Ion-velocity dependence of high-density electronic excitation effects in oxide superconductors

Thin films of EuBa₂Cu₃O_y oxide superconductor have been irradiated with high energy heavy ions (80 MeV I, 125 MeV Br, 1.1 GeV Mo and 3.5 GeV Xe) having same electronic stopping power, S_e, in order to investigate the ion-velocity dependence of the electronic excitation effects under the constant electronic energy deposition. Although S_e is constant, a strong reduction in the irradiation effect on lattice parameter with increasing ion-velocity is observed in the low ion-velocity region around E  1 MeV/nucleon, while the ion-velocity dependence is hardly observed in the high ion-velocity region of E > 10 MeV/nucleon. If the observed velocity-dependence is assumed to be due to the change in the fraction of S_e contributing to defect creation, the fraction in the low velocity region (E  0.6 MeV/nucleon) is estimated to be about two times larger than that in the high velocity region (E > 10 MeV/nucleon).     

A novel methodology to study shape and surface tension of drops in Electric Fields

A novel methodology is introduced that can be used to study the behavior of conducting drops in electrostatic fields, when gravity effects are negligible. This methodology, called Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis — Electric Field (ADSA-EF), generates numerical drop profiles in the electrostatic field, for a given surface tension. Then, it calculates the true value of the surface tension by matching the theoretical profiles with the shape of the experimental drops, with the surface tension as an adjustable parameter. ADSA-EF can be employed for simulating drop shapes in the electric field, detecting the effect of an electric field on liquid surface tensions, and measuring surface tensions in microgravity, where current drop-shape techniques are not applicable. The predicted drop shapes in the electric field were compared with experimental images, indicating good agreement. Preliminary experiments according to ADSA-EF methodology suggested that the surface tension of water increases by about one percent in the electric field.     

Approaches to large-scale urban modeling

Large-scale urban modeling technologies use a variety of sensors and data acquisition techniques. The authors categorize current approaches and describe their advantages and disadvantages. Their survey examines current research with respect to several performance criteria including data acquisition sources, user interaction level, geometric fidelity, model completeness, and intended applications. Although modeling systems vary with respect to these criteria, data acquisition strongly influences model characteristics and usefulness. We therefore cluster the methods into those based on photogrammetry, active sensors, and hybrid sensor systems.     

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version in Offenders With Axis I Disorders.

One hundred forty-nine inpatients within a maximum security psychiatric facility were assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; S. D. Hart, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995). Within the total sample, 68% had a psychotic disorder and 30% met criteria for psychopathy. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the authors tested the 2-factor PCL:SV model of psychopathy and recent 3- and 4-factor models. Results indicated good fit for each model, with the 4-factor model showing best overall fit. Structural equation modeling was used to determine which psychopathy factors predicted 6-month follow-up of inpatient aggression. The 2-, 3-, and 4-factor models, respectively, accounted for 16%.27%. and 3l% of the variance in aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An automated Thixo‐Forging Plant for Steel Parts

The scope of the article is to describe the automated production of a thixoformed steel part. The production plant was set up within a prototype initiative at the Institute of Metal Forming in cooperation with the Institute of Automatic Control of RWTH Aachen University and industrial partners. Preliminary experiments showed that the quality of the formed parts varied to a great extent due to changing production conditions since the handling of the billet was carried out manually. To eliminate the possible disturbances introduced by the manual handling of the billet, an automation concept has been elaborated in order to guarantee a defined production environment. An industrial robot (KUKA) fulfils the handling tasks like the feeding of the induction coil with the feedstock material and the placing of the heated billet into the hydraulic press. The removal of the formed part from the press is realised by a simple mechanical device in order to be able to use only one gripper. The design of the gripper ensures a minimal heat loss during handling. The induction coil, the gripper system and the cavity are flooded with inert gas in order to prevent scaling. The sequence control for the production of a part is realised on the controller of the robot which provides sufficient PLC functionality and can be easily equipped with the required I/O components to trigger the different automation components.     

Performance Comparison of Four Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Deck Panels

In an effort to assess the constructability and performance of bridges with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite decks, the short-term and long-term responses of a 207 m, five-span bridge retrofitted with four different FRP panel systems were monitored. The overall aspects of the panel systems, connection details, and construction techniques are presented prior to presentation of the observed and measured responses. Key design parameters (impact factors, girder distribution factors, and level of composite action) for FRP and reinforced concrete decks are evaluated. This paper demonstrates that FRP replacement decks are a viable alternative to reinforced concrete decks and identifies the differences in performances of various FRP deck systems. Two of the FRP panel systems were found to perform considerably better than the other deck systems. Issues that may reduce the service life of FRP deck systems are presented and discussed.     

Human factors in order picking: a content analysis of the literature

Order picking (OP) is one of the most labour- and time-intensive processes in internal logistics. Over the last decades, researchers have developed various mathematical planning models that help to increase the efficiency of OP systems, for example, by optimising storage assignments or by specifying routes for the order pickers that minimise travel distance in the warehouse. Human characteristics that are often a major determinant of OP system performance have, however, widely been ignored in this stream of research. This paper systematically evaluates the literature on manual OP systems and conducts a content analysis to gain insights into how human factors (HF) have been considered and discussed in the scientific literature. The results of the analysis indicate that management-oriented efficiency criteria dominated prior research on OP, and that there is a clear lack of attention to HF in the design and management of OP systems. This poses an opportunity for research and design of manual OP systems.     

Identification and Avoidance of Systematic Measurement Errors in Lamb Wave Observation With One‐Dimensional Scanning Laser Vibrometry

Abstract: Scanning laser vibrometry is a widely used tool to observe Lamb wave fields for structural health monitoring (SHM) purposes. Lamb waves propagate over long distances in thin‐walled structures and interact with structural inhomogeneities, for example, damages, in spite of wavelengths several times of the damage size. In SHM of sheets and glass‐ or carbon‐fibre‐reinforced plastic plates, this effect is used for determining the position as well as the size of structural faults. With the often employed one‐dimensional vibrometry, a geometrically induced, systematic error occurs when measuring oblique‐angled motion. This error can be, in the specific case of Lamb waves, of a non‐negligible quantity. The nature of this geometrical measurement error in general and concerning Lamb waves in special is discussed analytically for both amplitude and phase data. It is shown that this matter should be taken into account in some applications.