The distribution of bibliographic records in databases using different counting methods for duplicate records

Knowing how records on a particular topic are distributed over databases is useful for both practical and theoretical reasons; however little work in this area appears to have been done. This paper examines the distribution of records on the topic of “Fuzzy Set Theory” in over 100 bibliographic databases and determines whether the distribution of records over databases is similar to the traditional Bradford hyperbolic distribution of records over journals. Different methods for counting duplicate records between and within databases have been developed. A comparison of the various distributions based on these counting methods is presented; and the distributions are compared to results of earlier studies. The results also give an indication of the number of databases necessary to search for coverage of a literature to specified percentages using the different counting techniques developed in this study.     

A simple method for evaluating the maximum slip of anchorages

The analytical solutions to the bond problem for monotonically increasing loads are developed for a monomial exponential local bond stress-slip relationship (law) – “exact solution” –, a linear local law – “proposed solution” – and a constant bond stress distribution, such as that recommended by the Eurocode. The three solutions are thoroughly developed for the pull-out of a bar embedded in a cylindrical element, with longitudinal concrete in tension. For short anchorages, which undergo a rigid motion and whose “exact solution” requires a complex iterative procedure, the “proposed solution” explicitly provides very accurate bond stress distributions. On the basis of this accuracy, an approximate expression for the slip distribution is derived. The proposed approximate solution is the first one providing a direct slip expression for short anchorages. Approximate explicit expressions for the maximum bond stress and the maximum slip are also given. The comparison between the maximum slip values measured during experimental tests and the corresponding values obtained from the proposed approximate expression demonstrates the accuracy of the latter.     

Bayesian parametric inference in a nonparametric framework

This paper considers the problem of reporting a “posterior distribution” using a parametric family of distributions while working in a nonparametric framework. This “posterior” is obtained as the solution to a decision problem and can be found via a well-known optimization algorithm.      

Introducing the concept of “uncertainty in measurement” into domestic metrological practice

There are four options for introducing the uncertainty concept in Russia. Preference is given to the gradual replacement of “error characteristic,” “total mean-square error,” and “confidence limits of error” by the terms “uncertainty,” “combined standard uncertainty,” and “expanded uncertainty,” respectively. The incorrect and widespread perception that “uncertainty in measurement” is an alternative for “error” is pointed out. Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 5, pp. 27–28, May, 2000.     

On the association between a random parameter and an observable

The association between an observable and a random parameter characterizes their joint distribution given the marginal distributions. It has been shown to be incorporated in the (log-)odds ratio function. The association is inherent in each of the conditional distributions and hence determines the learning process formalized in Bayes' theorem. The paper focuses on two applications. Commonly used measures of dependence, especially Kullback-Leibler distances between densities of interest are identified and interpreted as expected valuves of the log-odds ratio function. Frequently Bayesian inference is based on the maximization of an expected utility. If the utility of a probability density is defined by the logarithmic score function, the expected utility can often be decomposed approximately into a term of “fit” and a term of “model complexity”. The log-odds ratio parameterization of probability densities reveals that “model complexity” again can be defined as an expected value of the log-odds ratio function, i.e., as a measure of dependence between the observable and the random parameter. The ideas are illustrated throught with examples from the class of conjugate exponential families.     

Distribution of Au atom number in the Au agglomerates generated during the out-diffusion process of supersaturated high-temperature substitutional Au in Si at 900 °C

Au atom number in the Au agglomerates generated during the annealing of supersaturated high-temperature substitutional Au in Si at 900 °C are measured by SIMS and their distributions have been investigated. The annealing time is chosen as 22.5, 90 or 360 h, which corresponds to initial, middle or near final stage of the annealing. Many “initial agglomerates” containing about 2.0 × 10⁵ Au atoms are generated and the distributions show an abrupt one with the peak at the atom number in the initial and middle stages. The “initial agglomerates” have absorbed supersaturated Au atoms within 0.86 μm. The “initial agglomerates” are generated even in the near final stage and grow up to containing about 4 × 10⁶ Au atoms by absorbing the Au atoms within 2.3 μm, finally. As the consequence, many agglomerates contain 5 × 10⁴–1.3 × 10⁶ Au atoms resulting in a broad distribution at the near final stage. Schematic models of agglomerations corresponding to each stage are proposed.     

Bridging citation and reference distributions: Part I - The referencing-structure function and its application to co-citation and co-item studies

Citations networks are a core topic of informetrics and science studies. This article proposes to bridge the cited and citing side of citation transactions by using a disaggregated form, the “referencing-structure” function (RSF). The RSF may be also seen as the “retrieval-structure” which, in a stylized co-citation or co-word model, gives the maximum retrieval that can be expected from the bibliometric characteristics of the field (retrieval and recall features are key issues in co-citation studies). The usual citation and reference distributions may be derived from aggregates or cuts respectively, of the RSF. The RSF representation also generates new points of views on the citing-cited distributions, such as the "iso-retrieval function". A rank version of RSF is also introduced. Part I is devoted to the definition and construction of the RSF, and to the general interpretation of its various aspects in the context of co-citation studies. Generalization to other co-item (co-word, hyperlinks “co-sitations”) studies is discussed briefly. We also introduce a general form a kindred to the Weibull distribution that can be used to fit cuts of the function. The forthcoming Part II will detail empirical fits, using a few experimental files. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Modelling of gusts and wind shear for aircraft assessment and certification

Recent research in the UK on the subject of turbulence modelling for aircraft assessment and certification has emphasised the importance of considering ordered structures existing in apparently disordered air motions. A consequence of the existence of such order within disorder is that probability distributions of velocity gradients and associated velocity increments are often strongly non-Gaussian, even in so-called continuous turbulence. This non-Gaussian characteristic of turbulence (which may be related to the phenomenon of “intermittency”) is a source of dissatisfaction with the widely-used power-spectral method for modelling turbulence and is the main incentive for developing an alternative. One approach to the problem has been the development of a statistical discretegust model of turbulence which takes a discrete ramp gust as a basic element from which representative gust patterns may be built up and related to probability of occurrence. On this basis an alternative approach to aircraft certification has been proposed in which the assessment of a particular design (of aircraft, or gust-alleviation system) involves a systematic search over a specified family of equiprobable gust patterns for a “worst case” which produces maximum aircraft response. Such an equiprobable family is a generalisation of the traditional concept of a “design gust.” An important feature of the method is that the “worst case” response may be directly related to the statistical characteristics of response when the input has a random character representative of real turbulence. The technique is illustrated with particular reference to the assessment of autoland systems in severe wind shear and to limit-load criteria (for which a vortex-tube model is proposed to augment the statistical family of discrete ramp gusts).     

Uncertainty of measurement results in various scales

The relationship between the concepts of “error” and “uncertainty” of measurement results is examined. The concepts of “standard uncertainty,” “combined standard uncertainty,” and “expanded uncertainty” are shown to be inapplicable in nonmetric scales of quantities and properties, in which the general concept of “uncertainty” in the broad sense is recommended. Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 5, pp. 29–30, May, 2000.     

Analysis of the error of measurements of the active electric power in symmetrical three-phase electric networks

The error in measuring electric power for “three-element” and “two-element” transformer circuits including the electric power meter is analyzed. It is shown that, unlike a “ three-element” circuit, a “two-element” measurement circuit has somewhat larger values of the measurement error. __________ Translated from Izmeritel’naya Tekhnika, No. 4, pp. 68–70, April, 2006.     

The roles of “free” and “trapped” charges in single-crystal rubrene organic field-effect transistors

This work examined the roles of “free” and “trapped” charges in single-crystal rubrene organic field-effect transistors. Using a 2-capacitor model, we determined the voltage drop across the insulator-semiconductor interface and the “free” and “trapped” hole densities. Comparable values were obtained when either the gate voltage or the dielectric constant of the insulator was varied. In our model, we assumed that the “free” holes and the “trapped” holes conducted current separately with the “trapped” holes associated with negative charge states in the insulator. Our model predicted that the turn-on voltage increased negatively when the dielectric constant of the insulator was small.     

Structural model of a microinhomogeneous cracked material

We develop a mathematical model of microscopically inhomogencous but macroscopically isotropic materials with statistically distributed components of tensors of stiffness and strength. In this model, the material is represented as the continuous set of “characteristic” (i.e., typical of a given material) disjoint microscopic domains (microvolumes). The microinhomogeneous material is identified with an “effectively homogeneous” material in such a way that, at the same points, the components of the displacement vector determined for these materials are equal. It is assumed that, for each “characteristic” microvolume the parameters of stiffness and strength of the material are constant and can be obtained as values of an arbitrary random variable distributed according to the Weibull law and averaged over a certain random interval of any length. The components of the tensor averaged as indicated above are also regarded as random variables distributed according to the normal law with the same probability of hitting any arbitrarily located “characteristic” microvolume. The model is based on the assumption that the material is isotropic both macroscopically and in any “characteristic” microvolume. The stress-strain state of the microinhomogeneous material is described by the “effective” (averaged over its volume) components of the stress tensor. The model takes into account cracks in the material if their length exceeds the size of the relevant “characteristic” volume. The model is justified for the case of an infinite microinhomogeneous cracked plane under uniaxial tension. It is shown that the parameters determining the stressed state of this plane are not independent in the vicinity of the crack tip. The relevant constraints are given by equations of the model. The choice of these parameters which ignores the indicated constraints leads to results contradicting well-known physical facts. By using the symmetry properties of the system under consideration and physical reasoning, we obtain equations for the determination of the size of “characteristic” domains and physically reasonable dependences of the maximal “effective” tensile stresses and their direction on the parameter of inhomogeneity of the material and average volume of defects. Karpenko Physicomechanical Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Lviv. Pidstryhach Institute of Applied Problems in Mechanics and Mathematics, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Lviv. Translated from Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 5–16, July–August, 1996.     

Ethical motivations for green business and engineering

Corporate references to “sustainability” and the operative process of “green business” have become almost commonplace over the past decade. Companies not only seek to comply with environmental regulations, but many have discovered that techniques for reducing adverse environmental impact often have positive effects on corporate profitability as well. Such adoptions of green business and engineering practices are morally neutral because the driving forces behind them are legal and economic, but not ethical. In some instances, however, managers and engineers have undertaken green business initiatives with the notion of doing something positive for future humans and for the natural environment. In this paper we discuss the “green” driving forces behind moral decisions regarding the adoption of green engineering and business practices and conclude that most “green engineering” known to the public is simply good business practice. Only when engineering and business begin the “green engineering” program with the aim of reducing adverse impact on health or environment does “green engineering” become morally admirable.     

An exploratory study on substantive co-link analysis: A modification to total co-link analysis

Since the term “co-link” was put forward, many scholars have done exploratory investigations to prove the applicability and validity of co-link analysis used in mapping internet structure and mining relationships among internet colonies. All of these studies are based on the whole links in the web called “total co-link analysis”. However, there are both substantive and non-substantive links in the web, and the number of the latter outweights that of the former, which makes the preconditions of total co-link analysis untenable. In this paper, we present “substantive co-link analysis”, and believe it is more sound and valid than “total co-link analysis”. Then exploratory investigations on both total and substantive co-link analysis are carried out with the sample of 20 academic blogs on Library and Information Science, the results of which testify our assumption that “substantive co-link analysis” is more efficient and reasonable than “total co-link analysis”.     

An analysis of Bradford multipliers and a model to explain law of scattering

In his book on “Documentation”, Bradford derived the law of scattering, based on algebric explanation with the supposition that n₁=n₂=n. n₁ and n₂ are computed based on average no. of articles per journals in the first three zones. An analysis of a small sample of 12 data sets, using t-test suggests that it is unlikely that n₁=n₂. Further an attempt has been made to identify a suitable model to explain the law of scattering; among the various models tried, log-normal fits much better than many models including the log-linear model.     

Mechanisms of the mass transfer of “Loose” corrosion deposits in primary circuits of a water-cooled reactor and practical recommendations

This paper describes the mechanisms of the mass transfer of “loose” corrosion deposits in the primary circuits of water-cooled reactors. The revealed “peaks” of the amount of suspended corrosion particles in the reactor transients are reported are reported. Two ways of using this effect are suggested: first, for monitoring the amount of suspended corrosion particles in the circuit and the thickness of their deposits formed on the surfaces of the primary circuit equipment; second, for removing “loose” deposits containing radionuclides from primary circuits, i.e., for “non-chemical decontamination technology.”     

Garfield’s demon and “surprising” or “unexpected” results in science

The relative occurrence of the words “surprising” and “unexpected” in the titles of scientific papers was 11 times more common in 2001–2005 than in 1900–1955. However, papers which had titles containing one of these words did not receive enhanced numbers of citations. Both words (and also adjectives “unusual” and “unfortunately”) are used significantly more frequently in science than in social sciences and humanities. The distribution of the statements of surprise is not random in scientific literature (chemistry journals ranked highest in the number of papers claiming “surprising” or “unexpected” results) and may reflect the level of maturity of a discipline.     

Mathematical simulation of gravitational waves in the ocean in the approximation of “shallow water”

Problems of the behavior of gravitational waves in the approximation of “shallow water” — motion of a solitary wave over the water surface, exit of a wave to the shore, passage of a solitary wave over a submerged rock — are solved. The solution of the first problem showed that in modeling the motion of a solitary (soliton-type) wave the “shallow water” approximation breaks down at a ratio of water depth to wavelength equal to 0.3. An analysis of the results of solution of the second problem indicates that the “shallow water” approximation cannot be used for calculation of the height of a wave in its exit to the shore but it can be used for estimation of the distance from the shore where the wave is turned over. It follows from the solution of the third problem that the “shallow water” approximation is suited only for obtaining a qualitative picture of the distortion of the profile of a wave in its motion over a rock.     

Nanoelectronics and nanophotonics at the first international forum on nanotechnologies

Some of the scientific results presented in the “Nanoelectronics” and “Nanophotonics” sessions at the First International Forum on Nanotechnologies “Rusnanoforum-2008” (Rusnanotech08) are reviewed briefly.     

Physics 1800–1900: A quantitative outline

The authors utilize the index of theCatalogue of Scientific Papers of theRoyal Society of London dealing with the physics journal literature of the 19th century. Graphs of the publication activity of the entire 19th-century physics and of a bout 50 of its most important subareas are displayed; both the number of active contributors in each area, the number of papers and its share of publications of the entire 19th century physics are exhibited. Typical scientometric regularities such as “Lotka’s law” (with regard to the number of papers and the number of areas treated by physicists) are confirmed. In addition, the shares of the leading countries of important physical discoveries in the 19th century are studied.