Increasing the mechanical properties of structural cast iron for machine-building parts by combined Mn – Al alloying

The object of research in this work was cast iron for machine-building parts, alloyed with Al. The possibility of improving the mechanical properties of cast iron by choosing the optimal Mn – Al combinations, depending on the carbon content in the cast iron, was determined. The study was carried out on the basis of available retrospective data of serial industrial melts by constructing the regression equation for the ultimate strength of cast iron in the three-factor space of the input variables C – Mn – Al. The optimization problem was solved by the ridge analysis method after reducing the dimension of the factor space by fixing the carbon content at three levels: C = 3 %, C = 3.3 %, and C = 3.6 %. It was found that the maximum values of the ultimate strength are achieved at the minimum level of carbon content (C = 3%) and are in the range of values close to 300 MPa. In this case, the Al content is in the range (2.4–2.6) %, and the Mn content is about 0.82 %. With an increase in the carbon content, there is a tendency to a decrease in the content of Mn and Al in the alloy, which is necessary to ensure the ultimate strength close to 300 MPa. The results of the ridge analysis of the response surface also showed that at the upper limit of the carbon content (C = 3.6%), it is not possible to reach the ultimate strength of 300 MPa in the existing range of Mn and Al variation. All solutions are verified for the following ranges of input variables C = (2.94–3.66) %, Mn = (0.5–1.1) %, Al = (1.7–2.9) %. Graphical-analytical descriptions of the optimal Mn – Al ratios are obtained, depending on the actual content of carbon in the alloy, which make it possible to purposefully select the optimal melting modes by controlling the tensile strength of the alloy

Breadth First Search and Inference Methods Integration to satisfy table constraints

Within the Constraint Programming technology, so-called table constraints such as typical tables, compressed tables, smart tables, segmented tables, etc, are widely used. They can be used to represent any other types of constraints, and algorithms of the table constraint propagation (logical inference on constraints) allow eliminating a lot of "redundant" values from the domains of variables, while having low computational complexity. In the previous studies, the author proposed to divide smart tables into structures of C- and D-types. The generally accepted methodology for solving con-straint satisfaction problems is the combined application of constraint propagation methods and backtracking depth-first search methods. In the study, it is proposed to integrate breadth-first search methods and author`s method of table con-straint propagation. D-type smart tables are proposed to be represented as a join of several orthogonalized C-type smart tables. The search step is to select a pair of C-type smart tables to be joined and then propagate the restrictions. To de-termine the order of joining orthogonalized smart tables at each step of the search, a specialized heuristic is used, which reduces the search space, taking into account further calculations. When the restrictions are extended, the acceleration of the computation process is achieved by applying the developed reduction rules for the case of C-type smart tables. The developed hybrid method allows one to find all solutions to the problems of satisfying constraints modeled using one or several D-type smart tables, without decomposing tabular constraints into elementary tuples.

A multi-criteria analysis of sewer monitoring methods for locating pipe blockages and manhole overflo

This article is devoted to the aggregation of existing methods for monitoring sewerage systems into a single symbiosis, in particular methods for identifying the locations of clogged pipes and manhole overflows. Clogging of sewers is a frequent problem in large cities, entailing overfilling of manholes with sewage and disruption of the whole sewage system. Today, there are several methods for monitoring sewers: visual, acoustic and laser. Each method is represented by a wide range of devices with different characteristics and applications. The analysis identified the main technical and economic characteristics for each solution presented. Then, on the basis of the data obtained, a multi-criteria analysis was made according to several parameters: measurement accuracy, maximum diameter of the inspected pipe, type of pipe, cost. For the most objective selection, each parameter was given its own weight, and all parameters were normalized for their objective comparison. On this basis, all solutions were sorted by maximum values for each criterion, taking into account the selection by weights. As a result of the multicriteria analysis, five combinations of solutions were built, including several monitoring methods.

The Geometrization of Maxwell’s Equations and the Emergence of Gravity

A recently proposed classical field theory in which Maxwell’s equations are replaced by an equation that couples the Maxwell tensor to the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor in a fundamentally new way is reviewed and extended. This proposed geometrization of the Maxwell tensor provides a succinct framework for the classical Maxwell equations which are left intact as a derivable consequence. Beyond providing a basis for the classical Maxwell equations, the coupling of the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor to the Maxwell tensor leads to the emergence of gravity, with all solutions of the proposed theory also being solutions of Einstein’s equation of General Relativity augmented by a term that can mimic the properties of dark matter and/or dark energy. Both electromagnetic and gravitational phenomena are put an equal footing with both being tied to the curvature of space-time. Using specific solutions to the proposed theory, the unification brought to electromagnetic and gravitational phenomena as well as the consistency of solutions with those of the classical Maxwell and Einstein field equations is emphasized throughout. Unique to the proposed theory and based on specific solutions are the emergence of antimatter and its behavior in gravitational fields, the emergence of dark matter and dark energy mimicking terms in the context of General Relativity, an underlying relationship between electromagnetic and gravitational radiation, and the impossibility of negative mass solutions that would generate repulsive gravitational fields or antigravity. Finally, a method for quantizing the charge, mass, and angular momentum of particle-like solutions as well as the possibility of superluminal transport of specific curvature related quantities is conjectured.

A Viability Assessment of Two Commercially Available Sticking Adjuvants Added to a Bifenthrin-Based Barrier Treatment on Aedes taeniorhycnhus

ABSTRACT In an effort to reduce Aedes taeniorhynchus numbers in the northernmost community of Key Largo, FL (known as Ocean Reef), during the peak summer months, Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) has utilized a bifenthrin-based barrier application (Wisdom TC Flowable®) for several years. The FKMCD conducted a study comparing whether 2 aftermarket wetting/sticking adjuvants could improve the efficacy of the barrier treatments used to control Ae. taeniorhynchus. Maximum label rate was used for 3 separate solutions: Wisdom TC Flowable (1 fl oz/gal [7.81 ml/liter] water) with no additives (Wisdom), Wisdom with Lesco Spreader-Sticker® (0.08 fl oz [2.37 ml]), and Wisdom with Xtended Performance® (2.56 fl oz [75.71 ml]). All solutions were applied to 100-ft (approximately 3 m) sections of tree-lined roadways in Key Largo, FL, using a SR 420® Mistblower backpack sprayer (Stihl Corp.). Leaves were collected from each application area for 8 consecutive weeks. Leaves were used to perform leaf bioassays against local populations of Ae. taeniorhynchus adults, and mortality was recorded at 1, 4, and 24 h postexposure. This process was replicated 3 times. Treatments had variable mortality rates at 1, 4, and 24 h postexposure across 7 wk following application. Mortality rates for all mixtures decreased for all exposure times throughout the study. Overall, the Lesco Spreader-Sticker solution was the only combination with a positive significant difference in adult mortality after 24 h.

Multi-objective dynamic programming with limited precision

This paper addresses the problem of approximating the set of all solutions for Multi-objective Markov Decision Processes. We show that in the vast majority of interesting cases, the number of solutions is exponential or even infinite. In order to overcome this difficulty we propose to approximate the set of all solutions by means of a limited precision approach based on White’s multi-objective value-iteration dynamic programming algorithm. We prove that the number of calculated solutions is tractable and show experimentally that the solutions obtained are a good approximation of the true Pareto front.

Oscillation Criteria of Solutions of Third Order Neutral Integro-Differential Equations

Some necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained that guarantee the oscillation of all solutions of two types of neutral integro-differential equations of third order. The integral is used in the sense of Riemann-Stieltjes. Some examples were included to illustrate the obtained results

On the structure of solution-sets to regular word equations

For quadratic word equations, there exists an algorithm based on rewriting rules which generates a directed graph describing all solutions to the equation. For regular word equations – those for which each variable occurs at most once on each side of the equation – we investigate the properties of this graph, such as bounds on its diameter, size, and DAG-width, as well as providing some insights into symmetries in its structure. As a consequence, we obtain a combinatorial proof that the problem of deciding whether a regular word equation has a solution is in NP.

Online Education in Poverty-Stricken Counties

Education problems in remote underprivileged regions in China have long been a prominent obstacle that inhibit the development of education equality. Among all solutions, internet education has the capacity to offset against the deficiencies of unequal distribution of educational resources. Analyzing the success of online education of Lushi County in Henan offers an opportunity of establishing a relatively more equal education system.