内爆驱动式超高速发射技术的初步研究

为获得10 km/s左右的超高速发射能力,以内爆发射器为研究对象,利用AUTODYN 2D软件对口径为8 mm的内爆发射器进行有限元仿真分析,获得了典型状态下的弹丸发射速度。研制了口径为8 mm的内爆发射器,并在压缩管中填充5 MPa氦气进行实验,分别获得了0.55 g铝合金弹丸7.95 km/s和0.37 g镁合金弹丸10.28 km/s的发射速度,与有限元仿真计算结果的速度偏差分别为15.3%和3.7%。结果表明,设计的内爆发射器具备10 km/s发射能力,满足空间碎片撞击和防护研究的超高速发射需求。     

Experiences in Expert Systems

This paper describes some work carried out in the Scientific Research and Development Branch (SRDB) of the Home Office, intended to contribute to an overall aim of building up internal expertise in the field of expert systems. This was done by carrying out a number of pilot and demonstrator projects, two of which are described in some detail. The plan, which proved successful, was to build as far as possible on the relevant skills already possessed by an OR group in the branch. The lessons learned from these are summarized in the hope that they will be of use to other groups who wish to become involved in this important area.     

Graphs whose every transitive orientation contains almost every relation

Given a graphG onn vertices and a total ordering ≺ ofV(G), the transitive orientation ofG associated with ≺, denotedP(G; ≺), is the partial order onV(G) defined by settingx<y inP(G; ≺) if there is a pathx=x ₁ x ₂…x _r=y inG such thatx ₁ ≺x _j for 1≦i<j≦r. We investigate graphsG such that every transitive orientation ofG contains ₂ ⁿ −o(n ²) relations. We prove that almost everyG _n,p satisfies this requirement if , but almost noG _n,p satisfies the condition if (pn log log logn)/(logn log logn) is bounded. We also show that every graphG withn vertices and at mostcn logn edges has some transitive orientation with fewer than ₂ ⁿ −δ(c)n ² relations. Partially supported by MCS Grant 8104854.     

The validity of nonlinear geometric optics for weak solutions of conservation laws

The method of weakly nonlinear geometric optics is one of the main formal perturbation techniques used in analyzing nonlinear wave motion for hyperbolic systems. The tacit assumption in using such perturbation methods is that the corresponding solutions of the hyperbolic system remain smooth; since shock waves typically form in such solutions, these assumptions are rarely satisfied in practice. Nevertheless, in a variety of applied contexts, these methods give qualitatively reliable answers for discontinuous weak solutions. Here we give a rigorous proof for the validity of nonlinear geometric optics for general weak solutions of systems of hyperbolic conservation laws in a single space variable. The methods of proof do not mimic the formal construction of weakly nonlinear asymptotics but instead rely on structural symmetries of the approximating equations, stability estimates for intermediate asymptotic times, and the rapid decay in variation of weak solutions for large asymptotic times.Partially supported by NSF Grant No. DMS-8301135Partially supported by NSF Grant No. MCS-81-02360 and ARO Grant No. 483964-25530     

Hinge peptide combinatorial libraries for inhilbitors of botulinum neurotoxins and saxitoxin: Deconvolution strategy

Combinatorial library screening offers a rapid process for identifying potential therapies to toxins. Hinge peptide libraries, which rely on conformational diversity rather than traditional molecular diversity, reduce the need for huge numbers of syntheses and screening steps and greatly expedite the discovery process of active molecules. Hinge peptide libraries having the structures: Acetyl-X₁–X₂–hinge–X₃–X₄–NH₂ (capped) and X₁–hinge–X₂–X₃ (uncapped), where X₁ through X₄ are near-equimolar mixtures of twelve L-amino acids and hinge = 4-aminobutyric acid, were screened for inhibitory activity in bioassays for botulinum neurotoxins A and B (BoNT/A, BoNT/B) and saxitoxin. The zinc protease activity of the reduced light chains of BoNT/A and /B was assayed by measuring the cleavage of synthetic substrates. Saxitoxin activity was measured by the restoration of the viability of neuroblastoma cells treated with ouabain and veratridine. Deconvolution of libraries was accomplished by fixing one position at a time beginning with the C-terminus. Primary library subsets in which position 4 was fixed showed moderate levels of inhibition for BoNT/A. Secondary library subsets showed stronger inhibition in the bioassays. In each of the bioassays, inhibitory potency was stronger when the second position to be fixed was on the opposite side of the hinge, rather than on the same side with respect to the C-terminus, suggesting that the hinge facilitates the interaction of side chains. Inhibitors for all three of the toxins studied were discovered within library subsets, although not necessarily in primary subsets. These studies demonstrate that (1) the best strategy for deconvoluting hinge peptide libraries is by fixing residues alternately on each side of the hinge moiety, and (2) it is essential to investigate secondary subsets even when primary subsets are inactive. The present findings support the concept that the increased flexibility imposed by the inclusion of a central hinge residue in small peptides increases the opportunity for side chain interactions, providing a distinct advantage for hinge peptide libraries over conventional peptide libraries. Hinge peptide libraries are a rich source of novel ligands for modulation of biomechanisms. The library subsets uncovered in this study may possess peptides that will lead to effective therapies to neurotoxin poisoning.     

Auditory temporal resolution in normal-hearing preschool children revealed by word recognition in continuous and interrupted noise

The purpose of this study was to examine temporal resolution in normal-hearing preschool children. Word recognition was evaluated in quiet and in spectrally identical continuous and interrupted noise at signal-to-noise ratios (S/Ns) of 10, 0, and -10 dB. Sixteen children 4 to 5 years of age and eight adults participated. Performance decreased with decreasing S/N. At poorer S/Ns, participants demonstrated superior performance or a release from masking in the interrupted noise. Adults performed better than children, yet the release from masking was equivalent. Collectively these findings are consistent with the notion that preschool children suffer from poorer processing efficiency rather than temporal resolution per se.     

Field propagation phenomena in ultra high field NMR: a Maxwell-Bloch formulation

The principal advantage of NMR at high field is the concomitant increase in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This can be traded for improved spatial resolution and combined with parallel imaging to achieve higher temporal resolution. At high field strength, the RF-wavelength and the dimension of the human body complicate the development of NMR coils. For example, at 7 T, the wavelength in free space corresponds to about 1m. The dielectric constant in tissue with a high water content can be as high as 70 and at a larmor frequency of 300 MHz, this corresponds to a wavelength inside tissue of less than 15 cm. The operating wavelength is thus comparable to the diameter of most body parts. To this end, both temporal and spatial variations of the excitation field must be taken into account in addition to the expected increase in conductivity. For all these reasons, we find the propagation of radiation at ultra high fields (>4 T) new phenomena commonly observed in quantum optics but traditionally negligible in NMR such as phase modulation of the excitation field such that the identity between pulse area and flip angle is no longer valid. In this paper, the emergence of field propagation phenomena in NMR experiments is analytically and numerically demonstrated. It is shown that in addition to the well-studied dielectric resonance phenomena at high magnetic fields (>4 T), field propagation effects transform the excitation pulse into an adiabatic excitation. The high field strength also mean that nonlinear effects such as self-induced transparency are now possible in NMR experiments.     

The use of visual cues in the perception of non-native consonant contrasts

This study assessed the extent to which second-language learners are sensitive to phonetic information contained in visual cues when identifying a non-native phonemic contrast. In experiment 1, Spanish and Japanese learners of English were tested on their perception of a labial/ labiodental consonant contrast in audio (A), visual (V), and audio-visual (AV) modalities. Spanish students showed better performance overall, and much greater sensitivity to visual cues than Japanese students. Both learner groups achieved higher scores in the AV than in the A test condition, thus showing evidence of audio-visual benefit. Experiment 2 examined the perception of the less visually-salient /1/-/r/ contrast in Japanese and Korean learners of English. Korean learners obtained much higher scores in auditory and audio-visual conditions than in the visual condition, while Japanese learners generally performed poorly in both modalities. Neither group showed evidence of audio-visual benefit. These results show the impact of the language background of the learner and visual salience of the contrast on the use of visual cues for a non-native contrast. Significant correlations between scores in the auditory and visual conditions suggest that increasing auditory proficiency in identifying a non-native contrast is linked with an increasing proficiency in using visual cues to the contrast.     

Quasipotentials for simple noisy maps with complicated dynamics

The theory of nonequilibrium potentials or quasipotentials is a physically motivated approach to small random perturbations of dynamical systems, leading to exponential estimates of invariant probabilities and mean first exit times. In the present article we develop the mathematical foundation of this theory for discrete-time systems, following and extending the work of Freidlin and Wentzell, and Kifer. We discuss strategies for calculating and estimating quasipotentials and show their application to one-dimensionalS-unimodal maps. The method proves to be especially suited for describing the noise scaling behavior of invariant probabilities, e.g., for the map occurring as the limit of the Feigenbaum period-doubling sequence. We show that the method allows statements about the scaling behavior in the case of localized noise, too, which does not originally lie within the scope of the quasipotential formalism.