Poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) has been successfully electropolymerized by cyclic voltammetery on 304 stainless steel from sulfuric acid solution containing o-phenylenediamine monomer. Thin, adherent, and transparent layers of PoPD which have a ladder conductive polymer structure were formed. The layers facilitated the passivation of the stainless steel (SS) in acid solution. The underlying oxides obtained by aging in acid solution are investigated after peeling off the polymer layers and compared with those formed under polyaniline layers and by applying a constant positive potential. The passive film under PoPD exhibits a superior resistance for pitting in aerated 3% NaCl to other examined passive films. It is shown that the passive film under PoPD has a high Cr content, including other constituents of SS. The film has been characterized as an oxyhydroxide structure. The protection role of PoPD for SS is discussed here. (C) 2006 The Electrochemical Society.

The high capital investment in a power transmission system compared to its variable operating costs is an impediment to the balancing of revenues and costs when the system operates in a spot pricing marketplace. This paper presents a revenue reconciliation method that recognizes the "use of system" by means of power flow tracing. To maximize social welfare, the proposal is that the spot prices remain unchanged but subject to a surcharge, which reflects the location of the node and thus may be considered to be an economic signal for long-term development of the system. The main advantage of the proposal is that it is fair and equitable to every market participant. It is also shown that the power flow tracing concept can also be applied to wheeling transactions for use of the system and that it can handle multiple wheeling transactions simultaneously. The proposed method is illustrated by reference to the IEEE 30-bus test system. The simulation results show its feasibility and potential for electricity market applications.

In a deregulated electricity market, optimal bidding strategies are desired by market participants in order to maximize their individual profits. The optimal bidding strategy for a market participant is difficult to be determined by calculus based methods because of the uncertainties and dynamics of the electricity market. As one of a range of the learning techniques, learning automata are applied to this complex optimization problem in this paper. As a model-free method, it has great flexibility and distinct advantages in practice. The proposed method is illustrated by reference to the WSCC 9-bus test system. The simulation results show its feasibility and potential for on-line applications in the electricity market.

A descriptive study of the feeding behavior and structures of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) was conducted. Based on direct observational and biochemical evidence, larvae feed predominantly on particulate materials, starting ca. 25 h post-oviposition. Feeding lasted for ca. 9 h, at 25 +/- 1 degrees C. During this feeding period the shape of the larvae changed from vermiform to pyriform and then to sacciform, resulting in a ca. 40-fold increase in body size. Larvae used elaborate feeding behaviors as they pulled solid food particles to their oral opening, broke small particles from larger ones, and took the particles into the stomodaeum, which is a powerful pump. In the stomodaeum, peristaltic movement further macerated the particles, which eventually passed through the cardiac valve into the midgut. As indicated by changes in fluorescently labeled casein, digestive enzymes aid in the extra-oral chemical digestion of food. The contents of the gut, during and shortly after feeding, were almost entirely closely packed solid particles. The behavioral activity of feeding larvae centered almost exclusively on processing and ingesting solid food particles. The rapid larval growth is much more plausibly explained by their feeding on the highly concentrated nutrients found in solid foods, rather than the extensive concentration required if dilute liquids were the principal source of nutrients. The implications of these findings for the development of practical artificial diets are discussed.

The Pacific Exploratory Mission‐West B (PEM‐West B) explored atmospheric layer structure using measurements of O3, H2O, CO, and CH4 from the NASA DC‐8 fast‐response instruments. The mission took place in February‐March 1994 over the western Pacific, mainly in the northern hemisphere. Results were compared with similar measurements made during the Pacific Exploratory Mission‐West A (PEM‐West A) in September‐October 1991. PEM‐West B sampled 94 vertical profiles, with an average atmospheric depth per profile of 6.4 km, and this sampling yielded 254 discrete layers. PEM‐West A sampled 105 profiles, also with a 6.4 km average depth, yielding 538 layers. Both missions revealed that layers containing high ozone and low water vapor were the most abundant, and low ozone and high water vapor layers were the next most abundant. Lidar images and potential vorticity cross sections showed the former associated with subsidence from the stratosphere in middle latitudes, spreading into the tropics. The latter was associated with convection from the boundary layer. The partition among different types of layers only changed slightly in the two missions, although PEM‐West B had half as many layers. Compared to PEM‐West A, PEM‐West B showed only one‐third the number of layers associated with polluted continental air. However, PEM‐West B revealed significantly more layers showing characteristics of descended clean marine air. In some cases these layers originated from the southern hemisphere. For ozone‐ and water‐vapor‐rich layers, the ozone deviation amplitude was higher in low latitudes and lower in high latitudes in PEM‐West B. The mean thickness of layers increased from about 450 m in PEM‐West A to 680 m in PEM‐West B. Layers also existed in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. CO2 measurements had sufficient vertical resolution to show layer structure as well.

Trichogramma minutum Riley were reared for 10 generations on an artificial diet containing a yeast extract, FreeAmine III, nonfat dry milk, chicken egg yolk, chicken embryo extract, and Manduca sexta (L.) egg liquid. Quality control parameters, including adult longevity, sex ratio, pupation rate, percentage of pupae to emerge as adults, adult female body length, number of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) eggs parasitized by a female, and percentage of deformed females were assessed and compared to insects reared in vivo on irradiated H. zea eggs. The development time was longer for in vitro reared insects, but there were more deformed females in the in vitro culture. The sex ratio, however, was generally not significantly different between the in vitro and in vivo cultures. The in vitro reared females generally were larger, lived longer, and parasitized moreH. zea eggs. Emergence of adults was in excess of 75% in all but the first in vitro generation and was generally not significantly different from adult emergence in the in vivo culture. These findings will be of value in the development of a practical system for in vitro mass rearing of Trichogramma for use in biological control.

The DC‐8 mission of September 27, 1991, was designed to sample air flowing into Typhoon Mireille in the boundary layer, air in the upper tropospheric eye region, and air emerging from the typhoon and ahead of the system, also in the upper troposphere. The objective was to find how a typhoon redistributes trace constituents in the West Pacific region and whether any such redistribution is important on the global scale. The boundary layer air (300 m), in a region to the SE of the eye, contained low mixing ratios of the tracer species O3, CO, C2H6, C2H2, C3H8, C6H6 and CS2 but high values of dimethylsulfide (DMS). The eye region relative to the boundary layer, showed somewhat elevated levels of CO, substantially increased levels of O3, CS2 and all nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), and somewhat reduced levels of DMS. Ahead of the eye, CO and the NMHCs remained unchanged, O3 and CS2 showed a modest decrease, and DMS showed a substantial decrease. There was no evidence from lidar cross sections of ozone for the downward entrainment of stratospheric air into the eye region; these sections show that low ozone values were measured in the troposphere. The DMS data suggest substantial entrainment of boundary layer air into the system, particularly into the eye wall region. Estimates of the DMS sulphur flux between the boundary layer and the free troposphere, based on computations of velocity potential and divergent winds, gave values of about 69 μg S m−2 d−1 averaged over a 17.5° grid square encompassing the typhoon. A few hours after sampling with the DC‐8, Mireille passed over Oki Island, just to the north of Japan, producing surface values of ozone of 5.5 ppbv. These O3 levels are consistent with the low tropospheric values found by lidar and are more typical of equatorial regions. We suggest that the central eye region may act like a Taylor column which has moved poleward from low latitudes. The high‐altitude photochemical environment within Typhoon Mireille was found to be quite active as evidenced by significant levels of measured gas phase H2O2 and CH3OOH and model‐computed levels of OH.

Measurements of a suite of atmospheric trace constituents made from the NASA DC‐8 aircraft, while it was making vertical profiles during the Pacific Exploratory Mission A (PEM‐West A) to the western Pacific in September–October 1991 have revealed a layered structure in much of the region. Ozone, water vapor, carbon monoxide, and methane were available continuously and are the primary constituents used to define the layers; nonmethane hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, hydrogen peroxide and methylhydroperoxide were available less frequently but were also used. From 105 vertical profiles, sampled at vertical speeds of about 6 m s−1, over 500 layers were identified using O3and H2O; their mean thickness was about 400 m. When these layers could be identified from lidar along‐track cross sections of O3made from the aircraft, they were found to extend over distances of 100–200 km or more. Combinations of several constituent deviations from vertical running means were used to identify possible layer sources; examples are high O3, low H2O, CO, and CH4, corresponding to the extrusion of stratospheric air into the troposphere; low O3and high H2O, originating from convection from the tropical boundary layer; high O3, CO and CH4, low H2O, coming from convection from the continental boundary layer and transport in the upper troposphere, sometimes from distant sources. The layers show no clear relationship with wind velocity profiles measured simultaneously on the aircraft; there is some relationship with temperature and potential temperature, with some layers which show a stratospheric signature lying on isentropes that are in the lower stratosphere at higher latitudes. Potential vorticity (PV) is used as an additional tracer to check the conclusions about the different types of layers. While PV is often used as an indicator of stratospheric air, its use as an indicator of convection is also illustrated here.

In vitro rearing of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (WOLL.) from eggs collected on the natural host Nezara viridula (L.) was initiated. Several oligidic diets containing insect material (Manduca sexta hemolymph or host egg content) were tested. Our initial medium with 50 % hemolymph induced a high egg mortality, but by decreasing the hemolymph concentration, increasing the hen egg yolk concentration and adding 15 % of free amino acids mixture, a hatching rate of 85 % of the parasitoid eggs was obtained with 39 % reaching the second instar and 33 % the third instar. In a medium without hemolymph, but with 18 % liquid from parasitized host eggs we obtained 90 to 100 % hatching, 25 to 27 % reaching the second instar and 8 % the third instar. We did not obtain pupation from eggs in vitro, but did get pupae and adults from larvae reared in vivo to second instar and transfered to an in vitro system.

rearing of the egg parasitoid (WOLL.) from eggs collected on the natural host (L.) was initiated. Several oligidic diets containing insect material ( hemolymph or host egg content) were tested. Our initial medium with 50% hemolymph induced a high egg mortality, but by decreasing the hemolymph concentration, increasing the hen egg yolk concentration and adding 15% of free amino acids mixture, a hatching rate of 85% of the parasitoid eggs was obtained with 39% reaching the second instar and 33% the third instar. In a medium without hemolymph, but with 18% liquid from parasitized host eggs we obtained 90% to 100% hatching, 25 to 27% reaching the second instar and 8% the third instar. We did not obtain pupation from eggs, but did get pupae and adults from larvae reared to second instar and transfered to an system.L'élevage du parasitoïde oophage a été entrepris à partir d'œufs prélevés dans l'hôte naturel. Plusieurs milieux oligidiques, contenant du “matériel insecte” (hémolymphe de larves de, vitellus d'œufs hôtes) ont été testés. A partir d'un milieu initial à base d'hémolymphe, où le taux de mortalité des œufs était très élevé, nous avons obtenu, en diminuant la teneur en hémolymphe et en augmentant celle en jaune d'œuf de poule, un taux d'éclosion voisin de 70% avec 15% de larves de second stade et 5% de larves de troisième et dernier stade. Des résultats intéressants ont été obtenus dans un milieu dépourvu d'hémolymphe, mais contenant du vitellus d'œufs de parasités: 90 à 100% d'éclosion, 25 à 27% de L2 et 8% de L3.

A mechanical oscillator is used to study phase conjugation : the phase conjugate part of the response of an anharmonic oscillator excited simultaneously by an intense torque and a weak probe torque is calculated. The connections with third order Non Linear Optics susceptibility tensor is presented.