A set expression based inheritance system

This paper describes a new formalism for inheritance systems, based on the formal semantics of set expressions. Using the formalism, it is possible to define new semantic classes by arbitrary set expressions operating on previously defined classes. Thus generalizing bothIS-A links andIS-NOT-A links and adding the set intersection operation. We present an efficient algorithm which follows these definitions to deduce the properties implied by the inheritance network, i.e., the properties of the classes containing a given element. The application which motivated the development of the formalism, namely semantic disambiguation of natural language, is also described.     

Canonical density control

The Sparse Table is a data structure for controlling density in an array which was first proposed in 1981 and has recently reappeared as a component of cache-oblivious data structures. All existing variants of the Sparse Table divide the array into blocks that have a calibrator tree above them. We show that the same amortized complexity can be achieved without this auxiliary structure, obtaining a canonical data structure that can be updated by conceptually simpler algorithms.     

Synthesis from scenario-based specifications

We consider the problem of the automatic generation of reactive systems from specifications given in the scenario-based language of live sequence charts (LSCs). We start by extending the language so that it becomes more suitable for synthesis. We then translate a system specification given in the language into a two-player game between the system and the environment. By solving the game, we generate a winning strategy for the system, which corresponds to a correct implementation of the specification. We also define two notions of system correctness, and show how each can be synthesized.     

Impact of Grain Boundary Density on Oxide Scaling Revisited

Oxidation of Metals - A straightforward conceptual tool for discriminating between different oxide scaling processes deviating from the parabolic standard model is formulated. Grain boundary...     

Incoherent-scatter computed tomography with monochromaticsynchrotron x ray: feasibility of multi-CT imaging system forsimultaneous measurement-of fluorescent and incoherent scatter x rays

We describe a new system of incoherent scatter computed tomography (ISCT) using monochromatic synchrotron X rays, and we discuss its potential to be used in in vivo imaging for medical use. The system operates on the basis of computed tomography (CT) of the first generation. The reconstruction method for ISCT uses the least squares method with singular value decomposition. The research was carried out at the BLNE-5A bending magnet beam line of the Tristan Accumulation Ring in KEK, Japan. An acrylic cylindrical phantom of 20-mm diameter containing a cross-shaped channel was imaged. The channel was filled with a diluted iodine solution with a concentration of 200 μgI/ml. Spectra obtained with the system's high purity germanium (HPGe) detector separated the incoherent X-ray line from the other notable peaks, i.e., the iK_α and K_β1 X-ray fluorescent lines and the coherent scattering peak. CT images were reconstructed from projections generated by integrating the counts In the energy window centering around the incoherent scattering peak and whose width was approximately 2 keV. The reconstruction routine employed an X-ray attenuation correction algorithm. The resulting image showed more homogeneity than one without the attenuation correction     

Ferroelectric Exchange Bias Affects Interfacial Electronic States

In polar oxide interfaces phenomena such as superconductivity, magnetism, 1D conductivity, and quantum Hall states can emerge at the polar discontinuity. Combining controllable ferroelectricity at such interfaces can affect the superconducting properties and sheds light on the mutual effects between the polar oxide and the ferroelectric oxide. Here, the interface between the polar oxide LaAlO₃ and the ferroelectric Ca-doped SrTiO₃ is studied by means of electrical transport combined with local imaging of the current flow with the use of scanning a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Anomalous behavior of the interface resistivity is observed at low temperatures. The scanning SQUID maps of the current flow suggest that this behavior originates from an intrinsic bias induced by the polar LaAlO₃ layer. Such intrinsic bias combined with ferroelectricity can constrain the possible structural domain tiling near the interface. The use of this intrinsic bias is recommended as a method of controlling and tuning the initial state of ferroelectric materials by the design of the polar structure. The hysteretic dependence of the normal and the superconducting state properties on gate voltage can be utilized in multifaceted controllable memory devices.     

Reactive Element Effects in High-Temperature Alloys Disentangled

Reactive elements—REs—are decisive for the longevity of high-temperature alloys. This work joins several previous efforts to disentangle various RE effects in order to explain apparently contradicting experimental observations in alumina forming alloys. At 800–1000 °C, “messy” aluminum oxy-hydroxy-hydride transients initially formed due to oxidation by H₂O which in turn undergo secondary oxidation by O₂. The formation of the transient oxide becomes supported by dispersed RE oxide particles acting as water equivalents. At higher temperatures, electron conductivity in impurity states owing to oxygen vacancies in grain boundaries (GBs) becomes increasingly relevant. These channels are subsequently closed by REs pinning the said vacancies. The universality of the emerging understanding is supported by a comparative first-principles study by means of density functional theory addressing RE(III): Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, and La₂O₃, and RE(IV): TiO₂, ZrO₂, and HfO_2, that upon reaction with water, co-decorate a generic GB model by hydroxide and RE ions. At 100% RE coverage, the GB model becomes relevant at both temperature regimes. Based on reaction enthalpy ΔH_r considerations, “messy” aluminum oxy-hydroxy-hydride transients are accessed in both classes. Larger variations in ΔH_r are found for RE(III)-decorated alumina GBs as compared to RE(IV). For RE(III), correlation with GB width is found, increasing with increased ionic radius. Similarly, upon varying RE(IV), minor changes in stability correlate with minor structural variations. GB decorations by Ce(III) and Ce(IV) further consolidate the emerging understanding. The findings are used to discuss experimental observations that include impact of co-doping by RE(III) and RE(IV).

     

Active and passive stabilization of body pitch in insect flight

Flying insects have evolved sophisticated sensory–motor systems, and here we argue that such systems are used to keep upright against intrinsic flight instabilities. We describe a theory that predicts the instability growth rate in body pitch from flapping-wing aerodynamics and reveals two ways of achieving balanced flight: active control with sufficiently rapid reactions and passive stabilization with high body drag. By glueing magnets to fruit flies and perturbing their flight using magnetic impulses, we show that these insects employ active control that is indeed fast relative to the instability. Moreover, we find that fruit flies with their control sensors disabled can keep upright if high-drag fibres are also attached to their bodies, an observation consistent with our prediction for the passive stability condition. Finally, we extend this framework to unify the control strategies used by hovering animals and also furnish criteria for achieving pitch stability in flapping-wing robots.