Methods to Produce Tl(1223) Tapes with Improved Properties

Different methods to prepare superconducting mono- and multifilamentary T1(I223) tapes were developed. High-purity ceramics could be produced by ex-situ or in-situ reaction under a high isostatic gas pressure. Tapes prepared by the PIT method and an in-situ reaction carried out close to the melting point of the oxide were relatively dense and textured. Interesting results were obtained for samples where part of the oxygen atoms in Tl(1223) had been substituted by fluorine. Critical current densities up to 20'000 A/cm² (77 K, 0 T) were reached for tapes produced by the PIT method. Well textured samples were obtained by electrophoretic deposition, the deposited Tl(1223) grains being produced by a synthesis involving substantial melting.     

Preparation of High - Purity Tl(1223) Ceramics

The influence of changes in the nominal composition and preparation conditions on the formation of Tl(1223) under a high isostatic gas pressure was studied. Optimization of the cation substitution allowed to increase the phase purity, whereas substitution of small amounts of oxygen by fluorine decreased the formation temperature of the Tl(1223) phase and extended the temperature range favorable for grain growth. A two-step reaction involving substantial melting produced well shaped, plate-like grains.     

Wavelet analysis of short harmonics generated in presence of a two colour laser field

Abstract

The Morlet wavelet spectrum of the radiation emitted by a two level atom in presence of two laser pulses with very close frequency is obtained. The wavelet spectrum gives information on the time evolution of the full spectrum and of a particular line. The beating condition stimulates the atom to emit pulses of harmonics with duration of the order of a few optical cycles of the pumping radiation. Pulse trains of 3 optical cycles (FWHM) are observed.     

Technique based on LED multispectral imaging and multivariate analysis for monitoring the conservation state of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The aim of this project is the development of a noninvasive technique based on LED multispectral imaging (MSI) for monitoring the conservation state of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) collection. It is well-known that changes in the parchment reflectance drive the transition of the scrolls from legible to illegible. Capitalizing on this fact, we will use spectral imaging to detect changes in the reflectance before they become visible to the human eye. The technique uses multivariate analysis and statistical process control theory. The present study was carried out on a "sample" parchment of calfskin. The monitoring of the surface of a commercial modern parchment aged consecutively for 2 h and 6 h at 80 °C and 50% relative humidity (ASTM) was performed at the Imaging Lab of the Library of Congress (Washington, DC, U.S.A.). MSI is here carried out in the vis-NIR range limited to 1 μm, with a number of bands of 13 and bandwidths that range from about 10 nm in UV to 40 nm in IR. Results showed that we could detect and locate changing pixels, on the basis of reflectance changes, after only a few "hours" of aging.     

A comprehensive tool for developing new human-centred and social inclusion-oriented design strategies and guidelines

While Human-Centred Design is by the time considered a consolidated design methodology, emerging social inclusion-oriented theories need to be more comprehended in order to understand their potential applications in the development of new design solutions. This sort of discrepancy often generates contradictory phenomena: solutions developed using such approaches cannot be considered, at the same time, fully human-centred and social inclusion-oriented. The purpose of this article is to describe a new comprehensive tool, conceived both for designers and researchers, able to develop human-centred and social inclusion-oriented design strategies and guidelines. The tool, which is called ‘HSDT’ (Human-Social Design Tool), is an easy-to-use methodological instrument useful to identify focused results oriented toward Human-Centred Design and Social Inclusion. Using logical sequences, it allows to develop new conceptual definitions for both design and non-design subjects into new human-centred and social inclusion-oriented records. Theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, development stages and applications in design and non-design areas are presented and discussed to demonstrate real benefits resulting from the introduction of a new type of interdisciplinary tool and, later, the opportunity for designers and researchers to adopt new problem-solving approaches to bridging the gaps within Design literature.     

Sensitivity Analysis Methods to Design Optimal Ship Hulls

Automatic procedures for the design of ship hull geometries yielding minimal wave resistance and wave breaking are an attractive opportunity from both the economical and practical standpoints. Estimating the cost function gradient according to the Sensitivity Equation and Adjoint Methods (SEM, AM) instead of using the standard finite difference approximations has the potential of reducing the computational cost of the overall optimization procedure. Aim of this paper is to assess the actual extent of the cost reduction. Speed-up factors of up to 3.3 have been obtained in the evaluation of the cost function gradient and of about 1.6 in the overall optimization procedure applied to an optimal shape design problem of an existing tanker ship. The SEM and AM methods perform better than finite differences mainly because of (i) the smaller number of flow solutions needed to compute the cost function gradient and (ii) the opportunity of using the same LU factored matrix for both the flow solver and the SEM or AM equations, a circumstance arising as a consequence of having chosen a linearized potential flow model of the 3D free-surface problem.     

Carbamazepine/betaCD/HPMC solid dispersions. I. Influence of the spray-drying process and betaCD/HPMC on the drug dissolution profile

The aim of this study was to compare carbamazepine (CBZ) solid dispersions prepared by spray-drying of aqueous dispersions with the corresponding physical mixtures. The influence of the association of β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) on the CBZ dissolution profile of the preparations was investigated. Results demonstrated that CBZ release from solid dispersions is dependent on the ratio of βCD and HPMC. The spray-drying process confers better homogeneity to CBZ polymeric dispersions than the physical mixture process. In summary, we demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining a homogeneous polymeric solid dispersion of CBZ from an aqueous media by spray-drying and a clear influence of the βCD:HPMC ratio on the release profile of CBZ.     

Specific interactions study in complexes of poly(mono-n-alkyl itaconates) with tertiary polyamides

This paper reports an FT-IR study of blends of poly(mono-n-alkyl itaconates) with poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) and poly(ethyloxazoline) (PEOX). Strong hydrogen bonding has been found, and both polybases have shown similar acceptor strengths. Derivative techniques show asymmetric profiles for the free carbonyl band of the polybases, resulting in shifted band locations. The extent of the interassociation has been estimated by spectral curve fitting of the polybase carbonyl band. The results show that the interaction degree in blends with PEOX does not depend on the length of the poly(monoalkyl itaconate) side group, while an inter-associating ability loss is observed in blends with PDMA as the side-group size of the polyacid increases. This different behavior is attributed to the greater interspacing between vicinal carbonyl groups in PEOX. This band shows conformational sensitivity and reflects the conformational changes that occur as the steric hindrances present in the medium (due to the bulky side groups of the polyacids) increase.     

On the factor structure of standardized educational achievement tests

This research analyzed the factor structure at both the item- and subtest-level of California's norm- and criterion-referenced standardized educational achievement tests (SEAT) used in that state's high-stakes educational accountability assessments. It was shown through full information factor analysis and multidimensional IRT models (e.g., TESTFACT and NOHARM) that, at the item-level, SEATs are invariably highly unidimensional (i.e., they appear to tap a unidimensional theta scale) even when items representing such diverse content areas such as English, science, mathematics, and history are analyzed simultaneously as a single measure. These item-level factors also accounted for a relatively small proportion (1/4 to 1/3) of the variance. It was also shown that, when these tests are analyzed using more reliable indicators such as subtests, a much richer factor structure emerged that accounted for a larger portion (about 2/3) of the total common variance. As expected, these factor structure configurations (and underlying dimensionality) were preserved across the item- and subtest-levels. However, the factors emerging from both the item- and subtest-level analyses were highly correlated and produced strong second-order and general factors. The meaning underlying these results was examined, along with their implications with respect to the assumptions underlying modern approaches to test calibration, scaling, and score interpretation.