bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Very large scale motions in the atmospheric surface layer: a field investigation
Authors: Wang Guohua , Zheng Xiaojing 
Published: August 2016

A field observation array for the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) was built on a dry flat bed of Qingtu Lake in Minqin (China) as the Qingtu Lake Observation Array (QLOA) site, which is similar to the Surface Layer Turbulence and Environmental Science Test (SLTEST) site in the Utah (USA) Western desert. The present observation array can synchronously perform multi-point measurements of wind velocity and temperature at different vertical and streamwise positions. In other words, three-dimensional turbulent ASL flows can be measured at the QLOA station and Reynolds numbers as high as $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}\sim O(10^{6})$ can be achieved with steady wind conditions. By careful selection and pretreatment for measured data of more than 1200 h, the QLOA data have been validated to be reliable for high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer research. Results from correlation and spectral analysis confirm that very large scale motions (VLSMs) exist in the ASL at a Reynolds number up to $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}\approx 4\times 10^{6}$. Through premultiplied spectral analysis, it is revealed that the spectral energy in the high-wavenumber region decreases with height, similar to turbulent boundary layers at low or moderate Reynolds numbers, while it increases with height in the low-wavenumber region resulting in a log–linear increase of VLSMs energy with height, which is different from turbulent boundary layers at low or moderate Reynolds numbers. The present analyses support the view that the evolution of the VLSMs cannot be fully attributed to a ‘bottom-up’ mechanism alone, and probably other mechanisms, including a ‘top-down’ mechanism, also play a role.
Apparent yield stress in rigid fibre suspensions: the role of attractive colloidal interactions
Authors: Bounoua S. , Lemaire E. , Férec J. , Ausias G. , Zubarev A. , Kuzhir P. 
Published: August 2016

This work is focused on the modelling of the shear and normal stresses in fibre suspensions that are subjected to a simple shear flow in the presence of short-range lubrication forces, van der Waals and electrostatic forces, as well as solid friction forces between fibres. All of these forces are weighed by the contact probability. The theory is developed for attractive fibres with van der Waals interaction dominating over electrostatic repulsion. The model predicts a simple Bingham law for both the shear stress and the first normal stress difference, with the apparent shear and normal yield stresses proportional to the second and the third power of the particle volume fraction respectively. The model is applied to the experimental data of Rakatekar et al. (Adv. Mater., vol. 21, 2009, pp. 874–878) and Natale et al. (AIChE J., vol. 60, 2014, pp. 1476–1487) on suspensions of carbon nanotubes dispersed in a Newtonian epoxy resin. It reproduces well the quadratic dependence of the apparent yield stress on the particle volume fraction $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}_{Y}\propto \unicode[STIX]{x1D719}^{2})$ for average particle aspect ratios of $r=160$ and 1200, while it underpredicts the power-law exponent for $r=80$ (always predicting $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}^{2}$ behaviour instead of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}^{3.2}$).
A Study of Creep Behavior of TSV-Cu Based on Nanoindentaion Creep Test
Authors: Wu W. , Qin F. , An T. , Chen P. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThrough-Silicon-Via (TSV) is considered to be the most potential solution for 3D electronic packaging, and the mechanical properties of TSV-Cu are critical for TSV reliability improving. In this paper, to make deeply understand the creep behavior of TSV-Cu, nanoindentation creep tests were conducted to obtain its creep parameters. At first, the TSV specimens were fabricated by means of a typical TSV manufacturing process. Then a combination programmable procedure of the constant indentation strain rate method and the constant load method was employed to study the creep behavior of TSV-Cu. To understand the influence of the previous loading schemes, including the different values of the indentation strain and the maximum depths, the nanoindentation creep tests under different loading conditions were conducted. The values of creep strain rate sensitivity m were derived from the corresponding displacement-holding time curves, and the mean value of m finally determined was 0.0149. The value of m is considered no obvious correlation with the different indentation strain rates and the maximum depths by this method. Furthermore, the mechanism for the room temperature creep was also discussed, and the grain boundaries might play an significant role in this creep behavior.
Non-Forfeiture Regulations
Authors: Pearson A. M. 
Published: August 2016

When a premium on a life assurance policy falls due, a certain time, known as the Days of Grace, is always allowed in which it may be paid without loss or fine. This period is usually 30 days, but a calendar month may be allowed and in one case 15 days only are given. During the days of grace the policy is fully in force and should a claim arise, it would be paid in the ordinary way, the premium that has fallen due merely being deducted.If the premium is not paid within the days of grace, it is said to be overdue and if the policy has acquired a surrender value the non-forfeiture regulation then comes into operation. The regulations usually apply only to ordinary life business; for special policies special schemes are sometimes in force and in some cases, such as Sinking Fund Assurances, where the office is running no mortality risk, no regulation is called for. These remarks, throughout, will deal only with the ordinary non-forfeiture regulations as applied to Whole Life and Endowment Assurance Policies.
Group Insurance
Authors: Fagg R. J. 
Published: August 2016

Under the heading group insurance may be included all types of insurance contract whereby a number of persons are by one policy covered against a given risk. In present day practice, however, its use is chiefly confined to the one special policy under which the lives of a group of persons—usually a firm's employees— are assured on a One Year Renewable Term basis, usually without medical examination.Group insurance in this form originated in America and has proved extremely popular both in that country and in Canada. In this country it has not received so warm a welcome and it is only within recent years that British offices have given it their serious attention.
Application of the Powers System to Ordinary Branch Work
Authors: Hickox W. E. H. 
Published: August 2016

Any mechanical aid which makes it possible to extract records and then analyse them rapidly and economically must command the serious attention of actuaries and attract increasing interest from those intimately connected with progress and development in Industry or Commerce. Powers machines are one of the most important of these mechanical aids and are readily adaptable to the business of Life Assurance. Invented in America, they have been improved and placed on the market in this country by the Accounting and Tabulating Corporation of Great Britain.The rationale of the Powers System is that many particulars relative to a given contract, such as a policy, may be placed on permanent record by means of punching holes in a card. Then such punched cards can, by entirely mechanical processes, be sorted and duplicated and the information contained thereon tabulated and cast; as a result of which we may collect our desired information in a very much more speedy, economical and efficient manner than was possible under the old clerical system.
Anglo-American economic relation A rejoinder
Authors: Zentler A. P. 
Published: August 2016

Mr A. F. Murray's paper published in the July issue of thisJournalcovers such a wide and complex field that it is obviously impossible to discuss it adequately in three to four pages. Within this limited space I have selected for comment a few points which not only constitute the main props in Mr Murray's arguments, but are also, largely for accidental reasons, of rather special interest. Their interest derives from the fact that in the last article written by the regretted Lord Keynes, these points are discussed in great detail and—most important—entirely different conclusions are reached.If I understand him rightly Mr Murray's argument is roughly this. Multilateral international trade can function properly only if the following two conditions are satisfied:(i) each of the participating nations must pursue a policy of full employment at home;(ii) each nation must pursue abroad an economic policy such that its balance of payments over a long term is of manageable dimensions.
Continental Building Societies
Authors: Vajda S. 
Published: August 2016

In 1923, lack of capital in Germany led to a system of financing house-building which later conquered large parts of central and south-eastern Europe. The ‘Gesellschaft der Freunde’ (in translation ‘Society of Friends’, but entirely unconnected with the body commonly known under that name in this country) was the first Continental Building Society that worked on the following principle:Members entering the society pay an entrance fee E and undertake to pay periodically thereafter amountsaper annum. All payments of a member are accumulated at a certain rate of interest and credited to his individual account. Whenever there is enough money in the pool to pay an amount of 1, say, then the member next on the list, in the order of entry, receives this amount and becomes a debtor for the difference between unity and the accumulated amount of his previous payments. He undertakes to pay from then onb, say, per annum until all his payments E,aandb, reach unity, when he is released from all obligations and ceases to be a member of the community.
The measurement of mortality and fertility.
Authors: Daw R. H. 
Published: August 2016

One of the principal problems of demography is that of comparing the mortality and fertility of different populations or of one population at different periods of time. This note defines and discusses briefly some of the measures which have been used for this purpose.NotationaPxnumber of persons in age groupxin the population being considered (the ‘actual’ population).amxdeath-rate in age groupxin the actual population.sPx,8mxthe corresponding number of persons and death-rate in a population chosen as standard (the ‘standard’ population).aM crude death-rate in the actual population.sM crude death-rate in the standard population.txnumber of ages included in age groupx.The standard population may, and in fact usually will, be an actual population in the sense that it is a population which existed at some particular time.
The trend of future cost in group life and pension schemes
Authors: Eschrich W. 
Published: August 2016

The volume of group life and pension scheme business transacted by life offices in this country is considerable, and is increasing steadily. A great deal of work is being spent in the preparation of quotations for such schemes. Readers may, therefore, be interested in a method of reducing to a minimum an especially uninteresting part of the work arising in connexion with quotations for schemes in which the cost of pension benefits for future service or of life assurance benefits is calculated on the ‘single-premium’ basis.In these schemes it is customary for the amount of life assurance cover provided during any Scheme Year, and the amount of pension earned in respect of that year, to depend only on the salary of the member and not on his age. The employee normally contributes an amount, also fixed in relation to his salary, to purchase part of the pension by means of a deferred annuity providing a return of premiums without interest in the event of his death. The employer in each year pays the single premium required to purchase the balance of the pension accruing in respect of that year's service (usually by a deferred annuity without return of premiums in the event of the employee's death), and also to purchase the whole of the temporary life assurance granted during that year. The employer's premiums are recalculated each year on the basis of the ages attained in that year and thus for any individual employee the cost to the employer increases from year to year. Considering the scheme as a whole, this rise is partly or wholly compensated by deaths, withdrawals and retirements, and it may be quite reasonable to expect that the cost in the future will only rise by a small amount, or even decline.
Inflation and the balance sheet
Authors: Turner N. C. 
Published: August 2016

It will be appreciated that inflation is not a purely war-time or post-war phenomenon. The last two wars have considerably increased the rate of inflation, but the process has been more or less continuous for a very long time. Any appreciable degree of inflation can have very far-reaching effects on the accounts of a trading company. It is the intention of this paper to consider the effects of inflation on the Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss Account and on the interpretation of the figures in these accounts after inflation has done its work, and to consider the extent to which such accounts give a true picture to the Company's Board of Directors and Shareholders.The preparation of accounts has as its purpose the provision of information to shareholders and to those whose duty it is to control the policy and to undertake the day-to-day management. The needs of the two groups vary to some extent, particularly as regards volume and detail of information. In both cases, however, the immediate aim of accountancy is the provision of a summary record of financial progress during (usually) a year's operations and of financial standing at the end of the period. The standard method of preparing this record uses only actual past figures of income and expenditure, expressed in units of currency.
Applications of Sequential Methods to Mortality Data
Authors: Johnson N. L. , Moore P. G. 
Published: August 2016

In recent years the statistical technique known as ‘sequential analysis’ has been developed to a considerable degree of refinement and applied in many varied fields. The technique may, however, be new to some readers, and some examples and illustrations of the application of sequential methods to data of the type encountered in actuarial work should therefore prove of interest.Theraison d'êtreof sequential analysis is the reduction of the average number of observations required to reach conclusions from observed data without altering the degree of reliability specified in the usual fixed sample size technique. If such a result can be achieved a saving in both time and money may be effected.In the usual fixed-sample size techniques the size of sample necessary to achieve a given degree of reliability in the conclusions reached can be computed. However, in the course of the selection and examination of the sample it often becomes apparent, at quite an early stage, what form of conclusion is likely to be reached.
Variable Annuities
Authors: Blunt R. H. , Lane L. H. 
Published: August 2016

The object of this paper is to provide a basis for a discussion on the advisability or otherwise of life offices issuing ‘variable annuities’ in this country on a commercial basis.As this is a relatively new subject it is, perhaps, as well to define our terms at the outset. The form of contract which has come to be referred to under the name of ‘variable annuity’ is one under which the annual amount payable is not a fixed sum in terms of money, but a fixed number of annuity units the cash equivalent of which varies from time to time in accordance with the variations in the market value of the assets in which the fund is invested.The substance of the paper was originally written about a year ago as an internal office memorandum summarizing reports and notices appearing in the financial and insurance press both here and in the U.S.A. about this new American idea, and the authors were of the opinion that as the subject had received little other attention in this country it would form a suitable topic for discussion at one of the Students' Society meetings.
The Past Population of Britain: An Archaeological Approach
Authors: Renn D. F. 
Published: August 2016

Conjectural estimates of the early population of Britain are subject to wide margins of error. Professor Grahame Clark (1957) has put forward tentative figures of early prehistoric numbers, based upon the native population density in newly colonized lands. The Upper Palaeolithic population density of Britain was compared to that of Alaska in 1867 and the North-West Territories in 1911, and the Mesolithic to that of Tasmania. Since prehistory has no specific dates, being measured in periods of hundreds or even thousands of years, overall numbers must be similarly imprecise in date. Again, the colonial figures themselves are only estimates (the two Palaeolithic estimators being in the ratio 20:3), so that the estimates of prehistoric population might not even be of the correct order of magnitude.Estimates of between a half and one and a half million have been made for the population of Roman Britain in the second century A.D., based upon different interpretations of the evidence for population density of town and country (Wheeler, 1930). Here we have agreement on the order of magnitude, but the estimates are still imprecise in date and size.
Some Legal Aspects of Reversionary Transactions
Authors: Johnson H. W. 
Published: August 2016

The course of reading for the examination does no more than touch on the way in which the business of purchasing, or granting loans on, reversions is influenced by legislation. The object of this paper is to peel a second layer off the fruit of reversionary knowledge, rather than to bite too deeply at one point on its circumference. The standard work by Withers, running to 480 pages, gives evidence of the number of layers left undisturbed.Whilst most of the matters mentioned on the following pages fall primarily within the province of the solicitor, the partnership between solicitor and actuary will be more efficient and beneficial to the client if each partner has a rudimentary grasp of the affairs of the other.
Some Statistical Problems arising from the Transaction of Motor Insurance Business
Authors: Beard R. E. 
Published: August 2016

When the word statistics is used in connexion with non-life insurance the first reaction of most of those concerned with the day-today requirements of the business is to think in terms of the relationship between premiums and claims. In my talk tonight I shall not be concerned with this aspect but will be concerned with the structure of the risk processes underlying the business. In order to try to bring out some of the essential characteristics I have used the minimum of mathematics, using numerical examples to illustrate the points. Furthermore, in order to limit my talk to a reasonable time and to make it ‘live’ I have deliberately omitted many of the finer points which arise in practice to which regard must be had in using mathematical or statistical models to describe the actual situation.At rock bottom the insurance industry rests on the operation of laws of chance. A hazard is recognized as being liable to give rise to a potential pecuniary liability, and in no time at all someone is prepared to provide a policy against such liability. In devising the policy, and in assessing the rate of premium to be charged, it is necessary to define the event which must happen before a claim can be admitted under the policy and to be satisfied that the happening of the event is fortuitous as far as the proposer is concerned. In life insurance difficulty seldom arises under either count but in non-life insurance the position is frequently very troublesome.
‘O & M’ and Job Evaluation
Authors: Cuthill J. G. 
Published: August 2016

An Organization &amp; Methods department is essentially advisory and should not have authority tomakeother departments adopt its recommendations. It is also consultative and cannot investigate any field of activity without an express invitation from whoever is responsible for that activity. It can of course always ask to be invited!Organization and Methods is basically an examination into all aspects of a clerical organization, its methods and procedures and related activities.‘Organization and Methods’ can be applied to:Office equipment:Studying the machines and equipment available, and advising on equipment most suitable.Office accommodation:Considering requirements for accommodation and how the best use can be made of the space available according to the nature of the work of individuals.
Variable Annuities and Variable Life Insurance in the United States of America
Authors: Leckie S. Hamilton 
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this paper is to outline the development and current status of variable annuities and variable life insurance in the United States of America. The author was fortunate in being granted a Fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust which enabled him to travel extensively in North America for two months in the summer of 1971. It is pointed out that this paper is the result of a large number of impressions formed by the author and has no claim to be a comprehensive treatise on the subjects. However, it is hoped that the paper will be of real interest to actuaries and others in the United Kingdom.Part I of the paper deals with variable annuities, Part II with variable life insurance, and Part III with the special problem of providing minimum death benefit guarantees and maturity value guarantees for these variable products. Variable annuities are much more established in the United States than in this country, but variable life insurance is just in the process of being developed. Mention will be made of the broader issues as well as of actuarial matters.
Paleoecology of a Pliocene coral thicket from North Carolina: an example of temporal change in community structure and function
Authors: Bailey Richard H. , Tedesco Steven A. 
Published: August 2016

A two meter stratigraphic interval within the Chowan River Formation of North Carolina contains a thicket of branching coral,Septastrea crassa(Holmes), associated with a diverse macrofaunal assemblage. The thicket modified a local shelf habitat by providing protection and feeding opportunities for certain vagrant epifaunal species. Faunal adjustments wrought by the thicket and thicket growth represent autogenic succession. Coral growth rates and preservation suggest a time span of about 100–300 years for thicket development.Bottom shoaling, associated with a eustatic regression, caused movement of a depth controlled environmental gradient during thicket growth. As the habitat changed, a plane bottom macrofaunal assemblage replaced the thicket assemblage by reordering abundances of intergradational species and introducing a few new species. Faunal density, diversity, trophic structure, and modes of life of component species were altered during replacement.Observed temporal community changes are best explained as gradual faunal adjustments along a shelf stress gradient. Short term allogenic or autogenic events may temporarily perturb gradual changes. Changes associated with thicket development are interpreted as a brief autogenic perturbation of long term community replacement.