Experimental investigation and thermodynamic prediction of the Al–Ge–Zn phase diagram

The knowledge of the phase diagram of the Al?CGe?CZn ternary system is of importance in the development of high temperature soldering materials. In this study, the phase diagram of the Al?CGe?CZn ternary system was calculated by the calculation of phase diagrams method using binary thermodynamic parameters included in the COST MP0602 thermodynamic database. Chosen alloys with compositions along two vertical sections with molar ratio Al/Ge?=?3/1 and 1/3 were measured using DTA (differential thermal analysis). The experimentally determined phase transition temperatures from this work and phase equilibria data from literature were compared with calculation results and good mutual agreement was noticed.     

Factorization of weighted-EP elements in C-algebras

We present characterizations of weighted-EP elements in C^∗-algebras using different kinds of factorizations.     

On cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs

In 1983, the second author [D. Maru?i?, Ars Combinatoria 16B (1983), 297–302] asked for which positive integers n there exists a non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graph on n vertices. (The term non‐Cayley numbers has later been given to such integers.) Motivated by this problem, Feng [Discrete Math 248 (2002), 265–269] asked to determine the smallest valency ?(n) among valencies of non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs of order n. As cycles are clearly Cayley graphs, ?(n)?3 for any non‐Cayley number n. In this paper a goal is set to determine those non‐Cayley numbers n for which ?(n) = 3, and among the latter to determine those for which the generalized Petersen graphs are the only non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs of order n. It is known that for a prime p every vertex‐transitive graph of order p, p² or p³ is a Cayley graph, and that, with the exception of the Coxeter graph, every cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graph of order 2p, 4p or 2p² is a generalized Petersen graph. In this paper the next natural step is taken by proving that every cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graph of order 4p², p>7 a prime, is a generalized Petersen graph. In addition, cubic non‐Cayley vertex‐transitive graphs of order 2p^k, where p>7 is a prime and k?p, are characterized. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 69: 77–95, 2012     

Optimal inspection of a complex system subject to periodic and opportunistic inspections and preventive replacements

This paper proposes two optimization models for the periodic inspection of a system with “hard-type” and “soft-type” components. Given that the failures of hard-type components are self-announcing, the component is instantly repaired or replaced, but the failures of soft-type components can only be detected at inspections. A system can operate with a soft failure, but its performance may be reduced. Although a system may be periodically inspected, a hard failure creates an opportunity for additional inspection (opportunistic inspection) of all soft-type components. Two optimization models are discussed in the paper. In the first, soft-type components undergo both periodic and opportunistic inspections to detect possible failures. In the second, hard-type components undergo periodic inspections and are preventively replaced depending on their condition at inspection. Soft-type and hard-type components are either minimally repaired or replaced when they fail. Minimal repair or replacement depends on the state of a component at failure; this, in turn, depends on its age. The paper formulates objective functions for the two models and derives recursive equations for their required expected values. It develops a simulation algorithm to calculate these expected values for a complex model. Several examples are used to illustrate the models and the calculations. The data used in the examples are adapted from a real case study of a hospital’s maintenance data for a general infusion pump.     

Symmetric cubic graphs via rigid cells

Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics - Properties of symmetric cubic graphs are described via their rigid cells, which are maximal connected subgraphs fixed pointwise by some involutory automorphism...     

Synthesis of the AI component of the red san jose scale sex pheromone

Conclusions The racemic form of the AI component of the red San Jose scale pheromone and its analog were synthesized on the basis of available citronellol and geraniol derivatives.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1143–1146, May, 1989.     

Distance-balanced graphs: Symmetry conditions

A graph X is said to be distance-balanced if for any edge uv of X, the number of vertices closer to u than to v is equal to the number of vertices closer to v than to u. A graph X is said to be strongly distance-balanced if for any edge uv of X and any integer k, the number of vertices at distance k from u and at distance k+1 from v is equal to the number of vertices at distance k+1 from u and at distance k from v. Exploring the connection between symmetry properties of graphs and the metric property of being (strongly) distance-balanced is the main theme of this article. That a vertex-transitive graph is necessarily strongly distance-balanced and thus also distance-balanced is an easy observation. With only a slight relaxation of the transitivity condition, the situation changes drastically: there are infinite families of semisymmetric graphs (that is, graphs which are edge-transitive, but not vertex-transitive) which are distance-balanced, but there are also infinite families of semisymmetric graphs which are not distance-balanced. Results on the distance-balanced property in product graphs prove helpful in obtaining these constructions. Finally, a complete classification of strongly distance-balanced graphs is given for the following infinite families of generalized Petersen graphs: GP(n,2), GP(5k+1,k), GP(3k±3,k), and GP(2k+2,k).     

On Cubic Graphs Admitting an Edge-Transitive Solvable Group

Using covering graph techniques, a structural result about connected cubic simple graphs admitting an edge-transitive solvable group of automorphisms is proved. This implies, among other, that every such graph can be obtained from either the 3-dipole Dip₃ or the complete graph K ₄, by a sequence of elementary-abelian covers. Another consequence of the main structural result is that the action of an arc-transitive solvable group on a connected cubic simple graph is at most 3-arc-transitive. As an application, a new infinite family of semisymmetric cubic graphs, arising as regular elementary abelian covering projections of K _3,3, is constructed.