Tumbling Motion of Elliptical Particles in Viscous Two-Dimensional Flow

The settling dynamics of spherical and elliptical particles in a viscous Newtonian fluid are investigated numerically using a finite difference technique. The terminal velocity for spherical particles is calculated for different system sizes and the extrapolated value for an infinite system size is compared to the Oseen approximation. Special attention is given to the settling and tumbling motion of elliptical particles where their terminal velocity is compared with the one of the surface equivalent spherical particle.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures (within text), uses IJMPC macros (included

Explicit solution of an inverse first-passage time problem for L\'{e}vy processes and counterparty credit risk

For a given Markov process $X$ and survival function $\overline{H}$ on $\mathbb{R}^+$, the inverse first-passage time problem (IFPT) is to find a barrier function $b:\mathbb{R}^+\to[-\infty,+\infty]$ such that the survival function of the first-passage time $\tau_b=\inf \{t\ge0:X(t)<b(t)\}$ is given by $\overline{H}$. In this paper, we consider a version of the IFPT problem where the barrier is fixed at zero and the problem is to find an initial distribution $\mu$ and a time-change $I$ such that for the time-changed process $X\circ I$ the IFPT problem is solved by a constant barrier at the level zero. For any L\'{e}vy process $X$ satisfying an exponential moment condition, we derive the solution of this problem in terms of $\lambda$-invariant distributions of the process $X$ killed at the epoch of first entrance into the negative half-axis. We provide an explicit characterization of such distributions, which is a result of independent interest. For a given multi-variate survival function $\overline{H}$ of generalized frailty type, we construct subsequently an explicit solution to the corresponding IFPT with the barrier level fixed at zero. We apply these results to the valuation of financial contracts that are subject to counterparty credit risk.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/14-AAP1051 in the Annals of Applied Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aap/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Can enlightenment be traced to specific neural correlates, cognition, or behavior? No, and (a qualified) Yes

The field of contemplative science is rapidly growing and integrating into the basic neurosciences, psychology, clinical sciences, and society-at-large. Yet the majority of current research in the contemplative sciences has been divorced from the soteriological context from which these meditative practices originate and has focused instead on clinical applications with goals of stress reduction and psychotherapeutic health. In the existing research on health outcomes of mindfulness-based clinical interventions, for example, there have been almost no attempts to scientifically investigate the goal of enlightenment. This is a serious oversight, given that such profound transformation across ethical, perceptual, emotional, and cognitive domains are taken to be the natural outcome and principle aim of mindfulness practice in the traditional Buddhist contexts from which these practices are derived. If short-term interventions as short as a few sessions are now beginning to produce neuroplastic changes, it may be that even in secular contexts, practitioners are already developing states and traits that are associated with progress toward enlightenment. In order to carefully assess the potential effects of meditative interventions it is of singular importance to ask whether enlightenment can be traced to specific neural correlates, cognition, or behavior

Daze fasteners

A daze fastener system for connecting two or more structural elements wherein the structural elements and fastener parts have substantially different coefficient of thermal expansion physical property characteristics is employed in this invention. By providing frusto-conical abutting surfaces between the structural elements and fastener parts any differences in thermal expansion/contraction between the parts is translated to sliding motion and avoids deleterious thermal stresses in the connection. An essential feature for isotropic homogeneous material connections is that at least two sets of mating surfaces are required wherein each set of mating surfaces have line element extensions that pass through a common point

Carbon-Monoxide Emission From Nebulosity Associated With Herbig Be And Ae Type Stars

NSF GP-36548Astronom

Pointing of the 16 foot antenna

Comprehensive pointing theory for 16 ft antenna including servo encoder reading

User's manual for MacPASCO

A user's manual is presented for MacPASCO, which is an interactive, graphic, preprocessor for panel design. MacPASCO creates input for PASCO, an existing computer code for structural analysis and sizing of longitudinally stiffened composite panels. MacPASCO provides a graphical user interface which simplifies the specification of panel geometry and reduces user input errors. The user draws the initial structural geometry and reduces user input errors. The user draws the initial structural geometry on the computer screen, then uses a combination of graphic and text inputs to: refine the structural geometry; specify information required for analysis such as panel load and boundary conditions; and define design variables and constraints for minimum mass optimization. Only the use of MacPASCO is described, since the use of PASCO has been documented elsewhere

EVALUATION OF A QUANTITATIVE PROCEDURE TO SELECT AMONG ALTERNATIVE MARKETING STRATEGIES TO REDUCE PRICE RISKS OF STOCKER OPERATORS

Marketing,

They (Don't) Care About Education: A Counternarrative on Black Male Students' Responses to Inequitable Schooling

Focus group interviews and systematic content analysis of 304 essays written by black male undergraduates refute the dominant message that black men do not care about education. On the contrary, these students aspire to earn doctoral degrees in education despite acute understanding that the education system is stacked against them. The analysis asks what compels that dedication

Data base on physical observations of near-Earth asteroids and establishment of a network to coordinate observations of newly discovered near-Earth asteroids

This program consists of two tasks: (1) development of a data base of physical observations of near-earth asteroids and establishment of a network to coordinate observations of newly discovered earth-approaching asteroids; and (2) a simulation of the surface of low-activity comets. Significant progress was made on task one and, and task two was completed during the period covered by this progress report