Power law burst and inter-burst interval distributions in the solar wind: turbulence or dissipative SOC ?

We calculate for the first time the probability density functions (PDFs) P of burst energy e, duration T and inter-burst interval tau for a known turbulent system in nature. Bursts in the earth-sun component of the Poynting flux at 1 AU in the solar wind were measured using the MFI and SWE experiments on the NASA WIND spacecraft. We find P(e) and P(T) to be power laws, consistent with self-organised criticality (SOC). We find also a power law form for P(tau) that distinguishes this turbulent cascade from the exponential P(tau) of ideal SOC, but not from some other SOC-like sandpile models. We discuss the implications for the relation between SOC and turbulence.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure. Submitted to PRL on 25th February 2000. Revised version re-submitted on 9th May 2000. Second revised version submitted Phys. Rev. E on 26th June, 200

New records, nomenclatural changes, and taxonomic notes for select North American leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

New records, nomenclatural changes and taxonomic notes are presented for select North American leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). The following genera are newly recorded from the United States: Nesaecrepida Blake, 1964; Acallepitrix Bechyne, 1959; Margaridisa Bechyne, 1958; Parchicola Bechyne and Springlova de Bechyne, 1975; (all Galerucinae: Alticini); and Demotina Baly, 1874 (Eumolpinae). The following species are newly recorded from the United States: Neolema dorsalis (Olivier, 1791) (Criocerinae); Charidotella bifossulata Boheman, 1855 (Hispinae: Cassidini); Syphrea flauicollis (Jacoby, 1884) (Galerucinae: Alticini); and Promecosoma inflatum Lefevre, 1877, and Demotina modesta Baly, 1874 (Eumolpinae). The following new synonymies are proposed: Deloyala clauata, var. diuersicollis Schaeffer, 1925, transferred from synonymy with Plagiometriona clauata (Fabricius, 1798) to synonymy withP. clauata testudinaria (Boheman, 1855); Chrysomela hybrida Say, 1824, downgraded from subspecies of Calligrapha lunata (Fabricius, 1787) to full synonym of CaZZigrapha lunata (Fabricius); Chrysomela casta Rogers, 1856, downgraded from subspecies of Zygogramma suturalis (Fabricius, 1775) to full synonym of Zygogrammasuturalis (Fabricius); Trirhabdagurneyi Blake, 1951, downgraded to synonym of Trirhabda caduca Horn, 1893; Scelida mimula Wilcox, 1965, downgraded to synonym of Scelida nigricornis (Jacoby, 1888); Exoracalifornica Wilcox, 1953, downgraded to synonym of Pte leon breuicornis (Jacoby, 1887); alaeothonaarizonensis Blake, 1950, downgraded to synonym ofLupraea discrepans (Schaeffer, 1932); Haltica nigritula Linell, 1898, downgraded to synonym of Nesaecrepida asphalt ina (Suffrian, 1868); Cryptocephalus reinhardi Sundman, 1965, downgraded to synonym of Cryptocephalus nwtabilis Melsheimer, 1847. The tribes Chalepini Wiese, 1910, and Uroplatini Weise, 1910 (Hispinae), are synonymized, and both of these family-group names are recognized as nomina protecta. The family-group name Octotomites Chapuis, 1875, is recognized as a nomen oblitum. Coptocycla testudinaria Boheman, 1855, is downgraded from specific status to a subspecies of Plagiometriona clauata (Fabricius, 1798); Cassida bicolor (Fabricius, 1798) is recognized as a valid subspecies of Charidotellasexpunctata (Fabricius). The genus Hemiphrynus Horn, 1889, is removed from synonymy with Phrynocepha and reinstated as a valid genus; Rhabdopterus weisei (Schaeffer, 1920) is removed from synonymy with Rhabdopterus praetextus (Say) and reinstated as a valid species. The following new combinations are proposed: Synetocephalus wallacei (Wilcox, 1965), transferred from Pseudoluperus; Nesaecrepida infuscata (Schaeffer, 1906), transferred from Monomacra; Acallepitrix nitens (Horn, 1889), transferred from Epitrix; Margaridisa atriuentris (Melsheimer, 1847), transferred from Hornaltica; Parchicola iris (Olivier, 1808) and P. tibialis (Olivier, 1808), transferred from Monomacra; and Coleothorpa panochensis (Gilbert, 1981), transferred from Coscinoptera; Promecosoma arizonae (Crotch, 1873), transferred from Metaxyonycha; Tymnes chrysis (Olivier, 1808), T. oregonensis (Crotch, 1873), and T. thaleia (Blake, 1977), transferred from Colaspis. The following new replacement name is proposed: Triarius nigroflaulls, for Luperodes flauoniger Blake, 1942 (not Laboissiere, 1925). The identities of Griburius equestris (Olivier, 1808) and G. laruatlls (Newman, 1840) are discussed

A simplex-like search method for bi-objective optimization

We describe a new algorithm for bi-objective optimization, similar to the Nelder Mead simplex algorithm, widely used for single objective optimization. For diferentiable bi-objective functions on a continuous search space, internal Pareto optima occur where the two gradient vectors point in opposite directions. So such optima may be located by minimizing the cosine of the angle between these vectors. This requires a complex rather than a simplex, so we term the technique the \cosine seeking complex". An extra beneft of this approach is that a successful search identifes the direction of the effcient curve of Pareto points, expediting further searches. Results are presented for some standard test functions. The method presented is quite complicated and space considerations here preclude complete details. We hope to publish a fuller description in another place

Energetic and environmental benefits of co-digestion of food waste and cattle slurry: a preliminary assessment

The research evaluated the feasibility of centralised pre-processing and pasteurisation of source-separated domestic food waste followed by transport to farms for anaerobic co-digestion with dairy cattle slurry. Data from long-term experiments on the co-digestion of these two substrates was used to predict gross energy yields; net yields were then derived from full system analysis using an energy modelling tool. The ratio of cattle slurry to food waste in the co-digestion was based on the nutrient requirements of the dairy farm and was modelled using both nitrogen and phosphorous as the limiting factor. The model was run for both medium-size and large farms in which the cattle were housed either all year round or for only 50% of the year. The results showed that the addition of food waste improved energy yields per digester unit volume, with a corresponding increased potential for improving farm income by as much as 50%. Data for dairy farms in the county of Hampshire UK, which has a low density of dairy cattle and a large population, was used as a stringent test case to verify the applicability of the concept. In this particular case the nutrient requirements of the larger farms could be satisfied, and further benefits were gained from the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions avoided through improved manure management and fertiliser imports. The results indicated that this approach offered major advantages in terms of resource conservation and pollution abatement when compared to either centralised anaerobic digestion of food waste or energy recovery from thermal treatmen

Sensitivity of mixing layers to three-dimensional forcing

It is well known that turbulent mixing layers are dominated by large scale, fairly coherent structures, and that these structures are related to the stability characteristics of the flow. These facts have led researchers to attempt controlling such flows by selectively forcing certain unstable modes, which can in addition have the effect of suppressing other modes. Much of the work on controlling the mixing layer has relied on forcing 2-D instabilities. The results of forcing 3-D instabilities are addressed. The objectives of the work are twofold: to understand how a mixing layer responds to 3-D perturbations, and to test the validity of an amplitude expansion in predicting the mixing layer development. The amplitude expansion could be very useful in understanding and predicting the 3-D response of the flow to a variety of initial conditions

Evaluation of the SPAR thermal analyzer on the CYBER-203 computer

The use of the CYBER 203 vector computer for thermal analysis is investigated. Strengths of the CYBER 203 include the ability to perform, in vector mode using a 64 bit word, 50 million floating point operations per second (MFLOPS) for addition and subtraction, 25 MFLOPS for multiplication and 12.5 MFLOPS for division. The speed of scalar operation is comparable to that of a CDC 7600 and is some 2 to 3 times faster than Langley's CYBER 175s. The CYBER 203 has 1,048,576 64-bit words of real memory with an 80 nanosecond (nsec) access time. Memory is bit addressable and provides single error correction, double error detection (SECDED) capability. The virtual memory capability handles data in either 512 or 65,536 word pages. The machine has 256 registers with a 40 nsec access time. The weaknesses of the CYBER 203 include the amount of vector operation overhead and some data storage limitations. In vector operations there is a considerable amount of time before a single result is produced so that vector calculation speed is slower than scalar operation for short vectors

Structural optimization by generalized, multilevel decomposition

The developments toward a general multilevel optimization capability and results for a three-level structural optimization are described. The method partitions a structure into a number of substructuring levels where each substructure corresponds to a subsystem in the general case of an engineering system. The method is illustrated by a portal framework that decomposes into individual beams. Each beam is a box that can be further decomposed into stiffened plates. Substructuring for this example spans three different levels: (1) the bottom level of finite elements representing the plates; (2) an intermediate level of beams treated as substructures; and (3) the top level for the assembled structure. The three-level case is now considered to be qualitatively complete

Short-Chained Oligo(Ethylene Oxide)-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles: Realization Of Significant Protein Resistance

Protein corona formed on nanomaterial surfaces play an important role in the bioavailability and cellular uptake of nanomaterials. Modification of surfaces with oligoethylene glycols (OEG) are a common way to improve the resistivity of nanomaterials to protein adsorption. Short-chain ethylene oxide (EO) oligomers have been shown to improve the protein resistance of planar Au surfaces. We describe the application of these EO oligomers for improved protein resistance of 30 nm spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Functionalized AuNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential measurements. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) was used for separation and quantitation of AuNPs and AuNP-protein mixtures. Specifically, nonequilibrium capillary electrophoresis of equilibrium mixtures (NECEEM) was employed for the determination of equilibrium and rate constants for binding between citrate-stabilized AuNPs and two model proteins, lysozyme and fibrinogen. Semi-quantitative CE analysis was carried out for mixtures of EO-functionalized AuNPs and proteins, and results demonstrated a 2.5-fold to 10-fold increase in protein binding resistance to lysozyme depending on the AuNP surface functionalization and a 15-fold increase in protein binding resistance to fibrinogen for both EO oligomers examined in this study