Western classical music development: a statistical analysis of composers similarity,differentiation and evolution

This paper proposes a statistical analysis that captures similarities and differences between classical music composers with the eventual aim to understand why particular composers ‘sound’ different even if their ‘lineages’ (influences network) are similar or why they ‘sound’ alike if their ‘lineages’ are different. In order to do this we use statistical methods and measures of association or similarity (based on presence/absence of traits such as specific ‘ecological’ characteristics and personal musical influences) that have been developed in biosystematics, scientometrics, and bibliographic coupling. This paper also represents a first step towards a more ambitious goal of developing an evolutionary model of Western classical music.     

Visualizing music similarity: clustering and mapping 500 classical music composers

Scientometrics - This paper applies clustering techniques and multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) analysis to a 500?×?500 composers’ similarity/distance matrix. The objective is...     

Can energy optimization lead to economic and environmental waste in LPWAN architectures?

As low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) end devices (EDs) are deployed in massive scale, their economic and environmental costs of operation are becoming too significant to ignore and too difficult to estimate. While LPWAN architectures and protocols are designed to primarily save energy, this study shows that energy saving does not necessarily lead to lower cost or environmental footprint of the network. Accordingly, a theoretical framework is proposed to estimate the operational expenditure (OpEx) and environmental footprint of LPWAN EDs. An extended constrained optimization model is provided for the ED link assignment to gateways (GWs) based on heterogeneous ED configurations and hardware specifications. Based on the models, a simulation framework is developed which demonstrates that OpEx, energy consumption, and environmental footprint can be in conflict with each other as constrained optimization objectives. We demonstrate different ways to achieve compromises in each dimension for overall improved network performance.     

Stack-and-Draw Applied to the Engineering of Multi-Material Fibers with Non-Cylindrical Profiles

Here, it is demonstrated that the stack-and-draw approach can be expanded to unusual materials association and profile geometries to generate fiber assemblies with unprecedented functionalities. This approach relies on the stacking of flat oxide glass slides into a preform, which is then thermally elongated into tens-of-meters-long ribbon fibers with preserved cross-section ratio. Fabrication methodology is introduced. In order to illustrate the versatility of the method, a panel of fibers with diverse geometries and functions is exposed, including glass-only exposed-core fibers for chemical sensing and, upon the insertion of metal electrodes, H-shaped multi-cavity structures and compact, glass-metal fiber optical detectors applied to a gas analysis by means of fiber-tip plasma spectroscopy. It is believed this new approach will offer an attractive, straightforward solution for designing innovative, complex multimaterial fiber platforms with enhanced functionalities.     

Electrochemical oxidation of hydrophobic compounds in aqueous micellar solutions and oil-in-water emulsions

The electrochemical oxidation of ferrocene (Fc) and tetrathiofulvalene (TTF) has been investigated in micelles and dodecane-in-water emulsions in order to compare the diffusional process involved in these systems. It is found that the diffusion coefficients of Fc and TTF, determined from the observed limiting currents at the rotating disc electrode, are governed by the solubilization equilibrium of the neutral substrates which are predominantly solubilized in the micelle or oil-droplet phase. In the emulsion, the cyclic voltammograms show that the current is controlled also by the rate constants of the substrate partition, which depend on the size of the emulsion droplets. The determination of the diffusion coefficients of Fc⁺ and TTF⁺, produced in situ by controlled potential electrolysis, showed that, except in SDS micellar solutions, the monocation radicals are solubilized mainly in the aqueous phase. As a result, the diffusion coefficients of the species involved in the redox system are different. In the case of TTF, the above results have a great influence upon the second oxidation step TTF⁺ → TTF²⁺. Indeed, the homogeneous solution reaction between TTF and the electrogenerated dication TTF²⁺ leads to the monocation TTF⁺ which diffuses more rapidly than its parent molecule TTF. The ratios of the two waves in cyclic and rotating disc electrode voltammetry show that the enhancement of the second wave depends mainly on the difference between the diffusion coefficients of TTF and TTF⁺ and that the nature of the solution or the size of the disperse phase has little influence upon the reaction rate of the homogeneous solution reaction.     

Poly(arylene ether sulfones) and poly(arylene ether ketones) derived from dibenzofuran

Summary New polyarylene ether ketones and polyarylene ether sulfones were prepared by polycondensation of various bisphenols with two new dihalide monomers including dibenzofuran structure, respectively 3,6 bis (4-fluorophenylcarbonyl) dibenzofuran and 3,6 bis (4-fluorophenylsulfonyl) dibenzofuran. Most of these thermoplastic polyethers are soluble in NMP and in chlorinated soluents. They exhibit Tgs up to 234°C for the polyetherketones and up to 262°C for the polysulfones, so over 50°C higher than the Tgs of classical available polyethers.     

Ohmic drops in the ion-exchange bed of cationic electrodeionisation cells

The work was aimed at investigating the ohmic drop in ion-exchanging resin beds in EDI cells, by using two techniques. The case of CuSO₄–H₂SO₄ solutions was treated here, using Dowex resins of various degrees of cross-linking. Impedance measurements in a dedicated cell filled with resin packed beds were interpreted by using a model for the conductivity of two-phase media. Secondly, the voltage recorded in a small EDI cell for continuous treatment of copper solutions, led to the bed conductivity, using a model for potential distribution in the cell. The consistency of the two techniques was discussed, and side electrical phenomena in the EDI cell were shown to be the source of an unexpectedly significant increase in the cell voltage.     

Electrochemistry of ferrocene in anionic,cationic and nonionic micellar solutions. Effet of the micelle solubilization of the half-wave potentials

The redox properties of the ferrocene/ferricinium Fc/Fc⁺ couple were studied in aqueous 0.1 M NaCl solution of sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS), N-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and polyoxyethylene-23 lauryl ether (Brij 35). Solubilities of ferrocene were measured by spectrophotometry and by limiting current measurements in direct current voltammetry. The reversible half-wave potentials were determined by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. The results are discussed on the basis of the micelle solubilization equilibrium of both the reductant Fc and the oxidant Fc⁺. Indeed, diffusion coefficient ratios of the oxidant to the reductant, measured by coulometry, show that the micelle solubilization of the electrogenerated ferricinium cation Fc⁺ must also be considered in the nonionic and the anionic micellar solutions. Thus in every solution studied, a standard potential of Fc/Fc⁺ in water may be obtained from the experimental values of the half-wave potentials, the partition coefficients of Fc and Fc⁺ and the ratio of their diffusion coefficients. The behaviour of ferrocene in the SDS solutions and the effect produced by the addition of pentanol seem to confirm that SDS forms micelles with a less ordered structure than the other surfactants studied. The invariance of the half-wave potentials of ferrocene in pure SDS solutions whatever the surfactant and ferrocene concentrations suggests the use of this solute-solvent couple as a reference potential system.     

A kinetic study of multi-walled carbon nanotube synthesis by catalytic chemical vapor deposition using a Fe-Co/Al2O3 catalyst

A kinetic study was performed to describe the initial specific rate of multi-walled carbon nanotube synthesis by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) on a bimetallic cobalt-iron catalyst at high temperature using ethylene decomposition to solid carbon and gaseous hydrogen. The study uses a mass spectrometer that allows reaction rate to be inferred from the exhaust gas composition measurements. The aim is to obtain a better understanding of the elementary steps involved in the production of carbon nanotubes so as to derive phenomenological kinetic models in agreement with experimental data. The best models assume the elimination of the first hydrogen atom from adsorbed ethylene as rate determining step and involve a hydrogen adsorption weak enough to be neglected. It was proved that hydrogen partial pressure has no influence on initial reaction rate of carbon nanotube synthesis with the catalyst used for this study. Activation energy and ethylene adsorption enthalpy were found to be equal to around 130 and −130 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively.