Electronic Counter Research Articles

Upgraded algorithm for implementing the electronic counting frequency meter method for measuring frequency deviation

The ways of reducing the error of measurement methods of frequency deviation and expanding the measurement ranges of frequency deviation are considered. The possibilities of reducing the error of the electronic counting frequency meter method using digital signal processing algorithms are investigated. Digital signal processing algorithms are implemented in the software developed by the authors of a modern spectrum analyzer. The algorithm of digital signal processing of the spectrum analyzer is described. Using a mathematical model embedded in the calculation algorithm of the developed software, the measurement error of frequency deviation is estimated. The possibility of using the electronic counting frequency meter method with the help of digital signal processing algorithms of the spectrum analyzer has been experimentally investigated. The sources of error of the classical method of electronic counting frequency meter and possible ways of their elimination are considered. Comparisons of the proposed implementation of the electronic counting frequency meter method with the classical method, which is implemented in the State Primary Standard of the unit of frequency deviation GET 166-2020, are carried out. The proposed implementation of the method has expanded the measurement range of frequency deviation towards small values in comparison with the classical method of electronic counting frequency meter. Limitations and prospects of application of the investigated method in reference means of measuring frequency deviation based on analog-to-digital converters are considered.

Steady states stability features of the electron–positron plasma diode

Stationary states stability features of a planar geometry diode with electron and positron counter flows are studied. Such a diode may be considered as a model to elucidate the nature of the pulsar radio emission. The equation for the electric field perturbation amplitude is derived. The exact solution of this equation for the homogeneous stationary field is found. On the basis of the plasma dispersion relation, the stability threshold in terms of the electron current density is found above which the stationary solutions become unstable. This threshold turned out to be 2 times higher than the known Pierce threshold. It can be expected that the development of the detected instability will lead to the electric field oscillations that induce electromagnetic radiation.

Analysis of ADAS Radars with Electronic Warfare Perspective.

The increasing demand in the development of autonomous driving systems makes the employment of automotive radars unavoidable. Such a motivation for the demonstration of fully-autonomous vehicles brings the challenge of secure driving under high traffic jam conditions. In this paper, we present the investigation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) radars from the perspective of electronic warfare (EW). Close to real life, four ADAS jamming scenarios have been defined. Considering these scenarios, the necessary jamming power to jam ADAS radars is calculated. The required jamming Effective Radiated Power (ERP) is −2 dBm to 40 dBm depending on the jamming scenario. These ERP values are very low and easily realizable. Moreover, the effect of the jamming has been investigated on the radar detection at radar Range Doppler Map (RDM) and 2-Dimensional Constant False Alarm Rate (2D-CFAR). Furthermore, the possible jamming system requirements have been investigated. It is noted that the required jamming system will not require high-end technology. It is concluded that for the security of automotive driving, the ADAS radar manufacturer should consider the intentional jamming and related Electronic Counter Countermeasures (ECCM) features in the design of ADAS radars.

Two-Dimensional Transceiver Beamforming for Mainlobe Jamming Suppression with FDA-MIMO Radar

With the rapid development of electronic warfare technology, the airborne electronic counter measures (ECM) system can generate mainlobe jamming using range gate pull-off (RGPO) strategy, which brings serious performance degradation of target tracking for the tracking and guidance radar. In this study, a two-dimensional transceiver beamforming approach is proposed to suppress the mainlobe jamming with frequency diverse array using multiple-input multiple-output (FDA-MIMO) radar. The mainlobe jamming signal differs from the real target echo in the joint transmit and receive domain due to the range dependence of FDA beampattern. The amplitude of RGPO signal is greater than the amplitude of real target echo. Thus, the transceiver beampattern can be designed to null out the jamming while maintaining the real target. The jamming suppression performance is studied in consideration of practical range constraint of RGPO. Simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION IN UKRAINE: LEGAL REGULATION AND CURRENT SITUATION

The article examines the concept of electronic voting and counting technologies as well as their increasing use around the world. E-voting is viewed as a mechanism for expressing the will of the people by electronic means and as an automated process of counting votes (without mediation), which is designed to simplify the voting procedure and potentially increase voter turnout. Electronic voting is featured in the article as one of tools for e-democracy. European legal standards for electronic voting are analyzed based on the experience accumulated by the member states of the Council of Europe that have used electronic voting in recent years and the lessons learned.
 The potential and prospects of e-voting system implementation for Ukrainian citizens are discussed in light of the steps taken by the Ukrainian authorities to create preconditions for the introduction of the electronic voting system, legislative initiatives and the existing legal framework that can be used for further legal support of electronic voting in Ukraine. Special attention is paid to the role and influence of the main stakeholders on the process of digitalizing elections. The introduction of a novel element into the electoral process has predictably provoked widespread debates about the benefits and risks of electronic voting in the short and long run.
 In conclusion, domestic legislation and practice in the field of e-voting are generalized and recommendations are given on the prospects for the implementation of electronic voting in Ukraine. Due to the complexity of e-voting implementation, it is limited to pilot testing at present. Based on the experience of other countries, it has been determined that electronic voting should be used in parallel with the traditional expression of will. The introduction of new voting technologies should be preceded by the comprehensive and extended preparation for the implementation in terms of the following areas of public policy: technological, legal, educational and communicative.

Climate change and physical activity: ambient temperature and urban trail use in Texas

Individuals in the USA are insufficiently active, increasing their chronic disease risk. Extreme temperatures may reduce physical activity due to thermal discomfort. Cooler climate studies have suggested climate change may have a net positive effect on physical activity, yet research gaps remain for warmer climates and within-day physical activity patterns. We determined the association between ambient temperatures (contemporary and projected) and urban trail use in a humid subtropical climate. At a trail in Austin, TX, five electronic counters recorded hourly pedestrian and cyclist counts in 2019. Weather data were acquired from World Weather Online. Generalized additive models estimated the association between temperature and trail counts. We then combined the estimated exposure–response relation with weather projections from climate models for intermediate (RCP4.5) and high (RCP8.5) emissions scenarios by NASA NEX-GDDP. From summer to autumn to spring to winter, hourly trail counts shifted from bimodal (mid-morning and early-evening peaks) to one mid-day peak. Pedestrians were more likely to use the trail between 7 and 27 °C (45–81°F) with peak use at 17 °C (63°F) and cyclists between 15 and 33 °C (59–91°F) with peak use at 27 °C (81°F) than at temperature extremes. A net decrease in trail use was estimated by 2041–2060 (RCP4.5: pedestrians = − 4.5%, cyclists = − 1.1%; RCP8.5: pedestrians = − 6.6%, cyclists = − 1.6%) and 2081–2100 (RCP4.5: pedestrians = − 7.5%, cyclists = − 1.9%; RCP8.5: pedestrians = − 16%, cyclists = − 4.5%). Results suggest climate change may reduce trail use. We recommend interventions for thermal comfort at settings for physical activity.

The pollen dispersal ability for cross-pollination in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is related to anther extrusion capability rather than to pollen output

IntroductionTriticum aestivum is a self-pollinated species with a high proportion of cleistogamous flowers constituting a blockade for out-crossing. Therefore, male parent characteristics are the main goal in the production of hybrid wheat seeds. MethodsIn a two-year study conducted in Lublin (Poland), the features of flowering biology that can be relevant for the cross-pollination ability of the pollen donor were investigated in winter wheat genotypes. In particular, the anther extrusion capacity, pollen production at the anther and spike levels, and pollen biological value were examined. The pollen production in the anthers was established using an electronic particle counter. The pollen biological value was assessed based on viability (acetocarmine staining) and in vitro pollen germination (raffinose medium) assays. ResultsThe inter-genotype effect for anther extrusion was significantly correlated to the post-anthesis filament length. The anther extrusion for the individual genotypes fluctuated significantly between the years of the study; however, the interaction with meteorological factors was not assessed. The considerable inter-genotype variability in the pollen donor capability for cross-pollination was highly significantly correlated with the proportion of extruded anthers rather than pollen production, indicating that anther extrusion plays a more important role in the contribution to the final amount of pollen available for cross pollination. The pollen viability determined by staining was high (between 97.5% and 100%), while the in vitro pollen germination varied substantially among the genotypes (between 17.3% and 87.8%). ConclusionThe pollen dispersal ability for cross-pollination in wheat can be improved mainly by increasing the proportion of extruded anthers; however, the pollen production and pollen germination potential cannot be ignored if complete characterization of the ideal male idiotype is to be achieved.

A Ka-Band Angular Log-Periodic Meander-Line SWS Supported by Diamond Rods

The angular log-periodic meander-line traveling wave tube (TWT) is a kind of low voltage, small-sized, high power, low cost, on chip amplifiers, and considered as a key part of the advanced communication systems, the future biomedical applications and the next electronic counter measure (ECM) instruments <i>et al.</i> Here, an angular log-periodic meander-line TWT is presented in this article. The angular log-periodic meander-line slow wave structure (SWS) is supported by two diamond rods. The dispersion and the impedance characteristics are analyzed in detail. In order to reduce the reflection loss, a gradual ridged waveguide is connecting the input&#x2013;output standard rectangular waveguide to the meander-line SWS. The particle in cell (PIC) simulations show that the output power of the TWT can reach 55 W at 34 GHz with the operation voltage of 1800 V and the beam current of 0.2 A. The SWS is manufactured by a laser machine with Molybdenum sheet. The assembled TWT is tested and the results show that the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{{11}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is less than &#x2212;10 dB at 30&#x2013;39 GHz. The <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{{21}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mismatch between the simulated and the measurement is discussed at the end.

Insulin normalized brain metabolic status on a Model of Anorexia Nervosa in Mice

Anorexia nervosa is a psycho-socio-biological disease, characterized by self-starvation and distorted perception of body weight. Patients often over-exercise. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that increases food intake and restores body fat and is present in low levels in anorexia nervosa patients: thus may have therapeutic potential in treating anorexia nervosa. to explore whether low levels insulin administration may result in recovery of cerebral function and restoration of metabolic disorder providing a treatment option for anorexia nervosa. Female Sabra mice maintained on DR of 2.0 hours per day for 32 days, in cages with or without wheel attached to an electronic counter (activity wheel). They were then permitted to eat ad libitum for additional 15 days. On the second week, mice were injected ip with 0.5U/kg long acting Insulin(Lantus) or saline and cognitive function was evaluated. Insulin administered three times a week during days 8-32. Mice euthanized on day 48 and cerebral levels of monoamines, 2-AG and expression of genes associated with metabolic status were evaluated. Activity wheel mice decreased body weight, 2-AG, dopamine levels and 5-HT1A and increased Camkk2 and SIRT1 gene expression compared to mice without it. Insulin increased body weight, decreased revolutions, enhanced NPY and normalized Camkk2, SIRT-1, BDNF, elevated 2-AG and improved cognition in the wheel group. low dose insulin administration to animal model of anorexia associated with exercise, led to alterations and normalization in brain metabolic status and improved cognition. Insulin should be further explored as potential novel treatment for anorexia nervosa.

Repeated short-term exposure to diesel exhaust reduces honey bee colony fitness

Production of insect-pollinated crops is often reliant on honey bee (Apis mellifera) pollination services. Colonies can be managed and moved to meet the demands of modern intensified monoculture farming systems. Increased colony mortalities have been observed, which are thought be caused by interacting factors including exposure to pesticides, parasites, viruses, agricultural intensification, and changes in global and regional climate. However, whilst common tropospheric air pollutants (e.g. NOx, particulate matter etc) are known to cause a range of negative effects on human health, there is little evidence of their impact on the health of A. mellifera. This study investigates the effects of exposure to diesel exhaust on A. mellifera, both at the level of individual foragers and on the whole colony. We exposed a series of colonies to diesel exhaust fumes for 2 h a day over the course of three weeks and contrasted their performance to a series of paired control colonies located at the same field site. We investigated markers of neuronal health in the brains of individual foragers and measured the prevalence of common viruses. Electronic counters monitored daily colony activity patterns and pollen samples from returning foragers were analysed to investigate plant species richness and diversity. The amounts of honey, brood and pollen in each colony were measured regularly. We demonstrated an upregulation of the synapse protein Neurexin 1 in forager brains repeatedly exposed to diesel exhaust. Furthermore, we found that colonies exposed to diesel exhaust lost colony weight after the exposure period until the end of the summer season, whereas control colonies gained weight towards the end of the season. Further investigations are required, but we hypothesise that such effects on both individual foragers and whole colony fitness parameters could ultimately contribute to winter losses of honey bee colonies, particularly in the presence of additional stressors.

Analysis of Settling and RCS Response of Copper Coated Carbon and its Comparison with Aluminium Fibres

Background/Objectives: The present research focuses on comparative studies of two different type of chaff fibres for their effectiveness as electronics counter measure. Chaffs are electronic counter measures used in creating false radar signature to deceive tracking radar systems. Many types of chaff payloads are there in use, but the major one is aluminium fibres. These chaffs are designed to cover radar frequency range from 2-18 GHz. However, in future, tracking radars will operate in higher frequency range and will have improved algorithms to mitigate chaff noise of certain Radar Cross Section (RCS) threshold. Methods: The researcher used two different chaff fibres and their corresponding RCS are measured in anechoic chamber for their comparative study. Findings: It is observed that the RCS of the copper coated carbon (CuC) fiber is nearly equal to that of aluminium fiber but due their thinner diameter packing density of chaff fibres within a specified chaff cartridge volume has increased thus resulting in more number of dipole per chaff payload. Larger number of dipoles will help in improving dynamic RCS of chaff payload as it is directly proportional to the number of dipoles. Moreover, the terminal velocity of copper coated carbon fibres is lesser than that of aluminium fibres has improved the persistent time for CuCfiberwhich is a desirable parameter for the effective performance of chaff payload. Novelty: In order to increase dynamic RCS threshold one needs to increase chaff fiber density and chaff cloud suspension time. Both these can be achieved by the development of innovative thin CuCchaff fibres. In this paper, RCS of light weight and thin copper coated carbon chaff fibres were studied in comparison with traditional aluminium fibres and their advantages over aluminium fibres are reported. Keywords: Backscattered RCS; electrically conducting fiber; anechoic chamber; chaff; Settling Time

Platelet count estimation on peripheral smear: What should be an acceptable; multiplication factor

Context: Automated cell counters have revolutionised laboratory medicine and are being used worldwide. They give accurate results, can run large number of samples and generate accurate results within a short span of time. Quality check procedures in this equipment ensure accuracy of results. However, for platelet counts, the pathologist is still dependent on confirming the results by manual methods, especially in situations of low platelet count and flagging by the electronic counter. Different laboratories use different methods for manual estimation of platelet counts. Aims: This study was done to compare the platelet counts assessed on peripheral smear examination by different multiplication factors, and to identify the multiplication factor which derives the most accurate platelet count. Settings and Design: This was an observational study. Methods: Peripheral smears prepared from 100 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-anticoagulated blood samples were manually examined under oil immersion field (OIF) for platelets. Platelet count was further calculated by multiplying the number of platelets per OIF using multiplication factors of 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000. This was compared with platelet (PLT)/red blood cell (RBC) method and automated platelet counts. Accuracy of various manual methods was evaluated by calculating the per cent difference of the methods with automated analyser counts. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics was used for statistical analysis. Results: Manual platelet count estimation on peripheral smear employing multiplication factor of 15,000 was found to have comparable accuracy to analyser counts, followed by the PLT/RBC ratio method. Conclusions: This study confirms that for manual estimation of platelet counts on peripheral smear, a standard multiplication factor of 15,000 on OIF gives the most accurate result, which is closest to counts obtained by automated analysers.

Comparing human to electronic observers to monitor hand hygiene compliance in an intensive care unit.

We sought to determine whether an electronic hand hygiene (HH) system could monitor HH compliance at similar rates to direct human observation. This 4-year proof-of-concept study was conducted in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a private tertiary-care hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, where electronic HH systems were installed in 2 rooms. HH compliance was reported respectively using direct observation and electronic counter devices with an infrared system for detecting HH opportunities. In phase 1, HH compliance by human observers was 56.3% (564 of 1,001 opportunities), while HH compliance detected by the electronic observer was 51.0% (515 of 1,010 opportunities). In phase 2, human observers registered 484 HH opportunities with a HH compliance rate of 64.7% (313 of 484) versus 70.6% (346 of 490) simultaneously detected by the electronic system. In addition, an enhanced HH electronic system monitored activity 24 hours per day and HH compliance without the presence of a human observer was 40.3% (10,642 of 26,421 opportunities), providing evidence for the Hawthorne effect. The electronic HH monitoring system had good correlation with human HH observation, but compliance was remarkably lower when human observers were not present due to the Hawthorne effect (25%-30% absolute difference). Electronic monitoring systems can replace direct observation and can markedly reduce the Hawthorne effect.

Particle aerosolization with energy devices: A comparative study.

ObjectiveTo compare the degree of particle aerosolization with the use of several energy devices used in tonsillectomy and other common upper airway procedures.MethodsThree different energy devices were measured. These included (a) monopolar electrocautery, (b) bipolar electrocautery, and (c) thermal welding device (TWD). Each device was applied to fresh cadaveric cow tongue and porcine nose. Aerosolized particles produced by these devices were measured using a calibrated electronic particle counter. Measurements were recorded over the course of 3 minutes. Particle sizes were measured at 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 5, and 10 μm.ResultsIn comparing types of tissues and particle sizes, TWD had the lowest aerosolizing burden among the three devices. By analyzing the highest particle value of TWD against both monopolar and bipolar, monopolar electrocautery proved to have the highest aerosolization exposure with statistical significance at 0.5 and 10 μm. No statistical significance was found when comparing TWD against monopolar electrocautery.DiscussionOur study demonstrates there is a difference in aerosolization burden dependent on the type of device utilized. TWD proved to have the lowest burden whereas monopolar electrocautery had the highest.ConclusionTWD produces less aerosolization than conventional monopolar electrocautery when cauterizing or ablating tissue in an experimental setting. The degree of aerosolization was comparable to bipolar electrocautery.Level of Evidence2.

Rapid detection of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 by RT-LAMP coupled solid-state nanopores

The current pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2) has raised significant public health concerns. Rapid and accurate testing of SARS-CoV-2 is urgently needed for early detection and control of the disease spread. Here, we present an RT-LAMP coupled glass nanopore digital counting method for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. We validated and compared two one-pot RT-LAMP assays targeting nucleocapsid (N) and envelop (E) genes. The nucleocapsid assay was adopted due to its quick time to positive and better copy number sensitivity. For qualitative positive/negative classification of a testing sample, we used the glass nanopore to digitally count the RT-LAMP amplicons and benchmarked the event rate with a threshold. Due to its intrinsic single molecule sensitivity, nanopore sensors could capture the amplification dynamics more rapidly (quick time to positive). We validated our RT-LAMP coupled glass nanopore digital counting method for SARS-CoV-2 detection by using both spiked saliva samples and COVID-19 clinical nasopharyngeal swab samples. The results obtained showed excellent agreement with the gold standard RT-PCR assay. With its integration capability, the electronic nanopore digital counting platform has significant potential to provide a rapid, sensitive, and specific point-of-care assay for SARS-CoV-2.

Unsupervised Clustering Method to Discriminate Dense Deception Jamming for Surveillance Radar

With the development of digital radiofrequency memory devices, the deception jamming has become a major jamming type in radar electronic counter countermeasures, especially the dense deception jamming. Recent years, some methods using signal features are proposed for specific deception jamming excision scene. It verifies the feasibility that uses signal features to discriminate deception jamming. However, discriminator training and simulation are indeed hard to achievable since no jamming samples can be obtained in advance. In this letter, we focus on the online dense deception jamming discrimination problem without the offline data training. Since deception jamming signals generated by jammers are definitely different from physical backscattering target echoes on signal features and dense jamming signals generated by one jammer has similar signal fingerprint features, an unsupervised clustering method with heuristic feature extraction is proposed. All discrimination processes are data driven and can be executed online without <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">a priori</i> information. To evaluate its effectiveness, the proposed method is applied to a group of experimental data collected from a trial <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">C</i> -band radar. Results corroborate the proposed method and indicate the direction of future research.

Frequency-Time Domain (FTD) Impedance Data Analysis to Improve Accuracy of Microparticle Enumeration in a Microfluidic Electronic Counter.

Experimental background noise present in biosensors' data hinders the ability for sensitive and accurate detection of critical biomarkers. Here, we report our digital signal processing analysis with respect to frequency and time domain (FTD) data to reduce noise in an experimental microfluidic impedance cytometer. We evaluated the effectiveness of employed noise filtering techniques independently, including baseline drift correction, high frequency noise filtering, and powerline interference mitigation. We further explored the combined effect of all filters and determine improvements in signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio and particle counting accuracy. By removing noise regimes, SNR improved with this impedance cytometer device, and our future efforts will explore filtering effects of more specific and uncommon noise spectrums to greater optimize device performance.

Approaches, challenges and recent advances in automated bee counting devices: A review

AbstractFor nearly 100 years, electronic bee counters have been developed using various technologies to track the foraging activity of mostly honey bee colonies. These counters should enable remote monitoring of the hives without disturbing natural flight behaviour while generating precise scientific data. However, there are few counters on the market that are able to fulfil this task. One main challenge is the lack of standardised methods to validate a counter's precision, as validation is crucial to categorise and judge the data produced by the counter, especially for scientific purposes. Another challenge is the interpretation of flight data to measure the effects of environmental or anthropogenic sources. Nevertheless, recent developments in the field are promising. This review describes the historic development of automated bee flight measurements and critically compares validation methods to encourage their improvement. To increase the comparability of future analyses of bee counters, current advances in data interpretation are also presented.

Interfacial Linkage and Carbon Encapsulation Enable Full Solution‐Printed Perovskite Photovoltaics with Prolonged Lifespan

Simplified perovskite solar cells (PSCs) were fabricated with the perovskite layer sandwiched and encapsulated between carbon-based electron transport layer (ETL) and counter electrode (CE) by a fully blade-coated process. A self-assembled monolayer of amphiphilic silane (AS) molecules on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate appeals to the fullerene ETL deposition and preserves its integrity against the solvent damage. The AS serves as a "molecular glue" to strengthen the adhesion toughness at the TCO/ETL interface via robust chemical interaction and bonding, facilitating the interfacial charge extraction, increasing PCEs by 77 % and reducing hysteresis. A PCE of 18.64 % was achieved for the fully printed devices, one of the highest reported for carbon-based PSCs. AS-assisted interfacial linkage and carbon-material-assisted self-encapsulation enhance the stability of the PSCs, which did not experience performance degradation when stored at ambient conditions for over 3000 h.

Interfacial Linkage and Carbon Encapsulation Enable Full Solution‐Printed Perovskite Photovoltaics with Prolonged Lifespan

AbstractSimplified perovskite solar cells (PSCs) were fabricated with the perovskite layer sandwiched and encapsulated between carbon‐based electron transport layer (ETL) and counter electrode (CE) by a fully blade‐coated process. A self‐assembled monolayer of amphiphilic silane (AS) molecules on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate appeals to the fullerene ETL deposition and preserves its integrity against the solvent damage. The AS serves as a “molecular glue” to strengthen the adhesion toughness at the TCO/ETL interface via robust chemical interaction and bonding, facilitating the interfacial charge extraction, increasing PCEs by 77 % and reducing hysteresis. A PCE of 18.64 % was achieved for the fully printed devices, one of the highest reported for carbon‐based PSCs. AS‐assisted interfacial linkage and carbon‐material‐assisted self‐encapsulation enhance the stability of the PSCs, which did not experience performance degradation when stored at ambient conditions for over 3000 h.