Experiment Test Research Articles

Persulfate assisted photocatalytic degradation activity and mechanism of tetracycline by Cu enriched reed hydrothermal carbonization carbon: Synergistic effect and DFT calculation

Heavy metal-enriched reeds can cause secondary pollution if not handled properly, and in addition, they can enter the organisms through the food chain, which can seriously harm the ecosystem. In this study, reed straw was first converted into hydrothermal carbonization carbon (HTCC) with adsorption and photocatalytic properties by acid etching and hydrothermal carbonization, then the prepared HTCC was used for adsorption of heavy metal Cu wastewater to obtain Cu/HTCC, and finally the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC) was enhanced with the assistance of persulfate. The results showed that the enrichment of Cu did not change the structural properties of HTCC, while the Cu on the surface of Cu/HTCC formed bridging interactions with TC in solution, which improved the TC degradation by Cu/HTCC+light+PS. The degradation efficiencies of Cu/HTCC+light+PS for TC were and 99%, which were 2.5 and 4 times higher than those of Cu/HTCC+light (40%) and HTCC+light+PS (25%), respectively. The Cu/HTCC+light+PS system degraded TC well over a wide pH range and in the presence of common anions (＞80%). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and photoelectrochemical tests showed that Cu/HTCC has a strong charge separation and charge transfer ability during the photocatalytic process, where electrons preferentially migrate from the polyfuranic chain to Cu. The degradation mechanism and degradation pathway of TC by the Cu/HTCC+light+PS system were proposed by burst experiment, EPR and HPLC-MS tests, and the toxicity of the degradation products was analyzed by using the ECOSAR procedure. This study provides a new perspective for the preparation of biomass derived green photocatalysts and shows its application in environmental remediation.

Nonlinear modeling and analysis of spatial pipeline with arbitrary shapes supported by clamps considering displacement-dependent characteristic

Considering the displacement-dependent characteristics of the clamp, a general nonlinear semi-analytical modeling method for the spatial pipeline with arbitrary shapes supported by multiple clamps is proposed to study the vibration characteristics of the pipeline-clamp system. The coupling of the complex spatial pipeline is realized by introducing the connecting springs at the connection region of the straight pipe and curved pipe. The equation of motion for spatial pipeline structure is established based on the Lagrange energy equation and Timoshenko beam theory. High-order polynomials are used to characterize the stiffness and damping characteristics of the clamp, and the simple straight pipe is used as the basic model to reverse the clamp parameters. The influence of clamps on pipeline vibration is skillfully introduced into the nonlinear dynamic model of the spatial pipeline. According to the Newton-Raphson method, the nonlinear equation of motion is solved. Taking the spatial pipeline supported by double clamps as an example, the related experiment tests and ANSYS simulation are carried out, and the effectiveness of the established model is verified by comparing the results. Finally, the nonlinear vibration mechanism of the pipeline-clamp system is analyzed. The modeling method proposed in this paper can provide positive guidance for modeling and vibration analysis of the aero-engine pipeline with arbitrary shapes.

Budget starting position matters: A “field‐in‐lab” experiment testing simulation engagement and budgetary preferences

AbstractBudget scholars have long theorized the impact of citizen engagement in the budget process. However, there is a void in the literature on modern types of engagement such as online budget simulations. Basic questions like what governments can do to increase the level of engagement and what effects such changes have on outcomes remain unanswered. Using a behavioral public budget and finance framework, we designed and tested an experiment with a local government budget simulation and varied the starting condition between balance, surplus, and deficit to assess the impact of starting condition on relevant outcomes of engagement and budgetary preferences. Results show that two measures of engagement and most budget preferences were influenced by the starting condition. Field‐in‐lab experiments like this one have the potential to further develop behavioral budget theory and be used to test online government platforms that are used by governments for engagement and many other purposes.

Encapsulating Fe-Co bimetal inside carbon aerogel to boost electron transfer for efficient heterogeneous electro-peroxone oxidation of organic pollutants

We fabricated a novel Fe-Co bimetal encapsulated inside carbon aerogel sphere (Fe2Co@CS) to improve the electro-peroxone (EP) process. The degradation and mineralization of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) were 100% (15 min) with rate constant of 0.314 min−1 and 83.8% (60 min) in Fe2Co@CS/EP, respectively. Fe2Co@CS was composed of defective graphite carbon and Fe2Co alloy. The presence of metal–oxygen-carbon (M-O-C, MFe/Co) bonds promoted interface electron transfer from carbon layer towards Fe2Co alloy, which was advantageous to the reduction of ≡Fe3+/≡Co3+. Moreover, the Fe-Co synergistic effect also accelerated the interfacial catalytic reaction for activating O3 and H2O2. The quenching experiment and EPR test indicated that ·OH, ·O2- and 1O2 were main reactive oxygen species (ROSs). DFT calculations showed that O3 had lower adsorption energy on Fe2Co@CS than H2O2, manifesting that catalytic ozonation played the key role in ROSs generation. In addition, ozone utilization efficiency in Fe2Co@CS/EP (ΔTOC/ΔO3 = 1.23–0.68) revealed 66-36% increase relative to those of EP (0.74–0.5). Fe2Co@CS was an efficient catalyst over a wide pH range (3–11) with permissible iron and cobalt releases. The Fe2Co@CS/EP process exhibited high-performance for degrading different pollutants under high salinity condition with coexistence of Cl−, NO3− and SO42−. For treating real coal wastewater, the TOC removal was 52.7% at 4 h with low EEC (0.038 kWh (g TOC)−1). This study provided an efficient method for the development of EP in wastewater treatment.

An innovative fracture plugging evaluation method for drill-in fluid loss control and formation damage prevention in deep fractured tight reservoirs

Lost circulation, resulting from the undesired loss of drilling fluid into formation fractures, stands as a significant technical obstacle in the exploration and production of oil, gas, and geothermal reservoirs. Effective mitigation of this challenge requires the development and application of robust experimental evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of fracture plugging. The traditional approach to fracture plugging evaluation relies on a uniform evaluation index and experimental parameters for various lost circulation types. Unfortunately, this practice frequently results in inconsistent performance of loss control formulas during laboratory experiments and field tests. To address this issue, this paper introduces an innovative evaluation method that accounts for the specific characteristics of the three major lost circulation types. By adopting this approach, a more scientifically rigorous design and optimization of loss control formulas can be achieved, ensuring their effectiveness in managing lost circulation challenges. The development of the new method involves a systematic five-step establishment process: lost circulation type determination, evaluation index weight calculation, fitness degree analysis between laboratory experiment and field test, experimental parameters optimization, and quantitative scoring of loss control formula. Analytic hierarchy process is adopted to calculate the evaluation index weight. Quantitative scoring model is proposed to finally determine the integrated formula score for the quantitative evaluation and scientific optimization of loss control formula. To bridge the gap between laboratory and field applications, laboratory evaluation tests are developed to address different types of lost circulation scenarios. The experimental results demonstrate significant improvements achieved through the optimized formula. Specifically, the maximum plugging pressure increased from 5 MPa to 20.8 MPa, while the initial and cumulative loss volumes witnessed reductions of 30.3 ml and 121.2 ml, respectively. Moreover, the evaluation method proposed in this paper exhibits a fitting degree of over 90 % when compared to the actual control effect on drilling fluid loss. These findings substantiate the successful establishment of a connection between laboratory evaluations and field performance, providing valuable insights for future applications. Finally, a novel evaluation method for assessing the fracture plugging effect is established, accounting for various lost circulation types in deep fractured tight reservoirs. The reliability of this proposed evaluation method is validated by field test. Building upon this method, a high-score formula is designed and effectively deployed in a deep fractured tight reservoir in Tarim Basin, China. The successful application highlights the practical value and robustness of the developed evaluation method, offering promising prospects for future operations in similar reservoir settings.

Alternative polyadenylation regulates acetyl-CoA carboxylase function in peanut

BackgroundPolyadenylation is a crucial process that terminates mRNA molecules at their 3′-ends. It has been observed that alternative polyadenylation (APA) can generate multiple transcripts from a single gene locus, each with different polyadenylation sites (PASs). This leads to the formation of several 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) that vary in length and composition. APA has a significant impact on approximately 60–70% of eukaryotic genes and has far-reaching implications for cell proliferation, differentiation, and tumorigenesis.ResultsIn this study, we conducted long-read, single-molecule sequencing of mRNA from peanut seeds. Our findings revealed that over half of all peanut genes possess over two PASs, with older developing seeds containing more PASs. This suggesting that the PAS exhibits high tissue specificity and plays a crucial role in peanut seed maturation. For the peanut acetyl-CoA carboxylase A1 (AhACCA1) gene, we discovered four 3′ UTRs referred to UTR1–4. RT-PCR analysis showed that UTR1-containing transcripts are predominantly expressed in roots, leaves, and early developing seeds. Transcripts containing UTR2/3 accumulated mainly in roots, flowers, and seeds, while those carrying UTR4 were constitutively expressed. In Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, we transiently expressed all four UTRs, revealing that each UTR impacted protein abundance but not subcellular location. For functional validation, we introduced each UTR into yeast cells and found UTR2 enhanced AhACCA1 expression compared to a yeast transcription terminator, whereas UTR3 did not. Furthermore, we determined ACC gene structures in seven plant species and identified 51 PASs for 15 ACC genes across four plant species, confirming that APA of the ACC gene family is universal phenomenon in plants.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that APA is widespread in peanut seeds and plays vital roles in peanut seed maturation. We have identified four 3′ UTRs for AhACCA1 gene, each showing distinct tissue-specific expression patterns. Through subcellular location experiment and yeast transformation test, we have determined that UTR2 has a stronger impact on gene expression regulation compared to the other three UTRs.

Design and research of green concept product packaging based on artificial intelligence technology

Abstract Through data mining, this paper completes collecting and mining information in the database using artificial intelligence. Secondly, the graphical method is analyzed, image normalization calculation is carried out to complete the technical support for green concept packaging design, and a green concept product packaging design system based on artificial intelligence technology is constructed. Finally, the ease of use experiment and user satisfaction test confirmed it. The user satisfaction test showed a satisfaction rate of 95% for response time and 97% for material recycling. The fact that other test options are above 90% indicates that the green concept product packaging design based on artificial intelligence technology is feasible.

Contributions to the mechanistic understanding of the microstructural evolution in irradiated U-Mo dispersion fuel

Advanced microstructural characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy - energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDS), were used to interpret the fuel microstructure evolution and fission products behavior in U-Mo dispersion fuel irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) as part of the European Mini-Plate Irradiation Experiment (EMPIrE) test. The larger as-fabricated fuel grain size achieved by heat-treating the U-Mo powder resulted in slower high burnup structure (HBS) development and reduced fission gas porosity. Slower HBS kinetics was observed at the fuel kernels’ periphery, which contained smaller and less fission gas bubbles at all fission densities (FDs) investigated and was attributed to a locally reduced damage density and fission products concentration, as corroborated with Monte Carlo simulations. The non-refined grains at the fuel kernel periphery hosted a perfectly ordered fission Gas Bubble Superlattice (GBS) up to 6.3 × 1021 fissions/cm3. Nano-scale STEM-EDS analysis presented in this study provided useful information on the GBS characteristic morphology and evolution in U-Mo fuel. The concentration of fission gas in the GBS progressively increased with FD, pointing to an evolution of the nanobubble pressure status with irradiation. A possible connection between the GBS collapse and HBS onset is proposed for which there exists a threshold in the misorientation of the refined sub-grains above which the GBS stability during irradiation is no longer preserved, resulting in the GBS collapse.

Robust PVA/GO@MOF membrane with fast photothermal self-cleaning property for oily wastewater purification

The poor mechanical durability and weak fouling resistance of oil/water separation membranes severely restrict their applications in industry. Herein, a robust PVA/GO@MOF membrane with fast photothermal self-cleaning capability was developed through facile chemical crosslinking and suction-filtration strategies. Attributed to the powerful underwater superoleophobicity, the PVA/GO@MOF membrane exhibited extraordinary anti-oil adhesion even for high-viscosity crude oil and continuous crude oil emulsion purification capability with stable flux (1020 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) and exceptional efficiency (> 99.3%) even after 60 min. Most importantly, in comparison to reported photocatalytic self-cleaning oil/water separation membranes, the PVA/GO@MOF membrane can degrade organic contaminants more rapidly with a higher degradation rate (99.9%) in 50 min due to the superior photothermal conversion capacity. The synergistic photothermal and photocatalytic effects significantly enhanced photodegradation efficiency, which created opportunities for in-depth treatment of complex oily wastewater. Besides, the obtained membrane displayed excellent chemical and mechanical durability with underwater oil contact angle (UWOCA) above 150° even in harsh environments, such as corrosive solutions, UV irradiation, ultrasound treatment, abrasion experiment and bending test. Therefore, the developed PVA/GO@MOF membrane with robust durability and fast photocatalytic self-cleaning property is highly expected to purify oily wastewater and degrade organic pollutants.

Experimental study on strength and failure characteristics of mortar specimens with prefabricated cracks under uniaxial and triaxial stress

Cracks in rock masses have adverse effects on their mechanical characteristics and the stability of rock mass engineering. For this experiment, uniaxial compression and true triaxial compression unloading tests were conducted on mortar specimens. The strength of the specimens was the lowest when the dip angle of the crack was 45°. Under uniaxial compression, the failure mode was mainly tensile failure. With an increase in the crack dip angle of the specimens, the types of cracks changed from shear to tensile cracks. Under true triaxial compression, the confining pressure considerably increased the strength and deformation characteristics of the specimens and weakened the influence of the crack dip angle on the strength. The failure mode when the crack dip angle was 15° was mainly tensile. The failure mode when the crack dip angles were 45° and 75° was mainly tensile–shear composite. With the increase in the crack dip angle, the failure degree of the specimens was more severe. Under the triaxial unloading confining, the failure mode was mainly shear. Compared with uniaxial compression, the failure degree of the specimens was more severe under true triaxial compression and true triaxial unloading. The innovation of this experiment is the use of a special mold to prepare specimens. We recommend that scholars conduct experimental and numerical simulation studies on different crack geometries.

Average current mode controller for bridgeless PFC SEPIC converter with second-order model reduction operated in continuous conduction mode.

This paper proposes an average current mode controller (ACMC) for a single-phase bridgeless power factor correction (PFC) circuit using a single ended primary inductor converter (SEPIC) via second-order model reduction. The superiority of the proposed controller is PFC accomplished at power up to 350 W with high efficiency via the second-order model reduction. The design and implementation of ACMC on the converter operated with continuous conduction mode (CCM) is explained in detail. ACMC forces input current to follow sinusoidal current reference at different power levels and sustain high power factor (PF). The proposed controller is designed based on the theoretical analysis operation of the circuit. For verification, MATLAB/Simulink simulations are carried out and validation through an experiment test rig for 110-220 Vrms input, 100 Vdc/ 350 W output prototype at 20 kHz switching frequency. It is proven that the proposed controller strategy accomplishes high PF, high efficiency and conformity with the simulation.

Preparation and evaluation of TA/APTES-HDTMS hydrophobic nanocomposite coating for enhancing corrosion resistance of concrete

Coating anticorrosive technology has been widely used in marine concrete structures, but there are some problems such as poor adhesion, lack of durability or environmental pollution. Tannic acid (TA) -aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) coating has good adhesion, corrosion resistance and secondary reactivity, and has been widely used in biomedicine etc. fields. However, the feasibility of applying TA-APTES to concrete surface treatment remains to be studied. In this study, hydrophobic nanocomposite coating TA/APTES- hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) was prepared by coupling HDTMS with TA-APTES, and applied to concrete surface treatment. By water contact angle measurement (WCA), Coulomb charge experiment and scanning electron microscopy test, the effects of TA-APTES mixture content, mass ratio of TA to APTES and HDTMS concentration on the hydrophobic property and ionic permeability of coated concrete were investigated. The results indicated that TA/APTES-HDTMS coating prepared with 4.0 mg/mL TA-APTES mixture content, 2:1 mass ratio of TA to APTES and 7.0 % HDTMS solution concentration showed optimal improvement efficiency. In this case, the chloride transport properties and sulfate resistance of coated concrete were studied by chloride and sulfate natural diffusion tests, respectively. The results indicated that compared with uncoated concrete, coated concrete showed better and stable resistance to chloride ion and sulfate. In addition, the chloride transport models of both coated and uncoated concrete were established based on Fick’s Second Law. It was found that the chloride diffusion coefficient of coated concrete was similar to that of uncoated concrete, but the surface chloride content was significantly lower. Meanwhile, the lifetime of TA/APTES-HDTMS coating was evaluated based on the change of surface chloride content and compared with other research literature. Furthermore, by WCA and Coulomb charge experiment, it was concluded that the anti-abrasion property and acid-alkaline resistance of coated concrete were significantly improved. Finally, the cost-benefit analysis of TA/APTES-HDTMS coating and existing commercial coatings also illustrated the advantages of TA/APTES-HDTMS coating.

Regulating the Coordination Environment by Using Isomeric Ligands: Enhancing the Energy and Sensitivity of Energetic Coordination Compounds.

Transforming the energy storage structure is an effective approach to achieve a balance between the detonation performance and the sensitivity of energetic compounds, with a goal of high energy and low sensitivity. Building upon previous work, this study employed an isomeric compound 1H-pyrazole-3-carbohydrazide (3-PZCA) as a ligand and creatively designed the energetic coordination compound (ECC) Ag(3-HPZCA)2(ClO4)3 (ECC-1). It is a novel material with a dual structure of ionic salts and coordination compounds, which represents the first report of such a structure in Ag(I)-based ECCs. With its unique structures, ECC-1 exhibits a larger [ClO4-] content, a higher oxygen balance constant (OB = 0%), and superior mechanical sensitivity (IS = 13 J and FS = 40 N). Theoretical calculations indicate that ECC-1 has a higher detonation performance compared to previous work. Furthermore, the explosive experiment testing results demonstrate that it can be ignited by lower-threshold lasers and possesses excellent initiation capability and explosive power, making it suitable not only as a primary explosive but also as a secondary explosive.

The legitimacy of land use decisions by public authorities in the Netherlands: Results from a survey experiment

Because of the ever-growing scarcity of land, decisions on land use are increasingly contested. Public authorities and policy makers rely on the legitimacy of their powers to make these decisions. This contribution empirically tests three legitimacy claims commonly used by public officials. We compare the political claim of representation of the public interest with the participative claim of co-decision and the judicial claim of neutrality and general legal norms applied equally to all. Our representative survey experiment (N = 1501) tests these claims in the context of land use decisions in the Netherlands. It appears that the participative and the judicial claim produce substantially more public legitimacy than the political claim of representing the public interest. Both co-decision and judicialization of decision-making can thus be effective ways to secure legitimacy of land use decisions.

The expressive power of voting rules

Different voting rules are commonly used to settle collective decisions. A promising way to assess voting rules, for which little is known, is to compare the expressive utility that voters derive from voting with each rule. In this paper, we first propose a simple ordinal model of expressive voting that allows us to compare voting rules in terms of the expressive utility that voters can derive from voting (their expressive power). Our model provides a novel testable implication according to which expected turnout increases with expressive power. We then ran an online experiment testing this implication in a controlled environment. We find that if voters are made aware of alternative voting rules, turnout is higher in voting rules with higher expressive power. Our results also show that higher expressive power is associated with a better representation of voters’ actual preferences and, according to our model, higher expressive utility. This suggests that the expressive power of voting rules is a relevant criterion when choosing between voting rules for economic and political decisions.

Simultaneous desalination and molecular resource recovery from wastewater using an electrical separation system integrated with a supporting liquid membrane

Separating molecular substances from wastewater has always been a challenge in wastewater treatment. In this study, we propose a new strategy for simultaneous desalination and selective recovery of molecular resources, by introducing a supported liquid membrane (SLM) with molecular selectivity into an asymmetric flow-electrode capacitive deionization. Salts and molecular substances in wastewater are removed after passing through the ion separation chamber and the molecular separation chamber, respectively. Faradaic reactions, i.e., the electrolysis of water with OH–, occurred in the electrochemical cathode electrode provides a sufficient and continuous chemical potential gradient for the cross-SLM transport of phenol (a model molecule substance). By optimizing the formulation of the liquid membrane and the pore size of the support membrane, we obtained the SLM with the best performance for separating phenol. In continuous experiment tests, the electrochemical membrane system showed stable separation performance and long-term stability for simultaneous salts removal and phenol (sodium phenol) recovery from wastewater. Finally, we demonstrate the potential application of this technology for the recovery of different carbon resources. Overall, the electrochemical system based on SLM is suitable for various wastewater treatment needs and provides a new approach for the recovery of molecular resources in wastewater.

Modelling in the frame of hydro-mechanical infiltration column experi-ment to study the behaviour of binary mixtures of bentonite MX80

Binary mixtures of high-density MX80 bentonite pellets (80% mass ratio at a dry density of 2.0 Mg/m3) and powder (dry density of 1.1 Mg/m3) at hygroscopic water contents are studied by the French Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) as an alternative in engineered barrier systems for the long-term disposal of radioactive wastes. The MX80 bentonite was studied by many authors [1–4] with this aim. These mixtures show a dry density around 1.49 Mg/m3 on pouring into infiltration column experiment tests.
 An infiltration column cell (100 mm in diameter and 350 mm high) has been developed at a reduced scale of 1/100 of the VSS (i.e., at 1/10 of the in situ VSEAL test) to reproduce asymmetric hydration using independent top (fast injection) and radial (slow injection) water pressure systems, which will undergo fast hydration from the calcareous Oxfordian formation at the top and a slower one by water reaching radially through the Callovo-Oxfordian formation. It also allows performing gas injections at different locations of the core of the bentonite mixture (top and bottom boundaries) and under various hydraulic states. The infiltration column is composed of four transparent cylinders, made of Perspex to visualise processes occurring at the interface during the hydration and gas injection phases (Figure 1a). This cell has been assembled with three stainless-steel injection rings that ensure slow radial water injection through three independent automatic pressure/volume controllers. These stainless-steel injection rings also hold the different lateral transducers (six total stress cells and three water pressure transducers embedded in the soil and three relative humidity probes installed in small dismountable chambers) (Figure 1a). The assembled cell is inserted into a rigid frame composed of two stainless steel disks on the two sides of the cylinder connected by four metallic rods.
 A numerical model has been developed to better understand the coupled hydro-mechanical response of this multi-porosity mixture and particularly of its constitiuents upon hydration.The characterisation of pellet and powder components have been focused on their water retention properties, water permeability, compressibility on loading and on suction changes, as well as on their swelling pressure response and the progressive changes of their pore size distribution on wetting. This information at component scale has allowed the upscaling into a 2D plane-strain numerical model based on the discretisation of pellets and inter-pellet powder using Code_Bright FEM [5]. This plane-strain model captures the pellet shape effect without changing the geometry of the pellets.The geometry used in the simulations corresponds to an infiltration column at constant volume mimicking the actual asymmetric hydraulic conditions of the VSS. Figure 2b presents the geometry of the model used at constant volume based on the discretisation of pellets and powder (252 pellets of 8 mm diameter and surrounded by powder filling the entire inter-pellet volume).The generated numerical mixture has a mass-basis proportion of 77.6% pellets and 22.5% powder, which is close to the mixture proportion. Figure 1b shows the three lateral slow-rate hydration boundaries, as well as the fast-rate hydration boundary at the top. The modelling has focused on analysing the global and particularly the local responses: water mass transfer between powder and pellets, evolution of local degrees of saturation and porosities (inside pellets and powder), and mean stress evolution in the pellet and powder domains. Water retention and permeability properties of the components are dependent on porosity and the degree of saturation.
 A non-linear elastic model has been considered for the components, in which volumetric deformations are induced by net mean stress and suction changes. Therefore, the pellets and powder have different hydraulic and mechanical properties as a consequence of the different initial properties, but they share the same constitutive relationship of a single structured material. Figure 1c presents the time evolution of porosities (inside the pellets and powder), showing that the mixture tends towards a more homogeneous distribution of porosity as the pellets expand and compress the highly deformable clay powder. During the transient hydration stage, the expansion of pellets at the top of the column evolves faster due to the proximity of the hydration front. Figure 1d shows the water retention curves of the pellets and powder at the initial state and after hydration as predicted by the model, compared to experimental data [6,7]. The predicted water retention curves of the pellets and powder adequately follow the trend of the data reported by [7] and also seem to reproduce the mixture model data suggesting a homogenisation of the retention properties of the material after hydration.

Machine Vision Based The Spatiotemporal Information Identification of The Vehicle

Accurately identifying the vehicle load on the bridge plays a vital role in structural-stress analysis and safety evaluation. Also, extracting the spatiotemporal information of the vehicle’s is crucial for identifying the vehicle load. This study aimed to propose a vehicle spatiotemporal information-identification method based on machine-vision technology. First, digital video surveillance cameras were installed in the front and on the side of the monitoring section to capture real-time videos of vehicles passing through the monitoring section. The background-difference method was used to detect vehicles based on the frontal video. Subsequently, the transverse position was evaluated according to the distance between the vehicle’s license plate and the lane line. Other vehicle parameters, including the vehicle’s speed, the number of axles and the wheelbase, were identified based on the lateral video and the auxiliary lines with a known distance. Second, a laboratory model experiment and multiple field tests under different scenes were carried out to validate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method. The results indicated that the average identification errors of wheelbase for the model experiment and the field tests were all 1.12% and those of the vehicle’s speed were 1.25% and 1.35, respectively. Also, the average deviations of the lateral position were 2.57 mm and 2.69 cm, respectively. The variances of the identified error of the three parameters for the field tests were 0.78%, 1.83 cm and 0.54%, respectively. This verified that the proposed method has high accuracy, reliability and good anti-noise performance. KEYWORDS: Machine vision, Spatiotemporal information, Load identification, Orthotropic deck, Bridge engineering.

Vertical attention bias for tops of objects and bottoms of scenes.

Past research demonstrated a top-salience bias in object identification, with random shapes appearing more similar when they share the same top versus the same bottom. This is consistent with tops of natural objects and lifeforms tending to be more informative locations of intentionality and functionality, leading observers to favor attending to tops. However, this bias may also reflect a generic downward vantage tendency that occurs with more informative interactive aspects of scenes typically lying below the horizon. Two experiments test for this overall pattern of vertical attention bias (VAB) for both objects and scenes. Participants observed picture triptychs and judged if the center object or scene appeared more similar to flanking comparison figures that contain the same top versus same bottom. Experiment 1 used vertically information-balanced impoverished stimuli, either polygon objects or polygon-array scenes. Experiment 2 extended the triptych stimuli to naturalistic objects or scenes. Results generally support a VAB for object tops and scene bottoms that varies as a function of the informative aspects of visually attended stimuli. This pattern held for information-balanced objects but not scenes, however, with more ecologically valid naturalistic stimuli, VAB was large and robust, consistent with a vertical information imbalance that drives a generic downward vantage. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Methods of control and measurements of components of the onboard radio engineering complex

Background. The relevance of the topic of this work is due to the need to increase the reliability and quality of the results of measuring control of modules of various levels and antenna arrays that are part of the onboard radio engineering complex, as well as to increase the reliability and parametric efficiency of the radio engineering complex. Aim. Development of a method and methodology for integrated control of radio frequency modules of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd levels in the process of design, production and testing based on modern automation tools and processes. Methods. Full-scale experiment, computer modeling, programming, expert assessments, research, autonomous and acceptance tests were used. Results. The choice of a working control model was made. Based on it, an automated workplace has been developed. It includes integrated control and measuring equipment controlled by special software, a software package with a common operator interface. To control the testing process, a software package has been developed that automatically sets the necessary operating modes of the modules and provides a stimulating signal from the vector network analyzer in accordance with the specified parameters. After the end of testing, a test report is generated and printed. If the modules are tested for compliance with technical specifications, the protocol is formed in accordance with GOST. The test sequence is developed using the NI TestStand automated testing environment, and the routines that control the operating modes of the products are developed using C/C++ and NI LabVIEW graphical development tools. The automated workplace implements the following functions: functional electronic control of circuits and nodes of radio frequency modules and the product as a whole, electrical integrity control of circuits and nodes of frequency modules, programming of digital components, conducting complex tests of frequency modules, conducting complex tests of antennas and antenna arrays. The developed algorithm includes a stage of self-testing of the automated workplace hardware. After entering the necessary information, a step-by-step cycle of monitoring the module parameters is started. It begins with the connection of the device under test to the automated workplace and ends with the preparation of a test report and a message about the validity or unfitness of the totality of the measured parameter values. The final conclusion about the operability of the control object is made automatically after the measurement of all parameters is completed in the form of a pop-up dialog box. It contains one of two mutually exclusive statements: «Control successfully passed», «Control failed». Conclusion. The algorithm and methodology of automated control and tuning have been developed, which allows to increase the reliability and accuracy (by 5–15 %) of the measurement results of the electrical parameters of the PPM at the stages of tuning and testing. A software package for automated control has been developed. An automated control workplace has been developed.