Simple Measurement Method Research Articles

Simple method of photovoltaic panel power characteristic measurement based on Arduino hardware platform

This paper deals with simple measurement method for low power photovoltaic panel power characteristic measurement. Proposed method is based on the characteroscope principle, which utilizes simple controlled current sink and measurement circuitry for current and voltage measurements ranging from no load to short circuit conditions on the photovoltaic cell. Emphasis was placed to design the simplest possible hardware based on Arduino platform. The maximum power point of measured panel is obtained by mathematical calculation which is carried out by the firmware of Arduino Central Processing Unit (CPU). Simulation of proposed hardware design and experimental results taken on prototype was shown.

A Study of Construction Techniques of Tibetan Villages in Saiergu Town

Traditional residential buildings of Tibetan nationality have been applauded by domestic and international architectural fields for their solid, majestic, dignified and nice features. Raw materials for construction of Tibetan buildings, such as stones, wood and mud, are all taken from nature. Construction method is original and simple hand measurement method. It is impressed by the people all around the world that a strong building that has not been moved for 100 years is built only with simple material and wall building method. At the era of rapid economic development, more and more traditional residential houses are being destroyed. Traditional construction techniques are gradually disappearing and assimilated by modern construction. In this paper, the author takes Tibetan Villages in Saiergu Town of Aba state in Sichuan province as main research object, and explores construction techniques of residential houses of the Tibetan villages. Then, the author analyzes and collects building skills from the perspective of architecture.

An Investigation into the Implication of Human-Robot Collaboration in the Health Care Sector

Industry 4.0 introduced a large number of new machines and systems to the market. These have been developed with regard to the manufacturing industry, but can also be used to implement applications in other industries. Healthcare is under pressure from demographic change and an increasing staff shortage. New concepts have to be tested and realized to combat this problem. This paper describes the idea of transferring a human-machine collaborative industrial robot to the healthcare sector. An application is set up in an experimental Full-Scope simulation environment and trial experiments are carried out with probands. As preparation for a large-scale experiment, a pretest takes place, with a simple measurement method for situation awareness. The aim is to continuously improve the quality of the set-up and to explore the applicability of survey instruments and to get to know their advantages, in addition to achieving initial results.

Root growth detection with a sound wave-based simple measurement method

Root growth detection with a sound wave-based simple measurement method

Relative Human Telomere Length Quantification by Real-Time PCR.

Telomere measurement by quantitative PCR amplification is a well-known simple method to detect telomere length that involves large numbers of samples. The method has been developed by Cawthon in 2002 (Cawthon, Nucleic Acids Res 30:47e-47, 2002) and remains the most frequently used technique either in original or modified version. Telomere length is estimated by comparing the amount of telomere repeat amplification product (T) to a single copy gene (S) product. The T/S ratio correlates with the average telomere length. Cawthon suggested and recommended the use of 36B4 (RPLP0) as a single copy gene. However, Cawthon's suggestion was no longer considered a single copy gene and the gene was not suitable and appropriate for normalization.We thereby introduced a simple method for relative measurement of average human telomere length using quantitative real-time PCR. Our protocol was based on Cawthon's initialtechnique (Cawthon, Nucleic Acids Res 30:47e-47, 2002), modified by single-copy gene (SCG) primers and optimized.This technique is rapid, low cost, not demanding on DNA amount (or live cells), and can be used for a high-throughput screening and time monitoring.

A new method for measurement of the size of subacromial spurs of the shoulder by cassette tilt view.

Subacromial impingement syndrome is one of the most common causes of pain in the shoulder. To this date, there is no specific radiographic view that can be used to evaluate the size of a subacromial spur. This study aims to examine a cassette tilt view can be used to evaluate the size of a subacromial spur. A cross-sectional study was conducted between the time period of January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016. Forty-three consecutive patients that had planned treatment of arthroscopic subacromial decompression (SAD) participated in this study. Rockwood view and cassette tilt view (caudal tilt 30 with beam and cassette) X-rays were done in all these patients. The measurements of the spur sizes were calculated from both views and were compared to the spur sizes measured intraoperatively. The size of the spurs from intraoperative measurement was not significantly different from the spur size measured using the cassette tilt view with a mean difference of 0.54 (95% confidence interval (CI): - 0.58, 1.65), but the intraoperative measurement was significantly different from the Rockwood view spur measurement, with a mean difference of 2.84 (95% CI: 1.56, 4.11). Average proportions of the size of the spur from the cassette tilt and Rockwood view compared to that from intraoperative measurements were 1.09 and 1.55, respectively. The cassette tilt view is a simple method of measurement of the size of subacromial spurs, with good inter- and intra-observer reliabilities and good validity. This can be useful clinically when setting the patient position and portals to evaluate the size of the spur when planning SAD. This is level III.

The 'low-volume acetabulum': dysplasia in disguise.

ABSTRACTAlthough there are well described radiological criteria for diagnosing DDH, our experience has highlighted that a new sub-category of hips exists in which the classic radiographic characteristics for DDH may be normal but the coverage of the femoral head is compromised. The purpose of this study was to validate a simple radiographic measurement method for calculating the depth of the acetabulum in order to detect individuals with ‘low-volume’ acetabuli and under-covered femoral heads. We identified 24 patients who were suspected of having low-volume acetabuli and compared their radiographs with those of 150 patients with non-dysplastic hips. The radiographic indices measured included the lateral center-edge (CE) angle, the anterior CE angle, the femoral neck-shaft angle, the extrusion index, integrity of the Shenton’s line, the crossover sign, and ischial spine sign. We have developed a novel, but a simple method, named the ‘coverage index’ (CI) to identify the presence of a low-volume acetabulum on plain radiographs. Comparisons were made between the low-volume hips and the non-dysplastic hips. The radiographic parameters indicative of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) were within normal limits in all patients with low-volume acetabuli and therefore these hips could not be classified as ‘dysplastic’ based on the traditional radiological parameters. There was no difference between the mean radius of the femoral head in two groups. The mean CI was significantly greater in the non-dysplastic group compared with the low-volume acetabula cohort (1.62 ± 0.117 in non-dysplastic group versus 1.07 ± 0.11 in low-volume hips) (P = 0.0001). Orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of a hip abnormality in which the femoral head coverage is deficient, yet all the conventional parameters for measuring coverage, including the center edge angle, are within normal limits. We have introduced a simple radiographic measurement method that may help surgeons identify these patients using the anteroposterior radiographs of the hip.

Quantitative evaluation of skin shrinkage associated with non-invasive skin tightening: a simple method for reproducible linear measurement using microtattoos.

Non-invasive skin-tightening devices can induce thermal denaturation and skin shrinkage via externally applied radiofrequency emissions or high-frequency ultrasound. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and test a method for measurement of skin reduction associated with application of such energy devices. Twenty-five healthy participants with mild to moderate skin laxity of the arms were enrolled. Pinpoint microtattoos were placed at each of the treatment sites to delineate two 6 × 12cm rectangles per subject. A non-stretchable filament, tape and marking pen apparatus was used to measure the size of each rectangle before treatment and at follow-up visit by two blinded investigators. After randomization, one side received a single pass with a radiofrequency device (6.78MHz), while the contralateral side received multiple passes. Participants underwent two treatment sessions to each side 2weeks apart, and returned for follow-up 4weeks after the second treatment. Length and area measurement were analyzed to assess precision and accuracy of measurements and to compare efficacy of treatment between pre- and post-treatment. Concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) demonstrated substantial inter-investigator reliability and precision in length measurements (CCC, 0.94 to 0.98 in pre-treatment; 0.95 to 0.98 in post-treatment). Measurements at the 6-week post-treatment follow-up demonstrated a statistically significant skin reduction in all six of the measured parameters. A simple skin measurement method requiring minimal instrumentation can quantitatively evaluate skin shrinkage associated with non-invasive skin-tightening devices.

The multi‐feedstock biorefinery – Assessing the compatibility of alternative feedstocks in a 2G wheat straw biorefinery process

AbstractFor second‐generation (2G) bioethanol refineries, the feedstock supply is one of the important parameters in terms of cost and consistency. Biorefineries are in most cases designed for a specific type of feedstock. For some biorefineries, the use of multiple feedstocks is an option, but how would such feedstocks perform when used in a process designed and optimized for a specific feedstock? There is no “one‐size‐fits‐all” processing package, due to variations in composition and structure of different feedstock types, but due to the size of commercial biorefineries, only minor adjustments of the processing parameters are practically feasible. In this study, 16 alternative feedstocks were characterized and compared to the benchmark feedstock wheat straw under identical processing conditions. The alternative feedstocks studied were as follows: barley straw, rye straw, grass straw, oat straw, Norway spruce sawdust, mixed softwood sawdust, oat wrap, biogas fiber, deep litter, washed deep litter, ryegrass fiber, lucerne fiber, ryegrass chaff, mixed grain chaff, rapeseed press cake, and beer production mash. These biomasses varied in carbohydrate content and accessibility after hydrothermal pretreatment. Applying a hydrothermal pretreatment under identical conditions, the subsequent enzymatic convertibility of these biomasses ranged from 0.5% to complete conversion based on their glucan content. Water retention value was determined and correlated with enzymatic convertibility, which provided a simple method for indirect measurement of biomass recalcitrance. Ethanol potentials were estimated based on carbohydrate release from enzymatic hydrolysis, and yeast toxicity test was performed on liquid fractions from hydrothermal pretreatment. Furthermore, a number of key processing indicators, including market price, logistics and availability, were taken into consideration based on a proposed full‐scale 2G ethanol plant in Denmark. The overall results show that while some feedstocks had inferior performance compared to wheat straw, identical or even superior performance was observed from barley, oat, and ryegrass feedstocks.

Study of proton conductivity of composite metal-ceramic materials based on neodimium tugstates using a four-electrode technique with ionic probes

Ceramic solid proton electrolytes La0.99Ca0.01NbO4, Nd5.5WO11.25- Nd5.5W0.5Mo0.5O11.25-δ were synthesized and their proton conductivity was measured in the temperature range of 300–650 °С in an atmosphere of dry and humid air. It is shown that solid electrolytes have a high proton conductivity ∼10−4 S/cm at 500 °С. Dense metal-ceramic composites containing phases of metal Ni0.5Cu0.5 and oxides Nd5.5WO11.25 or Nd5.5W0.5Mo0.5O11.25-δ with the total conductivity typical of metals were obtained using hot pressing technique an argon atmosphere. An experimental determination of the contribution of the ionic (in this case proton) conductivity to the overall conductivity of the material comprises is an actual problem in investigation of the properties of metal-ceramic materials. The values of proton conductivity can be estimated from the results of studying the hydrogen permeability of membranes and the diffusion of hydrogen, but these methods are rather complicated in instrumentation. Therefore the use of relatively simple and accessible electrical measurement methods to solve this problem is very relevant. In this paper, the partial proton conductivity of the composite materials mentioned above was first measured using a 4-electrode cell with ion probes made of a ceramic proton conductor La0.99Ca0.01NbO4 in an atmosphere of moist hydrogen and at the temperature range of 300–650 °C. In the low-temperature region, the values of the partial proton conductivity measured in the 4-electrode cell are in good agreement with those obtained by standard complex impedance analysis for the pure ceramics not containing metal. At high temperatures, the values obtained by two independent techniques differ. This can be explained by the contribution of the electrochemical reaction proceeding at the interface between the ion probe and the metal phases and accompanied by the dissolution of atomic hydrogen in the metal. In general, the measured value of the ionic conductivity can be either underestimated or overestimated in comparison with the real one, depending on the rate of chemical reactions occurring at the electrodes. Nevertheless, in a limited temperature range, the use of four-electrode measurements with ionic (proton) probes allows one to obtain correct results.

A Disposable Blood-on-a-Chip for Simultaneous Measurement of Multiple Biophysical Properties.

Biophysical properties are widely used to detect pathophysiological processes of vascular diseases or clinical states. For early detection of cardiovascular diseases, it is necessary to simultaneously measure multiple biophysical properties in a microfluidic environment. However, a microfluidic-based technique for measuring multiple biophysical properties has not been demonstrated. In this study, a simple measurement method was suggested to quantify three biophysical properties of blood, including red blood cell (RBC) deformability, RBC aggregation, and hematocrit. To demonstrate the suggested method, a microfluidic device was constructed, being composed of a big-sized channel (BC), a parallel micropillar (MP), a main channel, a branch channel, inlet, and outlets. By operating a single syringe pump, blood was supplied into the inlet of the microfluidic device, at a periodic on-off profile (i.e., period = 240 s). The RBC deformability index (DI) was obtained by analyzing the averaged blood velocity in the branch channel. Additionally, the RBC aggregation index (AIN) and the hematocrit index (HiBC) were measured by analyzing the image intensity of blood flows in the MP and the BC, respectively. The corresponding contributions of three influencing factors, including the turn-on time (Ton), the amplitude of blood flow rate (Q0), and the hematocrit (Hct) on the biophysical indices (DI, AIN, and HiBC) were evaluated quantitatively. As the three biophysical indices varied significantly with respect to the three factors, the following conditions (i.e., Ton = 210 s, Q0 = 1 mL/h, and Hct = 50%) were maintained for consistent measurement of biophysical properties. The proposed method was employed to detect variations of biophysical properties depending on the concentrations of autologous plasma, homogeneous hardened RBCs, and heterogeneous hardened RBCs. Based on the observations, the proposed method exhibited significant differences in biophysical properties depending on base solutions, homogeneous hardened RBCs (i.e., all RBCs fixed with the same concentration of glutaraldehyde solution), and heterogeneous hardened RBCs (i.e., partially mixed with normal RBCs and homogeneous hardened RBCs). Additionally, the suggested indices (i.e., DI, AIN, and HiBC) were effectively employed to quantify three biophysical properties, including RBC deformability, RBC aggregation, and hematocrit.

Simple method for volumetric thickness measurement using a color camera.

A simple volumetric thickness measurement method for in-line high-speed inspection is proposed. With a color camera alone, spectrally resolved reflectance in a spatial domain is obtained: a Bayer filter spectrally resolves the reflected signal, and a CMOS sensor acquires three multi-spectral reflectances from RGB data at a single shot. To determine an accurate thickness, a modified reflectance is derived to convert a conventional spectral reflectance throughout a wavelength domain into an adequate form in an RGB domain by considering the characteristics of wide-band multi-spectral acquisition. The proposed method is validated by the measurement of a uniformly deposited SiO2 film and a tapered SiNx film.

Validation of a simple inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method for detecting urine and serum iodine and evaluation of iodine status of pregnant women in Beijing

Rapid and simple method for serum and urine iodine is necessary for iodine-related diseases. This study aimed to establish and validate a simple and rapid method for quantification of iodine in human urine and serum using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Generally, samples were diluted using water with 1.5% isopropanol and 7 mmol hydrous ammonium before analysis by the ICP-MS. Performance of the method was validated, and the urine and serum iodine levels of 72 pregnant women were analyzed. Results showed that the lower limit of detection of the ICP-MS method was 0.87 µg/L. No significant memory effects were observed. Recovery in both serum and urine was approximately 100%. Compared with NIST SRM3668, bias was <1%, exhibiting good accuracy. The inter-run coefficients of variation (CVs) for serum and urine iodine were 2.8–3.5% and 3.5–6.7%, respectively, and total CVs for serum and urine iodine were 3.2–3.7% and 3.9–6.7%, respectively. Comparison of the iodine results obtained by the ICP-MS method and the conventional S–K method revealed excellent correlation (r = 0.984, mean bias = –1.7%). The median urine iodine of pregnant women (125.5 μg/L) was lower than that of WHO criteria for iodine deficiency (median urinary iodine <150 μg/L) while 55.6% of the individuals with urine iodine level less than 150 μg/L. The median serum iodine level of the pregnant women was 69.0 μg/L. In conclusion, a rapid and simple ICP-MS method for urine and serum iodine measurements has been established and validated, and the pregnant women in Beijing may still suffer from insufficient iodine intake.AbbreviationsCVcoefficients of variationHPLChigh-performance liquid chromatographyICP-MSinductively coupled plasma mass spectrometryKEDkinetic energy discriminationKIpotassium iodideLODlimit of detectionS–KSandell–Kolthoff reactionPUMCHPeking Union Medical College Hospital

Preoperative prediction of deep myometrial invasion and tumor grade for stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma: a simple method of measurement on DWI.

To explore the utility of the tumor area ratio (TAR) for predicting deep myometrial invasion and tumor grade in stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEA). We retrospectively evaluated 86 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I EEA. All patients underwent unenhanced contrast MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) procedures. The volume and maximum area of the tumor and uterus were obtained, and the tumor volume ratio (TVR) and TAR were calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the differences in indexes (TVR and TAR) between the different tumor grades and between superficial and deep myometrial invasion. The TVR and TAR values for deep myometrial invasion and high-grade EEA tumors were significantly higher than the values for superficial myometrial invasion and low-grade tumors (all p = 0.000). According to the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly higher for TAR than for TVR for tumors with deep myometrial invasion (0.936 vs. 0.844, p = 0.045). However, no significant differences in the AUCs for TVR and TAR were observed between high- and low-grade tumors (0.865 vs. 0.863, p = 0.956). A TAR ≥ 34.6% predicted deep myometrial invasion in EEA with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85.0%, 84.8%, and 86.0%, respectively. A TAR ≥ 38.9% predicted high-grade tumors with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.3%, 81.1%, and 82.6%, respectively. TAR is useful for predicting deep myometrial invasion and high-grade stage I EEA KEY POINTS: • TAR is useful for predicting risk factors for EEA. • TAR is easy to obtain and has high accuracy. • TAR has excellent interobserver repeatability agreement (ICC range 95.1-99.6%).

Large range stress measurement system based on large frequency difference laser self-mixing interference

Stress-birefringence measurement is critical in optical glass materials. A laser self-mixing interference (SMI) stress measurement system with a measuring range of 1 deg to 179 deg is presented. The light source of the system is a He-Ne laser with a variable frequency difference. Birefringent external cavity SMI experiments are conducted with the laser with different frequency differences. Experimental results show that a large frequency difference decreases the cross-saturation effect between the two laser eigenstates, and alternate oscillations are more likely to occur, which directly improves the sensitivity and expands the measuring range of the system. A piece of neodymium glass is tested with the system and the results are given, proving that the large frequency difference laser SMI system provides a simple, low-cost, and high-sensitivity stress measurement method.

Position and Posture Measurement Method of the Omnidirectional Camera Using Identification Markers

Recently, many studies on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) that perform position control using camera images have been conducted. The measurements of the surrounding environment and position of the mobile robot are important in controlling the UAV. The distance and direction of the optical ray to the object can be obtained from the diameter and coordinates in the image. In these studies, various camera systems using plane cameras, fisheye cameras, or omnidirectional cameras are used. Because these camera systems have different geometrical optics, one simple image position measurement method cannot yield the position and posture. Therefore, we propose a new method that measures the position from the size of three-dimensional landmarks using omnidirectional cameras. Three-dimensional measurements are performed by these omnidirectional cameras using the distance and direction to the object. This method can measure three-dimensional positions from the direction and distance of the ray; therefore, if the optical path such as the reflection or refraction is known, it can perform measurements using a different optical system’s camera. In this study, we construct a method to obtain the relative position and relative posture necessary for the self-position estimation based on an object with an omnidirectional camera; further, we verify this method by experiment.

Simple method of the complete result measurement of an inhomogeneously magnetised palaeomagnetic sample on a spinner magnetometer with a coil sensor

Nearly all spinner magnetometers have hitherto been designed and manufactured for measuring the (dipole) magnetism of palaeo- and rockmagnetic samples of relatively weak magnetisation. In the present work, it will be shown that the spinner magnetometer with a Helmholtz-coil sensor in two different connections could be applied also to the complete result measurement of inhomogeneously distributed magnetisation modelled by magnetism due to an offset dipole or equivalently a dipole plus quadrupole.

공작기계의 체적 오차 향상을 위한 주기적 검사 및 기하학적 오차 보정

In the manufacture of mechanical components, volumetric errors of a machine tool should be checked and reduced to meet the required tolerance levels. In this paper, we propose a quick and simple method of measurement for checking and compensating geometric errors which include scaling and squareness errors. During the measurement, which usually takes approximately 5 minutes to complete, the machine tool is first commanded into four vertices sequentially on a virtual regular tetrahedron. Subsequently, the six lengths between four vertices are measured using a double ball-bar and geometric errors are calculated from the measured lengths. In order to verify the measurement result, the measured geometric errors are compensated using NC-code and the six lengths are re-measured to confirm the error correction. In conclusion, a double ball-bar circular test on XY-, YZ-, ZX-plane is done, first without compensation and then with the compensation of the measured geometric errors to check the effect of compensation practically.

A simple inverse analysis method for eddy current-based measurement of through-thickness conductivity of carbon fiber composites

A simple inverse analysis method is proposed to measure the through-thickness conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminates using eddy current testing. Finite element analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the eddy current sensor signal and the anisotropic conductivity of a cross-ply CFRP. It was found that the resistive component of the impedance of the eddy current sensor changed with the through-thickness conductivity of CFRP, while the conductivity in the transverse direction had almost no influence on the sensor impedance. Using this characteristic and the conductivity in the fiber direction determined by fiber volume fraction, the through-thickness conductivity of a CFRP laminate was estimated from the resistive component of the impedance of the eddy current sensor. Experimental studies showed that the through-thickness conductivity estimated by the proposed eddy current testing method was in good agreement with that measured by the four-probe method. The proposed eddy current method enables fast and non-contact measurement of the through-thickness conductivity of CFRP laminates.

Extraction and quantification of biofilm bacteria: Method optimized for urinary catheters

Bacterial biofilms are responsible for the failure of many medical devices such as urinary catheters and are associated with many infectious and non-infectious complications. Preclinical and clinical evaluation of novel catheter coatings to prevent these infections needs to accurately quantify the bacterial load in the biofilm in vitro and ex vivo. There is currently no uniform gold standard for biofilm quantification for different surfaces and established biofilms. We have tried to establish a simple, accurate and reproducible method for extraction and measurement of biofilm bacteria on indwelling catheters, using a combination of vortexing and sonication. We demonstrate the usefulness of this method for catheters of different sizes – 3 Fr to 14 Fr – in vitro, in murine and porcine models, and indwelling in human clinical subjects. We also demonstrate consistent results with complex and polymicrobial biofilms. We believe that this standardized reproducible method will assist the assessment of biofilms in general and urological devices in particular in efforts to harness novel technologies to prevent healthcare associated infections.