Ageing effect on microstructural and mechanical properties of mullite-ZrO2-TiO2 composites

The microstructural and mechanical properties of mullite-zirconia composites with TiO₂ (0.25 and 1.0 mol) additions have been studied, after ageing the samples over a wide temperature range (1000 to 1500° C) for long periods of time (100 to 200 h). In the sample with 0.25 mol TiO₂ addition, changes in mullite composition and in the solid state compatibility at temperatures below 1450° C were detected. In the sample containing 1 mol TiO₂, decomposition of Al₂TiO₅ occurs atT1200° C. Both compositions exhibit no increment in zirconia average grain size during ageing and, concomitantly, there is no strength degradation until higher temperatures (>1400° C) are reached, which become more drastic when Al₂Ti₅ is present.     

Exporting water wave optimization concepts to modified simulated annealing algorithm for size optimization of truss structures with natural frequency constraints

This paper proposes an improved version of a recently proposed modified simulated annealing algorithm (MSAA) named as an improved MSAA (I-MSAA) to tackle the size optimization of truss structures with frequency constraint. This kind of problem is problematic because its feasible region is non-convex while the boundaries are highly non-linear. The main motivation is to improve the exploitative behavior of MSAA, taking concept from water wave optimization metaheuristic (WWO). An interesting concept of WWO is its breaking operation. Thirty functions extracted from the CEC2014 test suite and four benchmark truss optimization problems with frequency constraints are explored for the validity of the proposed algorithm. Numerical results indicate that I-MSAA is more reliable, stable and efficient than those found by other existing metaheuristics in the literature.

     

Interactive quadrangulation with Reeb atlases and connectivity textures

Creating high-quality quad meshes from triangulated surfaces is a highly nontrivial task that necessitates consideration of various application specific metrics of quality. In our work, we follow the premise that automatic reconstruction techniques may not generate outputs meeting all the subjective quality expectations of the user. Instead, we put the user at the center of the process by providing a flexible, interactive approach to quadrangulation design. By combining scalar field topology and combinatorial connectivity techniques, we present a new framework, following a coarse to fine design philosophy, which allows for explicit control of the subjective quality criteria on the output quad mesh, at interactive rates. Our quadrangulation framework uses the new notion of Reeb atlas editing, to define with a small amount of interactions a coarse quadrangulation of the model, capturing the main features of the shape, with user prescribed extraordinary vertices and alignment. Fine grain tuning is easily achieved with the notion of connectivity texturing, which allows for additional extraordinary vertices specification and explicit feature alignment, to capture the high-frequency geometries. Experiments demonstrate the interactivity and flexibility of our approach, as well as its ability to generate quad meshes of arbitrary resolution with high-quality statistics, while meeting the user’s own subjective requirements.     

A fuzzy queue-aware routing approach for wireless mesh networks

Recent advances in Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) have overcome the drawbacks of traditional wired and ad-hoc networks and now they are seen as a means of allowing last mile communications with quality level assurance in Future Multimedia Systems. However, new routing schemes are needed to provide end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) support for delay/loss/jitter-sensitive multimedia applications. The well-known OLSR (Optimized Link State Routing) protocol with ETX (Expected Transmission Count) metric brings many benefits to the path selection process, but has a drawback with regard to queue availability management, which reduces the system performance. This problem is caused when OLSR-EXT control messages are exchanged and the queues of mesh routers along the end-to-end communication path are overloaded. As a result, multimedia-related packets will suffer from loss/delay/jitter and the overall system performance will decrease. This paper proposes the Optimized Link State Routing-Fuzzy ETX Queue (OLSR-FEQ) protocol to overcome the limitations of OLSR-ETX regarding queue availability, QoS and QoE assurance. OLSR-FEQ optimizes network and user-based parameters by coordinating queue availability, QoS and fuzzy issues in the routing decision process as a way of allocating the best paths for multimedia applications. Performance evaluations were carried out with the Network Simulator (NS-2.34) to show the benefits of the proposed solution when compared with existing routing schemes, namely OLSR-ETX, OLSR-FLC, OLSR-MD and HWMP (IEEE 802.11s standard), regarding QoS (unsuccessful packet delivery and throughput) and QoE (PSNR, SSIM, VQM and MOS) parameters.     

Network regression with predictive clustering trees

Network data describe entities represented by nodes, which may be connected with (related to) each other by edges. Many network datasets are characterized by a form of autocorrelation, where the value of a variable at a given node depends on the values of variables at the nodes it is connected with. This phenomenon is a direct violation of the assumption that data are independently and identically distributed. At the same time, it offers an unique opportunity to improve the performance of predictive models on network data, as inferences about one entity can be used to improve inferences about related entities. Regression inference in network data is a challenging task. While many approaches for network classification exist, there are very few approaches for network regression. In this paper, we propose a data mining algorithm, called NCLUS, that explicitly considers autocorrelation when building regression models from network data. The algorithm is based on the concept of predictive clustering trees (PCTs) that can be used for clustering, prediction and multi-target prediction, including multi-target regression and multi-target classification. We evaluate our approach on several real world problems of network regression, coming from the areas of social and spatial networks. Empirical results show that our algorithm performs better than PCTs learned by completely disregarding network information, as well as PCTs that are tailored for spatial data, but do not take autocorrelation into account, and a variety of other existing approaches.     

Modeling of the condyle elements within a biomechanical knee model

The development of a computational multibody knee model able to capture some of the fundamental properties of the human knee articulation is presented. This desideratum is reached by including the kinetics of the real knee articulation. The research question is whether an accurate modeling of the condyle contact in the knee will lead to reproduction of the complex combination of flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, and tibial rotation observed in the real knee. The model is composed by two anatomic segments, the tibia and the femur, whose characteristics are functions of the geometric and anatomic properties of the real bones. The biomechanical model characterization is developed under the framework of multibody systems methodologies using Cartesian coordinates. The type of approach used in the proposed knee model is the joint surface contact conditions between ellipsoids, representing the two femoral condyles, and points, representing the tibial plateau and the menisci. These elements are closely fitted to the actual knee geometry. This task is undertaken by considering a parameter optimization process to replicate experimental data published in the literature, namely that by Lafortune and his coworkers in 1992. Then kinematic data in the form of flexion/extension patterns are imposed on the model corresponding to the stance phase of the human gait. From the results obtained, by performing several computational simulations, it can be observed that the knee model approximates the average secondary motion patterns observed in the literature. Because the literature reports considerable inter-individual differences in the secondary motion patterns, the knee model presented here is also used to check whether it is possible to reproduce the observed differences with reasonable variations of bone shape parameters. This task is accomplished by a parameter study, in which the main variables that define the geometry of condyles are taken into account. It was observed that the data reveal a difference in secondary kinematics of the knee in flexion versus extension. The likely explanation for this fact is the elastic component of the secondary motions created by the combination of joint forces and soft tissue deformations. The proposed knee model is, therefore, used to investigate whether this observed behavior can be explained by reasonable elastic deformations of the points representing the menisci in the model.     

Automatic stress exaggeration by prosody modification to assist language learners perceive sentence stress

In this paper, we propose a set of automatic stress exaggeration methods that can enlarge the differences between stressed and unstressed syllables. Our stress exaggeration methods can be used in computer-aided language learning systems to assist second language learners perceive stress patterns. The intention of our automatic stress exaggeration methods is to support hyper-pronunciation training which is commonly used in classrooms by teachers. In hyper-pronunciation training, exaggeration is used to help learners increase their awareness of acoustic features and effectively apply these features into their pronunciation. Duration, pitch and intensity have been claimed to be the main acoustic features that are closely related to stress in English language. Thus, four stress exaggeration methods are proposed in this paper: (i) duration-based stress exaggeration, (ii) pitch-based stress exaggeration, (iii) intensity-based stress exaggeration, and (iv) a combined stress exaggeration method that integrates the duration-based, pitch-based and intensity-based exaggeration methods. Our perceptual experimental results show that resynthesised stimuli by our proposed stress exaggerated methods can help learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) better perceive English stress patterns significantly.     

A multi-objective approach for the motion planning of redundant manipulators

Kinematic redundancy occurs when a manipulator possesses more degrees of freedom than those required to execute a given task. Several kinematic techniques for redundant manipulators control the gripper through the pseudo-inverse of the Jacobian, but lead to a kind of chaotic inner motion with unpredictable arm configurations. Such algorithms are not easy to adapt to optimization schemes and, moreover, often there are multiple optimization objectives that can conflict between them. Unlike single optimization, where one attempts to find the best solution, in multi-objective optimization there is no single solution that is optimum with respect to all indices. Therefore, trajectory planning of redundant robots remains an important area of research and more efficient optimization algorithms are needed. This paper presents a new technique to solve the inverse kinematics of redundant manipulators, using a multi-objective genetic algorithm. This scheme combines the closed-loop pseudo-inverse method with a multi-objective genetic algorithm to control the joint positions. Simulations for manipulators with three or four rotational joints, considering the optimization of two objectives in a workspace without and with obstacles are developed. The results reveal that it is possible to choose several solutions from the Pareto optimal front according to the importance of each individual objective.     

Propagation of transverse bulk and surface acoustic waves in LiNbO (3) variable time-delay devices

Experimental measurements are reported on voltage-controlled acoustic time-delay lines operating at 1 GHz in the nearly pure shear-horizontal (S-H) mode in 38 degrees rotated Y-cut LiNbO(3). The high-acoustic velocity (4800 m/s) in conjunction with the large electroacoustic effect exhibited by this orientation allows high-frequency operation and optimum time-delay tuning sensitivity with a planar, single surface, device geometry. The authors demonstrate fractional time delay of 0.3x10(-6) V(-1 ) for surface electrodes that produce an in-plane E-field. However, the simultaneous excitation and propagation of both a leaky surface-acoustic wave (LSAW) and surface skimming bulk wave (SSBW), both as (nearly pure) S-H waves in these devices, seriously restricts the extent to which it is possible to maximize the time delay modulation sensitivity by reducing electrode gap spacing as done in similar SAW devices. The LSAW and surface-skimming body wave (SSBW) propagate at nearly the same velocity on a free surface, and perturbation of their velocity and relative attenuation rates by surface electrodes causes pronounced interference effects between the two modes for some device geometries.     

Flavonoids of “La Alcarria” honey A study of their botanical origin

Summary The flavonoids present in ten selected samples of La Alcarria honey with different pollen compositions have been HPLC analysed in order to establish if correlations between botanical origin and flavonoid profiles are possible. A common flavonoid pattern is observed in the different samples showing that pollen is not the main source of honey flavonoids. A close correlation between the flavonoid patterns of honey flavonoids and propolis flavonoids has been found suggesting that flavonoid analysis could be more useful in geographical origin determinations than in botanical origin studies.

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Flavonoide des La-Alcarria-Honigs Eine Studie ihres botanischen Ursprungs

Zusammenfassung Die Flavonoide in Proben in Alcarria-Honig mit unterschiedlicher Pollenzusammensetzung wurden untersucht, um Kortrelationen zwischen dem botanischen Ursprung und den möglichen Flavonoiden zu finden. In den verschiedenen Proben wurde ein Flavonoid-Muster gefunden, wobei der Pollen nicht die Hauptquelle der Honigflavonoide ist. Es wurde jedoch eine enge Korrelation zwischen den Flavonoid-Mustern des Honigs und des Bienenkittharzes gefunden, was für die geographische Herkunft wichtiger ist als die botanische.