Condensation of alkoxysilanes in alcoholic media: II. Oligomerization of aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane and co‐oligomerization with dimethyldiethoxysilane

In the context of the preservation of cultural heritage, the treatment of paper by an aminoalkylalkoxysilane, or its mixture with dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES), gave encouraging results. The condensation experiments presented here, carried out in alcohol medium using aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane (AMDES) alone or with DMDES, were followed using ¹H NMR, ²⁹Si NMR and matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight (MALDI TOF) spectroscopies. The aim was to determine whether DMDES and AMDES could copolymerize under the conditions used. An exchange reaction was observed for AMDES in ethanol in the absence of water, under conditions where no exchange took place for DMDES. In methanol, this reaction proceeded much more rapidly and the reactivity of methoxysilyl groups was higher than that of ethoxysilyl groups. In the same solvent, in the presence of water, hydrolysis, cyclization and oligomerization were observed using NMR and MALDI TOF spectroscopies. In ethanol, a kinetic study of a mixture of DMDES and AMDES showed that the condensation of the two monomers proceeded at comparables rates and MALDI‐TOF analysis gave evidence that mixed oligomers were produced, containing from one to four AMDES units. It was concluded that the co‐oligomerization did not lead to a mixture of homo‐oligomers, which would be due to different hydrolysis and condensation kinetics, but induced the formation of co‐oligomers. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

A two-stage algorithm in evolutionary product unit neural networks for classification

This paper presents a procedure to add broader diversity at the beginning of the evolutionary process. It consists of creating two initial populations with different parameter settings, evolving them for a small number of generations, selecting the best individuals from each population in the same proportion and combining them to constitute a new initial population. At this point the main loop of an evolutionary algorithm is applied to the new population. The results show that our proposal considerably improves both the efficiency of previous methodologies and also, significantly, their efficacy in most of the data sets. We have carried out our experimentation on twelve data sets from the UCI repository and two complex real-world problems which differ in their number of instances, features and classes.     

Optimization of wire connections design for power electronics

In automotive power electronics, low cost and reliability requirements both demand to optimize each part of the package in order to increase its life time during use. The wire bonding breakage accounts for one of the most common failures observed on power modules. In particular, the heel crack mechanism, mainly due to Joule self-heating, can occur in the module, leading to its death. Thus, the wire geometry design has to be set up to maximize its endurance. This paper presents an analytical method able to predict the optimal wire length regarding a wire displacement criterion. Finally, comparisons between experimental results and predictions of the analytical model are given.     

Memetic Pareto Evolutionary Artificial Neural Networks to determine growth/no-growth in predictive microbiology

The main objective of this work is to automatically design neural network models with sigmoid basis units for binary classification tasks. The classifiers that are obtained achieve a double objective: a high classification level in the dataset and a high classification level for each class. We present MPENSGA2, a Memetic Pareto Evolutionary approach based on the NSGA2 multiobjective evolutionary algorithm which has been adapted to design Artificial Neural Network models, where the NSGA2 algorithm is augmented with a local search that uses the improved Resilient Backpropagation with backtracking—IRprop+ algorithm. To analyze the robustness of this methodology, it was applied to four complex classification problems in predictive microbiology to describe the growth/no-growth interface of food-borne microorganisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli R31, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella flexneri. The results obtained in Correct Classification Rate (CCR), Sensitivity (S) as the minimum of sensitivities for each class, Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), show that the generalization ability and the classification rate in each class can be more efficiently improved within a multiobjective framework than within a single-objective framework.     

Equivalent network representation of boundary conditions involving generalized trial quantities

Virtual adjustable sources are introduced in equivalent network representation of boundary conditions. For this purpose, integral equations are to be solved simple application of analog Kirchoff’s and Ohm’s laws. These adjustable sources represent generalized trial quantities. In order to illustrate this proposed approach, equivalent network representation of lossy planar transmission lines with arbitrary metallization thickness is presented.     

Microwave active resonator band-pass filters in various mmic technologies

In this article, two topologies of L-C parallel active resonators are presented. These circuits are realized in MMIC technology, using three transistors which could be MESFET, hemt or HBT. The survey of these resonators shows the possibility, by controling the values of a resistor and/or a capacitor, on the one hand, to tune the resonance frequency of these circuits, and on the other hand, to cancel out their losses so as to obtain negative conductance. Compact, lossless and narrow-band filters are then implemented using previous active resonators. To date, the use of mesfet technology has reduced the synthesis of such active filters in S-band and at X-band low frequencies. Now, however, hemt and HBT technologies allow the extension of their implementation to the whole X-band. This survey is illustrated by the simulated response of a 10 GHz filter with a 500 MHz 3 dB bandwidth. The mmic technology is a 0.2 μm hemt one. The simulated performances of this filter achieve a mean transmission gain of 0. 5 dB, with a reflection loss higher than 10 dB at 10 GHz,     

Comparing Linear Viscoelastic Properties of Asphalt Concrete Measured by Laboratory Seismic and Tension–Compression Tests

Seismic measurements and conventional cyclic loading have been applied to a cylindrical asphalt concrete specimen to compare the complex modulus and complex Poisson’s ratio between the two testing methods. The seismic moduli and Poisson’s ratio have been characterized by optimizing finite element calculated frequency response functions to measurements performed at different temperatures. An impact hammer and an accelerometer were used to measure the frequency response functions of the specimen which was placed on soft foam for free boundary conditions. The cyclic loading was performed by applying both tension and compression to the specimen while measuring the displacements in the axial and radial direction. The Havriliak–Negami and the 2S2P1D model have been used to estimate master curves of the complex modulus and complex Poisson’s ratio from the seismic and the tension–compression tests. The seismic measurements performed at a lower strain level than the tension–compression test give a higher absolute value of the complex moduli (e.g. \({\sim }12\,\%\) at 100 Hz) and a lower phase angle compared to the tension–compression results.     

Local solid particle behavior inside the upper zone of a circulating fluidized bed riser

The solid phase behavior is studied in the upper zone of a circulating fluidized bed riser with glass particle of mean diameter 107 μm, using a Phase Doppler Anemometer. Superficial gas velocities U_g > U_c are investigated covering the turbulent and the fast fluidization regimes and this for three static bed heights (H_s = 50 mm, H_s = 100 mm and H_s = 150 mm). The results show that the mean axial particle velocity lateral profile shapes found parabolic for H_s = 50 mm, devolve to a concave shape for H_s = 100 mm and H_s = 150 mm, creating a particles speeding zone between the core and the annulus zones. For both axial and transversal standard deviations of particle velocities in the core region, the values for the three static bed heights unite to form two stages of evolutions with U_g, where the transition velocity between these stages is found associated to the appearing of a significant entrainment of solid particles. At this transition velocity, the transversal movement originally directed toward the center riser, undergo a change toward the wall beginning near the wall and spreading into a large part of the section riser with increasing U_g. A discussion on the boundary between the turbulent and fast fluidization regimes is made based on these results.