A comparative study of color measurement lntstrumentation

A multiplant Quality Improvement Team [QIT] was firmed to develop and implement an evaluation program for various color measurement .systems as potential replacements for the then-current aging systems. The emphasis qf this article is the analytical methodology utilized to evaluate the various color systems. The evaluation program consisted cf two phases. Phase I was a general overview/review of several systems, while Phase II was an extensive internal comparative evaluation measurement systems. These were Milton-Roy's ColorMate HDS, HunterLab's Ultrascan, Datacolor's CS-5, and BYK-Gardner's The Color Sphere [TCS]. The main comparison criteria were interinstrument agreement [agreement between two instruments ofthe same system], user-friendly software and computer interface capability, vendor amenability to a long-term logistical and maintenance relationship, and price. All systems were evaluated by duplicate measurements on various color tiles, yarns, and polymer flakes-over 1600 measurements on each system. The systems were compared with an instrument matrix, a decision matrix, and a product matrix. The instrument matrix was a comparison qfinstrument parameters, software/math treatments, and economics. The decision matrix was a forced ranking of each system by each criteria category [1–4 scale, with 1 representing the best and 4 representing the worst]. The product matrix accentuated the relative importance ofone criterion category over another by multiplying the forced ranking by the criticality of the category. The criticality of a given category wus determined by consensus within the QIT. Thr combination qf the three matrices allowed the evaluator[.s] t o select the color rneasuremmt system that best satixfied the color measurement needs and requirements of their facility and their products. For this evaluation, all ofthe evaluated systems were superior to the then-current agingsystems. As a result of this methodology, one instrument emerged as clearly superior. © 1994 John Wrley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of clay in limestone fillers for self-compacting cement based composites

High workability together with a good resistance to segregation is needed for cement based composites, specifically fresh self-compacting mortars (SCM); in this prospect, the amount of coarse materials has to be reduced and replaced by fine material. Several limestone fillers are here compared and analysed. These by-products are issued from different industrial sectors, such as the aggregate and lime production industry (quarrying operations) and the ornamental stones industry (sawing operations).Particular attention has been paid to clay content, as consistency of fresh mortars was varying, while other physical characteristics like granulometry remained the same. Relationship between the physico-chemical properties of the fillers and the properties of fresh and hardened mortars are brought forward. Even if it may affect fresh properties of mortars, results clearly show that clay type and content has minor influence than limestone filler itself.     

New sources of resistance to Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) and Zabrotes subfasciatus Boheman (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in mature seeds of five species of Phaseolus

The importance of carefully applied bioassay techniques is highlighted for identifying resistance of Phaseolus spp to the bruchids Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) and Zabrotes subfasciatus Boheman. Two potential sources of resistance are identified amongst the varieties of P. vulgaris screened. In one the presence of a lectin-like protein (LLP) was identified, which has previously been associated with resistance, while in the other, resistance may be linked to the presence of a novel protein, similar to but not the same as LLP. The use of anti-LLP antibodies are suggested as a useful tool for distinguishing between resistant and susceptible varieties. Five varieties of P. lunatus and six of P. acutifolius are shown to be resistant to A. obtectus, and the potential is recognized for transferring resistant genes to P. vulgaris via interspecific crosses.     

Bi-2223/Ag-sheathed tape processing studies

The production of high critical current density J_c Bi-2223/Ag sheathed conductors is a complex process involving interactions among many different parameters. The effects of three factors: 1) powder production path, 2) the first sinter temperature, and 3) the subsequent sinter temperatures were investigated. Statistical methods were used to design the experiment and interpret the results. Transport J_c was the main response for the analysis, but microstructural results were also used to assess the physical basis for the differences in performance. The powder variable had the largest main effect with only very weak main effects for the other factors.     

Regularized Pre-image Estimation for Kernel PCA De-noising

The main challenge in de-noising by kernel Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is the mapping of de-noised feature space points back into input space, also referred to as “the pre-image problem”. Since the feature space mapping is typically not bijective, pre-image estimation is inherently illposed. As a consequence the most widely used estimation schemes lack stability. A common way to stabilize such estimates is by augmenting the cost function by a suitable constraint on the solution values. For de-noising applications we here propose Tikhonov input space distance regularization as a stabilizer for pre-image estimation, or sparse reconstruction by Lasso regularization in cases where the main objective is to improve the visual simplicity. We perform extensive experiments on the USPS digit modeling problem to evaluate the stability of three widely used pre-image estimators. We show that the previous methods lack stability in the is non-linear regime, however, by applying our proposed input space distance regularizer the estimates are stabilized with a limited sacrifice in terms of de-noising efficiency. Furthermore, we show how sparse reconstruction can lead to improved visual quality of the estimated pre-image.     

Reactive processing of polystyrene-co-maleic anhydride/elastomer blends: Processing-morphology-property relationships

The morphology and impact properties of polystyrene-maleic anhydride/bromobutyl rubber blends have been studied as a function of interfacial modification and melt processing conditions. It is found that dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) serves as a reactive compatibilizing agent for these blends and that the addition of DMAE results in a five-fold reduction In the size of the dispersed phase. Evidence for covalent bond formation between the DMAE and the elastomer and reactive polystyrene phases is presented. The volume average diameter of the minor phase increases significantly as the screw rotation speed and the material throughput increase. In fact, control of various material and processing parameters can be used to effectively control the particle size distribution during compounding. Impact strength measurements are shown to be clearly dependent on the quantity of DMAE in the system as well as the concentration of elastomer. Saturation of the interface with DMAE is shown to be an important consideration.     

Application of distributed interactive simulation technology withinthe Department of Defense

The paper focuses on distributed interactive simulation (DIS) as an emerging technology which offers new opportunities for the Department of Defense in the design of simulation systems, the approach to training, and the improvement of the material acquisition process. Discussion of these topics is followed by an overview of selected Department of Defense programs that employ DIS. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of technology challenges that must be overcome for this technology to reach its full potential