Nonlinear charge and energy transport in anharmonic quasi-two-dimensional systems.

We study the localized states of an extra electron in an anisotropic quasi-two-dimensional system in which the electron-lattice interaction and the anharmonicity of the lattice vibrations are dominant in one direction. This model describes layers of polydiacetylene or other polymer chains, beta sheets of polypeptides, multilevel microstructures of conjugated polymers, and other low-dimensional systems. It is shown that for appropriate parameter values of the system an extra electron can excite a soliton-like mobile wave of the lattice deformation, within which it can get self-trapped.

Intrinsic electronic noise strength significantly alters a period doubling cascade to chaos.

For universality in the approach, it is customary to appropriately rescale problems to a single or a set of dimensionless equations with dimensionless quantities involved or to rescale the experimental setup to a suitable size for the laboratory conditions. Theoretical results and/or experimental findings are supposed to be valid for both the original and the rescaled problems. Here, however, we show in an analog computer model nonlinear system how the experimental results depend on the scale factor.

On the autonomous motion of active drops or bubbles.

Thermo-capillary stresses on the surface of a drop can be the result of a non-isothermal surface chemical conversion of a reactant dissolved in the host fluid. The strength of heat production (with e.g.

Thermo- and soluto-capillarity: Passive and active drops.

A survey is provided of a variety of problems where a passive or an active drop experiences directed motion consequence of the action of an external or internal agent or a combination of both. An active drop is capable of reacting by engendering autonomous, self-propelled motion in favor or against the agent. The phenomena involved offer diverse complexity but one way or another the drop motion finally rests on thermo- or soluto-capillarity hence on interfacial tension gradients.

Simultaneous spreading and evaporation: recent developments.

The recent progress in theoretical and experimental studies of simultaneous spreading and evaporation of liquid droplets on solid substrates is discussed for pure liquids including nanodroplets, nanosuspensions of inorganic particles (nanofluids) and surfactant solutions. Evaporation of both complete wetting and partial wetting liquids into a nonsaturated vapour atmosphere are considered. However, the main attention is paid to the case of partial wetting when the hysteresis of static contact angle takes place.

Evaporation of droplets of surfactant solutions.

The simultaneous spreading and evaporation of droplets of aqueous trisiloxane (superspreader) solutions onto a hydrophobic substrate has been studied both experimentally, using a video-microscopy technique, and theoretically. The experiments have been carried out over a wide range of surfactant concentration, temperature, and relative humidity. Similar to pure liquids, four different stages have been observed: the initial one corresponds to spreading until the contact angle, θ, reaches the value of the static advancing contact angle, θad.

Computer simulations of evaporation of pinned sessile droplets: influence of kinetic effects.

The aim of the current work is to present results of computer simulations, which show the influence of kinetic effects on evaporation of pinned sessile water droplets of submicrometer size placed on a heat conductive substrate. The computer simulation model also takes into account the following phenomena: influence of curvature of the droplet's surface on saturated vapor pressure above the surface (Kelvin's equation), the effect of latent heat of vaporization, thermal Marangoni convection, and Stefan flow inside an air domain above the droplet. The suggested model combines both diffusive and kinetic models of evaporation.

Compact internal representation of dynamic situations: neural network implementing the causality principle.

Animals for survival in complex, time-evolving environments can estimate in a "single parallel run" the fitness of different alternatives. Understanding of how the brain makes an effective compact internal representation (CIR) of such dynamic situations is a challenging problem. We propose an artificial neural network capable of creating CIRs of dynamic situations describing the behavior of a mobile agent in an environment with moving obstacles.

Stability switches, oscillatory multistability, and spatio-temporal patterns of nonlinear oscillations in recurrently delay coupled neural networks.

A model of time-delay recurrently coupled spatially segregated neural assemblies is here proposed. We show that it operates like some of the hierarchical architectures of the brain. Each assembly is a neural network with no delay in the local couplings between the units.

Elements for a general memory structure: properties of recurrent neural networks used to form situation models.

We study how individual memory items are stored assuming that situations given in the environment can be represented in the form of synaptic-like couplings in recurrent neural networks. Previous numerical investigations have shown that specific architectures based on suppression or max units can successfully learn static or dynamic stimuli (situations). Here we provide a theoretical basis concerning the learning process convergence and the network response to a novel stimulus.

Surface rheology, equilibrium and dynamic features at interfaces, with emphasis on efficient tools for probing polymer dynamics at interfaces.

Adequately probing interfacial or (free) surface waves offers the possibility of exploring qualitative and quantitative equilibrium and rheological features hence large scale and long time dynamics. Several experimental techniques are briefly reviewed. The combination of capillary waves experiments with methods based on analyzing the mechanical deformation of the surface allows to explore dynamics from the microsecond scale up to collective phenomena relaxing at very long times, seconds, minutes or even hours.

Polymer monolayers with a small viscoelastic linear regime: equilibrium and rheology of poly(octadecyl acrylate) and poly(vinyl stearate).

The equilibrium properties of monolayers of two polymers: poly(octadecyl acrylate) and poly(vinyl stearate) on water have been measured. The surface pressure (Pi) versus surface concentration (Gamma) curves indicate that the water-air interface is a poor solvent for both polymers. The thermal expansivity shows a sharp change near room temperature.

Anharmonicity and its significance to non-Ohmic electric conduction.

We provide here a thorough analysis of the interplay between anharmonic lattice dynamics (with exponential repulsion between units) and electric conduction in a driven-dissipative electrically charged one-dimensional system. First, we delineate the ranges of parameter values where, respectively, subsonic and supersonic wave solitons are possible along the lattice. Then, we study the consequences of the soliton-mediated coupling of light negative to heavy positive charges (lattice units).

Clustering behavior in a three-layer system mimicking olivo-cerebellar dynamics.

A model is presented that simulates the process of neuronal synchronization, formation of coherent activity clusters and their dynamic reorganization in the olivo-cerebellar system. Three coupled 2D lattices dealing with the main cellular groups in this neuronal circuit are used to model the dynamics of the excitatory feedforward loop linking the inferior olive (IO) neurons to the cerebellar nuclei (CN) via collateral axons that also proceed to terminate as climbing fiber afferents to Purkinje cells (PC). Inhibitory feedback from the CN-lattice fosters decoupling of units in a vicinity of a given IO neuron.

Modeling inferior olive neuron dynamics.

A model for the study of the dynamic properties of inferior olive neuron is presented. The model, a dynamical system, comprises two autonomous components of minimal complexity that are capable of reproducing the large gamut of experimentally observed inferior olive neuron dynamics. The two autonomous parts are responsible for largely different aspects of the dynamic profile of the model.

Faraday Ripples, Parametric Resonance, and the Marangoni Effect.

In general, the combined actions of two destabilizing mechanisms do not simply add to each other. Here we show that there is a subtle interplay between parametric excitation and thermal gradients leading to interfacial instability, overstability, and generation of surface waves. The case studied refers to the stability of a liquid layer with an open free surface subjected to a transverse temperature gradient (with the Marangoni effect) and also subjected to the simultaneous action of periodic vibrations normal to the layer.

On the Interfacial Deformation of a Magnetic Liquid Drop under the Simultaneous Action of Electric and Magnetic Fields.

The influence of uniform constant magnetic and electric fields, acting simultaneously, on a magnetic fluid drop is theoretically investigated. The drop is suspended in another magnetic fluid that is immiscible with the former. Both fluids are regarded as incompressible, viscous, weakly electrically conducting, polarizable, and magnetizable.

On the Spreading of Partially Miscible Liquids.

As time proceeds, partially miscible liquids spread as a cap surrounded by a primary film according to power laws, t(n), for both the leading edge (front) and the central cap. The corresponding exponents depend on the thickness, H, of the liquid aqueous substrate and the deviation of concentration from its saturation value, DeltaC=C-C(sat). As long as H is thick enough, here H>/=5 mm, the exponents are n=1/2 and n=1/3 for the front and the central cap, respectively.