A novel data processing algorithm in thermal property measurement and defect detection by using one-sided active infrared thermography

The proposed algorithm is based on the analysis of an artificial front-surface pixel-based function which include

Market Mill Dependence Pattern in the Stock Market: Modeling of Predictability and Asymmetry via Multi-Component Conditional Distribution

Recent studies have revealed a number of striking dependence patterns in high frequency stock price dynamics characterizing probabilistic interrelation between two consequent price increments x (push) and y (response) as described by the bivariate probability distribution P(x,y) [1,2,3,4]. There are two properties, the market mill asymmetries of P(x,y) and predictability due to nonzero z-shaped mean conditional response, that are of special importance. Main goal of the present paper is to put together a model reproducing both the z-shaped mean conditional response and the market mill asymmetry of P(x,y) with respect to the axis y=0. We develop a probabilistic model based on a multi-component ansatz for conditional distribution P(y|x) with push-dependent weights and means describing both properties. A relationship between the market mill asymmetry and predictability is discussed. A possible connection of the model to agent-based picture is outlined

Modern Technologies for Timely Detection and Differential Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer

The diagnostic potentialities of laser spectro- and videofluorescence endoscopy, complex transabdominal US examination, dynamic multihelical computed tomography (MHCT) with the possibility of constructing multiplanar reformations, and virtual gastroscopy were studied with a view to diagnosing gastric cancer (GC). It was established that laser spectral fluorescence with the drug Alasens (5-aminolevulinic acid) is a highly revealing method for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of GC. The sensitivity of the method is 96%, and its specificity is 78%. Well-defined videofluorescence was noted in 91.3% of patients with GC. The possibility of detecting cancer with complex trans-ultrasonography in the pyloroantral division and in the lower third of the body of the stomach constitutes 95.6% attaining absolute values in T3 and T4. Dynamic MHCT allows 97% detection of GC attaining absolute values, beginning with T2 invasion depth; tumor localization is irrelevant. Comparative visual assessment of the quality of a virtual image and conventional video esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) was made. The study demonstrated a sufficiently high level of virtual images whose quality was not inferior to that of conventional images in intraluminal tumor growth. The indications for the application of this technique require further specification

Extended defects in natural diamonds: Atomic Force Microscopy investigation

Surfaces of natural diamonds etched in high-pressure experiments in H2O, CO2 and H2O-NaCl fluids were investigated using Atomic Force Microscopy. Partial dissolution of the crystals produced several types of surface features including the well-known trigons and hillocks and revealed several new types of defects. Besides well-known trigons and dissolution hillocks several new types of defects are observed. The most remarkable ones are assigned to anelastic twins of several types. The observation of abundant microtwins, ordering of hillocks and presence of defects presumably related to knots of branched dislocations suggests importance of post-growth deformation events on formation of diamond microstructure. This work confirms previous reports of ordering of extended defects in some deformed diamonds. In addition, the current work shows that natural diamonds deform not only by dislocation mechanism and slip, but also but mechanical twinning. The dominant mechanism should depend on pressure-temperature-stress conditions during diamond transport from the formation domain to the Earth surface.Comment: Submitted to special issue (1st European Mineralogical congress, Frankfurt, Germany, September 2012) of European Journal of Mineralogy. 21 page, 9 figure

Set-valued estimation of switching linear system: an application to an automotive throttle valve

This paper introduces a polyhedral approximation algorithm for set-valued estimation of switching linear systems. The algorithm generates set-valued estimates for any possible sequence of switching parameters, under the assumption that the system has unknown but bounded disturbances and measurement noises. Our algorithm has practical implications; namely, set-valued estimates were generated for the position and electrical current of a real-time automotive electronic throttle valve, and the corresponding experimental data demonstrate the practical benefits of our approach.Postprint (author's final draft

Measurement of non-linear optical coefficients of chalcogenide glasses near the fundamental absorption band edge

A time-resolved pump-probe method is used for the evaluation of non-linear optical coefficients of chalcogenide glasses from the As-S-Se and Ge-Se systems near their fundamental absorption band edges. The results are analyzed via comparison with the spectral dependencies of the non-linear optical coefficients of crystalline semiconductors; the role of electron transitions through the gap states of chalcogenide glasses is discussed

Preparation and investigation of high purity Ge-Te-AgI glasses for optical application

International audienceThe method for the preparation of high purity Ge-Te-AgI glasses with low content of the limiting impurities has been developed. The method includes the synthesis of GeTe4 glass using chemical distillation purification, loading AgI and GeTe4 into silica glass reactor by evaporation in all-sealed glass vacuumed system, melting the (GeTe4)100 − x(AgI)x (x = 0-20) glass into muffle rocking furnace at 850 °С, quenching the glass in water with subsequent annealing and cooling. The prepared glass samples were investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, DSC, FTIR-spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and laser calorimetry. The high purity (GeTe4)100 − x(AgI)x (x = 0-20) glass samples are characterized by good transparency in the spectral range of 2-20 μm, glass transition temperature of 140-160 °С, Tc − Tg difference of more than 100 °С, and a very low content of the limiting impurities. Some glass compositions with AgI content between 10 and 20 at.% manifest a good thermal stability against crystallization

Rough paths in idealized financial markets

This paper considers possible price paths of a financial security in an idealized market. Its main result is that the variation index of typical price paths is at most 2, in this sense, typical price paths are not rougher than typical paths of Brownian motion. We do not make any stochastic assumptions and only assume that the price path is positive and right-continuous. The qualification "typical" means that there is a trading strategy (constructed explicitly in the proof) that risks only one monetary unit but brings infinite capital when the variation index of the realized price path exceeds 2. The paper also reviews some known results for continuous price paths and lists several open problems.Comment: 21 pages, this version adds (in Appendix C) a reference to new results in the foundations of game-theoretic probability based on Hardin and Taylor's work on hat puzzle

Low loss Ge-As-Se chalcogenide glass fiber, fabricated using extruded preform, for midinfrared photonics

Chalcogenide glass fibers have attractive properties (e.g. wide transparent window, high optical non-linearity) and numerous potential applications in the mid-infrared (MIR) region. Low optical loss is desired and important in the development of these fibers. Ge-As-Se glass has a large glass-forming range to provide versatility of choice from continuously varying physical properties. Recently, broadband MIR supercontinuum generation has been achieved in chalcogenide fibers by using Ge-As-Se glass in the core/clad. structure. In the shaping of chalcogenide glass optical fiber preforms, extrusion is a useful technique. This work reports glass properties (viscosity-temperature curve and glass transition) and optical losses of Ge-As-Se fiber fabricated from an extruded preform. A robust cut-back method of fiber loss measurement is developed and the corresponding error calculation discussed. MIR light is propagated through 52 meters of a fiber, which has the lowest loss yet reported for Ge-As-Se fiber of 83 ± 2 dB/km at 6.60 μm wavelength. The fiber baseline loss is 83-90 dB/km across 5.6-6.8 μm, a Se-H impurity absorption band of 1.4 dB/m at 4.5 μm wavelength is superposed and other impurity bands (e.g. O-H, As-O, Ge-O) are ≤ 20 dB/km. Optical losses of fiber fabricated from different positions of the extruded preform are investigated