Observation and estimation study for sensorless control of linear vapor compressors.

Linear vapor compressors have become widely investigated for refrigeration applications due to their high efficiency in comparison to the more common rotary type compressors. However, the nature of the linear compressor adds complexity to the control of these machines. The unconstrained motion of the piston in a linear compressor allows for continuous modulation of the compressor output, but requires knowledge of the mechanical dynamics to effectively control the compressor and prevent collision of the piston with the cylinder head. This control is made more difficult by the highly nonlinear nature of the force of gas compression acting against the piston. As this gas force changes so does the resonant frequency of the system. Efficient control of the compressor requires knowledge and tracking of this resonant frequency in addition to other objectives. Sensorless control of the system is preferred for reliability, ease of production, and cost effectiveness. To this end a series of nonlinear observers and a combination of controllers have been developed for the linear vapor compressor

Are Big Gods a big deal in the emergence of big groups?

In Big Gods, Norenzayan (2013) presents the most comprehensive treatment yet of the Big Gods question. The book is a commendable attempt to synthesize the rapidly growing body of survey and experimental research on prosocial effects of religious primes together with cross-cultural data on the distribution of Big Gods. There are, however, a number of problems with the current cross-cultural evidence that weaken support for a causal link between big societies and certain types of Big Gods. Here we attempt to clarify these problems and, in so doing, correct any potential misinterpretation of the cross-cultural findings, provide new insight into the processes generating the patterns observed, and flag directions for future research

Dillon\u27s Rule Versus Home Rule: A Comprehensive, Comparative Review of the Impacts

There are two primary configurations of the American state-local relationship. The status quo configuration, pure Dillon\u27s Rule, is a top-down organizational structure in which the state, primarily through its legislature, exercises close-to-complete oversight over decision-making at the local level — in municipalities, counties, towns, etc. An alternative configuration may be brought about by the institution of home rule, a constitutionally or legislatively conferred devolution of powers to substate governments that allows, at least nominally, for greater autonomy at the local level. This study utilizes institutional theory and a systematic review of the current body of literature concerning the tangible impacts of differences in state-local power dynamics to comparatively assess pure Dillon\u27s Rule systems and home rule systems of state-local interaction. Through the utilization of OneSearch, an aggregate search engine, 518 independent search results relevant to the substantive impacts of these systems were gathered from the contemporary body of literature. After subjecting these 518 search results to screening based on predetermined selection criteria and an even more in-depth critical appraisal process, 60 sources were ultimately chosen to constitute the study\u27s literature sample. Eight themes were extracted from this literature sample, four of which point to differences between the systems in terms of their on-the- ground impacts. Home rule does appear to make governing institutions better equipped to respond to local voices and local problems: home rule localities\u27 budgets are more sensitive to emergent community needs, autonomy at the local level corresponds to more dramatic shifts in budgetary allocations based on electorally expressed wants, and local governments\u27 legal capacities under home rule do allow for a wider range of innovation on social policymaking at the local level. However, efficiency gains through home rule are suspect at best; home rule tends to engender more bureaucratic sprawl in service delivery, not less, and any local economic gains are more or less contingent on that locality being part of a metropolitan area. Thus, this systematic review\u27s results alter the conversation fundamentally, asserting that the question of home rule is not properly understood as one of efficiency, but as one of effectiveness in local representation

CLONAL NATURE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO PHOSPHORYLCHOLINE : IV. IDIOTYPIC UNIFORMITY OF BINDING SITE-ASSOCIATED ANTIGENIC DETERMINANTS AMONG MOUSE ANTIPHOSPHORYLCHOLINE ANTIBODIES

A new idiotypic determinant(s) on mouse anti-PC antibodies is described. Antibodies to the determinant(s) were raised in rabbits by immunization with HOPC 8, a PC-binding myeloma protein, and were isolated from HOPC 8 immunoadsorbent by elution with PC. These antibodies react with binding site determinants on anti-PC antibodies raised in all 15 inbred mouse strains tested regardless of histocompatibility or allotype, but fail to react with antibodies of other specificities or with anti-PC antibodies raised in other rodent species. These results correlate closely with other studies which show similar binding specificity of anti-PC antibodies raised in 17 different strains of mice. The site-associated idiotypic determinant(s) is clearly distinct from that detected by mouse anti-HOPC 8 antisera. This latter determinant(s) is present on anti-PC antibodies of only a few strains of mice and may not be in the binding site

Word of Life, Word of God: An Examination of the Use of the Term Logos in the Johannine Literature

The term logos is employed in various ways in the Johannine literature, most famously in the Prologue of the Gospel of John. There the Logos is said to have existed in the beginning, to be with God, to be God, and to have become flesh in Jesus Christ. Ed. L. Miller maintains that the body of the Gospel of John was composed first, then the First Epistle, and finally the Prologue. He contends that we can trace an increasing christological significance in the use of the term logos as we proceed from the body of the Gospel through the First Epistle to the Gospel Prologue, in which the Logos is explicity identified with Jesus. Urban C. von Wahlde asserts that the Gospel of John as it has come down to us went through three editions to reach its final form. It is his position that the First Epistle of John was written before the composition of the third edition of the Gospel, when the completed Prologue was prefixed to the Gospel. My objective in this dissertation is to explore whether or not the position of Ed. L. Miller can be seen as complementary to that of von Wahlde--that is, can we trace the development of an increasing Christological significance for the term logos in the Johannine tradition, starting with what von Wahlde has identified as the first edition of the Gospel, then proceeding through the second edition, I John, the third edition of the Gospel and finally the Prologue, where this development seems to culminate in the explicit identification of the logos with Jesus Christ? By examining the use of logos in the three editions of the Gospel and in I John, we shall determine whether or not there was a linear development from the portrayal of Jesus who proclaims the word to the declaration that Jesus is the Word

Dillon's Rule Versus Home Rule: A Comprehensive, Comparative Review of the Impacts

There are two primary configurations of the American state-local relationship. The status quo configuration, pure Dillon’s Rule, is a top-down organizational structure in which the state, primarily through its legislature, exercises close-to-complete oversight over decision-making at the local level – in municipalities, counties, towns, etc. An alternative configuration may be brought about by the institution of home rule, a constitutionally or legislatively conferred devolution of powers to substate governments that allows, at least nominally, for greater autonomy at the local level. This study utilizes institutional theory and a systematic review of the current body of literature concerning the tangible impacts of differences in state-local power dynamics to comparatively assess pure Dillon’s Rule systems and home rule systems of state-local interaction. Through the utilization of OneSearch, an aggregate search engine, 518 independent search results relevant to the substantive impacts of these systems were gathered from the contemporary body of literature. After subjecting these 518 search results to screening based on predetermined selection criteria and an even more in-depth critical appraisal process, 60 sources were ultimately chosen to constitute the study’s literature sample. Eight themes were extracted from this literature sample, four of which point to differences between the systems in terms of their on-the- ground impacts. Home rule does appear to make governing institutions better equipped to respond to local voices and local problems: home rule localities’ budgets are more sensitive to emergent community needs, autonomy at the local level corresponds to more dramatic shifts in budgetary allocations based on electorally expressed wants, and local governments’ legal capacities under home rule do allow for a wider range of innovation on social policymaking at the local level. However, efficiency gains through home rule are suspect at best; home rule tends to engender more bureaucratic sprawl in service delivery, not less, and any local economic gains are more or less contingent on that locality being part of a metropolitan area. Thus, this systematic review’s results alter the conversation fundamentally, asserting that the question of home rule is not properly understood as one of efficiency, but as one of effectiveness in local representation

The Interannual variability of hurricane activity in the Atlantic and east pacific regions

The investigation of the interannual and interdecadal variations in hurricane activity has been an important topic of study lately, especially with regard to their implications for climate change issues. On the interannual time-scale, the El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phase has been correlated with hurricane activity in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Ocean Basins. For example, various atmospheric and oceanic parameters that influence hurricane development become significantly altered during an El Niño event, leading to suppressed easterly wave development and growth in the Atlantic, but more activity in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Basin. This study examined the interannual variability of hurricane intensity (measured as wind speed and interpreted through the Saffir-Simpson Scale) from 1938 through 2007 in the Atlantic and 1970 through 2007 in the Pacific basins, respectively. These data were then compared with the occurrence of El Niño/La Niña events as defined using the Japan Meteorological Association (JMA) index. El Niño/La Niña variability superimposed on variability associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) was also examined here. Not surprisingly, during an El Niño year the intensity of Atlantic hurricanes was found to be weaker than during a neutral year or a La Niña year, but these conclusions were opposite in the Eastern Pacific Ocean Basin. There were also significant differences found in hurricane intensity between El Niño and La Niña years when the PDO was in phase 1 (warm phase), rather than when the PDO was in phase 2 (cool phase). This study also examined the interannual variation in hurricane intensity by genesis region (i.e. Atlantic: the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean Basins, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico; Eastern Pacific: divided into quadrants using 20o N and 125o W as the quadrant intersection point). Finally, the utility of this information in a long-range forecast application is demonstrated