Homo sapiens possess a unique behavioural system for social action and response, namely, language. Language permits action at a distance by transmitting messages with specifi c meanings from one individual's mind to that of another. It is a peculiar system as compared with other structures in the environment, because the information in language that specifi es meaning is rather abstract and arb...

The high potential impact of soft robotics is hampered by a lack actuators that combine high-force, high-work and high-power capabilities, limiting application in real-world problems. Typically, are tuned to an gearing - for example, trading power strain. An example recently developed soft-actuator which exploits such the dielectrophoretic liquid zipping (DLZ) actuator. DLZs can produce large s...

The expected present value of dividends is one the classical stability criteria in actuarial risk theory. In this paper, we consider two-layer $ (a, b) dividend strategy when process modeled by a spectrally negative Lévy process, such has an increasing rate surplus exceeds level a>0 $, and all excess over b>a as lump sum payments. Using fluctuation identities scale functions, obtain expli...

The motions of liquid drops of various surface tensions and viscosities were investigated on a solid substrate possessing a gradient of wettability. A drop of any size moves spontaneously on such a surface when the contact angle hysteresis is negligible; but it has to be larger than a critical size in order to move on a hysteretic surface. The hysteresis can, however, be reduced or eliminated w...