Computational methods are driving high impact microscopy techniques such as ptychography. However, the design and implementation of new algorithms is often a laborious process, as many parts of the ...code are written in close-to-the-hardware programming constructs to speed up the reconstruction. In this article, we present SciComPty, a new ptychography software framework aiming at simulating ptychography datasets and testing state-of-the-art and new reconstruction algorithms. Despite its simplicity, the software leverages GPU accelerated processing through the PyTorch CUDA interface. This is essential for designing new methods that can readily be employed. As an example, we present an improved position refinement method based on Adam and a new version of the rPIE algorithm, adapted for partial coherence setups. Results are shown on both synthetic and real datasets. The software is released as open-source.
In this paper we present our experiences of teaching an annually organized virtual reality (VR) capstone course. We review three iterations of the course, during which a total of 45 students ...completed the course and 16 VR applications were implemented. Our comparative analysis describes the students' evaluation of the course, the applications created by them, and their development experiences. The results suggest that our gradual improvements on the course and the utilized software paid off, as the latest of the compared course iterations produced the best feedback and the highest quality VR applications. Our learning assessment analysis reveals that our course is effective in teaching VR application development and having students meet their personal learning goals. We also bring forward our RUIS toolkit that was used in the course with success, and present evidence on how better software toolkits can affect the development experience and allow students to create more impressive applications. Finally we share the lessons learned during five years of teaching the course, introducing several practical considerations for VR course organizers regarding pedagogics, software, and hardware
Ta-based amorphous metal thin films McGlone, John M.; Olsen, Kristopher R.; Stickle, William F. ...
Journal of alloys and compounds,
11/2015, Volume:
650
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
With their lack of grains and grain boundaries, amorphous metals are known to possess advantageous mechanical properties and enhanced chemical stability relative to crystalline metals. Commonly, ...however, they exhibit poor high-temperature stability because of their metastable nature. Here, we describe two new Ta-based ternary metal thin films that retain thermal stability to 600 °C and above. The new thin-film compositions, Ta2Ni2Si1 and Ta2Mo2Si1, are amorphous, exhibiting ultra-smooth surfaces (<0.4 nm) and resistivities typical of amorphous metals (224 and 177 μΩ cm, respectively).
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•New Ta-based amorphous metals were sputter deposited from individual targets.•As-deposited amorphous structure was confirmed through diffraction techniques.•Electrical and surface properties were characterized and possess smooth surfaces.•No evidence of crystallization up to 600 °C (TaNiSi) and 800 °C (TaMoSi).•Ultra-smooth surfaces remained unchanged up to crystallization temperature.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Focusing on the role of efficiency and novelty design themes, this paper examines how (a) the initial business model of a start-up, (b) the subsequent changes in the design themes and (c) the ...combinative effect of efficiency and novelty (contextual ambidexterity) impact a start-up's growth performance. The study is based on a survey involving 267 new ventures from high-tech industries. The results highlight the importance of pursuing higher efficiency over the life cycle of a start-up, although not at the moment of its establishment. In relation to business model ambidexterity, the findings highlight the different effect that contextual ambidexterity can have on the growth performance of a start-up firm in different stages of its life cycle. While initial ambidexterity is found to have a negative effect on growth performance, successive increases in the level of ambidexterity have a positive influence on growth.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We deposited TaWSi amorphous metal thin films to determine how composition affects film crystallization and oxidation at high temperatures. Films were deposited by magnetron sputtering from targets ...of nominal compositions Ta : W : Si = 40 : 40 : 20, 30 : 50 : 20, and 30 : 30 : 40, and studied by electron probe microanalysis, electron microscopy, electrical methods, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic-force microscopy. All films remained amorphous to 800 °C or higher temperatures. Films prepared from the target composition 30 : 30 : 40 yielded the film composition Ta41.7W38.4Si19.9, which retained its film integrity and amorphous structure to 1100 °C, even after annealing in air.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
PurposeThis study aims to enrich the current theoretical debate on the growth of start-up firms by extensively investigating the ongoing empirical studies in this research stream. Moreover, this ...study identifies drivers whose support roles are confirmed in the literature and recommends further research opportunities.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, we analysed the results of 316 empirical studies on start-up firms and growth and also identified and categorised 66 growth drivers. We presented these drivers in three-dimensional charts: 1) the frequency of using each driver in the 316 studies, 2) the consistency of each driver as measured by the number of studies supporting its statistical significance and 3) the net effect (positive or negative) of each driver on growth.FindingsOur analysis compares extant studies on growth drivers and shows some under-explored growth factors of start-up firms.Practical implicationsBoth start-up managers and policymakers can benefit from this study. This study provided managers with a fine-grained tool on the main growth drivers and can guide policymakers in supporting policies for start-up firms.Originality/valueThis study provides a rich, fine-grained and coherent picture of several potential growth drivers of start-up firms. Moreover, we extended our analysis to various potential drivers more than previous studies on this topic, thereby providing fruitful insights into the critical growth factors for start-up firms.
We outline general theoretical and practical implications of what we promote as enactive cinema for the neuroscientific study of online socio-emotional interaction. In a real-time functional magnetic ...resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) setting, participants are immersed in cinematic experiences that simulate social situations. While viewing, their physiological reactions-including brain responses-are tracked, representing implicit and unconscious experiences of the on-going social situations. These reactions, in turn, are analyzed in real-time and fed back to modify the cinematic sequences they are viewing while being scanned. Due to the engaging cinematic content, the proposed setting focuses on living-by in terms of shared psycho-physiological epiphenomena of experience rather than active coping in terms of goal-oriented motor actions. It constitutes a means to parametrically modify stimuli that depict social situations and their broader environmental contexts. As an alternative to studying the variation of brain responses as a function of a priori fixed stimuli, this method can be applied to survey the range of stimuli that evoke similar responses across participants at particular brain regions of interest.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the growth drivers of start-up firms from the process perspective. Increasing scholarly attention to the growth of start-up firms ...has led to a more sophisticated understanding of their drivers. However, the richness of the results is partly offset by both potential and real contradictions in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
– In this paper, 233 studies on the growth of start-up firms are reviewed using a process-oriented lens.
Findings
– The analysis reveals an imbalance in the use of variance-based empirical approaches to study the process-based phenomenon and some misalignments in the use of non-process-based empirical approaches to improve a process-based theory.
Originality/value
– This paper offers an original perspective from which to reconsider the relevant literature and provides useful recommendations for researchers to forge a path ahead in this field.
When considering the acquisition of experimental synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray CT data, the reconstruction workflow cannot be limited to the essential computational steps of flat fielding and ...filtered back projection (FBP). More refined image processing is often required, usually to compensate artifacts and enhance the quality of the reconstructed images. In principle, it would be desirable to optimize the reconstruction workflow at the facility during the experiment (beamtime). However, several practical factors affect the image reconstruction part of the experiment and users are likely to conclude the beamtime with sub-optimal reconstructed images. Through an example of application, this article presents
SYRMEP Tomo Project
(STP), an open-source software tool conceived to let users design custom CT reconstruction workflows. STP has been designed for post-beamtime (off-line use) and for a new reconstruction of past archived data at user’s home institution where simple computing resources are available. Releases of the software can be downloaded at the Elettra Scientific Computing group GitHub repository
https://github.com/ElettraSciComp/STP-Gui
.
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