Ambiguities in order-theoretic formulations of thermodynamics

Since the 1909 work of Carath\'eodory, formulations of thermodynamics have gained ground which highlight the role of the the binary relation of adiabatic accessibility between equilibrium states. A feature of Carath\'eodory's system is that the version therein of the second law contains an ambiguity about the nature of irreversible adiabatic processes, making it weaker than the traditional Kelvin-Planck statement of the law. This paper attempts first to clarify the nature of this ambiguity, by defining the arrow of time in thermodynamics by way of the Equilibrium Principle ("Minus First Law"). It then argues that the ambiguity reappears in the important 1999 axiomatisation due to Lieb and Yngvason.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur

Opportunistic Collaborative Beamforming with One-Bit Feedback

An energy-efficient opportunistic collaborative beamformer with one-bit feedback is proposed for ad hoc sensor networks over Rayleigh fading channels. In contrast to conventional collaborative beamforming schemes in which each source node uses channel state information to correct its local carrier offset and channel phase, the proposed beamforming scheme opportunistically selects a subset of source nodes whose received signals combine in a quasi-coherent manner at the intended receiver. No local phase-precompensation is performed by the nodes in the opportunistic collaborative beamformer. As a result, each node requires only one-bit of feedback from the destination in order to determine if it should or shouldn't participate in the collaborative beamformer. Theoretical analysis shows that the received signal power obtained with the proposed beamforming scheme scales linearly with the number of available source nodes. Since the the optimal node selection rule requires an exhaustive search over all possible subsets of source nodes, two low-complexity selection algorithms are developed. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of opportunistic collaborative beamforming with the low-complexity selection algorithms.Comment: Proceedings of the Ninth IEEE Workshop on Signal Processing Advances in Wireless Communications, Recife, Brazil, July 6-9, 200

Sediment management for Southern California mountains, coastal plains and shoreline

The Environmental Quality Laboratory at Caltech and the Shore Processes Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have jointly undertaken a study of regional sediment balance problems in coastal southern California (see map in Figure 1). The overall objective in this study is to define specific alternatives in sediment management that may be implemented to alleviate a) existing sediment imbalance problems (e.g. inland debris disposal, local shoreline erosion) and b) probable future problems that have not yet manifested themselves. These alternatives will be identified through a consideration of economic, legal, and institutional issues as well as an analysis of governing physical processes and engineering constraints. The first part of this study (Phase I), which is currently under way, involves a compilation and analysis of all available data in an effort to obtain an accurate definition of the inland/coastal regional sediment balance under natural conditions, and specific quantitative effects man-made controls have on the overall natural process. During FY77, substantial progress was made at EQL and SPL in achieving the objectives of the initial Planning and Assessment Phase of the CIT/SIO Sediment Management Project. Financial support came from Los Angeles County, U.S. Geological Survey, Orange County, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and discretionary funding provided by a grant from the Ford Foundation. The current timetable for completion of this phase is Fall 1978. This report briefly describes the project status, including general administration, special activities, and research work as of January 1978

Socio-Technical & Team Management Theory at a Greenfield Site

The purpose of this research project is to answer the question, How and with what effects does Logan Aluminum, Inc. translate and implement the principles of socio-technical and team management theory into its organizational culture and operational activities? To answer this question the researcher first examined the literature related to those theories and then conducted on-site interviews and ethnographic research to witness their implementation. The researcher found strong evidence to prove the validity and accuracy of many of those theories when practiced in an organizational setting. Theories particularly proven were those relating to the necessity of constant training, the role of leadership, team and team member capabilities, employee morale and team maturation

Diffusion of Innovations in Urban and Suburban Oklahoma School Districts

There are many disparities between urban and suburban schools, including the adoption of innovations (Huberman & Miles, 2013). This study examined the Diffusion of Innovations theory (Rogers, 2003) and its potential application to urban and suburban Oklahoma schools. The purpose of the study was to identify key elements that indicate the diffusion of innovations in urban and suburban schools. The methods of data collection for the study were survey research and document analysis. Information related to the diffusion of innovations in urban and suburban Oklahoma schools, characteristics of innovative schools and descriptions of innovative teaching practices were gathered from 145 participants who completed the survey. A Kruskal-Wallis Test was conducted to examine the differences in Profile of Instructional Technology Use in Schools scores, levels of expertise with technology, and levels of importance of methods for learning about technology according to the district type and role of each participant. Significant differences were found between urban and suburban parents, teachers and staff (χ2 = 66.81, p < .001, df = 5). The results indicated that participants who regard themselves as being members of an urban school district had significantly lower Profile of Instructional Technology Use in Schools scores than Suburban members.The results indicated that participants who identified themselves as Suburban Teachers had significantly higher Profile of Instructional Technology Use in Schools scores than participants in other roles and district types. There was also very strong evidence (p < 0.001, adjusted using the Bonferroni correction) of a difference between groups in Profile of Instructional Technology Use in Schools scores. Urban parents, teachers, and staff are significantly different from one another, and this finding suggests that innovations are diffusing at different rates in than with suburban parents, teachers, and staff. This is significant for urban schools because it speaks to the differences in innovations being diffused. Innovations are diffusing differently throughout urban school districts, which contrasts with how innovations are being diffused in suburban school districts. Characteristics of innovative schools, definitions of innovative teaching practices, levels of expertise with educational technologies used in schools, educational budgets and perceptions of the use of educational technologies by teachers are key elements that indicate the perceptions of the diffusion of innovations in selected Oklahoma urban and suburban schools

A Statistical phonon transport model for thermal transport in cyrstalline materials from the diffuse to ballistic regime

Phonon transport in micro- nanoscale crystalline materials can be well modeled by the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE). The complexities associated with solving the BTE have led to the development of various numerical models to simulate phonon transport. These models have been applied to predict thermal transport from the di¤use to ballistic regime. While some success using techniques such as the Monte Carlo method has been achieved, there are still a significant number of approximations related to the intricacies of phonon transport that must be more accurately modeled for better predictions of thermal transport at reduced length scales. The objective of the present work is to introduce a Statistical Phonon Transport (SPT) model for simulating thermal transport in crystalline materials from the diffuse to ballistic regime. The SPT model provides a theoretically more realistic treatment of phonon transport physics by eliminating some of the common approximations utilized by other numerical modeling techniques. The SPT model employs full anisotropic dispersion. Phonon populations are modeled without the use of scaling factors or pseudo-random number generation. Three-phonon scattering is rigorously enforced following the selection rules of energy and pseudo-momentum. The SPT model provides a flexible framework for incorporating various phonon scattering mechanisms and models. Results related to the determination of allowable three-phonon interactions are presented along with several three-phonon scattering models. Steady-state and transient thermal transport results for silicon from the diffuse to ballistic regimes are presented and compared to analytical and experimental results. Recommendations for future work related to increasing the robustness of the SPT model as well as utilizing the SPT model to predict thermal transport in practical applications are given

African-American Males\u27 Perception of Law Enforcement: A Psychophysiological Perspective

This study compared the psychophysiological reactivity of African American and European American males to authority. Nineteen African American males and 23 European American males were randomly assigned to either be interrogated by a police officer, or see a police officer interrogate that experimenter or view a videotape of police activity. Participants\u27 physiological reactivity, acceptance of authority, fear of negative evaluation or social anxiety, and apprehension and anxiety in stressful situations as well as EMG, SCR, heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure were measured. African American males were hypothesized to show greater physiological response than European American males and participants who scored highly on each of the three measures to demonstrate more intense physiological responses. Data were analyzed with separate (race by treatment by time period) analyses of variance. A race x time period interaction occurred: African American male undergraduates exhibited greater increases in blood pressure and heart rate reactivity and took longer to return to baseline following presentation of stimuli than European American males in corresponding treatment groups

Method and means for providing an absolute power measurement capability Patent

Input radio frequency circuit for switching type absolute temperature measuring radiometer for noise source