Rapid sintering protocol produces dense ceria‐based ceramics

We report on a rapid sintering protocol, which optimizes the preparation of 0‐29 mol% Gd‐doped ceria ceramics with density ≥98% of the theoretical crystal lattice value. The starting material is a nanometer grain‐sized powder prepared by carbonate co‐precipitation and calcined with minimal agglomeration and loss of surface area. Slow (5°C/min) heating of the green‐body from 500°C to the optimum temperature of rapid sintering (, dwell time <1 minute) followed by 20°C/min cooling to 1150°C with 6 minutes dwell time, produces maximum pellet density. increases from 1300 to ~1500°C with increase in Gd‐content, while the average grain size in the maximally dense pellets, as determined by scanning electron microscopy, ranges between 600 nm and ~1 μm. For each doping level, the logarithm of the average grain size decreases linearly with 1/T₁. By avoiding extended exposure to sintering temperatures, this protocol is expected to minimize undesirable Gd segregation.     

The efficiency range of economical cutting conditions for a multistage transfer machine under a failure replacement strategy

This paper presents models for calculating the optimal cutting feed rate and spindle speed at each stage in a multistage transfer machine. The optimal cutting conditions are determined by taking into account the cutting constraints for three objective functions, which are: minimum expected cycle time, minimum expected cost per unit, and maximum expected profit rate, using a one-dimensional search procedure. The efficiency range in which the optimal solutions for the three objective functions can be found is also analyzed. In addition, the optimal cutting conditions at each stage are compared to those of a stand-alone cutting machine.     

Recognition of handwritten musical notes by a modified Neocognitron

A neural network for recognition of handwritten musical notes, based on the well-known Neocognitron model, is described. The Neocognitron has been used for the what pathway (symbol recognition), while contextual knowledge has been applied for the where (symbol placement). This way, we benefit from dividing the process for dealing with this complicated recognition task. Also, different degrees of intrusiveness in learning have been incorporated in the same network: More intrusive supervised learning has been implemented in the lower neuron layers and less intrusive in the upper one. This way, the network adapts itself to the handwriting of the user. The network consists of a 13×49 input layer and three pairs of simple and complex neuron layers. It has been trained to recognize 20 symbols of unconnected notes on a musical staff and was tested with a set of unlearned input notes. Its recognition rate for the individual unseen notes was up to 93%, averaging 80% for all categories. These preliminary results indicate that a modified Neocognitron could be a good candidate for identification of handwritten musical notes.     

Switching Futile para‐Quinone to Efficient Reactive Oxygen Species Generator: Ubiquitin‐Specific Protease‐2 Inhibition,Electrocatalysis, and Quantification

Understanding the correlation between structural features of small‐molecule drugs and their mode of action is a fascinating topic and crucial for the drug‐discovery process. However, in many cases, knowledge of the exact parameters that dictate the mode of action is still lacking. Following a large screening for ubiquitin specific protease 2 (USP2) inhibition, an effective para‐quinone‐based inhibitor with an unclear mode of action was identified. To gain a deeper understanding of the mechanism of inhibition, a set of para‐quinones were prepared and studied for USP2 inhibition, electrocatalysis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) quantification. The excellent correlation obtained from the above‐mentioned studies disclosed a distinct pattern of “N?C=O?N” in the bicyclic para‐quinones to be a crucial factor for ROS generation, and demonstrated that minor changes in such a skeleton drastically altered the ROS‐generating ability. The knowledge acquired herein would serve as an important guideline for future medicinal chemistry optimization of related structures to select the preferred mode of action.     

When standard RANSAC is not enough: cross-media visual matching with hypothesis relevancy

The same scene can be depicted by multiple visual media. For example, the same event can be captured by a comic image or a movie frame; the same object can be represented by a photograph or by a 3D computer graphics model. In order to extract the visual analogies that are at the heart of cross-media analysis, spatial matching is required. This matching is commonly achieved by extracting key points and scoring multiple, randomly generated mapping hypotheses. The more consensus a hypothesis can draw, the higher its score. In this paper, we go beyond the conventional set-size measure for the quality of a match and present a more general hypothesis score that attempts to reflect how likely is each hypothesized transformation to be the correct one for the matching task at hand. This is achieved by considering additional, contextual cues for the relevance of a hypothesized transformation. This context changes from one matching task to another and reflects different properties of the match, beyond the size of a consensus set. We demonstrate that by learning how to correctly score each hypothesis based on these features we are able to deal much more robustly with the challenges required to allow cross-media analysis, leading to correct matches where conventional methods fail.     

Nanocomposite Ag–LSM solid oxide fuel cell electrodes

Advances in infiltration technology have enabled the creation of innovative electrode architectures that are key to highly effective SOFC anodes and cathodes. In this work, an Ag-infiltrated electrode has been created using a pre-sintered porous scandia-stabilized zirconia (SSZ) electrode backbone. The well-sintered SSZ provides a highly connected ion-conducting pathway throughout the electrode, while the nanometer thickness of the Ag particle layer minimizes the oxygen transport resistance that otherwise limits reaction rates in typical Ag composite electrodes. The new Ag composite electrode had minimal activation polarization by 750 °C.     

Method matters: Systematic effects of testing procedure on visual working memory sensitivity.

Visual working memory (WM) is traditionally considered a robust form of visual representation that survives changes in object motion, observer's position, and other visual transients. This article presents data that are inconsistent with the traditional view. We show that memory sensitivity is dramatically influenced by small variations in the testing procedure, supporting the idea that representations in visual WM are susceptible to interference from testing. In the study, participants were shown an array of colors to remember. After a short retention interval, memory for one of the items was tested with either a same–different task or a 2-alternative-forced-choice (2AFC) task. Memory sensitivity was much lower in the 2AFC task than in the same–different task. This difference was found regardless of encoding similarity or of whether visual WM required a fine or coarse memory resolution. The 2AFC disadvantage was reduced when participants were informed shortly before testing which item would be probed. The 2AFC disadvantage diminished in perceptual tasks and was not found in tasks probing visual long-term memory. These results support memory models that acknowledge the labile nature of visual WM and have implications for the format of visual WM and its assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)