Tunnel afterglow, fading and infrared emission in thermoluminescence of feldspars

Anomalous fading of TL, OSL and IRSL has been observed in many samples of feldspars and attributed to the tunnel effect. Investigations do show expected tunnel afterglow except for samples with no fading. Its intensitym quite noticeable at LNT, is in proportion with reported rate of fading. The emission is entirely in the red and infrared part of the spectrum. An important thermal quenching is observed. Low temperature storage results in fading of TL. Cathodoluminescence emission spectra, monitored from 200 to 900 nm, do confirm TL observations. They show two well-separated ranges: one, “blue”, from UV to yellow (the only one observed in usual TL dating), displays various emission bands; the other, “IR”, red and infrared, shows a well-characterized narrow Gaussian emission band, with a maximum around 720 nm. Models are proposed, relating fading with disorder in crystals. Tunnel afterglow appears as a good criterion of fading in feldspars.     

A method for comparing group fMRI data using independent component analysis: application to visual, motor and visuomotor tasks

Independent component analysis (ICA) is an approach for decomposing fMRI data into spatially independent maps and time courses. We have recently proposed a method for ICA of multisubject data; in the current paper, an extension is proposed for allowing ICA group comparisons. This method is applied to data from experiments designed to stimulate visual cortex, motor cortex or both visual and motor cortices. Several intergroup and intragroup metrics are proposed for assessing the utility of the components for comparisons of group ICA data. The proposed method may prove to be useful in answering questions requiring multigroup comparisons when a flexible modeling approach is desired.     

Optimal piezoelectric actuator and sensor location for active vibration control, using genetic algorithm

This paper deals with the optimization of piezoelectric actuators and sensors locations for active vibration control. Two modified optimization criteria are used, ensuring good observability or controllability of the structure, and considering residual modes to limit the spillover effect. Two optimization variables are considered for each piezoelectric device: the location of its center and its orientation. Genetic algorithms are used to find the optimal configurations. Several simulations are presented for a simply supported plate.     

Pursuing structure in microcrystalline solids with independent molecules in the unit cell using 1H-13C correlation data

The (1)H-(13)C solid-state NMR heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) experiment is demonstrated to provide shift assignments in certain powders that have two or more structurally independent molecules in the unit cell (i.e. multiple molecules per asymmetric unit). Although this class of solids is often difficult to characterize using other methods, HETCOR provides both the conventional assignment of shifts to molecular positions and associates many resonances with specific molecules in the asymmetric unit. Such assignments facilitate conformational characterization of the individual molecules of the asymmetric unit and the first such characterization solely from solid-state NMR data is described. HETCOR offers advantages in sensitivity over prior methods that assign resonances in the asymmetric unit by (13)C-(13)C correlations and therefore allows shorter average analysis times in natural abundance materials. The (1)H-(13)C analysis is demonstrated first on materials with known shift assignments from INADEQUATE data (santonin and Ca(OAc)(2) phase I) to verify the technique and subsequently is extended to a pair of unknown solids: (+)-catechin and Ca(OAc)(2) phase II. Sufficient sensitivity and resolution is achieved in the spectra to provide assignments to one of the specific molecules of the asymmetric unit at over 54% of the sites.     

Collision cascade evolution in media with energy independent scattering: spatial,energy, and angular distribution

The evolution of an ion induced collision cascade in a solid medium is studied by means of a DPl-approximation to the linear transport equation. Infinite medium and half space geometries are considered. Special attention is given to the effect of the anisotropy of the energy independent scattering cross section. We present results on the spatial distribution of particles moving at different energies, and the energy and angle distribution at the target surface. The spatial distributions are found to obey simple scaling laws; the energy and angular distributions are independent of the form of the scattering cross section, unless it is very strongly forward peaked.     

Active vibration control using optimized modified acceleration feedback with Adaptive Line Enhancer for frequency tracking

Modified acceleration feedback (MAF) control, an active vibration control method that uses collocated piezoelectric actuators and accelerometer is developed and its gains optimized using an optimal controller. The control system consists of two main parts: (1) frequency adaptation that uses Adaptive Line Enhancer (ALE) and (2) an optimized controller. Frequency adaptation method tracks the frequency of vibrations using ALE. The obtained frequency is then fed to MAF compensators. This provides a unique feature for MAF, by extending its domain of capabilities from controlling a certain mode of vibrations to any excited mode. The optimized MAF controller can provide optimal sets of gains for a wide range of frequencies, based on the characteristics of the system. The experimental results show that the frequency tracking method works quite well and fast enough to be used in a real-time controller. ALE parameters are numerically and experimentally investigated and tuned for optimized frequency tracking. The results also indicate that the MAF can provide significant vibration reduction using the optimized controller. The control power varies for vibration suppression at different resonance frequencies; however, it is always optimized.     

Impulsive control of stochastic systems with applications in chaos control, chaos synchronization, and neural networks

Real systems are often subject to both noise perturbations and impulsive effects. In this paper, we study the stability and stabilization of systems with both noise perturbations and impulsive effects. In other words, we generalize the impulsive control theory from the deterministic case to the stochastic case. The method is based on extending the comparison method to the stochastic case. The method presented in this paper is general and easy to apply. Theoretical results on both stability in the pth mean and stability with disturbance attenuation are derived. To show the effectiveness of the basic theory, we apply it to the impulsive control and synchronization of chaotic systems with noise perturbations, and to the stability of impulsive stochastic neural networks. Several numerical examples are also presented to verify the theoretical results.     

Testing for Serial Correlation in Autoregressive Exogenous Models with Possible GARCH Errors

Autoregressive exogenous, hereafter ARX, models are widely adopted in time series-related domains as they can be regarded as the combination of an autoregressive process and a predictive regression. Within a more complex structure, extant diagnostic checking methods face difficulties in remaining validity in many conditions existing in real applications, such as heteroscedasticity and error correlations exhibited between the ARX model itself and its exogenous processes. For these reasons, we propose a new serial correlation test method based on the profile empirical likelihood. Simulation results, as well as two real data examples, show that our method has a good performance in all mentioned conditions.     

注射用头孢他啶中头孢他啶、水分和精氨酸近红外定量模型的更新

以注射用头孢他啶通用性定量分析模型为例,通过对新的预测样本光谱与原模型训练集光谱相似性的研究,寻找更为合理的用于判断模型更新的指标以及模型更新的一般方法。对注射用头孢他啶新的待测样品,首先使用聚类分析的方法将所有样品分成5类,依次加入每一类中代表性光谱到原模型中进行模型更新,计算模型更新前后的平均预测偏差,并以此作为评判模型更新是否有效的标准。同时以相似系数为指标探讨模型更新的一般方法。再应用注射用头孢他啶通用性定量分析模型(包括头孢他啶、水分及精氨酸的定量分析模型)以及新的预测样品对该方法进行验证。实验数据证明当新样本光谱与原模型训练集样本的平均光谱在原模型建模谱段上的相似系数(r_T)小于96.5%时,模型需要更新。使用上述判断指标对含碳酸钠为助溶剂的样品进行模型更新后,预测头孢他啶含量的平均偏差由8.1%变为2.3%,预测水分含量的平均偏差由2.2%变为0.3%;对含精氨酸为助溶剂样品,预测头孢他啶含量的平均偏差由7.0%变为1.9%,预测水分含量的平均偏差由0.6%变为0.3%,预测精氨酸含量的平均偏差由2.3%变为0.4%。经过更新的模型能够用于分析国内市场上常见的注射用头孢他啶中头孢他啶、水分及精氨酸含量。以r_T作为模型更新指标较为合理,必要时可以参考新预测样品光谱与原模型训练集光谱的PCA得分图进行判断,该模型更新方法具有一定的普适性,r_T=96.5%可以初步作为判断模型是否需要更新的阈值。     

Observer-based passive control for uncertain linear systems with delay in state and control input

This paper deals with the robust passivity synthesis problem for a class of uncertain linear systems with time-varying delay in state and control input. The parameter uncertainties are norm-bounded and allowed to appear in all matrices of the model. The problem aims at designing an observer-based dynamic output-feedback controller that robustly stabilizes the uncertain systems and achieves the strict passivity of closed-loop systems for all admissible uncertainties. By converting the problem at hand into a class of strictly passive control problem for a parameterized system, the explicit solution is established and expressed in terms of a linear matrix inequality. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach.     

Instantaneous optimal method for vibration control of linear sampled-data systems with time delay in control

In an actively controlled system, time delay exists inevitably. Neglecting time delay may cause degradation of control performance or even induce instability to the dynamic system. In this paper, instantaneous optimal control method for vibration control of linear sampled-data systems with time delay in control is investigated. By a peculiar integral transformation, the first order state equation with time delay is transformed into the standard first order state equation, which contains no time delay. Then the optimal controller is designed based on the numerical algorithm of the regular fourth order Runge-Kutta method. Since the obtained controller contains integral term, which is not practical for control implementation, the numerical algorithm for this integral term is investigated too. Since the controller is deduced directly from the time-delay differential equation, the control method presented is prone to guarantee system stability. Thus the presented control method can be applicable to the case of large time delay. The performance of the control method is demonstrated by numerical simulation. Simulation results indicate that this control method is feasible and is an attractive strategy for dealing with the time delay in vibration control systems and is effective in suppressing maximum structural responses. Instability in structural responses may occur if the systems with time delay are controlled using the controller designed in the case of no time delay.     

Hearing-aid automatic gain control adapting to two sound sources in the environment, using three time constants

A hearing aid AGC algorithm is presented that uses a richer representation of the sound environment than previous algorithms. The proposed algorithm is designed to (1) adapt slowly (in approximately 10 s) between different listening environments, e.g., when the user leaves a single talker lecture for a multi-babble coffee-break; (2) switch rapidly (about 100 ms) between different dominant sound sources within one listening situation, such as the change from the user's own voice to a distant speaker's voice in a quiet conference room; (3) instantly reduce gain for strong transient sounds and then quickly return to the previous gain setting; and (4) not change the gain in silent pauses but instead keep the gain setting of the previous sound source. An acoustic evaluation showed that the algorithm worked as intended. The algorithm was evaluated together with a reference algorithm in a pilot field test. When evaluated by nine users in a set of speech recognition tests, the algorithm showed similar results to the reference algorithm.     

Proposal for a laser control of vibrational cooling in Na(2) using resonance coalescence

With a specific choice of laser parameters resulting in a so-called exceptional point (EP) in the wavelength-intensity parameter plane, it is possible to produce the coalescence of two Floquet resonances describing the photodissociation of the Na(2) molecule, which is one of the candidates for the formation of samples of translationally cold molecules. By appropriately tuning laser parameters along a contour encircling the exceptional point, the resonances exchange their quantum nature. Thus a laser-controlled transfer of the probability density from one field-free vibrational level to another is achieved through adiabatic transport involving these resonances. We propose an efficient scenario for vibrational cooling of Na(2) referring to cascade transfers involving multiple EPs and predicted to be robust up to a 78% rate against laser-induced dissociation.     

电力系统混沌振荡的等效快速终端模糊滑模控制

电力系统混沌振荡被认为是大型互联电力系统停电事故的主要原因, 本文通过相图、 李雅普诺夫指数图和时域波形图分析了二阶电力系统混沌振荡的动力学行为, 并提出了等效快速终端模糊滑模控制来抑制电力系统混沌振荡, 使其恢复到同步运行状态. 仿真结果表明, 所提出的控制方案不仅具有较快的收敛速度, 而且能够柔化控制信号, 减少控制能量, 并且能有效地降低抖振. 关键词： 电力系统混沌振荡 等效滑模控制 模糊滑模控制 快速终端滑模控制     

Large motion tracking control for thrust magnetic bearings with fuzzy logic, sliding mode, and direct linearization

Conventional use of magnetic bearings relies on a zero reference to keep the rotor centered in the radial and axial axes. This paper compares different control methods developed for the alternate control task of tracking an axial dynamic target. Controllers based on fuzzy logic, sliding mode, and direct linearization were designed to meet this task. Performance criteria, such as maximum axial displacement, minimum phase lag and I²R power losses were compared for each controller. The large motion, tracking problem for a rotor has utility in applications where dynamic seal clearances are required. This has a variety of potential applications in turbo-machinery, such as active stall control.     

Group delay method for MRI aortic pulse wave velocity measurements in clinical protocols with low temporal resolution: Validation in a heterogeneous cohort

BackgroundMRI assessment of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) helps predict the risk of vascular events, but the recommended phase contrast sampling rate is faster than what is utilized in most clinical sequences. There are many existing MRI databases obtained for assessment of cardiac output using lower temporal frequency sampling where information might be obtained about aortic stiffness (PWV). In this work, we sought to evaluate whether the Group Delay (GD) method can generate a reproducible measure of stiffness and describe expected age-related stiffening of the aortic arch using lower sampling rates in standard clinical sequences.MethodsPhase contrast (PC) MRI was obtained on the ascending and descending aortic arch in a heterogeneous adult cohort (n = 23; 9 women) spanning over a wide range of ages (ages 24–89, mean 49.4 ± 18.4). Data was collected with standard cardiac MRI protocols for cardiac output evaluation (repetition time = 7.8 ms, views-per-segment = 4, encoding velocity = 200 cm/s). Pulse wave transit times (TT) were computed using the GD method, two other validated automated approaches (cross correlation TT Algorithm by Gaddum and Segment by Medviso), and the manual tangent method. Pressure waveforms from tonometry and flow waveforms from PC MRI were used to assess wave reflections.ResultsGroup Delay and TT-Algorithm showed significant and high retest reproducibility (r = 0.86 for both) as well as high PWV correlation with age (r = 0.93, P-value < 0.00005 and r = 0.96, P-value < 0.00005 respectively) and with each other (r = 0.94, P-value < 0.00001, RMSE = 0.94 m/s). Arbitrary altering of the image acquisition trigger in the GD method introduced error of 10%–13%, but the TT-algorithm error range was 11%–25%.ConclusionGroup Delay enables reproducible assessment of transit time to derive PWV from low temporal resolution clinical cardiac MRI sequences that can also identify age-related stiffening.     

Robust fuzzy control for chaotic dynamics in Lorenz systems with uncertainties

This paper deals with the robust fuzzy control for chaotic systems in the presence of parametric uncertainties. An uncertain Takagi--Sugeno fuzzy model for a Lorenz chaotic system is first constructed. Then a robust fuzzy state feedback control scheme ensures the control for stable operations under bounded parametric uncertainties. For a chaotic system with known uncertainty bounds, a robust fuzzy regulator is designed by choosing the control parameters satisfying the linear matrix inequality. To verify the validity and effectiveness of the proposed controller design method, an analysis technique is suggested and applied to the control of an uncertain Lorenz chaotic system.     

Microwave control electrodes for scalable,parallel, single-qubit operations in a surface-electrode ion trap

We propose a surface ion trap design incorporating microwave control electrodes for near-field single-qubit control. The electrodes are arranged so as to provide arbitrary frequency, amplitude and polarization control of the microwave field in one trap zone, whilst a similar set of electrodes is used to null the residual microwave field in a neighbouring zone. The geometry is chosen to reduce the residual field to the 0.5 % level without nulling fields; with nulling, the crosstalk may be kept close to the 0.01 % level for realistic microwave amplitude and phase drift. Using standard photolithography and electroplating techniques, we have fabricated a proof-of-principle electrode array with two trapping zones. We discuss requirements for the microwave drive system and prospects for scalability to a large 2-D trap array.     

Search for Uranium Source in Warcha Sandstone, Salt Range, Pakistan, using SSNTD Technique

The similarity in sedimentary depositional characteristics of the Warcha Sandstone of Nilawahan Group in the Salt Range to the uranium bearing sandstones of Siwalik Group in the foot hills of Himalaya and Sulaiman Ranges, Pakistan, tempted geologists to investigate the former group for the occurrence of uranium deposits in it. Like volcanic ash beds in Siwaliks, phosphatic nodules may be a possible source of uranium mineralization in Warcha Sandstone. Samples of phosphatic nodules occurring in the Warcha sandstone near Chakwal were collected and subjected to the solid state nuclear track detection technique for the determination of their uranium concentration. The uranium concentration in these samples ranges from (434±32) to (964±74) with an average of . The high uranium content indicates that the phosphatic nodules may be the possible source of uranium mineralization in Warcha Sandstone. These results are quite encouraging and favor the idea of exploring the area in detail for any possible occurrence of uranium deposits.