Texture Indexes Research Articles

Testing and evaluation for skid resistance of steel slag asphalt wearing course based on surface texture characteristics

Steel slag can be utilized in asphalt wearing course as a substitute for aggregates. The surface texture of pavement is the critical factor affecting the friction behaviors and skid resistance. However, further research is needed to analyze the relationship between the surface texture and the skid-resistance performance of steel slag wearing course. In this study, four kinds of asphalt wearing course with different steel slag dosage (0%, 25%, 50% and 75% by volume) and two kinds of gradation (SMA-10, OGFC-10) were designed. Skid resistance of different specimen under different abrasion time was tested by sand patch test and British pendulum test. Laser scanning technology was used to capture and analyze the surface texture characteristics. The results showed that replacing basalt with steel slag could increase the skid resistance and anti-abrasion performance significantly and asphalt wearing course with 50% steel slag has the best skid resistance. The correlation coefficients between skid resistance and surface texture indexes of the specimens were higher than 0.9 before and after abrasion. Ra is more suitable than texture depth (TD) to represent the surface texture characteristics of the specimen and predict anti-skid properties of pavements.

Design of equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging for postharvest cabbages preservation based on introducing available active sites into film materials as gas transport channels

This work aims to explore an available avenue to design an equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging (EMAP) by the modification of gas permeability of material. In this work, the introduction of available active sites endowed materials with adjustable gas permeability properties. With varying concentrations of the resulting materials with various gas permeability, the CO2 and O2 gas permeability of the blending films were modified at the range of 3.92 ∼ 17.84 barrier and 0.65 ∼ 3.46 barrier, respectively. On this basis, the films were used as EMAP to preserve postharvest cabbages. The results indicated that each EMAP achieved an equilibrium atmosphere containing 6.8 % ∼ 3.8 % CO2 and 2.1 % ∼ 5.2 % O2 within 15 h and maintained it continuously. In these atmosphere, the respiratory rate of the preserved cabbages was significantly inhibited, thereby delaying the deterioration of their storage quality. As the results, sensory scores of the preserved samples were maximally maintained. Declines of color indexes and texture indexes were obviously inhibited. Chemical variations in chlorophyll content, total phenolics content, total flavonoids content, ascorbic acid and nitrite content were significantly suppressed. The overall findings revealed that this method is suitable and promising to develop EMAP for the postharvest vegetables.

Reconstruction and Intelligent Evaluation of Three-Dimensional Texture of Stone Matrix Asphalt-13 Pavement for Skid Resistance

To examine the three-dimensional texture structure of SMA-13 asphalt pavement and assess its anti-skid performance, a light gradient-boosting machine evaluation model was developed using non-contact three-dimensional laser-scanning technology. The study focused on collecting three-dimensional texture data from newly laid SMA-13 asphalt pavement. Subsequently, wavelet transform was employed to reconstruct the pavement’s three-dimensional texture, and discrete Fourier transform was utilized to separate macro- and microtextures, enabling the calculation of their characteristics. The macro- and micro-characteristics of the three-dimensional texture and friction coefficient were input into the model. A comparative analysis with linear regression and a random forest model revealed superior accuracy and efficiency in the model. The training set R2 is 0.948, and the testing set R2 is 0.842, effectively enabling the evaluation of pavement anti-skid performance. An analysis of parameter importance indicated that Rku and MPD are still effective indicators for evaluating skid resistance. Furthermore, diverse texture indexes exhibited varying effects on the anti-skid performance. The established asphalt pavement anti-skid evaluation model serves as a theoretical foundation for understanding the actual influence on pavement anti-skid performance.

Diacylglycerol emulsion with different droplet size improves the gelation properties of Nemipterus virgatus myofibrillar protein

Effects of diacylglycerol (DAG) emulsions with different particle sizes on gel properties, microstructures and chemical forces of myofibrillar protein (MP) gels were investigated. DAG emulsions addition significantly improved the whiteness of MP gels. With the decrease of emulsion droplet size, G', G“ and immovable water content of MP gels gradually increased, and cooking loss decreased, in which, emulsion prepared under 200 W reduced the cooking loss to the minimum value of 2.57 %. Furthermore, the gel strength and texture properties of MP gels were enhanced as the decreasing emulsion droplet size, and significant improvement (P < 0.05) appeared in gel strength and hardness when ultrasonic power reached 200 W, and then texture indexes tended to be stable as power continued to increase. Reducing the emulsion particle size facilitated the uniform distribution of DAG in the gel network and enhanced the chemical forces of composite gel, forming the more compact network structure.

Image simulation and realism evaluation for mammography and tomosynthesis based on the detailed breast phantom

The virtual image system is a key component of virtual clinical trials (VCTs) which can be utilized to evaluate and improve medical imaging devices. The main limitation of VCTs in the Chinese female breast is the lack of detailed structure in the breast model employed in the Chinese specification for testing of quality control in mammography. In this paper, based on Chinese female breast parameters, detailed breast phantoms with different glandularity (fatty, glandular, dense) and compressed breast thicknesses (CBT) (2–7 cm) were generated. Digital mammography (DM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) projections for these phantoms were simulated with clinical system configuration. Compressed breast volumes were reconstructed through DBT projections with different angles. Power spectrum analysis and fractal dimension measurement were applied for simulated and clinical images. The results show that the average power law exponents and standard deviation (DM, DBT) for clinical and simulated images were (3.26 ± 0.29, 3.33 ± 0.42) and (3.63 ± 0.25, 3.18 ±0.36) respectively. The average fractal dimensions and standard deviation (DM, DBT) for clinical and simulated images were (2.36 ± 0.03, 2.41 ± 0.05) and (2.10 ± 0.01, 2.26 ± 0.06) respectively. We constructed two virtual imaging systems for DM and DBT and obtained the imaging data based on the three-dimensional (3D) detailed breast phantoms. These results indicate that the texture indexes of simulated images are similar to that of the clinical images, and validate that these breast phantoms are suitable for imaging in VCTs requiring realistic anatomy with the Chinese female population. Results also show that the values of power law exponents for clinical and simulated images in DM and DBT are positively correlated with the value of breast glandularity, but the values of fractal dimensions keep steady for different glandularity.

Pavement preventive maintenance decision-making for high antiwear and optimized skid resistance performance

Insufficient pavement skid resistance due to traffic loads and environmental factors is a major cause of vehicular accidents. Hence, continually monitoring the pavement skid resistance has great theoretical significance and is crucial for practical maintenance. A pavement accelerated abrasion system developed by the research team, a high-precision 3D layer scanner, and a pendulum tribometer are used for lab testing. Forty-eight sets of asphalt pavement texture and friction coefficient data for 11 abrasion stages were collected, each comprising 20,000 abrasion cycles. Afterward, a model of asphalt pavement skid resistance deterioration was formulated by analyzing the downward trajectory of the asphalt pavement texture and friction coefficient indexes. The developed deterioration model had a high prediction accuracy with an R2 value of 91.64%, and the corresponding curve met engineering requirements. Subsequently, four pavement maintenance techniques, namely synchronous gravel sealing, microsurfacing, ultrathin overlaying, and thermal generation, were applied to rutted slab specimens after grinding to perform five additional stages of abrasion tests. Through comparisons with the established pavement skid resistance deterioration model, the optimal maintenance timing under the abrasion test conditions of this study was determined as 230,000 abrasion cycles, as determined via the time/pavement condition analysis approach. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed for different surface treatment techniques, which yielded an equivalent annual cost of 6.7 for the SMA-5 ultra-thin overlay, which was identified as the most promising maintenance approach. This study provides a scientific basis for preventing traffic accidents and improving traffic safety by offering valuable insights into the evolution of pavement skid resistance and offers guidance on decision-making for the preventive maintenance of pavements for high-antiwear and optimized skid-resistance performance.

Diversity and dynamics of microbial population during fermentation of gray sufu and their correlation with quality characteristics

The quality of gray sufu has been significantly influenced by microbes, but little is known about the spatiotemporal changes in microbes during fermentation and how they relate to quality. This study showed that after 28 days of fermentation, the texture and physicochemical indexes of gray sufu reached the best, and the taste was better on the 21st day. On the surface of gray sufu, the abundance of Bacillus and Trichosporon increased over time, while Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Pseudomonas decreased. In the middle and central parts, the abundance of Lactobacillus and Sarocladium increased over time, while Pediococcus, Pseudomonas, and Apiotrichum decreased. Physicochemical index (pH, amino acid nitrogen, TCA-soluble peptide), biogenic amines and benzoic acid were negatively correlated with the genera Pediococcus, Pseudomonas and Apiotrichum, while positively correlated with Sarocladium and Trichosporon. Propionic acid was positively correlated with Pediococcus and Pseudomonas but negatively with Apiotrichum. This demonstrated that the microflora in gray sufu has a spatiotemporal distribution and is associated with the product quality. Tracker analysis demonstrated that yellow serofluids, salt brine, and tofu pehtze provided microflora for fermentation. This study would be useful in understanding the production mechanism of gray sufu and strengthening its quality control by developing microbial regulation strategies.

Texture characteristic and its enhancement mechanism in stone mastic asphalt incorporating steel slag

Much uncertainty exists about the mechanisms that how steel slag contributes to the adhesion and hysteresis component of friction. This study explored the enhancement mechanism of pavement texture indexes originating from steel slag based on laser texture scanner. The long-term texture attenuation of the mixture with gradation of stone mastic asphalt (SMA) was also evaluated using accelerated pavement loading tester. The results indicated that the advancement of adhesion mechanism originates from the more asperities and sharper form of asperities due to the rougher texture of steel slag. The improvement of hysteresis component is derived from the larger proportion of positive texture on surface profile generated by incorporation of steel slag. This study provides an opportunity to advance the understanding of enhancement mechanism of surface texture by recycling steel slag.

Study on Vehicle–Road Interaction for Autonomous Driving

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are becoming increasingly popular, and this can potentially affect road performance. Road performance also influences driving comfort and safety for AVs. In this study, the influence of changes in traffic volume and wheel track distribution caused by AVs on the rutting distress of asphalt pavement was investigated through finite element simulations. A vehicle-mounted three-dimensional laser profiler was used to obtain pavement roughness and texture information. The vehicle vibration acceleration was obtained through vehicle dynamics simulations, and the skid resistance indexes of 20 rutting specimens were collected. The results showed that an increase in traffic volume caused by the increasing AV traffic accelerated the occurrence of rutting distress; however, the uniform distribution of vehicles at both ends of the transverse direction could prolong the maintenance life of flexible and semi-rigid pavements by 0.041 and 0.530 years, respectively. According to Carsim and Trucksim vehicle simulations and multiple linear regression fitting, the relationship models of three factors, namely speed, road roughness, and comfort, showed high fitting accuracies; however, there were some differences among the models. Among the texture indexes, the arithmetic mean’s height (Ra) had the greatest influence on the tire–road friction coefficient; Ra greatly influenced the safe driving of AVs. The findings of this study were used to present a speed control strategy for AVs based on the roughness and texture index for ensuring comfort and safety during automatic driving.

Surface particle lubrication and wearing mechanism for asphalt pavement with aeolian sand in deserts

• Wear and lubrication mechanism of aeolian sand on asphalt pavement was studied. • Rolling-sliding friction exists between tire/road surface with particulate contaminants. • Angularity of the sand accelerates the wear of the asphalt membrane on pavement. • The wearing rate is proposed to evaluate the third body wear effect of aeolian sand. Particulate pollutants have a significant lubricating and abrasive effect on asphalt pavements. In this research, an experimental evaluation using an indoor accelerated wearing apparatus was used to simulate the wearing of Aeolian sand on asphalt pavements in a desert area. The British Pendulum Tester and a 3D scanner have also been used to examine the changes in skid resistance and texture morphology over time. Then, to evaluate the wearing process of sand particles on pavements, the wearing rate was proposed, and ultimately, a prediction model for the pavement with aeolian sand was constructed. The results shows that the wear rates of clean pavement, 50%Ψ and 100%Ψ of sand are 25.6%, 28.6% and 33.8% respectively. In terms of particle lubrication, the pavement is in a mixed lubrication state at 50%Ψ of sand; and in a fluid lubrication state when aeolian sand completely covers asperities of the pavement. From the wearing point of view, tire wearing on clean road is two-body wear; when there is aeolian sand between the tire/road contact interface, it is abrasive wear. The skid resistance prediction model developed by integrating the Pearson Correlation and Ridge Regression methods to identify-five texture indexes (ZMPD, Z Ra , λ q , Z Rs , S dr ) and the British Pendulum Number (BPN) can effectively predict the lubricating and wearing effects of aeolian sand on the pavement.

Quantitative phase analysis and rietveld texture determination of minerals in ash deposits in a 11.2 MW moving grate boiler

Some ash deposits were sampled from a 11.2 MW moving grate boiler to study the mineral transformation, ash deposition and mineral texture evolution behavior, which were determined by different analytical methods. Rietveld refinement was applied to determine the mineralogy, refine the crystallographic structures of minerals, and characterize texture heterogeneity of minerals in ash deposits. The results presented that the major mineral phases in ash deposits were identified as silicates, oxides, sulphates, sulfides and carbonates. The phase transformation between minerals during combustion was proposed. The variation of the diffraction peak intensities indicated the existence of the weak and strong textures. The texture indexes were larger than one mrd2 for most minerals, implying strong preferred orientation distributions, while the texture indexes of some other minerals were approaching one mrd2, indicating the existence of weak and random textures. Some pole figures showed strong texture features with a high degree of texture disorder in these minerals, while other minerals displayed weak textures with low volume diffractions of preferred orientations in these mineral phases. Owing to the diffraction peak overlapping of different minerals, different texture components with fibre-like or biaxial-like characteristics were found in ash deposits.

Computer simulation of colored spun knitted fabric based on Dual-Tree complex wavelet transform

In order to improve the design and development efficiency of colored spun knitted products, a computer simulation algorithm is proposed. Aiming at the problem that the low-frequency color information in colored spun knitted fabrics cannot be effectively separated by a single frequency filter, the approximate component of Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet is adopted to characterize, analyze and visualize the color information. Meanwhile, an image colorization algorithm is constructed by simulating the coloring law of two-component dyed fibers on the fabric surface, replacing the original color information with the target color information, and then reconstructing the fabric image via the Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet, so as to realize the computer simulation of two-component colored spun knitted fabric. On this basis, a quantitative analysis is conducted on the simulation results via the multi-dimensional texture and color similarity indexes. Then, the significance test is carried out for the evaluation results. As indicated in the results, compared with the traditional frequency domain filtering method and the wavelet transform method, the computer simulation algorithm established in this paper can realize the computer simulation of multi-type “fancy color” effect of colored spun knitted fabrics. The simulation results of this scheme improve 4.57% and 1.87% in texture similarity, 10.23% and 6.01% in color similarity, 3.31 dB and 5.69 dB in PSNR, and 0.0161 and 0.0108 in SSIM, respectively. As shown in the significance test results, the difference significance level of the evaluation results is less than 0.05. Therefore, the simulation effect of this method is significantly improved compared with the two comparison methods.

Investigation on the relationship between the surface texture index and the surface free energy of aggregate

The surface free energy (SFE) of aggregate and asphalt binder can be utilized to quantify the adhesion between the aggregate and binder. The SFE value varies with the changing surface characteristics. This study investigated the effect of surface texture on the aggregate’s SFE when applying the contact angle measurement. A surface treatment protocol for granite, diabase, basalt, and limestone was designed. A dicing saw, grinder and abrasive paper were utilized and were combined into three groups to treat the aggregates’ surface — Groups A, B, and C. The group in which aggregate was not treated was labeled Group D. The aggregate image measurement system (AIMS) was employed to quantify the surface characteristic. After surface treating, four levels of surface texture index were obtained. The surface texture indexes of the treated aggregates followed an increasing rank: A < B < C < D. A higher surface texture index indicated higher surface roughness. Subsequently, the sessile drop method was utilized to measure the contact angle and obtain the SFE of the aggregates that been treated through Groups A, B, and C. The gas adsorption method was applied to determine the SFE of aggregates in Group D. With the increasing surface texture index, the contact angle also increased and resulted in an increasing SFE value. An exponential-type model was established to describe the relationship between surface texture index and SFE. The model was first employed to fit the SFE data of aggregates in the A, B, C, and D groups, which showed good satisfaction of model fitting. The model was also applied to fit the SFE data of aggregates in the A, B, and C groups and to predict the SFE values based on the surface texture index obtained in Group D, which indicated good predictability. The fitting parameters showed a variable coefficient within 20% in the two fitting methods, which confirmed the model was reliable.

Morphology, mineralogy and rietveld texture analysis of ash deposits from a moving grate boiler

The release and transformation of inorganic species during combustion will cause severe ash-related issues, often leading to serious operational problems. To better understand these issues, several ash deposit samples collected from a biomass-fired moving grate boiler were characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction. The Rietveld refinement method was used to determine the mineral phases and texture information of ash deposits. The results showed that the fuel had a high slagging tendency and ash deposits were enriched in alkali and alkaline metal species. The petrology and morphology analysis indicated that they all presented layered structures and displayed heterogeneity in sizes and shapes with spherical, fibrous, prismatic and irregular morphologies and with the predominant surface compositions of O, Al, Si, Ca, Fe, K, Na and C. The Rietveld phase analysis of ash deposits demonstrated that several mineral types were identified, including oxides, silicates, phosphates, sulfides, sulfates and carbonates. The possible chemical reactions and mineral transformation during combustion were investigated. The texture exhibited in a sample can be classified as random, planar and fiber textures. The Rietveld texture analysis of minerals in the ash deposits showed that the texture indexes of most mineral phases were larger than one, indicating that the orientation distributions of these minerals were not random. Some of the pole figures of the minerals showed a weak orientation of densities, while some of them exhibited strong orientation of densities. Due to some peak overlaps existing between minerals, the texture of some mineral phases showed a fiber-like characteristic with several fiber components while some other minerals presented planar-like or biaxial-like texture.

Structural, thermal, vibrational, and optical characterization of Sn–S–Se dichalcogenide system synthesized by high-energy ball milling

Layered tin-based SnS2, Sn(S0.5Se0.5)2, and SnSe2 dichalcogenide semiconductors were synthesized using high-energy ball milling. Structural analyses revealed anisotropic nanostructures with the 2H-polytype. The extended milling time produced nanocrystallites due to the high density of defects and texture indexes. A significant microstrain reduction was achieved by replacing the 1d site with heavier chalcogenides. The presence of microstrained nanocrystallites widens and redshifts the A1g and Eg Raman modes. The redshift effect also occurs when the lattice parameters are increased via doping. The overall exothermic DSC profile exhibited a subtle modification above 450 °C suggestive of SnO2 nucleation. A composition-dependent exciton redshift in UV–Vis was followed by a reduction in the band gap toward lower averaged ionic radii in the 1d site. Multiple straight-line segments in Tauc plots indicate sub-bands as a result of the multilayered structure.

Improvement of quality and flavor of salted egg yolks by ultrasonic assisted cooking

Physicochemical, texture indexes, microstructure and volatiles were used to characterize the changes in quality, structure and flavor of cooked salted egg yolks (SEYs) with or without ultrasonic treatment. Experimental results indicated that ultrasonic significantly increased cooking (water) loss, oil exudation, lipids oxidation (TBARS), accelerated the doneness of cooked SEYs and then promoted the generation of volatiles. These results were further confirmed by the improvement of thermal stability, the changes in color, secondary structure of proteins, water distribution and mobility. Meanwhile, more “fragments” and “cracks” were observed in scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the decrease in gumminess and chewiness were detected using texture profile analysis (TPA), inducing that the migration of lipids and collapse of gel network were intensified. Moreover, ultrasonic treatment decreased the content of sodium chloride in SEYs. Therefore, it was concluded that the doneness, quality and flavor of cooked SEYs were improved by ultrasonic treatment, which could be used as an effective and alternative method for the production of SEYs with good flavor, sandy and oily texture.

Active Packaging-Releasing System with Foeniculum vulgare Essential Oil for the Quality Preservation of Ready-to-Cook (RTC) Globe Artichoke Slices.

Two globe artichoke genotypes, “Spinoso sardo” and “Opera F1”, have been processed as ready-to-cook (RTC) slices and refrigerated at 4 °C for 12 days (i) to evaluate the suitability to be processed as RTC slices; (ii) to evaluate the effect of a Foeniculum vulgare essential oil (EO) emitter, within an active package system, to delay quality decay, thus extending shelf life; (iii) to estimate the impact of EO emitter on the sensory profile of the RTC slices after cooking. Results revealed that both globe artichoke genotypes possess a good attitude to be processed as RTC product. “Opera F1” showed the best performances for color parameters, texture and chemical indexes, while “Spinoso sardo” showed lower mass loss (ML) over the storage time. The addition of EO emitter slowed down the consumption of O2, better preserved texture when compared to the control and more effectively control polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and antioxidants’ retention during the cold storage. Microbial counts in control globe artichoke RTC slices were significantly higher than those packed with EO emitter, confirming the inhibiting role played by EO of F. vulgare. In addition, the EO emitter did not influence negatively the sensory profile of RTC globe artichoke slices after microwave cooking.

Radio frequency tempering multiple layers of frozen tilapia fillets: the temperature distribution, energy consumption, and quality

Tempering is an important step for the seafood processing industry. Selecting an appropriate tempering method can optimize the quality of tilapia. Volumetric radio frequency heating is able to compete tempering within minutes regardless product sizes. Twelve pieces of frozen tilapia fillets in four layers were used as target samples for a radio frequency tempering study. To improve the tempering uniformity, a thin layer of polyurethane foam was applied in-between layers. The present study explored the optimum radio frequency (RF) tempering processing parameters including three input powers (600, 800, 1000 W) and three electrode gaps (10, 12, 14 cm), batch and continuous mode, and compared it to water-tempering effects on the temperature distribution, drip loss, color, TBARS and texture of tilapia. Results demonstrated that the temperature distribution of tilapia with the optimum RF tempering condition (800 W, 12 cm) was more uniform than water tempering, and the TBARS value of samples tempered by RF is lower than that of water tempering. RF-tempering processes retained the L* value (58.76) and a* value (6.54) of tilapia samples, and also resulted in the highest hardness at 298.59 g. Most of the texture indexes of the tempered tilapia fish show no significant difference (p > 0.05) among all tempering conditions. Thus, RF shows a great potential in fish-tempering industry with its fast, uniform and controllable characteristics and a better retention of fish quality

PREDICTING THE PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS OF CHISEL PLOW USING NEURAL NETWORK MODEL

ABSTRACT This study examines the capability of an artificial neural network (ANN) approach using a backpropagation-learning algorithm to predict performance parameters for a chisel plow at three field sites with differing soils. The draft force, effective field capacity (EFC), fuel consumption rate (FC), overall energy efficiency (OEE), and rate of plowed soil volume (SVR) were predicted at varying plowing speeds, plowing depths, soil moisture contents, soil bulk densities, soil texture indexes, and tractor powers. Collected field data was divided into a training set (for predicting the required parameters) and testing set (for model validation). For the ANN algorithm, the number of hidden layers, neurons, and transfer functions were varied to construct different ANN architectures, which were then verified using various statistical criteria, such as mean absolute error. The results showed that an ANN with one hidden layer and 15 neurons was ideal. The developed ANN model predicted the draft force, EFC, FC, OEE, and SVR of the chisel plow with a mean absolute error of 3.23 kN, 0.80 hah-1, 3.04 Lh-1, 2.78% and 1.06 m3h−1, respectively in the testing phase.

Effect of high‐pressure treatment on the quality of prepared chicken breast

SummaryIn this study, the effect of high‐pressure processing (HPP) on the physico‐chemical properties and microstructure of prepared chicken breast meat products was investigated. The result showed that the pH and TBARS values of the prepared chicken breast gradually increased, while the total volatile basic nitrogen value constantly decreased with the increase of pressure (0.1–500 MPa). In addition, the colour attributes (L* and a* values) and texture indexes (hardness and chewiness) significantly improved as the pressure increased. The results of low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance demonstrated that the peak area of immobilised water (T22) first enhanced and then declined with the increase of pressure, reaching the maximum value at 200 MPa. Moreover, the integrity of microstructure and protein secondary structure of prepared chicken breast were also disrupted. These findings could serve as a theoretical basis for a better application of HPP in prepared chicken breast meat products.