Long-range predictive adaptive fuzzy relational control

A class of long-range predictive adaptive fuzzy relational controllers is presented. The plant behavior is described over an extended time horizon by a fuzzy relational model which is identified based on input-output closed-loop observations of the plant variables. In this class of adaptive controllers the control law attempts to minimize a quadratic cost over an extended control horizon. When used with linear models, this approach has revealed a significant potential for overcoming the limitations of one-step ahead schemes, such as the stabilization of non-minimum phase plants. Here, a uniform framework is adopted for implementing both the fuzzy model and the fuzzy controller, namely distributed fuzzy relational structures gaining from their massive parallel processing features and from the learning capabilities typical of the connectivist approaches. Issues such as maintenance during the adaptation process of the meaning of linguistic terms used at both fuzzy systems interfaces are addressed, namely by introducing a new design methodology for on-line fuzzy systems interface adaptation. The examples presented reinforce the claim of the usefulness of this new approach.     

Mechanosynthesis of YIG and GdIG: A Structural and Mössbauer Study

We have investigated the mechanosynthesis of gadolinium and yttrium iron garnets by high-energy ball-milling of α-Fe₂O₃ and Gd₂O₃ or α-Fe₂O₃ and Y₂O₃, respectively, followed by short thermal annealings conducted at moderate temperatures. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy, in order to determine the influence of the milling time and annealing conditions on the final products. For as-milled samples of each rare-earth system, the results revealed the formation of perovskite phases, in relative amounts that depend on the milling time. The formation of garnet phases was observed in as-annealed samples treated at 1000°C for 2 h or 1100°C for 3 h, i.e., at very modest annealing requirements when compared with ordinary solid-state-reaction processes performed without previous high-energy milling. Also, the occurrence was verified of a milling time for which the relative amount of garnet phases formed by annealing was maximized. This time depends on the rare-earth composing the garnet phase and on the annealing temperature.     

Two- and three-dimensional analysis of bose-einstein correlations inπ +/K+p interactions at 250 GeV/c

The NA22 data onπ ^? π ^? correlations are analyzed in terms of a number of two- and three-dimensional parametrizations (Gaussian space-time, Goldhaber, Bowler string-like, Bertsch hydrodynamical, Kopylov-Podgoretskii, etc.). Contrary to the results obtained for e⁺e^? andµp collisions, the Goldhaber parametrization, as well as string-like models, fail in describing the hadron-hadron data. Better fits are obtained in the framework of surface-emitting fireball-like models, both when including and excluding hydrodynamical expansion of nuclear matter. Our results indicate that pion radiation occurs at earlier stages of matter evolution than in nuclear collisions.     

Phase space dependence of the multiplicity distribution in π+ andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c

The charged particle multiplicity distribution has been studied for non-single-diffractive π⁺ p andpp collisions at \(\sqrt s = 22\) GeV, for full phase space as well as for intervals in rapidity, azimuthal angle and transverse momentum. In general, the multiplicity distribution is well described by a negative binomial. From comparison of the distribution for negative or positive particles to that of all charged particles, cascading is favoured as an interpretation over stimulated emission. Interesting consequences follow from a comparison of our results to those at collider energies and toe ⁺ e ^? data at comparable energy. Furthermore, evidence is given that the multiplicity distribution is not exactly of negative binomial type in every (connected or disconnected) phase space region.     

Forward-backward multiplicity correlations in σ+ p,K + p andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c

Forward-backward multiplicity correlations in σ⁺,K ⁺ p andpp collisions at 250 GeV/c ( \(\sqrt s \) =22 GeV) are given for all charges and for the different charge combinations. The correlations are found to be caused predominantly by centrally produced particles. It is demonstrated that this result is an agreement with observations at the ISR and the CERNp \(\bar p\) -Collider. The results are compared to expectations from LUND, DPM and FRITIOF Monte Carlo models and a geometrical picture relating correlations in hadron-hadron collisions toe ⁺ e ^? data in terms of impact parameters is tested.     

Determination of impurities in uranium oxide by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) by the matrix matching method

An analytical procedure was developed to determine the concentration of some elements regarded as trace impurities in nuclear fuel using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) associated to the matrix matching method. The assessment of this approach was carried out using a set of certified reference materials produced by the New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL). Eighteen out of the twenty-four elements in the reference materials could be easily determined. It was found that the mean values for reproducibility and accuracy were 5.0% and 15.0%. The remaining six elements provided mean values of 11.0% and 37.0%, respectively. They could not be adequately determined due to the effects of analyte signal suppression and spectral interference.     

Electron transport in corona charged 12 μm teflon FEP with saturable deep traps

Surface-potential measurements carried out in negatively corona charged 12 m samples of fluorethylenepropylene (Teflon FEP) showed the following characteristics: 1) with a constant charging current, the potential initially rises linearly, and then sublinearly; 2) the potential saturates irrespectively of the charging process and 3) practically no potential decay is observed after switching off the corona. These results have been interpreted in terms of an usual model (field-independent trapping time) for charge transport in insulators, with saturable deep traps in both surface and bulk of the sample and a relatively high electron mobility in order to prevent free-space charge accumulation. The partial differential equations derived from the model are numerically solved and it was found that only the product of the mobility with the trapping time is relevant to the fitting of experimental results, provided that >10^–8 cm²/Vs. A field-dependent trapping time model leads to poorer fittings.     

Cooperative effects in phospholipid monolayers induced by a peptide from HIV-1 capsid protein

The study of interactions between biological molecules and model membranes is essential for the understanding of a number of physiological mechanisms involved in viral infections and dissemination. In this paper, the analysis of the interaction between a peptide from the p24 protein of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) and a phospholipid monolayer has pointed to a cooperative response in which very small amounts of peptide p24-1 (e.g. 0.05 mol%) can lead to measurable effects. Monolayer surface pressure and surface potential isotherms were affected for peptide concentrations as low as 0.05 mol%, with saturation at 0.5 mol%. The expansion effect from p24-1 is confirmed by changes in morphology of the monolayers using Brewster angle microscopy. Even though p24-1 is disordered in aqueous solutions, the interaction with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) causes it to adopt an alpha-helix structure, as shown by circular dichroism (CD) data for multilamellar vesicles (MLV). The expansion of the phospholipid monolayer in a cooperative way may imply that p24-1 has potential antiviral activity, by participating in the cell rupture, with no need of specific receptors in the membrane.