Narrow Results

This paper provides experimental evidence for the theory of Che et al. (2013, Pandering to persuade, American Economic Review, 103(1), 47–79). Basic communication games with outside options developed by Che et al. (2013, Pandering to persuade, American Economic Review, 103(1), 47–79) are tested in the experiments, and experimental variations with additional conflicts over projects and with private information about outside options are also investigated. Moreover, in these games, strategies concerning delegation have been discussed as well. In general, the experimental results are aligned with the theoretical predictions. As the value of the outside options increases, communication becomes less informative and the experts may pander toward the conditionally better-looking project, the decision makers take their outside options more often and retain their decision rights with higher frequencies.

In this study, a multidisciplinary approach combining a numerical analysis in three dimensions and a laboratory test is developed to investigate the dynamic coupling effect as induced by vehicle–bridge interaction in the indirect measurement. To unveil such dynamic coupling and its influence on the frequency measurement, a single degree-of-freedom test vehicle is exclusively designed with adjustable frequency, which is a low-cost, easy-to-use, and reliable tool for measuring beam frequencies in the laboratory while providing valuable data for validating numerical models, calibrating sensors, and evaluating bridge performance. From the multidisciplinary analysis, the shifts of frequencies for both vehicle and bridge are consistently demonstrated as a result of vehicle–bridge interaction effect. Moreover, for the identification of higher-order bridge frequencies, the contact-point response works better than the vehicle’s response, even with shifted frequencies being observed in the three-dimensional numerical results. As an extension, a parametric study is conducted numerically to include various practical conditions, including different types and boundary conditions of a bridge as well as pavement irregularity.

The bandgap characteristics of periodic double-span beams are analyzed using spectral geometry methods in this paper. The displacement function of the beam structure is represented in a unified form, supplemented by sine series in addition to Fourier cosine series to avoid discontinuities in displacement at the boundary positions. The introduction of artificial spring technology satisfies the strong coupling connection conditions between beams. Combining it with Bloch’s theorem allows the separation of boundary conditions and displacement functions, ensuring the convergence and accuracy of the method. The energy functional of the double-span beam under periodic boundary conditions is established. The bandgap characteristics of the double-span beam can be obtained using the Rayleigh–Ritz method. The bandgap characteristics calculated based on the proposed method are in good agreement with those obtained from the transfer matrix method, and the bandgap frequency range matches well with the vibration attenuation range obtained from the test results. The effectiveness of forced vibration analysis for finite periodic double-span beams is also validated through the finite element method. Additionally, the influence of material properties, geometric parameters and lattice constants on the bandgap characteristics of periodic double-span beams is presented, providing insights into the mechanisms for tuning bandgap characteristics.

The evacuation process under emergency is studied by means of experiments and simulations, focusing on the influence of the environment information. A revised cellular automaton model in which environment information is considered as "static information" (building structure, spatial distance, etc.) and "dynamic information" (sounds of fire alarm, etc.) is introduced. Two scenarios, including evacuation with and without visibility in a classroom, are studied to investigate the different influence of the two kinds of information on human behavior. The experimental and simulation results demonstrate that:

(1) to intensify the spatial distance information can reduce the evacuation time;

(2) the spatial distance is not the only decisive factor especially in evacuation without visibility because the sound information, which is ignorable in evacuation with visibility, is playing a more important role under this condition;

(3) the intensity of static information can reflect evacuees' familiarity of the environment;

(4) the model can reproduce the experiments well, and the simulation method is useful for further study of the crowd movement simulation.

An evacuation was studied from a classroom by means of experiment and simulation. In the experiments, evacuation with and without visibility was mimicked by requiring the evacuees to wear eye masks or not. The distribution of evacuees' egress times against initial positions and the flow rate at exits were studied. It was found that when masks were used, evacuees' egress strategies were highly dependent on their pre-perceived environmental information in subconsciousness which might affect the egress process. Thus we call this phenomenon the "subconscious environmental information perceiving behavior." In the simulation, a cellular automata model considering the influence of sound information and the subconscious behavior was used to simulate the experiments. Both the experimental and the simulation results show that the sound information plays a more important role in evacuation without visibility than in normal condition, and the pre-perceived environmental information is also very important when people have poor visibility because of the subconscious environmental information perceiving behavior. The simulation results consist with the experimental results well. This study is useful for understanding the human behaviors during emergency evacuation with poor visibility under the guide of sound signal.

Horizontal gas–liquid two-phase flow widely exists in many physical systems and chemical engineering processes. Compared with vertical upward gas–liquid two-phase flow, investigations on dynamic behavior underlying horizontal gas–liquid flows are quite limited. Complex network provides a powerful framework for time series analysis of complex dynamical systems. We use a network generation method based on Markov transition probability to infer directed weighted complex networks from signals measured from horizontal gas–liquid two-phase flow experiment and find that the networks corresponding to different flow patterns exhibit different network structure. To investigate the dynamic characteristics of horizontal gas–liquid flows, we construct a number of complex networks under different flow conditions, and explore the network indices for each constructed network. In addition, we investigate the sample entropy of different flow patterns. Our results suggest that the network statistic can well represent the complexity in the transition among different flow patterns and further allows characterizing the interface fluctuation behavior in horizontal gas–liquid two-phase flow.

The simultaneous flow of oil and water through a horizontal pipe is a common occurrence during petroleum industrial processes. Characterizing the flow behavior underlying horizontal oil–water flows is a challenging problem of significant importance. In order to solve this problem, we carry out experiment to measure multivariate signals from different flow patterns and then propose a novel modality transition-based network to analyze the multivariate signals. The results suggest that the local betweenness centrality and weighted shortest path of the constructed network can characterize the transitions of flow conditions and further allow quantitatively distinguishing and uncovering the dynamic flow behavior underlying different horizontal oil–water flow patterns.

The under-provision of efforts in built heritage conservation was due to market failure to allocate cost and benefit efficiently. Conservation agency could facilitate conservation effort, which was considered not beneficial from the point of view of the private owners of the heritage houses, by providing conservation subsidy. In this paper, we conducted three different experimental auctions, namely, (i) discriminative price auction, (ii) uniform price auction, and (iii) random nth price auction to investigate bidding behaviors and efficiency levels in allocating conservation subsidies. Both uniform and random nth price auctions were able to encourage cost revealing bids. Random nth price auction was able to engage the off-margin bidders. However, discriminative price auction was more cost efficient compared to the other two auctions.

At E_d = 26 MeV, H(d,pp)n cross section was measured at 4 angle pairs corresponding to off-plane star and compared with recent pd calculations. A rotary foil target was developed for this experiment. The present data and previous data revealed dependence of the star anomaly on the star-inclination angle α. The angular dependence at E_p = 13 MeV differs much with that at 9.5 MeV.

We measured D(p, pp)n cross section at E_p = 9.5 MeV and 13 MeV at off-plane star configurations, including the space star where the star is perpendicular to the beam axis. The experimental results were compared with recent pd breakup calculations using screened Coulomb force, and disagreement was found to smoothly vary with an inclination angle of the off-plane star, α. Further systematic experiments are necessary to investigate the star anomaly.

In this conference presentation I discuss CLEO-c opportunities in Dalitz plot analyzes with the data samples available now and projected by the end of CESR-c run. Using 281 pb^-1 of e⁺e^- collisions at mass of ψ(3770) we present results of the Dalitz plot analysis of D⁺ → π^-π⁺π⁺. Using the CLEO-c and CLEO III samples of 5 pb^-1, accrued at mass of ψ(2S), we study three body decays of χ_cJ produced in the radiative decay ψ(2S) → γχ_cJ, where J=0,1,2. A clear signal from at least one of χ_cJ is found in eight final states: π⁺π^-η, π⁺π^-η′, K⁺K^-π⁰, , ηK⁺K^-, , , and . For these modes we measured or set an upper limit on the branching fraction. A Dalitz plot analysis is performed on three modes χ_c1 → π⁺π^-η, K⁺K^-π⁰, and .

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO), whose main purpose was to study the neutrinos produced in the Sun, demonstrated that neutrinos can change flavor and, thus, they are massive particles. SNO detected and recorded neutrino and cosmic ray interactions from 1999 to 2006 and several analyses have been completed in the past year using legacy data. We present the results of the most recent ones: the measurements of neutron production in atmospheric neutrino interactions and neutron production by cosmic muons, a search for Lorentz symmetry violation in neutrino oscillations and a search for neutrino decay. A few other analyses are ongoing and we comment about their goal and status.

As non-traditional applications of hard disk drives (HDDs) emerge, the interest in the effects of shock and vibration on small form factor (SFF) drives has come into currency due to the increasingly hostile environments encountered in the usage of the portable computer as well as the application in consumer devices. In this paper, the dynamic characteristics of an SFF drive were investigated using both experimental and numerical techniques, including modal analysis and damping measurement of the head arm assembly (HAA) of the drive. A finite element (FE) model of the HAA was created to perform numerical analysis. The FE model was verified and modified according to numerical results and experimental results. It is found that numerical results of the HAA in it free state and those in its preloading state coincide well with those of experiments, and/or those by other researchers.

A novel method for fundamental ferroresonance suppression is proposed in this paper. The suppression mechanism is analyzed based on the harmonic balance method and a novel method for fundamental ferroresonance suppression is proposed. Experiments show that the fundamental ferroresonance with different saturation degrees can be suppressed by a single damping resistor controlled by the high frequency controllable switches located in the suppression module.

When a droplet of a higher-density solution (HDS) is placed on the top of a lower-density solution (LDS), the HDS on the surface of the LDS sinks due to gravitational instability. In the sinking process, the HDS draws a fractal pattern or a hole/cell pattern on the surface of the LDS. It is observed that the surface pattern is determined by an aspect ratio of the container and viscosity of the LDS. In the formation of the surface pattern, a time series of the HDS density is analyzed. It is found that the profile of the series for the fractal pattern is different from that for the hole/cell pattern. In order to clarify the difference, we propose a phenomenological model for the time series to obtain fitting functions for both patterns.

An experimental study of oblique water entry of projectiles with different noses has been conducted using high-speed photography technology. The images of the initial water entry impact, cavity evolution, and the closure and shedding of vortices of cavity are presented in the paper. The results reveal that for high-speed oblique water entry (the initial impact velocity $>$50 m/s), the cavity attached to the projectile is symmetrical and free from the influence of gravity. The shedding of the water–vapor–air mixture in the tail of the cavity produces vortices which disappear in the rear of the projectile trajectory. Particular attention is given to the velocity attenuation of the projectile after water entry. The results show that there is a transition point at the time corresponding to the surface seal of the cavity during the velocity attenuation after oblique water entry, and the rates of velocity attenuation are different before and after this transition point. Additionally, the chronophotography of the cavity evolution shows that the time when the surface seal of the cavity occurs decreases with the increase of the initial impact velocity of the projectile.

Deposition of silicon dioxide in high-density plasma is an important process in integrated circuit manufacturing. A software named CFD-ACE was used to simulate the mechanism of plasma in the chamber of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system, and the evolution of the feature profile was simulated based on CFD-TOPO. Simulation and experiment of silicon dioxide that deposited in SiH₄/N₂O mixture by PECVD system was researched. The particle density, energy and angular distribution in the chamber were simulated and discussed. We also studied how the depth/width ratio affected the step coverage of the trench and analyzed the deposition rate of silicon dioxide on the feature scale. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze the elemental composition of thin films. Images of the feature profiles were taken by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The simulation results were in good agreement with experimental, which could guide the semiconductor device manufacture.

Water entry experiments of projectiles with different nose shapes were performed under different entry angles and velocities using high-speed photography technology. The cavity flow characteristics of the near water surface, including splash jet, splash crown, surface seal of cavity, pull away, deep seal of cavity and cavity collapses, were systematically investigated using a high-speed camera. The emphasis of the study is paid on the effect of nose shape, water entry angle and velocity on the evolution of the air entraining cavity. The experimental results demonstrate that the nose shape of projectile has a significant influence on the jet flow, the cavity diameter and trajectory stability in the case of certain other conditions. On the other hand, the splash scale, cavity diameter increase gradually with the increasing of the water entry velocity, as well as the cavitation closed in advance. Furthermore, the water entry angle of the projectile plays an important role in the cavity evolution and the close type.

The objective of this paper is to apply combined experimental and computational modeling to investigate the influence of different coating thickness on the operation characteristics of solid–liquid two-phase flow centrifugal pump. According to the characteristics of sediment flow in the Yellow River Basin, the effects of polyurethane coating thickness on the energy performance and pressure fluctuation are analyzed under the condition of solid–liquid two-phase flow and clean water. Meanwhile, the internal flow characteristics and radial force of the coated pump under the condition of solid–liquid two-phase flow are studied. The results show that the blade inlet and outlet of impeller are easy to wear, and the pressure fluctuation at the outlet of the model pump can be reduced by spraying proper coating thickness. The model pump with coating increases the low-speed zone of internal flow, which is mainly due to the increase of the viscous bottom layer area. The variation amplitude of radial force in sediment-laden water decreases with the increase of coating thickness.

Meminductor has attracted more and more attention as the new memory element. In this paper, a new generic meminductor model is proposed and analyzed. Its emulator is designed and its pinched hysteresis loop is presented. Based on the established meminductor and using a traditional capacitor and resistor, a new simple chaotic circuit presenting double-scroll chaotic attractors is proposed and its dynamical behaviors including phase portrait, Lyapunov exponents, Poincare mapping, power spectrum, bifurcation and the sensibility of initial value are analyzed. Meanwhile, it has been found that hidden attractors and transient chaotic phenomena under different initial value. Finally, the hardware circuit for the proposed simple double-scroll chaotic system is constructed and some experimental results are presented for validating the correctness of the theoretical analysis.