Comparing variants of strategic ability: how uncertainty and memory influence general properties of games

Alternating-time temporal logic (ATL) is a modal logic that allows to reason about agents’ abilities in game-like scenarios. Semantic variants of ATL are usually built upon different assumptions about the kind of game that is played, including capabilities of agents (perfect vs. imperfect information, perfect vs. imperfect memory, etc.). ATL has been studied extensively in previous years; however, most of the research focused on model checking. Studies of other decision problems (e.g., satisfiability) and formal meta-properties of the logic (like axiomatization or expressivity) have been relatively scarce, and mostly limited to the basic variant of ATL where agents possess perfect information and perfect memory. In particular, a comparison between different semantic variants of the logic is largely left untouched. In this paper, we show that different semantics of ability in ATL give rise to different validity sets. The issue is important for several reasons. First, many logicians identify a logic with its set of true sentences. As a consequence, we prove that different notions of ability induce different strategic logics. Secondly, we show that different concepts of ability induce different general properties of games. Thirdly, the study can be seen as the first systematic step towards satisfiability-checking algorithms for ATL with imperfect information. We introduce sophisticated unfoldings of models and prove invariance results that are an important technical contribution to formal analysis of strategic logics.     

The development of an open-network digital circuit multiplication equipment system

This paper discusses the systematization effort undertaken to generate an equipment specification of an extremely detailed and new nature for DCMEs in accordance with the INTELSAT specification IESS-501. The main areas of importance addressed are additional to what has already been defined within the IESS-501. A discussion of important aspects when introducing DCME into actual network conditions is also contained and results based on simulations of performance under simulated network environments are included.     

Sulfur in wheat gluten: In situ analysis by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy

The sulfur containing gluten proteins largely determine the baking quality of wheat. In order to probe the speciation of sulfur, gluten proteins [gliadin, high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) subunits of glutenin], stored glutenin subunits as well as flour were investigated in situ by S K-edge X-ray near edge absorption structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The spectra confirmed the existence of disulfide bonds in oxidised (oxygen stream) glutenin subunits, supporting their significance for the formation of gluten networks. Additionally, glutenin subunits, which were stored under ambient air and temperature conditions, predominantly contained sulfur of higher oxidation states (sulfoxide, sulfonic acid). The disulfide state and also sulfoxide and sulfonic acid states were detected after reoxidation of glutenin subunits with potassium bromate.     

Mechanisms and Kinetics of Reaction-Bonded Aluminum Oxide Ceramics

Reaction-bonded Al₂O₃ (RBAO) ceramics were fabricated starting from mechanically alloyed Al₂O₃/Al, Al₂O₃/ Al/ZrO₂, and Al₂O₃/Al/ZrO₂/Zr mixtures. Isopressed compacts were heat-treated in air up to 1550°C. Reaction-bonding mechanisms, kinetics, and the influence of ZrO₂ and Zr additions are investigated. Independent of additive, oxidation of Al proceeds both as solid/gas and liquid/gas reaction, and the reaction kinetics follow a parabolic rate law. The reaction rate depends strongly on the particle size of Al. The activation energy of the reaction depends essentially on green density. Below the melting temperature of Al, in samples containing 45 vol% Al and 55 vol% Al₂O₃, it is 112 and 152 kJ/mol at ∼64% and ∼74% TD, respectively, while above the melting temperature, it lies in the range ∼ 26–33 kJ/mol. Zr additions reduce the activation energy to some extent. Samples with only ZrO₂ additions exhibit nearly the same activation energies as ZrO₂-free samples, though ZrO₂ has a very positive effect on the microstructural development in RBAO ceramics. Microstructure evolution and some strength data of RBAO bodies are also reported.     

Commercially available alternatives to palm oil

Since several years there has been a demand for food products free of palm oil, noticeable in the Western European market. Alternatives based on liquid oils, fully hydrogenated fats, and exotic fats like shea and sal etc., have been developed by the research groups of several specialty oils and fats suppliers. This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of those products and compares them to similar products based on palm oil. It is also discussed how reasonable the replacement of palm products would be, since sustainable and 3‐MCPD/glycidolester‐reduced palm based specialty oils are also available on the market.     

Feed supplement recovered from dairy wastewater by biological and chemical pretreatment

A continuous process for treatment of dairy wastewater with immobilized lactic acid bacteria has been demonstrated at pilot scale. A strain of Lactobacillus plantarum was selected on the basis of a high conversion rate of lactose at low pH, a high affinity of lactose at low concentrations, and the ability to retain activity for a long time immobilized in alginate beads. Lactose was converted to lactic acid, which lowered the pH and precipitated milk proteins. The proteins were separated together with milk fat by flotation with carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) or chitosan and gave a solid phase of approx. 10% dry matter (23% protein and 68% fat). The total chemical oxygen demand (COD_t) removed varied from 65 to 78% for CMC and 49 to 82% for chitosan. The precipitated material was used as a feed supplement for pigs to provide up to 30% of the total energy intake. No adverse effects on the pig's performance were observed. The energy feed value of the precipitate was estimated to be 2·0 feed units (FUs) per kg dry matter. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Alumina–Aluminide Alloys (3A) Technology: I, Model Development

The general reaction behavior of the 3A process under the thermal explosion mode of synthesis has been investigated via a continuum model. The continuum model uses mass and energy balances to predict temperature difference ( T _s,avg− T _f) curves, as well as profile curves of the reactant conversions and sample temperature. In particular, the effect of the dimensionless parameters associated with the rate of local heat generation (β, the thermicity factor), the activation energy (γ, the Arrhenius number), the rate of heat redistribution (α, the modified thermal diffusivity), the rate of heat transfer by convection (Bi, the Biot number or convective heat transfer parameter), and the rate of heat transfer by radiation (Ω, the radiative heat transfer parameter) were investigated. Conditions to control the reaction process, which should produce high-density final products, were determined. It was found that the overall maximum temperature may be reduced for high γ, low β, high α, and high Bi and Ω. In terms of processing conditions, this may be obtained by reducing the initial reactant concentrations, optimizing the particle size, using small sample sizes and high compaction pressure, and increasing the heat loss by using a high thermal conductivity inert gas.