5,816 research outputs found
High resolution powder blast micromachining
Powder blasting, or Abrasive Jet Machining (AJM), is a technique in which a particle jet is directed towards a target for mechanical material removal. It is a fast, cheap and accurate directional etch technique for brittle materials like glass, silicon and ceramics. By introducing electroplated copper as a new mask material, the feature size of this process was decreased. It was found that blasting with 9 ”m particles (compared with 30 ”m particles) result in a higher slope of the channel sidewall. The aspect ratio of powder blasted channels was increased by using the high resistance of the copper mask in combination with the use of 9 ”m particles. Furthermore, our measurements show how the blast lag (small channels etch slower compared to wider channels) is decreased by using smaller particles
A Reading Lesson Observation Framework for Elementary Teachers, Principals, and Literacy Supervisors
Henk et al present a framework which will provide reference points for assessment and help refine instructional practices in reading
Symbol synchronization in convolutionally coded systems
Alternate symbol inversion is sometimes applied to the output of convolutional encoders to guarantee sufficient richness of symbol transition for the receiver symbol synchronizer. A bound is given for the length of the transition-free symbol stream in such systems, and those convolutional codes are characterized in which arbitrarily long transition free runs occur
On the inherent intractability of certain coding problems
The fact that the general decoding problem for linear codes and the general problem of finding the weights of a linear code are both NP-complete is shown. This strongly suggests, but does not rigorously imply, that no algorithm for either of these problems which runs in polynomial time exists
A Leading Indicator for the Dutch Economy â Methodological and Empirical Revision of the CPB System
Since 1990 the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) uses a leading indicator in preparing short-term forecasts for the Dutch economy. This paper describes some recent methodological innovations as well as the current structure and empirical results of the revised CPB leading indicator. Special attention is paid to the role and significance of IFO data. The structure of the CPB leading indicator is tailored to its use as a supplement to model-based projections, and thus has a unique character in several respects. The system of the CPB leading indicator is composed of ten separate composite indicators, seven for expenditure categories (âdemandâ) and three for the main production sectors (âsupplyâ). This system approach has important advantages over the usual structure, in which the basis series are directly linked to a single reference series. The revised system, which uses 25 different basic series, performs quite well in describing the economic cycle of GDP, in indicating the upturns and downturns, and in telling the story behind the business cycle.leading indicator, short-term forecasts
Controlling skyrmion bubble confinement by dipolar interactions
Large skyrmion bubbles in confined geometries of various sizes and shapes are
investigated, typically in the range of several micrometers. Two fundamentally
different cases are studied to address the role of dipole-dipole interactions:
(I) when there is no magnetic material present outside the small geometries and
(II) when the geometries are embedded in films with a uniform magnetization. It
is found that the preferential position of the skyrmion bubbles can be
controlled by the geometrical shape, which turns out to be a stronger influence
than local variations in material parameters. In addition, independent
switching of the direction of the magnetization outside the small geometries
can be used to further manipulate these preferential positions, in particular
with respect to the edges. We show by numerical calculations that the observed
interactions between the skyrmion bubbles and structure edge including the
overall positioning of the bubbles are fully controlled by dipole-dipole
interactions
Some Simple Thoughts on Model Building for Developing Countries
The revival of interest in using models for developing
countries for planning and policy advice makes it desirable to draw
lessons from past experience. Simple models, focussed on specific
issues, are to be preferred to large and comprehensive models. More
empirical research is needed on supply and production functions for
developing countries. Not statistical criteria but developmental
considerations must determine the conclusions to be drawn from models.
More explicit explanations of assumptions and modesty in presenting
results of modelling work to policy makers are desirable
The Writing Observation Framework: A Guide for Refining and Validating Writing Instruction
The Writing Observation Framework (WOF) is a new tool for enhancing writing instruction in schools. The WOF organizes principles of writing instruction In a way that improves the evaluation of teachers\u27 writing practices, encourages a shared philosophy of the writing process and its instruction, and assists schools in demonstrating the integrity of their writing programs
Activated sampling in complex materials at finite temperature: the properly-obeying-probability activation-relaxation technique
While the dynamics of many complex systems is dominated by activated events,
there are very few simulation methods that take advantage of this fact. Most of
these procedures are restricted to relatively simple systems or, as with the
activation-relaxation technique (ART), sample the conformation space
efficiently at the cost of a correct thermodynamical description. We present
here an extension of ART, the properly-obeying-probability ART (POP-ART), that
obeys detailed balance and samples correctly the thermodynamic ensemble.
Testing POP-ART on two model systems, a vacancy and an interstitial in
crystalline silicon, we show that this method recovers the proper
thermodynamical weights associated with the various accessible states and is
significantly faster than MD in the diffusion of a vacancy below 700 K.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
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