Cyclic Markov equilibria in stochastic games

We examine a three-person stochastic game where the only existing equilibria consist of cyclic Markov strategies. Unlike in two-person games of a similar type, stationary ε-equilibria (ε > 0) do not exist for this game. Besides we characterize the set of feasible equilibrium rewards.     

Reference-free NOE NMR analysis

Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) methods in NMR are an important tool for 3D structural analysis of small molecules. Quantitative NOE methods conventionally rely on reference distances, known distances that have to be spectrally separated and are not always available. Here we present a new method for evaluation and 3D structure selection that does not require a reference distance, instead utilizing structures optimized by molecular mechanics, enabling NOE evaluation even on molecules without suitable reference groups.

A quantitative Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) analysis approach that avoids the use of and internal reference distance to perform molecular configuration selection.     

Aspect-ratio dependent oscillatory thermocapillary convection in the floating half zone

The dependency of the critical Marangoni number on the geometrical aspect ratio of the floating half zone is essential to predict the onset of oscillatory thermocapillary convection.The experimental studies in the microgravity conditions on floating half zones of several centimeters in diameter have predicted that the critical Marangoni number increases with the increasing aspect ratio,and the terrestrial experimental studies have predicted the contradictory conclusion for floating half zones of several mil...     

Non-Gravitational Effects with Density-Matching in Evaluating the Influence of Sedimentation on Colloidal Coagulation

The method of density matching between the solid and liquid phases is often adopted to effectively eliminate the effect of sedimentation of suspensions in studies on dynamic behaviour of a colloidal system. However, the associated changes in the solvent composition may bring side effects to the properties investigated and therefore might lead to a faulty conclusion if the relevant correction is not made. To illustrate the importance of this side effect, we present an example of the sedimentation influence on the coagulation rate of suspensions of 2μm （diameter） polystyrene. The liquid mixtures, in the proper proportions of water （H2O）, deuterium oxide （D2O） and methanol （MeOH） as the liquid phase, density-matched and unmatched experiments are performed. Besides the influence of viscosity, the presence of methanol in solvent media, used to enhance the sedimentation effect, causes significant changes （reduction） in rapid coagulation rates compared to that in pure water. Without the relevant corrections for those non-gravitational factors it seems that gravitational sedimentation would retard the coagulation. The magnitude of the contribution from the non-gravitational factor is quantitatively determined, making the relevant correction possible. After necessary the influence of the sedimentation on coagulation rates at corrections for all factors, our experiments show that the initial stage of the coagulation is not observable.     

Avoiding eddy-current problems in ultra-low-field MRI with self-shielded polarizing coils

In ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF MRI), superconductive sensors are used to detect MRI signals typically in fields on the order of 10-100 μT. Despite the highly sensitive detectors, it is necessary to prepolarize the sample in a stronger magnetic field on the order of 10-100 mT, which has to be switched off rapidly in a few milliseconds before signal acquisition. In addition, external magnetic interference is commonly reduced by situating the ULF-MRI system inside a magnetically shielded room (MSR). With typical dipolar polarizing coil designs, the stray field induces strong eddy currents in the conductive layers of the MSR. These eddy currents cause significant secondary magnetic fields that may distort the spin dynamics of the sample, exceed the dynamic range of the sensors, and prevent simultaneous magnetoencephalography and MRI acquisitions. In this paper, we describe a method to design self-shielded polarizing coils for ULF MRI. The experimental results show that with a simple self-shielded polarizing coil, the magnetic fields caused by the eddy currents are largely reduced. With the presented shielding technique, ULF-MRI devices can utilize stronger and spatially broader polarizing fields than achievable with unshielded polarizing coils.