The electroactive species in the catalysis of cyclohexadiene to benzene by Rh2(TM4) 4 +2 (TM4=2,5-diisocyano-2,5-dimethylhexane)

Upon further investigation of the recently reported electrocatalytic oxidation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene to benzene by Rh₂(TM4) ₄ ⁺² (TM4=2,5-diisocyano-2,5-dimethylhexane), we have obtained data which strongly implicates the 2e^– oxidized d⁷-d⁷ complex as the electroactive species. This contrasts with the original report which suggested that the le^– oxidized d⁷-d⁸ radical acted as the key species via hydrogen atom abstraction from 1,4-cyclohexadiene. A possible mechanism for the catalysis is proposed.     

Are lebed’s magic angles truly magic?

We report high-resolution angle-dependent measurements of the Periodic Orbit Resonance (POR) effect in (TMTSF)₂ClO₄. We observe additional harmonic resonances that were not observed in previous studies. By measuring over a broad range of frequency, field, and field orientation, we find that all of the POR evolve from the Lebed magic angles observed in dc (ω=0) AMRO measurements. However, we find that the resonance angles vary with frequency in a manner that can easily be explained using a semiclassical model. This indicates that these angles are not ‘magic’ at frequencies on the order of the cyclotron frequency.     

Composite load modeling via measurement approach

The accuracy of the load model has great effects on power system stability analysis and control. Based on our practice in China on modeling load from field measurements, this paper systematically develops a measurement-based composite load model. Principles guiding the load modeling practice are discussed based on detailed analysis on stochastic characteristics of the modeling procedure. The structure of the measurement-based composite load model is presented. A multicurve identification technique is described to derive parameters. The generalization capability of this built load model is also investigated in this paper. Two cases are studied to illustrate the accuracy of the developed load model on describing the load dynamic characteristics in the actual power system.     

Surface texture analysis based upon the visually acquired perturbation of surface normals

A novel technique has been developed for the textural analysis of Lambertian surfaces while in the presence of a variable albedo. The method has direct application for the surface quality determination of cosmetically sensitive components, and has particular application where more traditional methods may prove unsatisfactory. A photometric stereo technique is used to facilitate the isolation of localised irregular features, such as scratching, indentations or small protrusions, which may be obscured by a coincident, regular or random surface albedo. A generic lighting arrangement is employed, which obviates the need for a customised lighting configuration. This represents a significant advantage for the configuration of industrial vision-based inspection systems. Promising experimental results have been obtained using example components, and are presented in the paper.     

Passivity and disturbance attenuation via output feedback foruncertain nonlinear systems

The authors address the problem of disturbance attenuation with internal stability via output feedback for a class of passive systems with uncertainties. The problem is approached by means of adaptive output feedback control which does not require any state observer. The results obtained extend an earlier result of Steinberg and Corless (1985). Sufficient conditions are proposed under which a nonlinear system can be made locally or globally passive via output feedback     

Goal-driven automation of a deep space communications station: a case study in knowledge engineering for plan generation and execution

Abstract: This paper describes the application of Artificial Intelligence techniques for plan generation, plan execution, and plan monitoring to automate a Deep Space Communication Station. This automation allows a communication station to respond to a set of tracking goals by appropriately reconfiguring the communications hardware and software to provide the requested communications services. In particular this paper describes: (1) the overall automation architecture, (2) the plan generation and execution monitoring AI technologies used and implemented software components, and (3) the knowledge engineering process and effort required for automation. This automation was demonstrated in February 1995, at the DSS13 Antenna Station in Goldstone, CA on a series of Voyager tracks and the technologies demonstrated are being transferred to the operational Deep Space Network stations.     

Open-Source Change Logs

A recent editorial in Empirical Software Engineering suggested that open-source software projects offer a great deal of data that can be used for experimentation. These data not only include source code, but also artifacts such as defect reports and update logs. A common type of update log that experimenters may wish to investigate is the ChangeLog, which lists changes and the reasons for which they were made. ChangeLog files are created to support the development of software rather than for the needs of researchers, so questions need to be asked about the limitations of using them to support research. This paper presents evidence that the ChangeLog files provided at three open-source web sites were incomplete. We examined at least three ChangeLog files for each of three different open-source software products, namely, GNUJSP, GCC-g++, and Jikes. We developed a method for counting changes that ensures that, as far as possible, each individual ChangeLog entry is treated as a single change. For each ChangeLog file, we compared the actual changes in the source code to the entries in the ChangeLog> file and discovered significant omissions. For example, using our change-counting method, only 35 of the 93 changes in version 1.11 of Jikes appear in the ChangeLog file—that is, over 62% of the changes were not recorded there. The percentage of omissions we found ranged from 3.7 to 78.6%. These are significant omissions that should be taken into account when using ChangeLog files for research. Before using ChangeLog files as a basis for research into the development and maintenance of open-source software, experimenters should carefully check for omissions and inaccuracies.     

Finite-tree analysis for constraint logic-based languages

Logic languages based on the theory of rational, possibly infinite, trees have much appeal in that rational trees allow for faster unification (due to the safe omission of the occurs-check) and increased expressivity (cyclic terms can provide very efficient representations of grammars and other useful objects). Unfortunately, the use of infinite rational trees has problems. For instance, many of the built-in and library predicates are ill-defined for such trees and need to be supplemented by run-time checks whose cost may be significant. Moreover, some widely used program analysis and manipulation techniques are correct only for those parts of programs working over finite trees. It is thus important to obtain, automatically, a knowledge of the program variables (the finite variables) that, at the program points of interest, will always be bound to finite terms. For these reasons, we propose here a new data-flow analysis, based on abstract interpretation, that captures such information. We present a parametric domain where a simple component for recording finite variables is coupled, in the style of the open product construction of Cortesi et al., with a generic domain (the parameter of the construction) providing sharing information. The sharing domain is abstractly specified so as to guarantee the correctness of the combined domain and the generality of the approach. This finite-tree analysis domain is further enhanced by coupling it with a domain of Boolean functions, called finite-tree dependencies, that precisely captures how the finiteness of some variables influences the finiteness of other variables. We also summarize our experimental results showing how finite-tree analysis, enhanced with finite-tree dependencies, is a practical means of obtaining precise finiteness information.     

Influence of alumina content on the nucleation crystallization and microstructure of barium fluorphlogopite glass-ceramics based on 8SiO2·YAl2O34MgO2MgF2BaO Part I Nucleation and crystallization behaviour

The effect of varying the aluminium oxide content on the nucleation and crystallization behaviour of barium containing glasses based on 8SiO₂·YAl₂O₃4MgO2MgF₂BaO was investigated in order to develop novel, high strength, machinable glass-ceramics. Nine glasses were synthesized and characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) Combined Differential Thermal Analysis Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (DTA/TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dilatometry. The glass transition temperature (T _g) and first peak crystallization temperature (Tp1) reduced with reducing alumina content. Glasses with Y > 1.5 exhibited a second peak crystallization temperature (Tp2). Tp1 was shown to correspond to the crystallization of barium fluorphlogopite (BaSi₆Al₂Mg₆F₂O₁₉) and Tp2 to the crystallization of cordierite (Mg₂Al₂Si₅O₁₈). The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) was insensitive to alumina content. All the glasses exhibited an optimum nucleation temperature just above T _g, which was thought to be a result of amorphous phase separation (APS). DTA/TGA showed the glasses to undergo weight loss corresponding to silicon tetrafluoride volatilization from the surface, which resulted in a fluorphlogopite deficient surface layer.