Learning communicative actions of conflicting human agents

One of the main problems to be solved while assisting inter-human conflict resolution is how to reuse the previous experience with similar agents. A machine learning technique for handling scenarios of interaction between conflicting human agents is proposed. Scenarios are represented by directed graphs with labelled vertices (for communicative actions) and arcs (for temporal and causal relationships between these actions and their parameters). For illustrative purposes, classification of a scenario is computed by comparing partial matching of its graph with graphs of positive and negative examples. Nearest Neighbour learning is followed by the JSM-based learning which minimised the number of false negatives and takes advantage of a more accurate way of matching sequences of communicative actions. Developed scenario representation and comparative analysis techniques are applied to the classification of textual customer complaints. It is shown that analysing the structure of communicative actions without context information is frequently sufficient to estimate complaint validity. Therefore, being domain-independent, proposed machine learning technique is a good compliment to a wide range of customer relation management applications where formal treatment of inter-human interactions is required in a decision-support mode.     

Electromagnetic wave scattering from the sea surface in the presence of wind wave patterns

The study is concerned with electromagnetic wave (EM) scattering by a random sea surface in the presence of coherent wave patterns. The coherent patterns are understood in a broad sense as the existence of certain dynamical coupling between linear Fourier components of the water wave field. We show that the presence of weakly nonlinear wave patterns can significantly change the EM scattering compared to the case of a completely random wave field. Generalizing the Random Phase Approximation (RPA) we suggest a new paradigm for EM scattering by a random sea surface.

The specific analysis carried out in the paper synthesizes the small perturbation method for EM scattering and a weakly nonlinear approach for wind wave dynamics. By investigating, in detail, two examples of a random sea surface composed of either Stokes waves or horse-shoe (‘crescent-shaped’) patterns the mechanism of the pattern effect on scattering is revealed. Each Fourier harmonic of the scattered EM field is found to be a sum of contributions due to different combinations of wave field harmonics. Among these ‘partial scatterings’ there are phase-dependent ones and, therefore, the intensity of the resulting EM harmonic is sensitive to the phase relations between the wind wave harmonics. The effect can be interpreted as interference of partial scatterings due to the co-existence of several phase-related periodic scattering grids. A straightforward generalization of these results enables us to obtain, for a given wind wave field and an incident EM field, an a priori estimate of whether the effects due to the patterns are significant and the commonly used RPA is inapplicable. When the RPA is inapplicable, we suggest its natural generalization by re-defining the statistical ensemble for water surface. First, EM scattering by an ‘elementary’ constituent pattern should be considered. Each such scattering is affected by the interference because the harmonics comprising the pattern are dynamically linked. Then, ensemble averaging, which takes into account the distribution of the pattern parameters (based on the assumption that the phases between the patterns are random), should be carried out. It is shown that, generally, this interference does not vanish for any statistical ensemble due to dynamical coupling between water wave harmonics. The suggested RPA generalization takes into account weak non-Gaussianity of water wave field m contrast to the traditional RPA which ignores it.     

Defect‐Mediated Polarization Switching in Ferroelectrics and Related Materials: From Mesoscopic Mechanisms to Atomistic Control

The plethora of lattice and electronic behaviors in ferroelectric and multiferroic materials and heterostructures opens vistas into novel physical phenomena including magnetoelectric coupling and ferroelectric tunneling. The development of new classes of electronic, energy‐storage, and information‐technology devices depends critically on understanding and controlling field‐induced polarization switching. Polarization reversal is controlled by defects that determine activation energy, critical switching bias, and the selection between thermodynamically equivalent polarization states in multiaxial ferroelectrics. Understanding and controlling defect functionality in ferroelectric materials is as critical to the future of oxide electronics and solid‐state electrochemistry as defects in semiconductors are for semiconductor electronics. Here, recent advances in understanding the defect‐mediated switching mechanisms, enabled by recent advances in electron and scanning probe microscopy, are discussed. The synergy between local probes and structural methods offers a pathway to decipher deterministic polarization switching mechanisms on the level of a single atomically defined defect.     

New developments in flame retardancy of styrene thermoplastics and foams

This review provides an insight into new developments in flame retardancy of the broad class of styrenic polymers but mostly focuses on commercially important styrene thermoplastics, on some blends based on polystyrene as well as on polystyrene foams. Although halogen‐based systems continue to dominate in flame retardancy of styrenic polymers, various alternative systems are being developed. Especially, activity is observed with phosphorus‐based flame retardants, where some systems are already commercially available. There is also significant activity with nanocomposites, where good results in retarding flame spread have been achieved, but the problem of ignition resistance has not been solved yet. Critical discussion of various flame‐retardant systems developed for styrenics is given. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Coupled experimental and thermodynamic study of the Zn-Fe-Si-O system

Experimental and thermodynamic modeling studies have been carried out on the Zn-Fe-Si-O system. This research is part of a wider program to characterize zinc/lead industrial slags and sinters in the PbO-ZnO-SiO₂-CaO-FeO-Fe₂O₃ system. Experimental investigations involve high-temperature equilibration and quenching techniques followed by electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA). Liquidus temperatures and solid solubilities of the crystalline phases were measured in the temperature range from 1200 °C to 1450 °C (1473 to 1723 K) in the zinc ferrite, zincite, willemite, and tridymite primary-phase fields in the Zn-Fe-Si-O system in air. These equilibrium data for the Zn-Fe-Si-O system in air, combined with previously reported data for this system, were used to obtain an optimized self-consistent set of parameters of thermodynamic models for all phases.     

Structure and phase behavior of a disk-necklace polymer: Cyclolinear polymethylsiloxane

The structure and phase transitions of cyclolinear polyorganosiloxane copolymer containing 12-member polysiloxane rings have been studied using synchrotron WAXS, DSC, TEM, variable-temperature AFM and polarized optical microscopy. The primary structure of this polymer can be viewed as a necklace of disk-shaped entities (cyclic groups) connected via flexible linkers.In the mesomorphic state, the presence of two different LC phases has been derived from the analysis of WAXS fiber diffractograms. The morphology of one of the phases shows a conventional hexagonal packing of LC chains where the chain axes are perpendicular to the plane of the 2D hexagonal lattice. The other one, so-called R-phase, has a vertically oriented rectangular 2D lattice formed by inter-chain correlations between the bulky polysiloxane cycles (disks). To our knowledge, such a disk-necklace mesophase in which the LC lattice is parallel to the backbone direction has not been reported in the literature so far.     

Generation

The structure and function of the target-language generation module for KBMT-89 is described. The lexical selection module (which includes thematic-role subcategorization, a meaning distance metric, and syntactic subcategorization) is presented. We also describe the generation mapping rules, and rule interpretation in the generation of f-structures for target language utterances.     

Local Phenomena in Oxides by Advanced Scanning Probe Microscopy

In the last two decades, scanning probe microscopies (SPMs) have become the primary tool for addressing structure and electronic, mechanical, optical, and transport phenomena on the nanometer and atomic scales. Here, we summarize basic principles of SPM as applied for oxide materials characterization and present recent advances in high-resolution imaging and local property measurements. The use of advanced SPM techniques for solutions of material related problems is illustrated on the examples of grain boundary transport in polycrystalline oxides and ferroelectric domain imaging and manipulation. Future prospects for SPM applications in materials science are discussed.     

Properties of single-walled carbon nanotube-based aerogels as a function of nanotube loading

Here, we present the synthesis and characterization of low-density single-walled carbon nanotube-based aerogels (SWNT-CA). Aerogels with varying nanotube loading (0–55 wt.%) and density (20–350 mg cm^?3) were fabricated and characterized by four-probe method, electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and nitrogen porosimetry. Several properties of the SWNT-CAs were highly dependent upon nanotube loading. At nanotube loadings of 55 wt.%, shrinkage of the aerogel monoliths during carbonization and drying was almost completely eliminated. Electrical conductivities are improved by an order of magnitude for the SWNT-CA (55 wt.% nanotubes) compared to those of foams without nanotubes. Surface areas as high as 184 m² g^?1 were achieved for SWNT-CAs with greater than 20 wt.% nanotube loading.     

3D thermohydrodynamic analysis of a textured slider

Analysis of a 3D inlet textured slider bearing with a temperature dependent fluid is performed. Numerical simulations are carried out for a laminar and steady flow. Hot and cold lubricant mixing in the groove is modelled and examined for different operating conditions. Thermohydrodynamic performance of the bearing is analyzed for different texture lengths.Results show that texture has a stronger and positive influence on load carrying capacity when thermal effects are considered. This beneficial effect is at a maximum for the longest dimples with a length shorter than the pad length. Texture is also beneficial for the load carrying capacity when the sliding speed and inlet flow rate are varied. The load carrying capacity of the slider can be increased by up to 16% in severe operating conditions (high sliding speed).