Concealed Damage Research Articles

An NSCT-Based Multifrequency GPR Data-Fusion Method for Concealed Damage Detection

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is widely employed as a non-destructive tool for subsurface detection of transport infrastructures. Typically, data collected by high-frequency antennas offer high resolution but limited penetration depth, whereas data from low-frequency antennas provide deeper penetration but lower resolution. To simultaneously achieve high resolution and deep penetration via a composite radargram, a Non-Subsampled Contourlet Transform (NSCT) algorithm-based multifrequency GPR data-fusion method is proposed by integrating NSCT with appropriate fusion rules, respectively, for high-frequency and low-frequency coefficients of decomposed radargrams and by incorporating quantitative assessment metrics. Despite the advantages of NSCT in image processing, its applications to GPR data fusion for concealed damage identification of transport infrastructures are rarely reported. Numerical simulation, tunnel model test, and on-site road test are conducted for performance validation. The comparison between the evaluation metrics before and after fusion demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed fusion method. Both shallow and deep hollow targets hidden in the simulated concrete structure, real tunnel model, and road are identified through one radargram obtained by fusing different radargrams. The significance of this study is producing a high-quality composite radargram to enable multi-depth concealed damage detection and exempting human interference in the interpretation of multiple radargrams.

Drying and disinfection of off-ground harvested almonds using step-down temperature hot air heating

This study aimed to develop a simultaneous drying and disinfection method for off-ground harvested almonds to improve drying efficiency and product safety. Almonds were dried in a column dryer (0.57 m-height) with hot air under constant temperature (ambient, 40, 50 and 60 °C) or step-down temperature (preheating with 80 °C and 90 °C, holding for 1–3 h, then stepping down to complete drying at 60 °C) and 1.0 m/s velocity. The drying time ranged from 240 to 2160 min to dry almonds from initial moisture content of 0.41 kg water/kg wet mass to a targeted 0.12 kg water/kg wet mass. Specific energy consumption ranged from 14.3 to 22.0 MJ/kg. No cavity, significant color change, concealed damage or oil quality deterioration were observed under all tested conditions. Step-down temperature drying with holding achieved up to 0.8 log CFU/g total bacterial counts reduction of in-shell almonds. Drying in-shell almonds saved up to 75% drying time and 78.6% specific energy consumption compared to drying in-hull almonds under the same temperature, with more uniform final moisture distribution. The findings suggested off-ground harvested almonds should be sorted and de-hulled prior to drying, which could significantly improve the drying efficiency, moisture uniformity and throughput of the drying process.

Energy consumption and product quality of off-ground harvested almonds under hot air column drying

This study was conducted to develop an efficient drying method for off-ground harvested almonds. The whole almonds of three varieties (Nonpareil, Monterey and Fritz) were dried in a column dryer at different temperatures (45, 50, 55 and 60 °C) and air velocities (1.0 and 2.0 m/s). The drying time ranged from 2.5 to 6 h. No cavity, no color change, no significant concealed damage and no deterioration of oil quality were observed under the tested conditions (p < 0.05). Page model was used to standardize the initial and final moistures of almonds for energy consumption calculation. The specific energy consumption of the drying process ranged from 7.01 to 19.05 MJ/kg under the tested conditions. The energies consumed for drying different almond components were calculated based on the moisture removal from each components during the drying of the mixture of in-hull almonds, in-shell almonds, kernels and loose hulls, which showed more than 60% of energy was consumed for drying the hulls, and only 20% was used for kernel drying. Therefore, freshly harvested almonds should be sorted based on their moisture levels and dried separately. The findings from this study provide an important guidance for drying off-ground harvested almonds with improved efficiency and ensured product quality.

Advances in research on changes of coagulation system after primary blast injury

Blast injury is the main cause of injury in the battlefield, which also occurs frequently in the civil field and modern society. The damage caused by blast is more complicated than other types of trauma. Primary blast injury is a common type of blast injury, which can cause multiple organ damage with complex mechanism. Tissue and vascular endothelium damage and organ hypoperfusion are the consistent manifestations of most organ damage. However, due to the concealed damage caused by the primary blast injury, it is difficult to recognize it in time. The study of coagulation function and acid-base balance change after primary blast injury can bring benefits to its early diagnosis and intervention, thus improving the prognosis and mortality of blast injury. However, at present, the research on primary blast injury mostly focuses on single organ damage. Lack of research on systemic coagulation and acid-base balance changes calls for further research. Such research has a practical significance for the early diagnosis and optimization of tactical care for primary blast injury. This article reviews the injury characteristics, epidemiology, mechanism and the relationship with trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) in primary blast injury to provide reference for related researches.

Detecting concealed damage in asphalt pavement based on a composite lead zirconate titanate/polyvinylidene fluoride aggregate

As an important research topic, the utilization of wireless sensors has attracted widespread attention in pavement engineering recently. In this study, a composite lead zirconate titanate/polyvinylidene fluoride aggregate (CPA) was embedded into asphalt pavement to monitor the concealed damage. A CPA-based method for monitoring concealed damage in asphalt pavement cracks was established. According to the analysis of the testing results of the CPA-based method, it was found that (a) for monitoring changes in the crack width, the amplitude attenuation of the signal is more sensitive than the frequency shift. Thus, the amplitude attenuation is selected and recommended as a monitoring indicator. (b) The root mean square deviation (RMSD) of the amplitude, as a more universal indicator, was proposed for increasing the sensitivity. It is independent of the asphalt mixture properties and grows approximately parabolically with the crack width in asphalt pavement. (c) A relationship model between the crack width and the RMSD was established. The maximum absolute and relative errors between the measured and monitored crack widths are 0.18 mm and 4.2 %, respectively, according to the laboratory investigation. This study provides a reference for the development and application of intelligent monitoring for concealed damage in asphalt mixtures.

Fabrication and performance of a self-powered damage-detection aggregate for asphalt pavement

The use of wireless sensors to monitor concealed damage to asphalt pavement has become an important research topic. The main obstacle to wireless sensor applications is the protection of sustainable power supplies. For this study, the self-powered damage-detection aggregate (SPA) was fabricated by encapsulating the piezoelectric vibrator with epoxy resin, prepared by compositing the piezoelectric ceramics (PZT) and polyvinylidene fluoride. The optimal PZT content in the piezoelectric vibrator was recommended as 60% according to the test results. The sensing and driving characteristics, sensitivity, and mechanical strength of the SPAs were studied, and the best SPA is recommended. The compressive strength of the SPA was 16 MPa at a temperature of 160 °C, which is far greater than the average tire pressure of 0.5 MPa to 1.3 MPa on pavement. During laboratory testing, a voltage of 75.0 V and an energy of 4.31 μJ was harvested when an SPA was embedded in an asphalt mixture slab. The coefficient of the acoustic wave attenuation, obtained from the SPA, decreased as the crack width in an asphalt pavement increased. We proved that the application of acoustic waves excited by the SPA to monitor concealed cracks of asphalt pavement is feasible.

Attenuation of acoustic wave excited by piezoelectric aggregate in asphalt pavement and its application to monitor concealed cracks

Abstract The use of sensors to monitor concealed cracks in asphalt pavement has become a research topic of interest. In this paper, piezoelectric aggregates (PAs) were embedded into an asphalt pavement. One was used as an actuator for transmitting a signal, and the other as a sensor for receiving the signal. The coefficient of acoustic wave attenuation a, referring to the amplitude ratio of the excitation signal to receiving signal, decreases as crack width in an asphalt pavement increases, indicating that the application of acoustic waves excited by PA to monitor concealed cracks of asphalt pavement is feasible. The driving frequency imposes obvious influence on the a, which is at its maximum when the driving frequency is 500 Hz. The value of a decreases as asphalt viscosity, nominal maximum particle size and air voids increase, and as asphalt content decreases. Temperature and moisture have obvious influences on wave attenuation, and the value of a increases as temperature and moisture increase. A more universal indicator–average absolute deviation (AAD) was proposed, which is independent of the asphalt mixture properties and grows linearly with the crack width in an asphalt pavement. In practical engineering, the pavement concealed cracks can be monitored by the acoustic saves excited by PA and be calculated by ADD. This study provides a reference for the development and application of intelligent monitoring of concealed damage in asphalt pavements.

A thermal after-effect of UV irradiation of muscle glycogen phosphorylase b

Different test systems are used to characterize the anti-aggregation efficiency of molecular chaperone proteins and of low-molecular-weight chemical chaperones. Test systems based on aggregation of UV-irradiated protein are of special interest because they allow studying the protective action of different agents at physiological temperatures. The kinetics of UV-irradiated glycogen phosphorylase b (UV-Phb) from rabbit skeletal muscle was studied at 37°C using dynamic light scattering in a wide range of protein concentrations. It has been shown that the order of aggregation with respect to the protein is equal to unity. A conclusion has been made that the rate-limiting stage of the overall process of aggregation is heat-induced structural reorganization of a UV-Phb molecule, which contains concealed damage.

Kinetic regime of aggregation of UV-irradiated glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit skeletal muscle

The study of the kinetics of aggregation of UV-irradiated proteins has attracted considerable interest, since test systems based on aggregation of proteins denatured by UV radiation can be used for screening of the natural and artificial agents possessing chaperone-like activity (anti-aggregation activity). To provide the proper interpretation of the effects caused by the agents under study, the kinetic mechanism of the aggregation process should be established. In the present work the kinetic data on aggregation of UV-irradiated glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) from rabbit skeletal muscle at 37 °C (O.I. Maloletkina et al. Biophys. Chem. 163–164 (2012) 11–20) have been analyzed. It has been shown that the stage of aggregate growth follows the first-order kinetics and the experimentally measured rate constant of the first order corresponds to heat-induced structural reorganization of UV-irradiated GAPDH containing concealed damage.

Effect of Temperature and Moisture on the Development of Concealed Damage in Raw Almonds (Prunus dulcis)

Concealed damage (CD) is a brown discoloration of nutmeat that appears only after kernels are treated with moderate heat (e.g., roasting). Identifying factors that promote CD in almonds is of significant interest to the nut industry. Herein, the effect of temperature (35 and 45 °C) and moisture (<5, 8, and 11%) on the composition of volatiles in raw almonds (Prunus dulcis var. Nonpareil) was studied using HS-SPME-GC/MS. A CIE LCh colorimetric method was developed to identify raw almonds with CD. A significant increase in CD was demonstrated in almonds exposed to moisture (8% kernel moisture content) at 45 °C as compared to 35 °C. Elevated levels of volatiles related to lipid peroxidation and amino acid degradation were observed in almonds with CD. These results suggest that postharvest moisture exposure resulting in an internal kernel moisture ≥ 8% is a key factor in the development of CD in raw almonds and that CD is accelerated by temperature.

Common Structural Deficiencies Identified in Canterbury Buildings and Observed versus Predicted Performance

This paper presents a list of common structural deficiencies identified following the Canterbury earthquakes. The deficiencies are based on detailed engineering evaluations of hundreds of buildings in Christchurch and its surrounding areas. The deficiencies identified are common to some of the more prominent collapses but are also found in buildings with limited or concealed damage. The detailed evaluations identified these deficiencies and limited the occupancy, triggered strengthening, or lead to the demolition of the structure. In addition, this paper includes a comparison of observed versus predicted performance of three concrete buildings in the Christchurch area that survived the Lyttelton event with limited damage. The predicted performance utilizes nonlinear time history analysis and is relative to the acceptance criteria specified in ASCE 41-06. In general, the observed performance was found to be better than the predicted. Sources of uncertainty and potential conservatism are evaluated including foundation stiffness, kinematic effects, and vertical accelerations.

한일간 카-훼리 국제복합운송에 따른 부명손해(不明損害)에 관한 연구

*Division of Maritime Transportation Science, National Korea Maritime University, Busan 606-791, Korea†Pukwan Ferry, Busan, Korea요 약 :급속한 세계화와 블록경제체제는 한․일간의 교역을 크게 확대시켜 취급품목도 경공업분야로부터 중공업분야까지 다양하게 증대되었다. 이러한 국제교역의 확대는 원활한 운송시스템을 필요하게 되었고, 특히 한․일간 기계류나 호화 요트와 같은 특수화물에 대한 운송수요로 카-훼리 국제복합운송체제가 발전하게 되었다. 카-훼리 국제복합운송은 “문전에서 문전까지”라는 하주의 욕구를 충족시켜 주지만 그로 인해 불명손해의 클레임을 야기시킨다. 본 논문의 목적은 한․일간 카-훼리 국제복합운송에 따른 불명손해의 원인과 문제점을 규명하여 합리적인 책임배분에 의한 대응방안을 모색해 한․일간 카-훼리 국제복합운송의 지속적인 발전을 도모함에 있다.핵심용어 : 한일간 카-훼리국제복합운송, 특수화물, 不明損害, 책임배분, 클레임정산Abstract : The recent increase in international car-ferry lines between Korea and Japan as well as China brings needs for proper transportations of special cargo, such as machinery and luxury yacht, etc. International multimodal transport, especially international car ferry through truck-sea-truck system enables to fulfill shippers' needs for to Door Service, of such special goods. However, this international multimodal transport of bulk cargo will cause a possible claim for concealed damages during such transportation. For this reason, this study aims to examine the liability system of the multimodal transport operator as well as to investigate liability for concealed damages theoretically and finally to seek proper measures for them. Futhermore, this paper intends to verify the claims for concealed damages to further the international multimodal transport by car ferries between Korea and Japan.Key words :Car-ferry international multimodal transport, special cargo, concealed damage, liability distribution, claims settlement* 대표저자 : 종신회원, parksang@hhu.ac.kr 051)410-4235†교신저자 : 연회원, pukwan0027@yahoo.co.kr 051)660-17631) 입항전 수입신고란 관세법 제 244조에 의거 물품의 신속한 통관이 필요할 때 수입물품을 적재한 선박이 수출국에서 출항한 후 수입국 입항전에 수입신고하는 것을 말한다. 이 경우 입항전 수입신고가 된 물품은 우리나라에 도착된 것으로 간주한다.2) 입항전 보세운송이란 선박의 입항전에 보세운송신고를 하는 것을 말한다. 이때 선박의 입항시 본선에서 바로 목적지로 화물반출이 가능하다.

Spectral Properties and Effect of Drying Temperature on Almonds with Concealed Damage

The feasibility of using near infrared light transmission, obtained after drying, to predict if an almond would develop concealed damage after roasting was studied. It was observed that, after drying, nuts with concealed damage have less absorbance in the oil absorption band at 930 nm and increased absorbance in the region between 700 and 750 nm. From near infrared transmission spectra obtained after drying, discriminant analysis was used to classify nuts as concealed damaged or undamaged; validation classification error rates as low as 12.4% were obtained. The effect of drying temperature, and moisture exposure, on the incidence of almonds with concealed damage was also studied. The use of a lower temperature drying treatment can reduce the incidence of concealed damage. The incidence of concealed damage for nuts receiving the same moisture treatment was 44.4 and 1.2% when dried at 110 and 55 °C, respectively.

Use of Near Infrared Transmittance to Automatically Detect Almonds with Concealed Damage

A near infrared inspection system was built to automatically detect whole almond kernels with concealed damage at an inspection rate of 40 nuts/s. The inspection device detects transmitted light through whole almonds from six different near infrared LEDs using a sine wave modulation–demodulation scheme. Multiple linear regression and discriminant analysis to classify nuts as concealed damaged or undamaged was performed. A classification error rate of 14.3% on the validation set was obtained with discriminant analysis, and a classification error rate of 20.0% was obtained with regression analysis. Most of the incorrectly classified nuts were those where it was difficult to objectively determine if they were damaged or undamaged.

Almond Nutmeat Moisture and Water Activity and its Influence on Fungal Flora and Seed Composition

ABSTRACTHigher moisture in almonds, a possible result of rain during harvest, was studied. Water activity (aw) was positively correlated with moisture, increased reducing sugar and free fatty acid, and negatively correlated with total fat of almond kernels. These parameters indicate increased metabolism in the moist kernel and may be the cause of “concealed damage” a defect evidenced by brown centers in heated almonds. An almond water sorption isotherm has been developed and compared to mathematical equations. Fungal growth occurred at aw 0.75 and above. Time for visible growth development was related to aw and moisture. Fungal growth on the kernel depended upon aw and time. Static flora did not change at aw 0.70 and below. Aspergillus glaucus group was most frequently isolated at aw 0.75–0.80 and other storage fungi more frequently as the aw increased to 0.9. A. niger was the most frequent isolate.

Purposes and analysis of industrial package design

A simplified analysis is presented of the physsical phenomena and mechanical stresses involved in schock and vibration hazards which lead to concealed damages. The role of industrial packaging design in reducing the destructive mechanical stresses to harmless levels is discussed. Consideration is also given to the factors to which contribute to an optimal package design based on a compromise between the cost of occasional concealed damage and the cost of extra protection achieved by the liberal use of expensive packaging designs.

Fungi associated with concealed damage of Groundnut

Fungi associated with concealed damage of Groundnut

Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum atramentarium on some potato varieties

Colletotrichum atramentarium is a potential yet elusive pathogen of potato. When the yellowing and wilting symptoms are reported in association with other fungi, its destructive nature is recognized. However when the only symptoms are the killing of stolons and reduction in yield, its presence is overlooked. It would appear thatC. atramentarium might cause considerable reduction in yield if Colletotrichum-infected potato and tomato haulms remain in the soil and serve as an infection source. The concealed damage that was caused by the killing of the stolons of Phulwa and Darjeeling Red Round varieties should be regarded as important enough to warrant consideration ofC. atramentarium as a potential potato pathogen.