Modelling dispersion effects in paper-effective thickness estimates

The structural properties of paper and cardboard are important for the design of containers and of packaging. Amcor, a Melbourne-based producer of packaging, pulp and paper products, proposed the initial problem of explaining the large discrepancies which were sometimes observed between the nominal thickness, as determined by hard platen measurements, and the effective thickness which would account for the experimentally measured values of bending stiffness. The question was also raised as to whether or not ultrasonic waves could be used to measure directly, and on-line, the effective thickness. Paper can be regarded as a fibre-composite material, with a pronounced anisotropy due to the preferential alignment of fibres in the machine direction as a consequence of the manufacturing process. The salient features of elastic (ultrasonic) wave propagation in an anisotropic plate will be presented, with an emphasis on addressing the questions raised above. In particular, it will be noted that the characterization of the first anti-symmetric (flexural) mode should provide a convenient on-line measurement of the flexural stiffness, which is the more relevant property for quality control and structural design than the effective thickness

Teleological Essentialism: Generalized

Natural/social kind essentialism is the view that natural kind categories, both living and non-living natural kinds, as well as social kinds (e.g., race, gender), are essentialized. On this view, artifactual kinds are not essentialized. Our view—teleological essentialism—is that a broad range of categories are essentialized in terms of teleology, including artifacts. Utilizing the same kinds of experiments typically used to provide evidence of essentialist thinking—involving superficial change (study 1), transformation of insides (study 2) and inferences about offspring (study 3)—we find support for the view that a broad range of categories—living natural kinds, non-living natural kinds and artifactual kinds—are essentialized in terms of teleology. Study 4 tests a unique prediction of teleological essentialism and also provides evidence that people make inferences about purposes which in turn guide categorization judgments

An evaluation of self-administering arithmetic enrichment activities for grades 4, 5, and 6

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Gauge singlet scalar as inflaton and thermal relic dark matter

We show that, by adding a gauge singlet scalar S to the standard model which is nonminimally coupled to gravity, S can act both as the inflaton and as thermal relic dark matter. We obtain the allowed region of the (m_s, m_h) parameter space which gives a spectral index in agreement with observational bounds and also produces the observed dark matter density while not violating vacuum stability or nonperturbativity constraints. We show that, in contrast to the case of Higgs inflation, once quantum corrections are included the spectral index is significantly larger than the classical value (n = 0.966 for N = 60) for all allowed values of the Higgs mass m_h. The range of Higgs mass compatible with the constraints is 145 GeV < m_h < 170 GeV. The S mass lies in the range 45 GeV < ms < 1 TeV for the case of a real S scalar with large quartic self-coupling lambdas, with a smaller upper bound for smaller lambdas. A region of the parameter space is accessible to direct searches at the LHC via h-->SS, while future direct dark matter searches should be able to significantly constrain the model.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Published versio

Giant electrocaloric effect around Tc_c

We use molecular dynamics with a first-principles-based shell model potential to study the electrocaloric effect (ECE) in lithium niobate, LiNbO$_3$, and find a giant electrocaloric effect along a line passing through the ferroelectric transition. With applied electric field, a line of maximum ECE passes through the zero field ferroelectric transition, continuing along a Widom line at high temperatures with increasing field, and along the instability that leads to homogeneous ferroelectric switching below $T_c$ with an applied field antiparallel to the spontaneous polarization. This line is defined as the minimum in the inverse capacitance under applied electric field. We investigate the effects of pressure, temperature and applied electric field on the ECE. The behavior we observe in LiNbO$_3$ should generally apply to ferroelectrics; we therefore suggest that the operating temperature for refrigeration and energy scavenging applications should be above the ferroelectric transition region to obtain large electrocaloric response. We find a relationship among $T_c$, the Widom line and homogeneous switching that should be universal among ferroelectrics, relaxors, multiferroics, and the same behavior should be found under applied magnetic fields in ferromagnets.Comment: 5 page

Criminal Responsibility and Competency As Influenced by Organic Disease

It is the purpose of this article to survey legally significant organic diseases that may be contributing factors in criminal conduct or lead to criminal incompetency. An exhaustive cataloging of diseases is not intended, but rather the goal is to create an awareness in the practicing attorney, who finds himself defending an individual of questionable mental stability, of the possible medical theories that may be argued in defending his client. It is hoped that the material presented herein will alert the attorney to the necessity of seeking an expert medical opinion whenever the attorney suspects that his client is suffering from some mental abnormality. The organic diseases to be considered are: (1) metabolic and endocrine disturbances; (2) infections; (3) neoplasia (cancer); (4) senility; (5) genetic abnormalities; (6) alcohol, delirium tremens, and drugs; and (7) organic brain lesions, rage reactions, and seizures. Before discussing the individual organic disease syndromes associated with altered mental function and aberrant behavior, it may be useful to briefly review: (1) the concepts of criminal competency and criminal responsibility; (2) the applicable principles of criminal psychiatry; (3) the legal tests for competency and responsibility; and (4) the level of medical certainty necessary to establish organic disease and to demonstrate a causal-connection between the disease and the criminal act