Three-dimensional tomography using a cubic-phase plate extended depth-of-field system

We use cubic-phase plate imaging to demonstrate an order-of-magnitude improvement in the transverse resolution of three-dimensional objects reconstructed by extended depth-of-field tomography. Our algorithm compensates for the range shear of the cubic-phase approach and uses camera rotation to center the reconstructed volume on a target object point.     

Taking a strategic view of BPR to develop a multidisciplinary framework

Despite undoubtedly being one of the latest fads, Business Process Reengineering (BPR) has provoked much debate about how organisations should be managed if dramatic improvements in performance are to be achieved. This paper takes a multidisciplinary view of BPR and focuses upon a number of the emergent issues. These include the role of strategy making, the promotion of communication and creativity, the role of statistics, and the effective use of performance measurement systems within a learning environment. The paper develops a framework that capitalises on the role of modelling in MS/OR as well as the various disciplines of the authors. As such, the framework draws on recent advances, as well as established thinking, in the areas of strategy development, information systems, quality management and statistical science. More importantly, the framework also provides an iterative approach to BPR enabling organisations to design, implement and monitor progress on an ongoing basis. Emphasis is placed on building effective communications, developing an organisational memory and supporting organisational learning.     

Construction of Certain Cyclic Distance-Preserving Codes Having Linear-Algebraic Characteristics

An ordered list of binary words of length n is called a distance-preserving m, n-code, if the list distance between two words is equal to their Hamming distance, for distances up to m. A technique for constructing cyclic m, n-codes is presented, based on the standard Gray code and on some simple tools from linear algebra.     

Importance of temporal-envelope cues in consonant recognition

The role of different modulation frequencies in the speech envelope were studied by means of the manipulation of vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) syllables. The envelope of the signal was extracted from the speech and the fine-structure was replaced by speech-shaped noise. The temporal envelopes in every critical band of the speech signal were notch filtered in order to assess the relative importance of different modulation frequency regions between 0 and 20 Hz. For this purpose notch filters around three center frequencies (8, 12, and 16 Hz) with three different notch widths (4-, 8-, and 12-Hz wide) were used. These stimuli were used in a consonant-recognition task in which ten normal-hearing subjects participated, and their results were analyzed in terms of recognition scores. More qualitative information was obtained with a multidimensional scaling method (INDSCAL) and sequential information analysis (SINFA). Consonant recognition is very robust for the removal of certain modulation frequency areas. Only when a wide notch around 8 Hz is applied does the speech signal become heavily degraded. As expected, the voicing information is lost, while there are different effects on plosiveness and nasality. Even the smallest filtering has a substantial effect on the transfer of the plosiveness feature, while on the other hand, filtering out only the low-modulation frequencies has a substantial effect on the transfer of nasality cues.     

Observation of hydroxyl groups by 17O solid-state multiple quantum MAS NMR in sol-gel-produced silica

17O NMR parameters (CQ, eta, delta(iso) and T1) are reported for both Si-O-Si and Si-OH fragments within a silica gel. The Si-OH units have a wide spread of parameters but are typically characterised by a very short T1 (approximately 0.1 ms) and CQ < 200 kHz. These observations have extremely important implications for the quantification of such units in these gels and related glassy materials by 17O NMR. In light of these observations, the 17O NMR experiments have been optimised and a distinct resonance from the OH group is observed in 1D static and magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR measurements as well in the multiple quantum (MQ) experiment.     

Study of electric quadrupole interactions of111In and111Cd following ion implantation of111In into graphite

The nuclear electric quadrupole interaction of¹¹¹In ion-implanted in hightly oriented pyrolytic graphite has been observed by means of low-temperature nuclear orientation and by means of perturbed angular correlations. From the first kind of experiment, it is concluded that a relatively large number of indium nuclei experience a well-defined macroscopic orientation, which is partly lost after the radioactive decay to cadmium. Indeed, the second kind of experiment revealed a broad distribution of electrid field gradients interacting with the 245 keV Cd excited state, as well as a small faction experiencing a unique electric field gradient. The experimental results are compared with theoretical calculations of the electric field gradient at various lattice positions, in which carbon and indium electronic wavefunctions are allowed to hybridize. Lattice positions of the covalent indium atom between the graphite layers can explain the measured electric field gradient ofV ₂₂=+1.47(11)·10²² V/m², directed parallel to the graphitec-axis.     

Models of a structural phase transition with general anharmonicity and disorder

It is shown how the self-consistent phonon Ansatz leads to a new class of exactly soluble models of a structural phase transition. Both nonpolynomial anharmonicity and disorder are analyzed in detail. In the classical limit, the thermodynamics is obtained and sufficient conditions on the anharmonicity are given to ensure a soft-mode phase transition. Diagonal disorder has been studied numerically. It is found that in three dimensions a pronounced mobility edge, separating localized and delocalized phonon states, may exist.     

Quantum theory of a massless spinning particle

The classical and quantum mechanics of a free massless point-like fermion is presented. The action is invariant under local 1-dimensional reparametrizations and supersymmetry, as well as a large set of rigid symmetries, including conformal and chiral symmetries. An infinite set of rigid symmetries is derived starting from the chiral invariance, but only a finite subset does not vanish on shell. The BRST-transformations corresponding to thed=1 local symmetries are constructed and the quantization is performed. Finally, the BRST-cohomology is investigated and the conditions producing the physical states are derived.     

The boson gas on a Cayley tree

We analyze the free boson gas on a Cayley tree using two alternative methods. The spectrum of the lattice Laplacian on a finite tree is obtained using a direct iterative method for solving the associated characteristic equation and also using a random walk representation for the corresponding fermion lattice gas. The existence of the thermodynamic limit for the pressure of the boson lattice gas is proven and it is shown that the model exhibits boson condensation into the ground state. The random walk representation is also used to derive an expression for the Bethe approximation to the infinite-volume spectrum. This spectrum turns out to be continuous instead of a dense point spectrum, but there is still boson condensation in this approximation.