2D artificial life system using network-type assembly-like language: influence of change in environment with costs of instructions

To unlock the full potential of evolution in digital media, a Tierra-like system using network-type assembly-like language has been constructed. In the system, like Avida, digital creatures, self-replicating programs, live in a discrete 2D torus space and an interaction between creatures is restricted locally. Bearing a genetic network in mind, network structure is introduced. In the previous works, it is shown that the possibility that the network-type model has more potential of evolution than a linear-type model like Avida in a simple environment. In this paper, to study the potential of evolution more precisely, we model the effects of environment other than creatures. As one of the simplest models of such environment, the cost of execution, i.e. executing time, is introduced. The difficult environment to live in costs high to execute instructions, the easy environment does low. In computer experiments, we have investigated the influence of change in environment by analyzing the process of evolution and diversity of the system. Experimental results show that the network-type system keeps more stable diversity than the linear-type system does, even when the environment changes drastically. This indicates the possibility that the network-type system has more potential of evolution than the linear-type system has. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Athermal silica-based arrayed-waveguide grating multiplexer

A temperature dependent channel wavelength shift in a silica-based arrayed-waveguide grating multiplexer is successfully suppressed from 0.95 to 0.05 nm in the 0-85°C temperature range, which means that it can be used in practical WDM systems without the need for temperature control     

《最终幻想Ⅺ》的更新系统设计

对于如何提供补丁下载，单机PC游戏开发人员已经是轻车熟路了，这些补丁包里通常包含玩家需要手动更新的数据和二进制文件．但基本上．他们很少会为了补丁下载而创建一个“更新系统”。     

Anodic Dissolution of Uranium Mononitride in Lithium Chloride-Potassium Chloride Eutectic Melt

Uranium-plutonium nitride is a candidate fuel for fast reactors, but its major drawback is ¹⁴C formation from natural nitrogen. One would probably have to use highly ¹⁵N-enriched nitrogen. A pyrochemical process with molten-salt electroreflning has been proposed as a means to increase the nuclear proliferation resistance of the fuel cycle. Molten-salt electroreflning could also be applied to nitride fuels to make possible the recycling of ¹⁵N. The anodic dissolution behavior of UN in LiCI-KCI melt was studied to provide the basis for a feasibility study of electroreflning of irradiated nitride fuels.     

Experimental measurement on tangential momentum accommodation coefficient in a single microtube

The tangential momentum accommodation coefficient (TMAC) was investigated experimentally from the mass flow rate through a single microtube under the slip flow and the early part of the transition regime. The measurements were carried out by the constant-volume method under the mean Knudsen number smaller than 0.3, which is based on the mean pressure of the inlet and the outlet of the microtube, to apply the second-order slip boundary condition. To measure TMACs on various materials, quite large microtube was employed, which require the reduction in leakage. TMAC was obtained from the slip coefficient determined by the relation of the mass flow rate to the mean Knudsen number. The obtained mass flow rate was well explained by the theoretical equation. TMACs of deactivated-fused silica with argon, nitrogen, and oxygen were measured, showing the tangential momentum was not accommodated completely to the surface, and the values showed good agreement with previous studies. From the comparison between microtubes with different inner diameter, it is showed that TMAC is determined mainly by gas species and surface material.     

Persistent and Quasi-Persistent Lemmas in Propositional Model Elimination

Model elimination is a back-chaining strategy to search for and construct resolution refutations. Recent extensions to model elimination, implemented in Modoc, have made it a practical tool for satisfiability checking, particularly for problems with known goals. Many formulas can be refuted more succinctly by recording certain derived clauses, called lemmas. Lemmas can be used where a clause of the original formula would normally be required. However, recording too many lemmas overwhelms the proof search. Lemma management has a significant effect on the performance of Modoc. Earlier research studied pure persistent (global) strategies, and pure unit-lemma (local) strategies. This paper describes and evaluates a hybrid strategy to control the lifetime of lemmas, as well as a new technique for deriving certain lemmas efficiently, using a lazy strategy. Unit lemmas are recorded locally as in previous practice, but certain lemmas that are considered valuable are asserted globally. A range of functions for estimating value is studied experimentally. Criteria are reported that appear to be suitable for a wide range of application-derived formulas.     

Deoxidation of Ti Melt by Newly Developed Two-Step Plasma Arc Melting Process Using Hydrogen

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - A two-step plasma arc melting process, comprising a first step under Ar-30 pct H2 gas flow and the second step under Ar gas flow, has been...     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Pt-added and Pd-added Zr-20Nb alloys and their metal release in 1 mass% lactic acid solution

The effects of Pt and Pd addition to a Zr-20Nb alloy on its microstructure and mechanical property, as well as the elution of metals from the alloys in lactic acid solution, were investigated. The microstructure was characterized with an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), an optical microscope (OM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The mechanical properties were evaluated by a tensile test. The β phase is dominantly observed in the Zr-20Nb as well as in the Pt-added and Pd-added Zr-20Nb alloys. Needle-like microstructures are observed in equiaxed grains in all alloys. Pd addition to the Zr-20Nb alloy suppresses ω phase formation more than Pt addition does. The 0.2% offset yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength of the Pt-added and Pd-added Zr-20Nb alloys increase with the Pt and Pd concentrations. XRD analysis revealed that the lattice parameter of β-Zr in the Pt-added and Pd-added Zr-20Nb alloys decreases with the Pt and Pd concentrations. Pt and Pd solute in β-Zr as a substitutional element and contribute to the increase in the strength by solid solution hardening. The addition of 2Pt and 2Pd to the Zr-20Nb alloy also improves metal elution from the alloys in lactic acid solution.     

SIR Weighting Combining Diversity Using Matched Filter for Personal Communication Systems

We propose a novel SIR weighting postdetection combining diversity scheme with a new accurate SIR estimation method. The SIR is estimated and used as the weighting factor to compensate severe cochannel interference, one of the most important issues for PCS in terms of frequency utilization. Theimprovement offered by the proposal depends on SIR estimation accuracy.The SIR is, in this paper, estimated by a matched filter where theauto-correlation between received signal and unique word is calculated. Computer simulationsconfirm that the SIR of each diversity branch can be estimated easily andaccuratelyby the proposed SIR estimation method. The proposed diversity scheme achievesaperformance very close to that of ideal SINR weighting diversity underRayleighfading with severe cochannel interference. When average SIR = 10 dB and thenumber of branches(L)=4, the proposed diversity scheme lowers the requiredE_b/N₀ by 5 dB at BER = 1×10^-3compared to conventional maximal ratio combining diversity. This paper alsopresentsthe unique word length required to realize adequate performance, i.e.,robustnessagainst high-pitch Rayleigh fading.