Are Words the Quanta of Human Language? Extending the Domain of Quantum Cognition

In previous research, we showed that ‘texts that tell a story’ exhibit a statistical structure that is not Maxwell–Boltzmann but Bose–Einstein. Our explanation is that this is due to the presence of ‘indistinguishability’ in human language as a result of the same words in different parts of the story being indistinguishable from one another, in much the same way that ’indistinguishability’ occurs in quantum mechanics, also there leading to the presence of Bose–Einstein rather than Maxwell–Boltzmann as a statistical structure. In the current article, we set out to provide an explanation for this Bose–Einstein statistics in human language. We show that it is the presence of ‘meaning’ in ‘texts that tell a story’ that gives rise to the lack of independence characteristic of Bose–Einstein, and provides conclusive evidence that ‘words can be considered the quanta of human language’, structurally similar to how ‘photons are the quanta of electromagnetic radiation’. Using several studies on entanglement from our Brussels research group, we also show, by introducing the von Neumann entropy for human language, that it is also the presence of ‘meaning’ in texts that makes the entropy of a total text smaller relative to the entropy of the words composing it. We explain how the new insights in this article fit in with the research domain called ‘quantum cognition’, where quantum probability models and quantum vector spaces are used in human cognition, and are also relevant to the use of quantum structures in information retrieval and natural language processing, and how they introduce ‘quantization’ and ‘Bose–Einstein statistics’ as relevant quantum effects there. Inspired by the conceptuality interpretation of quantum mechanics, and relying on the new insights, we put forward hypotheses about the nature of physical reality. In doing so, we note how this new type of decrease in entropy, and its explanation, may be important for the development of quantum thermodynamics. We likewise note how it can also give rise to an original explanatory picture of the nature of physical reality on the surface of planet Earth, in which human culture emerges as a reinforcing continuation of life.     

一种经验型疲劳小裂纹扩展模型

金属材料疲劳寿命由裂纹萌生和裂纹扩展寿命两部分组成,其中对于萌生寿命中的小裂纹分析是精确描述裂纹萌生寿命的关键．而小裂纹在扩展过程中由于尺寸相对较小,导致传统线弹性断裂力学预测方法失效,需要对其进行改进,考虑裂纹尖端塑性区引起的残余压应力对小裂纹扩展速度的影响．本文针对此问题进行了初步分析,通过对塑性区引起的残余应力的量化,结合小裂纹门槛值特性,提出了一种经验型修正的小裂纹扩展模型,用于定量预测裂纹的萌生寿命．使用铝合金6082-T6缺口试样进行了疲劳实验,并与理论结果进行了对比,验证了所提模型的有效性．     

水系钠离子电池的研究进展及实用化挑战

水系钠离子电池因其安全性高、成本低、环境友好等突出优势近些年来受到了广泛而深入的研究,在取得巨大进展的同时也逐步开始了产业化进程.但是与有机体系二次电池相比,水系钠离子电池仍然极大地受限于电解液较窄的电化学稳定窗口和电极材料较差的循环稳定性.迄今为止,如何解决上述问题依然是这一领域发展的关键.本综述主要概述了水系钠离子...     

Research and Practice in Green Chemical Technologies

Green chemistry is also called environment harmless or environment friendly chemistry.Green chemistry requires to use new synthetic methods, engineering technologies and processes to eliminate or reduce by-products, wastes or products that harmful to human health, community safety,and ecology environment. Green chemistry pursues to control the usage of the harmful and toxic materials, reduce waste emission, avoid necessity to treat the wastes; Green Chemistry advocates wastes management from the beginning, improving the efficiency of atoms, optimizing the use of resources and energy, lowering the cost of production. Green Chemistry technologies are the ultimate path to the clean chemical production in the future.Insight Co. takes "hospital of enterprises" and "bank of technologies" as our characteristics in business, and deems the development and spread of green chemistry as our mission. We developed an unique business model which combines education, research and production. In the past 8 years,we had applied and obtained more than 30 patents and received more than ten national and provincial awards in technology progress.We had made great progress in the manufacturing of organophosphorus pesticides, especially the production of omethoate, methamidophos, paraquat and glycyrrhizinic phosphor, etc., which made a stable foundation for INSIGHT's development. We had also achieved great success in the high efficiency low toxic pesticides, such as imidacloprid, etofenprox, metalaxyl and in the new synthetic methods in various amino acids as well as in the pharmaceutical intermediates. The new method of preparation indigo using N-phenylglycinonitrile is an advanced process in the world in terms of the clean production technology for Ferro cyanide and HCN's transformation rate improvement. We solved the pollution problem of the old route. The newly developed substituted product for indigo using a clean production technology which greatly reduced the material consumption and environmental pollution. Insight has facilities producing nearly 20 photo-initiators and developed the new technique for light-curing lubricity, water-born resin, the technique for water-bon coating and their associated applications. The successfully developed technology of new high performance emulsion will promote the technology advancement in the coating industry and the wide spread of new coating in China.Insight has developed a series of new technologies, including a novel reactor technology - using a newly designed patented blade, has been characterized as high efficiency & energy saving reactor.The novel technology research and development are widely applied in INSIGHT's ten-year practice.We studied and confirmed the non-thermal catalyzing effect of microwaves, proposed a "weak microwave" theory, and a chemical reaction rate equation. We proposed that in the existence of microwave magnesium ions and phosphate, amino acid can be activated to form peptide which maybe the path of the origin of life.A 3000mt/a pilot plant in Chongqing using carbon monoxide and hydrogen to produce dimethyl ether in a single step has been built via collaboration with the Dept. of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University. The large scale, low cost production of dimethyl ether may possible through comprehensive technology improvement. This technology will take full advantage of current ammonia production facilities, and try to solve the global fuel shortage problem.     

橡胶贮存寿命预测方法研究进展与思考建议

概述了用数学模型法预测橡胶贮存寿命的方法,包括阿伦尼斯模型,用ASTM D412评估橡胶拉伸性能,应力应变老化模型,压缩永久变形的预测方法,橡胶疲劳寿命损伤模型,用有限元法考核橡胶的裂纹长度与抗裂能之间的关系,基于叠加原理的寿命预测模型等,针对上述模型预测研究结果提出了相关思考建议。认为以老化动力学为基础预测材料寿命的数学模型法发展非常迅速,建议深入研究并拓宽应用;在透彻了解和掌握必需的分子结构参数的基础上,如果结合计算机技术模拟长期贮存或使用条件,对橡胶老化反应机理的研究可能是一个有前景的发展方向。     

Effects of atomic oxygen irradiation on structural and tribological properties of polyimide/Al2O3 composites

To understand the effects of atomic oxygen (AO) irradiation on the structural and tribological behaviors of polymer composites, polyimide/Al₂O₃ composites were irradiated with AO in a ground‐based simulation facility. The structural changes were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total‐reflection FTIR, whereas the tribological changes were evaluated by friction and wear tests as well as scanning electron microscopy analysis of the worn surfaces. It was found that AO irradiation induced the oxidation and degradation of polyimide molecular chains, which increased the O concentration and decreased the C concentration in the composite surfaces. The destruction action of AO changed the surface chemical structure and morphology of the samples. Friction and wear tests indicated that AO irradiation decreased the friction coefficient but increased the wear rate of both pure and Al₂O₃ filled polyimides. In terms of the tribological properties, appropriate content of Al₂O₃ might be favorable for the improvement of tribological properties in AO environment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Penta-coordinate phosphorous compounds and biochemistry

The relationship between penta-coordinate phosphorus compounds and biochemistry is briefly reviewed. Some interesting phenomena such as peptide formation, ester formation, ester exchange on phosphorus and N to O migration occur at room temperature when the amino group of amino acid is associated with phosphoryl group. Serine or threonine in conjugate of nucleo-side-amino acid could recognize different nucleobases. N-phosphoryl Histine and Ser-His dipep-tide could cleavage nucleic acid, protein and ester in neutral medium. It is found that the above phenomena all undergo penta-coordinate intermediate of phosphorus atom, which is proposed as the key factor to determine their activities.     

破乳剂对油水界面膜作用机理研究

研究了破乳剂存在下油膜寿命、油膜薄化速率以及油水界面性质与破乳效果的关系.结果表明,破乳剂使油水界面弹性降低,导致油水界面强度减弱,界面膜寿命变短,界面膜厚度变薄.当膜厚度变薄到一临界值时,膜破裂,导致破乳脱水.同种破乳剂,随着其浓度的增加,界面弹性降低.当浓度超过某一值时,界面弹性值基本不变.不同种破乳剂,界面弹性降低幅度越大,其破乳效果越好.界面弹性值可以很好解释破乳剂的脱水率变化规律.     

供给侧改革视角下高职院校生活化学实验的设计与教学实践*

在供给侧改革背景下,结合高职院校教学实际,分析了生活化学实验课程在实验设计、教学内容、教学方法等方面存在的问题。从精心设计的实验项目、基于实验展示的教学方法和凸显学生专业特色的考核方式等3个方面进行实践,体现了课程的科学性、实用性、趣味性和可操作性,有助于提升高职院校学生的科学素养。     

Effect of Y2O3 on microstructural characteristics and wear resistance of cobalt‐based composite coatings produced on TA15 titanium alloy surface by laser cladding

The effects of Y₂O₃ on the microstructure, phase composition of the coatings, microhardness and wear resistance of cobalt‐based composite coatings prepared by laser cladding were investigated. The TA15 titanium alloy was selected as substrate which the cobalt‐based composite powder with different content of Y₂O₃ was cladded on. The microstructure of the coatings was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and metallurgical microscope. The phase structure of the coatings was determined by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and the microhardness and wear resistance of the coatings were measured by hardness tester and wear testing machine. The results show that the rare earth oxide Y₂O₃ can refine and purify the microstructure of the coatings, reduce the porosities and cracks and improve compactness of the coatings. Moreover the addition of Y₂O₃ improves the microhardness of the coatings and reduces the friction coefficient, thus improving the wear property of the coatings. And the wear resistance of the coating with Y₂O₃ has improved about 50 times; the highest value of microhardness in the coating is HV1181.1. And 0.8 wt% content of Y₂O₃ in the coating is the best choice for improving the microhardness and wear resistance of the coating. It is feasible to improve the microstructure and tribological properties of laser cladding coatings by adding of Y₂O₃. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.