Bonferroni means with induced ordered weighted average operators

The induced ordered weighted average is an averaging aggregation operator that provides a parameterized family of aggregation operators between the minimum and the maximum. This paper presents some new generalizations by using Bonferroni means (BM) forming induced BM. The main advantage of this approach is the possibility of reordering the results according to complex ranking processes based on order-inducing variables. The work also presents some additional extensions by using the weighted ordered weighted average, immediate weights, and hybrid averages. Some further generalizations with generalized and quasi-arithmetic means are also developed to consider a wide range of particular cases including quadratic and geometric aggregations. The article also considers the applicability of the new approach in-group decision-making developing an application in sales forecasting.     

Some interval-valued q-rung orthopair weighted averaging operators and their applications to multiple-attribute decision making

Q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (q-ROFSs), initially proposed by Yager, are a new way to reflect uncertain information. The existing intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and Pythagorean fuzzy sets are special cases of the q-ROFSs. However, due to insufficiency in available information, it is difficult for decision makers to exactly express the membership and nonmembership degrees by crisp numbers, and interval membership degree and interval nonmembership degree are good choices. In this paper, we propose the concept of interval-valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (IVq-ROFS) based on the ideas of q-ROFSs and some operational laws of q-rung orthopair fuzzy numbers (q-ROFNs). Then, some interval-valued q-rung orthopair weighted averaging operators are presented based on the given operational laws of q-ROFNs. Further, based on these operators, we develop a novel approach to solve multiple-attribute decision making (MADM) problems under interval-valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy environment. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the application of the proposed method, and the sensitivity analysis is further carried out for the parameters.     

A straightforward design technique for narrowband multi‐stage low‐noise amplifiers with I/O conjugate match

Low‐noise amplifier (LNA) designers often struggle to simultaneously satisfy gain, noise, stability, and I/O matching requirements. In this article, a novel design technique, tailored for two‐stage low‐noise amplifiers, is presented. The proposed design method is completely deterministic and exploits inductive source degeneration to obtain a two‐stage LNA featuring perfect input and output match together with low noise figure (NF) and a pre‐determined gain, including stability analysis. A novel flowchart is provided together with the corresponding design chart that contains gain, matching, and stability information, therefore addressing all key figures‐of‐merit of a linear amplifier. The design chart is easily implementable in commercial Electronic Design Automation software, to aid designers in the difficult task of selecting the appropriate source degeneration inductor value. The noise performance, on the other hand, is the best possible since the matching networks are designed to provide the input of the two Field Effect Transistors with the optimum termination for noise. The design method is validated with two separate test vehicles operating respectively at Ka‐band (26.5‐31.5 GHz) and K‐band (20.0‐24.0 GHz). The realized Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits exhibit 18 dB gain for both versions, NF of 1.5 and 1.2 dB, respectively for the Ka‐band and K‐band version. Input and output matching are typically better than 12 and 15 dB.     

Uniaxial Alignment of Conjugated Polymer Films for High‐Performance Organic Field‐Effect Transistors

Polymer semiconductors have been experiencing a remarkable improvement in electronic and optoelectronic properties, which are largely related to the recent development of a vast library of high‐performance, donor–acceptor copolymers showing alternation of chemical moieties with different electronic affinities along their backbones. Such steady improvement is making conjugated polymers even more appealing for large‐area and flexible electronic applications, from distributed and portable electronics to healthcare devices, where cost‐effective manufacturing, light weight, and ease of integration represent key benefits. Recently, a strong boost to charge carrier mobility in polymer‐based field‐effect transistors, consistently achieving the range from 1.0 to 10 cm² V^?1 s^?1 for both holes and electrons, has been given by uniaxial backbone alignment of polymers in thin films, inducing strong transport anisotropy and favoring enhanced transport properties along the alignment direction. Herein, an overview on this topic is provided with a focus on the processing–structure–property relationships that enable the controlled and uniform alignment of polymer films over large areas with scalable processes. The key aspects are specific molecular structures, such as planarized backbones with a reduced degree of conformational disorder, solution formulation with controlled aggregation, and deposition techniques inducing suitable directional flow.     

Acute kidney injury secondary to chlorine dioxide use for COVID-19 prevention

Chlorine dioxide has been historically used as a disinfecting agent for drinking water supplies and surfaces. Widespread use as an alternative option for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 has emerged due to a lack of specific treatment. We present the case of a 55-year-old male who developed acute kidney injury and disseminated intravascular coagulation after chlorine dioxide prophylactic ingestion, with regression after therapy with hemodialysis.     

Multidimensional quantitative analysis of the Cuban scientific output and its regional context

Scientometrics - A multidimensional approach was applied to analyze trends of the Cuban scientific output in the context of the 21 Latin American countries exceeding two million inhabitants. Output...     

Initial microstructure and retained austenite in 8 Mn steel controlled by cooling rate

The present work investigates the effect of the initial microstructure on phase transformation after intercritical annealing by measuring the amount of austenite, which was obtained by X-ray diffraction and saturation magnetisation. Pieces of 8?Mn steel were austenitised at 1100°C for 1?h followed by different cooling rates: water, air, and furnace. Samples of each piece were subsequently intercritically annealed from 600 to 800°C followed by air cooling. The microstructure was characterised using scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Results show how changing the cooling rate affects the temperature of intercritical annealing at which the highest content of retained austenite was obtained.     

Models for the two‐dimensional rectangular single large placement problem with guillotine cuts and constrained pattern

In this paper, we address the constrained two‐dimensional rectangular guillotine single large placement problem (2D_R_CG_SLOPP). This problem involves cutting a rectangular object to produce smaller rectangular items from orthogonal guillotine cuts. In addition, there is an upper limit on the number of copies that can be produced of each item type. To model this problem, we propose a new pseudopolynomial integer nonlinear programming (INLP) formulation and obtain an equivalent integer linear programming (ILP) formulation from it. Additionally, we developed a procedure to reduce the numbers of variables and constraints of the integer linear programming (ILP) formulation, without loss of optimality. From the ILP formulation, we derive two new pseudopolynomial models for particular cases of the 2D_R_CG_SLOPP, which consider only two‐staged or one‐group patterns. Finally, as a specific solution method for the 2D_R_CG_SLOPP, we apply Benders decomposition to the proposed ILP formulation and develop a branch‐and‐Benders‐cut algorithm. All proposed approaches are evaluated through computational experiments using benchmark instances and compared with other formulations available in the literature. The results show that the new formulations are appropriate in scenarios characterized by few item types that are large with respect to the object's dimensions.