638 research outputs found
Higher Efficiency, Lower Sound, and Lower Cost Air Conditioning Compressors: Part 1 â Efficiency
Systematic thermal reduction of neutronization in core-collapse supernovae
We investigate to what extent the temperature dependence of the nuclear
symmetry energy can affect the neutronization of the stellar core prior to
neutrino trapping during gravitational collapse. To this end, we implement a
one-zone simulation to follow the collapse until beta equilibrium is reached
and the lepton fraction remains constant. Since the strength of electron
capture on the neutron-rich nuclei associated to the supernova scenario is
still an open issue, we keep it as a free parameter. We find that the
temperature dependence of the symmetry energy consistently yields a small
reduction of deleptonization, which corresponds to a systematic effect on the
shock wave energetics: the gain in dissociation energy of the shock has a small
yet non-negligible value of about 0.4 foe (1 foe = 10^51 erg) and this result
is almost independent from the strength of nuclear electron capture. The
presence of such a systematic effect and its robustness under changes of the
parameters of the one-zone model are significative enough to justify further
investigations with detailed numerical simulations of supernova explosions.Comment: 15 pages, 2 tables, 3 figure
Magnetization Losses in Multifilament Coated Superconductors
We report the results of a study of the magnetization losses in experimental
multifilament, as well as control (uniform), coated superconductors exposed to
time-varying magnetic field of various frequencies. Both the hysteresis loss,
proportional to the sweep rate of the applied magnetic field, and the coupling
loss, proportional to the square of the sweep rate, have been observed. A
scaling is found that allows us to quantify each of these contributions and
extrapolate the results of the experiment beyond the envelope of accessible
field amplitude and frequency. The combined loss in the multifilament conductor
is reduced by about 90% in comparison with the uniform conductor at full field
penetration at sweep rate as high as 3T/s
Composition and Structure of Two Old-growth Forest Ecosystem Types of Southeastern Ohio
Author Institution: School of Natural Resources, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State UniversityLess than 1% of the pre-European settlement forest in Ohio currently remains, mostly as small and scattered woodlots. Consequently, few studies have been undertaken to quantify the composition and structure of Ohioâs old-growth forests using a landscape ecosystem perspective. We used an existing multifactor ecosystem classification system developed for the Wayne National Forest in southeastern
Ohio to compare the composition and structure of two old-growth forest ecosystem types, located on contrasting north-facing and south-facing middle slopes. No differences in physiography were observed
among the stands other than aspect; however, the north-facing old-growth ecosystem type had a greater A horizon thickness and a higher pH than the south-facing old-growth ecosystem type. Mixed-oaks dominate the south-facing ecosystem type, while sugar maple, American beech and northern red oak
dominate the north-facing ecosystem type. No differences were detected in stand structural components. Similar trends were observed for the ground-flora layer; specifically, we observed differences in groundflora composition between the two ecosystem types but no differences in total percent cover or species richness. Finally, the composition and structure of coarse woody debris differed between the contrasting
ecosystem types. Maple and oak snags and fallen logs dominate the north-facing ecosystem while oak standing snags and fallen stems are typically observed in the south-facing ecosystem. Few differences
between the two ecosystem types were detected in coarse woody debris structure, except that snag density tends to be higher in the south-facing old-growth ecosystem and log density and volume tends to be higher in the north-facing ecosystem (P <0.10). Through the use of this ecosystem approach, we can begin to quantify the ecological factors regulating the composition and structure of old-growth communities, improving our ability to effectively manage and restore these rare ecosystems
Fission Cycling in Supernova Nucleosynthesis: Active-Sterile Neutrino Oscillations
We investigate nucleosynthesis in the supernovae post-core bounce
neutrino-driven wind environment in the presence of active-sterile neutrino
transformation. We consider active-sterile neutrino oscillations for a range of
mixing parameters: vacuum mass-squared differences of 0.1 eV^2 < dm^2 < 100
eV^2, and vacuum mixing angles of sin^2(2 theta_v) > 10^-4. We find a
consistent r-process pattern for a large range of mixing parameters that is in
rough agreement with the halo star CS 22892-052 abundances and the pattern
shape is determined by fission cycling. We find that the allowed region for the
formation of the r-process peaks overlaps the LSND and NSBL (3+1) allowed
region.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, Corrected Typo
Does the European Union have a reverse gear? Policy dismantling in a hyperconsensual polity
The financial crisis has triggered demands to halt and even reverse the expansion of European Union (EU) policies. But have these and previous demands actually resulted in policy dismantling? The existing literature has charted the rise of dismantling discourses such as subsidiarity and better regulation, but has not examined the net effect on the acquis. For the first time, this contribution addresses this gap in the literature through an empirical study of policy change between 1992 and 2014. It is guided by a coding framework which captures the direction of policy change. It reveals that, despite its disposition towards consensualism, the EU has become a new locus of policy dismantling. However, not all policies targeted have been cut; many have stayed the same and some have even expanded. It concludes by identifying new directions for research on a topic that has continually fallen into the analytical blind spot of EU scholars
Comparative Use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires in Lowâ and MiddleâIncome Countries
Aim: To map the breadth of use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) in lowâ and middleâincome countries (LMICs) across world regions, and examine procedures for ASQ translation, adaptation, psychometric evaluation, and administration.
Method: We conducted a review of all original, peerâreviewed studies written in English referencing use of the ASQ in LMICs. We used a consensus rating procedure to classify each article into one of four categories: feasibility study, psychometric study, prevalence study, or research study.
Results: We analysed 53 peerâreviewed articles written in English detailing use of the ASQ in LMICs. We found evidence of ASQ use in 23 LMICs distributed across all world regions. The ASQ was translated into 16 languages. Just over half of the studies reported parent completion of the ASQ (50.9%). We identified eight feasibility studies, 12 psychometric studies, and nine prevalence studies. Study type varied by economy and region.
Interpretation: Findings suggest broad global use of the ASQ in a range of countries and cultural and linguistic contexts. There is need for further validation studies across all cited regions and countries and in countries ready to begin to design systems for providing universal developmental screening services
Mining and Analyzing the Italian Parliament: Party Structure and Evolution
The roll calls of the Italian Parliament in the XVI legislature are studied
by employing multidimensional scaling, hierarchical clustering, and network
analysis. In order to detect changes in voting behavior, the roll calls have
been divided in seven periods of six months each. All the methods employed
pointed out an increasing fragmentation of the political parties endorsing the
previous government that culminated in its downfall. By using the concept of
modularity at different resolution levels, we identify the community structure
of Parliament and its evolution in each of the considered time periods. The
analysis performed revealed as a valuable tool in detecting trends and drifts
of Parliamentarians. It showed its effectiveness at identifying political
parties and at providing insights on the temporal evolution of groups and their
cohesiveness, without having at disposal any knowledge about political
membership of Representatives.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figure
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