Thermodynamic and transport properties of frozen and reacting pH2-oH2 mixtures

Application of experimental state data and spectroscopic term values shows that the thermodynamic and transport properties of reacting pH2-oH2 mixtures are considerably different than those of chemically frozen pH2 at temperatures below 300 R. Calculated H-S data also show that radiation-induced pH2-oH2 equilibration at constant enthalpy produces a temperature drop of at least 28 R, corresponding to an ideal shaft work loss of 15% or more for a turbine operating downstream from the point of conversion. Aside from differences in thermodynamic and transport properties, frozen pH2-oH2 mixtures may differ from pure pH2 on a purely hydrodynamical basis

Nonlinear-damped Duffing oscillators having finite time dynamics

A class of modified Duffing oscillator differential equations, having nonlinear damping forces, are shown to have finite time dynamics, i.e., the solutions oscillate with only a finite number of cycles, and, thereafter, the motion is zero. The relevance of this feature is briefly discussed in relationship to the mathematical modeling, analysis, and estimation of parameters for the vibrations of carbon nano-tubes and graphene sheets, and macroscopic beams and plates.Comment: 15 page

THE SIZE OF THE PRIZE: TESTING RENT-DISSIPATION WHEN TRANSFER QUANTITY IS ENDOGENOUS

We present a transfer-seeking model of political economy in which the size of the transfer is determined endogenously, and in which over-dissipation of rents is predicted even under conditions of risk-neutrality and perfect rationality. We implement an empirical test of this model by collecting behavioral data in a laboratory experiment. We confirm the existence of behavior that leads to over-dissipation of rents in games with both symmetric and asymmetric political power. We also confirm the hypotheses that lowering the political power of one player can lead to smaller rent-seeking expenditures and to larger transfers. We observe behavior that deviates from dominant strategies.Political Economy,

A contribution to the chemical pathology of the lipoids

From the biological, and especially medical, point of view no class of substances has in recent years grown so rapidly in importance as the lipoide. The purely chemical investigation of these substances has been carried on by numerous observers since the middle of last Century, but it is only during the last twenty years, and especially the last ten, that any great progress has been made. At the present day we know thoroughly the constitution of several important lipoide and we are able, in a general way, to make a reasonable classification of those which are less well known.Mayer and Overton's theory of narcosis, the explanation of the pharmacology of many drugs, and the numerous physiological theories dependant upon the physics of a cell membrane have all helped to increase the importance of a thorough knowledge of the lipoide in physiology, and have stimulated numerous researches, but the role played by these substances in pathological processes remains almost uninvestigated

Development in a biologically inspired spinal neural network for movement control

In two phases, we develop neural network models of spinal circuitry which self-organises into networks with opponent channels for the control of an antagonistic muscle pair. The self-organisation is enabled by spontaneous activity present in the spinal cord. We show that after the process of self-organisation, the networks have developed the possibility to independently control the length and tension of the innerated muscles. This allows the specification of joint angle independent from the specification of joint stiffness. The first network comprises only motorneurons and inhibitory interneurons through which the two channels interact. The inhibitory interneurons prevent saturation of the motorneuron pools, which is a necessary condition for independent control. In the second network, however, the neurons in the motorneuron pools obey the size-principle, which is a threat to the desired invariance of joint angle for varying joint stiffness, because of the different amplification of inputs in the case these inputs are not equal. To restore the desired invariance the second network ha.s been expanded with Renshaw cells. The manner in which they are included in the circuitry corrects the problem caused by the addition of the size-principle. The results obtained from the two models compare favourably with the FLETE-model for spinal circuitry (Bullock & Grossberg, 1991; Bullock et al., HJ93; Bullock & Contreras-Vidal, 1993) which has been successful in explaining several phenomena related to motor control.Fulbright Scholarship; Office of Naval Research (N00014-92-J-1309, N00014-95-1-0409

VALUATION OF CROP AND LIVESTOCK REPORTS: METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS

Demand and Price Analysis,

Fe-Ni Sulphides as Indicators of Alteration in CM Chondrites

This study looks at the sulphide abundance and composition of Fe-Ni sulphide grains in 12 CM chondrites to determine an alteration sequence for these chondrites