Audiogram of a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)

The underwater hearing sensitivity of a striped dolphin was measured in a pool using standard psycho-acoustic techniques. The go/no-go response paradigm and up-down staircase psychometric method were used. Auditory sensitivity was measured by using 12 narrow-band frequency-modulated signals having center frequencies between 0.5 and 160 kHz. The 50% detection threshold was determined for each frequency. The resulting audiogram for this animal was U-shaped, with hearing capabilities from 0.5 to 160 kHz (8 1/3 oct). Maximum sensitivity (42 dB re 1 microPa) occurred at 64 kHz. The range of most sensitive hearing (defined as the frequency range with sensitivities within 10 dB of maximum sensitivity) was from 29 to 123 kHz (approximately 2 oct). The animal's hearing became less sensitive below 32 kHz and above 120 kHz. Sensitivity decreased by about 8 dB per octave below 1 kHz and fell sharply at a rate of about 390 dB per octave above 140 kHz.     

Sorption kinetics for the removal of aldehydes from aqueous streams with extractant impregnated resins

The sorption kinetics for the removal aldehydes from aqueous solutions with Amberlite XAD-16 and MPP particles impregnated with Primene JM-T was investigated. A model, accounting for the simultaneous mass transfer and chemical reaction, is developed to describe the process. It is based on the analogy to the diffusion and reaction in a stagnant liquid sphere, but corrected for the porosity and particle properties influencing the diffusion. The developed model describes the kinetic behavior of the process in the low concentration region rather well. However, in the high concentration region, larger discrepancies are observed. Initially, the influence of the flow rate was investigated to eliminate the effect of the external mass transfer. The influence of the particle morphology was investigated for both physical and reactive sorption. Physical sorption experiments were used to determine the factor τ that takes the particle properties influencing the diffusion into account. It was shown that the diffusion is faster in XAD-16 than in MPP impregnated systems. Reaction rate constant k _x was determined by fitting the model to the experimental data. Sorption of benzaldehyde appears to be significantly slower (k _x ∼10⁻⁴ l/mol s) than the sorption of pentanal (k _x ∼10⁻³ l/mol s) due to the slower chemical reaction. The influence of the particle size was investigated for the sorption of pentanal with XAD-16. It was observed that the particle size does influence the diffusion term, but does not have an effect on the reaction rate. On the other hand, the extractant loading influences the reaction rate slightly in the low concentration region, whereas the initial concentration of the solute has more pronounced effect.     

Estimating the spectral measure of an extreme value distribution

Let (X₁, Y₁), (X₂, Y₂),…, (X_n, Y_n) be a random sample from a bivariate distribution function F which is in the domain of attraction of a bivariate extreme value distribution function G. This G is characterized by the extreme value indices and its spectral measure or angular measure. The extreme value indices determine both the marginals and the spectral measure determines the dependence structure. In this paper, we construct an empirical measure, based on the sample, which is a consistent estimator of the spectral measure. We also show for positive extreme value indices the asymptotic normality of the estimator under a suitable 2nd order strengthening of the bivariate domain of attraction condition.     

Sea and Wind: Multivariate Extremes at Work

Multivariate extreme value theory is used to estimate the probability of failure of a sea-wall near the town of Petten in Noord Holland, The Netherlands. The sample consists of 828 observations of still water levels and wave heights collected during storm events over a 13-year period. The paper sketches the probabilistic and statistical theory behind the estimation procedures used. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

INDO calculations on the sigmatropic [1, 5] H-Shift in 1,3-cyclohexadiene and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene A homo-cyclopentadienyl transition state model

INDO calculations have been performed for the activated complex of the [1, 5] H.-shift in 1,3-cyclohexadiene and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene. During the migration in the cyclohexadiene system a homoconjugation was calculated between the carbon atoms C₁ and C₅. For cycloheptatriene it could be demonstrated that one double bond does not participate in the reaction. Activation enthalpies are related to (homo)conjugation in the transition state of the reaction for cyclic conjugated dienes and trienes. The electron density on the migrating hydrogen can be related to the electron affinity of the ring system in the transition state.[/p]     

Total-head measurements in fluctuating flows

Zusammenfassung Es ist eine Methode für die Messung eines schwankenden Staudruckes entwickelt worden. Das Ger?t besteht aus Staurohr, Verbindungsrohr, piezo-elektrischem Druckaufnehmer und elektrischem Filter. Die aerodynamischen, mechanischen und elektrischen Eigenschaften des Systems werden besprochen und eine Eichmethode beschrieben. Das ausgeführte Ger?t besitzt eine nahezu geradlinige Eichkurve bis 800 Hz und eignet sich für die Turbulenzmessungen hinter verschiedenen Gittern. Die Ergebnisse stimmen befriedigend mit Hitzdrahtmessungen überein.

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Laboratorium voor Aero- en Hydrodynamica van de Technische Hogeschool te Delft (Mededeling no. 87).