Elementary Components Research Articles

INTERACTION IN THE AgSbP2Se6 – AgSbSe2 (Sb4(P2Se6)3) SYSTEM

The purpose of the study was to determine the interaction in the systems based on the compounds AgSbP 2 Se 6 and AgSbSe 2 (Sb 4 (P 2 Se 6 ) 3 ). To achieve the goal, 13 samples were synthesized in the AgSbP 2 Se 6 – AgSbSe 2 (Sb 4 (P 2 Se 6 ) 3 ) systems. Synthesis was carried out in evacuated up to 0.13 Pa quartz ampoules. The initial materials were pre-synthesized AgSbP 2 Se6, AgSbSe 2 and Sb 4 (P 2 Se 6 ) 3 . Their synthesis was carried out from high purity elementary components taken in a stoichiometric ratio. The maximum temperature of synthesis was 40-50 K above the melting point of components, including the products of interaction. Homogenizing annealing was conducting at the temperature 573 K for 120 hours. The identification was carried out by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) (DRON 4.07, Cu Kα radiation). Synthesis of alloys was carried out in a similar way. The maximum temperature of the synthesis was 900 K. Annealing was carried out at 573 K for 240 hours. The obtained samples were investigated by DTA and XRD methods. The AgSbP 2 Se 6 – AgSbSe 2 system belongs to the eutectic type with boundary solid solutions based on the starting components. The solubility on the AgSbP 2 Se 6 side is about 5 mol.%, and on AgSbSe 2 – about 8 mol.%. The primary crystallization lines in the system intersect at the eutectic point with coordinates 724 K, ~ 33 mol.% AgSbSe 2 . The homogeneity region of AgSbSe 2 with increasing temperature is strongly expanding and at an eutectic temperature up to 30 mol.%, whereas this is not observed for AgSbP 2 Se 6 . The synthesized samples in AgSbP 2 Se 6 – Sb 4 (P 2 Se 6 ) 3 system were compact ingots with a rather dim metallic shine. The indexing of the X-ray powder diffractograms show that two phases AgSbP 2 Se 6 and Sb 4 (P 2 Se 6 ) 3 are exist in the system. On the thermograms of samples two endothermic effects were observed. The temperature of the low-temperature endothermic effect practically did not change in the whole concentration range (5 – 95 mol.%), which indicated the eutectic interaction. Invariant eutectic point is located on the side of Sb 4 (P 2 Se 6 ) 3 , its coordinates are 646 K, ~ 96 mol.% Sb 4 (P 2 Se 6 ) 3 . The solubility areas based on the initial components at annealing temperature do not exceed 5 mol%.

Synthesis and X-Ray Studies of Cu2ZnGe1 –xSixSe4 Solid Solutions

The quaternary compounds Cu2ZnGeSe4, Cu2ZnSiSe4 and their solid solutions are synthesized from the elementary components Cu, Zn, Ge, Si, and Se by the single-temperature synthesis method. The unit-cell parameters of the synthesized compounds and Cu2ZnGe1 –xSixSe4 solid solutions are determined at room temperature by X-ray diffraction (XRD). It is shown that the unit-cell parameters a, b, and c decrease as x increases. It is found that two series of solid solutions are formed in the Cu2ZnGe1– xSixSe4 system: one is based on the Cu2ZnGeSe4 compound and the other is based on Cu2ZnSiSe4.

Smoothable Gorenstein Points Via Marked Schemes and Double-generic Initial Ideals

Over an infinite field K with we investigate smoothable Gorenstein K-points in a punctual Hilbert scheme and obtain the following results: (i) every K-point defined by local Gorenstein K-algebras with Hilbert function is smoothable (this is the only case non treated in the range considered by Iarrobino and Kanev in 1999; (ii) the Hilbert scheme has at least five irreducible components. As a byproduct of our study about we also find a new elementary component in We face the problem from a new point of view, that is based on properties of double-generic initial ideals and of marked schemes. The properties of marked schemes give us a simple method to compute the Zariski tangent space to a Hilbert scheme at a given K-point, which is very useful in this context. We also test our tools to find the already known result that K-points defined by local Gorenstein K-algebras with Hilbert function are smoothable. The problem that we consider is strictly related to the study of the irreducibility of the Gorenstein locus in a Hilbert scheme and, more generally, of the irreducibility of a Hilbert scheme, which is a very open question.

Fabrication of reduced graphene oxide/CeO2 nanocomposite for enhanced electrochemical performance

A facile hydrothermal technique was utilized for the preparation of the CeO2/rGO nanocomposite. X-ray diffraction pattern was used to identify the crystal structure and calculate the crystallite size of the prepared samples. The average crystallite sizes for CeO2 and rGO/CeO2 nanocomposites were calculated to be 14 and 12 nm, respectively. The spectral analysis confirmed the functional groups of CeO2 nanoparticles and CeO2/rGO nanocomposites. The presence of G and D band peaks as well as the CeO2 and CeO2/rGO peaks was confirmed by the FT-Raman analysis. The optical characterization of the synthesized sample was also examined with the help of UV–visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra. The surface morphology of the prepared sample was analyzed by the scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed the existence of cerium, oxygen and carbon as the elementary components in the nanocomposite. The electrical properties such as the dielectric constant, the dielectric loss and the AC conductivity were also analyzed. The observed specific capacitances for the CeO2/rGO composite and that of pure CeO2 NPs were calculated as 89 Fg−1 and 77 Fg−1, respectively. Thus, CeO2/rGO nanocomposites can exhibit excellent capacitive performance and thereby serve as a promising anode material for supercapacitor applications.

Predicting process performance: A white‐box approach based on process models

AbstractPredictive business process monitoring methods exploit historical process execution logs to provide predictions about running instances of a process. These predictions enable process workers and managers to preempt performance issues or compliance violations. A number of approaches have been proposed to predict quantitative process performance indicators for running instances of a process, including remaining cycle time, cost, or probability of deadline violation. However, these approaches adopt a black‐box approach, insofar as they predict a single scalar value without decomposing this prediction into more elementary components. In this paper, we propose a white‐box approach to predict performance indicators of running process instances. The key idea is to first predict the performance indicator at the level of activities and then to aggregate these predictions at the level of a process instance by means of flow analysis techniques. The paper develops this idea in the context of predicting the remaining cycle time of ongoing process instances. The proposed approach has been evaluated on real‐life event logs and compared against several baselines.

ESR and luminescent properties of anion-deficient α-Al2O3 single crystals after high-dose irradiation by a pulsed electron beam

Electron spin resonance (ESR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra of anion-deficient alumina single crystals were measured. High-dose irradiation by a pulsed electron beam (130 keV) causes an absorption line with g┴ = 2.008 ± 0.002 in the ESR spectrum. In contrast to the irradiation by the beta-source, there is no overlapping of this line with another one in the obtained ESR spectrum, which allowed to investigate the thermal stability of this line more in details and to prove that it consists of several elementary components. A drop in PL intensity of F+-centers (3.8 eV) and F-centers (3.0 eV) is observed with increasing of ESR absorption line with g┴ = 2.008 ± 0.002. Parallel studies of ESR and PL spectra under stepped annealing in the temperature range of 523–973 K showed that the radiation-induced paramagnetic center was stable up to 873–973 K. A possible association of the disappearance of the ESR absorption line with the destruction of F-type aggregate defect and with changing charge state of the paramagnetic center caused by emptying of deep electron and hole traps at Т = 773–973 K is discussed in the paper.

Synthesis and X-ray Diffraction Analysis of Cu2CdGexSn1 – xSe4 Solid Solutions

The high-temperature orthorhombic phase of Cu2CdGeSe4 quaternary compound, tetragonal phase of Cu2CdSnSe4 compound, and Cu2CdGexSn1 – xSe4 solid solutions have been grown from elementary components Cu, Cd, Ge, Sn, and Se by one-temperature synthesis. The unit-cell parameters of the grown compounds and solid solutions have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis at room temperature. It is shown that a continuous series of solid solutions, based on Cu2CdSnSe4 compound, is formed in the Cu2CdGexSn1 – xSe4 system in the range of 0 ≤ х ≤ 0.8, and the Cu2CdGexSn1 – xSe4 system at x ≥ 0.9 is an orthorhombic crystalline phase.

Structures and Interactions of Quantum Particles Based on the Energy Circulation Theory

Although the quark model is widely accepted, it is unknown what the origin of the electric charge of a quark is and why the charge magnitudes are fractional and different among the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] quarks. Here we propose a novel scheme for quantum particles independent of quantum chromodynamics and quarks. We previously reported the energy circulation theory, in which the fundamental force works between antiparallel energy movements based on momentums, and forms an energy circulation. The electric charge is the momentum in the hidden dimension of an energy circulation in hidden–space dimensions. In this paper, we examine the interactions between energy circulations precisely covering the whole range of distance, and derive formulas for strong and weak nuclear interactions. The strong force is an inter-circulation interaction by the fundamental force. The weak interaction is an orthogonal separation of an energy circulation in space–space dimensions to two halves. A quantum particle consists of one or plural energy circulations in a unit space of radius of the lowest-frequency hidden dimension. We propose the respective compositions of energy circulations for major particles so that they as much conform to reported decays, spin and rest-mass values. This new model of particles provides potential solutions to unexplained issues from the Standard Model as follows: The new model presents the theoretical origin of the electric charge and its elementary charge. Because elementary components of hadrons are energy circulations instead of quarks, it is not required to introduce a fractional electric charge. A composition of elementary energy circulations for a quantum particle shows its electric charge and mass (rest energy) by the addition of those of elements. Furthermore, the model successfully exhibits strong and weak nuclear interactions as well as the electric force.

Elementary components of Hilbert schemes of points

We generalize the Bialynicki-Birula decomposition to singular schemes and apply it to the Hilbert scheme of points on an affine space. We find an infinite family of small, elementary and generically smooth components of the Hilbert scheme of points of the affine four-space. Our method gives easily verifiable sufficient conditions for proving that a point of the Hilbert scheme is smooth and lies on an elementary component. We also present a necessary condition for smoothability of a finite subscheme given by a homogeneous ideal.

A Modified Neumann–Kopp Treatment of the Heat Capacity of Stoichiometric Phases for Use in Computational Thermodynamics

Since the early days of phase diagram calculation, the CALPHAD community has accepted a method of data assessment that is based on using Gibbs energy expressions for stoichiometric compounds that consist of a part that represents the contributions of the reference components, the so-called Neumann–Kopp sum, and a part that represents the Gibbs energy of formation. Usually, the latter consists only of a simple A + B * T term, which implies on the one hand that enthalpy and entropy of formation of a compound are temperature independent, and on the other, that the heat capacity of the respective compound is given by the Neumann–Kopp sum of the Cps of the constituents. In most cases this method yields acceptable results, also for the heat capacity. However, if certain elementary components are involved, this is not so. The paper highlights the problem outlining a remedial treatment that can be applied to problematic heat capacity functions present in pre-existing assessments, and thus giving a suggestion of how to prevent the problem in the future.

The role of musculoskeletal ultrasound in psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may develop in up to a third of people with psoriasis and can be erosive in 40-60% of patients early on, resulting in functional impairment and reduced quality of life. In recent years with the introduction of new medications and wider use of musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) imaging in clinical practice, the possibility of earlier US diagnosis in patients with psoriasis in the pre-clinical phase of PsA has been examined. US detection of subclinical synovitis and enthesitis in psoriasis patients without musculoskeletal involvement will be discussed. The clinical spectrum of PsA is broad with five target areas of joints, tendons, entheses, skin and nails. Each domain will be discussed with their relevant US findings, focussing on synovitis, enthesitis and dactylitis. Specifically, features of enthesitis on US can be divided into those of reversible soft tissue inflammation and irreversible tissue damage. There is increasing use of US in evaluating nail involvement in psoriasis as this feature increases the probability of developing PsA. In patients with predominantly hand involvement, US enables differentiation of PsA from other inflammatory arthritides, such as rheumatoid arthritis, using specific extra-synovial US patterns of inflammation. Examples include peritenonitis of the extensor digitorum tendon at the metacarpophalangeal joints. Thickening of the flexor tendon pulleys may be predictive of PsA in the setting of early arthritis. Psoriatic related polyenthesitis without clinically swollen joints or increased inflammatory markers can mimic fibromyalgia with multiple tender points. US detection of enthesitis especially if power Doppler positive may assist by providing an objective assessment of disease activity. More recently, the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) US Working Group has developed a PsA US enthesitis scoring system, addressing the elementary inflammatory and structural components and determining which entheseal sites should be scanned. The utility of US in monitoring disease activity in PsA to support clinical assessment will be discussed, including guidance in tapering therapy in clinical remission. The ongoing prospective US in PsA Treatment Study (UPSTREAM) aims to identify clinical and US predictors of treatment response in PsA. Future research should address issues such as the optimal combination for US screening of joints, tendons and entheses, the predictive value of subclinical US inflammatory lesions for future development of PsA and whether US provides any added prognostic value in PsA in those achieving minimal disease activity on therapy.

Sparse representation of 3D images for piecewise dimensionality reduction with high quality reconstruction

Abstract Sparse representation of 3D images is considered within the context of data reduction. The goal is to produce high quality approximations of 3D images using fewer elementary components than the number of intensity points in the 3D array. This is achieved by means of a highly redundant dictionary and a dedicated pursuit strategy especially designed for low memory requirements. The benefit of the proposed framework is illustrated in the first instance by demonstrating the gain in dimensionality reduction obtained when approximating true color images as very thin 3D arrays, instead of performing an independent channel by channel approximation. The full power of the approach is further exemplified by producing high quality approximations of hyper-spectral images with a reduction of up to 371 times the number of data points in the representation.

Measuring transaction costs: from theory to practice

The article deals with the key concept of modern institutional theory – transaction costs. Currently,the study and study of the concepts of transactions and transaction costs is given important attention.Moreover, the constantly changing conditions and mechanisms of functioning of economic systems arealso important in the study of such issues, since they inevitably lead to the possibility of the emergence,conclusion and execution of an expanded range of transactions, which is constantly updated and enrichedover time.Of particular importance in the study of issues and problems of transactions, their reflection in theaccounting, take aspects of the cost measurement and evaluation of transactions in the various processesof Contracting, in terms of contractual interactions of contractors. The existing issues of evaluation andmeasurement of transaction costs are further complicated by the presence of such characteristic featuresof transactions as the uncertainty factor in the conclusion and execution of the contract, which leadsto an increase in the uncertainty of transaction costs of various kinds, such as the costs of entering intothe market, the costs of increasing guarantees under contracts through hedging operations of the maintransaction.Also affect the specificity of different transaction costs, the possibility of separating from theirtotal set of individual elementary components, which ultimately makes them quite measurable.A transaction-based approach can provide a significant amount of information to the economic andfinancial services of an enterprise. In international practice, this is almost absolute, that is, it is clearlyunderstood that virtually every financial or accounting transaction is a transaction or an integral part ofa particular transaction.In this study of the need and the possibility of measuring transaction costs, the author relies on theConcept of integrated reporting, which combines certain types of capital, including components of socialand reputational capital.In the course of the study, a very significant conclusion is made for the accounting system: capitalizationof transaction costs of client-forming activities that form the value of reputational capital willsignificantly increase the business valuation and, at the same time, exclude from the cost of productionunusual transaction costs, which will allow only one accounting technique to increase the company’sprofit.Turning to the very essence of transaction costs, we consider it appropriate to consider them as investmentcosts involved in the process of creating business value. At the same time, we draw the reader’sattention to the fact that on this basis transaction costs should be capitalized.

Cultural Differences between Learners and its Impact on the Development of Blended Learnings: an Analysis of Shift Supervisors in Austria, China, The Czech Republic, Great Britain, Indonesia and The United States

The education and training of employees is an elementary component of many companies. To ensure an efficient further education of employees, trainings should be optimally adapted to the respective target group. Here, among other things, the culture of the learner plays a major role. This paper is based on findings identified in an internationally active Austrian company. Six of the largest sites of the company, which will be included in the survey, are based in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Indonesia and the United States. The goal of this survey is to reveal the biggest differences regarding learning preferences and learning strategies of the company’s shift supervisors in relation to their cultural backgrounds. The focus will be on behavioral changing blended learnings. Based on the findings, recommendations for action should be made to allow for adaptations of future blended learnings and to better meet the culturally diverse needs of the company’s shift supervisors. To reach these goals, a qualitative research with sixteen semi-structured expert interviews will be carried out. The informants will be employees of the six different production sites of the company and external trainers that have already worked with the company. All of them are experienced in the development and/or implementation of trainings for one or more of the discussed cultures. Up to the present time, fourteen interviews have been carried out and transcribed. In a first step, to offer preliminary findings for this paper, four interviews with the employees from the Czech Republic and the United States have been analyzed. Based on these interviews it can be noted that there are a lot of similarities in learning behavior of shift supervisors in the Czech Republic and the US. The discovered differences deal with the personal relationship between trainer and learner, the combination of participants in face-to-face trainings and the perceived self-efficacy of learners.

FEATURES OF THE TETRATHALIUM(I) TRITIOSTANATE(II) SINGLE CRYSTAL GROWTH

Thermoelectric materials provide a direct transformation of heat into electric energy. Improving the efficiency of thermoelectric material is a complex and individual task for concrete material. Ternary chalcogenides type Tl4Sn(Pb)X3 (X–S,Se,Te) are perspective thermoelectric materials. To improve the thermoelectric figure of merit of a material the reduction of the phonon thermal is used what can be reached by using polycrystalline or single crystal samples.This work is devoted to the development of technological conditions for the crystal growth of Tl4SnS3 compound. Tl4SnS3 are formed in the Tl2S–SnS quasibinary system by peritectic reaction L + Tl2S↔Tl4SnS3 at 626 K and is characterized by polymorphic transformation at 600 K. The low temperature modification of Tl4SnS3 are crystallized in tetragonal system, SG P4/ncc.For the current investigation two samples with ratio 1) 66.67 mol.% Tl2S : 33.33 mol.% SnS (1) and 52 mol.% Tl2S : 48 mol.% SnS (2) were obtained. The 1 sample correspond to stoichiometric composition of Tl4SnS3 compound. The 2 sample correspond to nonstoichiometric composition what lies on the branch of the primary crystallization of high temperature modification of Tl4SnS3.The both synthesis were carried out from high purity elementary components in vacuumed to 0.13 Pa quartz ampoules by one-temperature direct method. The maximal temperature of synthesis 698 K was obtained with heating rate 50 K per hour. Cooling to an experimentally selected annealing temperature of 480 K was carried out with rate 30 K / h. The annealing was carried out during 336 h.The crystals growth of the both samples was carried using "the solution-melt" method in a two-zone furnace (temperature of the melt zone – 698 K, annealing zone – 480 K) in a quartz container with a cone-shaped lower part. Obtained single crystals were without cracks.Results of the microstructural analysis (MSA) indicates that the grown crystals do not contain inhomogeneities. Comparison of the experimentally obtained powder diffraction data with theoretically calculated indicate that a both crystals are single-phase. The calculated cell parameters of the 1 and 2 samples are close and agree with the theoretical data.

Reproducible Neural Network Simulations: Statistical Methods for Model Validation on the Level of Network Activity Data.

Computational neuroscience relies on simulations of neural network models to bridge the gap between the theory of neural networks and the experimentally observed activity dynamics in the brain. The rigorous validation of simulation results against reference data is thus an indispensable part of any simulation workflow. Moreover, the availability of different simulation environments and levels of model description require also validation of model implementations against each other to evaluate their equivalence. Despite rapid advances in the formalized description of models, data, and analysis workflows, there is no accepted consensus regarding the terminology and practical implementation of validation workflows in the context of neural simulations. This situation prevents the generic, unbiased comparison between published models, which is a key element of enhancing reproducibility of computational research in neuroscience. In this study, we argue for the establishment of standardized statistical test metrics that enable the quantitative validation of network models on the level of the population dynamics. Despite the importance of validating the elementary components of a simulation, such as single cell dynamics, building networks from validated building blocks does not entail the validity of the simulation on the network scale. Therefore, we introduce a corresponding set of validation tests and present an example workflow that practically demonstrates the iterative model validation of a spiking neural network model against its reproduction on the SpiNNaker neuromorphic hardware system. We formally implement the workflow using a generic Python library that we introduce for validation tests on neural network activity data. Together with the companion study (Trensch et al., 2018), the work presents a consistent definition, formalization, and implementation of the verification and validation process for neural network simulations.

GRAPHO-ANALYTICAL MODELING OF PROCESSES OF INTERACTION OF ELEMENTARY COMPONENTS OF A MANAGEMENT PAIR


 
 
 
 In order to analyze and justify the choice of the recommended modes of interaction of people in organizational entities, the article covers the main possibilities of increasing the effectiveness of human interaction on the basis of interpreting a typical management pair in the form of two elementary components that can interact in the "subject-object", "subject-subject”, “object-subject” and “object-object” modes, taking into account the fact that each component is characterized by a certain level of subjectivity. At the same time, the authors take into account the fact that during the life of a person and its life cycle in an organizational formation the level of subjectivity of any person varies within the boundary of the linear continuum object - subject, and its subjectity in organizational formation is defined by no means other, as the current state of the ratio of the number of formal and informal influences of the individual as a subject to other members of the organization to the number of the same effects on it as an object from other members of the organization. Due to the fact that the life cycles of the elementary components are characterized by the presence of each of the periods of increase in subjectivity with the achievement of each peak value and the subsequent gradual loss after release or retirement, it is demonstrated that the joint and equally effective activity of the components is possible only provided that they maintain the subject-subject mode of interaction, which corresponds to the dialogue of the two parties, rather than management of or management by one side of the other. Using the superposition of graph- analytic dependencies of Dunig-Kruger and changes in subjectivity throughout life, it is proved that the basic condition for the implementation of such a managerial dialogue is the awareness of both components of the managerial pair of the fact that the concept of the subject loses meaning without the existence of the object, and therefore maintaining the process of dialogue-cooperation is possible only under the condition of equality and freedom of the participants and the inter-orientation of each of the partners as the subject, the tool for establishing partnerships is management on the basis of the dialogue communication process with the mutual recognition of each of the participants in their freedom, equality and value - subjectivity. It has been established that the priority factors determining the results of the operation of a typical management pair are not the structure and the relationship between its constituent elements, but the intellectual, moral and psychological characteristics of these elements and the awareness of the latter as partners that jointly solve the problem with the achievement of mutually established and harmonized goals.
 
 
 

Bone Ultrastructure as Composite of Aligned Mineralized Collagen Fibrils Embedded Into a Porous Polycrystalline Matrix: Confirmation by Computational Electrodynamics

Micromechanical representation of bone ultrastructure as a composite of aligned mineralized collagen fibrils embedded in a porous polycrystalline matrix has allowed for successfully predicting the (poro/visco-)elastic and strength properties of bone tissues throughout the entire vertebrate animal kingdom, based on the „universal“ mechanical properties of the material’s elementary components: molecular collagen, hydroxyapatite, and water-type fluids. We here check whether the explanatory power of this schematic representation might extend beyond the realm of mechanics; namely, towards electrodynamics and X-ray physics. This requires knowledge about the electron density distribution across the bone ultrastructure, reflecting the organization of collagen molecules, hydroxyapatite (mineral) crystals, and water with noncollageneous organics. The latter follow three principal, mathematically formulated, ”universal” rules, namely (i) a unique bilinear relationship between mineral and collagen concentrations found in bone tissues throughout the vertebrate animal kingdom, (ii) the precipitation of mineral from a ionic solution under closed thermodynamic conditions, governing mass density-dependent lateral distances between the long collagen molecules, and (iii) the identity of the extracollageneous mineral concentration in the fibrillar and extrafibrillar, as well as in the gap and the overlap compartments of bone ultrastructure. The corresponding electron density distributions are then inserted into Fourier transform-type solutions of the Maxwell equations specificied for a Small Angle X-ray Scattering setting. The aforementioned mineral distribution, as well as random fluctuations of fibrils, both within their transverse plane around a hexagonal lattice and in form of axial shifts, turn out to be the key for successfully predicting experimentally observed X-ray diffraction patterns. This marks a new level of quantitative, mathematized understanding of the organization of bone ultrastructure. In particular, earlier interpretations of SAXS data, leading to the idea of bone being a soft organic matrix with stiff mineral inclusions may have been overcome, in favor of a more complex, but also more realistic modeling concept concerning the ultrastructural organization bone.

Experimental analysis of structural damage in tensile membranes

Abstract Different numerical and experimental methods have recently been introduced in the literature for the diagnosis of structural damage by using location-dependent changes in the modal parameters (natural frequencies, damping factors and mode shapes). The main task is to determine the presence, location and extent of the damage. This work is concerned with the possibility of introducing, along with a manufacturing process, an on-line quality control for structural components before assembly using modal parameters. The assembly process is usually realized by welding joints or bolts. The structural reliability of the entire system results, therefore, is dependent on the reliability of the single elementary components as well as on the local quality of the welding processes. As a result, a non-destructive control provided together with the relevant assembly or manufacturing process can be important for the integrity of the whole system. The modal analysis techniques [Giannoccaro NI, Messina A, Trentadue B, Masciocco G, Montuori G. Detection of Changes in Mechanical Components for Automobile Chassis Using Modal Data. ATA International Edition, 2001; Messina A, Williams EJ, Contursi T. J. Sound Vib. 1998, 216 (5), 791–808] lend themselves well to the case because they are based on the measurement of parameters (natural frequencies and mode shapes). They are sensitive to the structural modifications but have a different sensitivity for the variations in the generic investigated zones of the system. To enact the real possibility of using such a technique, the defects that are troublesome for integrating the assembled or elementary component must be established. These defects have to induce some variations in the checked parameters (modal parameters) in order to be out of experimental repeatability of the same parameters connected with healthy structural systems. In this work, natural frequencies are shown and compared to a non-contact optical technique subsequently experimentally reliable when used in diagnostic routines connected with geometrically similar components from a molding process.

Certifying the Building Blocks of Quantum Computers from Bell's Theorem.

Bell's theorem has been proposed to certify, in a device-independent and robust way, blocks either producing or measuring quantum states. In this Letter, we provide a method based on Bell's theorem to certify coherent operations for the storage, processing, and transfer of quantum information. This completes the set of tools needed to certify all building blocks of a quantum computer. Our method distinguishes itself by its robustness to experimental imperfections, and so could be used to certify that today's quantum devices are qualified for usage in future quantum computers.