Fiber Orientation as a Means to Control Formation on the Ultra-Former Through Changes in the Spouting Jet to Wire Speed Ratio and Stock Consistency in the Headbox

The Ultra-Former is a new type of multi-ply board machine. It uses a cylinder mold without a vat and has a stock delivery system that uses a headbox similar to that found on a fourdrinier machine. The board made on the Ultra-Former has several improved qualities over the board made on the conventional type board machines. Of these several improved qualities formation is one of the most important. Formation is important because it affects the physical properties of the finished product. One of the major physical properties affected is the tensile strength of the sheet. The tensile strength is reduced due to the higher probability of premature strain failure in areas of low fiber substance caused by poor formation. Formation is change through the adjustment of five key machine variables found on the fourdrinier type headbox. The spouting jet to wire speed ratio and the consistency in the headbox are the most important of the five variables and the easiest to control. This project involved the controlling of formation through fiber orientation as the most important variables, spouting jet to wire speed ratio and the consistency in the headbox are the most important of the five variables and the easiest to control. This project involved the controlling of formation through fiber orientation as the most important variables, spouting jet to wire speed ratio and consistency in the headbox, are changed. The fiber orientation is deplicted by using a ratio between the machine direction (MD) tensile and cross machine direction (CM) tensile as determined using the zero span tensile test. The results obtained indicate strongly that fiber orientation cannot be used for a formation control because the values are too random. At high degrees of fiber orientation the formation may be good one time and low at another time. Formation tended to be more dependent upon basis weight than fiber orientation

Bridging the gap between the Jaynes-Cummings and Rabi models using an intermediate rotating wave approximation

We present a novel approach called the intermediate rotating wave approximation (IRWA), which employs a time-averaging method to encapsulate the dynamics of light-matter interaction from strong to ultrastrong coupling regime. In contrast to the ordinary rotating wave approximation, this method addresses the co-rotating and counter-rotating terms separately to trace their physical consequences individually, and thus establishes the continuity between the Jaynes-Cummings model and the quantum Rabi model. We investigate IRWA in near resonance and large detuning cases. Our IRWA not only agrees well with both models in their respective coupling strengths, but also offers a good explanation for their differences

Growth kinetics of colloidal chains and labyrinths

Particles interacting by a combination of isotropic short-range attraction and long-range repulsion have been shown to form complex phases despite the apparent simplicity of the interparticle potential. Using computer simulations we study the behavior of two-dimensional systems of colloids with such an interaction, focusing on how area fraction and repulsion range at fixed repulsion gradient may be used to tune the resulting kinetics and nonequilibrium structure. While the short-range attraction leads to aggregation, the long-range repulsion encourages growth of chains of particles due to repulsive intercluster interactions. Depending on area fraction/ repulsion range we observe chain labyrinths, chain-compact aggregate coexistence, and connected networks of chains. The kinetics of cluster growth displays a sequence of connected networks and disconnected cluster or chain systems with increasing repulsion range, indicating the competing roles of connectivity of growing chains and repulsion-driven breakup of chains into compact aggregates. Chain-dominated systems show approximately logarithmic coarsening at late time that we interpret as the result of chains performing random walks in the randomly fluctuating potential landscape created by their neighbors, a situation reminiscent of glassy systems

The effect of the run-up in the stock market on labor supply

This article presents estimates of the effect of the run-up in the stock market on labor supply. The authors find that, in the absence of a run-up in the stock market, aggregate labor force participation rates would have been about 1 percent higher than they are today.Labor supply ; Stock market

Examining Exchange Rates Exposure, J-Curve and the Marshall-Lerner Condition for High Frequency Trade Series between China and Malaysia

Over the last decade, China and Malaysia have committed to export-led growth policy based on maintenance of their undervalued currencies. Both nations had succumbed to pressure of revaluation to de-peg their currency against the USD, the same day in July 2005. This unique scenario motivated us to examine the dynamic nexus of exchange rate impact on bilateral export and import flows between China and Malaysia. Our analysis contributed in using high frequency monthly data for the recent period from January 1990 to January 2008, based on the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bound testing procedure and generalised impulse response analysis. Our empirical findings reveal that the Marshall-Lerner condition holds that real depreciation accelerates trade expansion in the long run but only the short run import demands adhere to the potential J-curve pattern. Domestic and foreign incomes are significant and correctly signed, suggesting that the China-Malaysia exports and imports are determined by demand side effects. In brief, the study supports for the complementary role of China instead of conflicting (competing) features in the China-Malaysia bilateral tradingExchange rates, Trade, J-curve, Marshall-Lerner Condition, ARDL Bounds test

Cerebellum to motor cortex paired associative stimulation induces bidirectional STDP-like plasticity in human motor cortex

The cerebellum is crucially important for motor control and adaptation. Recent non-invasive brain stimulation studies have indicated the possibility to alter the excitability of the cerebellum and its projections to the contralateral motor cortex, with behavioral consequences on motor control and adaptation. Here we sought to induce bidirectional spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP)-like modifications of motor cortex (M1) excitability by application of paired associative stimulation (PAS) in healthy subjects. Conditioning stimulation over the right lateral cerebellum (CB) preceded focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the left M1 hand area at an interstimulus interval of 2 ms (CB→M1 PAS(2 ms)), 6 ms (CB→M1 PAS(6 ms)) or 10 ms (CB→M1 PAS(10 ms)) or randomly alternating intervals of 2 and 10 ms (CB→M1 PAS(Control)). Effects of PAS on M1 excitability were assessed by the motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), intracortical facilitation (ICF) and cerebellar-motor cortex inhibition (CBI) in the first dorsal interosseous muscle of the right hand. CB→M1 PAS(2 ms) resulted in MEP potentiation, CB→M1 PAS(6 ms) and CB→M1 PAS(10 ms) in MEP depression, and CB→M1 PAS(Control) in no change. The MEP changes lasted for 30-60 min after PAS. SICI and CBI decreased non-specifically after all PAS protocols, while ICF remained unaltered. The physiological mechanisms underlying these MEP changes are carefully discussed. Findings support the notion of bidirectional STDP-like plasticity in M1 mediated by associative stimulation of the cerebello-dentato-thalamo-cortical pathway and M1. Future studies may investigate the behavioral significance of this plasticity

Hot Brownian Motion

We derive the generalized Markovian description for the non-equilibrium Brownian motion of a heated particle in a simple solvent with a temperature-dependent viscosity. Our analytical results for the generalized fluctuation-dissipation and Stokes-Einstein relations compare favorably with measurements of laser-heated gold nano-particles and provide a practical rational basis for emerging photothermal technologies.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

The effects of forcing on a single stream shear layer and its parent boundary layer

Forcing and its effect on fluid flows has become an accepted tool in the study and control of flow systems. It has been used both as a diagnostic tool, to explore the development and interaction of coherent structures, and as a method of controlling the behavior of the flow. A number of forcing methods have been used in order to provide a perturbation to the flow; among these are the use of an oscillating trailing edge, acoustically driven slots, external acoustic forcing, and mechanical piston methods. The effect of a planar mechanical piston forcing on a single stream shear layer is presented; it can be noted that this is one of the lesser studied free shear layers. The single stream shear layer can be characterized by its primary flow velocity scale and the thickness of the separating boundary layer. The velocity scale is constant over the length of the flow field; theta (x) can be used as a width scale to characterize the unforced shear layer. In the case of the forced shear layer the velocity field is a function of phase time and definition of a width measure becomes somewhat problematic

International Parities among China and Her Major Trading Partners in Asia Pacific

As China’s role in world economy has steadily grown, her importance to the international trading and finance has also increased apace. A joint investigation of the international parity conditions for China and her thirteen major trading partners in Asia Pacific is thus conducted. Monthly observations and sub-samples within 1986-2007 are being considered to accentuate the effects of institutional changes and financial crisis. Advanced econometric procedures including the heterogeneous panel and endogenous break tests for unit root and correction factor model for half-life estimation are utilized in the analyses. Our findings reveal that first, endogenous and exponential breaks are confirmed for the real exchange and real interest differential series, which mostly occur in 1988, 1993/94 and 1997/98. Second, RIP holds better than PPP, suggesting the greater financial integration than trade integration among APEC-China. The undervalued exchange rate regime may exert some drawbacks against the PPP theorem. Third, both parities tend to hold better in the post-liberalization and post-crisis era, attributed not only to the financial liberalization process among APEC economies, but also to the Chinese trade policy and the regional commitment for the ASEAN+3+2+1 cooperation. Fourth, APEC members have has improved their ability to absorb external shocks as indicated by the shortened half-life reported overtime, especially when the post-crisis era is included.PPP, RIP, Non-linear Endogenous Breaks, Panel Unit Root Tests, Economic Integration