Josephson junction array type I-V characteristics of quench-condensed ultra thin films of Bi

In this communication we report studies of d.c current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of ultra thin films of Bi, quench condensed on single crystal sapphire substrates at T = 15K. The hysteretic I-V characteristics are explained using a resistively and capacitively shunted junction (RCSJ) model of Josephson junction arrays. The Josephson coupling energy($E_J$) and the charging energy($E_c$) are calculated for different thickness($d$) values. A low resistance state is found in the low current regime below the critical current, $I_c$. This resistance $R_0$ is found to have a minimum at a particular thickness ($d_c$) value. Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) studies are done on these films. A distinct appearance of a diffuse ring near $d_c$ is observed in the diffraction images, consistent with the recent STM studies(Ekinci and Valles, PRL {\bf 82}(1999) 1518). These films show an irreversible annealing when temperature is increased. The annealing temperature ($T_a$) also has a maximum at the same thickness. Althoguh the R$_s$ vs T of quench condensed Bi films suggest that the films are uniform, our results indicate that even in thick films, the order parameter is not fully developed over the complete area of the film. These results are discussed qualitatively.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Biometric Template Protection based on Hill Cipher Algorithm with Two Invertible Keys

The security of stored templates has become an important issue in biometric authentication systems this because most of the biometric attacks target the biometric database beside the difficulty of issuing the templates again. Thus, to protect the biometric templates it must be encrypted before storing in database. In this paper we proposed an efficient encryption method based on two invertible and random keys to enhance and overcome the weakness of hill cipher algorithm the keys generated using upper triangular matrices with Pseudo-Random Number Generator (PRNG) using two large and random encryption keys. The proposed encryption method provides sufficient security and protection for the biometric templates from attacks, where the experimental results showed high efficiency comparing with the traditional Hill Cipher and existing methods

An Exploratory Case Study of Complex System Governance Diagnostics

The purpose of this study was to conduct an initial diagnosis of the state of Complex System Governance (CSG) using a case study research design. The field of Complex System Governance (CSG), rooted in systems theory and management cybernetics, is the “design, execution, and evolution of the metasystem functions necessary to provide control, communication, coordination, and integration of a complex system.” This research explored literature in the fields of CSG, Organizational Diagnostics, and Performance Measurement as contributing literature streams for CSG Diagnostics and identified a gaps in the literature. This research addresses those gaps by exploring what results from applying CSG Diagnostics in an operational setting. Data was collected using email, virtual face-to-face conversations, and a survey that was developed based on the Metasystem Pathologies as described in Katina (2016). Case narratives developed for each case were then to conduct a cross-case analysis between executive leadership and personnel who execute day-to-day operations within an organization to examine attitudes about the state of CSG for the organization. Findings from the research include demonstrating the utility of CSG diagnostics and identifying insights from the application in operational settings, recognizing that receptiveness of CSG by an organization appears to be a key ingredient for conducting CSG diagnostics, and that CSG could be applied for organizational diagnostics. The research study identified implications for future research: 1) further examination of the theoretical and conceptual basis for organizational diagnostics for CSG to contribute to the development of a Theory of CSG Diagnostics, 2) additional depth of validation for findings concerning the nature of organizational diagnostics for CSG from a systems theoretic basis to examine further contributions of Systems Theory and Management Cybernetics to CSG Diagnostics, 3) examination of organizational diagnostic models to develop a theoretical bases for organizational diagnostics, 4) explore the use of modern technologies to conduct organizational diagnostics, 5) further explore the contribution of CSG to organizational diagnostics, 6) promote the measurement of performance as being judgment-free with the purpose of identifying the initial state for development, and 7) adaptation of the survey for other diagnostic efforts in support of performance measurement

A177: Program Evaluation of the ACR/CARRA Inter‐Institutional Mentoring Program (AMIGO) in Pediatric Rheumatology

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106776/1/art38603.pd

Using Barkhausen Noise to Measure Coating Depth of Coated High-Speed Steel

Coated high-speed steel tools are widely used in machining processes as they offer an excellent tool life to cost ratio, but they quickly need replacing once the coated layer is worn away. It would be therefore useful to be able to measure the tool life remaining non-destructively and cheaply. To achieve this, the work presented here aims to measure the thickness of the coated layer of high-speed cutting tools by using Barkhausen noise (BHN) techniques. Coated high-speed steel specimens coated with two different materials (chromium nitride (CrN), titanium nitride (TiN)) were tested using a cost-effective measuring system developed for this study. Sensory features were extracted from the signal received from a pick-up coil and the signal features, Root mean square, peak count, and signal energy, were successfully correlated with the thickness of the coating layer on high-speed steel (HSS) specimens. The results suggest that the Barkhausen noise measuring system developed in this study can successfully indicate the different thickness of the coating layer on CrN/TiN coated HSS specimens

Astrophysically Motivated Bulge-Disk Decompositions of SDSS Galaxies

We present a set of bulge-disk decompositions for a sample of 71,825 SDSS main-sample galaxies in the redshift range 0.003<z<0.05. We have fit each galaxy with either a de Vaucouleurs ('classical') or an exponential ('pseudo-') bulge and an exponential disk. Two dimensional Sersic fits are performed when the 2-component fits are not statistically significant or when the fits are poor, even in the presence of high signal-to-noise. We study the robustness of our 2-component fits by studying a bright subsample of galaxies and we study the systematics of these fits with decreasing resolution and S/N. Only 30% of our sample have been fit with two-component fits in which both components are non-zero. The g-r and g-i colours of each component for the two-component models are determined using linear templates derived from the r-band model. We attempt a physical classification of types of fits into disk galaxies, pseudo-bulges, classical bulges, and ellipticals. Our classification of galaxies agrees well with previous large B+D decomposed samples. Using our galaxy classifications, we find that Petrosian concentration is a good indicator of B/T, while overall Sersic index is not. Additionally, we find that the majority of green valley galaxies are bulge+disk galaxies. Furthermore, in the transition from green to red B+D galaxies, the total galaxy colour is most strongly correlated with the disk colour.Comment: 28 pages, 34 figures, MNRAS accepte

Stellar populations of bulges at low redshift

This chapter summarizes our current understanding of the stellar population properties of bulges and outlines important future research directions.Comment: Review article to appear in "Galactic Bulges", Editors: Laurikainen E., Peletier R., Gadotti D., Springer Publishing. 34 pages, 12 figure