The influence of flight speed on the ranging performance of bats using frequency modulated echolocation pulses

Many species of bat use ultrasonic frequency modulated (FM) pulses to measure the distance to objects by timing the emission and reception of each pulse. Echolocation is mainly used in flight. Since the flight speed of bats often exceeds 1% of the speed of sound, Doppler effects will lead to compression of the time between emission and reception as well as an elevation of the echo frequencies, resulting in a distortion of the perceived range. This paper describes the consequences of these Doppler effects on the ranging performance of bats using different pulse designs. The consequences of Doppler effects on ranging performance described in this paper assume bats to have a very accurate ranging resolution, which is feasible with a filterbank receiver. By modeling two receiver types, it was first established that the effects of Doppler compression are virtually independent of the receiver type. Then, used a cross-correlation model was used to investigate the effect of flight speed on Doppler tolerance and range-Doppler coupling separately. This paper further shows how pulse duration, bandwidth, function type, and harmonics influence Doppler tolerance and range-Doppler coupling. The influence of each signal parameter is illustrated using calls of several bat species. It is argued that range-Doppler coupling is a significant source of error in bat echolocation, and various strategies bats could employ to deal with this problem, including the use of range rate information are discussed.     

Well-posedness for general parametric quasi-variational inclusion problems

In this paper, we aim to suggest the new concept of well-posedness for the general parametric quasi-variational inclusion problems (QVIP). The corresponding concepts of well-posedness in the generalized sense are also introduced and investigated for QVIP. Some metric characterizations of well-posedness for QVIP are given. We prove that under suitable conditions, the well-posedness is equivalent to the existence of uniqueness of solutions. As applications, we obtain immediately some results of well-posedness for the parametric quasi-variational inclusion problems, parametric vector quasi-equilibrium problems and parametric quasi-equilibrium problems.     

The Umbella high-frequency EPR facility

The Umbella high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) facility is a part of the Nijmegen High Field Magnet Laboratory with special emphasis on multifrequency EPR for chemical and biological applications. At present the facility has various solid-state sources available for the frequency range between 95 and 400 GHz, combined with magnetic fields up to 30 T. For frequencies above 400 GHz a far-infrared laser is used. With superheterodyne detection techniques a typical dynamical range of 130 dB is obtained, with single-mode resonators, oversized cylindrical and Fabry-Perot resonators. Some examples will be shown to demonstrate the power of multifrequency EPR in high-spin systems.     

Squeeze-out from mixed monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and egg phosphatidylglycerol

Plots of surface pressuer (π) vs surface area (A) are taken from mixed monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and “egg” phosphatidylglycerol (egg PG) with the concentration of egg PG (X) ranging from 0 to 100%, the temperatures (T) from 37 to 41°C, and the compression rate (dA/dt) from −13.6 to −688 mm²s⁻, and at a relative humidity of over 90%. Between limiting values of X, T, and dA/dt the π-A plots of compression show regions of nearly constant π (plateaus) which start at values of π (π_pb) of 48 ± 2 mN m⁻¹, and which can be followed by an increase in π until collapse occurs at 70 mN m⁻¹. π_pb is independent of X, T, and dA/dt. The plateau is correlated with a loss of molecules from the monolayer, which increases strongly with X and T and decreases with dA/dt. The quantitative results are not in agreement with separate collapse of the components. A model is presented stating that plateaus occur when the transition from the liquid-expanded (LE) to the liquid-condensed phase (LC) is incomplete at π_pb. During plateau formation a mixed LE phase is squeezed out at its collapse pressure. The remaining LC phase can be compressed to 70 mN m⁻¹. Results of calculations based on this model are in agreement with the experimental results and predict slight enrichment of the squeezed-out phase with respect to egg PG.