Compaction of Church Numerals for Higher-Order Compression

In this study, we address the problem of compacting Church numerals. Church numerals appear as a representation of the repetitive part of data in higher-order compression. We propose a novel decomposition scheme for a natural number using tetration, which leads to a compact representation of $\lambda$-terms equivalent to the original Church numerals. For natural number $n$, we prove that the size of the $\lambda$-term obtained by the proposed method is $O(({\rm slog}_{2}n)^{\log n/ \log \log n})$. Moreover, we quantitatively confirmed experimentally that the proposed method outperforms a binary expression of Church numerals when $n$ is less than approximately 10000

Symmetric quadratic tetration interpolation using forward and backward operation combination

The existed interpolation method, based on the second-order tetration polynomial, has the asymmetric property. The interpolation results, for each considering region, give individual characteristics. Although the interpolation performance has been better than the conventional methods, the symmetric property for signal interpolation is also necessary. In this paper, we propose the symmetric interpolation formulas derived from the second-order tetration polynomial. The combination of the forward and backward operations was employed to construct two types of the symmetric interpolation. Several resolutions of the fundamental signals were used to evaluate the signal reconstruction performance. The results show that the proposed interpolations can be used to reconstruct the fundamental signal and its peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) is superior to the conventional interpolation methods, except the cubic spline interpolation for the sine wave signal. However, the visual results show that it has a small difference. Moreover, our proposed interpolations converge to the steady-state faster than the cubic spline interpolation. In addition, the option number increasing will reinforce their sensitivity

Maine Alumnus, Volume 20, Number 4, January 1939

Contents: Soil Mechanics in Maine --- New Girls\u27 Dormitory Announced --- Under the Dome (alumni in state government) --- He Makes Farming a Business (Harold J. Shaw \u2714)https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/alumni_magazines/1488/thumbnail.jp

Multiscale approach toward the assessment and conservation of archaeological heritage at Pompeii

The protection and promotion of heritage structures must be addressed by following fundamental principles of compatibility, reversibility, distinguishability, and minimum intervention for the protection of both the material asset and intangible values. To do that, conservation, reinforcement, and restoration interventions of architectural heritage require multi-disciplinary approaches. Indeed, the achievement of comprehensive and detailed knowledge of the structural behavior and material characteristics of heritage structures is an essential part of the conservation and restoration process. The archaeological site of Pompeii was listed as a World Heritage Site for the outstanding value of its tangible and intangible heritage. The protection of this exceptional site set special challenges related to its great extension, the fragility of its built asset, and a large number of visitors hosted every day. Moreover, from a structural point of view, technical and conservation restrictions limit the possibility to perform extensive and in-depth investigation campaigns to characterize basic mechanical properties. This study was based on scientific cooperation between the Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture (DiSt), of the University of Naples Federico II, and the authority of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (PAP). The research programme developed in this thesis aimed at providing fundamental mechanical information, which was still lacking in the literature, and suitable diagnostic methodologies, mainly based on non-destructive techniques and correlations with destructive test outcomes, to support structural assessment and conservation. For this purpose, the study was developed through multiscale diagnostic approaches and involved different types of activities and methodologies: extensive surveys; archival research; in situ inspections; in situ and laboratory testing involving both non-destructive and destructive methods; and numerical simulations. The research mainly focused on two typical constructive elements of ancient Pompeian architecture, among those most representative and vulnerable of the site: rubble stone masonry structures, traditionally known as opus incertum; and free-standing multridrum tuff columns. The study of rubble stone masonry was developed through three main stages from the scale of the building materials to the scale of the masonry assemblages: i) the mechanical characterization of typical building materials (i.e. archeological stone units and mortars), which involved destructive tests (i.e. compression tests) and non-destructive tests (i.e. sclerometric tests and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests) performed on the stone units; ii) the characterization of archaeological masonry structures through in situ non-destructive tests, namely sonic pulse velocity tests; iii) the construction and characterization through non-destructive (i.e. sonic pulse velocity tests) and destructive tests (i.e. in situ diagonal compression tests and laboratory axial compression tests) of masonry panels reproducing the archaeological opus incertum. These were constructed by carefully following the ancient technique found at Pompeii and using original stone units and compatible mortar. Considering the impossibility of performing minor destructive tests or destructive tests on the archaeological materials, the extended and articulated investigation programme provided unique information on a very common masonry typology in heritage contexts. As regards the study of the multidrum columns, it involved two main stages: i) extensive surveys and analyses of their geometrical features and the most widespread forms of degradation, affecting their stability and seismic response, which included an analysis of past structural interventions and their effects on the current state of preservation of the columns; ii) the numerical modeling of these elements and simulation of their seismic response, under different real seismic inputs. Systematic and detailed knowledge of the geometrical properties and state of preservation of a considerable number of free-standing multidrum columns allowed identifying columns being potentially more vulnerable than others; moreover, approximate formulations for a primary estimation of the stability of multidrum columns towards the seismic risk were derived from the numerical simulations. In addition to that, a comprehensive and accurate research programme was developed for the design and characterization of a suitable repair mortar for structural interventions on archaeological structures. This part of the research was developed within a research visit at the University of Minho (Guimaraes, Portugal), Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), and the research stay was coordinated and supervised by Prof. Eng. Miguel Azenha and Prof. Eng. Paulo B. Lourenco for ISISE. The mixture was prepared following traditional mix design and using raw materials as similar as possible to the ancient ones. In particular, precious and rarely available natural pozzolan from the Phlegrean area (i.e. the same volcanic region where the ancient Roman builders collected their pozzolan) was used. The experimental programme and the adopted methodologies were accurately controlled to monitor fundamental mechanical and physical properties of the mortar from the first days after the preparation up to 200 days, to provide useful information which is still lacking in the literature. This study aimed at supporting the conservation and valorization of heritage assets of immeasurable value, by contributing to achieving adequate knowledge from a structural point of view. The attainment of that objective was intended based on the development of investigation approaches that are: i) compatible with conservation requirements; ii) repeatable and comparable with experimental campaigns carried out in other contexts; iii) representative of the vast built heritage of the site. The achieved information could represent a useful tool for the definition of appropriate choices and new methodologies for the design and planning of suitable interventions on the heritage structures

The roughness and imaging characterisation of different pharmaceutical surfaces

The surface properties of solid state pharmaceutics are of critical importance. Processing modifies the surfaces and effects surface roughness, which influences the performance of the final dosage form in many different levels. Surface roughness has an effect on, e.g., the properties of powders, tablet compression and tablet coating. The overall goal of this research was to understand the surface structures of pharmaceutical surfaces. In this context the specific purpose was to compare four different analysing techniques (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, laser profilometry and atomic force microscopy) in various pharmaceutical applications where the surfaces have quite different roughness scale. This was done by comparing the image and roughness analysing techniques using powder compacts, coated tablets and crystal surfaces as model surfaces. It was found that optical microscopy was still a very efficient technique, as it yielded information that SEM and AFM imaging are not able to provide. Roughness measurements complemented the image data and gave quantitative information about height differences. AFM roughness data represents the roughness of only a small part of the surface and therefore needs other methods like laser profilometer are needed to provide a larger scale description of the surface. The new developed roughness analysing method visualised surface roughness by giving detailed roughness maps, which showed local variations in surface roughness values. The method was able to provide a picture of the surface heterogeneity and the scale of the roughness. In the coating study, the laser profilometer results showed that the increase in surface roughness was largest during the first 30 minutes of coating when the surface was not yet fully covered with coating. The SEM images and the dispersive X-ray analysis results showed that the surface was fully covered with coating within 15 to 30 minutes. The combination of the different measurement techniques made it possible to follow the change of surface roughness and development of polymer coating. The optical imaging techniques gave a good overview of processes affecting the whole crystal surface, but they lacked the resolution to see small nanometer scale processes. AFM was used to visualize the nanoscale effects of cleaving and reveal the full surface heterogeneity, which underlies the optical imaging. Ethanol washing changed small (nanoscale) structure to some extent, but the effect of ethanol washing on the larger scale was small. Water washing caused total reformation of the surface structure at all levels.Pinnanominaisuudet ovat tärkeitä kiinteiden lääkevalmisteiden toimivuudelle. Lääkevalmisteiden valmistusprosessit muuttavat valmisteessa olevien pintojen ominaisuuksia ja pinnankarheutta. Pinnankarheus taas vaikuttaa lääkevalmisteen toimivuuteen monella eri tavalla. Sillä on vaikutusta mm. jauheiden ominaisuuksiin, tablettien puristamiseen ja tablettien päällystämiseen. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli oppia ymmärtämään farmaseuttisten pintojen rakennetta. Erityisesti tavoitteena oli verrata neljän eri analyysitekniikan (valomikroskooppi, laserprofilometri, pyyhkäisyelektronimikroskooppi ja atomivoimamikroskooppi) käyttöä pinnoilla, joilla oli erilaiset karheusominaisuudet. Menetelmien käytettävyyttä tutkittiin mallipinnoilla, jotka olivat tasaisia tablettipintoja, päällystettyjä tablettipintoja ja kidepintoja. Tutkimuksissa todettiin valomikroskoopin olevan käyttökelpoinen tekniikka, jolla voidaan saada pinnoista tietoa, jota ei ole mahdollista saada pyyhkäisyelektronimikroskoopilla tai atomivoimamikroskoopilla. Karheusmittaukset täydensivät kuvista saatavaa informaatiota antaen kvantitatiivista tietoa pintojen korkeusvaihteluista. Atomivoimamikroskoopilla mitattu pinnankarheustieto antaa kuvaa vain hyvin pieneltä alueelta, mistä syystä atomivoimamikroskooppi tarvitsee tuekseen muita mittaustekniikoita kuten laserprofilometrin, joka pystyy mittamaan pinnankarheutta laajemmalta alueelta. Tutkimuksessa kehitetyllä uudella pinnankarheudenanalysointimenetelmällä voidaan pinnankarheutta kuvata karttana, joka näyttää paikalliset pinnankarheuden muutokset. Menetelmällä voidaan kuvata pinnan epätasaisuutta ja sen suuruutta. Päällystettyjen tablettien tutkimuksessa laserprofilometrillä saadut tulokset osoittivat pinnankarheuden kasvun olevan suurinta ensimmäisen 30 minuutin aikana. Pyyhkäisyelektronimikroskooppilla sekä energiaerottelevalla röntgen-analysaattorilla saaduista tuloksista voitiin päätellä, että päällystekalvo peitti tabletin pinnan 15-30 minuutin aikavälillä. Eri mittausmenetelmien yhdistäminen mahdollisti pinnankarheuden muutoksen ja kalvopäällysteen kehittymisen seuraamisen. Optiset mittausmenetelmät antoivat hyvän yleiskuvan kiteen pinnalla tapahtuvista prosesseista. Heikkoutena optisissa menetelmissä oli liian vähäinen tarkkuus, minkä vuoksi nanometrimittakaavan ilmiöitä ei havaita. Optisilla menetelmillä näkymättömien ilmiöiden kuvaamiseen käytettiin atomivoimamikroskooppia, jolla voitiin kuvata kidepintojen nanometrimittakaavaista rakennetta

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Water hyacinth has now spread to all tropical and subtropical countries and is regarded as one of the world's most invasive aquatic plants. Water hyacinth (WH) is also known to have significant ecological and socio-economic effects. A potential of WH as feed for ruminants was evaluated through four studies with respect to: a) biomass yield and nutritive value of WH grown in two different habitats (pond and river), harvested in three cuts at four cutting intervals; b) fermentation quality of WH with and without additives; c) feeding value to growing cattle of ensiled; or d) fresh WH at four different levels of inclusion in a rice straw based diet. Compositional changes as an effect of cut were generally small in the pond or negligible in the river habitat. Cutting interval had some minor effects on WH composition. The most obvious changes across habitats were an increase in neutral detergent fibre (NDFom) content from approximately 510 to 550 g/kg dry matter (DM) and a decrease in crude protein (CP) from approximately 210 to 170 g/kg DM when cutting interval was increased from 4 to 7 weeks. Water hyacinth has a potential as livestock feed. Results showed high CP contents (176 to 195 g/kg DM) and high DM yields for the two habitats of approximately 400 kg/ha/week. Application of sugars in the form of molasses or rice bran as a water absorbent resulted in a rapid decrease of pH to approximately 4.0. This level was maintained until at least day 14 and then gradually increased to approximately 4.8 at day 56. Ammonia nitrogen and fermentation end-product concentrations were within acceptable limits. The best fermentation quality was achieved in the silages with added molasses, absorbent or with a combination of the two and an inoculant. At the highest WH level, cattle consumed >50% ensiled WH which provided nearly three times as much metabolisable energy as when none was fed. These results were mainly due to an increasing digestibility with increasing level of ensiled WH. Cattle fed fresh WH showed abnormal rumen distension and a gradual increase of rice straw intakes over time. A long adaptation period to fresh WH is recommended and an inclusion level of not more than 30% of diet dry matter

A History of Materials and Technologies Development

The purpose of the book is to provide the students with the text that presents an introductory knowledge about the development of materials and technologies and includes the most commonly available information on human development. The idea of the publication has been generated referring to the materials taken from the organic and non-organic evolution of nature. The suggested texts might be found a purposeful tool for the University students proceeding with studying engineering due to the fact that all subjects in this particular field more or less have to cover the history and development of the studied object. It is expected that studying different materials and technologies will help the students with a better understanding of driving forces, positive and negative consequences of technological development, etc

Building Beyond The Mediterranean

Suez, Abu Simbel, Cairo, Algiers, Casablanca, Istanbul... This work of pioneering research by architectural historians and archivists gives us access to an exceptional field of European cultural heritage: the records of buildings and public works contractors active on the southern shores of the Mediterranean between 1860 and 1970. It covers all the construction trades, from steel or reinforced concrete bridges and dams, housing for laborers and expats, and public buildings, but also furniture, decoration, and studio crafts. All of these projects attest to the intensity of the human, technical, and artistic exchanges occurring in this period between Europe and the south-eastern Mediterranean rim. This book is illustrated with over 200 rare drawings and photographs drawn directly from the builders'archives, including old photos intended to promote the contractor's business, construction site photos, architects' plans, sketches, and notes documenting technical innovations, and vintage advertising brochures, etc. This book is the product of the transnational cooperation project "ARCHING: ARChives d'INGénierie européennes" (2010-2012) carried out as part of the European Commission Culture Programme 2007-2013, in conjunction with five institutions: the Ecomusée du Bois-du-Luc (Belgium), the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine (France), InVisu (CNRS-INHA) (France), the Dipartimento di Architettura disegno-storia-progetto of the University of Florence (Italy) and the Archmuseum (Turkey)

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 370)

This bibliography lists 219 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Dec. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance