A Comparison of Teaching Models in the West and in China

Models of teaching commonly used in the West and in China are analyzed and compared, using an analytical approach that systematically considers different aspects of the models. The purpose of the exploration is three-fold: (a) to create better understanding of both Chinese and Western models, for mutual insight and to strengthen the development of pedagogical theory building in China; (b) to guide a joint project between the Netherlands and China relative to the development computer-related learning resources for China; and (c) to contribute to better overall understanding of how instructional resources can be adapted for use in both Western and Chinese situations. The analysis provides a contribution for each of these goals

On scale dependence of QCD string operators

We have obtained a general solution of evolution equations for QCD twist-2 string operators in form of expansion over complete set of orthogonal eigenfunctions of evolution kernels in coordinate-space representation. In the leading logarithmic approximation the eigenfunctions can be determined using constraints imposed by conformal symmetry. Explicit formulae for the LO scale-dependence of quark and gluon twist-2 string operators are given

A Naturally Light Sterile neutrino in an Asymmetric Dark Matter Model

A recently proposed asymmetric mirror dark matter model where the mirror sector is connected with the visible one by a right handed neutrino portal, is shown to lead naturally to a 3+1 active-sterile neutrino spectrum, if the portal consists only of two right handed neutrinos. At the tree level the model has four massless neutrino states, three active and one sterile. The active neutrinos pick up tiny masses via the minimal radiative inverse seesaw mechanism at the one loop level. The loop effects also generate the large solar and atmospheric mixings, as well as the observed reactor mixing for certain range of parameters of the model. The dominant contribution to the sterile neutrino mass ($\sim$ eV) arises from the gravitationally induced dimension-5 operators. Generating active-sterile mixing requires a two Higgs doublet extension of SM and a small mixing between the ordinary and mirror Higgs fields, which occurs naturally in mirror models.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, text minorly modified, one figure added, typos and lapses corrected, references updated, version published in JHE

Reflected Backward Stochastic Difference Equations and Optimal Stopping Problems under g-expectation

In this paper, we study reflected backward stochastic difference equations (RBSDEs for short) with finitely many states in discrete time. The general existence and uniqueness result, as well as comparison theorems for the solutions, are established under mild assumptions. The connections between RBSDEs and optimal stopping problems are also given. Then we apply the obtained results to explore optimal stopping problems under $g$-expectation. Finally, we study the pricing of American contingent claims in our context.Comment: 29 page

The spatial coherence of weakly interacting one-dimensional non-equilibrium Bosonic quantum fluids

We present a theoretical analysis of spatial correlations in a one-dimensional driven-dissipative non-equilibrium condensate. Starting from a stochastic generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation, we derive a noisy Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation for the phase dynamics. For sufficiently strong interactions, the coherence decays exponentially in close analogy to the equilibrium Bose gas. When interactions are small on a scale set by the nonequilibrium condition, we find through numerical simulations a crossover between a Gaussian and exponential decay with peculiar scaling of the coherence length on the fluid density and noise strength.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, supplemental materia

The role of diffusion on the interface thickness in a ventilated filling box

We examine the role of diffusivity, whether molecular or turbulent, on the steady-state stratification in a ventilated filling box. The buoyancy-driven displacement ventilation model of Linden et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 212, 1990, p. 309) predicts the formation of a two-layer stratification when a single plume is introduced into an enclosure with vents at the top and bottom. The model assumes that diffusion plays no role in the development of the ambient buoyancy stratification: diffusion is a slow process and the entrainment of ambient fluid into the plume from the diffuse interface will act to thin the interface resulting in a near discontinuity of density between the upper and lower layers. This prediction has been corroborated by small-scale salt bath experiments; however, full-scale measurements in ventilated rooms and complementary numerical simulations suggest an interface that is not sharp but rather smeared out over a finite thickness. For a given plume buoyancy flux, as the cross-sectional area of the enclosure increases the volume of fluid that must be entrained by the plume to maintain a sharp interface also increases. Therefore the balance between the diffusive thickening of the interface and plume-driven thinning favours a thicker interface. Conversely, the interface thickness decreases with increasing source buoyancy flux, although the dependence is relatively weak. Our analysis presents two models for predicting the interface thickness as a function of the enclosure height, base area, composite vent area, plume buoyancy flux and buoyancy diffusivity. Model results are compared with interface thickness measurements based on previously reported data. Positive qualitative and quantitative agreement is observed

Multi-user Internet environment for gear design optimization

A Web based multi-user system has been developed to remotely execute a large size software package via the Internet. The software implements genetic algorithm to optimize the design of spur and helical gears. To accomplish this, a combination of HTML, JavaServlets, JavaApplets, JavaScript and HTTP protocol has been employed