3-D modelling of rectangular circuits as the particular class of spatially interconnected systems on the plane

Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing - This paper is devoted to modelling the spatially interconnected system, particularly the regular circuit displayed in the plane as a 3-D system with...     

The influence of the initial acidity of HFER on the status of Co species and catalytic performance of CoFER and InCoFER in CH4-SCR-NO

The role of the initial acidity of ferrierite type zeolite on the status of cobalt and the catalytic activity of CoFER and InCoFER was investigated. Two FER zeolites were used: NH₄FER without any pretreatment (FER-1) and the same zeolite, dehydroxylated at 825 K (FER-2). Dehydroxylation removed most of the Si–OH–Al groups, therefore the resulting zeolite revealed practically no ion exchange capacity. The status of cobalt was followed by IR spectroscopy with probe molecules: CO (a probe for Co²⁺) and NO (a probe for Co³⁺). The introduction of cobalt by solid-state ion exchange produced divalent cobalt in exchange positions and in the form of oxide-like clusters, their respective concentration was determined by quantitative IR experiments of CO sorption. The amount of Co³⁺, present in CoFER-1 and InCoFER-1, was also determined. All these forms of cobalt were practically absent from CoFER-2 and InCoFER-2. The NO conversion and selectivity to N₂ of CoFER-2 in CH₄-SCR-NO was poor, indicating the essential role of the initial acidity of the ferrierite matrix on the formation of catalytically active Co species. The introduction of indium into CoFER only slightly increased the NO conversion and shifted the reaction path from NO₂ towards N₂ formation for FER-1, while greatly improved the catalytic performance of the FER-2 series.     

EPR/alanine dosimetry in LDR brachytherapy--a feasibility study

In this study, we present the results of in vivo dosimetry, using electron paramagnetic resonance in l-alanine, performed on 13 patients treated for gynaecological cancers. The doses from (137)Cs (12 samples) and (192)Ir (one sample) brachytherapy sources were determined inside vagina. The detectors had a form of small cellulose capsules tightly filled with crystalline alanine. The positions of the detectors were reconstructed from two orthogonal radiographs. The planned doses were calculated with a computer planning system (PLATO, Nucletron). The relative deviations between planned and measured doses ranged from -23 to +14%. The mean deviation from the prescribed dose was relatively low (-5%) with SD of 10%. The main sources of differences between the measured and calculated doses were attributed to uncertainty in the determination of the detector position inside the patient's body and to uncontrolled changes in the detector position during the treatment.     

Business Intelligence in Facility Management: Determinants and Benchmarking Scenarios for Improving Energy Efficiency

ABSTRACT

This study investigates data sources for Business Intelligence solutions, which provide a foundation for holistic analyses, optimization, and forecasting of electrical power consumption within Facility Management for retail facilities networks. A multiple case study among Polish subsidiaries of Sweden, France, and UK-based companies along with a domestic Polish has been conducted. The authors identify, verify, and organize the determinants augmenting an energy efficiency-oriented decision-making process and introduce a set of potential benchmarking scenarios for managing it.     

Conscious Representations: An Intractable Problem for the Computational Theory of Mind

Advocates of the computational theory of mind claim that the mind is a computer whose operations can be implemented by various computational systems. According to these philosophers, the mind is multiply realisable because—as they claim—thinking involves the manipulation of syntactically structured mental representations. Since syntactically structured representations can be made of different kinds of material while performing the same calculation, mental processes can also be implemented by different kinds of material. From this perspective, consciousness plays a minor role in mental activity. However, contemporary neuroscience provides experimental evidence suggesting that mental representations necessarily involve consciousness. Consciousness does not only enable individuals to become aware of their own thoughts, it also constantly changes the causal properties of these thoughts. In light of these empirical studies, mental representations appear to be intrinsically dependent on consciousness. This discovery represents an obstacle to any attempt to construct an artificial mind.