The Dichotomy of Recurrence and Transience of Semi-Lévy Processes

A semi-Lévy process is an additive process with periodically stationary increments. In particular, it is a generalization of a Lévy process. The dichotomy of recurrence and transience of Lévy processes is well known, but this is not necessarily true for general additive processes. In this paper, we prove the recurrence and transience dichotomy of semi-Lévy processes. For the proof, we introduce a concept of semi-random walk and discuss its recurrence and transience properties. An example of semi-Lévy process constructed from two independent Lévy processes is investigated. Finally, we prove the laws of large numbers for semi-Lévy processes.     

Approach to thermal properties and electronic polarizability from average single bond strength in ZnOBi2O3B2O3 glasses

The glass transition temperature (T_g), density, refractive index, Raman scattering spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) for xZnO-yBi₂O₃-zB₂O₃ glasses (x=10-65, y=10-50, z=25-60 mol%) are measured to clarify the bonding and structure features of the glasses with large amounts of ZnO. The average electronic polarizability of oxide ions (α_O2−) and optical basicity (Λ) of the glasses estimated using Lorentz-Lorenz equation increase with increasing ZnO or Bi₂O₃ content, giving the values of α_O2−=1.963 Å³ and Λ=0.819 for 60ZnO-10Bi₂O₃-30B₂O₃ glass. The formation of BOBi and BOZn bridging bonds in the glass structure is suggested from Raman and XPS spectra. The average single bond strength (B_MO) proposed by Dimitrov and Komatsu is applied to the glasses and is calculated using single bond strengths of 150.6 kJ/mol for ZnO bonds in ZnO₄ groups, 102.5 kJ/mol for BiO bonds in BiO₆ groups, 498 kJ/mol for BO bonds in BO₃ groups, and 373 kJ/mol for BO bonds in BO₄ groups. Good correlations are observed between T_g and B_MO, Λ and B_MO, and T_g and Λ, proposing that the average single bond strength is a good parameter for understanding thermal and optical properties of ZnOBi₂O₃B₂O₃ glasses.     

Results of 0.5% cold-leg small-break LOCA experiments at ROSA-IV/LSTF: Effect of break orientation

Three 0.5% cold-leg small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) experiment were conducted at the ROSA-IV Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) to investigate the effects of break orientation on system thermal-hydraulic responses. In these three experiments, the break hole was located at the side, bottom, and top of the horizontal cold leg, respectively. Although the key phenomena observed in the three experiments were basically the same, the break flow rate was affected by the break orientation when phase stratification occured in the cold leg; the break flow rate was largest for the side break and smallest for the top break. The RELAP5/MOD2 code failed to predict the difference in the break flow rate observed in the experiments. Modification to the break flow calculation models, for both subcooled and two-phase flow discharge conditions, resulted in good agreement between data and predictions.     

Baseline noise and measurement uncertainty in liquid chromatography.

The stochastic properties of baseline noise in HPLC systems with a UV photo-diode array, photo-multiplier and gamma-ray detector were examined by dividing the noise into auto-correlated random process (Markov process) and an independent process (white noise). The present work focused on the effect of the stochastic noise properties on a theoretical estimation of the standard deviation (SD) of area measurements in instrumental analyses. An estimation theory, called FUMI theory (Function of Mutual Information), was taken as an example. A computer simulation of noise was also used. It was shown that the reliability (confidence intervals) of theoretical SD estimates mainly depends on the following factors: the ratio of the white noise and Markov process occurring in the baselines; the number of data points used for the estimation; the width of a target peak for which the SD is estimated.     

Cyclic flow-injection analysis for the repetitive determination of zinc with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]phenol and EDTA.

A circulatory flow-injection method (cyclic FIA) for the repetitive determination of zinc has been proposed. The procedure involves the use of 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]phenol (5-Br-PAPS) together with EDTA as a reagent carrier solution, which is recycled in a single-line flow system via a reservoir. The formed 5-Br-PAPS-Zn(II) complex was measured spectrophotometrically at 552 nm, and the signal intensity corresponded to the zinc concentration. After passing through a flow-through cell, the carrier stream then returned to the reservoir, and the main reagent, 5-Br-PAPS, was successfully regenerated by a ligand-exchange reaction with EDTA, allowing the repetitive determination of zinc. The calibration curve for zinc was linear in the concentration range from 0.4 to 10.0 mg dm(-3) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9995 (n = 6). The detection limit of this method was 0.02 mg dm(-3) (S/N= 3). This method allowed as many as 300 repetitive determinations of 2.0 mg dm(-3) zinc solution with only 100 cm3 of the circulating carrier solution, providing a reduction in the consumption of reagents and an elimination of waste, an important approach towards clean chemistry.     

Scanning liquid-crystal thermometry and stereo velocimetry for simultaneous three-dimensional measurement of temperature and velocity field in a turbulent Rayleigh-Bérnard convection

In this paper, we report on an experimental technique for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and three components of velocity in a three-dimensional thermal flow using scanning liquid-crystal thermometry and stereo velocimetry. The temperature is measured by the color image analysis of the liquid-crystal particles suspended in a fluid, while the three velocity components are measured by stereo particle image velocimetry (stereo PIV) with the aid of tracer particles. The measurement is carried out by scanning the light-sheet plane while capturing the sequential color images of the liquid crystals and tracer particles. This measurement allows the reconstruction of the three-dimensional distribution of temperature and full velocity field simultaneously. The present experimental technique is applied to the horizontal fluid layer of a turbulent Rayleigh-Bérnard convection and the three-dimensional structures of thermal plumes are evaluated. The experimental results indicate that the structures of plumes are often correlated with the vertical velocity of the fluid, but they behave randomly in space, influenced by the large-scale turbulence evident in the middle of the fluid layer.     

Crystal Structure of the Isopropylzinc Alkoxide of Pyrimidyl Alkanol: Mechanistic Insights for Asymmetric Autocatalysis with Amplification of Enantiomeric Excess

Asymmetric amplification during self‐replication is a key feature that is used to explain the origin of homochirality. Asymmetric autocatalysis of pyrimidyl alkanol in the asymmetric addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine‐5‐carbaldehyde is a unique example of this phenomenon. Crystallization of zinc alkoxides of this 5‐pyrimidyl alkanol and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis of the alkoxide crystals reveal the existence of tetramer or higher oligomer structures in this asymmetric autocatalytic system.