Thermographic Investigation of Bronze Artefacts: Characterization of Structure Elements and Casting Faults in Masterpieces of the Bronze Statuary of Rome

In this paper, the thermographic results obtained by studying some masterpieces of the bronze statuary of Rome are presented. More specifically, a quantitative approach has been adopted in the investigation of the Capitoline She Wolf, hosted in the Musei Capitolini, and of the Boxer at Rest and the Hellenistic Prince belonging to the collection of the Museo Nazionale Romano. The obtained results provided data useful to characterize the properties of the bronze alloy and several subsurface features of the statue, such as casting faults and patches. In particular, the interface between different kind of patches and the main body of the statue has been investigated in order to determine the way they were applied. Moreover, the thermal diffusivity of the alloy of the Capitoline She Wolf has been evaluated and quantitative investigations have been carried out in order to determine the depth of some features, such as the cavities originating from air bubbles in the casting melt.     

Tuning mesoporous silica dissolution in physiological environments: a review

Matrix degradation has a major impact on the release kinetics of drug delivery systems. Regarding ordered mesoporous silica materials for biomedical applications, their dissolution is an important parameter that should be taken into consideration. In this paper, we review the main factors that govern the mesoporous silica dissolution in physiological environments. We also provide the necessary knowledge to researchers in the area for tuning the dissolution rate of those matrices, so the degradation could be controlled and the material behaviour optimised.     

Lead Halide Post‐Perovskite‐Type Chains for High‐Efficiency White‐Light Emission

Hybrid metal halides containing perovskite layers have recently shown great potential for applications in solar cells and light‐emitting diodes. Such compounds exhibit quantum confinement effects leading to tunable optical and electronic properties. Thus, broadband white‐light emission has been observed from diverse metal halides and, owing to high color rendering index, high thermal stability, and low‐temperature solution processability, these materials have attracted interest for application in solid‐state lighting. However, the reported quantum yields for white photoluminescence (PLQY) remain low (i.e., in the range 0.5–9%) and no approach has shown to successfully increase the intensity of this emission. Here, it is demonstrated that the quantum efficiencies of hybrid metal halides can be greatly enhanced if they contain a polymorph of the [PbX₄]^2? perovskite‐type layers: the [PbX₄]^2? post‐perovskite‐type chains showing a PLQY of 45%. Different piperazines lead to a hybrid lead halide with either perovskite layers or post‐perovskite chains influencing strongly the presence of self‐trapped states for excitons. It is anticipated that this family of hybrid lead halide materials could enhance all the properties requiring the stabilization of trapped excitons.     

Consistent Video Filtering for Camera Arrays

Visual formats have advanced beyond single‐view images and videos: 3D movies are commonplace, researchers have developed multi‐view navigation systems, and VR is helping to push light field cameras to mass market. However, editing tools for these media are still nascent, and even simple filtering operations like color correction or stylization are problematic: naively applying image filters per frame or per view rarely produces satisfying results due to time and space inconsistencies. Our method preserves and stabilizes filter effects while being agnostic to the inner working of the filter. It captures filter effects in the gradient domain, then uses input frame gradients as a reference to impose temporal and spatial consistency. Our least‐squares formulation adds minimal overhead compared to naive data processing. Further, when filter cost is high, we introduce a filter transfer strategy that reduces the number of per‐frame filtering computations by an order of magnitude, with only a small reduction in visual quality. We demonstrate our algorithm on several camera array formats including stereo videos, light fields, and wide baselines.     

Model-based operating recommendations for high-speed spindles equipped with a self-vibratory drilling head

The drilling of deep holes requires the chips to be evacuated using retreat cycles and lubrication, which is problematic for both productivity and the environment. An alternative response to the chip evacuation problem is the use of a vibratory drilling head, which enables the chip to be split thanks to the axial self-excited drill, and hence it can easily be evacuated from the hole. The vibratory drilling head is composed of a specific tool holder with adjustable axial stiffness. In this paper, a dynamic high-speed spindle/drilling head/tool system model is elaborated on the basis of rotor dynamics predictions. The dynamic properties of interfaces between system components are identified by the receptance coupling method and integrated into the model. The model is validated by comparing the numerical FRF with experimental results. Then adequate self-vibratory cutting conditions are established by integrating the model-based tool tip FRF into the chatter approach of Budak-Altintas. Spindle rolling bearing lifespan is also investigated in order to guarantee a rational use of the spindle-tool set with respect to industrial lifespan.     

Conservative Scheme for Numerical Modeling of Flow in Natural Geometry

A numerical model is proposed to compute one-dimensional open channel flows in natural streams involving steep, nonrectangular, and nonprismatic channels and including subcritical, supercritical, and transcritical flows. The Saint-Venant equations, written in a conservative form, are solved by employing a predictor-corrector finite volume method. A recently proposed reformulation of the source terms related to the channel topography allows the mass and momentum fluxes to be precisely balanced. Conceptually and algorithmically simple, the present model requires neither the solution of the Riemann problem at each cell interface nor any special additional correction to capture discontinuities in the solution such as artificial viscosity or shock-capturing techniques. The resulting scheme has been extensively tested under steady and unsteady flow conditions by reproducing various open channel geometries, both ideal and real, with nonuniform grids and without any interpolation of topographic survey data. The proposed model provides a versatile, stable, and robust tool for simulating transcritical sections and conserving mass.     

Taming the Wild Euro: A Technology Review of the Future

The next ten years will bring major change to the world of banking, securities trading and finance. Influenced by the key converging factors of the Internet, the euro, the Y2K Problem, same-day-settlement, and electronic trading networks, the future will find us in a world with one-third fewer banks and one-third fewer stock exchanges. The vast majority of trades in listed securities will occur on private networks. Y2K will force the failure and consolidation of as many as 20% of small to medium size financial services companies, including small brokers, money managers, hedge funds and investment advisors. Foreign exchange revenues will dry up for banks trading in Euroland, and an onslaught of competitors will arrive there from our side of the Atlantic.     

A model for evaluating the quality of the fixturing of the part from a machining process planning perspective

Achieving the required tolerance of positioning between two features is not obvious when features are produced in multiple set-ups where the fixture/workpiece interface plays a critical role. From a computer-aided process planning perspective, the suitability of a fixturing feature to achieve the required tolerances has to be evaluated. A model of an indicator for a locating quality is proposed here based upon the distribution of a small displacement of the workpiece compatible with the required tolerance onto the candidate fixturing surfaces.     

Housing flexibility problem: Review of recent limitations and solutions

The economic, technological, and cultural transformations of our present society influence various scales of our daily lives. In housing, these transformations include changes in the family nucleus and the activities performed in living spaces. Housing flexibility seeks to meet the multiple needs of users by changing their living spaces and functions. This study aims to explore housing flexibility through a review of relevant literature, discussion of valuable findings, and presentation of a contemporary panorama of the theme. Notions of flexibility are integrated to reinterpret the contemporary sense of dwelling. However, the lack of a well-defined concept of flexibility hinders the integration of methods and theories on the subject.