Approximate Controllability Of Semilinear Systems Using Integral Contractors

In this article, a non-autonomous (time-varying) semilinear system is considered and its approximate controllability is investigated. The notion of 'bounded integral contractor', introduced by Altman, has been exploited to obtain sufficient conditions for approximate controllability. This condition is weaker than Lipschitz condition. The main theorems of Naito [11, 12] are obtained as corollaries of our main results. An example is also given to show how our results weaken the conditions assumed by Sukavanam[17].

Activities in the $FeTiO_{3}-NiTiO_{3}$ Solid Solution from Alloy-Oxide Equilibria at 1273 K

Nine tie-lines between Fe-Ni alloys and FeTiO3-NiTiO3 solid solutions were determined at 1273 K. Samples were equilibrated in evacuated quartz ampoules for periods up to 10 days. Compositions of the alloy and oxide phases at equilibrium were determined by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. X-ray powder diffraction was used to confirm the results. Attainment of equilibrium was verified by the conventional tie-line rotation technique and by thermodynamic analysis of the results. The tie-lines are skewed toward the FeTiO3 corner. From the tie-line data and activities in the Fe-Ni alloy phase available in the literature, activities of FeTiO3 and NiTiO3 in the ilmenite solid solution were derived using the modified Gibbs-Duhem technique of Jacob and Jeffes [K.T. Jacob and J.H.E. Jeffes, An Improved Method for Calculating Activities from Distribution Equilibria, High Temp. High Press., 1972, 4, p 177-182]. The components of the oxide solid solution exhibit moderate positive deviations from Raoult's law. Within experimental error, excess Gibbs energy of mixing for the FeTiO3-NiTiO3 solid solution at 1273 K is a symmetric function of composition and can be represented as: Delta G(E) = 8590 (+/- 200) X-FeTiO3 X-NiTiO3 J/mol Full spectrum of tie-lines and oxygen potentials for the three-phase equilibrium involving Fe-Ni alloys, FeTiO3-NiTiO3 solid solutions, and TiO2 at 1273 K were computed using results obtained in this study and data available in the literature.

Analytical approximation solutions for 3-D optical waveguides: Review

The rectangular dielectric waveguide is the most commonly used structure in integrated optics, especially in semi-conductor diode lasers. Demands for new applications such as high-speed data backplanes in integrated electronics, waveguide filters, optical multiplexers and optical switches are driving technology toward better materials and processing techniques for planar waveguide structures. The infinite slab and circular waveguides that we know are not practical for use on a substrate because the slab waveguide has no lateral confinement and the circular fiber is not compatible with the planar processing technology being used to make planar structures. The rectangular waveguide is the natural structure. In this review, we have discussed several analytical methods for analyzing the mode structure of rectangular structures, beginning with a wave analysis based on the pioneering work of Marcatili. We study three basic techniques with examples to compare their performance levels. These are the analytical approach developed by Marcatili, the perturbation techniques, which improve on the analytical solutions and the effective index method with examples.

Intelligent thermal energy meter cum controller for solar water heating systems

A microcontroller based, thermal energy meter cum controller (TEMC) suitable for solar thermal systems has been developed. It monitors solar radiation, ambient temperature, fluid flow rate, and temperature of fluid at various locations of the system and computes the energy transfer rate. It also controls the operation of the fluid-circulating pump depending on the temperature difference across the solar collector field. The accuracy of energy measurement is +/-1.5%. The instrument has been tested in a solar water heating system. Its operation became automatic with savings in electrical energy consumption of pump by 30% on cloudy days.

Impact of rRNA methylations on ribosome recycling and fidelity of initiation in Escherichia coli

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) contains a number of modified nucleosides in functionally important regions including the intersubunit bridge regions. As the activity of ribosome recycling factor (RRF) in separating the large and the small subunits of the ribosome involves disruption of intersubunit bridges, we investigated the impact of rRNA methylations on ribosome recycling. We show that deficiency of rRNA methylations, especially at positions 1518 and 1519 of 16S rRNA near the interface with the 50S subunit and in the vicinity of the IF3 binding site, adversely affects the efficiency of RRF-mediated ribosome recycling. In addition, we show that a compromise in the RRF activity affords increased initiation with a mutant tRNA(fMet) wherein the three consecutive G-C base pairs ((29)GGG(31):39CCC41), a highly conserved feature of the initiator tRNAs, were mutated to those found in the elongator tRNA(Met) ((29)UCA(31):(39)psi GA(41)). This observation has allowed us to uncover a new role of RRF as a factor that contributes to fidelity of initiator tRNA selection on the ribosome. We discuss these and earlier findings to propose that RRF plays a crucial role during all the steps of protein synthesis.

On the short-range order in Al-Mn quasicrystals during low-temperature ageing

We report the evolution of diffuse intensity during the low-temperature ageing of Al-Mn quasicrystals. This is taken as evidence of short-range order in the icosahedral phase prior to its decomposition. The implication of these diffuse intensities is discussed.

Comparison of Rectangular and Polar Quantizers in Digital Holography

Complex amplitude encoded in any digital hologram must undergo quantization, usually in either polar or rectangular format . In this paper these two schemes are compared under the constraints and conditions inherent in digital holography . For Fourier transform holograms when the spectrum is levelled through phase coding, the rectangular format is shown to be optimal . In the absence of phase coding, and also if the amplitude spectrum has a large dynamic range, the polar format may be preferable .

Optically active gossypol as a circular dichroism probe of interactions with serum albumins

The (+)-enantiomer of the polyphenolic binaphthyl gossypol, has been shown to be a useful CD probe of interactions with human and bovine serum albumin. (+)-Gossypol binds to albumin with same affinity as recemic (±)-gossypol, as shown by fluorescence quenching, and also displaces bilirubin from its albumin binding site. The CD characteristics of bound gossypol are different in the case of the two proteins.

Bismuth tungsten-oxide bronzes - a study of intergrowth phases and related aspects

Reaction of bismuth metal with WO$_3$ in the absence of oxygen yields interesting bronze-like phases. From analytical electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the product phases are found to have the general composition Bi$_x$ WO$_3$ with bismuth in the 3+ state. Structural investigations made with high resolution electron micrscopy and cognate techniques reveal that when x < 0.02, a perovskite bronze is formed. When x $\geqslant$ 0.02, however, intergrowth tungsten bronzes (i.t.b.) containing varying widths of the WO$_3$ slab are formed, the lattice periodicity being in the range 2.3-5.1 nm in a direction perpendicular to the WO$_3$ slabs. Image-matching studies indicate that the bismuth atoms are in the tunnels of the hexagonal tungsten bronze (h.t.b.) strips and the h.t.b. strips always remain one-tunnel wide. Annealed samples show a satellite structure around the superlattice spots in the electron diffraction patterns, possibly owing to ordering of the bismuth atoms in the tunnels. The i.t.b. phases show recurrent intergrowths extending up to 100 nm in several crystals. The periodicity varies considerably within the same crystal wherever there is disordered intergrowth, but unit cell dimensions can be assigned from X-ray and electron diffraction patterns. The maximum value of x in the i.t.b. phases is ca. 0.07 and there is no evidence for the i.t.b. phase progressively giving way to the h.t.b. phase with increase in x. Hexagonal tungsten bronzes that contain bismuth with x up to 0.02 can be formed by starting from hexagonal WO$_3$, but the h.t.b. phase seems to be metastable. Optical, magnetic and electron transport properties of the i.t.b. phases have been measured and it appears that the electrons become itinerant when x > 0.05.

A global convergence criterion for discrete-time multivariable adaptive systems

The paper deals with the basic problem of adjusting a matrix gain in a discrete-time linear multivariable system. The object is to obtain a global convergence criterion, i.e. conditions under which a specified error signal asymptotically approaches zero and other signals in the system remain bounded for arbitrary initial conditions and for any bounded input to the system. It is shown that for a class of up-dating algorithms for the adjustable gain matrix, global convergence is crucially dependent on a transfer matrix G(z) which has a simple block diagram interpretation. When w(z)G(z) is strictly discrete positive real for a scalar w(z) such that w-1(z) is strictly proper with poles and zeros within the unit circle, an augmented error scheme is suggested and is proved to result in global convergence. The solution avoids feeding back a quadratic term as recommended in other schemes for single-input single-output systems.

Development of special fastener elements

A special finite element (FASNEL) is developed for the analysis of a neat or misfit fastener in a two-dimensional metallic/composite (orthotropic) plate subjected to biaxial loading. The misfit fasteners could be of interference or clearance type. These fasteners, which are common in engineering structures, cause stress concentrations and are potential sources of failure. Such cases of stress concentration present considerable numerical problems for analysis with conventional finite elements. In FASNEL the shape functions for displacements are derived from series stress function solutions satisfying the governing difffferential equation of the plate and some of the boundary conditions on the hole boundary. The region of the plate outside FASNEL is filled with CST or quadrilateral elements. When a plate with a fastener is gradually loaded the fastener-plate interface exhibits a state of partial contact/separation above a certain load level. In misfit fastener, the extent of contact/separation changes with applied load, leading to a nonlinear moving boundary problem and this is handled by FASNEL using an inverse formulation. The analysis is developed at present for a filled hole in a finite elastic plate providing two axes of symmetry. Numerical studies are conducted on a smooth rigid fastener in a finite elastic plate subjected to uniaxial loading to demonstrate the capability of FASNEL.

Proton magnetic resonance study of molecular dynamics in (NH4)2CdI4

Proton magnetic resonance and spin-lattice relaxation studies have been carried out on (NH4)2CdI4 as a function of temperature (77–400 K) and Larmor frequency (10, 20 and 30 MHz). The T1 data indicate isotropic tumbling of ammonium ions at equivalent sites till 160 K. There is an indication of a phase transition at 265 K, the activation energy for molecular reorientation increases from 2.8 kcal/mole to 4.6 kcal/mole. The relaxation results and the linewidth data support the presence of two inequivalent sites at low temperatures, one having an environment corresponding to near-rigid-lattice limit and the other undergoing fast reorientations. The behaviour of the free induction decay with temperature below 120 K suggests a coherent motion for the faster species.

1H and 13C dynamic NMR studies of NN-diethyl N'-aryl thioureas

The variable temperature 1H and 13C NMR behaviour of two trisubstituted thioureas, namely N,N-diethyl N'-(2-thiazolyl) thiourea and N,N-diethyl N'-(3-pyridyl)thiourea has been investigated. The barrier to rotation of the diethylamino group has been obtained.

Algorithm for incremental compaction of geometrical layouts

In this paper, a new incremental algorithm for layout compaction is proposed. In addition to its linear time performance in terms of the number of rectangles in the layout, we also describe how incremental compaction can form a good feature in the design of a layout editor. The design of such an editor is also described. In the design of the editor, we describe how arrays can be used to implement quadtrees that represent VLSI layouts. Such a representation provides speed of data access and low storage requirements.