bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Courtyard Sound Field Characteristics by Bell Sounds in Han Chinese Buddhist Temples
Authors: Zhang Dongxu , Kong Chunxiao , Zhang Mei , Meng Qi
Published: February 2020

The acoustic environments of Han Chinese Buddhist temples have long played an important role in the development of Buddhism. This study explored the effects of layouts and spatial elements of Han Chinese Buddhist temples on courtyard sound fields. First, sound fields of three traditional Han Chinese courtyards were measured, and results were compared with sound field simulations to determine the appropriate acoustic and software parameter setting for ancient building materials in the context of sound field simulation. Next, a sound field model for standard forms of Han Chinese Buddhist temples was built and analysed. Results indicate that in traditional Buddhist temples, spatial elements—such as the height and sound absorption coefficient of temple courtyard walls, position of courtyard partition walls, and the position and height of bell towers—could significantly affect the sound pressure level (SPL), reverberation time (RT), and musical clarity (C80) of each courtyard. However, enclosure materials, such as those used in roofs, on the ground, and in windows of Han Chinese Buddhist temples, had relatively small effects on temple courtyard sound fields.
Suitability of a Coupled Hydrologic and Hydraulic Model to Simulate Surface Water and Groundwater Hydrology in a Typical North-Eastern Germany Lowland Catchment
Authors: Waseem Muhammad , Kachholz Frauke , Klehr Wolfgang , Tränckner Jens
Published: February 2020

Lowland river basins are characterised by complex hydrologic and hydraulic interactions between the different subsystems (aerated zone, groundwater, surface water), which may require physically-based dynamically-coupled surface water and groundwater hydrological models to reliably describe these processes. Exemplarily, for a typical north-eastern Germany lowland catchment (Tollense river with about 400 km²), an integrated hydrological model, MIKE SHE, coupled with a hydrodynamic model, MIKE 11, was developed and assessed. Hydrological and hydraulic processes were simulated from 2010 to 2018, covering strongly varying meteorological conditions. To achieve a highly reliable model, the calibration was performed in parallel for groundwater levels and river flows at the available monitoring sites in the defined catchment. Based on sensitivity analysis, saturated hydraulic conductivity, leakage coefficients, Manning’s roughness, and boundary conditions (BCs) were used as main calibration parameters. Despite the extreme soil heterogeneity of the glacial terrain, the model performance was quite reasonable in the different sub-catchments with an error of less than 2% for water balance estimation. The resulted water balance showed a strong dependency on land use intensity and meteorological conditions. During relatively dry hydrological years, actual evapotranspiration (ETa) becomes the main water loss component, with an average of 60%–65% of total precipitation and decreases to 55%–60% during comparatively wet hydrological years during the simulation period. Base flow via subsurface and drainage flow accounts for an approximate average of 30%–35% during wet years and rises up to 35%–45% of the total water budget during the dry hydrological years. This means, groundwater is in lowland river systems the decisive compensator of varying meteorological conditions. The coupled hydrologic and hydraulic model is valuable for detailed water balance estimation and seasonal dynamics of groundwater levels and surface water discharges, and, due to its physical foundation, can be extrapolated to analyse meteorological and land use scenarios. Future work will focus on coupling with nutrient transport and river water quality models.
Optimisation of a Heat Source for Infrared Thermography Measurements: Comparison to Mehler Engineering + Service-Heater
Authors: Verspeek Simon , Ribbens Bart , Maldague Xavier , Steenackers Gunther
Published: February 2020

Using an optimised heating source in active thermography can facilitate the processing of measurement results. By designing a custom heat source for dynamic line scan thermography, we reduced the excitation power needed to heat the sample and decreased the unwanted side effects originating of a wide-range heating source. The design started from a regular halogen tube lamp and a reflector is composed to provide the desired heating power in a narrow band. The reflector shape is optimised using ray-tracing software to concentrate the electromagnetic radiation along with the heat in a slim line. A comparison between the optimised heat source and a commercially available line-heater is performed. The width of the heated region from the Mehler Engineering + Service-heater is larger than prescribed in the datasheet. The optimised line heater has several advantages over the comercially available heat source.
Validation of Trade-Off in Human–Automation Interaction: An Empirical Study of Contrasting Office Automation Effects on Task Performance and Workload
Authors: Lee Byung Cheol , Park Jangwoon , Jeong Heejin , Park Jaehyun
Published: February 2020

Automation aims to improve the task performance and the safety of human operators. The success of automation can be facilitated with well-designed human–automation interaction (HAI), which includes the consideration of a trade-off between the benefits of reliable automation and the cost of Failed automation. This study evaluated four different types of HAIs in order to validate the automation trade-off, and HAI types were configured by the levels and the statuses of office automation. The levels of automation were determined by information amount (i.e., Low and High), and the statues were decided by automation function (i.e., Routine and Failed). Task performance including task completion time and accuracy and subjective workload of participants were measured in the evaluation of the HAIs. Relatively better task performance (short task completion time and high accuracy) were presented in the High level in Routine automation, while no significant effects of automation level were reported in Failed automation. The subjective workload by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Task Load Index (TLX) showed higher workload in High and Failed automation than Low and Failed automation. The type of sub-functions and the task classification can be estimated as major causes of automation trade-off, and dissimilar results between empirical and subjective measures need to be considered in the design of effective HAI.
Fragility Curves of the Urban Road Network Based on the Debris Distributions of Interfering Buildings
Authors: Anelli Angelo , Mori Federico , Vona Marco
Published: February 2020

Fragility curves are essential tools to quantitatively assess the physical vulnerability of structures and infrastructures at risk for a given seismic hazard. They describe the probability of exceeding a given performance level under earthquake excitation, and are usually defined by a lognormal probability distribution function. Although debris from damaged buildings adjacent to road edges is the main cause of urban mobility disruption, studies on the fragility curves development for infrastructures subject to seismic actions focus on geotechnical effects, and do not analyze this type of road blockage. The article proposes an analytical procedure to construct fragility curves for urban road networks. It is based on the construction of debris graphs and the use of an appropriate fitting technique. For a given seismic intensity measure level, the developed fragility curves express the probability that the road is open or closed to the transit of emergency vehicles after debris fall. Therefore, the performance level is defined in terms of the width of the road pavement that remains free after the debris fall, or the width of the debris heap on the road pavement. Finally, the proposed framework is tested with real data of the main street in Amatrice, and the results are presented and discussed.
Experimental Study on the Workability and Stability of Steel Slag Self-Compacting Concrete
Authors: Pan Suiwei , Chen Depeng , Chen Xiuling , Ge Genwang , Su Danyang , Liu Chunlin
Published: February 2020

There is important application value and economic value in exploring the potential use of steel slag to prepare self-compacting concrete (SCC) and make full use of solid waste resources. In this paper, steel slag self-compacting concrete (SSCC) with relatively ideal workability is prepared by using steel slag instead of natural fine aggregate based on mix proportion optimization and SSCC performance research. The filling ability, passing ability and resistance segregation were tested to evaluate the workability of SSCC. The results show that when the content of steel slag sand is 20%, the workability performance of SSCC is similar to that of SCC with natural aggregates. When the content of steel slag sand is less than 60%, the performance of SSCC can also meet the workability requirements after adjusting the amount of raw materials.
Truck Handling Stability Simulation and Comparison of Taper-Leaf and Multi-Leaf Spring Suspensions with the Same Vertical Stiffness
Authors: Zhao Leilei , Zhang Yunshan , Yu Yuewei , Zhou Changcheng , Li Xiaohan , Li Hongyan
Published: February 2020

The lightweight design of trucks is of great importance to enhance the load capacity and reduce the production cost. As a result, the taper-leaf spring will gradually replace the multi-leaf spring to become the main elastic element of the suspension for trucks. To reveal the changes of the handling stability after the replacement, the simulations and comparison of the taper-leaf and the multi-leaf spring suspensions with the same vertical stiffness for trucks were conducted. Firstly, to ensure the same comfort of the truck before and after the replacement, an analytical method of replacing the multi-leaf spring with the taper-leaf spring was proposed. Secondly, the effectiveness of the method was verified by the stiffness tests based on a case study. Thirdly, the dynamic models of the taper-leaf spring and the multi-leaf spring with the same vertical stiffness are established and validated, respectively. Based on this, the dynamic models of the truck before and after the replacement were established and verified by the steady static circular test, respectively. Lastly, the handling stability indexes for the truck were compared by the simulations of the drift test, the ramp steer test, and the step steer test. The results show that the yaw rate of the truck almost does not change, the steering wheel moment decreases, the vehicle roll angle obviously increases, and the vehicle side slip angle slightly increases after the replacement. Thus, the truck with the taper-leaf spring suspension has better steering portability, however, its handling stability performs worse.
Numerical Investigation of Erosion Wear in the Hydraulic Amplifier of the Deflector Jet Servo Valve
Authors: Yan Hao , Li Jing , Cai Cunkun , Ren Yukai
Published: February 2020

Although possessing a remarkable anti-contamination capacity, the deflector jet valve is still confronted with erosion wear brought by solid particles in hydraulic oil. To describe the erosion wear mechanism in the hydraulic amplifier of servo valves, a RANS-based CFD simulation is conducted to obtain its internal wear distribution following the Oka erosion model, which shows the erosion wear in servo valves can be divided into four levels and the major wear happens on the shunt wedge, characterized by a regular and fluctuant distribution. Further, there exist multiple relative maximums of erosion rates, whose locations deviate from the jet center. On this basis, the correlation between the contamination level of hydraulic oil and the degree of erosion wear is established. Moreover, according to the working mechanism of the hydraulic amplifier, a new failure criterion of the deflector jet valve is proposed to carry out valve lifespan analyses. Then, a lifespan prediction formula is obtained, and calculations show that hydraulic oil must have a contamination level superior to NAS 5 if a lifespan of over 20,000 h is expected.
Analysis and Identification of Active Compounds from Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix Toxic to HCT-116 Human Colon Cancer Cells
Authors: Kang Bohyung , Lee Sullim , Seo Chang-Seob , Kang Ki Sung , Choi You-Kyung
Published: February 2020

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide. The aim of the present study was to simultaneously analyze compounds of Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix (SMR) and determine their cytotoxic effects on HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells. We established a simultaneous analysis method of five compounds (salvianic acid A, salvianolic acid B, caffeic acid, tanshinone IIA, and rosmarinic acid) contained in SMR, and found that among the various compounds in SMR, tanshinone IIA significantly decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. Hoechst staining also showed that both SMR and tanshinone IIA increased nuclear condensation, suggesting induction of apoptosis. By Western blotting, we found that tanshinone IIA induced apoptotic cell death, significantly increased Bax, but decreased Bcl-2 in the course of apoptosis. Tanshinone IIA increased the expression of cleaved caspases-7 and -8. Tanshinone IIA was shown to be an active ingredient of SMR that may be a useful chemotherapeutic strategy for patients with colorectal cancer.
A New Transmission Theory of “Global Dynamic Wrap Angle” for Friction Hoist Combining Suspended and Wrapped Wire Rope
Authors: Guo Yongbo , Zhang Dekun , Zhang Xinyue , Wang Dagang , Wang Songquan
Published: February 2020

A new transmission theory of “global dynamic wrap angle” for friction hoist is proposed. The theory is based on a mine hoist simulation model which combines the suspended rope with the wrapped rope. Rope dynamics in a suspended section are verified by the field experiment results. The theory holds that the mechanical state of wire rope is dynamic through the whole wrap angle, including deformation, contact and friction. When the rope enters the wrap angle, it provides positive friction and changes direction at a certain boundary point. The demarcation of the boundary depends on the rope load on both sides of the friction pulley. The theory is suitable for accurately analyzing the kinetics of high-speed and heavy-load friction hoisting.
Net-Net AutoML Selection of Artificial Neural Network Topology for Brain Connectome Prediction
Authors: Barreiro Enrique , Munteanu Cristian R. , Gestal Marcos , Rabuñal Juan Ramón , Pazos Alejandro , González-Díaz Humberto , Dorado Julián
Published: February 2020

Brain Connectome Networks (BCNs) are defined by brain cortex regions (nodes) interacting with others by electrophysiological co-activation (edges). The experimental prediction of new interactions in BCNs represents a difficult task due to the large number of edges and the complex connectivity patterns. Fortunately, we can use another special type of networks to achieve this goal—Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Thus, ANNs could use node descriptors such as Shannon Entropies (Sh) to predict node connectivity for large datasets including complex systems such as BCN. However, the training of a high number of ANNs for BCNs is a time-consuming task. In this work, we propose the use of a method to automatically determine which ANN topology is more efficient for the BCN prediction. Since a network (ANN) is used to predict the connectivity in another network (BCN), this method was entitled Net-Net AutoML. The algorithm uses Sh descriptors for pairs of nodes in BCNs and for ANN predictors of BCNs. Therefore, it is able to predict the efficiency of new ANN topologies to predict BCNs. The current study used a set of 500,470 examples from 10 different ANNs to predict node connectivity in BCNs and 20 features. After testing five Machine Learning classifiers, the best classification model to predict the ability of an ANN to evaluate node interactions in BCNs was provided by Random Forest (mean test AUROC of 0.9991 ± 0.0001, 10-fold cross-validation). Net-Net AutoML algorithms based on entropy descriptors may become a useful tool in the design of automatic expert systems to select ANN topologies for complex biological systems. The scripts and dataset for this project are available in an open GitHub repository.
Quantifying the Effect of Catalysts on the Lifetime of Transformer Oil
Authors: Polanský Radek , Hahn Pavel , Kadlec Petr , Moravcová Daniela , Prosr Pavel
Published: February 2020

The effect of catalysts in the form of a transformer copper winding with Kraft paper insulation on the lifetime of transformer oil was studied via ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The tested naphthenic mineral oil was exposed to accelerated thermo-oxidative aging with limited access to air at temperatures of 110, 120, and 130 °C for times ranging from 24 to 2424 h in the presence and absence of catalysts. The UV-Vis technique focused on assessing the change in the color of the oil and quantified a 35%–45% reduction in oil lifetime, depending on the aging temperature, due to the influence of catalysts. The FT-IR analysis focused on the decrease in the spectral band at 3650 cm−1, which corresponds to the low-temperature antioxidant present in the oil, and quantified the 35% reduction in the oil lifetime independent of the aging temperature. This high rate of reduction in the transformer oil lifetime points to the dominant catalytic role of the Kraft paper and copper during the aging process of the transformer insulation system.
Modified Dual-Site Langmuir Adsorption Equilibrium Models from A GCMC Molecular Simulation
Authors: Wang Junchao , Wei Yongjie , Ma Zhengfei
Published: February 2020

In the modern industrial separation process, the pressure swing adsorption technology is widely used to separate and purify gases due to its low energy consumption, low cost, convenience, reliability, and environmental benignity. The basic elements of the design and application of the pressure swing adsorption process are adsorption isotherms at different temperatures for adsorbents. The dual-site Langmuir (DSL) adsorption equilibrium model is the mostly used model; however, this model is based on the assumption that the adsorption energy on the surface of an adsorbent is uniform and remains unchanged. Here, a grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) molecular simulation was used to calculate the CO2 adsorption equilibrium on MIL-101 (Cr) at 298 K. MIL-101 (Cr) was chosen, as it has more a general pore structure with three different pores. The calculation results showed that the adsorption energies with different adsorption pressures fitted a normal distribution and the relationship of the average adsorption energies, E with pressures had a linear form described as: E = aP + c. With this relationship, the parameter b = k·exp(E/RT) in the DSL model was modified to b = k·exp((aP + c)/RT), and the modified DSL model (M-DSL) was used to correlate the adsorption equilibrium data on CO2-MIL-101 (Cr), C2H4-HHPAC, CH4-BPL, and CO2-H-Mordenite, showing better correlations than those of the DSL model. We also extended the parameter qm in the M-DSL model with the equation qm = k1 + k2T to adsorption equilibrium data for different temperatures. The obtained model (M-TDSL) was checked with the abovementioned adsorption equilibrium systems. The fitting results also indicated that the M-TDSL model could be used to improve the correlation of adsorption equilibrium data for different temperatures. The linear relationship between the average adsorption energy and adsorption pressure could be further tested in other adsorption equilibrium models to determine its universality.
Discrete Fourier Transform-Based Block Faster-Than- Nyquist Transmission for 5G Wireless Communications
Authors: Peng Yaqiu , Li Mingqi
Published: February 2020

Faster-than-Nyquist (FTN) signaling is regarded as a potential candidate for improving data rate and spectral efficiency of 5G new radio (NR). However, complex detectors have to be utilized to eliminate the inter symbol interference (ISI) introduced by time-domain packing and the inter carrier interference (ICI) introduced by frequency-domain packing. Thus, the exploration of low complexity transceiver schemes and detectors is of great importance. In this paper, we consider a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) block transmission for multi-carrier FTN signaling, i.e., DBT-MC-FTN. With the aid of DFTs/IDFTs and frequency domain windowing, time- and frequency domain packing can be implemented flexibly and efficiently. At the receiver, the inherent ISI and ICI can be canceled via a soft successive interference cancellation (SIC) detector. The effectiveness of the detector is verified by the simulation over the additive white Gaussian noise channel and the fading channel. Furthermore, based on the characteristics of the efficient architecture of DFT-MC-FTN, two pilot-aided channel estimation schemes, i.e., time-division-multiplexing DBT-MC-FTN symbol-level pilot, and frequency-division-multiplexing subcarrier-level pilot within the DBT-MC-FTN symbol, respectively, are also derived. Numerical results show that the proposed channel estimation schemes can achieve high channel estimation accuracy.
Broad Frequency Shift of Parametric Processes in Epsilon-Near-Zero Time-Varying Media
Authors: Bruno Vincenzo , Vezzoli Stefano , DeVault Clayton , Carnemolla Enrico , Ferrera Marcello , Boltasseva Alexandra , Shalaev Vladimir M. , Faccio Daniele , Clerici Matteo
Published: February 2020

The ultrafast changes of material properties induced by short laser pulses can lead to a frequency shift of reflected and transmitted radiation. Recent reports highlight how such a frequency shift is enhanced in spectral regions where the material features a near-zero real part of the permittivity. Here, we investigate the frequency shift for fields generated by four-wave mixing. In our experiment, we observed a frequency shift of more than 60 nm (compared to the pulse width of ∼40 nm) in the phase conjugated radiation generated by a 500 nm aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) film pumped close to the epsilon-near-zero wavelength. Our results indicate applications of time-varying media for nonlinear optics and frequency conversion.
Artificial Intelligence Assisted Mid-Infrared Laser Spectroscopy In Situ Detection of Petroleum in Soils
Authors: Galán-Freyle Nataly J. , Ospina-Castro María L. , Medina-González Alberto R. , Villarreal-González Reynaldo , Hernández-Rivera Samuel P. , Pacheco-Londoño Leonardo C.
Published: February 2020

A simple, remote-sensed method of detection of traces of petroleum in soil combining artificial intelligence (AI) with mid-infrared (MIR) laser spectroscopy is presented. A portable MIR quantum cascade laser (QCL) was used as an excitation source, making the technique amenable to field applications. The MIR spectral region is more informative and useful than the near IR region for the detection of pollutants in soil. Remote sensing, coupled with a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm, was used to accurately identify the presence/absence of traces of petroleum in soil mixtures. Chemometrics tools such as principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and SVM demonstrated the effectiveness of rapidly differentiating between different soil types and detecting the presence of petroleum traces in different soil matrices such as sea sand, red soil, and brown soil. Comparisons between results of PLS-DA and SVM were based on sensitivity, selectivity, and areas under receiver-operator curves (ROC). An innovative statistical analysis method of calculating limits of detection (LOD) and limits of decision (LD) from fits of the probability of detection was developed. Results for QCL/PLS-DA models achieved LOD and LD of 0.2% and 0.01% for petroleum/soil, respectively. The superior performance of QCL/SVM models improved these values to 0.04% and 0.003%, respectively, providing better identification probability of soils contaminated with petroleum.
The Benefits of the ZnO/Clay Composite Formation as a Promising Antifungal Coating for Paint Applications
Authors: de Lucas-Gil Eva , Menéndez Javier , Pascual Laura , Fernández José F. , Rubio-Marcos Fernando
Published: February 2020

The presence of mold is a serious problem in different environments as industrial, agricultural, hospital and household, especially for human health. Large quantities of mold spores can potentially cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems. Therefore, it is essential to keep buildings free of fungi without harming human health and the environment. Here, we pose a composite of modified bentonite clay and ZnO nanoparticles as an alternative antifungal preservative. The new composite is obtained by an easy and eco-friendly method based on a dry nanodispersion, without altering the properties of each material. The antifungal test reveals a robust response against fungi thanks to the ZnO nanoparticles’ contribution. Our results reveal that the antifungal activity of ZnO/clay composite is governed by both a uniform distribution and an adequate concentration of the ZnO nanoparticles onto the clay surface. Specifically, we find that for concentration below 10 wt.% of the ZnO nanoparticles, the nanoparticles are well dispersed onto clay giving rise to an excellent antifungal response. By contrast, when the concentration of ZnO increases, the formation of ZnO agglomerates onto the clay surface is favored. This effect provokes that antifungal behavior changes towards a more moderate improvement. Finally, we have demonstrated that this composite can be used as a promising paint preservative for antifungal applications.
Miniaturized PIFA for 5G Communication Networks
Authors: Rhee Eugene
Published: February 2020

This paper designed a miniaturized Planar Inverted-F Antenna for 5G communication networks, including Long-Term Evolution Advanced mobile communication services. By showing the radiation pattern, voltage standing wave ratio, and antenna gain of the designed Planar Inverted-F Antenna, this paper evaluates its performance. To show the key characteristics of the Planar Inverted-F Antenna, this paper modeled and simulated it with various variances. Moreover, the real Planar Inverted-F Antenna was fabricated and measurements were done to validate the simulated characteristics of the internal antenna.
Graph Convolutional Networks for Privacy Metrics in Online Social Networks
Authors: Li Xuefeng , Xin Yang , Zhao Chensu , Yang Yixian , Chen Yuling
Published: February 2020

In recent years, privacy leakage events in large-scale social networks have become increasingly frequent. Traditional methods relying on operators have been unable to effectively curb this problem. Researchers must turn their attention to the privacy protection of users themselves. Privacy metrics are undoubtedly the most effective method. However, social networks have a substantial number of users and a complex network structure and feature set. Previous studies either considered a single aspect or measured multiple aspects separately and then artificially integrated them. The measurement procedures are complex and cannot effectively be integrated. To solve the above problems, we first propose using a deep neural network to measure the privacy status of social network users. Through a graph convolution network, we can easily and efficiently combine the user features and graph structure, determine the hidden relationships between these features, and obtain more accurate privacy scores. Given the restriction of the deep learning framework, which requires a large number of labelled samples, we incorporate a few-shot learning method, which greatly reduces the dependence on labelled data and human intervention. Our method is applicable to online social networks, such as Sina Weibo, Twitter, and Facebook, that can extract profile information, graph structure information of users’ friends, and behavioural characteristics. The experiments show that our model can quickly and accurately obtain privacy scores in a whole network and eliminate traditional tedious numerical calculations and human intervention.
Electrical and Microwave Characterization of Thermal Annealed Sewage Sludge Derived Biochar Composites
Authors: Savi Patrizia , Yasir Muhammad , Bartoli Mattia , Giorcelli Mauro , Longo Matteo
Published: February 2020

Ever-increasing proportions of sewage sludge are being generated due to increases in population and urbanization. As a result, the disposal of sewage sludge for use as manure and for other agricultural applications is not sufficient. The use of biochar derived from sewage sludge as a substitute to other carbon fillers was analyzed by performing electrical and morphological characterization. The electrical and microwave characterization of composites filled with sludge biochar was performed. Thermal annealing of biochar makes it conductive and suitable for a variety of electrical and microwave applications. Composite samples of a thickness of 4 mm with 20 wt.% of sludge biochar provided a shielding effectiveness value of almost 10 dB.
Algorithm for Detecting Characteristic Points on a Three-Dimensional, Whole-Body Human Scan
Authors: Koźbiał Michał , Markiewicz Łukasz , Sitnik Robert
Published: February 2020

Anthropometric landmarks obtained from three-dimensional (3D) body scans are widely used in medicine, civil engineering, and virtual reality. For all those fields, an acquisition of certain and accurate landmark positions is crucial for obtaining satisfying results. Manual marking is time-consuming and is affected by the subjectivity of the human operator. Therefore, an automatic approach has become increasingly popular. This paper provides a short survey of different attempts for automatic landmark localization, from which one machine learning-based method was further analyzed and extended in the case of input data preparation for a convolutional neural network (CNN). A novel method of data processing is presented which utilize a mid-surface projection followed by further unwrapping. The article emphasizes its significance and the way it affects the outcome of a deep neural network. The workflow and the detailed description of algorithms used are included in this paper. To validate the method, it was compared with the orthogonal projection used for the state-of-the-art approach. Datasets consisting of 200 specimens, acquired using both methods, were used for convolutional neural networks training and 20 for validation. In this paper, we used YOLO v.3 architecture for detection and ResNet-152 for classification. For each approach, localizations of 22 normalized body landmarks for 10 male and 10 female subjects of different ages and various postures were obtained. To compare the accuracy of approaches, errors and their distribution were measured for each characteristic point. Experiments confirmed that the mid-surface projections resulted, on average, in a 14% accuracy improvement and up to 15% enhancement of resistance on errors related to scan imperfections.
Robust Estimation of Vehicle Motion States Utilizing an Extended Set-Membership Filter
Authors: Chen Jianfeng , Guo Congcong , Hu Shulin , Sun Jiantian , Langari Reza , Tang Chuanye
Published: February 2020

Reliable vehicle motion states are critical for the precise control performed by vehicle active safety systems. This paper investigates a robust estimation strategy for vehicle motion states by feat of the application of the extended set-membership filter (ESMF). In this strategy, a system noise source is only limited as unknown but bounded, rather than the Gaussian white noise claimed in the stochastic filtering algorithms, such as the unscented Kalman filter (UKF). Moreover, as one part of this strategy, a calculation scheme with simple structure is proposed to acquire the longitudinal and lateral tire forces with acceptable accuracy. Numerical tests are carried out to verify the performance of the proposed strategy. The results indicate that as compared with the UKF-based one, it not only has higher accuracy, but also can provide a 100% hard boundary which contains the real values of the vehicle states, including the vehicle’s longitudinal velocity, lateral velocity, and sideslip angle. Therefore, the ESMF-based strategy can proffer a more guaranteed estimation with robustness for practical vehicle active safety control.
Simulation of Abrasion Characteristics of Polar Ship Seawater Pipelines under the Coupling of Ice Particles and Vibration
Authors: Liu Guan-Chen , Xu Li , Li Jie , Sun Qiang , Liu Zong-Qiang , Chen Hai-Wen
Published: February 2020

Under the erosion of seawater–ice two-phase flow, seawater in pipelines of polar ships can cause the pipeline failures that threaten the safety of navigations. The discrete phase model (DPM) and erosion wear model (EWM) were established by using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method for numerical analysis of the 90° elbow with relatively severe erosion. This paper explores the erosion effect of pipelines under different conditions and puts forward optimal measures for pipeline protection. Compared with the existing multiphase flow research, the novelty of this study is that vibration conditions are considered and parameters such as two-phase flow velocity, ice packing factor (IPF), ice particle diameter and ice particle rotation characteristics are combined with vibration conditions. Combined with the comprehensive analysis of erosion effects of static pipelines, a general law of seawater pipeline wear under vibration is obtained. The results show that pipeline wear under vibration is more serious than under static conditions. Under static conditions, the wear of the same section in the pipeline increases with the increases of two-phase flow velocity and IPF. However, under vibration conditions, when the velocity is less than 3 m/s, the wear of the pipeline has no significant change, while when the velocity is over 3 m/s, the wear rate increases significantly. The particle diameter has little effect on the wear of static pipes, but under the vibration condition, the pipe wear rate decreases with the increase of particle diameter, and it starts to stabilize when the diameter exceeds 0.3 mm. If the rotation characteristics of ice particles are taken into account, the wear rate along the pipeline is significantly higher than that without particle rotation.
Intelligent Control of the Microclimate of an Agricultural Greenhouse Powered by a Supporting PV System
Authors: Riahi Jamel , Vergura Silvano , Mezghani Dhafer , Mami Abdelkader
Published: February 2020

An agricultural greenhouse is a complex and Multi-Input Multi-Output MIMO system in which the internal parameters create a favorable microclimate for agricultural production. Temperature and internal humidity are two parameters that have a major impact on greenhouse yield. The objective of this study was to propose a simulated dynamic model in a MATLAB/Simulink environment for experimental validation. Moreover, a fuzzy controller was designed to manage a greenhouse indoor climate by means of an asynchronous motor for ventilation, heating, humidification, etc. An intelligent system to control these actuators for an optimal inside climate was implemented in the model. The dynamic model was validated by comparing the simulation results to experimental measurements. These results showed the effectiveness of the control strategy in regulating the greenhouse indoor climate. Finally, a photovoltaic generator was modeled, with the aim of reducing the costs of agricultural production. It feeds the asynchronous motor with a vector control optimized by fuzzy logic that drives a variable speed fan.
Quantum Dual Signature with Coherent States Based on Chained Phase-Controlled Operations
Authors: Shi Jinjing , Chen Shuhui , Liu Jiali , Li Fangfang , Feng Yanyan , Shi Ronghua
Published: February 2020

A novel encryption algorithm called the chained phase-controlled operation (CPCO) is presented in this paper, inspired by CNOT operation, which indicates a stronger correlation among message states and each message state depending on not only its corresponding key but also other message states and their associated keys. Thus, it can prevent forgery effectively. According to the encryption algorithm CPCO and the classical dual signature protocols, a quantum dual signature scheme based on coherent states is proposed in this paper. It involves three participants, the customer Alice, the merchant Bob and the bank Trent. Alice expects to send her order message and payment message to Bob and Trent, respectively. It is required that the two messages must be linked to guarantee the payment is paid for the corresponding order. Thus, Alice can generate a quantum dual signature to achieve the goal. In detail, Alice firstly signs her two messages with the shared secret key. Then She connects the two signatures into a quantum dual signature. Finally, Bob and Trent severally verify the signatures of the order message and the payment message. Security analysis shows that our scheme can ensure its security against forgery, repudiation and denial. In addition, simulation experiments based on the Strawberry Fields platform are performed to valid the feasibility of CPCO. Experimental results demonstrate that CPCO is viable and the expected coherent states can be acquired with high fidelity, which indicates that the encryption algorithm of the scheme can be implemented on quantum devices effectively.
Multiple Current Reversals Using Superimposed Driven Lattices
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Aritra K. , Schmelcher Peter
Published: February 2020

We demonstrate that directed transport of particles in a two dimensional driven lattice can be dynamically reversed multiple times by superimposing additional spatially localized lattices on top of a background lattice. The timescales of such current reversals can be flexibly controlled by adjusting the spatial locations of the superimposed lattices. The key principle behind the current reversals is the conversion of the particle dynamics from chaotic to ballistic, which allow the particles to explore regions of the underlying phase space which are inaccessible otherwise. Our results can be experimentally realized using cold atoms in driven optical lattices and allow for the control of transport of atomic ensembles in such setups.
Experiment on Interaction of Abutment, Steel H-Pile and Soil in Integral Abutment Jointless Bridges (IAJBs) under Low-Cycle Pseudo-Static Displacement Loads
Authors: Huang Fuyun , Shan Yulin , Chen Guodong , Lin Youwei , Tabatabai Habib , Briseghella Bruno
Published: February 2020

Soil-abutment or soil-pile interactions under cyclic static loads have been widely studied in integral abutment jointless bridges (IAJBs). However, the IAJB has the combinational interaction of soil-abutment and soil-pile, and the soil-abutment-pile interaction is lack of comprehensively study. Therefore, a reciprocating low-cycle pseudo-static test was carried out under an cyclic horizontal displacement load (DL) to gain insight into the mechanical behavior of the soil-abutment-pile system. Test results indicate that the earth pressure of backfill behind abutment has the ratcheting effect, which induced a large earth pressure. The soil-abutment-pile system has a favorable energy dissipation capacity and seismic behavior with relatively large equivalent viscous damping. The accumulative horizontal deformation in pile will be occurred by the effect of abutment and unbalance soil pressure of backfill. The test shows that the maximum horizontal deformation of pile occurs in the pile depth of 1.0b~3.0b of pile body rather than at the pile head due to the accumulative deformation of pile, which is significantly different from those of previous test results of soil-pile interaction. The time-history curve for abutment is relatively symmetrical and its accumulative deformation is small. However, the time-history curve of pile is asymmetrical and its accumulative deformation is dramatically large. The traditional theory of deformation applies only to the calculation of noncumulative deformation of pile, and the influence of accumulative deformation should be considered in practical engineering. A significant difference of inclinations in the positive and negative directions increases when the displacement load is relatively large. The rotation of abutment when bridge expands is larger than that when bridge contracts due to earth pressure of backfill.
Feature Assessment of Toe Area Activity during Walking of Elderly People with Stumbling Experiences through Wearable Clog-Integrated Plantar Visualization System
Authors: Jin Yingjie , Shogenji Miho , Watanabe Tetsuyou
Published: February 2020

In this study, we investigated the relationship between toe-area activity and stumbling experiences utilizing our developed sensing system, in order to assess toe-area activity in elderly people with stumbling experiences. The sensing system enables the visualization of the plantar aspect while walking on any surface and under any condition. An image of the plantar aspect is received at a reflecting surface and captured by a camera attached to a clog. The toe-area activity was evaluated by comparing the difference between the toe contact areas at heel-strike and push-off. Thirteen young individuals (nine men and four women, age 22.4 ± 2 years) and nine elderly individuals (five men and four women, age 65.3 ± 2 years) participated in the experiment by walking along a straight line wearing the plantar sensing system on their feet. The analysis found that a low value of the mean toe activity for multiple walking cycles was associated with high stumbling risk, irrespective of age, whereas large variations in toe activity was associated with aging. These results indicate that toe activity can predict stumbling risk irrespective of age. We also found that a large value of the maximum toe activity during multiple walking cycles indicates aging, whereas a low value is associated with high stumbling risk.
Systematic Approach to Malware Analysis (SAMA)
Authors: Bermejo Higuera Javier , Abad Aramburu Carlos , Bermejo Higuera Juan-Ramón , Sicilia Urban Miguel Angel , Sicilia Montalvo Juan Antonio
Published: February 2020

Malware threats pose new challenges to analytic and reverse engineering tasks. It is needed for a systematic approach to that analysis, in an attempt to fully uncover their underlying attack vectors and techniques and find commonalities between them. In this paper, a method of malware analysis is described, together with a report of its application to the case of Flame and Red October. The method has also been used by different analysts to analyze other malware threats like ‘Stuxnet’, ‘Dark Comet’, ‘Poison Ivy’, ‘Locky’, ‘Careto’, and ‘Sofacy Carberp’. The method presented in this work is a systematic and methodological process of analysis, whose main objective is the acquisition of knowledge as well as to gain a full understanding of a particular malware. Using the proposed method to analyze two well-known malware as ‘Flame’ and ‘Red October’ will help to understand the added value of the method.
FEM Based Preliminary Design Optimization in Case of Large Power Transformers
Authors: Orosz Tamás , Pánek David , Karban Pavel
Published: February 2020

Since large power transformers are custom-made, and their design process is a labor-intensive task, their design process is split into different parts. In tendering, the price calculation is based on the preliminary design of the transformer. Due to the complexity of this task, it belongs to the most general branch of discrete, non-linear mathematical optimization problems. Most of the published algorithms are using a copper filling factor based winding model to calculate the main dimensions of the transformer during this first, preliminary design step. Therefore, these cost optimization methods are not considering the detailed winding layout and the conductor dimensions. However, the knowledge of the exact conductor dimensions is essential to calculate the thermal behaviour of the windings and make a more accurate stray loss calculation. The paper presents a novel, evolutionary algorithm-based transformer optimization method which can determine the optimal conductor shape for the windings during this examined preliminary design stage. The accuracy of the presented FEM method was tested on an existing transformer design. Then the results of the proposed optimization method have been compared with a validated transformer design optimization algorithm.
Fabrication of a Promising Hierarchical Porous Surface on Titanium for Promoting Biocompatibility
Authors: Lan Wen-Chien , Wang Chia-Hsien , Huang Bai-Hung , Cho Yen-Chun , Saito Takashi , Huang Chien-Chia , Huang Mao-Suan
Published: February 2020

The effects of the nano-titanium hydrides (nano-γ-TiH) phase on the formation of nanoporous Ti oxide layer by the potential approach (hydrogen fluoride (HF) pretreatment and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) anodization) were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and transmission electron microscopy. The nano-γ-TiH phase was formed by the HF pretreatment with various current densities. After the NaOH anodization, the nano-γ-TiH phase was dissolved and transformed into nanoporous rutile-Ti dioxide (R-TiO2). As the Ti underwent HF pretreatment and NaOH anodization, the microstructure on the surface layer was transformed from α-Ti → (α-Ti + nano-γ-TiH) → (α-Ti + R-TiO2). In-vitro biocompatibility also indicated that the Ti with a hierarchical porous (micro and nanoporous) TiO2 surface possessed great potential to enhance cell adhesion ability. Thus, the potential approach can be utilized to fabricate a promising hierarchical porous surface on the Ti implant for promoting biocompatibility.
Nonlinear Piezoresistive Behavior of Plain-Woven Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Subjected to Tensile Loading
Authors: Nurprasetio Ignatius Pulung , Budiman Bentang Arief , Afwan Ahmad Alfin , Halimah Putri Nur , Utami Sarah Tania , Aziz Muhammad
Published: February 2020

This work aims to investigate piezoresistive behavior in plain-woven carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Measurement method for electric resistant alteration in the woven CFRP under tensile loading by using a Wheatstone bridge circuit is introduced. Reversibility of the resistant alteration is also investigated whereas the gauge factor of the woven CFRP is evaluated. The result shows that the positive piezoresistive properties of the woven CFRP can be observed by the Wheatstone bridge circuit. The specific resistances of 43.8 μΩm and 10.1 μΩm are obtained for wrap and thickness directions, respectively. Reversibility with a hysteresis of the woven CFRP can also be confirmed with the gauge factor of 22.9 at loading conditions and 17.7 at unloading conditions. Positive piezoresistive behavior which has been revealed in this work can be utilized for structural health monitoring technology development.