Evaluation of thermodynamic properties of irreversible protein thermal unfolding measured by DSC

Summary We assessed the applicability of the extrapolation procedure at infinite scanning rate to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data related to irreversible protein unfolding. To this aim, an array of DSC curves have been simulated on the basis of the Lumry-Eyring model N↔U→F. The results obtained confirmed that when the apparent equilibrium constant K_{app (T=T1/2)} is lower than 3, the application of the extrapolation procedure provides accurate thermodynamic parameters. Although this procedure applies only to monomeric proteins for which the Lumry-Eyring model is a reasonable approximation, it will hopefully contribute to increase the potential of DSC in obtaining reliable thermodynamic information regarding the folding/unfolding equilibrium.     

Chip-Firing Games on Directed Graphs

We consider the following (solitary) game: each node of a directed graph contains a pile of chips. A move consists of selecting a node with at least as many chips as its outdegree, and sending one chip along each outgoing edge to its neighbors. We extend to directed graphs several results on the undirected version obtained earlier by the authors, P. Shor, and G. Tardos, and we discuss some new topics such as periodicity, reachability, and probabilistic aspects.Among the new results specifically concerning digraphs, we relate the length of the shortest period of an infinite game to the length of the longest terminating game, and also to the access time of random walks on the same graph. These questions involve a study of the Laplace operator for directed graphs. We show that for many graphs, in particular for undirected graphs, the problem whether a given position of the chips can be reached from the initial position is polynomial time solvable.Finally, we show how the basic properties of the probabilistic abacus can be derived from our results.     

Design and Application of a Set of Vitreous Standards for EDS-SEM Microanalysis of Melting Shop Slags

Non-metallic inclusions in steel are formed due to interactions between liquid steel and its environment in the melting shop (refractories and slags). Particles not trapped in the slag remain in the cast steel, impairing steel properties in service. Inclusion composition varies and certified standards covering the whole compositional range are unavailable.The present study describes the preparation of a set of homogeneous, glassy and crystalline standards with a wide compositional range for use in analysing non-metallic steel inclusions. For this, materials were designed based on knowledge of the compositional range of interest in the Al₂O₃–SiO₂–CaO–MgO–CaF₂ system, which is the matrix of the most frequent steel inclusions. The composition and microstructural homogeneity of the reference materials was verified.     

An interview with Sam C. Saunders

Sam C. Saunders, the son of Elizabeth Cundiff and Winston E. Saunders, was born in Richland, OR, on February 24, 1931. The family moved to La Grande, OR, in 1944, where Sam completed high school and two years at Eastern Oregon College. He then received the BSc degree in Mathematics from the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, in 1952, and he attended the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, receiving a PhD degree under Z. W. Birnbaum. After graduating, he accepted employment at the Boeing Company in its Mathematical Services Unit and, in 1972, a position as a Full Professor at Washington State University, Pullman, WA, from which he retired in 1996.     

缆机起重作业驾驶员的操作行为可靠性研究

缆机是大坝浇筑过程中的主要运输设备之一,缆机驾驶员操作水平直接关系缆机起重作业安全.为有效提高缆机起重作业驾驶员操作行为可靠性,预防起重作业安全事故,针对缆机起重作业周期性多维运动的特点,分解驾驶员操作流程;剖析操作行为失误,建立驾驶员行为模式;从时间角度量化操作流程,计算缆机驾驶员操作行为响应失误概率;构建操作行为可靠性分析模型,定量表达操作行为可靠性,分析人因失误对缆机起重作业安全事故的影响.结果表明,吊具与吊罐对接、混凝土卸料等作业过程的缆机驾驶员操作行为可靠性低,需加强安全培训,严格考核制度,从根本上提高缆机驾驶员操作行为的可靠性,以期提升缆机生产效率,实现预防安全事故的目标.     

Efficient algorithms for three‐dimensional axial and planar random assignment problems

Beautiful formulas are known for the expected cost of random two‐dimensional assignment problems, but in higher dimensions even the scaling is not known. In three dimensions and above, the problem has natural “Axial” and “Planar” versions, both of which are NP‐hard. For 3‐dimensional Axial random assignment instances of size n, the cost scales as Ω(1/ n), and a main result of the present paper is a linear‐time algorithm that, with high probability, finds a solution of cost O(n^–1+o(1)). For 3‐dimensional Planar assignment, the lower bound is Ω(n), and we give a new efficient matching‐based algorithm that with high probability returns a solution with cost O(n log n). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 46, 160–196, 2015     

Uncommon suffix tries

Common assumptions on the source producing the words inserted in a suffix trie with n leaves lead to a height and saturation level. We provide an example of a suffix trie whose height increases faster than a power of n and another one whose saturation level is negligible with respect to . Both are built from VLMC (Variable Length Markov Chain) probabilistic sources and are easily extended to families of tries having the same properties. The first example corresponds to a “logarithmic infinite comb” and enjoys a non uniform polynomial mixing. The second one corresponds to a “factorial infinite comb” for which mixing is uniform and exponential. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 46, 117–141, 2015     

冗余技术提高PLC控制系统可靠性的研究

针对工业现场对PLC控制系统可靠性提出更高的要求,提出利用冗余技术提高其可靠性。分析了硬件冗余和软件冗余在PLC控制系统中的应用,详细阐述了PLC控制器、输入输出口、通讯网络和电源各自的冗余方法,并着重以西门子300/400系列PLC为例进行了软硬件冗余的架构和原理分析。最后对冗余控制系统的可靠性进行分析,结果表明,使用冗余技术可使PLC控制系统的可靠性得到明显提高。     

大气环境下的钢筋混凝土桥梁时变可靠度分析

为了探究钢筋混凝土桥梁抗力退化对桥梁可靠性能的影响,综合考虑一般大气环境下混凝土强度、钢筋强度、混凝土与钢筋黏结性能的降低,建立普通钢筋混凝土桥梁的抗力退化时变模型,分析规范车辆荷载作用的桥梁时变可靠度。研究结果表明,(1)一般大气环境下,桥梁抗力随着服役时间的增加而减小,其中钢筋强度退化对桥梁抗力的影响最大,其次是钢筋与混凝土黏结性能降低,而混凝土强度退化对桥梁抗力的影响相对较小; (2)桥梁可靠指标随着服役时间的增加而减小,密集行车占比越大,桥梁承载能力失效的概率就越大;非平稳车载作用下的桥梁可靠指标小于平稳车载,桥梁需要维修补强的时间比平稳车载提前; (3)多梁式简支梁桥在建造时应该提高边梁的安全储备,在管养时可以采取限载措施进行干预。