Preparation and sintering behaviour of submicronic Bi4Ti3O12 powders

Submicronic powders of Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ with different morphologies were prepared by both the oxalate coprecipitation and the conventional mixing oxides methods. Compacts of the two calcined powders were sintered at 850–1100 °C in air, and the densification process was studied by non-isothermal and dilatometric experiments. A rapid densification (> 97% theoretical density) below 875 °C took place in the Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ oxalate powder which was attributed to an extremely uniform pore-size distribution in the green compact. The possible formation of a transient liquid which promotes densification also was taken into account. The development of plate-like morphology in the conventional Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ powder, broad pore-size distribution, and the plate-like colony formation, hindered rapid densification of the green compacts at low temperature. Microstructural development was studied; preliminary dielectric and electrical results are also reported.     

On the scaling of impact loaded composite beams

Approaches to the scaling of impact experiments on laminated composite beams are presented and problems associated with incomplete similitude are discussed. In the case of beams scaled on a sublaminate basis, a correction factor is presented to scale the dynamic response of beams subjected to drop-weight impacts. The scaling procedure is evaluated in a series of scaled experiments on graphite-epoxy composite beams. It is shown that the correction factor provides a valid scaling procedure for the dynamic response but a significant scale effect on damage development and strength is observed.     

Facilitating communications

How often have you felt that the person you were talking to was speaking another language? How often have others seemed bewildered when you described something? We may attribute this to technical jargon or new terminology, but the problem more likely stems from basic communication failure. Since effective communication is essential to a project's success, learning to communicate successfully should be a top priority for anyone in a technical field. The author discusses the Myers-Briggs Temperament Indicator (MBTI) which can help us understand how natural preferences for gathering information and making decisions shape communication styles. All personalities have value in every organization. Building and maintaining information systems requires many distinct and specialized skills and roles, and each tends to attract a certain personality. To create a comfortable setting for all personality types, you must foster good communication among them     

A Current-Mode, Dual Slope, Integrated Capacitance-to-Pulse Duration Converter

A capacitance-to-pulse duration converter, specifically designed for interfacing capacitive sensors, is presented. The operating principle is a double slope approach implemented using transconductor-based Miller integrators. The main strengths of the proposed circuit are: 1) intrinsically small sensitivity to temperature; 2) simplicity of trimming offset and gain to correct the sensor parameter spread; and 3) fast wake-up time. The circuit nonidealities are analyzed in order to identify the elements responsible for the residual temperature sensitivity and jitter on the pulse duration. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by measurements performed on a prototype, designed and fabricated using the 0.35 mum, 3.3 V Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS process BCD6 of STMicroelectronics.     

Intelligent scheduling processes and controlling workload in computing systems

Methods and algorithms of adaptive scheduling processes and workload control in computing systems are considered.