Basic Bricks Research Articles

A new look at Lie algebras

We present a new look at the description of real finite-dimensional Lie algebras. The basic ingredient is a pair (F,v) consisting of a linear mapping F∈End(V) with an eigenvector v. This pair allows to build a Lie bracket on a dual space to a linear space V. The Lie algebra obtained in this way is solvable. In particular, when F is nilpotent, the Lie algebra is actually nilpotent. We show that these solvable algebras are the basic bricks of the construction of all other Lie algebras. Using relations between the Lie algebra, the Lie–Poisson structure and the Nambu bracket, we show that the algebra invariants (Casimir functions) are solutions of an equation which has an interesting geometric significance. Several examples illustrate the importance of these constructions.

Rational wavelet filter banks from Blaschke product

This note designs two kinds of rational wavelet filter banks using three basic bricks: the finite Blaschke product, Bezout polynomial and the symbol of the cardinal B-spline. In orthogonal case, the corresponding wavelets are generalization of Daubechies’ wavelets. The role of the Blaschke product is the adjustment of the peaks of wavelet functions.

Secondary structure assignment of proteins in the absence of sequence information.

The structure of proteins is organized in a hierarchy among which the secondary structure elements, α-helix, β-strand and loop, are the basic bricks. The determination of secondary structure elements usually requires the knowledge of the whole structure. Nevertheless, in numerous experimental circumstances, the protein structure is partially known. The detection of secondary structures from these partial structures is hampered by the lack of information about connecting residues along the primary sequence. We introduce a new methodology to estimate the secondary structure elements from the values of local distances and angles between the protein atoms. Our method uses a message passing neural network, named Sequoia, which allows the automatic prediction of secondary structure elements from the values of local distances and angles between the protein atoms. This neural network takes as input the topology of the given protein graph, where the vertices are protein residues, and the edges are weighted by values of distances and pseudo-dihedral angles generalizing the backbone angles and ψ. Any pair of residues, independently of its covalent bonds along the primary sequence of the protein, is tagged with this distance and angle information. Sequoia permits the automatic detection of the secondary structure elements, with an F1-score larger than 80% for most of the cases, when α helices and β strands are predicted. In contrast to the approaches classically used in structural biology, such as DSSP, Sequoia is able to capture the variations of geometry at the interface of adjacent secondary structure element. Due to its general modeling frame, Sequoia is able to handle graphs containing only atoms, which is particularly useful on low resolution structural input and in the frame of electron microscopy development. Sequoia source code can be found at https://github.com/Khalife/Sequoia with additional documentation. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.

Prediction of retardation factor of protein amino acids in reversed phase TLC and ethanol-sodium azide solution as the mobile phase using QSRR

Due to the importance of amino acids (AAs) as the basic bricks of proteins and their application in the drug and food industries, there is great interest in their separation and identification using simple and inexpensive approaches. Application of predictive models for the determination of the behavior of AAs can reduce trial-and-error experiments. Herein, the retardation factor (RF) of 21 protein AAs were studied using the quantitative structureretardation factor (QSRR) model. The RF values of the AAs in ethanol?sodium azide solution as the mobile phase of reversed phase thin layer chromatography (RP-TLC) were correlated with the structural properties of the AAs. The suggested QSRR indicated excellent fitting and prediction ability (R2train = 0.95 and R2test = 0.94). Furthermore, other statistical tests, such as y-scrambling, cross validation and the Williams plot confirmed the stability, absence of chance and the suitable applicability domain, respectively. It was shown that the sum of geometrical distances between oxygen and nitrogen atoms in an AA molecule is an important factor for the RF values of the AAs in the ethanol? sodium azide.

Atomic Nuclei Binding Energy: Case of 26Fe Isotopes

In 1936. Bethe and Bacher and in 1938 Hafstad and Teller predicted that αparticle structures could be present in atomic nuclei. In the course of developing a theory of nuclear structure based on the assumption that clusters of nucleons are packed as closely together as possible, Linus Pauling found that the magic numbers have a very simple structural significance. He assumed that in nuclei the nucleons may, as a first approximation, be described as occupying localized 1s orbitals to form small clusters. These small clusters, called spherons, are usually helions (i.e. α particles), tritons and dineutrons. In nuclei containing an odd number of neutrons, a 3He cluster or a deuteron may serve as a spheron. The close-packed-spheron model differs from the conventional liquid-drop model of the nucleus in having spherons rather than nucleons as the units. This is a simplification: 154Gd, for example, is described in terms of 45 spherons, rather than 154 nucleons. This enables one to determine the systematic of binding energy in a much simpler way than the approach based on individual nucleons. The author developed that idea, i.e. having clusters as basic bricks within the nucleus instead of nucleons. He considered the binding energy of α particle, deuterium, tritium, 3He, and the way these spherons are bonded instead of the bonding between individual nucleons. According to that hypothesis the nuclei of the various isotopes of each element are constituted out of α particles and other nucleons grouped in order to form sub-nuclei bound together by four types of bonds called NN, NP, NNP and NPP. So, the author favored an approach trying to breakdown the binding energy value of each element isotope in the sub-values indicated above. That binding energy distribution approach in the nuclei is essential to the comprehension of LENR process.

Reactions and emissivity of cerium oxide with phosphate binder coating on basic refractory brick

AbstractHigh emissivity coatings which aim to help the cement industry reduce heat loss in its production process have been developed with different CeO2 and AlH6O12P3 ratios (1:3, 1:5, and 1:12 by volume). The coating slurries were shear thinning and after heat treatment in air at 1300°C, 1°C/min, dwell 3 hours, XRD revealed that CePO4 forms more easily as the Ce/P ratio decreases. The composition with a 1:5 ratio of CeO2:AlH6O12P3 was gun sprayed on basic refractory bricks, then heat treated under the same conditions as the slurries. SEM, (S)TEM and EDX were used to study thickness, microstructure, and chemical composition of the coatings which revealed that the coating was composed of pores, CeO2 grains, CePO4 grains, and M‐P‐O glass. SEM images show that CePO4 was nucleated from a reaction between CeO2 and AlH6O12P3. Consequently, CePO4 grains (~2 µm diameter) were smaller than CeO2 (~10 µm diameter). The emissivities of un‐coated and coated basic refractory bricks were measured at 1100 and 1300°C over the wave number range of 700‐12 000 cm−1. At both temperatures, the emissivity of the coated bricks was higher than the uncoated bricks and the emissivity was measured to be higher at a higher temperature for both samples. The coated bricks gave the highest emissivity of 0.81 from 1050 to 11 000 cm−1 which is about twice the un‐coated bricks for the same conditions. This demonstrates that the developed high emissivity coating has potential to be used with basic refractory brick.

Atomic Nuclei Binding Energy

In 1936 Bethe and Bacher and in 1938 Hafstad and Teller predicted that α-particle structures could be present in atomic nuclei. In the course of developing a theory of nuclear structure based on the assumption of closest packing of clusters of nucleons, Linus Pauling found that the magic numbers have a very simple structural significance. He assumed that in nuclei the nucleons may, as a first approximation, be described as occupying localized 1s orbitals to form small clusters. These small clusters, called spherons, are usually helions (i.e. α-particles), tritons and dineutrons. In nuclei containing an odd number of neutrons, an 3He cluster or a deuteron may serve as a spheron. The close-packed-spheron model differs from the conventional liquid-drop model of the nucleus in having spherons rather than nucleons as the units. This is a simplification: 154Gd, for example, is described in terms of 45 spherons, rather than 154 nucleons. This enables to determine the systematic of binding energy in a much simpler way than the approach based on individual nucleons. The authordeveloped that idea, i.e. having clusters as basic bricks within the nucleus instead of nucleons. So, the authorconsidered the binding energy of α-particle and of Deuterium, Tritium, 3He and the way these spherons are bonded instead of the bonding between individual nucleons. According to that hypothesis the nuclei of the various elements are constituted out of α-particles and other nucleons grouped in order to form sub nuclei bound together by four types of bonds called NN, NP, NNP, and NPP. Nevertheless, my purpose is not about looking for a new 3D model of atomic nucleus structure. It is the reason why the author favored an approach trying to breakdown the binding energy value of each element and its isotopes in several sub values indicated above. So, this process is considering only unidimensional binding energy values. This binding energy distribution approach in the nuclei is essential to the comprehension of LENR process.

Cold Nuclear Transmutations. Distribution of Binding Energy within Nuclei

In 1936 Bethe and Bacher and in 1938 Hafstad and Teller predicted that α particle structures could be present in atomic nuclei. In the course of developing a theory of nuclear structure based on the assumption of closest packing of clusters of nucleons, Linus Pauling found that the magic numbers have a very simple structural significance. He assumed that in nuclei the nucleons may, as a first approximation, be described as occupying localized 1s orbitals to form small clusters. These small clusters, called spherons, are usually helions (i.e. α particles), tritons and dineutrons. In nuclei containing an odd number of neutrons, an He3 cluster or a deuteron may serve as a spheron. The close-packed-spheron model differs from the conventional liquid-drop model of the nucleus in having spherons rather than nucleons as the units. This is a simplification: Gd154, for example, is described in terms of 45 spherons, rather than 154 nucleons. This enables to determine the binding energies in a much simpler way than the approach based on individual nucleons. I developed that idea, i.e. having clusters as basic bricks within the nucleus instead of nucleons. These clusters are the same than Pauling’s ones, i.e. α particles and deuterium, tritium, He3 and dineutrons like clusters. Nevertheless, on the method, my approach differs from that one of Pauling. I tried a simple method of mind experiments, approaching the problem step by step, nucleus after nucleus, isotope after isotope, looking each time at the preceding nucleus or isotope binding energy to compare with the next nucleus binding energy. My purpose is about LENR, i.e. looking for differences of binding energies between elements at the beginning and the end of the LENR process in order to determine the energy release. Indeed, my approach is looking for the distribution of binding energy within each element and each isotope, comparing their values, rather than researching for an internal structure of these elements. So, my approach is not about 3D structure of the nuclei but is rather based on an unidimensional value of their binding energy, looking for the internal distribution of that energy and trying to find distribution similarities between elements and isotopes. As a result, I could determine in a coherent way the binding energy of all stable nuclei and their isotopes on basis of the five clusters mentioned above and which are the same as those retained by Pauling. Indeed, I do not care about the geometrical structure of the packing of spherons, but rather about the organization of these spherons in order to determine for each element and isotope the binding energy characterizing it.

Easy-Mention: a model-driven mention recommendation heuristic to boost your tweet popularity

This paper investigates the role of mentions on tweet propagation. We propose a novel tweet propagation model $$\mathrm{SIR}_{\mathrm{MF}}$$ based on a multiplex network framework which allows to analyze the effects of mentioning on final retweet count. The basic bricks of this model are supported by a comprehensive study of multiple real datasets, and simulations of the model show a nice agreement with the empirically observed tweet popularity. Studies and experiments also reveal that follower count, retweet rate and profile similarity are important factors for gaining tweet popularity and allow to better understand the impact of the mention strategies on the retweet count. Interestingly, we experimentally identify a critical retweet rate regulating the role of mention on the tweet popularity. Finally, our data-driven simulations demonstrate that the proposed mention recommendation heuristic Easy-Mention outperforms the benchmark Whom-To-Mention algorithm.

LEGO products have become more complex.

The LEGO Group has become the largest toy company in the world and they can look back to a proud history of more than 50 years of producing bricks and other toys. Starting with a simple set of basic bricks their range of toys appeared to have increased in complexity over the years. We processed the inventories of most sets from 1955–2015 and our analysis showed that LEGO sets have become bigger, more colorful and more specialized. The vocabulary of bricks has increased significantly resulting in sets sharing fewer bricks. The increased complexity of LEGO sets and bricks enables skilled builders to design ever more amazing models but it may also overwhelm less skilled or younger builders.

A Dialectical Dialogue about the Fairness of Intellectual Property Rights

Human ingenious creations are the basic bricks of the edifice of our civilization and correspondingly Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) became one integral part of modern civilization. Starting with the very basic nature of Intellectual Property (IP) in comparison to the nature of physical entities like cars, this writing explores the logic behind IPR related fairness by making use of Platonic style dialectic dialogue. Some key factors that would impact the fairness of IPR in a society are discussed. This writing re-exhibits the power of the ancient technique of dialectic dialogue for explicating complicated social issues like IPR. Reference to some previous discussion on fairness in general by the author, together with some other relevant ancient philosophical thinking, is also provided in this writing

Hadron Physics and QCD: Just the Basic Facts.

With discovery of the Higgs boson, the Standard Model of Particle Physics became complete. Its formulation is a remarkable story; and the process of verification is continuing, with the most important chapter being the least well understood. Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is that part of the Standard Model which is supposed to describe all of nuclear physics and yet, almost fifty years after the discovery of quarks, we are only just beginning to understand how QCD moulds the basic bricks for nuclei: pious, neutrons, protons. QCD is characterized by two emergent phenomena: confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB), whose implications are extraordinary. This contribution describes how DCSB, not the Higgs boson, generates more than 98% of the visible mass in the Universe, explains why confinement guarantees that condensates, those quantities that were commonly viewed as constant mass- scales that fill all spacetime, are instead wholly contained within hadrons, and elucidates a range of observable consequences of confinement and DCSB whose measurement is the focus of a vast international experimental programme.

Design of refractory linings for balanced energy efficiency, uptime, and capacity in lime kilns

In this work a computer model is used to examine how refractory linings with both high alumina and basic refractory bricks affect kiln operations. Recommendations are made based on the results to aid mill personnel in designing optimized refractory linings for specific situations. Kilns used to regenerate lime in the kraft process are highly energy intensive. Throughout the 1990s, in response to increasing fuel prices, the pulp and paper industry primarily used backup insulation in conjunction with high alumina brick to line calcining zones of their kilns. The dramatic decline in price of natural gas over the past decade, in combination with mounting pressures to increase production of existing assets, has led many mills to focus more on increasing uptime and capacity rather than on energy savings. To this end, a growing number of mills are using basic (magnesia based) brick instead of high alumina brick to line calcining zones. While the use of basic brick can increase the uptime and reduce the cost to maintain the refractory lining, it can dramatically increase the shell temperatures and heat losses. Tradeoffs, therefore, are created among energy efficiency, capacity, and uptime.

Annihilator Methods in Discrete Spectral Synthesis

Spectral synthesis deals with the description of translation invariant function spaces on groups. On commutative Abelian groups the basic building bricks of spectral synthesis are the exponential monomials. In this paper we exhibit some methods which can be used to characterize exponential monomials and related function classes using ring-theoretical tools, like modified differences and annihilators.

Characterization of exponential polynomials on commutative hypergroups

Exponential are the basic building bricks of spectral analysis and spectral synthesis on Abelian groups. Recently there have been some attempts to extend the most important spectral analysis and spectral synthesis results from groups to hypergroups. For this purpose it is necessary to introduce a reasonable concept of monomials. In this work we reconsider this problem, and using a ring-theoretical approach we prove characterization theorems for particular function classes, which can be considered as exponential monomials on commutative hypergroups.

Hercynite and magnesium aluminate spinels acting as a ceramic bonding in an electrofused MgO–CaZrO3 refractory brick for the cement industry

Innovative chrome-free basic refractory bricks have been design based on electrofused magnesia–calcium zirconate (MgO-CaZrO3) technology using as ceramic bonding magnesium aluminate spinel (MgAl2O4) and hercynite spinel (FeAl2O4) in order to improve their properties. Industrial refractory bricks have been manufactured by solid state sintering of magnesium and calcium zirconate aggregates with MgAl2O4 and FeAl2O4 spinels at 1650°C in a tunnel kiln. Physical and microstructural characteristics of new refractory bricks have been characterised in terms of density, porosity, crystalline phases, phase distribution and morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with microanalysis (using energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis -EDS) have been used. The mechanical behaviour has been evaluated in terms of cold crushing strength (CCS) at room temperature and three point bending modulus of rupture (MOR) at 25 and 1260°C. Static and dynamic resistance test by chemical attack of clinker raw meal constituents have been carried out at 1450°C. Results have shown that thermo-mechanical properties of new refractory bricks significantly improved with increasing both type of spinel in content. Microstructural analysis revealed that spinel phases aided to develop a strong bond between the magnesia and calcium zirconate refractory aggregates. Finally, these refractory matrixes exhibit a good thermal stability and an excellent chemical resistance against clinker raw meal.

Modelling, Evaluation and Simulation during the Early Design Stages: Toward the Development of an Approach Limiting the Need for Specific Knowledge

The early stages of the design process are keys in the development of products and services. Nevertheless, they are marked by multiple constraints imposed on them, such as, most notably, a limited amount of time available for modelling and evaluating ideas and concepts. The present article develops an approach for modelling, and simulating initial design solutions during these critical early stages. The final objective is to minimize the amount of prerequisite knowledge a designer should have on the artefact being designed in order to propose, develop, and evaluate early models. First, the current work analyses the conditions necessary to develop a modelling and comparison environment for early design solutions. This is done through mathematical considerations of the design process. In a second part, the work proposes a modelling and simulation approach and develops the machinery behind it. The approach integrates and maps a series of normalized semantic descriptions of functions, generic engineering components and variables, a set of elementary laws associated with these components, and a set of elementary base units. All these elements are used to refine and guide the modelling process. This process is uses the Vaschy-Buckingham theorem followed by an approximation of the generic law describing the general behaviour of elementary components. This combination leads to an approximated model of the behaviour of the studied artefact. The model is further developed by implementing the behaviour in a system dynamics tool using two basic bricks of the system dynamics language, converters and flows. In a final part, the approach is illustrated through the case study of a beam structure.

Mapping the nuclear landscape: 50 years of the Karlsruher Nuklidkarte

Radioactivity has been known for more than a hundred years. Nuclear data compilations through nuclide charts began in the 1920s with the work of Soddy, and were later rationalized in the Karlsruher Nuklidkarte. For 50 years, it has depicted the status of our nuclear knowl- edge in an easy reading form. It was born as an educational and scientific tool that gives access to the basic bricks that the nuclear Physics community needs to build the physics knowledge at the femtometer (10 -15 m) level. Nuclide data is a bridge between research and development. On the one hand, the nucleus can be regarded as a vast laboratory with, the possibility to test from fundamental concepts of the Standard Model to the genesis of the elements in the Universe. On the other hand, this data is also leading to applications in many areas of everyday life such as health care or environmental monitoring.

FeatherTrait

In the context of statically typed, class-based languages , we investigate classes that can be extended with trait composition. A trait is a collection of methods without state; it can be viewed as an incomplete stateless class . Traits can be composed in any order, but only make sense when imported by a class that provides state variables and additional methods to disambiguate conflicting names arising between the imported traits. We introduce FeatherTrait Java (FTJ), a conservative extension of the simple lightweight class-based calculus Featherweight Java (FJ) with statically typed traits . In FTJ, classes can be built using traits as basic behavioral bricks; method conflicts between imported traits must be resolved explicitly by the user either by (i) aliasing or excluding method names in traits, or by (ii) overriding explicitly the conflicting methods in the class or in the trait itself. We present an operational semantics with a lookup algorithm, and a sound type system that guarantees that evaluating a well-typed expression never yields a message-not-understood run-time error nor gets the interpreter stuck. We give examples of the increased expressive power of the trait-based inheritance model. The resulting calculus appears to be a good starting point for a rigorous mathematical analysis of typed class-based languages featuring trait-based inheritance.

A&A for modelling and engineering simulations in Systems Biology

Systems Biology (SB) promotes a system-level understanding of biological systems, and requires modelling and simulation tools for analysing biological systems dynamics. The articulation of Multiagent Systems (MASs) in terms of multiple, distributed and autonomous computational entities makes MAS a seemingly fit paradigm in SB. In this paper we adopt the Agents and Artefacts (A&A) metamodel where the notions of agent, artefact and workspace are taken as the basic bricks for MASs as the ontological foundation for our Multiagent-based Simulation (MABS) framework, and discuss how this impacts on SB. After recasting the A&A abstractions within the domain and design models, we specialise A&A within the SB context, and show an operational model based on the TuCSoN agent coordination infrastructure, upon which our simulation framework is implemented. As a case study, we model the well-studied metabolic pathway of glycolysis, and present some results of the simulation.