Investigation of the difficulties associated with the use of lead telluride and other II - IV compounds for thin film thermistors

The fabrication of thermistors was investigated for use as atmospheric temperature sensors in meteorological rocket soundings. The final configuration of the thin film thermistor is shown. The composition and primary functions of the six layers of the sensor are described. A digital controller for thin film deposition control is described which is capable of better than .1 A/sec rate control. The computer program modules for digital control of thin film deposition processing are included

Interactions between parental traits, environmental harshness and growth rate in determining telomere length in wild juvenile salmon

A larger body size confers many benefits, such as increased reproductive success, ability to evade predators and increased competitive ability and social status. However, individuals rarely maximise their growth rates, suggesting that this carries costs. One such cost could be faster attrition of the telomeres that cap the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and play an important role in chromosome protection. A relatively short telomere length is indicative of poor biological state, including poorer tissue and organ performance, reduced potential longevity and increased disease susceptibility. Telomere loss during growth may also be accelerated by environmental factors, but these have rarely been subjected to experimental manipulation in the natural environment. Using a wild system involving experimental manipulations of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in Scottish streams, we found that telomere length in juvenile fish was influenced by parental traits and by direct environmental effects. We found that faster-growing fish had shorter telomeres and there was a greater cost (in terms of reduced telomere length) if the growth occurred in a harsher environment. We also found a positive association between offspring telomere length and the growth history of their fathers (but not mothers), represented by the number of years fathers had spent at sea. This suggests that there may be long term consequences of growth conditions and parental life history for individual longevity

Acquisition of Energy Resources Under The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act: A Look At The Future

This article addresses the impact of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, focusing on two issues: (1) proposed administrative procedures, and (2) the BPA purchase authority. Purchase authority permits the BPA to purchase additional electric energy beyond the hydroelectric and thermal power it already markets. Purchase authority was at the heart of the debate over the regional power legislation. The administrative procedures the agency may adopt will establish the framework for many of the BPA\u27s majority policy decision. Discussion of these issues necessarily involves an analysis of how the legislation will affect the BPA\u27s actions

Acquisition of Energy Resources Under The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act: A Look At The Future

This article addresses the impact of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, focusing on two issues: (1) proposed administrative procedures, and (2) the BPA purchase authority. Purchase authority permits the BPA to purchase additional electric energy beyond the hydroelectric and thermal power it already markets. Purchase authority was at the heart of the debate over the regional power legislation. The administrative procedures the agency may adopt will establish the framework for many of the BPA\u27s majority policy decision. Discussion of these issues necessarily involves an analysis of how the legislation will affect the BPA\u27s actions

Intra- and inter-operator variability of refractometric total proteins measurement of canine plasma

Refractometric total proteins are commonly used in practice as a quick and inexpensive way to measure total protein concentration in bodily fluids. Little information is available about how the operator performing the measurement affects the results. The aim of our study was to determine the inter- and intra-operator variability of refractometric total proteins measured on canine plasma using a temperature-compensated handheld refractometer. A pooled sample of canine lithium-heparin plasma was created using leftover samples from dogs presented to our hospital. The sample was then divided into three aliquots. Total proteins of these aliquots were measured by veterinary nurses, interns, residents and specialists working at our hospital. Statistical analysis revealed excellent inter-operator (ICC 0.99, CI 95% 0.971–1.00) and intra-operator (ICC 0.997, CI 95% 0.990–0.999) variability. Having different operators measuring refractometric total plasma proteins in practice should not affect the results. This suggests different operators can be used when monitoring total plasma proteins of a patient over time and when designing a study that involves this test

Kinetic Theory of Response Functions for the Hard Sphere Granular Fluid

The response functions for small spatial perturbations of a homogeneous granular fluid have been described recently. In appropriate dimensionless variables, they have the form of stationary state time correlation functions. Here, these functions are expressed in terms of reduced single particle functions that are expected to obey a linear kinetic equation. The functional assumption required for such a kinetic equation, and a Markov approximation for its implementation are discussed. If, in addition, static velocity correlations are neglected, a granular fluid version of the linearized Enskog kinetic theory is obtained. The derivation makes no a priori limitation on the density, space and time scale, nor degree of inelasticity. As an illustration, recently derived Helfand and Green-Kubo expressions for the Navier-Stokes order transport coefficients are evaluated with this kinetic theory. The results are in agreement with those obtained from the Chapman-Enskog solution to the nonlinear Enskog kinetic equation.Comment: Submitted to J. Stat. Mec

A dynamical theory of homogeneous nucleation for colloids and macromolecules

Homogeneous nucleation is formulated within the context of fluctuating hydrodynamics. It is shown that for a colloidal or macromolecular system in the strong damping limit the most likely path for nucleation can be determined by gradient descent in density space governed by a nontrivial metric fixed by the dynamics. The theory provides a justification and extension of more heuristic equilibrium approaches based solely on the free energy. It is illustrated by application to liquid-vapor nucleation where it is shown that, in contrast to most free energy-based studies, the smallest clusters correspond to long wavelength, small amplitude perturbations.Comment: final version; 4 pages, 2 figure

Transport properties of dense dissipitive hard-sphere fluids for arbitrary energy loss models

The revised Enskog approximation for a fluid of hard spheres which lose energy upon collision is discussed for the case that the energy is lost from the normal component of the velocity at collision but is otherwise arbitrary. Granular fluids with a velocity-dependent coefficient of restitution are an important special case covered by this model. A normal solution to the Enskog equation is developed using the Chapman-Enskog expansion. The lowest order solution describes the general homogeneous cooling state and a generating function formalism is introduced for the determination of the distribution function. The first order solution, evaluated in the lowest Sonine approximation, provides estimates for the transport coefficients for the Navier-Stokes hydrodynamic description. All calculations are performed in an arbitrary number of dimensions.Comment: 27 pages + 1 figur

Humidity-induced phase transitions of ferric sulfate minerals studied by in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction

Phases encountered in the hydration of monoclinic and trigonal anhydrous Fe2(SO4)3 and evaporation of Fe2(SO4)3 solutions at room temperature were determined using in situ and ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) under dynamic relative humidity (RH) control at room temperature (22–25 °C). Both monoclinic and trigonal forms of Fe2(SO4)3 remain anhydrous at 11% RH or below, and undergo the following phase evolution sequence: anhydrous Fe2(SO4)3 → (ferricopiapite, rhomboclase) → kornelite → paracoquimbite at RH between 33 and 53% as a function of time. Evaporation of aqueous Fe2(SO4)3 solutions at 40% < RH < 60% results in precipitation of ferricopiapite and rhomboclase during evaporation, followed by a transition to kornelite and then paracoquimbite. Evaporation at RH < 33% produced an amorphous ferric-sulfate phase. The presence of some iron sulfate hydrates and their stability under varying RH are not only determined by the final humidity level, but also the intermediate stages and hydration history (i.e., either ferricopiapite or paracoquimbite can be a stable phase at 62% RH depending on the hydration history). The sensitivity to humidity change and path-dependent transitions of ferric sulfates make them potentially valuable indicators of paleo-environmental conditions and past water activity on Mars. The phase relationships reported herein can help in understanding the diagenesis of ferric sulfate minerals, and are applicable to geochemical modeling of mineral solubility in multi-component systems, an endeavor hindered by the need for fundamental laboratory studies of iron sulfate hydrates