Method ruggedness studies incorporating a risk based approach: a tutorial

This tutorial explains how well thought-out application of design and analysis methodology, combined with risk assessment, leads to improved assessment of method ruggedness. The authors define analytical method ruggedness as an experimental evaluation of noise factors such as analyst, instrument or stationary phase batch. Ruggedness testing is usually performed upon transfer of a method to another laboratory, however, it can also be employed during method development when an assessment of the method's inherent variability is required. The use of a ruggedness study provides a more rigorous method for assessing method precision than a simple comparative intermediate precision study which is typically performed as part of method validation. Prior to designing a ruggedness study, factors that are likely to have a significant effect on the performance of the method should be identified (via a risk assessment) and controlled where appropriate. Noise factors that are not controlled are considered for inclusion in the study. The purpose of the study should be to challenge the method and identify whether any noise factors significantly affect the method's precision. The results from the study are firstly used to identify any special cause variability due to specific attributable circumstances. Secondly, common cause variability is apportioned to determine which factors are responsible for most of the variability. The total common cause variability can then be used to assess whether the method's precision requirements are achievable. The approach used to design and analyse method ruggedness studies will be covered in this tutorial using a real example.     

Blind separation to improve classification of traffic noise

In order to apply noise mapping to traffic noise prediction, a knowledge of several information about traffic characteristics is required to predict the noise levels emitted by the roads involved. In the European case, the CNOSSOS-EU calculation method for traffic-noise level prediction is now under discussion, to be agreed in response to the European Directive relating to the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise (2002/49/EC). In this application context, standard ISO 1996-2:2007 Determination of Environmental Noise Levels, in its Section 6.2, specifically mentions that during L_eq measurements of road traffic noise the number of vehicle pass-bys shall be counted during the measurement time interval. This information is often not available in many roads, so it is typically registered by means of casual counts, often through manual procedures. Besides, if the measurement result is converted to other traffic conditions, a categorization of the vehicles involved is also required. Some additional information, such as the traffic density and the average speed, should be registered if a calculation method is used to build a noise map.In this paper a new automatic classification system of traffic noise covering these requirements is presented. The portable system processes a two channel audio recording to provide information of the average speed and the number of vehicles, which are classified in six categories during the measurement period. After several evaluations of the possibilities to get a good classification of the noise emission of a road from audio recordings, it is shown that increasing the within-class separation, as well as introducing a novel BSS–PCA-based classifier, the precision achieved in the final results is substantially improved.     

Analytical model, analysis and parameter optimization of a super linear electro-optic modulator (SFDR > 130 dB)

An analytical model of a super linear optical modulator with high spurious-free-dynamic-range (SFDR > 130 dB) is presented and analyzed. The linear modulator is referred to as IMPACC which stands for Interferometric Modulator with Phase-modulating And Cavity-modulating Components. The modulator is based on a unique combination of a RF-driven phase-modulator (PM) and a ring resonator (RR) within a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) configuration. Our analysis shows that our design can achieve SFDR values which are ~ 20 dB higher than the standard MZI modulator and 3-5 dB from the Ring Assisted Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (RAMZI) modulator. Both PM and RR in the IMPACC are simultaneously driven by a RF signal of the same frequency, but not necessarily the same amplitudes. The analytical model shows that the combination of these two optical elements, with the proper choice of RF-driving and device parameters, can lead to four important and compelling consequences. First, it offers a wholistic and elegant model in which the standard MZI modulator and the RAMZI modulator are just special cases of IMPACC. Second, the model offers an excellent parameter optimization methodology for fast parameter (internal and/or external) selection and performance evaluation. Third, it provides additional degree of control through the introduction of an external control parameter, the RF power split ratio (F). Lastly, it demonstrates one unique feature of IMPACC such as adaptive SFDR characteristics, where manufacturing tolerances in the transmission coefficient (τ) of the RR can be compensated with proper adjustments of the external parameter of the power split ratio (F).     

Fast Integrated Electro-Optical Switch and Beam Deflector Based on Nematic Liquid Crystal Waveguides

In this paper, the design, the realization, and the experimental characterization of an integrated electro-optical switch and a beam deflector, both based on planar nematic liquid crystal (NLC) waveguides, are reported.

In order to test such devices, a particular waveguide structure consisting of a three-stage device, having a thin nematic LC film as the middle stage and two glass waveguides as the other stages, has been designed and realized. The electro-optical behavior and the response time have been studied for different configurations for both TE and TM polarized light. By a proper choice of the material parameters and because of the presence of an additional constant bias voltage, we got response time in the microsecond range. The experimental results obtained are very promising in the frame of integrated electro-optical devices, even if the effect underlying the results is not yet understood and probably needs some deeper research into liquid crystal physics and surface interactions.     

Asymptotic distribution of the downtime of a monotone system

To compute the distribution of the downtime in a time interval [0,t] for a highly available monotone system, a Compound Poisson process (CP(t)) approximation is often used. In this paper we give sufficient conditions for when the distribution ofCP(t) is an asymptotic limit. We also study the convergence to the normal distribution.     

Fast Integrated Electro-Optical Switch and Beam Deflector Based on Nematic Liquid Crystal Waveguides

In this paper, the design, the realization, and the experimental characterization of an integrated electro-optical switch and a beam deflector, both based on planar nematic liquid crystal (NLC) waveguides, are reported. In order to test such devices, a particular waveguide structure consisting of a three-stage device, having a thin nematic LC film as the middle stage and two glass waveguides as the other stages, has been designed and realized. The electro-optical behavior and the response time have been studied for different configurations for both TE and TM polarized light. By a proper choice of the material parameters and because of the presence of an additional constant bias voltage, we got response time in the microsecond range. The experimental results obtained are very promising in the frame of integrated electro-optical devices, even if the effect underlying the results is not yet understood and probably needs some deeper research into liquid crystal physics and surface interactions.     

On Monomial Reduction and Polynomial Expressions with Respect to Binomial Ideals

Let I ? K[x ₁,…, x _n ] be an ideal and G be the reduced Gröbner basis of I with respect to lexicographic monomial order. We introduce the index of an expression of f ∈ K[x ₁,…, x _n ] with respect to G. A minimal expression is characterized as the one with zero G-index. In case where I is a binomial prime ideal, a new division algorithm with minimal and unique expression is presented. The application of our new method on benchmark polynomial systems cyclic-9 and cyclic-12 shows its superiority in comparison with the existing division algorithm.     

葛酒中葛根素及其挥发性成分分析

HPL C法定量测定了葛酒中葛根素的含量 ,葛酒中含有一定量的异黄酮类化合物葛根素 ,相同品牌不同生产批号葛酒中的葛根素含量相对稳定 ,可作为葛酒质量控制的分析方法。对葛酒中挥发性成分采用气相色谱 -质谱 (GC- MS)联机进行定性分析 ,鉴定出 10个组分。与白酒中挥发性成分比较 ,葛酒中除了含有己酸乙酯等白酒中具有的相同成分之外 ,还含有酸、酮等化合物 ,与传统的白酒工艺相比 ,葛酒的酿造过程具有一定特色。     

高效液相色谱法测定复硝酚钠的三种组分

提出了高效液相色谱法同时测定植物激素复硝酚钠的3个组分,5-硝基愈创木酚钠、邻硝基苯酚钠、对硝基苯酚钠含量的方法。以Hypersil BDS C_(18)(200mm×4.6mm,5μm)色谱柱为分离柱,以甲醇-水(55+45)溶液为流动相,用二极管阵列检测器在235nm波长处测定。3个组分的质量浓度均在5～300 mg·L~(-1)之间与其峰面积呈线性关系。标准加入法测得回收率在99.5%～101.7%之间。加入50 mg·L~(-1)上述3个组分的混合标准溶液对方法的精密度进行试验,测得其相对标准偏差(n=6)依次为0.46%,0.37%,0.53%。