A study on neuro-fuzzy systems for fault diagnosis

Fault diagnosis can be facilitated by using either quantitative or qualitative information of the system monitored. This paper presents a novel approach to integrate quantitative and qualitative information in fault-diagnosis, based on the use of neuro-fuzzy systems. In this approach the diagnostic signals (residuals) are generated and evaluated via a B-Spline functions network. The configuration adopted allows the designer to both extract and include symbolic knowledge from the trained network to provide reliable diagnostic information. The effectiveness of the proposed diagnosis strategy is illustrated through a simulation study of a nonlinear two-tank system.     

Being bicultural: A mixed-methods study of adolescents' implicitly and explicitly measured multiethnic identities.

Understanding how ethnic identities develop in adolescence is currently limited by a reliance on self-report paper-and-pencil measures. This mixed-methods study presents a novel response time measure, the Multiethnic Identities Processing Task (MIPT), to quantify bicultural adolescents' implicit identifications with ethnic and racial identity labels. Eighty-four adolescents (age 14–21 years) of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds self-identified as bicultural or not bicultural and described their ethnic identities, pride, and ethnic centrality during a brief interview. Participants were assigned to complete either the interview (self-prime) or the MIPT (no prime) first. Results indicate that bicultural adolescents readily endorsed a variety of ethnic and racial labels in the MIPT, reflecting their multifaceted identities. Younger bicultural adolescents showed a large inhibited response to the label “White,” indicating some hesitation in deciding whether the label was “like me” or “not like me.” Heart rate monitoring and qualitative analyses of interviews provide some insight into this pattern of results. Findings are discussed with respect to developmental theory, and the strengths of using both implicit and explicit measures to understand multiethnic identity development in adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consider Multiple Solutions

Design teams rarely consider multiple solution ideas before committing to one. They often forget that an even better idea could be just around the corner, and consider alternative ideas only when they don't like the current one. Using sketchboarding, design studio, or a combination of these two techniques can let teams quickly ideate over many solutions. They then have a chance to arrive at a solution that no one individual had thought of.     

Factors related to the formation of cytoplasmic crescents on milk fat globules

Cytoplasm from lactating cells is included with some milk fat globules at secretion. The objective was to search for factors causing this phenomenon. Globules bearing crescents of cytoplasm were selectively stained with the fluorescent dye, acridine orange, and their proportion in the globule population was obtained by counting from photomicrographs. Incidence of crescents on fat globules in milk samples of 50 human donors ranged from 1 to 29%, and the mean was 7.2%. Two bovine milk samples, both representing over 100 animals, contained 1% or less of globules with crescents. Globules in individual milkings of five beef cows showed the same low proportion of crescents. In addition to species, genetic and diurnal factors influenced numbers of crescents. Two sisters showed evidence within and between lactations of a persistent high proportion (greater than 25%) of globules with crescents. Samples collected in the a.m. contained a lower percentage of globules with crescents (6.5%) than those obtained in the p.m. (9.7%). Crescent incidence was not correlated with lipid or protein content of human milk, interval within a milking, days in lactation, or the donor's age. Evidence is presented to suggest that the concentration, distribution, and acylation of butyrophilin and xanthine oxidase, coat proteins of the apical plasma membrane, are important factors in globule crescent formation.     

Production costing with explicit recognition of unit duty cycleeffects

A novel probabilistic production costing algorithm called the OPCOST method is presented which recognizes the stochastic nature of the duty cycle of a unit and models the generation system with explicit consideration of such operating characteristics as the system generation reserve policy, unit start-up delay, unit start-up failure, unit commitment policy, and unit outage postponability. The OPCOST method has been used to compute production costs for EPRI synthetic generating system E, reduced version. The studies of the sample system have been carried out for two production costing methods, the OPCOST method and a traditional method. A comparison of the results obtained using the traditional method and the OPCOST method shows significant differences in the energies produced by the various categories of units     

Early first-language reading and spelling skills predict later second-language reading and spelling skills.

This prospective study examined early first-language (L1) predictors of later second-language (L2) reading (word decoding, comprehension) and spelling skills by conducting a series of multiple regressions. Measures of L1 word decoding, spelling, reading comprehension, phonological awareness, receptive vocabulary, and listening comprehension administered in the 1st through 5th grades were used as predictors of L2 reading (word decoding, comprehension) and spelling skills in high school. The best predictor of L2 decoding skill was a measure of L1 decoding, and the best predictors of L2 spelling were L1 spelling and L1 phonological awareness. The best predictor of L2 reading comprehension was a measure of L1 reading comprehension. When L2 word decoding skill replaced L1 word decoding as a predictor variable for L2 reading comprehension, results showed that L2 word decoding was an important predictor of L2 reading comprehension. The findings suggest that even several years after students learn to read and spell their L1, word decoding, spelling, and reading comprehension skills transfer from L1 to L2. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MEASUREMENT OF THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF FIRELAY REFRACTORIES*

Thermal conductivity determinations have been made on superduty fire-clay, silica, and kaolin refractories, using the Globar-heated, water calorimeter apparatus previously described. The arrangement, which is satisfactory for insulating firebrick, gives considerable error when firebrick samples are tested. Results obtained by different arrangements of the guard samples and heating elements are shown as well as a final arrangement which gives a satisfactory condition of parallel heat flow.     

7-nitroindazole attenuates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced spatial learning deficits and dopamine neuron loss in a presymptomatic animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons (>50%) in the substantia nigra (SN) precedes most of the overt motor symptoms, making early diagnosis and treatment interventions difficult. Because PD has been associated with free radicals generated by nitric oxide, this study tested whether treatments of 7-nitroindazole (7NI), a nitric-oxide-synthase inhibitor, could reduce cognitive deficits that often emerge before overt motor symptoms in a presymptomatic rat model of PD. Rats were given intraperitoneal injections of 50 mg/kg 7NI (or vehicle) just before receiving bilateral, intrastriatal injections of the DA-toxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). The rats were then given a battery of motor tasks, and their learning ability was assessed using a spatial reversal task in a water-T maze. Results indicate that 7NI treatments attenuate 6-OHDA-induced spatial learning deficits and protect against DA cell loss in the SN, suggesting that 7NI may have potential as an early, presymptomatic pharmacotherapy for PD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heterojunction bipolar transistors using Si-Ge alloys

Advanced epitaxial growth techniques permit the use of pseudomorphic Si_1-xGe_x alloys in silicon technology. The smaller bandgap of these alloys allows for a variety of novel band-engineered structures that promise to enhance silicon-based technology significantly. The authors discuss the growth and properties of pseudomorphic Si_1-xGe_x structures and then focus on their applications, especially the Si_1-xGe_x -base heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). They show that HBTs in the Si_1-xGe_x system allow for the decoupling of current gain and intrinsic base resistance. Such devices can be made by using a variety of techniques, including molecular-beam epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition. The authors describe the evolution of fabrication schemes for such HBTs and describe the DC and AC results obtained. They show that optimally designed HBTs coupled with advanced bipolar structures can provide performance leverage     

Collection of nonpolar organic compounds from ambient air using polyurethane foam-granular adsorbent sandwich cartridges.

Glass cartridges containing 6-10 g of Tenax-GC or 15 g of XAD-2 resin packed between two slices of polyurethane foam (PUF) were used in a General Metal Works PS-1 high-volume sampler to collect chlorobenzenes (CBs) containing three to six chlorine atoms, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and two-ring aromatic hydrocarbons from 35-385 m3 of air. Laboratory experiments were run by vaporizing known quantities of analytes into a clean airstream for sampling by the PS-1 system at 20 degrees C. Collection efficiencies, determined from mass balance of the quantities introduced and recovered, ranged from 70 to 120% for individual compounds and averaged 93% overall. Penetration of analytes to backup adsorbent traps showed an inverse correlation to vapor pressure. The method was used to collect the above compounds from urban and rural air.