Numerical Modeling of Grain Boundary Effects in the Diffusional Creep of Copper Interconnect Lines

We propose a numerical simulation technique to model the process of diffusional creep and stress relaxation that occurs in Cu-damascene interconnects of integrated circuit devices in processing stage. The mass flow problem is coupled to the stress analysis through vacancy flux and equilibrium vacancy concentration. The technique is implemented in a software package that seamlessly integrates the problem-oriented code with commercially available finite element program MSC.Marc. It is utilized to model the Coble creep phenomenon by introducing the nanoscale grain boundary region having the thickness on the order of several layers of atoms. As an illustration, the two-dimensional problem of stress relaxation in a single grain subjected to prescribed displacements and tractions is examined.     

Generalized model of vibro-isolation systems with seated human body for single-axis transmission of vibration

A generalized model of vibration isolation systems with a human body in a seated position is developed. The system dynamics is modeled for a single-axis transmission of vibration, that is, longitudinal x, lateral y and vertical z, to limit whole-body vibration exposure. The developed model can be successfully employed to describe the propagation of vibration waves from the source to a vibrating object. The proposed mathematical model can be widely used to protect a human body against vibration.     

Relations between compliances of inhomogeneities having the same shape but different elastic constants

The contributions of inhomogeneities having the same shape but different elastic constants, to the overall elastic properties are interrelated. The utility of these relations lies, in particular, in the possibility to extend available results for pores or rigid inclusions to inhomogeneities of arbitrary elastic properties. The relations are exact for ellipsoids and approximate for non-ellipsoidal shapes. The constructed approximation also constitutes approximate connection between the first Eshelby’s problem (the eigenstrain problem) and the second one (the inhomogeneity problem), for non-ellipsoidal shapes. It also yields approximate formulas for the contribution of a non-ellipsoidal inhomogeneity to effective elastic properties.     

Ontologies for Knowledge Management: An Information Systems Perspective

Knowledge management research focuses on concepts, methods, and tools supporting the management of human knowledge. The main objective of this paper is to survey basic concepts that have been used in computer science for the representation of knowledge and summarize some of their advantages and drawbacks. A secondary objective is to relate these techniques to information science theory and practice.The survey classifies the concepts used for knowledge representation into four broad ontological categories. Static ontologies describe static aspects of the world, i.e., what things exist, their attributes and relationships. A dynamic ontology, on the other hand, describes the changing aspects of the world in terms of states, state transitions and processes. Intentional ontologies encompass the world of things agents believe in, want, prove or disprove, and argue about. Finally, social ontologies cover social settings – agents, positions, roles, authority, permanent organizational structures or shifting networks of alliances and interdependencies.     

基于自抗扰控制原理的全电飞机用永磁同步电机转速闭环控制

采用永磁同步电机直接驱动全电飞机螺旋桨,为了抑制不稳定气流对输出转矩影响和提高螺旋桨抗扰动能力,对永磁同步电机实现基于自抗扰原理的转速闭环控制。分析不同飞行状态下螺旋桨的转速与转矩需求,建立基于自抗扰转速闭环控制模型并利用Dspace模拟飞行工况运行。仿真和实验验证了基于自抗扰转速闭环系统对负载变化具有抗扰能力,整个飞行工况下永磁同步电机转速响应平稳,转矩输出符合螺旋桨转矩需求。     

A 2D quadrangular pyramid photoelectric autocollimator with extended angle measurement range

A photoelectric autocollimator with high accuracy and extended measurement range based on the quadrangular pyramid is proposed, and the corresponding algorithms are also deduced. A new image processing algorithm has been proposed to improve the accuracy, and the corresponding errors are also estimated, the error does not exceed half a pixel when the distance between the marks more than two radii. The experimental results have verified that the measurement range of the proposed two-dimensional (2D) quadrangular pyramid photoelectric autocollimator can be increased times than that of the flat mirror photoelectric autocollimator from 10′ to 15′. The accuracy is better than 1″ when the deflection is less than 15′.     

Wet shells and dry tales: the evolutionary ‘Just-So’ stories behind the structure–function of biominerals

The ability of evolution to shape organic form involves the interactions of multiple systems of constraints, including fabrication, phylogeny and function. The tendency to place function above everything else has characterized some of the historical biological literature as a series of ‘Just-So’ stories that provided untested explanations for individual features of an organism. A similar tendency occurs in biomaterials research, where features for which a mechanical function can be postulated are treated as an adaptation. Moreover, functional adaptation of an entire structure is often discussed based on the local characterization of specimens kept in conditions that are far from those in which they evolved. In this work, environmental- and frequency-dependent mechanical characterization of the shells of two cephalopods, Nautilus pompilius and Argonauta argo, is used to demonstrate the importance of multi-scale environmentally controlled characterization of biogenic materials. We uncover two mechanistically independent strategies to achieve deformable, stiff, strong and tough highly mineralized structures. These results are then used to critique interpretations of adaptation in the literature. By integrating the hierarchical nature of biological structures and the environment in which they exist, biomaterials testing can be a powerful tool for generating functional hypotheses that should be informed by how these structures are fabricated and their evolutionary history.     

Progression and Dissemination of Pulmonary Mycobacterium Avium Infection in a Susceptible Immunocompetent Mouse Model

Pulmonary infections caused by the group of nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), are a growing public health concern with incidence and mortality steadily increasing globally. Granulomatous inflammation is the hallmark of MAC lung infection, yet reliable correlates of disease progression, susceptibility, and resolution are poorly defined. Unlike widely used inbred mouse strains, mice that carry the mutant allele at the genetic locus sst1 develop human-like pulmonary tuberculosis featuring well-organized caseating granulomas. We characterized pulmonary temporospatial outcomes of intranasal and left intrabronchial M. avium spp. hominissuis (M.av) induced pneumonia in B6.Sst1S mice, which carries the sst1 mutant allele. We utilized traditional semi-quantitative histomorphological evaluation, in combination with fluorescent multiplex immunohistochemistry (fmIHC), whole slide imaging, and quantitative digital image analysis. Followingintrabronchiolar infection with the laboratory M.av strain 101, the B6.Sst1S pulmonary lesions progressed 12–16 weeks post infection (wpi), with plateauing and/or resolving disease by 21 wpi. Caseating granulomas were not observed during the study. Disease progression from 12–16 wpi was associated with increased acid-fast bacilli, area of secondary granulomatous pneumonia lesions, and Arg1+ and double positive iNOS+/Arg1+ macrophages. Compared to B6 WT, at 16 wpi, B6.Sst1S lungs exhibited an increased area of acid-fast bacilli, larger secondary lesions with greater Arg1+ and double positive iNOS+/Arg1+ macrophages, and reduced T cell density. This morphomolecular analysis of histologic correlates of disease progression in B6.Sst1S could serve as a platform for assessment of medical countermeasures against NTM infection.     

Evaluation of the Growth of Dislocations Density in Fatigue Loading Process via Electrical Resistivity Measurements

The paper focuses on quantitative evaluation of the microstructural changes - growth of the dislocation density - in stainless steel specimens subjected to fatigue loading. We propose to use electrical resistivity measurements for this goal. Change in electrical resistance of the specimens has been monitored in dependence on the number of fatigue cycles and the relative growth of the dislocation density was calculated from these data and known values of the specific resistivity of dislocations for iron. We also estimated the growth of dislocation density using analysis of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of etched specimens. This estimate however appears to be unreasonably low, so that SEM may be used for qualitative analysis only.