Two-stop-two-slip motions of a dry friction oscillator

This paper presents the investigation on the two-stop-two-slip (TSTS) motions in a dry friction oscillator. Friction is a kind of dissipated force. Simple dry friction oscillator implies complicated stick-slip motions. Due to its nonlinear non-smooth characters, it is difficult to analyze the stick-slip motions. First, TSTS motion is analyzed in this paper. A closed form solution of the TSTS motions is presented. In addition, parameter domain for the motion is studied. In general, there are no explicit solu...     

自励异步发电机带载稳态的解析计算

从自励异步发电机的暂态等效电路出发,基于其在两相静止坐标系上的状态空间数学模型,对其带载建压暂稳态过程提出了应用Lyapunov稳定性理论的整体性分析方法.依据理论分析方法分析得到了带载自励建压达到稳态的过程之应用暂态数学模型表示的稳态条件.解极限环条件得出了定子频率和转子转速的解析计算式,以及确保自励建压的负载取值范围和电机磁路过度饱和稳态励磁电感的解析关系式;为求解稳态运行点条件,提出了一种基于物理背景的等价转化解析计算方法,解得了稳态运行点的解析计算式.算例分析检验了稳态条件的唯一组解析解.实测值与计算结果相互吻合,验证了稳态条件解析计算式的正确性、科学性和有效性,表明了通用性和工程参考价值,解决了长期以来对异步发电机暂稳态运行性能无法解析计算的难题.理论分析方法适用于具有动力学特性的其他类型电力系统运行分析.     

‘… not fundamental in a state of full civilization’: The Sociedad Astronómica de Barcelona (1910–1921) and its Popularization Programme

Scrutinizing the main activities of the Sociedad Astronómica de Barcelona (SAB), a scientific society that was founded in 1910 and lasted until 1921, this paper analyses how and why its members disseminated astronomy to society at large. Inspired by Camille Flammarion (1842–1925), and with a strong amateur character, the programme of the SAB raised interest among academic scientists, politicians, priests, navy officers, educated audiences, and positivist anticlerical writers. It rapidly conquered the public sphere through well-attended lectures, exhibitions, observations, and publications. In the context of an industrial city, which at that time was suffering serious social tensions, the popularization of astronomy transcended social and cultural boundaries. It created common ground between expert and lay knowledge, science and art, the ‘natural’ and the ‘social’, and between science and religion. In addition, it was considered as one of the only possible ways to raise the scientific level of a country such as Spain, which at that time perceived itself as peripheral, even backward, in terms of mainstream innovations in science and technology.     

汽车制动过程中摩擦层结构的发展及其对摩擦性能的影响

汽车制动过程中摩擦材料和摩擦盘表面形成摩擦层,摩擦层的组成和结构与摩擦材料的本体组成和结构不同.摩擦层结构的生成与破坏过程即摩擦层结构的发展是理解摩擦材料组成和摩擦性能关系的桥梁.本文综述了汽车制动过程中摩擦层形成的两种主要机理：磨屑聚集和物质选择性转移,分析了这两种机理在摩擦材料表面形成摩擦层结构生成与破坏的发展过程,讨论了摩擦层结构发展对摩擦系数和磨损率的影响.     

Inferential processes in the construction of scenarios

The process of scenario construction is not yet well understood. Procedures appeal to the ‘disciplined intuition’ of experts. From a psychological perspective, however, generating scenarios represents a most difficult cognitive task. Two cognitive functions involved in this task are discussed: forward inferences and backward inferences. Whereas forward inferences explore the implications of given options and help to identify potential consequences, backward inferences explore the implications of given goals and help identify potential options. The first process leads to an exploratory scenario, the second to an anticipatory scenario. It is argued that the two approaches, applied to the same problem, result in different scenarios, i.e. scenarios that differ in their elements, their structures, their ranges and their ‘holes’. A bi-directional construction method is suggested that balances the drawbacks implied in using one cognitive strategy only (e.g. forward inference) by using complementarily the other strategy (e.g. backward inference). In contrast to other methods proposed in the literature, this method is theoretically derived and can be tested empirically.     

The orthodox-paradoxical sleep cycle in the rat.

Under the postulated existence of a mechanism regulating the NREM sleep- REM sleep sequence and a reset of this mechanism by long awakenings, the variability of sleep cycle in the rat was studied. Awakenings of various durations were included in the definition of sleep cycle boundaries. Results show that an intervening awakening of 1 min is close to the limit under which the same cycle seems to be resumed after the awakening and above which the previous cycle is abortive and a new cycle will start after the next sleep onset.     

The orthodox-paradoxical sleep cycle in the rat

Summary Under the postulated existence of a mechanism regulating the NREM sleep-REM sleep sequence and a reset of this mechanism by long awakenings, the variability of sleep cycle in the rat was studied. Awakenings of various durations were included in the definition of sleep cycle boundaries. Results show that an intervening awakening of 1 min is close to the limit under which the same cycle seems to be resumed after the awakening and above which the previous cycle is abortive and a new cycle will start after the next sleep onset.     

External synchronization of two dynamical systems with uncertain parameters

External synchronization is addressed as two or more dynamical systems with synchronous motions, which is also regarded as master-slave system. In this paper, two dynamical systems, one employs a hysteretic term to model the friction phenomenon, the other involves a hardening stiffness component with the third order of displacement due to flexible deformation, are controlled to converge to the same trajectory. The control strategy is extended from feedback control for all parameters known to adaptive contro...     

On the Predictive Information of Futures' Prices: A Wavelet‐Based Assessment

While in speculative markets forward prices could be regarded as natural predictors for future spot rates, empirically, forward prices often fail to indicate ex ante the direction of price movements. In terms of forecasting, the random walk approximation of speculative prices has been established to provide ‘naive’ predictors that are most difficult to outperform by both purely backward‐looking time series models and more structural approaches processing information from forward markets. We empirically assess the implicit predictive content of forward prices by means of wavelet‐based prediction of two foreign exchange (FX) rates and the price of Brent oil quoted either in US dollars or euros. Essentially, wavelet‐based predictors are smoothed auxiliary (padded) time series quotes that are added to the sample information beyond the forecast origin. We compare wavelet predictors obtained from padding with constant prices (i.e. random walk predictors) and forward prices. For the case of FX markets, padding with forward prices is more effective than padding with constant prices, and, moreover, respective wavelet‐based predictors outperform purely backward‐looking time series approaches (ARIMA). For the case of Brent oil quoted in US dollars, wavelet‐based predictors do not signal predictive content of forward prices for future spot prices. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

组合摩擦材料研究

由于国内外摩擦材料的研究仍处于经验阶段，我们提出组合摩擦材料的概念并进行了组合摩擦材料研究，旨在解决摩擦材料配方研究中存在的三个问题：如何选择原材料，如何匹配原材料含量和摩擦材料性能优化。组合摩擦材料研究包括用组合方法筛选和评价原材料和用黄金分割法优化摩擦材料配方是解决经验地尝试法研究摩擦材料配方的一个有效途径。用组合方法筛选和评价原材料，通过组合路线考察原材料间的相互作用，寻找具有协同效应的原材料组合规律，可以合理选择原材料和合理设计摩擦材料配方。用黄金分割法可以优化摩擦材料性能。通过组合摩擦材料研究可以实现摩擦材料的研究从经验走向科学。两个实例证明了组合摩擦材料研究的可行性。     

Chromatin domain boundaries in the Bithorax complex

Eukaryotic chromosomes are thought to be organized into a series of discrete higher-order chromatin domains. This organization is believed to be important not only in the compaction of the chromatin fibre, but also in the utilization of genetic information. Critical to this model are the domain boundaries that delimit and segregate the chromosomes into units of independent gene activity. In Drosophila, such domain boundaries have been identified through two different approaches. On the one hand, elements like scs/scs′ and the reiterated binding site for the SU(HW) protein have been characterized through their activity of impeding enhancer-promoter interactions when intercalated between them. Their role of chromatin insulators can protect transgenes from genomic position effects, thereby establishing in dependent functional domains within the chromosome. On the other hand, domain boundaries of the Bithorax complex (BX-C) like Fab-7 and Mcp have been identified through mutational analysis. Mcp and Fab-7, however, may represent a specific class of boundary elements; instead of separating adjacent domains that contain separate structural genes, Mcp and Fab-7 delimit adjacent cis-regulatory domains, each of which interacts independently with their target promoters. In this article, we review the genetic and molecular characteristics of the domain boundaries of the BX-C. We describe how Fab-7 functions to confine activating as well as repressive signals to the flanking regulatory domains. Although the mechanisms by which Fab-7 works as a domain boundary remain an open issue, we provide preliminary evidence that Fab-7 is not a mere insulator like scs or the reiterated binding site for the SU(HW) protein.     

Isolation in east Senegal of a yellow fever virus strain from a pool of Aedes belonging to the subgenus Diceromyia]

During an epidemiological survey of yellow fever in Eastern Senegal, one strain of yellow fever virus was isolated in December 1976 from wild Mosquitoes. This first isolate obtained in nature from Aedes subgenus Diceromyia shows the primordial part these vectors may have in the area studied. It corroborates the existence of a selvatic focus of yellow fever in this region. It also gives information on the transmission cycle in a dry area.     

Enzymatic characteristics of the catalytic subunit of the protein kinase complex of human lymphocytes]

In earlier reports we have shown the existence in human lymphocytes homogenate, of a cyclic-AMP dependent protein-kinase activity. We demonstrate by affinity chromatography that two subunits display respectively cyclic-AMP binding and phosphorylating properties. Divalent cations such as Ca++, Mg++ or Mn++ are required for enzymatic activity. ATP which is an obligatory cosubstrate acts as an inhibitor when its concentration is higher than 10(-6)M.     

The concept of transition and its role in Leibniz’s and Whitehead’s metaphysics of motion

Leibniz’s and Whitehead’s analyses of motion are at the heart of their metaphysical schemes. These schemes are to be considered as two blueprints of a similar metaphysical intuition that emerged during two breakthrough eras, that is, the 17th century and the beginning of the 20th century, and retained the Aristotelian idea that existence requires an active principle. The two philosophers’ attempts to elucidate this idea in the context of their analyses of motion still interact with central, longstanding questions in philosophy, in particular that concerning the ontological status of change. For both thinkers, the phenomenon of motion is an example par excellence, of the metaphysically fundamental principle of action that is required for change in the world. I focus on Leibniz’s and Whitehead’s similar understanding of the concept of transition that is inserted as an essential constitutive component of motion and ensures its status as something real.     

The role of forward‐ and backward‐looking information for inflation expectations formation

Assuming that private forecasters learn inflation dynamics to form their inflation expectations and that they believe a hybrid New Keynesian Phillips curve (NKPC) to capture the true data‐generating process of inflation, we aim at establishing the role of backward‐ and forward‐looking information in the inflation expectation formation process. We find that longer term expectations are crucial in shaping shorter horizon expectations. While the influence of backward‐looking information seems to diminish over time, we do not find evidence of a structural break in the expectation formation process of professional forecasters. Our results further suggest that the weight put on longer term expectations does not solely reflect a mean‐reverting process to trend inflation. Rather, it might also capture beliefs about the central bank's long‐run inflation target and its credibility to achieve inflation stabilization.     

Constructive empiricism, observability and three kinds of ontological commitment

In this paper, I argue that, contrary to the constructive empiricist’s position, observability is not an adequate criterion as a guide to ontological commitment in science. My argument has two parts. First, I argue that the constructive empiricist’s choice of observability as a criterion for ontological commitment is based on the assumption that belief in the existence of unobservable entities is unreasonable because belief in the existence of an entity can only be vindicated by its observation. Second, I argue that the kind of ontological commitment that is under consideration when accepting a scientific theory is commitment to what I call theoretical kinds and that observation can vindicate commitment to kinds only in exceptional cases.     

The Concept of Existence and the Role of Constructions in Euclid's Elements

 This paper examines the widely accepted contention that geometrical constructions serve in Greek mathematics as proofs of the existence of the constructed figures. In particular, I consider the following two questions: first, whether the evidence taken from Aristotle's philosophy does support the modern existential interpretation of geometrical constructions; and second, whether Euclid's Elements presupposes Aristotle's concept of being. With regard to the first question, I argue that Aristotle's ontology cannot serve as evidence to support the existential interpretation, since Aristotle's ontological discussions address the question of the relation between the whole and its parts, while the modern discussions of mathematical existence consider the question of the validity of a concept. In considering the second question, I analyze two syllogistic reformulations of Euclidean proofs. This analysis leads to two conclusions: first, it discloses the discrepancy between Aristotle's view of mathematical objects and Euclid's practice, whereby it will cast doubt on the historical and theoretical adequacy of the existential interpretation. Second, it sets the conceptual background for an alternative interpretation of geometrical constructions. I argue, on the basis of this analysis that geometrical constructions do not serve in the Elements as a means of ascertaining the existence of geometrical objects, but rather as a means of exhibiting spatial relations between geometrical figures. (Received January 1, 2002) Communicated by A. JONES Dedicated to the memory of Yonathan Begin     

有限元法在电机温度场仿真中的运用

运行的超声电机会产生温升,过高的温升对超声电机的机械特性及使用寿命都有较大影响。本文首先通过实验证明压电陶瓷元件发热和摩擦层摩擦发热是超声电机温升的主要热源;然后,分别以压电陶瓷元件发热和摩擦层摩擦发热为热源,建立其相应的温度场热分布模型。并用有限元软件分别对压电陶瓷元件发热场和接触摩擦发热场进行仿真计算。计算结果表明,压电陶瓷片发热源部分,热量最大处为压电陶瓷片粘贴面的内圈;接触摩擦发热中,摩擦产生的热量集中在接触表面。     

Regulation of autophagy in mammals and its interplay with apoptosis

A growing number of publications show that apoptosis induction is often associated with increased autophagy indicating the existence of an interplay between these two important cellular events. The simultaneous activation of both phenomena has been detected not only in experimental settings but also in vivo under physiological and pathological conditions. Despite these studies, the reciprocal influence of the two pathways in vivo has still not been completely understood. It is clear that autophagy and apoptosis are strictly interconnected, as highlighted by the finding that the two pathways share key molecular regulators. Many novel aspects of the crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy have recently emerged showing how complex is this relationship and how critical is for the overall fate of the cell. In this mini-review we will focus on some key experiments trying to decipher as to whether autophagy contributes to apoptosis modulation in vivo.