On Routh-Pade model reduction of interval systems

This paper discusses another generalization of the direct Routh table truncation method for interval systems. It is shown that the existing generalization of the direct Routh table truncation fails to produce a stable system, in contradiction to the equivalent result for fixed-coefficients systems. The present method guarantees a stable reduced order model for interval systems as well.     

S-N-P curves in 7075 T7351 and 2024 T3 aluminium alloys subjected to surface treatments

The S-N-P (stress, number of cycles, failure probability) curves for 2024 T3 and 7075 T7351 aluminium alloys were obtained. Previously, surface treatments of degreasing and different types of anodizing were applied to samples, evaluating the influence of these treatments on the fatigue life of the alloys. The determination of the S-N-P curves was done using Maennig's method. Rotary fatigue was used because this technique produces greater stress on the sample surfaces, the zone in which it is important to evaluate fatigue resistance. Both the transition range and the finite life range were evaluated, calculating the 1, 50 and 99% fracture probability. SEM was performed in order to characterize the fracture micromechanism. The conclusions were that Maennig's method is useful to evaluate fatigue life of these materials in a fast and efficient manner. Moreover, surface treatments produce a decrease in the fatigue life of both alloys, associating this effect with the surface damage produced on each sample during the treatment.     

A goal-striving life event and the onset of hypomanic and depressive episodes and symptoms: Perspective from the Behavioral Approach System (BAS) dysregulation theory.

On the basis of the behavioral approach system (BAS) dysregulation theory of bipolar disorder, this study examined the relation between occurrence of a BAS activation-relevant life event--goal striving--and onset of hypomanic and depressive episodes and symptoms. In particular, the authors examined the relation between preparing for and completing final exams (a goal-striving event) and onset of bipolar spectrum episodes and symptoms in college students with bipolar II disorder or cyclothymia (i.e., "soft" bipolar spectrum conditions). One hundred fifty-nine individuals with either a bipolar spectrum disorder (n=68) or no major affective psychopathology (controls; n=91) were further classified on the basis of whether they were college students (i.e., completed final exams). Consistent with the BAS dysregulation theory, preparing for and completing final exams was associated with an increase in hypomanic but not depressive episodes and symptoms in individuals with a soft bipolar spectrum diagnosis. Furthermore, self-reported BAS sensitivity moderated the presence of certain hypomanic symptoms during final exams. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new way for constructing high accuracy shock-capturing generalized compact difference schemes

The generalized compact (GC) schemes and some of their important properties are presented. And a new way for constructing high order accuracy and high-resolution GC schemes is presented. The schemes constructed by using this way could satisfy some principles and demands prescribed in advance to ensure some desired properties to the schemes, such as the principle about suppression of the oscillations, the principle of stability, the order of accuracy and number of scheme points, etc. As two examples, a three-point third-order compact scheme and a three-point fifth-order GC scheme satisfying the principle about suppression of the oscillations and the principle of stability are described in this paper. Numerical results show that these schemes are shock-capturing. The time-dependent boundary conditions proposed by Thompson are well employed when the algorithm is applied to the Euler equations of gas dynamics. Fourier analysis shows that the resolution characteristics are spectral-like.     

Pool boiling on a superhydrophilic surface

Titanium Dioxide, TiO₂, is a photocatalyst with a unique characteristic. A surface coated with TiO₂ exhibits an extremely high affinity for water when exposed to UV light and the contact angle decreases nearly to zero. Inversely, the contact angle increases when the surface is shielded from UV. This superhydrophilic nature gives a self-cleaning effect to the coated surface and has already been applied to some construction materials, car coatings and so on. We applied this property to the enhancement of boiling heat transfer. An experiment involving the pool boiling of pure water has been performed to make clear the effect of high wettability on heat transfer characteristics. The heat transfer surface is a vertical copper cylinder of 17 mm in diameter and the measurement has been done at saturated temperature and in a steady state. Both TiO₂-coated and non-coated surfaces were used for comparison. In the case of the TiO₂-coated surface, it is exposed to UV light for a few hours before experiment and it is found that the maximum heat flux (CHF) is about two times larger than that of the uncoated surface. The temperature at minimum heat flux (MHF) for the superhydrophilic surface is higher by 100 K than that for the normal one. The superhydrophilic surface can be an ideal heat transfer surface. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quality-Assurance Technology in Japan

A survey of the state of SQA in Japan finds that the situation is much like, but slightly different than, that in the US.     

Uncertainty,belief, and probability1

We introduce a new probabilistic approach to dealing with uncertainty, based on the observation that probability theory does not require that every event be assigned a probability. For a nonmeasurable event (one to which we do not assign a probability), we can talk about only the inner measure and outer measure of the event. In addition to removing the requirement that every event be assigned a probability, our approach circumvents other criticisms of probability-based approaches to uncertainty. For example, the measure of belief in an event turns out to be represented by an interval (defined by the inner and outer measures), rather than by a single number. Further, this approach allows us to assign a belief (inner measure) to an event E without committing to a belief about its negation -E (since the inner measure of an event plus the inner measure of its negation is not necessarily one). Interestingly enough, inner measures induced by probability measures turn out to correspond in a precise sense to Dempster-Shafer belief functions. Hence, in addition to providing promising new conceptual tools for dealing with uncertainty, our approach shows that a key part of the important Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence is firmly rooted in classical probability theory. Cet article présente une nouvelle approche probabiliste en ce qui concerne le traitement de l'incertitude; celle-ci est basée sur l'observation que la théorie des probabilityés n'exige pas qu'une probabilityé soit assignée à chaque événement. Dans le cas d'un événement non mesurable (un événement pour lequel on n'assigne aucune probabilityé), nous ne pouvons discuter que de la mesure intérieure et de la mesure extérieure de l'évenément. En plus d'éliminer la nécessité d'assigner une probabilityéà l'événement, cette nouvelle approche apporte une réponse aux autres critiques des approches à l'incertitude basées sur des probabilityés. Par exemple, la mesure de croyance dans un événement est représentée par un intervalle (défini par la mesure intérieure et extérieure) plutǒt que par un nombre unique. De plus, cette approche nous permet d'assigner une croyance (mesure intérieure) à un événement E sans se compromettre vers une croyance à propos de sa négation -E (puisque la mesure intérieure d'un événement et la mesure intérieure de sa négation ne sont pas nécessairement une seule et unique mesure). II est intéressant de noter que les mesures intérieures qui résultent des mesures de probabilityé correspondent d'une manière précise aux fonctions de croyance de Dempster-Shafer. En plus de constituer un nouvel outil conceptuel prometteur dans le traitement de l'incertitude, cette approche démontre qu'une partie importante de la théorie de l'évidence de Dempster-Shafer est fermement ancrée dans la theorie classique des probabilityés.     

Lateral habits ofn-alkane single crystals

The lateral crystal habits ofn-alkanes (n-C _n H_2n+2) have been observed just below the melting points by optical microscopy forn=18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 34, 44, 50 and 65. The shape of the crystals depends on the crystal phase: circular in the rotator phase, lenticular in phase C, and diamond in the low-temperature phase. The rounding of the lateral shape can be explained in terms of thermal roughening of the lateral faces in the disordered phases at high temperature.