Mistracking in successive PCM/ADPCM transcoders

An analysis is presented of the causes of the accumulation of quantizing noise found in the transient state for successive CCITT adaptive differential pulse-code-modulation (ADPCM) transcoders connected synchronously. By decoupling the predictor and quantizer effect it is proved that, owing to a self-stabilization phenomenon, narrowband inputs cause local instabilities in the predictor of the jointly adaptive autoregressive moving-average-prediction/quantization used in the ADPCM 32-kb/s algorithm. Despite the assured global stability, these local instabilities are not synchronized at the encoder and its preceding decoder, and a mistracking occurs which creates quantizing noise accumulation. The tracking is then shown to be very sensitive to predictor/quantizer interaction. The discontinuities introduced in the standardized adaptive quantizer extend the mistracking problem to wideband inputs. A smoothed quantizer with reduced inauspicious interaction is proposed to remedy the problem     

Vertical caliper gauge with digital readout for absolute dimensional measurements

A new gauge configuration for the measurement of outside dimensions up to 70 mm is described. The main advantage of the instrument is that it can be used to perform absolute measurements, i.e., without adjustment operations. The instrument has potential applications in many industries engaged in the manufacture of parts in relatively small lots.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 10, pp. 32–33, October, 1993.     

基于SIP的新一代电信业务

第二代(2G)移动网络和传统的固定网络都提供了一套相对完整的话音业务。尽管智能网络(IN)技术使电信业务有所增强,但电信业务的发展仍然缓慢,而且样式基本保持不变。下一代网络(NGN)和第三代(3G)移动网络就是为了克服这些局限性而设计的,它们通过重组网络架构将业务同网络分离开来、将信息和电话技术融合起来并引进了会话初始协议(SIP)等开放协议。同时,它们还有望提供满足用户和运营商需求的新的增值业务。这些网络包括满足用户对业务期望所需的所有组成部分。NGN和3G就其服务能力而言有3个主要优点:首先,它们将信息世界和电话世界结…     

Rat heart-aorta cluster transplantation: a novel model to study transplant rejection

The purpose of this study was to develop a microsurgical cluster model of heart plus entire thoracic aorta transplantation and to compare it to the isolated model of heart transplantation as a tool to study transplant rejection. Thirty-six syngeneic (DA x DA and Lew x Lew) and allogeneic (DA x PVG and DA x Lew) cluster heart-aorta transplants were compared to 43 syngeneic and allogeneic isolated heart grafts. Graft survival, recipient survival and histological data on myocardial and aortic tissues were assessed. There was no statistically significant difference in graft survival between the two models studied (P > 0.05). In the cluster transplants, the aortic component was spared the severity of acute rejection noted for the myocardial counterpart. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that the cluster model was technically feasible and highly reproducible. Additionally, it was possible to apply this model to the study of experimental allograft rejection using novel immunosuppressants. The success of the cluster model in strongly mismatched transplant strain combinations underscores its potential for application in slower rejection combinations, making it particularly suited for chronic rejection studies. The inherent capacity for sampling a broader range of vessel sizes in one animal makes the cluster model more suitable than the isolated models of aorta or heart for application to experimental protocols.     

Chemical heat treatment of powder materials based on iron

Diffusion chromizing and boriding of iron-base powder materials SP30, SP90, and SP90D3 are studied. The growth kinetics for diffusion layers are determined depending on diffusion impregnation conditions, and material composition and porosity. Comparative bending and tensile strength tests as well as wear- and heat-resistance tests for materials after sintering by standard conditions or boriding and chromizing are performed. It is shown that the mechanical properties of materials after different types of processing are approximately the same whereas the wear and heat resistance after diffusion impregnation increase markedly. This makes it possible to conclude that a combination of sintering and boriding (or chromizing) is possible under the following conditions: boriding at 1000°C for 2–3 h; chromizing at 1100°C for 3–4 h.Kiev Polytechnic Institute. Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, No. 8(368), pp. 37–43, August, 1993.     

Boosting MUC extraction in unsatisfiable constraint networks

One very fertile domain of applied Artificial Intelligence is constraint solving technologies. Especially, constraint networks that concern problems that can be represented using discrete variables, together with constraints on allowed instantiation values for these variables. Every solution to a constraint network must satisfy every constraint. When no solution exists, the user might want to know the actual reasons leading to the absence of global solution. In this respect, extracting mucs (Minimal Unsatisfiable Cores) from an unsatisfiable constraint network is a useful process when causes of unsatisfiability must be understood so that the network can be re-engineered and relaxed to become satisfiable. Despite bad worst-case computational complexity results, various muc-finding approaches that appear tractable for many real-life instances have been proposed. Many of them are based on the successive identification of so-called transition constraints. In this respect, we show how local search can be used to possibly extract additional transition constraints at each main iteration step. In the general constraint networks setting, the approach is shown to outperform a technique based on a form of model rotation imported from the sat-related technology and that also exhibits additional transition constraints. Our extensive computational experimentations show that this enhancement also boosts the performance of state-of-the-art DC(WCORE)-like MUC extractors.     

New refractory materials for the aluminum industry

A technology for production of andalusite-based refractory components for the lining of anode firing kilns is described. The formulation for a low-cement castable resistant to attack by molten aluminum is proposed. __________ Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 4, pp. 109–111, April, 2006. Based on materials reported to the conference “Aluminum of Siberia-2005.”