Concept Of Thickness Research Articles

Developing Correction Methods by Revisiting the Concept of Effective Thickness in Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy.

We propose a new way of deriving the effective thickness in attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy, initially introduced by Hansen and Harrick in 1965. While following Hansen's approach, our derivation is more straightforward and includes an intermediate approximation that more closely aligns with results derived from Fresnel's equations, particularly for organic and biological materials. Using this intermediate approximation, we present improved estimations for the effective thicknesses with s- and p-polarized light. These estimations enabled us to enhance a recently developed ATR correction scheme that relies on effective thickness. Additionally, we examined the wavelength dependence of the product of wavenumber and effective thickness, observing that it bears a resemblance to the refractive index function of the sample. This similarity increases with the angle of incidence and the refractive index of the ATR crystal. Based on this observation, we introduce a simple correction scheme using the Kramers-Kronig transformed absorbance. This correction has the potential to address spectral shifts, facilitating applications in pattern recognition and spectra identification.

Where Technology Leads, the Problems Follow. Technosolutionism and the Dutch Contact Tracing App

In April 2020, in the midst of its first pandemic lockdown, the Dutch government announced plans to develop a contact tracing app to help contain the spread of the coronavirus – the Coronamelder. Originally intended to address the problem of the overburdening of manual contract tracers, by the time the app was released six months later, the problem it sought to solve had drastically changed, without the solution undergoing any modification, making it a prime example of technosolutionism. While numerous critics have mobilised the concept of technosolutionism, the questions of how technosolutionism works in practice and which specific harms it can provoke have been understudied. In this paper we advance a thick conception of technosolutionism which, drawing on Evgeny Morozov, distinguishes it from the notion of technological fix, and, drawing on constructivism, emphasizes its constructivist dimension. Using this concept, we closely follow the problem that the Coronamelder aimed to solve and how it shifted over time to fit the Coronamelder solution, rather than the other way around. We argue that, although problems are always constructed, technosolutionist problems are badly constructed, insofar as the careful and cautious deliberation which should accompany problem construction in public policy is absent in the case of technosolutionism. This can lead to three harms: a subversion of democratic decision-making; the presence of powerful new actors in the public policy context – here Big Tech; and the creation of “orphan problems”, whereby the initial problems that triggered the need to develop a (techno)solution are left behind. We question whether the most popular form of technology ethics today, which focuses predominantly on the design of technology, is well-equipped to address these technosolutionist harms, insofar as such a focus may preclude critical thinking about whether or not technology should be the solution in the first place.

Dynamic behavior and mechanistic analysis in filtration of dilute particulate suspensions through nanofibrous membrane

Nanofibrous membranes have garnered significant interest in membrane filtration due to their high porosity, small pore sizes, and complex interconnected pore structures. Although many studies focus on size exclusion in surface filtration, the filtration behavior and mechanisms for particles smaller than the pore size have been relatively underexplored. In this study, membrane filtration using nanofibrous membranes was employed to elucidate the filtration behavior and mechanisms for polystyrene latex suspensions with particles smaller than the pore size. The results indicated that reducing fiber diameter decreases the pore size and enhances particle rejection, with particle retention occurring within the intricate three-dimensional nanofiber pore network. In contrast, the effect of the membrane’s basis weight was less significant compared to fiber diameter. This observation can be attributed to the concept of effective thickness; once this thickness is exceeded, particles are prevented from penetrating deeper into the membrane. The filtration model was analyzed using Hermans-Bredée blockage filtration theory and cake filtration theory, considering the mass of trapped particles within the membranes. The model characterizes the filtration process as initially following standard blocking, progressing to cake filtration once a sufficient number of pores become clogged.

Development of aggregate gradation based on asphalt film thickness and aggregate structure

This study is an attempt to make the aggregate blending methodology, used during the mix design process of asphalt mixture, independent of control points. The proposed procedure involves optimization of aggregate gradation based on the concept of apparent asphalt film thickness (AAFT) and balance within the aggregate structure. The underlying hypothesis was validated by comparing the volumetrics and performance of asphalt mixtures, prepared using two generated aggregate gradations, with a control asphalt mixture. The results indicated that the generated aggregate gradations had similar rutting, fatigue, and moisture sensitivity properties to the control mix. Three field trial sections were laid using the proposed procedure. Preliminary investigation revealed comparable to better density and Marshall characteristics than the conventional mixture. It is envisaged that the results and discussions from the present study can be used with the approach of balanced mix design for choosing an aggregate gradation with desirable performance attributes.

2 - Corruption and Human Rights: Positioning Judicial Activism as an Anticorruption Strategy in Kenya

This article locates the conceptual foundations of corruption and human rights by examining the normative and definitional challenges of these terms. By focusing on socioeconomic rights and the principle of equality in access to public services, the paper demonstrates the implications of corruption for the realisation of human rights. It then examines how the thin and thick conceptions of the rule of law interact with corruption. The article further explores legal corruption and the mechanisms by which graft corrupts the law-making process and compromises the rule of law. At the same time, the paper studies the role of judicial activism in fighting institutionalised and legal corruption in Kenya. In conclusion, it maintains that public interest and human rights considerations should be central to the law-making and interpretation processes. To effectively deal with corruption, activist judges should pursue the ends of justice rather than the law in the case of conflict between the two.

Deformation state of a graphene sheet within the framework of the continuum moment-membrane theory of elasticity

The paper proposes an approach to finding the stress-strain state (SSS) of structures containing graphene, a novel nanomaterial that has currently found а wide range of practical applications in nanoelectromechanical systems. Graphene is a 2D basic building block for other carbon structures such as membranes, sheets, nanotubes, etc. To describe the SSS of a graphene sheet, the phenomenological continuum moment-membrane theory of plates is used, from which, due to the fact that graphene is an ultrathin material, the concept of thickness is excluded. The physical elasticity relationships of a graphene sheet are expressed through its rigidity characteristics, determined using the harmonic potential of interatomic interactions in carbon. A differential formulation and the corresponding variational formulation are given for the problem of static deformation and determination of the natural frequencies and modes of vibration of a graphene sheet. The variational formulation is based on the Lagrange principle and is implemented numerically using the finite element method. Finite element relations are constructed taking into account moment effects of the behavior of a graphene sheet. For approximation, a 4-node rectangular finite element is used. Numerical solutions to several problems of static deformation of a graphene sheet under conditions of a plane stress state and transverse bending are presented, and the analysis of its natural vibrations is also performed. Good convergence of numerical simulation results in all considered problems is demonstrated. The obtained numerical solutions are essential in designing and calculating resonators in which ultrathin nanostructures are used. The establishment of the fact that a graphene sheet has a high intrinsic frequency falling in the GHz region (for example, quartz resonators are characterized by megahertz frequencies) opens up new prospects for using graphene itself as an ultrasensitive nanomechanical resonator for detecting small masses and ultrasmall displacements.

Predicting Wood Density Using Resistance Drilling: The Effect of Varying Feed Speed and RPM

The IML PD series Resi is a device used to assess the drilling resistance of wood. The IML PD series Resi instrument is being widely adopted for commercial wood quality assessment due to its speed, cost-effectiveness, and precision when combined with web-based trace processing. Collecting Resi data with fixed feed speed and RPM settings is challenging due to inherent basic density variations within and between tree species. Altering these settings affects the drilling resistance amplitude of the Resi data, impacting basic density predictions. This study introduces the concept of chip thickness to combine feed speed and RPM into a single parameter to minimise the effects of different sampling conditions on the basic density predictions. Regression models, with chip thickness as the regressor variable, account for 97% to 99% of variance in mean Resi outerwood amplitude across six species. The demonstrated adaptability of chip thickness for adjusting feed speed and RPM settings, along with species-specific functions correlating it with Resi amplitude, holds promise for standardizing amplitude values across diverse feed speeds and RPM settings. Optimal sampling conditions needed to predict basic density lie within the 30%–40% amplitude range. To drill a ~30 cm diameter tree, the recommended fastest settings were 200 cm/min and 3500 RPM for Southern Pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii (Engelm) × Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (Sénéclauze)) and Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata (D. Don.)), 200 cm/min and 2500 RPM for Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii (Mudie)), 50 cm/min and 5000 RPM for Spotted Gum (Corymbia citriodora subsp. variegata (F. Muell.)), 200 cm/min and 4500 RPM for White Cypress (Callitris glaucophylla (Thompson & Johnson)), and 150 cm/min and 3500 RPM for Shining Gum (Eucalyptus nitens (H. Deane & Maiden) Maiden) based on the billets sampled.

A simplified numerical model for the temperature profile of early-age concrete

The issue of early-age concrete cracking is challenging and relies on the state of concrete soon after it is placed in the formwork. The concrete state is a function of the strains associated with thermal and other dilatations and the level of in situ strength. Both strain and strength primarily require information on the temperature–time history of the concrete element. For larger elements, the thermal history varies significantly across the thickness and the concrete material itself acts as confinement for discrete elements. Due to complexity of this issue, designers currently rely on mock tests and/or finite-element (FE) modelling for structures that are deemed ‘important’. Both approaches are costly and time consuming. It is therefore important to have a robust yet simple model to estimate the temperature variation experienced by concrete elements. The proposed spreadsheet-based model presented in this paper aims to provide a rapid estimate of the temperature profiles within a hydrating concrete element. The model uses the concept of effective thickness and the revised heat compensation technique. It was validated based on the measured temperature development of a concrete block of rectangular section. The proposed model was also successfully compared with output from FE software (TNO Diana).

‘Just The Facts’: Thick Concepts and Hermeneutical Misfit

Abstract Oppressive ideology regularly misrepresents features of structural injustice as normal or appropriate. I argue that resisting such injustice therefore requires critical examination of the evaluative judgments encoded in shared concepts. I diagnose a mechanism of ideological misevaluation, which I call hermeneutical misfit. Hermeneutical misfit occurs when thick concepts, or concepts which both describe and evaluate, mobilise ideologically warped evaluative judgments which do not fit the facts (e.g. slutty). These ill-fitted thick concepts in turn are regularly deployed as if they merely describe (hence ‘just the facts’). I argue that, via this descriptive masquerade, ill-fitted thick concepts smuggle in warped evaluative judgments alongside apparently value-neutral ‘mere facts’, a process which both reinforces those judgments and increases the difficulty of critique. I suggest that, to resist this process, we should develop collective consciousness and articulate ‘meta-hermeneutical resources,’ or thick concepts which encode critique of other, ill-fitted concepts (e.g. slut-shaming).

Study on Welding Parameter Model of Resistance Spot Welding of Body-in-white Al Alloy Plate

In this paper, the welding parameter model of resistance spot welding (RSW) of body-in-white(BIW) Al alloy plate was studied in details, and the key welding parameters that influence the RSW quality are analysed in-depth. Based on the concept of equivalent plate thickness (SV ), simplification of nugget volume and thermodynamic theories, combined with the properties of Al alloy, the mathematical models of welding current, pressure, time were established through production data and test verification. These models reflect the relationship between key welding parameters and equivalent plate thickness. The welding current and pressure are linear with SV , and the expressions are different when SV is greater than 2. For welding pressure, there exist two critical curves according to the different yield strength of welding materials. The yield of the material lies in between and pressure can be chosen between two critical curves. The welding time is directly linear to the actual thickness of the plate. Actual welding parameters can be obtained by the models and least test, which is very important for decision of welding parameters rapidly.

Deformation and aerobreakup of RP-2 droplets from hypersonic shock waves

The shock-induced atomization and burning of liquid fuel droplets are paramount for hypersonic propulsion and detonation-based combustion systems. The present work experimentally explores the atomization and aerobreakup of liquid RP-2 droplets in a hypersonic shock tube. The shock tube is operated with normal shocks propagating between Mach 5–10 interacting with RP-2 droplets with diameters between 200 and 300 µm. The droplet deformation and breakup dynamics are characterized by ultra-high-speed 5 MHz shadowgraph imaging diagnostics. For all hypersonic shock-droplet interactions, the droplets first undergo structural deformations with subsequent breakup occurring from a shear-stripping mechanism along the periphery of the droplet. The structural changes and droplet deformation rate are found to be self-similar among all cases, and the rate of deformation collapsed to a unified non-dimensional timescale. The complete breakup time of the fuel droplets were analyzed, and theoretical scaling arguments were used to quantify the effects of the Mach number, Weber number, and Ohnesorge number. The experimental data is then used to develop a modified boundary layer stripping model to estimate the breakup time of liquid drops. The model leverages the concept of displacement and momentum thickness to provide a numerical solution to estimate droplet breakup times when exposed to a high-speed gas stream. The model is compared to the experimental RP-2 data and water data available in the literature. The model predicts the breakup time for a range of droplet sizes between 200 and 2000 µm within a reasonable accuracy. The results can be used to optimize liquid fuel injection for hypersonic and detonation-based combustion systems.

Improving soil thickness estimations and its spatial pattern on hillslopes in karst forests along latitudinal gradients

Soils provide storage space for nutrients and water, which governs many hydrological processes and functions in the natural ecosystems. Due to the complex soil-rock structures and localized climate, soil thickness and stock vary distinctly in different karst areas in southwest China. The difficulties of soil detection and the non-transparent underground soil-rock structures limit a deeper understanding of the spatial distribution of soils and their ecological functions. In this study, we employed electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) combined with soil probes to detect the spatial distribution of soils on hillslopes in karst forests in southwest China. The ERT surveys were conducted at six sites with 19 plots (20 × 30 m2) along latitudinal gradients. The results show that the ERT method performs well in visualizing the complex soil–bedrock interfaces and patchy distribution of soils in karst hillslopes, with remarkable consistency with the observed soil thickness and rock outcrops. Soil probes often hit rocks in soils (which we call a “rock barrier effect”), resulting in an underestimation of the mean soil thickness within the one-meter exploration depth by ∼0.18 m. This indicates that soil stock estimates derived from soil probes may be obviously underestimated in karst areas where the rock barrier effects are widespread. Meanwhile, the concept of equivalent soil thickness is proposed to remove the impact of scattered bedrock on soil stock estimation. For the six selected sites, the ERT-inferred mean soil thickness, equivalent soil thickness, and stock are 0.86 m, 0.60 m, and 0.10 m3/m3 respectively, with a trend of decreasing from high to low latitudes. Moreover, the rock outcrop coverage rate explains 52 % (60 %) of the variation in soil thickness (stock), followed by the annual mean temperature. This study emphasizes the importance of considering bedrock topography and its distribution in improving the detection of soil distribution, and the implications of the findings in this study are perhaps most profound for soil thickness-related soil erosion, soil water storage, and carbon storage in karst critical zones.

Non-dimensional analysis on blast wave propagation in foam concrete: Minimum thickness to avoid stress enhancement

Foam concrete is a prospective material in defense engineering to protect structures due to its high energy absorption capability resulted from the long plateau stage. However, stress enhancement rather than stress mitigation may happen when foam concrete is used as sacrificial claddings placed in the path of an incoming blast load. To investigate this interesting phenomenon, a one-dimensional difference model for blast wave propagation in foam concrete is firstly proposed and numerically solved by improving the second-order Godunov method. The difference model and numerical algorithm are validated against experimental results including both the stress mitigation and the stress enhancement. The difference model is then used to numerically analyze the blast wave propagation and deformation of material in which the effects of blast loads, stress–strain relation and length of foam concrete are considered. In particular, the concept of minimum thickness of foam concrete to avoid stress enhancement is proposed. Finally, non-dimensional analysis on the minimum thickness is conducted and an empirical formula is proposed by curve-fitting the numerical data, which can provide a reference for the application of foam concrete in defense engineering.

Assessing Modern Monetary Theory’s Peculiar Ontology of Money

Macroeconomic traditions disagree on the policies needed for the economy to properly function and how to assess them. In this paper, we contend that these disagreements originate from the social ontological commitments of a theory. The ontology of money underlines these disagreements between Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and mainstream economics. First, we assess MMT’s ontology of money. Next, we identify MMT’s normative commitments and classify MMT’s ontology as a taxonomic definition with thick concepts. Finally, we offer reasons why MMT's ontology of money leads to rivalries with other economic traditions. We argue disagreements on policy are expected, given the ontological differences elaborated.

ANALISIS DOSIS PAPARAN RADIASI DARI PESAWAT PANORAMIK DI INSTALASI RADIOLOGI RUMAH SAKIT UMUM DAERAH RADEN MATTAHER JAMBI

This research aims to analyze the influence of distance and direction on radiation exposure values, assess the doses received by radiation workers and the general public, and evaluate the effectiveness of radiation protection from panoramic aircraft. The research method used is an experimental research method, where the researcher directly measures the variables of the study and conducts data analysis. The study was conducted by measuring radiation doses in various directions at distances ranging from 0.5 meters to 2.5 meters forward and to the right, and 0.5 meters to 1.5 meters to the left. Dose data reception was taken at operator room, service area, corridor, and waiting room points, and radiation protection effectiveness measurements were taken at corridor entrance, waiting room, and operator room points using a survey meter. The research results indicate that the radiation exposure dose is inversely proportional to the measured distance. The dose received by radiographers in the operator room is 0.107 μSv/hour, in the employee corridor, it is 0.0856 μSv/hour, and in the public waiting room, it is 0.0856 μSv/hour. The radiation protection effectiveness value in the operator room is 94.40%, at the patient entrance from the panoramic aircraft waiting room, it is 92.12%, and at the radiographer entrance from the employee corridor, it is 94.62%. According to the Tenth Value Thickness (TVT) concept, this is considered safe because the existing protection capabilities can effectively absorb radiation.

A populist turn in the European left. What is new, and what is not?

ABSTRACT What is left-wing populism? Is it just populist rhetoric grafted onto a left-wing ideology? How can we distinguish the populist left from the socialist left, the communist left and the radical left? Is the difference between the populist left and the non-populist left one of degree or of nature? How can we explain the populist turn taken by part of the European left in the mid-2010s? What was the breeding ground for these new political forces? And what links do these European left-wing populist movements have with the similar forces that emerged ten years earlier in Latin America? In order to answer these questions, this article draws on a broad review of left-wing populism studies literature and on five years of fieldwork within two prototypical contemporary left-wing populist forces (Podemos and La France Insoumise). The result is a thick conception of the phenomenon and a set of six differences between populist and non-populist lefts.

A Comparative Corpus-linguistic Study of Thick Adjectives: Cases of the PRC Criminal Law and the Model Penal Code

With the promotion of law-based governance in China, laws and regulations play an ever more important role in our country whilst placing further demands on PRC law translation. Guided by previous research, this paper conducts a comparative study into the adjective phenomenon from the two selected corpus--the Model Penal Code and the PRC Criminal Law, respectively representing professional legal discourse and Chinese law translation. Concerning the research result, the author concludes the legal norms drawn from Model Penal Code and puts forward improvement proposals for the official Chinese-English law translations in terms of adjective distribution and category choices. The findings demonstrate that legal language tends to avoid adjectives and that thick concepts are more commonly used due to their evaluative intensity. By contributing to the promotion of future C-E legal translation, this paper aims to support China's legal system in its increasingly important role on the global stage.

Validity as a thick concept

Validity as a thick concept

Determination of the Equivalent Thickness of a Taiko Wafer Using ANSYS Finite Element Analysis

The successful handling of large semiconductor wafers is crucial for scaling up their production. Early-stage warpage control allows the prevention of undesirable asymmetric warpage, known as wafer bifurcation or buckling. Indeed, even in a gravity-free environment, thinning an 8″ or 12″ semiconductor wafer can result in warpage and bifurcation. To mitigate this issue, the taiko method, which involves creating a thicker ring region around the rim of the wafer, has been widely used. Previous research has focused on the theoretical factors affecting the warpage of a backside metalized taiko wafer. This work extends the case to a front-side metalized taiko wafer and introduces the concept of the equivalent thickness of a taiko wafer. The equivalent thickness of a taiko wafer, influenced by the ring region, lies in between the thickness of the central region and that of the annular region. Because of the limited number of taiko wafers that can be produced on a production line, modelling can be beneficial. In this work we compared the results of a developed analytical model with those obtained from a finite element analysis (FEA) approach with ANSYSY® Mechanical Enterprise 2022/R2 software to model the equivalent thickness of a taiko wafer. We investigated the curvature as a function of the stress of the metal layer, considering key design factors such as the substrate region thickness, the thickness of the thin metal film, the step height, and the width of the ring region. By systematically varying the thickness of the central region of the taiko wafer, we explored the curvature as a function of stress induced by thermal load in the linear regime and determined the slopes in the linear region of the curvature vs. stress curves. The aim of this study is to identify regularities and similarities with the Stoney equation and investigate the validity of the analytical approach for the case of a taiko substrate. The results show that there is a good agreement between the analytical model of a taiko wafer and the numerical analysis gained by the FEA methods.

A Model Describing the Process of the Electrodeposition of Zinc Loose Deposits in Pulsed Current Modes

A phenomenological model describing the change in the structural characteristics of loose zinc deposits obtained in pulsed current modes is presented. Comparison of experimental data on the structural properties of deposits with the results of model calculations indicates the adequacy of the model. To describe the features of the dendritic deposit growth and to determine the duration of the homogeneous structure formation in pulsed modes, the concept of critical thickness is introduced, at which a sharp change in the loose deposit density occurs. The dependence of the zinc deposit critical thickness on the pulse duty ratio under pulsed current modes is determined. The increasing of the pulse duty ratio leads to denser deposits with rounded dendrite shapes and fewer growth points, as compared with the deposit obtained in galvanostatic mode.