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.     

THE USE OF CARBOXYMETHYL ETHOXYLATE SURFACTANT TO DISSOLVE VITAMIN K1 AND TO OBTAIN LOW INTERFACIAL TENSION AND STABLE EMULSION SYSTEMS

Abstract

The presence of vitamin K₁ in human body is important for preventing the hemorrhagic disease. Due to its very long side chain, vitamin K₁ is highly insoluble in water. We have successfully dissolve a substantial amount of vitamin K₁ in solutions of a commercial surfactant containing carboxymethyl ethoxylates (Hüls B433) and obtained low interfacial tension (IFT) and stable emulsion systems. This paper will present the details of these experiments. The solubilization of vitamin K₁ was estimated from UV absorption. The IFT values were measured by using a spinning drop apparatus and all particle sizes were determined by using laser light scattering. By using the Hüls B433 surfactant and an optimum amount of CaCl₂, we can dissolve vitamin K₁ in water and obtain low IFT systems in the order of 10^?2 dyne/cm. The emulsions obtained in these systems are stable and contain droplet sizes below 65 nm. The dissolution of vitamin K₁ and the IFT behavior in these systems follow the rules for crude oil and prefer larger surfactant micelles.     

Antarctic Environmental Specimen Bank-First 5 Years of Experience

Abstract

The Project on an Antarctic Environmental Specimen Bank (Banca Campioni Ambientali Antartici—BCAA) began in 1994 in order to collect and classify samples from the Antarctic ecosystem to be used for future studies.

The objectives of the project are similar to the general aims of the Environmental Specimen Banks, but they specifically focus on the chemical aspects concerning the research activities of the Italian Project on the “Micropollutants Chemistry” (Sector “Chemical Contamination” of the Italian Antarctic Research Programme—PNRA).

During these first years the facilities suitable for storing a significant number of specimens (now over 2,000) at different temperatures (from ?30°C to ?150°C) and a database system, specifically designed for managing and consulting information concerning both the storage of samples and data on their chemical characterisation, have been developed.

In addition, a programme for validating the procedures of Antarctic organisms storage by checking the stability of some chemical parameters both in fresh and freeze-dried specimens has been developed.     

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。     

Molten-Salt-Assisted Synthesis of Bismuth Nanosheets for Long-term Continuous Electrocatalytic Conversion of CO2 to Formate

Two-dimensional (2D) monometallic pnictogens (antimony or Sb, and bismuth or Bi) nanosheets demonstrate potential in a variety of fields, including quantum devices, catalysis, biomedicine and energy, because of their unique physical, chemical, electronic and optical properties. However, the development of general and high-efficiency preparative routes toward high-quality pnictogen nanosheets is challenging. A general method involving a molten-salt-assisted aluminothermic reduction process is reported for the synthesis of Sb and Bi nanosheets in high yields (>90 %). Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction was investigated on the Bi nanosheets, and high catalytic selectively to formate was demonstrated with a considerable current density at a low overpotential and an impressive stability. Bi nanosheets continuously convert CO₂ into formate in a flow cell operating for one month, with a yield rate of 787.5 mmol cm⁻² h⁻¹. Theoretical results suggest that the edge sites of Bi are far more active than the terrace sites.     

Molecular‐Sieving Membrane by Partitioning the Channels in Ultrafiltration Membrane by In Situ Polymerization

Commercial ultrafiltration membranes have proliferated globally for water treatment. However, their pore sizes are too large to sieve gases. Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) feature well‐developed microporosity yet are difficult to be fabricated into membranes. Herein, we report a strategy to prepare molecular‐sieving membranes by partitioning the mesoscopic channels in water ultrafiltration membrane (PSU) into ultra‐micropores by space‐confined polymerization of multi‐functionalized rigid building units. Nine CMP@PSU membranes were obtained, and their separation performance for H₂/CO₂, H₂/N₂, and H₂/CH₄ pairs surpass the Robeson upper bound and rival against the best of those reported membranes. Furthermore, highly crosslinked skeletons inside the channels result in the structural robustness and transfer into the excellent aging resistance of the CMP@PSU. This strategy may shed light on the design and fabrication of high‐performance polymeric gas separation membranes.     

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。     

Percentile residual life orders

In this paper we study a family of stochastic orders of random variables defined via the comparison of their percentile residual life functions. Some interpretations of these stochastic orders are given, and various properties of them are derived. The relationships to other stochastic orders are also studied. Finally, some applications in reliability theory and finance are described. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the time to first failure in multicomponent exponential reliability systems

Consider an n-component reliability system having the property that at any time each of its components is either up (i.e., working) or down (i.e., being repaired). Each component acts independently and we suppose that each time the i^th component goes up it remains up for an exponentially distributed time having mean μ_i, and each time it goes down it remains down for an exponentially distributed time having mean υ_i. We further suppose that whether or not the system itself is up at any time depends only on which components are up at that time. We are interested in the distribution of the time of first system failure when all components are initially up at time zero. In section 2 we show that this distribution has the NBU (i.e., new better than used) property, and in Section 3 we make use of this and other results to obtain a lower bound to the mean time until first system failure.