Compact coaxial driver for small-size Z-pinch

The presented one-capacitor pinch driver, designed as a compact coaxial structure (including spark-gap and discharge section) consistent with the capacitor output, generates a current of 200 kA with 700 ns quarter-period, suitable for studying the optimization of Z-pinch radiative characteristics. The driver is described, measurements of its parameters summarized, and relations to our previous and future activities briefly reviewed.This work was supported in part by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic under contract No. 202/93/1023.     

The core of discontinuous games

The traditional design of cooperative games implicitly assumes that preferences are continuous. However, if agents implement tie breaking procedures, preferences are effectively lexicographic and thus discontinuous. This rouses concern over whether classic core nonemptiness theorems apply in such settings. We show that balanced NTU games may have empty cores when agents have discontinuous preferences. Moreover, exchange economies may lack coalitionally rational trades when consumers implement tie breaking rules, even if these rules are themselves continuous and convex as are all first order preferences. Results are more positive when “utility” is transferable. We prove that balancedness is necessary and sufficient to ensure a nonempty core in lexicographic TU games.     

1H and13C nuclear magnetic relaxation and local dynamics of lysozyme and synthetic polypeptides

The combined analysis of¹H and¹³C NMR relaxation data in solid lysozyme and some typical homopolypeptides was carried out by using “model-free” approach. Three types of relaxation transitions (γ’, γ and β) were revealed in the temperature range investigated. The microdynamical parameters of these motions were determined. From the comparison of these parameters with those of selected synthetic polymers it follows that the molecular motions in proteins and synthetic polymers are of the same nature. All these motions show pronounced anisotropic character. In the investigated temperature range no molecular motions corresponding to α-relaxation (liquid-like) transition were revealed. The hydration effects on parameters of the motions in proteins were considered. The most pronounced effect takes place for β-transition. The effect of Brownian rotation of protein molecule in solution on measured correlation function of local motions was also discussed.     

Excess enthalpies of some 2-alkanone + 1-chloroalkane binary mixtures at 25 and 35°C

Excess molar enthalpies h^E at 25 and 35° C and atmospheric pressure, are reported for the binary mixtures formed by a 2-butanone and 2-pentanone with 1-chlorobutane, 1-chloropentane, 1-chlorohexane, or 1-chlorooctane. The h^E values for all the mixtures are positive, increasing as the 1-chloroalkane length increases and as the ketone length decreases. Excess molar enthalpies depend slightly on the temperature. The experimental values together with those from the literature were used to calculate the interaction parameters for the Dang-Tassios version of the UNIFAC model.Communicated at the Festsymposium celebrating Dr. Henry V. Kehiaian's 60^th birthday, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 17–18 May 1990.     

GDDP: Generalized Dual Dynamic Programming Theory

This document presents theoretical considerations about the solution of dynamic optimization problems integrating the Benders Theory, the Dynamic Programming approach and the concepts of Control Theory. The so called Generalized Dual Dynamic Programming Theory (GDDP) can be considered as an extension of two previous approaches known as Dual Dynamic Programming (DDP): The first is the work developed by Pereira and Pinto [3–5], which was revised by Velásquez and others [8,9]. The second is the work developed by Read and others [2,6,7].     

Book Reviews

Unsigned book reviews are by the Book Review Editor.     

Energy transfer between the flavin chromophores of electron-transferring flavoprotein fromMegasphaera elsdenii as inferred from time-resolved red-edge and blue-edge fluorescence spectroscopy

Both a mode-locked argon-ion laser and synchrotron radiation were used as excitation sources to obtain time-resolved polarized fluorescence of the two FAD cofactors in electron transferring flavoprotein fromMegasphaera elsdenii. Red-edge excited and blue-edge detected fluorescence anisotropy decay curves did not contain a fast relaxation process which was observed upon mainband excitation and detection. This relaxation was assigned to homo-energy transfer between the two FAD cofactors. Failure of energy transfer as observed with edge spectroscopy on this protein excludes restricted reorientational motion of the flavins as a possible mechanism of depolarization. From the global analysis of the fluorescence anisotropy decay surface obtained at multiple excitation and detection wavelengths, the distance between and the relative orientation of the flavins could be estimated. The methodology described has general applicability in other multichromophoric biopolymers and has the potential to acquire accurate geometrical parameters in these systems.     

Multiple-scattering-theory analysis of XANES spectra of SO2 adsorbed on Cu(100)

The sulphur K-edge x-ray absorption spectra of SO₂ multilayer and of SO₂ submonolayer adsorbed on Cu(100) are analysed. It is found that the dominant spectral features are of a molecular origin. The results support earlier findings that the SO₂ molecule stands perpendicular to the surface. Use of non-selfconsistent potentials does not lead to a good quantitative agreement between theory and experiment.