Actual Product Research Articles

Bridging the Gap Between Electromagnetic Theory and Application [Book/Software Reviews

This book is a comprehensive guide that covers antenna fundamentals, basic antenna designs, simulation, and measurement for practical implementation strategies. It emphasizes practicality and also helps antenna designers, circuit designers, and design managers bridge the gap between electromagnetic theory and its application in the design of practical antennas in actual products. The book is organized into nine chapters that include some of the following topics: fundamental concepts; specification and performance, basic and advanced antenna elements, electromagnetic simulation, measurements, and implementation strategies. This book is written for practical antenna designers and includes all of the necessary information to jump in and start designing antennas. It bridges the gap between theory and practice and has just enough equations to make the theory clear but not so many as to be confusing. For the wireless products antenna designer, this is the book you must have in your office as your first reference.

Operating data-driven inverse design optimization for product usage personalization with an application to wheel loaders

Traditional design requires designers to envisage a product operating environment in order to identify customer needs. Analyzing product usage context by collecting actual product operating data during the product in use empowers new opportunities for the projection of requirement specifications and understanding of use case scenarios. This paper proposes a data-driven inverse design optimization approach to provide decision support to product personalization design. A closed-loop decision-making framework is formulated by integrating forward design and inverse problem solving within a coherent framework of data-driven analysis. An application to the transmission system personalization design of wheel loaders is presented to demonstrate how personalized product usage contexts are identified through inverse analysis of product operating data under different operating conditions. A particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm incorporated with Simulink simulation is developed to solve the multi-objective optimization of power performance and fuel economy for wheel loaders.

Effect of oxidation on cellulose and water structure: a molecular dynamics simulation study

Enzymatic cleavage of glycocidic bonds is an important, green and biocompatible means to refine lignocellulosic biomass. Here, the effect of the resulting oxidation point defects on the structural and water interactions of crystalline cellulose {100} surface are explored using classical molecular dynamics simulations. We show that even single oxidations reduce the connections within cellulose crystal significantly, mostly via local interactions between the chains along the surface plane but also via the oxidation defects changing the structure of the crystal in direction perpendicular to the surface. Hydrogen bonding on the surface plane of cellulose is analyzed to identify onset of desorption of glucose chains, and the desorption probed. To assess the actual soluble product profile and their fractions resulting from lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) enzyme oxidation on real cellulose crystal samples, we employ High-Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric-Detection (HPAEC-PAD) technique. The findings demonstrate the LPMO oxidation results in soluble glucose fragments ranging from 2 to 8 glucose units in length. Additionally, significantly more oxidized oligosaccharides were released in LPMO treatment of AaltoCell than Avicel, the two studied microcrystalline cellulose species. This is likely to result from the large reactive surface area preserved in AaltoCell due to manufacturing process. Furthermore, as can be expected, the oxidation defects at the surfaces lead to the surfaces binding a larger amount of water both via direct influence by the defect but also the defect induced protrusions and fluctuations of the glucose chain. We quantify the enhancement of water interactions of cellulose crystals due to the oxidation defects, even when no desorption takes place. The molecular simulations indicate that the effect is most pronounced for the C1-acid oxidation (carboxylic acid formation) but present also for the other defects resulting from oxidation. The findings bear significance in understanding the effects of enzymatic oxidation on cellulose nanocrystals, the difference between cellulose species, and cleavage of soluble products from the cellulosic material.

Isolation of Phthalates and Terephthalates from Plant Material – Natural Products or Contaminants?

Dialkyl phthalates have been used as plasticizers in polymers for decades. As mobile, small weight molecules, phthalates have entered the environment, where they have become ubiquitous. On the other hand, phthalates continue to be isolated from natural sources, plants, bacteria and fungi asbona fidenatural products. Here, doubt remains as to whether the phthalates represent actual natural products or whether they should all be seen as contaminants of anthropogenic origin. The following article will review the material as presented in the literature.

Equity-linked securities option pricing by fractional Brownian motion

Abstract In this paper, we use the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method to price the Equity-Linked Securities (ELS) option by fractional Brownian motion (fBm). We use the fBm that satisfy the Ito process instead of the geometric Brownian motion, and we call the proposed model ELS-fBm model. We first do the convergence test with the number of MCS. Then, we price the one-, two-, and three-asset ELS by employing the classical ELS model and the ELS-fBm model, respectively. We see that the price of ELS varies with different Hurst exponent, which indicates that the ELS pricing model considering the long-range dependence is necessary and more suitable for the financial market under uncertain environment. In addition, we prove the superiority of our proposed model with an actual three-assets ELS product which is issued by Future Asset company. We find the ELS price calculated by the proposed ELS-fBm model almost the same as the ELS price in the ELS product contract issued by Future Asset company, while the classical ELS model produces a great deviation.

China’s forest land use change in the globalized world economy: Foreign trade and unequal household consumption

Considering the globalization of forest land use and the influence of China’s socio-economic process on forest resources, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of China’s forest land use change in the globalized world economy during 2000–2011, by means of embodiment accounting based on EXIOBASE3 database. External demand, primarily from USA, EU, Japan and rest of Asia-Pacific, accounts for 20−45% of China’s direct forest land use, meanwhile, increasing forest land use (50−60%) is displaced abroad, mainly to Russia (20−30%), America, Africa and rest of Asia-Pacific. Overall, China is a net importer of virtual forest land use due to large imports through forest products (e.g., wood, paper and pulp), while highly-processed non-forest products also contribute a dominant and increasing share in total exports. Consequently, in the trade with USA, Japan and many European countries, China is the net exporter of virtual forest land use, though it is the net importer of forest products as revealed by conventional monetary trade accounting, highlighting the necessity of the inclusive embodiment accounting to trace land use to actual final products. Regarding final consumption, virtual forest land use of rural households only reaches 65–75% that of urban households, due to large disparities in the consumption of non-forest products. Per capita virtual forest land use of the rural and urban poorest groups are only 1/5 and 1/6 of the nation’s richest group, respectively. Therefore, transnational cooperation is required to promote sustainable forest management worldwide. China should also prepare for growing demand for forest land and reduce associated environmental inequality in the process of urbanization and poverty alleviation.

Effect of supplier supply network resources on buyer–supplier collaborative product innovation: a contingency perspective

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effect of supplier supply network (SSN) resources on buyer–supplier collaborative product innovation. The existing relevant studies from the network perspective are focused more horizontally on the mobilization of the firm’s entire supplier network resources and less vertically on the utilization of the individual supplier's supply network resources. Therefore, this paper takes a contingency perspective, regards the buyer as the receiver of a supplier’s supply network resources and, based on the theoretical motivation–opportunity–ability framework, explores the important motivation and ability factors that may weaken or enhance the product innovation value of the network resources.Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops a new research model that assesses how the innovation utilization effectiveness of SSN resources is contingent on a buyer’s perception of the SSN effects and relative absorptive capacity on the SSN. A large sample questionnaire is designed and collected from 300 Chinese high-tech manufacturing firms and their suppliers. An empirical test is carried out in which multiple regression analysis is applied to 246 valid sample data.FindingsThe results show that SSN resources can significantly enhance buyer–supplier collaborative product innovation; however, the innovation utilization effectiveness is limited by the buyer’s relative absorptive capacity for the SSN and perception of the SSN effects. Specifically, if a buyer perceives that a greater innovation effect of a supplier’s supply network is correlated with an improved relative position in the SSN or with higher network structural equivalence and network cognitive congruence between the buyer and the supplier on the SSN, then the buyer will be more motivated and capable of transforming the SSN resources into actual product innovation value.Practical implicationsThe research results provide useful guidance for firms to effectively mobilize their SSN resources to tap into the supplier innovation value for a sustainable competitive advantage.Originality/valueThis paper extends the research on supplier innovation value to the SSN field. Through linking dyadic and network levels of analysis, this paper reveals the value and uniqueness of product innovation utilization of a specific supplier’s supply network resources in the buyer–supplier relationship and provides a new research perspective for future studies on related issues.

Environmental impact of mutualized mobility: Evidence from a life cycle perspective

Today's urban transportation systems face increasing challenges such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, urban air quality, and traffic congestion. In this context, various initiatives of mutualized mobility have emerged. However, notably lacking is assessing the environmental impacts of mutualized transportation modes from a life cycle perspective. Using the actual urban transportation big data and related product life cycle data, this study combined with the life cycle assessment methodology and a “bottom-up” approach, explores the effect of mutualized mobility on greenhouse gas emissions of urban transportation systems for both Beijing and Toronto. The results showed that mutualized mobility might positively affect the sustainability of urban transport systems, albeit in very different ways. In Toronto, the annual per capita greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 decreased by 2.8 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) compared to 2011. Both carpooling and car-sharing displayed a higher curbing potential than ride-hailing. In a city characterized by higher population density like Beijing, ride-hailing created negative impacts. Deadheading (i.e., pulling an empty trailer) was the critical factor affecting ride-hailing's environmental performance, which accounted for about 30% of the total vehicle life cycle emissions. Counter-intuitively, greenhouse gas emissions of station-based bike-sharing (SBBS) were almost six times that of privately-owned bicycles and even higher than public transportation. This study's results can be used as a starting base for decision-makers to devise more appropriate strategies and programs to promote the sustainability of mutualized mobility and urban transportation systems. Meanwhile, it can also help the public at large to better understand the characteristics and environmental impacts of mutualized mobility to adopt more sustainable mutualized mobility alternatives.

Research on automatic detection system of encoder accuracy based on PID algorithm

After the encoder completes the installation and adjustment work, its accuracy needs to be checked again to confirm whether it meets the acceptance conditions. This process is usually manually operated by inspectors, and the inspection efficiency is low and there are certain manual errors. In order to improve this situation, an encoder automatic precision inspection system based on PID algorithm is designed. In this article, the working principle and structure of the detection platform are introduced in the first part, and then designs the corresponding detection software and operation interface according to its working characteristics. Finally, the platform was tested in combination with the actual detection products, and the encoder signal acquisition results were given, which further verified the accuracy and reliability of the detection device. The results showed that the accuracy detection platform can accurately and conveniently realize the error detection of the encoder’s function, and to a certain extent overcome the detection error caused by the drift of the photoelectric autocollimator during the detection process.

The Influence of RMB Exchange Rate Fluctuation on the Import and Export Trade of Agricultural Products in Jiangxi Province

With the continuous growth of China's economy and the influence of external factors in accelerating the marketization process of RMB under the overall environment, the exchange rate of RMB against US dollar has been rising year by year. Whether long-term or short-term exchange rate fluctuations will have a huge impact on the trade of many industries, and the import and export trade of agricultural products is also under the positive or negative impact of the RMB exchange rate changes. As the import and export trade of agricultural products is related to people's livelihood, social stability and a series of major issues, it is more necessary to conduct in-depth research on this issue with the support of theory. Taking the fluctuation of RMB exchange rate as independent variable and the import and export volume of agricultural products in Jiangxi province as dependent variable, this paper makes an empirical analysis on the relationship between the two. Therefore, based on the combination of previous scholars research literature, innovation in Jiangxi province as the research object, based on the actual agricultural products import and export data in Jiangxi province, using VAR model on the RMB exchange rate changes and import and export of agricultural products between the dynamic effects of the empirical analysis, and according to the empirical results obtained import and export of agricultural products depends on their own ascension in Jiangxi province.

Differences in Immaterial Details: Dimensional Conversion and Its Implications for Protecting Digital Designs Under EU Design Law

The paper considers three main questions: the legal status of digital designs from the perspective of EU design law, whether the protection is tied to the reproduction of physical products, and whether the scope of protection covers dimensional conversion such as using a 3D design in 2D form or vice versa. There are two sets of views regarding dimensional conversion: the “abstract” and the “concrete” view. These two different attitudes towards the scope of protection influence the manner in which the protectability of digital designs is assessed. In the “abstract” protection, it would not matter whether a product only exists as a digital image and not as a physical shape. In the “concrete” view, the protection of digital designs is more problematic, as the scope of protection is often tied to the reproduction of an actual physical product. The paper argues that, under CJEU jurisprudence and EUIPO practice, most of the open questions regarding the protection of digital designs and dimensional conversion can be considered as solved. The CJEU has chosen “abstract” protection over “concrete”, thus broadening the scope of protection at the EU level. This means that the digital use of non-digital designs can now be seen as infringing. As a consequence, in the future, right holders should put more care into evaluating the limitations and exceptions. The paper points this out with regard to the issues that are of relevance for the gaming industry, as this is where the use of digital designs is most versatile and relevant.

The Image as Double-edged Sword – Don DeLillo’s Falling Man and Non-violent Resistance to Fundamentalist Ideologies

ABSTRACT Both Don DeLillo and Jean Baudrillard have been critical of American culture, presenting it as a vapid culture fixated on the image – whether that means the actual products disseminated by film, television, print media and advertising, or the erecting of the imagined edifice of American exceptionalism and superiority that these products support. However, this article aims to show, through an analysis of DeLillo´s approach to the image in the novel Falling Man, that his relationship to the work of Jean Baudrillard is, in fact, a complicated and antagonistic one. Central to this complication and antagonism is DeLillo´s conception of the crucial role of the radical artist, particularly in times of historical upheaval, and his view of the ambivalent place America found itself in the days and years that followed the attacks of September 11. This article argues that the figure of his titular hero, Falling Man – the performance artist that haunts the streets of New York in the wake of the attacks – is presented as something Baudrillard would have seen as an impossibility; that is to say, as a source of orientation and unity in divisive times.

Does Augmented-Reality Head-Up Display Help? A Preliminary Study on Driving Performance Through a VR-Simulated Eye Movement Analysis

Augmented reality heads-up display (AR-HUD) is becoming increasingly popular as a way to keep drivers focusing on roads. By overlaying visuals on the windshield, AR-HUDs improve the drivers’ view of the environment outside the car, creating a stronger sense of awareness of the surroundings. However, whether AR-HUD and to what extent different AR-HUD layouts could improve drivers’ driving performance are still questionable. Unfortunately, AR-HUD is still at a research stage, not yet fully commercialized. Hence, there are few actual products in the market available for testing. For this reason, this study developed a virtual reality driving simulator to tested drivers’ driving performance environment under three scenarios: without AR-HUD, dispersed layout (AR-HUD1), and dense layout (AR-HUD2). Twelve subjects were invited to join the experiment. Their driving performance was measured in various aspects. This study showed that AR-HUD with interfaces that conform to human-computer interaction principles and visual design rules could improve cognitive resource allocation and promote driving safety. Conversely, a poor designed AR-HUD could negatively impact driving safety.

Application of Deep Learning Algorithms in Determination of Trace Rare Earth Elements of Cerium Group in Rocks and Minerals

Since the breakthrough of deep learning in object classification in 2012, extraordinary achievements have been made in the field of target detection, but the high time and space complexity of the target detection network based on deep learning has hindered the technology from application in actual product. To solve this problem, first of all, this paper uses the MobileNet classification network to optimize the Faster R‐CNN target detection network. The experimental results on the rare earth element detection data set show that the MobileNet classification network is not suitable for optimizing the Faster R‐CNN network. After that, this paper proposes a classification network that combines VGG16 and MobileNet, and uses the fusion network to optimize the Faster R‐CNN target detection network. The experimental results on the rare earth element detection data set show that the Faster R‐CNN target detection network optimized by the fusion classification network has the advantages of using VGG16 and MobileNet’s Faster R‐CNN target detection network to detect rare earth elements. The innovation of this article is that the results on 5 time series data sets show that CDA‐WR has better predictive performance than other ELM variant models. The effect of determining trace cerium elements in rocks and minerals is increased by more than 50%, based on deep learning. The algorithm studies the methods of target detection and recognition and integrates it into the intelligent robot used in this subject, giving the robot the ability to accurately detect the target object in real time.

High-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) for co-encapsulation of probiotics and curcumin: enhanced survivability and controlled release.

Synergistic biological activities of probiotics and curcumin can be achieved based on the gut-brain axis. However, it is still a challenge for utilizing both of them in actual food products due to their high sensitivity to environmental conditions. In the present study, high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) were fabricated to co-encapsulate the probiotics and curcumin in response to the customer demand for convenience. β-Lactoglobulin-propylene glycol alginate composite hydrogel particles (β-lgPPs) with proper size and intermediate wettability were prepared at β-lg to PGA mass ratio of 2 : 1 and employed as particulate emulsifiers. Stable HIPEs with a fixed oil fraction (φ = 0.8) could be formed within a wide range of β-lgPPs concentrations, ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 wt%. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images indicated that the interfacial structure of the oil droplets was composed of both β-lg nanoparticles and a PGA network, which jointly contributed to the gel-like structures in HIPEs. An increase in elasticity and gel strength, as well as centrifugal stability, could be achieved by elevating the particle concentration as determined by diffusing wave spectroscopy and Lumisizer analysis. HIPEs with high particle concentrations showed a high resistance against pasteurization since no obvious flocculation or coalescence could be observed in these emulsions. HIPEs also provoked a significant reduction in the death of LGG as well as the chemical degradation of curcumin: up to 7.91 log CFU cm-3 of LGG and 93.0% of curcumin were retained after pasteurization treatment. Moreover, the HIPEs could also retard the release of curcumin and protect the LGG in simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions. The results from this work provide useful information for developing a promising delivery system for the co-encapsulation of curcumin and probiotics.

A Geographical Survey of Center Pivot Irrigation Systems in the Central and Southern High Plains Aquifer Region of the United States

HighlightsAll center pivot irrigation systems in the Central and Southern High Plains Aquifer region were digitized.Out of 2.76 Mha under center pivots, the largest portion (58%) was in Texas and the smallest (2%) in Colorado.Most center pivots were about 50 ha, with a range of 1 to >230 ha.The new layer can be used in extracting distributed soil, weather, and crop data for various precision agriculture applications.Abstract. With the declines in water levels of the Central and Southern High Plains Aquifer, there is a critical need to accurately map the irrigated agriculture in this region as it is the largest user of groundwater resources. The goal of this study was to develop a geospatial database of all areas under the most dominant irrigation system in the region: center pivots. The borders of all center pivots (50,116) were manually digitized using high spatial resolution satellite imagery, delineating the area that can be potentially irrigated by these systems. Most center pivots were comparable in size (ca. 50 ha), with a range of 1 to >230 ha. The areas of digitized center pivots at the state and study area levels were relatively close to estimates of two actual irrigated area products based on automatic land classification. The new layer was also used to extract available data on groundwater level changes since predevelopment (before 1950). Aquifer regions under center pivots in Colorado and Texas had the smallest and largest declines in water level, respectively. The new layer offers advantages in terms of accurately identifying the area covered by center pivots and has potential research and practical applications such as studying adopted practices in response to water level declines, assessing field-scale irrigation uniformity, and extracting distributed soil, weather, and crop data to be used in various precision agriculture applications. The new layer is freely available to the public as supplemental information of this article (https://doi.org/10.13031/14707284). Keywords: Groundwater decline, Irrigated fields, Ogallala, Sprinkler irrigation.

Novel flexible cores in rotary draw bending forming: applied for the commercial vehicle anti-collision beam with rectangular ribbed (日-shaped) section

In this paper, rotary draw bending (RDB) process is used to bend the rectangular ribbed (日-shaped) section profiles into commercial vehicle anti-collision beams. But the bottom plate of the profile will inevitably produce wrinkling defects in the actual processing. Therefore, ABAQUS finite element (FE) software is used to simulate the profile with no mandrel in RDB process to obtain the formation mechanism of the defects. Based on the above result, a novel type of mandrel-novel flexible cores (NFC) is designed. Its innovation is not only perfect for RDB of the rectangular ribbed (日-shaped) section profile but also can play a good role in occasions where the use of ordinary mandrels is limited. All in all, the working occasions are not limited. Moreover, changing the parameters of the mandrel core can achieve any angle bending under the premise of ensuring accuracy, and the cross-sectional distortion is small. Finally, the wrinkling rate at the bending area of the actual anti-collision beam product is measured and calculated, and the result shows that the wrinkling rate Q is less than the standard value that defines the presence or absence of wrinkling, which is regarded as no-wrinkling. And there is a good agreement between simulation and experimental results.

Consumer attitudes and behavior towards organic products: Evidence from the Lithuanian market

Purpose: The paper analyzes consumer attitudes and related behavior towards organic products and determines the factors affecting consumer attitudes towards organic products andLithuanian consumers' choices. Methodology: Previous scientific works are analyzed and generalized in order to provide scientific substantiation for the research. A questionnaire survey is provided in order to approve the theoretically established factors in the Lithuanian market of organic products. The questionnaire is comprised of 23 statements representing eight latent variables: six possible reasons for the choice of an organic product (health issues; environmental concerns; food safety and quality; economic reasons; social reasons; psychological reasons) and two possible outcomes (intentions to choose organic products; actual organic product purchases). The survey results are based on the answers of 269 respondents representing the population of the four biggest cities in Lithuania. Findings: The results indicate the structural differences between theory and its application for the Lithuanian market; therefore, the factors are reestablished. The research results show the high level of Lithuanian consumers’ environmental consciousness; also, a willingness to share information relating to environmental issues with friends; and active engagement in sharing information about environmentally related issues. However, consumer awareness of the relationship between organic products, and health and quality issues is lower, indicating the necessity to be managed. Also, consumers do not express high agreement that organic products have to be more expensive; they do not intend to pay a higher price for them. Research results show that Lithuanian consumers do not choose organic products often and they also do not express conformable behavior (resulting from organic product purchases). Implications for theory and practice: The research results enable the ability to compose a clear framework of Lithuanian consumer attitudes and behavior towards organic products. The established factors affecting consumer attitudes and behavior can be further explored and modeled according to different market situations. Originality and value: Based on the results, companies can elaborate on effective marketing strategies fostering consumer attitudes and behavior in a particular way.

FPP detector for small product defect detection

There are many object detection algorithms that have performed well on public datasets, and they can be used in product defect detection. But there are still many details, which can affect the detection performance of actual product defect detection, need to be optimised. In this paper, we design a defect detector, called feature pair pyramid (FPP) detector, and optimise it for specific industrial application using three methods. Then we use FPP detector to detect defects of metal can products of an enterprise. The experimental results show that our FPP detector is more effective in detecting small size defects. The performance (AP@0.5) of our detector is better than current state-of-the-art detectors.

Digital Twin‐Assisted Simulation of Complex Assembly Models in Descending Process and Implementation of Key Link Characterization

In this paper, the simulation and key link characterization of the complex assembly model step‐down process are studied and analysed in depth using the digital twin approach, and the method is used in the practical process. The physical model step‐down method MORA algorithm and its physical interpretation in various simplified cases are given, and the MORA method is improved on this basis. The concept of local activeness based on knot structure is introduced, and the process of model transformation and downscaling and decomposition based on local activeness is explained in detail. The high‐fidelity mapping of solid equipment is completed in virtual space, which can accurately reproduce and predict the health state of engineering equipment throughout its life cycle, effectively avoiding the huge property losses and safety risks caused by early failure of vulnerable structures and providing a safe and stable working environment for offshore oil and gas production. With the prototype monitoring data as reference, the response surface method is used to identify the parameters of the finite element model of the hinge node, which improves the fidelity of the virtual model of the hinge node. Considering the friction coefficient changes and load characteristics during the degradation of the hinge node, the dynamics simulation conditions are set, and the operating states of the hinge node at different stages of its whole life cycle are simulated by using the high‐fidelity virtual model of the hinge node, and the prediction model of the hot spot stress of the hinge node is established to monitor its in‐position state in real time, and the operation and maintenance overhaul method based on the health state of the hinge node is proposed. The system is divided into four modules: multilevel inverse modelling of the assembly twin, statistical shape characterization and analysis of batch parts, optimization of fixture positioning and flexible assembly of thin‐walled parts, and optimization of low‐stress assembly of bolted joint structure, which verifies the feasibility of the method and provides guidance for the actual product forming process.