Simón Bolívar University

About: Simón Bolívar University is a education organization based out in Caracas, Venezuela. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Crystallization. The organization has 5912 authors who have published 8294 publications receiving 126152 citations.

Broder and Karlin's formula for hitting times and the Kirchhoff Index

Abstract: We give an elementary proof of an extension of Broder and Karlin's formula for the hitting times of an arbitrary ergodic Markov chain. Using this formula in the particular case of random walks on graphs, we give upper and tight lower bounds for the Kirchhoff index of any N- vertex graph in terms of N and its maximal and minimal degrees. We also apply the formula to a closely related index that takes into account the degrees of the vertices between which the effective resistances are computed. We give an upper bound for this alternative index and show that the bound is attained—up to a constant—for the barbell graph. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011

Coral mass- and split-spawning at a coastal and an offshore Venezuelan reefs, southern Caribbean

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate potential differences in coral spawning behavior between a fringing coastal reef and an offshore reef in the southern Caribbean. For this, scleractinian and gorgonian colonies (N = 324) of 21 species were mapped along eight transects, each 10-m long, at two study sites located in Morrocoy and Los Roques National Parks, Venezuela. Observations were made between 19:30 and 23:00 from August 23 to 30 and from September 26 to 30, 2002. Ninety one colonies belonging to six hard coral and seven octocoral species spawned or planulated during this period. We were unable to observe any signs of reproductive activity in 95 colonies of nine species different from those that reproduced. Despite the differences in environmental conditions between the two sites, we observed high synchrony in the spawning behavior of seven coral species common to both reefs. The most striking result was the ability of colonies of Montastraea faveolata and Eusmilia fastigiata to split spawn up to three times, either in consecutive nights or in different months.

Belief tracking for planning with sensing: width, complexity and approximations

Abstract: We consider the problem of belief tracking in a planning setting where states are valuations over a set of variables that are partially observable, and beliefs stand for the sets of states that are possible. While the problem is intractable in the worst case, it has been recently shown that in deterministic conformant and contingent problems, belief tracking is exponential in a width parameter that is often bounded and small. In this work, we extend these results in two ways. First, we introduce a width notion that applies to non-deterministic problems as well, develop a factored belief tracking algorithm that is exponential in the problem width, and show how it applies to existing benchmarks. Second, we introduce a meaningful, powerful, and sound approximation scheme, beam tracking, that is exponential in a smaller parameter, the problem causal width, and has much broader applicability. We illustrate the value of this algorithm over large instances of problems such as Battleship, Minesweeper, and Wumpus, where it yields state-of-the-art performance in real-time.

A survey of testing and monitoring methods for stator insulation systems in induction machines

Abstract: A breakdown of the electrical insulation system causes catastrophic failure of the electrical machine and brings large process downtime losses. To determine the conditions of the stator insulation system of motor drive systems, various testing and monitoring methods have been developed. This paper presents an in-depth literature review of more than 20 existing methods, including the most common methods to assess the phase-to-ground, phase-to-phase, and turn-to-turn insulation conditions. The methods are categorized into as online and offline methods, each of which are further grouped into specific areas according to their physical nature. The paper focuses on turn-to-turn insulation testing and monitoring of low-voltage machines, which is a rapidly expanding area for both research and product development efforts. Finally, a new approach to online monitoring of turn-to-turn insulation faults for low-voltage induction motors is recommended.

Influence of Chain Branching and Molecular Weight on Melt Rheology and Crystallization of Polyethylene/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites

Abstract: In this paper, the synergistic effects that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produce on the basic rheological properties and crystallization of polyethylenes with different branch contents and molecular weights was investigated. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated with polyethylene (as produced by in situ polymerization) were blended in the melt (in a 1% wt. ratio) with three polyethylene matrices of different molecular weights and branch contents. Transmission electron micrographs demonstrated excellent carbon nanotube dispersion in all samples and the existence of a geometrical percolation network. The rheological and calorimetric properties of the nanocomposites were determined and the results compared to those obtained for neat polyethylene resins. Both Newtonian viscosity and steady-state shear recoverable compliance increased with the addition of CNTs in all cases. However, the increase was strongly dependent on the molecular weight (and dispersity index) of the matrices regardless of the branch content. A n...