class administration, share insights and student feedback