Experimental identification of physical parameters of fluid-filled pipes using acoustical signal processing

A method is formulated for the identification of an unknown physical parameter of a fluid-filled pipe using the measurement of sound speed in the pipe. The method uses a simple formula which provides the relationship between the sound speed and a few physical parameters of the pipe: thickness, diameter, wall material constants and fluid constants. Once the sound speed in the pipe is measured, the simple formula can be used to extract one of the unknown parameters providing the remaining ones are known.The sound speed in the pipe is measured using a 3-transducer array. In order to demonstrate the potential of the technique the results of several measurements obtained in a water-filled steel pipe are presented.The required accuracy of the measurement of sound speed and of the specification of known parameters is analysed. The accuracy depends on the unknown parameter which is to be identified. For example, if the pipe thickness is the unknown parameter, the other parameters have to be known within a very narrow margin of error. On the contrary, if the fluid properties have to be identified the needed accuracy of known parameters gets much lower.     

Application of x-ray fluorescence analysis to investigation of the composition of gunshot residues

We have used x-ray fluorescence analysis to study the elemental composition of gunshot residues from smooth-bore and rifled-bore guns. We have established that it is possible to differentiate between types of projectiles (jacketed/lead), types of primers (corrosive/noncorrosive), and types of propellant powders (black/smokeless) by analysis of the elemental composition of the gunshot residues. We have shown that the mercury content in gunshot residues on the surface of the object carrying the residues steadily decreases as storage time increases. Despite this fact, mercury can be preserved as a component of gunshot residues on the object (cotton cloth) under room conditions for more than 45 days. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 320–325, May–June, 2006.     

Synthesis and structures of nitroxyalkyl methylphosphonates

The reactions of ethylene glycol mononitrate and glycerol 1,3-dinitrate with methylphosphonic dichloride afforded new nitroxyalkyl methylphosphonates.     

我国医疗费用增长与医疗设备投入的相关性研究

近年来我国卫生总费用占GDP的比例增长很快,而在卫生费用结构上则发生政府投入下降和个人支出的上升。本文采集了大量的统计数据,采用统计相关性研究的方法,论证了医疗设备规模的不断扩大是导致医疗费用上升的主要因素之一;医疗设备的快速增长与医院维修费用投入的增长直接相关,而引起医疗设备维修大量投入的主要原因则是故障期内医疗设备的非正常闲置。本文通过对个人卫生费用的上升、医疗设备规模的扩大及其医疗设备维修投入费用增加相关性的分析,说明了在这种关系下,十分有必要研究医院医疗设备维修体系,以在卫生投入和患者权益上达到平衡。     

中学生男性性别角色期望的因子模型与应用

运用中学生男性性别角色期望调查表和因子分析方法对贵阳市中学生进行男性性别角色期望调查和定性与定量分析,为中学生树立适宜的性别角色观,促进其心理健康发展提供量化依据.分析显示:传统的男性角色并不被现代中学生完全接受,无论是男中学生还是女中学生都在力图探求一种新的男性性别角色模式,且两性中学生对这一新的男性性别角色模式的期望和把握是有一定差异的.     

Numerical analysis of the Toda lattice equations

Numerical solutions to three systems of integrable evolutionary equations from the Toda lattice hierarchy are analyzed. These are the classical Toda lattice, the second local dispersive flow, and the second extended dispersive flow. Special attention is given to the properties of soliton solutions. For the equations of the second local flow, two types of solitons interacting in a special manner are found. Solutions corresponding to various initial data are qualitatively outlined.     

Dirac constraint analysis and symplectic structure of anti-self-dual Yang-Mills equations

We present the explicit form of the symplectic structure of anti-self-dual Yang-Mills (ASDYM) equations in Yang’s J- and K-gauges in order to establish the bi-Hamiltonian structure of this completely integrable system. Dirac’s theory of constraints is applied to the degenerate Lagrangians that yield the ASDYM equations. The constraints are second class as in the case of all completely integrable systems which stands in sharp contrast to the situation in full Yang-Mills theory. We construct the Dirac brackets and the symplectic 2-forms for both J- and K-gauges. The covariant symplectic structure of ASDYM equations is obtained using the Witten-Zuckerman formalism. We show that the appropriate component of the Witten-Zuckerman closed and conserved 2-form vector density reduces to the symplectic 2-form obtained from Dirac’s theory. Finally, we present the Bäcklund transformation between the J- and K-gauges in order to apply Magri’s theorem to the respective two Hamiltonian structures.     

Zero weights and non-zero slacks: Different solutions to the same problem

This paper re-assesses three independently developed approaches that are aimed at solving the problem of zero-weights or non-zero slacks in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The methods are weights restricted, non-radial and extended facet DEA models. Weights restricted DEA models are dual to envelopment DEA models with restrictions on the dual variables (DEA weights) aimed at avoiding zero values for those weights; non-radial DEA models are envelopment models which avoid non-zero slacks in the input-output constraints. Finally, extended facet DEA models recognize that only projections on facets of full dimension correspond to well defined rates of substitution/transformation between all inputs/outputs which in turn correspond to non-zero weights in the multiplier version of the DEA model. We demonstrate how these methods are equivalent, not only in their aim but also in the solutions they yield. In addition, we show that the aforementioned methods modify the production frontier by extending existing facets or creating unobserved facets. Further we propose a new approach that uses weight restrictions to extend existing facets. This approach has some advantages in computational terms, because extended facet models normally make use of mixed integer programming models, which are computationally demanding.     

Thermal treatment on composite γ-zirconium phosphate-silica

The prepared amorphous γ-ZrP\SiO₂ composite had a complicated composition, since a part of γ-ZrP is converted to α-form during the exfoliation of it. The γ-ZrP\SiO₂ composite have specific surface area of 421 m²g^–1. The acidic P–OH groups of the lamellae species placed on the surface (it is ≈1.0 meq g^–1), do not destroy until the temperature of 1030 K. During the thermal treatment the total mass loss of 7.79% was found. This value corresponds to 0.42 mole of H₂O per molecule unit. The water loss process was found very slow, because of the placing of bilamellar species in the composite.     

Two New Eremophilenolides from Ligularia muliensis

Many Ligularia species have long been used as traditional folk medicine for theirantibiotic, antiphlogistic and antitussive activities1, and were found to be an importantsource of eremophilane. In the course of our search for bioactive sesquiterpenoids, w…