The optimization air separation plants for combined cycle MHD-power plant applications

Some of the design approaches being employed during a current supported study directed at developing an improved air separation process for the production of oxygen enriched air for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) combustion are outlined. The ultimate objective is to arrive at conceptual designs of air separation plants, optimized for minimum specific power consumption and capital investment costs, for integration with MHD combined cycle power plants

Study made of corrosion resistance of stainless steel and nickel alloys in nuclear reactor superheaters

Experiments performed under conditions found in nuclear reactor superheaters determine the corrosion rate of stainless steel and nickel alloys used in them. Electropolishing was the primary surface treatment before the corrosion test. Corrosion is determined by weight loss of specimens after defilming

Virtual Transfer Price Negotiations:Unintended Interactions with Incentive Systems

Despite decades of research concerning the impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on decision-making, the potential interaction with the organization\u27s management control system has just recently received attention. Media naturalness theory is used to develop hypotheses concerning the interactions of communication medium with the incentive pay scheme, a ubiquitous aspect of management control systems. A laboratory experiment was used to examine the interactions between two treatments: face-to-face negotiations versus virtual (computer-mediated) negotiations and cooperative versus competitive incentive pay schemes. Buyer-seller dyads negotiated the price and quantity of the transferred goods. Results indicate that while virtual negotiations are more efficient in terms of time than face-to-face negotiations, there is not a significant interaction with the incentive pay scheme for efficiency. However. results also indicate that virtual negotiations are less effective in terms of optimal quantity (organizational profit) than face-to-face, and that there is a significant interaction with the incentive pay scheme. Virtual negotiations have the unintended consequence of reducing the effectiveness (organizational profitability) of the negotiations

The Free Quon Gas Suffers Gibbs' Paradox

We consider the Statistical Mechanics of systems of particles satisfying the $q$-commutation relations recently proposed by Greenberg and others. We show that although the commutation relations approach Bose (resp.\ Fermi) relations for $q\to1$ (resp.\ $q\to-1$), the partition functions of free gases are independent of $q$ in the range $-1<q<1$. The partition functions exhibit Gibbs' Paradox in the same way as a classical gas without a correction factor $1/N!$ for the statistical weight of the $N$-particle phase space, i.e.\ the Statistical Mechanics does not describe a material for which entropy, free energy, and particle number are extensive thermodynamical quantities.Comment: number-of-pages, LaTeX with REVTE

Dynamical mapping method in nonrelativistic models of quantum field theory

The solutions of Heisenberg equations and two-particles eigenvalue problems for nonrelativistic models of current-current fermion interaction and $N, \Theta$ model are obtained in the frameworks of dynamical mapping method. The equivalence of different types of dynamical mapping is shown. The connection between renormalization procedure and theory of selfadjoint extensions is elucidated.Comment: 14 page

The Zika virus in the United States: A comprehensive review

Background: With a series of outbreaks spanning the globe, the Zika virus has transitioned, in a short time, from an obscure virus to a public health emergency. Locally transmitted Zika has reached the United States, leading to increased concern regarding further transmission and the potential impact on public health. Methods: The present study was conducted to examine the propagation and effects of Zika in the United States by reviewing published literature regarding Zika in conjunction with updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To gauge the regional response, including prevention and control efforts, interviews were conducted with public health and mosquito control officials. Results: Exposure to Zika may be through vectors, sexual activity with an infected partner, or congenitally to the unborn fetus. Regardless of the mode of transmission, Zika infection may result in serious neurological consequences in adults and especially in fetuses. Conclusions: Prevention of Zika infection is key to successful control of the virus. Vector control and surveillance as well as personal protection from virus exposure are necessary to avoid the potentially devastating effects of the virus. In an effort to prevent further spread, public health authorities are implementing strategies for public education, prevention, and containment

Superfield Realizations of Lorentz and CPT Violation

Superfield realizations of Lorentz-violating extensions of the Wess-Zumino model are presented. These models retain supersymmetry but include terms that explicitly break the Lorentz symmetry. The models can be understood as arising from superspace transformations that are modifications of the familiar one in the Lorentz-symmetric case.Comment: 10 page

Parental Care in Sphaerium Striatinum Lamarck: Evidence for Retention of Competent Offspring

The timing of offspring release is a fundamental turning point in the life history of any organism. It represents the end to many of the most costly forms of parental care (e.g., provisioning of nutrients for developing eggs and zygotes) and the beginning of an independent life for the offspring. Generally temporal variation in this event is attributed to a variety of physiological and evolutionary trade-offs. Here we examine the retention of offspring in the freshwater clam Sphaerium striatinum Lamarck. Brooded offspring are typically not released into the environment until they are 4.0 mm shell length (SL). We provide evidence that offspring as small as 2.0 mm SL are competent to process particles and produce both fecal and pseudofecal material. Furthermore, such small clams are shown to experience higher mortality than larger individuals once they are removed from brood pouches. Hence, the retention of competent offspring within brood pouches represents a form of extended parental care