3D Micro-PIXE at atmospheric pressure: A new tool for the investigation of art and archaeological objects

The paper describes a novel experiment characterized by the development of a confocal geometry in an external Micro-PIXE set-up. The position of X-ray optics in front of the X-ray detector and its proper alignment with respect to the proton micro-beam focus provided the possibility of carrying out 3D Micro-PIXE analysis. As a first application, depth intensity profiles of the major elements that compose the patina layer of a quaternary bronze alloy were measured. A simulation approach of the 3D Micro-PIXE data deduced elemental concentration profiles in rather good agreement with corresponding results obtained by electron probe micro-analysis from a cross-sectioned patina sample. With its non-destructive and depth-resolving properties, as well as its feasibility in atmospheric pressure, 3D Micro-PIXE seems especially suited for investigations in the field of cultural heritage.     

Microstructure evolution during mechanical working of three RS aluminium alloys: Al-4Cr-1Fe,Al-5Cr-2Zr and Al-6.43Cr-1.67Zr

Three Al-Cr alloys containing additions of Zr and Fe have been fabricated via cold compaction and hot extrusion. The decomposition of the powder microstructure and the subsequent coarsening during thermomechanical treatment have been studied. Detailed electron microscopy investigations were performed at different locations of partially extruded billets at 450 °C. The microstructure of the dead metal zone reflects the effect the induction heating exerts on the as-atomized powder microstructure. In the low Cr alloys, Al-4Cr-1 Fe and Al-5Cr-2Zr, decomposition of the rapidly solidified microstructure commences at the rich intercellular network, whereas the microstructure of the Al-6.43Cr-1.67Zr alloy remains relatively unaffected. Within the deformation zone the precipitation kinetics are affected by the shearing and the temperature rise. The cells and the powder particles are aligned along the extrusion direction. Precipitation is taking place within the primary segregation-free areas, observed in Al-4Cr-1 Fe and Al-5Cr-2Zr alloys, whereas in the Al-6.43Cr-1.67Zr alloy, decomposition of the powder microstructure starts at the Cr-rich intermetallic particles. The as-extruded microstructure is fibrous and heterogeneous. The heterogeneity of the as-extruded microstructure is a result of the microstructural variation observed within different size powder particles and within individual ones.     

Supporting inconsistent rules in database systems

When a set of rules generates (conflicting) values for a virtual attribute of some tuple, the system must resolve the inconsistency and decide on a unique value that is assigned to that attribute. In most current systems, the conflict is resolved based on criteria that choose one of the rules in the conflicting set and use the value that it generated. There are several applications, however, where inconsistencies of the above form arise, whose semantics demand a different form of resolution. We propose a general framework for the study of the conflict resolution problem, and suggest a variety of resolution criteria, which collectively subsume all previously known solutions. With several new criteria being introduced, the semantics of several applications are captured more accurately than in the past. We discuss how conflict resolution criteria can be specified at the schema or the rule-module level. Finally, we suggest some implementation techniques based on rule indexing, which allow conflicts to be resolved efficiently at compile time, so that at run time only a single rule is processed.An earlier version of this work appeared under the title Conflict Resolution of Rules Assigning Values to Virtual Attributes inProceedings of the 1989 ACM-Sigmod Conference, Portland, OR, June 1989, pp. 205–214.Partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant IRI-9157368 (PYI Award) and by grants from DEC, HP, and AT&T.Partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant IRI-9057573 (PYI Award), IBM, DEC, and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS).     

CMMN evaluation: the modelers’ perceptions of the main notation elements

Software and Systems Modeling - Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN) has been introduced as a graphical modeling language targeting the modeling of human-centric processes. Despite its growing...     

Automated interpretation and accessible presentation of technical diagrams for blind people

The EU-supported TeDUB (Technical Drawings Understanding for the Blind) project is developing a software system that aims to make technical diagrams accessible to blind and visually impaired people. It consists of two separate modules: one that analyses drawings either semi-automatically or automatically, and one that presents the results of this analysis to blind people and allows them to interact with it. The system is capable of analysing and presenting diagrams from a number of formally defined domains. A diagram enters the system as one of two types: first, diagrams contained in bitmap images, which do not explicitly contain the semantic structure of their content and thus have to be interpreted by the system, and second, diagrams obtained in a semantically enriched format that already yields this structure. The TeDUB system provides blind users with an interface to navigate and annotate these diagrams using a number of input and output devices. Extensive user evaluations have been carried out and an overall positive response from the participants has shown the effectiveness of the approach.     

A roadmap for successful applications of clinical proteomics

Despite over 30,000 publications on proteomics in the last decade, and the accumulation of extensive interesting information on the human proteome in diverse observations, the clinical translation of proteomics to-date has had major setbacks. I review here a roadmap for improving the success rate of clinical proteomics. The roadmap includes steps for improvements that need to be made in analytical tools, discovery, validation, clinical application, and post-clinical application appraisal. It is likely that most if not all of the components that are necessary for clinical success are either readily available, or should be possible to put in place with more rigorous research standards and concerted efforts of the research community, clinicians, and health agencies. Enthusiasm for the clinical impact of proteomics may need to be tempered currently until robust evidence can be obtained, but some clinical successes should eventually be feasible.     

DelosDLMS

DelosDLMS is a novel digital library management system (DLMS) that has been developed as an integration effort within the DELOS Network of Excellence, a European Commission initiative funded under its fifth and sixth framework programs. In this paper, we describe DelosDLMS that takes into account the recommendations of several activities that were initiated by DELOS including the DELOS vision for digital libraries (DLs). A key aspect of DelosDLMS is its novel generic infrastructure that allows the generation of digital library systems out of a set of basic system services and DL services in a modular and extensible way. DL services like feature extraction, visualization, intelligent browsing, media-type-specific indexing, support for multilinguality, relevance feedback and many others can easily be incorporated or replaced. A further key aspect of DelosDLMS is its robustness against failures and its scalability for large collections and many parallel user requests. We discuss the current status of an effort to build DelosDLMS, a Digital Library Management System that integrates in various ways several components developed by DELOS members and showcases a great variety of functionality that is outlined as part of the DELOS vision.     

Public-Private Partnerships in the Water Sector

Abstract

Types of partnerships between public and private companies in water and sewage services are evaluated on the basis of the economic efficiency of the scheme for each partner. Modeling of public-private partnerships involves the formulation of a contract prototype, which determines the roles, functions, and responsibilities as well as the allocation of costs and revenues for each partner. Alternative water management scenarios are used to identify the investments required for meeting the projected demand for water and sewage services. Investment and operational costs as well as revenues from water and sewage services are estimated according to the allocation defined in the contract prototype. The economic efficiency of the scheme is assessed through a cost benefit analysis for each partner. The evaluation of different water management scenarios indicates that, for the Cyclades Islands, Greece, there is a substantial water market where several forms of partnerships could be attractive for both the public and the private sectors. Such partnerships include, among others, lease purchase, temporary privatization, built operate transfer (BOT), and built own operate transfer (BOOT). These forms of public-private partnerships could also be successful in similar regions where significant improvements and expansion of the infrastructure is required while access to the required funds and expertise is restricted for small public water companies.