Digital optical signal processing with polarization-bistable semiconductor lasers

The operations of a complete set of optical AND, NAND, OR, and NOR gates and clocked opticalS-R, D, J-K,andTflip-flops are demonstrated, based on direct polarization switching and polarization bistability, which we have recently observed in InGaAsP/InP semiconductor lasers. By operating the laser in the direct-polarization-switchable mode, the output of the laser can be directly switched between the TM00and TE00modes with high extinction ratios by changing the injection-current level, and optical logic gates are constructed with two optoelectronic switches or photodetectors. In the polarization-bistable mode, the laser exhibits controllable hysteresis loops in the polarization-resolved power versus current characteristics. When the laser is biased in the middle of hysteresis loop, the light output can be switched between the two polarization states by injection of short electrical or optical pulses, and clocked optical flip-flops are constructed with a few optoelectronic switches and/or photodetectors. The 1 and 0 states of these devices are defined through polarization changes of the laser and direct complement functions are obtainable from the TE and TM output signals from the same laser. Switching of the polarization-bistable lasers with fast-rising current pulses has an instrument-limited mode-switching time on the order of 1 ns. With fast optoelectronic switches and/or fast photodetectors, the overall switching speed of the logic gates and flip-flops is limited by the polarization-bistable laser to < 1 ns. We have demonstrated the operations of these devices using optical signals generated by semiconductor lasers. The proposed schemes of our devices are compatible with monolithic integration based on current fabrication technology and are applicable to other types of bistable semiconductor lasers.     

Toughening mechanism for a rubber-toughened epoxy resin with rubber/matrix interfacial modification

For a rubber-toughened piperidine-DGEBA epoxy resin, the interface between the rubber particle and the epoxy resin matrix was modified by an epoxide end-capped carboxyl terminated butadiene and acrylonitrile random copolymer (CTBN). The end-capping epoxides used were a rigid diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (Epon 828), a short-chain flexible diglycidyl ether of propylene glycol (DER 736), and a long-chain flexible diglycidyl ether of propylene glycol (DER 732). The microstructures and the fracture behaviour of these rubber-modified epoxy resins were studied by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Their thermal and mechanical properties were also investigated. In the rubber-modified epoxy resins, if the added CTBNs were end-capped by a flexible diglycidyl ether of propylene glycol (DER 732 or DER 736) before curing, the interfacial zone of the undeformed rubber particle, the degree of cavitation of the cavitated rubber particle on the fracture surface and the fracture energy of the toughened epoxy resin were all significantly increased. The toughening mechanism based on cavitation and localized shear yielding was considered and a mechanism for the interaction between cavitation and localized shear yielding that accounts for all the observed characteristics is proposed.     

Study of the morphology and mechanical properties of polypropylene composites with silica or rice‐husk

The mechanical, morphological behavior and water absorption characteristics of polypropylene (PP) and silica, or PP and rice‐husk, composites have been studied. The silica used in this study as filler was a commercial type produced from soluble glass or rice husks. The compatibilizing effect of PP grafted with monomethyl itaconate (PP‐g‐MMI) and/or with vinyltriethoxysilane (PP‐g‐VTES) as polar monomers on the mechanical properties and water absorption was also investigated. In general, a high loading of the studied fillers in the polymer matrix increases the stiffness and the water absorption capacity. This effect is more noticeable in the tensile modulus of the PP/silica composite with PP‐g‐VTES as compatibilizer. However, the increase of the rice‐husk charge as a natural filler in the PP matrix decreases the stiffness, and in the presence of PP‐g‐MMI as compatibilizer in PP/rice‐husk, the tensile modulus and water absorption of the composite were improved. The better adhesion and phase continuity in the PP/silica and PP/rice‐husk composites with different compatibilizers was confirmed by the morphological study. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Optimum power-saving method for power MOSFET width of DC/DC converters

An optimum power metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) width technique is proposed for enhancing the efficiency characteristics of switching DC-DC converters. By implementing a one-cycle buck DC-DC converter, it is demonstrated that the dynamic power MOSFET width controlling technique has a much improved power reduction whether the load current is light or heavy. The maximum efficiency of the buck converter is ~92% with a 3% efficiency improvement for the heavy load condition. The efficiency is further improved by ~16% for the light load condition as a result of the power reduction from the large power MOSFET transistors. Also proposed is a new error-correction loop circuit to enable a better load regulation than that of previous designs. Compared with the adaptive gate driver voltage technique, the optimum power MOSFET width can achieve a significant improvement in power saving. It is also superior to the low-voltage-swing MOSFET gate drive technique for switching DC-DC converters     

Web服务在信用信息工程中的应用

目前的社会信用信息工程中,许多的政府部门都建立了自己的信用信息数据库,但在政府各级部门数据库之间进行数据交流和共享存在着许多的问题,在许多地方,数据共享还是一片空白。Web服务技术是应用程序通过内联网或者因特网发布和利用软件服务的一种标准机制。利用WEB服务可以方便地实现不同系统之间的数据交换和集成。该文提出利用web服务技术来解决信用信息工程中的信息数据共享问题。并在此基础上提出利用WEB服务工作流技术将信用评估整合到电子商务过程,以实现可信用电子商务     

Itemset trees for targeted association querying

Association mining techniques search for groups of frequently co-occurring items in a market-basket type of data and turn these groups into business-oriented rules. Previous research has focused predominantly on how to obtain exhaustive lists of such associations. However, users often prefer a quick response to targeted queries. For instance, they may want to learn about the buying habits of customers that frequently purchase cereals and fruits. To expedite the processing of such queries, we propose an approach that converts the market-basket database into an itemset tree. Experiments indicate that the targeted queries are answered in a time that is roughly linear in the number of market baskets, N. Also, the construction of the itemset tree has O(N) space and time requirements. Some useful theoretical properties are proven.     

Schwingfestigkeit von Schraube‐Mutter‐Verbindungen

High cycle fatigue of bolted connections Extensive tests regarding the influences on the fatigue of bolt‐nut‐connections of preloading with torsion, of preloading with yielding, of loading with superimposed bending and of the tested lot are processed. These influences are not yet known according to VDI 2230. New testing devices were designed for these tests, which allow a far less expensive operation and may easily be used for bolts of diameters up to M100 and testing frequencies up to 1000 Hz. The validity of fatigue resistance according to VDI 2230 is specified with respect to the test results. The determined influence of the tested lots is unexpectedly high. The manufacturing process of bolts should be improved to minimize this influence.     

Developing Cost Response Models for Company-Level Cost Flow Forecasting of Project-Based Corporations

The difficulty in applying the standard curve (S-curve) and cost-schedule integration (CSI) techniques for company-level cost flow forecasting in a project-based industry is the prerequisite of forecasting future unknown individual projects and contract classifications. By analyzing cost flows at the company level through a pool of macroeconomic and internal financial data, this paper proposes an innovative approach to firm-specific model estimation. First, a series of data transformations introduce linear relationships between cost, macroeconomic, and internal financial variables. Second, multivariate regression analysis is employed for initial model building. Third, for the purposes of model restructuring, a subsequent application of Yule–Walker estimates and incomplete principal component analysis is used. This paper uses a sample of four project-based construction firms to demonstrate model performance. Using this methodology, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of the forecasting models range from 0.27 to 0.60%. As such, the transformed cost, macroeconomic, internal financial data could strongly predict company-level cost flow forecasting. While converting the predicted cumulative cost data to periodic cost flows, the MAPE values were augmented, ranging from 7.04 to 17.55%, thus, requiring future research.     

Stream Classification System Based on Susceptibility to Algal Growth in Response to Nutrients

We developed a stream classification system that is based on stream’s susceptibility to algal growth using a two-step approach. The model portrays algal biomass as a result of stream’s response to nutrient concentrations and the response is governed by various stream factors. In the first step, a nutrient-chlorophyll a relationship was developed to characterize nutrient’s effects on algal biomass. Residuals of the relationship were attributed to stream’s susceptibility to algal growth in response to nutrients and referred to as “observed” susceptibility. In the second step, conditions of other contributing factors were used to explain the variation in the residuals and the developed relationship was used to generate “predicted” susceptibility. Existing data compiled from various monitoring projects of Illinois streams and rivers were used to illustrate the approach. Streams were classified into three (high, medium, and low) categories based on their observed and predicted susceptibility values, respectively. With the available data, the model showed a 40-50% success rate for classifying the streams based on three observed and predicted susceptibility categories. Model entropy also was calculated for selecting the best model. The results show the important role of both nutrients and other contributing factors in explaining the variation of algal biomass. The study also suggests ways to fine tune the model and improve its accuracy, which would make the presented model a more viable tool for stream classification for establishing nutrient criteria to prevent surface streams from eutrophication.     

Investigating antecedents of technology acceptance of initial eCRM users beyond generation X and the role of self-construal

eCRM (electronic Customer Relationship Management) systems focus on using the web-site as the main interaction channel for businesses to simulate an old fashioned one-to-one direct relationship—high touch—with customers. In this research two distinct but related concepts, media richness from the Human Computer Interaction and Computer Mediated Communication fields and perceived interactivity from the Marketing and MIS fields, are disentangled and their unique impacts on technology acceptance variables are examined in the eCRM Acceptance Model. The present study contributes in extending the Technology Acceptance Model for the eCRM context and in establishing media richness and perceived interactivity as antecedents to perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Our research model integrates system perception (e.g., perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and subjective outcome measures (e.g., decision satisfaction) in a single model to fully understand the impact of eCRM “touch” design perceived by e-customers on their intention to return after the initial visit. An experimental survey of two culture groups (independent vs. interdependent self-construal) of technology savvy, young college students reveals that culture value-orientation (e.g., self-construal) moderates the effect of decision satisfaction on behavior intention to return in our eCRM Acceptance model. Findings of this research thus have significant theoretical and managerial implications.