Factory Settings Research Articles

Increase in Efficiency of Use of Pedestrian Radiation Portal Monitors

Most international airports in the world use radiation portal monitors (RPM) for primary radiation control organization. During the exploitation pedestrian radiation portal monitors operators (in the Russian Federation it is a special subdivision of customs officials) have certain problems related to the search of an ionizing radiation source causing the alarm signal of a radiation monitor. Radiation portal monitors at standard (factory) settings have to find out the illegal moving of the radioisotopes moved by physical persons passing through a controlled zone and having a steady radiation by the gamma or neutron channel. The problem is that recently the number of the ownerships who underwent treatment or medical diagnostics with the use of radio pharmaceuticals considerably increased, i.e,. ownerships represent such an ionizing radiation source. The operator of the radiation portal monitor has to define very quickly whether the ownership is a violator (takes unsolved radioisotopes illegally) or is just a patient of the clinic who underwent treatment/diagnostics with the use of radio pharmaceuticals. The research showing the radioisotopes which are most often used in the medical purposes are given in article, it is offered to use the new software developed by the authors allowing the operator of the radiation portal monitor to define the location of the ownership which has such ionizing radiation source by the activity of radiation similar to the radiation from radio pharmaceuticals.

Thermal infrared imaging of conifer leaf temperatures: Comparison to thermocouple measurements and assessment of environmental influences

Thermal infrared (TIR) imaging provides a potentially powerful tool for ecological and biometeorological research, but the accuracy of TIR imaging of plant surface temperature in a variable outdoor environment has been poorly characterized. This study evaluated the accuracy of TIR measurements of a conifer tree that were made using the thermal camera’s factory default settings, and developed a post-collection data processing method to correct measurements for ambient conditions that depart from the factory default settings. We conducted a 42-day measurement campaign in Corvallis, Oregon during spring 2014 that focused on the canopy temperature of a noble fir (Abies procera) and included the simultaneous collection of meteorological data and leaf temperature measurements with an array of thermocouples. We then developed empirical functions for temperature corrections that better accounted for emissivity, and atmospheric and reflected temperature. The original TIR temperatures using the factory settings averaged 8.6±5.6°C (−4.2 to 25.4°C in range), and the original TIR temperatures differed from the thermocouple temperatures by 1.4–1.6K. The TIR temperatures were generally accurate, except for a low temperature bias at leaf temperatures below 5°C. TIR temperature corrections reduced this bias to a <1.0K mean error relative to the thermocouples. Our results show that TIR measurements can be corrected to more accurately quantify canopy temperature, and that the importance of this correction increases under more extreme ambient conditions, such as colder periods.

Effet De La Fertilisation Phospho-Potassique Sur Le Rendement Grainier Et La Qualite Des Semences De Cajanus Cajan L. Millsp. Sur Un Ferrasol A Yamoussoukro, Region Centre De La Cote D’ivoire

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of phosphorus and potassium fertilization on the production and the quality of pigeon pea seeds produced on a ferrasol type sol. A completely randomized block design was used, in a 2x3x3 factorial set with three replications. A density of 20 000 plants ha -1 was used. The treatments were 0, 40, 80, units for phosphorus (P2O5) and potassium (KCl). Treatment which received P80K80 fertilization had greater productivity (650 kg) but a low germination rate (30 %). The optimal dose (523 kg and 90 % germination rate) was obtained with P40K80, followed by P40K40 dose (516 kg and 82 % germination rate). Phosphorus and potassium had mutually acted and influenced positively the production and the quality of the seeds of C. cajan.

Method for the recognition of the fuel composition in CNG engines fed with natural gas/biofuel/hydrogen blends

The production of biofuels from biomass gasification results in a wide range of fuel mixture compositions, which have a notable impact on performance and emissions of internal combustion engines. Thus, it is crucial that the composition of the blend being used is automatically identified by the engine control unit, after refueling. Standard ECU hardware is not able to recognize which fuel is actually present in the vehicle tank, hence combustion parameters cannot be changed accordingly. A methodology to perform an estimation of the composition of natural gas/biofuel/hydrogen blends, as it is fueled into CNG engines, is here presented and assessed. Experimental data have been collected in an SI engine, working under different steady-state conditions. Five different fuel blends of known composition have been tested with the same ECU calibration, relative to CNG. The injector has been characterized by means of a linear regression model aiming to predict the injection duration from data readily available in the ECU. A candidate set of 10 different sample blends, representative of the possible wide variety of blends that can be fed to the engine at the fuel pump station, was given as input to the regression model and an error in terms of injection duration has been evaluated. The method has proved to correctly recognize the actual fuel blend within the candidate set, with a maximum error of 5% on hydrogen volume content when HCNG mixtures are considered. The recognition algorithm converges after less than 10 different engine working conditions, in terms of speed and load. The candidate set has been extended to a full factorial set of 2 million blends, to validate the ability of the recognition method to correctly match the real fuel.

The effect of alternative fuels injection timing on toxic substances formation in CI engines

The present study describes selected issues associated with the emission level in toxic exhaust gases and fuel injection timing. The study was focused on the following types of fuels: Diesel oil (the base fuel) and the other fuels were the mixture of fatty acid methyl ester with Camelina (L10 – diesel fuel with 10% V/V FAME of Camelina and L20 – diesel fuel with 10% V/V FAME of Camelina) was used. Fuel injection advanced angle was set for three different values – the factory setting – 12° before TDC, later injection – 7° and earlier injection – 17°. The most important conclusion is that in most measurement points registered in the same engine operating conditions, the concentration of fuel NOx in L10 and L20 increased but PM emissions decreased which is caused by active oxygen located in the internal structure of the fuel. This fact contributes to the rise in temperature during the combustion process. At the same time factory settings of the angle makes NOx emissions lower and close to reference fuel.

Potential benefit of optimizing atrioventricular & interventricular delays in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background & objectives:The clinical benefit of optimization (OPT) of atrioventricular delay (AVD) and interventricular delay (VVD) in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) remains debatable. This study was aimed to determine the influence of AVD and VVD OPT on selected parameters in patients early after CRT implantation and at mid-term follow up (FU).Methods:Fifty two patients (61±10 yr, 23 males) with left bundle branch block, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35 per cent and heart failure were selected for CRT implantation. Early on the second day (2DFU) after CRT implantation, the patients were assigned to the OPT or the factory setting (FS) group. Haemodynamic and electrical parameters were evaluated at baseline, on 2DFU after CRT and mid-term FU [three-month FU (3MFU)]. Echocardiographic measures were assessed before implantation and at 3MFU. The AVD/VVD was deemed optimal for the highest cardiac output (CO) with impedance cardiography (ICG) monitoring.Results:On 2DFU, the AVD was shorter in the OPT group, LV was paced earlier than in FS group and CO was insignificantly higher in OPT group. At 3MFU, improvement of CO was observed only in OPT patients, but the intergroup difference was not significant. At 3MFU in OPT group, reduction of LV in terms of LV end-diastolic diameter (LVeDD), LV end-systolic diameter, LV end-diastolic and systolic volume with the improvement in LVEF was observed. In FS group, only a reduction in LVeDD was present. In OPT group, the paced QRS duration was shorter than in FS group patients.Interpretation & conclusions:CRT OPT of AVD and VVD with ICG was associated with a higher CO and better reverse LV remodelling. CO monitoring with ICG is a simple, non-invasive tool to optimize CRT devices.

Measurements of Weight Bearing Asymmetry Using the Nintendo Wii Fit Balance Board Are Not Reliable for Older Adults and Individuals With Stroke.

Clinicians and researchers have used bathroom scales, balance performance monitors with feedback, postural scale analysis, and force platforms to evaluate weight bearing asymmetry (WBA). Now video game consoles offer a novel alternative for assessing this construct. By using specialized software, the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board can provide reliable measurements of WBA in healthy, young adults. However, reliability of measurements obtained using only the factory settings to assess WBA in older adults and individuals with stroke has not been established. To determine whether measurements of WBA obtained using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board and default settings are reliable in older adults and individuals with stroke. Weight bearing asymmetry was assessed using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board in 2 groups of participants-individuals older than 65 years (n = 41) and individuals with stroke (n = 41). Participants were given a standardized set of instructions and were not provided auditory or visual feedback. Two trials were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measure (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) scores were determined for each group. The ICC for the older adults sample was 0.59 (0.35-0.76) with SEM95 = 6.2% and MDC95 = 8.8%. The ICC for the sample including individuals with stroke was 0.60 (0.47-0.70) with SEM95 = 9.6% and MDC95 = 13.6%. Although measurements of WBA obtained using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board, and its default factory settings, demonstrate moderate reliability in older adults and individuals with stroke, the relatively high associated SEM and MDC values substantially reduce the clinical utility of the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board as an assessment tool for WBA. Weight bearing asymmetry cannot be measured reliably in older adults and individuals with stroke using the Nintendo Wii Fit balance board without the use of specialized software.

Signal Model-Based Fault Coding for Diagnostics and Prognostics of Analog Electronic Circuits

Analog circuits have been extensively used in industrial systems, and their failure may make the systems work abnormally and even cause accidents. In order to monitor their status, detect faults, and predict their failure early, this study proposes a signal model-based fault coding to monitor the circuit response after being stimulated to perform a fault diagnosis without training a large amount of sample data and fault classifiers. Manifold features extracted from circuit responses are associated with a fault-indicating curve in the feature space, in which a group of fault bases are uniformly and continuously distributed along with gradual deviation from the nominal value of one critical component. These bases can be deployed in a factory setting but used during field operation. Fault coding is converted to a novel optimization problem, and the optimized solution forms a fault code representing fault class, suitable for realizing fault detection, and isolation for different components. A fault indicator based on comparison between fault codes can describe performance degradation trends. To improve the prediction accuracy, historical degradation data are collected and considered as a priori exemplars, and a novel exemplar-based conditional particle filter is proposed to track a degradation process for the prediction of remaining useful performance. Case studies on two analog filter circuits demonstrate that the proposed method achieves relatively high fault diagnosis and prognosis accuracy. The main advantages of our study are two-fold: first, the high diagnostic accuracy can still be obtained even if there is no large amount of training data; second, the prognostic effect remains relatively stable whenever triggering prognosis module.

What does Industry 4.0 mean to Supply Chain?

The term ‘Industry 4.0’ was coined to mark the fourth industrial revolution, a new paradigm enabled by the introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) into the production and manufacturing environment. The vision of Industry 4.0 emphasizes the global networks of machines in a smart factory setting capable of autonomously exchanging information and controlling each other. This cyber-physical system allows the smart factory to operate autonomously. For instance, a machine will know the manufacturing process that needs to be applied to a product, what variation to be made to that product etc., so that the product can be uniquely identifiable as an active entity whose configuration and route in the production line is unique. As the collaboration between suppliers, manufacturers and customers is crucial to increase the transparency of all the steps from when the order is dispatched until the end of the life cycle of the product, it is therefore necessary to analyze the impact of Industry 4.0 on the supply chain as a whole.

Learning Factories’ Trainings as an Enabler of Proactive Workers’ Participation Regarding Industrie 4.0

Current discussions concerning the implementation of Industrie 4.0 technologies comprehend also the effects on workplaces and labor conditions in Industrie 4.0 companies. A holistic approach towards these two topics is necessary to accompany the transition process from current production systems towards cyber-physical productions systems (CPPS). Thus the technology-organization-personnel (T-O-P) approach can be used to develop new learning factory modules, in order to focus on the facilitation of workers’ representatives. General aim is to support technological and organizational changes proactively and create decent work conditions. This paper discusses a new didactical concept to impart knowledge regarding the effects on workplaces and labour conditions for employees using a learning factory setting.

Combustion Characteristics and Cyclic Variation of a LPG Fuelled MPFI Four Cylinder Gasoline Engine

Abstract Present study deals with to investigate the effect of dual mode of operation on combustion characteristics of engine and cyclic variation in a modified multi-cylinder SI engine. Experiments will be conducted with baseline gasoline and later with dual fuel mode of experiments i.e., gasoline with LPG with different ratios (25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of LPG by mass). Experiment will be carried out with varying speed from 2000 rpm to 4500 rpm in steps of 500 rpm at full load condition with factory set static ignition timing of 5 deg. bTDC to investigate combustion characteristics and cyclic variations. Results revealed that as the LPG percentage increases the peak pressure also increases and it is maximum for 100% LPG for all the speed. At 4500 rpm the percentage increase in peak pressure is 20% for 100% LPG, 9% for 25%LPG, 3% for 50%LPG, 1% for 75%LPG when compared to gasoline at full load. This increase in peak pressure will indicate the LPG will give better combustion properties compared to that of gasoline. Compared to peak pressure, the variation in cycle to cycle for IMEP is less.Net heart release rate shows that gasoline will give the more heat release compare to all other fuels, but LPG will release the heat little earlier than gasoline. Since peak pressure is near to TDC for LPG which results in NHRR to occur earlier than gasoline. Final outcome of the research is LPG will have better combustion properties compared to gasoline but cyclic fluctuations are more for LPG.

From the Other Side

I have sad news centering not on my ignorance but on my ability to delay chores. After seven days in Dallas at the SEG Annual Meeting, I returned home to find my faithful desktop computer acting strangely. Well, no big deal. I called a technician to fix the problem. (Dumb.) This was an online session in which the technician “asks” if it is OK to take over my computer. (Dumb.) I gave him/her the go-ahead, and, after several hours, I was told we would need to reset the computer to factory settings. That seemed reasonable. (Dumber.) Because of these dumb moves, I have purchased a new computer and wonder where all my data and applications have gone. Wouldn't that make a grown man (or woman) cry?

Optimizing radiation exposure for CT localizer radiographs

IntroductionThe trend towards submillisievert CT scans leads to a higher dose fraction of localizer radiographs in CT examinations. The already existing technical capabilities make dose optimization of localizer radiographs worthwhile. Modern CT scanners apply automatic exposure control (AEC) based on attenuation data in such a localizer. Therefore not only this aspect but also the detectability of anatomical landmarks in the localizer for the desired CT scan range adjustment needs to be considered. Materials and methodsThe effective dose of a head, chest, and abdomen-pelvis localizer radiograph with standard factory settings and user-optimized settings was determined using Monte Carlo simulations. CT examinations of an anthropomorphic phantom were performed using multiple sets of acquisition parameters for the localizer radiograph and the AEC for the subsequent helical CT scan. Anatomical landmarks were defined to assess the image quality of the localizer. CTDIvol and effective mAs per slice of the helical CT scan were recorded to examine the impact of localizer settings on a helical CT scan. ResultsThe dose of the localizer radiograph could be decreased by more than 90% while the image quality remained sufficient when selecting the lowest available settings (80kVp, 20mA, pa tube position). The tube position during localizer acquisition had a greater impact on the AEC than the reduction of tube voltage and tube current. Except for the use of a pa tube position, all changes of acquisition parameters for the localizer resulted in a decreased total radiation exposure. ConclusionA dose reduction of CT localizer radiograph is necessary and possible. In the examined CT system there was no negative impact on the modulated helical CT scan when the lowest tube voltage and tube current were used for the localizer.

The effect of mulch on morphological and agronomic traits of kohlrabi cultivars

Considering its short vegetation period, kohlrabi is a vegetable species suitable as an intercrop in crop rotation. Application of mulch in kohlrabi production can provide a favourable microenvironment for development of plants. Research with the aim to determine the effect of mulch, compared to the bare soil, on morphological and agronomic traits of newer kohlrabi cultivars was set up during spring growing period. Five kohlrabi cultivars ('Timpano', 'Olivia', 'Opimes', 'Opus', 'Octave') and three mulches (bare soil, black and white PE-film) were tested in two factorial experiment set up according to split-plot method. In the single harvest, cultivar 'Timpano' grown on black PE-film had the highest share of marketable plants (100%) while the share of unmarketable plants varied from 3% ('Olivia') to 39% ('Opimes'). The highest diameter of swollen stems had cultivar 'Timpano' both on white and black PE-film (80 and 82 mm). Mass of swollen stem varied from 321 ('Octave') to 379 g ('Timpano'). Marketable yield was determined in range from 2.68 (uncovered soil) to 3.84 kg m-2 (black PE-film). Depending on the combination of cultivar and mulch, cultivar 'Timpano' on black PE-film obtained the highest yield of swollen stem (4.85 kg m-2) while the lowest yield was recorded at cultivar 'Opimes' grown on uncovered soil (1.91 kg m-2). Cultivars 'Timpano' and 'Olivia' grown on black PE-film could be recommended for kohlrabi production in spring growing period.

Dimensional interactions in the perception of frequency and bandwidth

As part of a project to develop efficient techniques for measuring the characteristics of tinnitus percepts, multiple listeners exhibited difficulties accurately perceiving the bandwidth of stimuli. Frequency perception seems to dominate bandwidth perception and relative bandwidth judgments seem to interact with frequency judgments in complex ways. In the present work, we use general recognition theory (GRT) to directly probe perceptual interactions between center frequency and bandwidth in noise stimuli. GRT is a multidimensional generalization of signal detection theory, and it allows us to simultaneously model within-category and between-category interactions between dimensions, as well as dimension-specific patterns of response bias. The most common stimulus set for GRT experiments consists of the factorial combination of two levels on each of two dimensions. In order to more fully investigate the perception of frequency and bandwidth, we extend this standard approach to encompass multiple factorial sets of stimuli spanning a larger region of frequency-by-bandwidth space. We will present multilevel Bayesian GRT models fit to frequency-by-bandwidth perception data.

Recovery time analysis of back muscle fatigue in panelized residential modular construction factory

Construction workers in panelized construction factory settings are often exposed to physically demanding and repetitive activities during panel assembly, which requires manual processes. Consequently, these factory workers are often exposed to potential risks, namely work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), due to muscle fatigue. Therefore, it is important to evaluate levels of fatigue and provide appropriate interventions to minimize the health risk of workers. Previous studies have shown that sufficient rest could reduce risk of WMSDs from fatigue and is considered one of most practical way to minimize risk. Rest break schedule analysis on workeräó»s fatigue in different industries has been documented; however, to the authoräó»s knowledge, the analysis on panelized construction has not yet been studied. To address this gap, fatigue of workers is estimated using an equation, which was derived mathematically, in terms of recovery time compared with break time schedule. A case study of a panelized construction factory in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is performed to evaluate the effectiveness of rest break schedules. The results from the case study show that workers at the panelized construction factory require more frequent and longer break time to reduce potential risk of WMSDs.

The Effect of Fuel Dose Division on The Emission of Toxic Components in The Car Diesel Engine Exhaust Gas

Abstract The article discusses the effect of fuel dose division in the Diesel engine on smoke opacity and composition of the emitted exhaust gas. The research activities reported in the article include experimental examination of a small Diesel engine with Common Rail type supply system. The tests were performed on the engine test bed equipped with an automatic data acquisition system which recorded all basic operating and control parameters of the engine, and smoke opacity and composition of the exhaust gas. The parameters measured during the engine tests also included the indicated pressure and the acoustic pressure. The tests were performed following the pre-established procedure in which 9 engine operation points were defined for three rotational speeds: 1500, 2500 and 3500 rpm, and three load levels: 25, 40 and 75 Nm. At each point, the measurements were performed for 7 different forms of fuel dose injection, which were: the undivided dose, the dose divided into two or three parts, and three different injection advance angles for the undivided dose and that divided into two parts. The discussion of the obtained results includes graphical presentation of contests of hydrocarbons, carbon oxide, and nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas, and its smoke opacity. The presented analyses referred to two selected cases, out of nine examined engine operation points. In these cases the fuel dose was divided into three parts and injected at the factory set control parameters. The examination has revealed a significant effect of fuel dose division on the engine efficiency, and on the smoke opacity and composition of the exhaust gas, in particular the content of nitrogen oxides. Within the range of low loads and rotational speeds, dividing the fuel dose into three parts clearly improves the overall engine efficiency and significantly decreases the concentration of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas. Moreover, it slightly decreases the contents of hydrocarbons and carbon oxide. In the experiment the contents of nitrogen oxides markedly increased with the increasing injection advance angle for the undivided dose and that divided into two parts. This, in turn, led to the decrease of the contents of hydrocarbons and carbon oxide. Fuel dose division into two and three parts leads to the increase of smoke opacity of the exhaust gas, compared to the undivided dose.

Protocatechuic Acid Levels Discriminate Between Organic and Conventional Wheat from Denmark.

Organic wheat retails at higher market prices than the conventionally grown counterparts. In view of fair competition and sustainable consumer confidence, the organic nature of organic wheat needs to be assured. Amongst other controls this requires analytical tests based on discriminating traits. In this paper, phenolic acids were examined by liquid chromatography analysis as biomarkers for discriminating between the two groups by means of a controlled grown full factorial design Danish wheat sample set. By combining baseline and retention-time correction pre-treatments and principal component analysis, discrimination between organic and conventional produce was found to be expressed in the first principal component (93%), whilst the second principal component accounted for the production year (4%). Upon examination of the loadings plot, a single chromatographic peak was found to account for a large part in the discrimination between the two wheat production systems. This was further underpinned by statistically significant differences found in concentrations between the organic and conventional production systems of this phenolic acid (ANOVA, P<0.05). The phenolic acid was tentatively identified as protocatechuic acid by negative mode mass spectrometry. The results obtained implied that protocatechuic acid may serve as a single marker for discrimination between organic and conventional produced wheat.

Subjective and objective evaluation of image quality in biplane cerebral digital subtraction angiography following significant acquisition dose reduction in a clinical setting

ObjectiveDifferent technical and procedural methods have been introduced to develop low radiation dose protocols in neurointerventional examinations. We investigated the feasibility of minimizing radiation exposure dose by simply decreasing the...

An Acceleration-Based Robust Motion Controller Design for a Novel Series Elastic Actuator

This paper proposes an acceleration-based robust controller for the motion control problem, i.e., position and force control problems, of a novel series elastic actuator (SEA). A variable stiffness SEA is designed by using soft and hard springs in series so as to relax the fundamental performance limitation of conventional SEAs. Although the proposed SEA intrinsically has several superiorities in force control, its motion control problem, especially position control problem, is harder than conventional stiff and SEAs due to its special mechanical structure. It is shown that the performance of the novel SEA is limited when conventional motion control methods are used. The performance of the steady-state response is significantly improved by using disturbance observer (DOb), i.e., improving the robustness; however, it degrades the transient response by increasing the vibration at tip point. The vibration of the novel SEA and external disturbances are suppressed by using resonance ratio control (RRC) and arm DOb, respectively. The proposed method can be used in the motion control problem of conventional SEAs as well. The intrinsically safe mechanical structure and high-performance motion control system provide several benefits in industrial applications, e.g., robots can perform dexterous and versatile industrial tasks alongside people in a factory setting. The experimental results show viability of the proposals.