Power to detect normal mixtures: Simulation results

Twenty tests for normality were compared for the purpose of detecting mixtures of two normal components with unequal means but equal variance. The purpose of this study was to determine the power of tests specifically designed to detect mixtures, i.e., the likelihood ratio and Engelman-Hartigan tests, relative to other tests for normality. We considered the entire range of mixing proportions {pi}, 0 0.85 or {pi} < 0.15, {radical}b{sub 1} was among the best tests. For intermediate mixing proportions, the likelihood ratio test was best. For situations in which the preferred test had power 50% or more, the power of the likelihood ratio test was also above 50% and within 15 percentage points of the preferred test

Comparison of energy spreads induced by a wakefield in a cavity

The energy spread of a beam bunch induced in a linear accelerator can be reduced to a minimum if the amplitude and the phase of the RF voltage are optimized. The energy spread is induced by the longitudinal wakefield and by the sinusoidal profile of the accelerating voltage acting on the beam. The cavity shape, the bunch profile, and the charge in the bunch determine the wake function. Aiming to have an approximately constant net voltage acting across the beam bunch, we optimize the amplitude and the phase of the RF voltage. The minimum energy spread, the required RF voltage, and the required RF phase are calculated as a function of the net charge and the length of the bunch. To find out the effect of cavity shape on the minimum energy spread, the optimization was performed for several types of cavities. 4 refs., 8 figs

Aspectos associados à degradação ambiental e ao uso de efluentes na agricultura do Brasil.

A exploração dos recursos naturais ao longo da história desconsiderou os impactos causados sobre a sua continuidade no atendimento às necessidades humanas. A água apresenta a maior preocupação a nível mundial, e a sua escassez torna o uso racional uma atitude inevitável. A utilização de efluentes na agricultura pode contribuir na redução da exploração dos recursos hídricos. Esse estudo apresentou uma discussão e levantamento bibliográfico sobre reaproveitamento de resíduo - efluente/água residuária na agricultura - utilizando como ferramentas: o histórico da exploração e a degradação dos recursos naturais em áreas urbanas e rurais; e um panorama do uso de efluentes na agricultura. Conclui-se que a degradação dos recursos naturais, aliada as mudanças climáticas e ao constante aumento da população e de suas necessidades, são os subsídios básicos para que se estimulem as pesquisas quanto ao uso de efluentes, na agricultura e atividades afins

Temperature equilibration in strongly coupled plasma

A laser-driven experiment investigating electron-ion equilibration in strongly coupled plasma was performed in 1995. At that time, standard estimates for the electron-ion equilibration time were two-to-three orders of magnitude faster than observed experimentally. As a result, the electron-ion equilibration time was taken as a fitting parameter to understand the experimental results. Based upon guidance from nonequilibrium molecular dynamics mixture calculations 121 and comparison with strongly coupled resistivity experiments, we have developed a consistent binary collision model to understand the electron-ion equilibration experiment. The model has been implemented in a newly developed multi-species, multi-temperature physics code, which was used for simulation of the experiment. The resulting electron-ion exchange rate is close to the experiment, which is about three orders-of-magnitude slower than given by standard estimates, most of which is the result of a modified coulomb logarithm

Three-dimensional beam pattern of regular sperm whale clicks confirms bent-horn hypothesis

Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 117 (2005): 1473-1485, doi:10.1121/1.1828501.The three-dimensional beam pattern of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) tagged in the Ligurian Sea was derived using data on regular clicks from the tag and from hydrophones towed behind a ship circling the tagged whale. The tag defined the orientation of the whale, while sightings and beamformer data were used to locate the whale with respect to the ship. The existence of a narrow, forward-directed P1 beam with source levels exceeding 210 dBpeak re: 1 µPa at 1 m is confirmed. A modeled forward-beam pattern, that matches clicks >20° off-axis, predicts a directivity index of 26.7 dB and source levels of up to 229 dBpeak re: 1 µPa at 1 m. A broader backward-directed beam is produced by the P0 pulse with source levels near 200 dBpeak re: 1 µPa at 1 m and a directivity index of 7.4 dB. A low-frequency component with source levels near 190 dBpeak re: 1 µPa at 1 m is generated at the onset of the P0 pulse by air resonance. The results support the bent-horn model of sound production in sperm whales. While the sperm whale nose appears primarily adapted to produce an intense forward-directed sonar signal, less-directional click components convey information to conspecifics, and give rise to echoes from the seafloor and the surface, which may be useful for orientation during dives.This work was funded by grants from the Office of Naval Research Grants N00014-99-1-0819 and N00014-01-1-0705, and the Packard Foundation

Diversity in sound pressure levels and estimated active space of resident killer whale vocalizations

Author Posting. © The Author, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Springer for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology 192 (2006): 449-459, doi:10.1007/s00359-005-0085-2.Signal source intensity and detection range, which integrates source intensity with propagation loss, background noise and receiver hearing abilities, are important characteristics of communication signals. Apparent source levels were calculated for 819 pulsed calls and 24 whistles produced by free-ranging resident killer whales by triangulating the angles-of-arrival of sounds on two beamforming arrays towed in series. Levels in the 1-20 kHz band ranged from 131-168 dB re 1μPa @1m, with differences in the means of different sound classes (whistles: 140.2 ± 4.1 dB; variable calls: 146.6 ± 6.6 dB; stereotyped calls: 152.6 ± 5.9 dB), and among stereotyped call types. Repertoire diversity carried through to estimates of active space, with “long-range” stereotyped calls all containing overlapping, independently-modulated high-frequency components (mean estimated active space of 10-16km in sea state zero) and “short-range” sounds (5-9 km) included all stereotyped calls without a high-frequency component, whistles, and variable calls. Short-range sounds are reported to be more common during social and resting behaviors, while long-range stereotyped calls predominate in dispersed travel and foraging behaviors. These results suggest that variability in sound pressure levels may reflect diverse social and ecological functions of the acoustic repertoire of killer whales.Funding was provided by WHOI’s Ocean Ventures Fund and Rinehart Coastal Research Center and a Royal Society fellowship

Ceramic Microbial Fuel Cells Stack: Power generation in standard and supercapacitive mode

© 2018 The Author(s). In this work, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) stack containing 28 ceramic MFCs was tested in both standard and supercapacitive modes. The MFCs consisted of carbon veil anodes wrapped around the ceramic separator and air-breathing cathodes based on activated carbon catalyst pressed on a stainless steel mesh. The anodes and cathodes were connected in parallel. The electrolytes utilized had different solution conductivities ranging from 2.0 mScm-1 to 40.1 mScm-1, simulating diverse wastewaters. Polarization curves of MFCs showed a general enhancement in performance with the increase of the electrolyte solution conductivity. The maximum stationary power density was 3.2 mW (3.2 Wm-3) at 2.0 mScm-1 that increased to 10.6 mW (10.6 Wm-3) at the highest solution conductivity (40.1 mScm-1). For the first time, MFCs stack with 1 L operating volume was also tested in supercapacitive mode, where full galvanostatic discharges are presented. Also in the latter case, performance once again improved with the increase in solution conductivity. Particularly, the increase in solution conductivity decreased dramatically the ohmic resistance and therefore the time for complete discharge was elongated, with a resultant increase in power. Maximum power achieved varied between 7.6 mW (7.6 Wm-3) at 2.0 mScm-1 and 27.4 mW (27.4 Wm-3) at 40.1 mScm-1

Using Long-Term Volunteer Records to Examine Dormouse (Muscardinusavellanarius) Nestbox Selection.

Within ecology, there are unanswered questions about species-habitat interactions, which could potentially be resolved by a pragmatic analysis of a long-term volunteer-collected dataset. Here, we analysed 18 years of volunteer-collected data from a UK dormouse nestbox monitoring programme to determine the influence of habitat variables on nestbox choice by common dormice (Muscardinusavellanarius). We measured a range of habitat variables in a coppiced woodland in Gloucestershire, UK, and analysed these in relation to dormouse nestbox occupancy records (by dormice, other small mammals, and birds) collected by volunteers. While some characteristics of the woodland had changed over 18 years, simple transformation of the data and interpretation of the results indicated that the dataset was informative. Using stepwise regressions, multiple environmental and ecological factors were found to determine nestbox selection. Distance from the edge of the wood was the most influential (this did not change over 18 years), with boxes in the woodland interior being selected preferentially. There was a significant negative relationship with the presence of ferns (indicative of damp shady conditions). The presence of oak (a long-lived species), and the clumped structural complexity of the canopy were also important factors in the final model. There was no evidence of competition between dormice and birds or other mammals. The results provide greater understanding of artificial dormouse nest-site requirements and indicate that, in terms of habitat selection, long-term volunteer-collected datasets contribute usefully to understanding the requirements of species with an important conservation status