Optimization-based cosmetic formulation: Integration of mechanistic model,surrogate model,and heuristics

Multiple functional and hard-to-quantify sensorial product attributes that can be satisfied by a large number of cosmetic ingredients are required in the design of cosmetics. To overcome this problem, a new optimization-based approach for expediting cosmetic formulation is presented. It exploits the use of a hierarchy of models in an iterative manner to refine the search for creating the highest-quality cosmetic product. First, a systematic procedure is proposed for optimization problem formulation, where the cosmetic formulation problem is defined, design variables are specified, and a set of models for sensorial perception and desired product properties are identified. Then, a solution strategy that involves iterative model adoption and two numerical techniques (i.e., generalized disjunctive programming reformulation and model substitution) is applied to improve the efficiency of solving the optimization problem and to find better solutions. The applicability of the proposed procedure and solution strategy is illustrated with a perfume formulation example.     

Influence of process parameters on the deposition footprint in plasma-spray coating

This paper presents an investigation of the influence of plasma spray process conditions on the in-flight particle behavior and their cumulative deposition to form a coating on the substrate. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses were performed to model the in-flight particle behavior in the plasma-spray process and their deposition on the substrate. The plasma spray was modeled as a jet issuing from the torch nozzle through the electrical heating of the arc gas. In the model, particles were injected into the plasma jet where they acquired heat and momentum from the plasma, some got melted and droplets were formed. By means of a droplet splatting model, the particle in-flight data generated by the CFD analyses were further processed to build up an imaginary three-dimensional deposition profile on a flat stationary substrate. It is found that the powder carrier gas flow rate influences the particle distribution on the substrate by imparting an injection momentum to the particles that were directed radially into the plasma jet in a direction perpendicular to the plasma jet. The larger sized particles will acquire higher injection momentum compared with the smaller sized particles. This causes particle distribution at the substrate surface that is elliptical in shape with the major axis of ellipse parallel to the particle injection port axis as illustrated in Fig. 1. Larger particles tend to congregate at the lower part of the ellipse, due to their greater momentum. The distribution of particle size, temperature, velocity, and count distribution at the substrate was analyzed. Further, based on the size and the computed particle temperature, velocity histories, and the impact sites on the substrate, the data were processed to build up a deposition profile with the Pasandideh-Fard model. The shapes of deposition profiles were found to be strongly driven by the segregation effect.     

形变诱发马氏体对1Cr18Ni9Ti不锈钢应力腐蚀破裂的影响

通过低温(-70℃)拉伸方法,制备出具有不同马氏体(铁磁相)含量的1Cr18Ni9Ti(AISI321)奥氏体不锈钢试件。采用恒载荷法对双边缺口试样进行应力腐蚀试验,测定了不同马氏体含量的试样在氯化物介质中应力腐蚀破裂(SCC)的归一化门槛值。用SEM观察断口形貌。结果表明:当铁磁相含量小于5%时,材料的SCC敏感性随含量增加而减小;在5～15%范围内,SCC敏感性不断增加;在15～24%区域中,材料的SCC敏感性迅速下降;超过24%,SCC敏感性又有所上升。     

An underwater acoustic MAC protocol using reverse opportunistic packet appending

Underwater communication primarily utilizes propagation of acoustic waves in water. Its unique characteristics, including slow propagation speed and low data rates, pose many challenges to Media Access Control (MAC) protocol design. In most existing handshaking-based underwater MAC protocols, only an initiating sender can transmit data packets to its intended receiver after a channel reservation through a Request-to-Send (RTS)/Clear-to-Send (CTS) handshake. This conventional single-node transmission approach is particularly inefficient in underwater environments, as it does not account for long propagation delays. To improve channel utilization in high latency environments, we propose a novel approach that exploits the idle waiting time during a 2-way handshake to set up concurrent transmissions from multiple nodes. The sender can coordinate multiple first-hop neighbors (appenders) to use the current handshake opportunity to transmit (append) their data packets with partially overlapping transmission times. After the sender finishes transmitting its packets to its own receiver, it starts to receive incoming appended packets that arrive in a collision-free packet train. This not only reduces the amount of time spent on control signaling, but it also greatly improves packet exchange efficiency. Based on this idea, we propose an asynchronous, single-channel handshaking-based MAC protocol based on reverse opportunistic packet appending (ROPA). From extensive simulations (single- and multi-hop networks) and comparisons with several existing MAC protocols, including MACA-U, MACA-UPT, BiC-MAC, Slotted-FAMA, DACAP, unslotted Aloha, we show that ROPA significantly increases channel utilization and offers performance gains in throughput and delay while attaining a stable saturation throughput.     

“Area Without Numbers”: Using Touchscreen Dynamic Geometry to Reason About Shape

Abstract

In this article, we report on two lessons aimed at introducing junior high school students to the idea of shearing in a touchscreen dynamic geometry environment. By using shearing, we hoped to shift students’ attention away from a formula-driven, computational conception of area toward a more geometric one. We found that the students were able to solve several problems involving the comparison of polygons based on verbal and diagrammatic explanations. We describe the features of the touchscreen dynamic geometry technology that supported their learning, as well as the specific role that the teacher played in modeling students’ reasoning about area.     

A survey on algorithms for mining frequent itemsets over data streams

The increasing prominence of data streams arising in a wide range of advanced applications such as fraud detection and trend learning has led to the study of online mining of frequent itemsets (FIs). Unlike mining static databases, mining data streams poses many new challenges. In addition to the one-scan nature, the unbounded memory requirement and the high data arrival rate of data streams, the combinatorial explosion of itemsets exacerbates the mining task. The high complexity of the FI mining problem hinders the application of the stream mining techniques. We recognize that a critical review of existing techniques is needed in order to design and develop efficient mining algorithms and data structures that are able to match the processing rate of the mining with the high arrival rate of data streams. Within a unifying set of notations and terminologies, we describe in this paper the efforts and main techniques for mining data streams and present a comprehensive survey of a number of the state-of-the-art algorithms on mining frequent itemsets over data streams. We classify the stream-mining techniques into two categories based on the window model that they adopt in order to provide insights into how and why the techniques are useful. Then, we further analyze the algorithms according to whether they are exact or approximate and, for approximate approaches, whether they are false-positive or false-negative. We also discuss various interesting issues, including the merits and limitations in existing research and substantive areas for future research.     

On tests of rate ratio under standard inverse sampling

Inverse sampling suggests one continues to sample subjects until a pre-specified number of rare events of interest is observed. It is generally considered to be more appropriate than the usual binomial sampling when the subjects come sequentially, when the response probability is rare, and when maximum likelihood estimators of some epidemiological measures are undefined under binomial sampling. Reliable but conservative exact conditional procedure for the ratio of the response probabilities of subject without the attribute of interest has been studied. However, such a procedure is inapplicable to the risk ratio (i.e., ratio of the response probabilities of subject with the attribute of interest). In this paper, we investigate various test statistics (namely Wald-type, score and likelihood ratio test statistics) for testing non-unity risk ratio under standard inverse sampling scheme, which suggests one continue to sample until the predetermined number of index subjects with the attributes of interest is observed. Both asymptotic and numerical approximate unconditional methods are considered for P-value calculation. Performance of these test procedures are evaluated under different settings by means of Monte Carlo simulation. In general, the Wald-type test statistic is preferable for its satisfactory and stable performance with approximate unconditional procedures. The methodologies are illustrated with a real example from a heart disease study.     

Object illumination angle measurement in speckle interferometry

Errors in measurement of the object illumination angle affect fringe interpretation accuracies in speckle interferometry. To measure the object illumination angle we propose a method based on the moiré effect. The technique is easy to implement and was found to yield fast and accurate measurements.