The effective properties of composites whose structure includes nanocontacts between bulk-phase macrocrystallites are considered. A model for such a nanostructured composite is constructed. Effective values of the thermoelectric power, thermal and electrical conductivities, and thermoelectric figure of merit are calculated in the mean-field approximation.

The review describes the dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), a class of soft mechanical actuators made of functional polymeric materials and composites, which are capable to act as artificial muscles. The principles of operation, design, methods of DEAs fabrication and the required equipment are comprehensively described. Most frequently used DEA polymers (polyacrylates, polyurethanes, siloxanes) are considered in detail, and various modern advanced modification methods are listed. Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMSs) are the most promising materials as DEA membranes. The review presents the state-of-the-art techniques for significant improvement of the performance of PDMSs: the reinforcement of a silicone matrix with different dispersed fillers, the chemical modification using compounds with large dipole moments to finely tune the dielectric characteristics of the silicones, etc. A new classification of DEAs is proposed. The design of more than 20 DEA devices are presented. The bibliography includes 269 references.

We investigate time series by mapping them to the complex networks using a parametric natural visibility graph (PNVG) algorithm that generates graphs depending on arbitrary continuous parameter—the angle of view. We study the behavior of the relative number of clusters in PNVG near the critical value of the angle of view. Artificial and experimental time series of different nature are used for numerical PNVG investigations to find critical exponents above and below the critical point as well as the exponent in the finite size scaling regime. Altogether, they allow us to find the critical exponent of the correlation length for PNVG. The set of calculated critical exponents satisfies the basic Widom relation. The PNVG is found to demonstrate scaling behavior. Our results reveal the similarity between the behavior of the relative number of clusters in PNVG and the order parameter in the second-order phase transitions theory. We show that the PNVG is another example of a system (in addition to magnetic, percolation, superconductivity, etc.) with observed second-order phase transition