The Mathematics of Growth Against Limits

The single step growth against limit equation is introduced and its consequences (s curves) are briefly explored. The possibility of sudden jumps (violations) from one growth limit curve to another is recognized and formulated. The full model featuring stochastic violations is developed. An integral equation governing the time evolution of probability density of growth is derived. The integral equation is reduced to a dispersion relation which is used to calculate the velocities of the first three moments of the growth probability density. The improvements in airliner performance over the years is analyzed by decomposition of certain economic data against the models parameters

Average Heat of Combustion and Available Energy of Carbohydrate, Fat and Protein

The food energy of carbohydrate, fat and protein recorded in many nutrition tables is the net available energy. It is equal to 16.7, 37.7, and 16.7 kilojoules per gram respectively. These are not the same as the heat of combustion determined calorimetrically

Surf Sled 2.0

This Preliminary Design Review documents the complete detail of our final design and justifies that our specifications were met. For our senior project though California Polytechnic University, we were assigned a design and build challenge from the company AmpSurf. The project was sponsored by the Founder of AmpSurf, Dana Cummings, and involved designing and manufacturing a fully functional Surf Sled. The objective was to safely carry a physically impaired AmpSurf client across the sand on a surfboard and launch them into the ocean. The goal for our team was to improve upon a previous design, Surf Sled 1.0, to be given feedback from Mr. Cummings and the volunteers who operated it. This document highlights our new design and the critical components that allow for smoother and more efficient operation than the previous version. This includes a new turning system, frame design, bunk design, and wheel system. The manufacturing processes used have been discussed in great detail, along with our testing results. Overall we were very pleased to present a successful verification prototype to our sponsor following our senior expo. This report also details what we have learned throughout the design and manufacturing processes and how we plan to apply it to future projects

A Multiple Evaporator for General Chemistry

Many experiments require a hood clue to the evolution of hazardous fumes. One such experiment involves the use of nitric acid in the determination of combining ratios of certain metals, e.g., tin and oxygen. Where large classes are the rule, as in general chemistry, and the number of fume hoods is limited, the progress of the class is slowed considerably if individual set-ups are used

Polarimetry of an Intermediate-age Open Cluster: NGC 5617

We present polarimetric observations in the UBVRI bands of 72 stars located in the direction of the medium age open cluster NGC 5617. Our intention is to use polarimetry as a tool membership identification, by building on previous investigations intended mainly to determine the cluster's general characteristics rather than provide membership suitable for studies such as stellar content and metallicity, as well as study the characteristics of the dust lying between the Sun and the cluster. The obsevations were carried out using the five-channel photopolarimeter of the Torino Astronomical Observatory attached to the 2.15m telescope at the Complejo Astron\'omico El Leoncito (CASLEO; Argentina. We are able to add 32 stars to the list of members of NGC 5617, and review the situation for others listed in the literature. In particular, we find that five blue straggler stars in the region of the cluster are located behind the same dust as the member stars are and we confirm the membership of two red giants. The proposed polarimetric memberships are compared with those derived by photometric and kinematical methods, with excellent results. Among the observed stars, we identify 10 with intrinsic polarization in their light. NGC 5617 can be polarimetrically characterized with $P_{max}= 4.40$ and $\theta_{v}= 73^\circ.1$. The spread in polarization values for the stars observed in the direction of the cluster seems to be caused by the uneven distribution of dust in front of the cluster's face. Finally, we find that in the direction of the cluster, the interstellar medium is apparently free of dust, from the Sun's position up to the Carina-Sagittarius arm, where NGC 5617 seems to be located at its farthest border

Penrose Limits, the Colliding Plane Wave Problem and the Classical String Backgrounds

We show how the Szekeres form of the line element is naturally adapted to study Penrose limits in classical string backgrounds. Relating the "old" colliding wave problem to the Penrose limiting procedure as employed in string theory we discuss how two orthogonal Penrose limits uniquely determine the underlying target space when certain symmetry is imposed. We construct a conformally deformed background with two distinct, yet exactly solvable in terms of the string theory on R-R backgrounds, Penrose limits. Exploiting further the similarities between the two problems we find that the Penrose limit of the gauged WZW Nappi-Witten universe is itself a gauged WZW plane wave solution of Sfetsos and Tseytlin. Finally, we discuss some issues related to singularity, show the existence of a large class of non-Hausdorff solutions with Killing Cauchy Horizons and indicate a possible resolution of the problem of the definition of quantum vacuum in string theory on these time-dependent backgrounds.Comment: Some misprints corrected. Matches the version in print. To appear in Classical & Quantum Gravit

On the Entropy and the Density Matrix of Cosmological Perturbations

We look at the transition to the semiclassical behaviour and the decoherence process for the inhomogeneous perturbations in the inflationary universe. Two different decoherence mechanisms appear: one dynamical, accompanied with a negligible, if at all, entropy gain, and the other, effectively irreversible dephasing, due to a rapid variation in time of the off-diagonal density matrix elements in the post-inflationary epoch. We thus settle the discrepancies in the entropy content of perturbations evaluated by different authors.Comment: LaTeX2e with the epsf packag

Environmental Evaluation and Global Development Institutions

Evaluation is increasingly important for finding sustainable solutions for the people and the planet, based on a systematic analysis of what works, for whom, and under what circumstances, and to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as they pertain to the environment. This book explores why the Global Environment Facility (GEF) invests in evaluation for accountability and learning to inform its decision-making on programming priorities, and how this leads to wiser funding decisions and better program performance on the ground. The book is based on real-life experiences of how to make evaluation count for international environmental action. Drawing upon comprehensive evaluations of the GEF, it provides unique insights from authors responsible for designing, implementing, and disseminating the findings of the evaluations. No other multilateral development or environment agency places evaluation fully at the center of their decision-making. The book outlines the trends in the global environment and the changing landscape of international environmental finance. It defines the role of the GEF and explains its institutional framework and the unique partnership that involves donor and recipient countries, multilateral development banks, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and national agencies in the developing countries. Further, it provides useful pointers to other organizations wishing to enhance evidence-based decision-making for improving their relevance, performance, and impact. The book will be most suitable for graduate-level, specialized study in a variety of disciplines such as environmental and development economics, political science, international relations, geography, sociology, and social anthropology

The Hexagonal Resistive Network and the Circular Approximation

No abstract available

The Mathematics of Growth Against Limits

The single step growth against limit equation is introduced and its consequences (s curves) are briefly explored. The possibility of sudden jumps (violations) from one growth limit curve to another is recognized and formulated. The full model featuring stochastic violations is developed. An integral equation governing the time evolution of probability density of growth is derived. The integral equation is reduced to a dispersion relation which is used to calculate the velocities of the first three moments of the growth probability density. The improvements in airliner performance over the years is analyzed by decomposition of certain economic data against the models parameters