A Review of Experimental Techniques for Measuring Micro- to Nano-Particle-Laden Gas Flows

Dispersed micro- to nano-particle-laden gas flows are common in many engineering and environmental applications. Characterizing both their dispersed and carrier phase using experimental methods is very important for determining their properties and behavior. This paper reviews techniques for measuring the carrier phase, as well as the dispersed particles ranging from the micro- to the nano-scale. We focus not only on the developments of specific techniques over the last 20 years, but also on relationships and comparisons among these techniques. In addition to a systematic description and classification of these methods, we discuss the parameters they measure, such as particle velocity, size, composition and concentration. A more detailed review is provided for several important measurement techniques, including particle image velocimetry, the phase-Doppler particle analyzer and light-scattering intensity measurements for microparticles, as well as the scanning mobility particle sizer, the fast mobility particle sizer and the electrical low pressure impactor for nano-particles. The founding principles, development histories, various applications of these techniques and where they are going are summarized. This article provides a resource for investigators that plan to study micro- or nano-particle-laden gas flows in various contexts

Damage Localization of Piles Based on Complex Continuous Wavelet Transform: Numerical Example and Experimental Verification

A new signal processing method called complex continuous wavelet transform (CCWT) is introduced in this paper to localize pile damage because it clearly reveals inherent characteristics of response signals. In this method, CCWT is first performed on the response signal to obtain the wavelet coefficient matrix. The resultant coefficients are then employed to calculate phase angles at different frequency bands with an aim of pile damage localization. However, the CCWT method is only demonstrated via laboratory tests on pile specimens, and its application on actual piles has not been examined. Moreover, various factors such as pile-soil interaction need to be considered when the CCWT method is applied on actual piles. To address these issues, a numerical example of 3D finite element pile model followed by a parameter analysis and an experimental verification on an actual pile are investigated. The results demonstrate that the CCWT method is capable of localizing pile damage under different damage scenarios. However, there are still some interference points in the grayscale images of phase angles and the reduction of interference points needs to be addressed by mutual verification with other pile damage detection methods and engineering experience

The underlying processes of a soil mite metacommunity on a small scale

<div><p>Metacommunity theory provides an understanding of how ecological processes regulate local community assemblies. However, few field studies have evaluated the underlying mechanisms of a metacommunity on a small scale through revealing the relative roles of spatial and environmental filtering in structuring local community composition. Based on a spatially explicit sampling design in 2012 and 2013, this study aims to evaluate the underlying processes of a soil mite metacommunity on a small spatial scale (50 m) in a temperate deciduous forest located at the Maoershan Ecosystem Research Station, Northeast China. Moran’s eigenvector maps (MEMs) were used to model independent spatial variables. The relative importance of spatial (including trend variables, i.e., geographical coordinates, and broad- and fine-scale spatial variables) and environmental factors in driving the soil mite metacommunity was determined by variation partitioning. Mantel and partial Mantel tests and a redundancy analysis (RDA) were also used to identify the relative contributions of spatial and environmental variables. The results of variation partitioning suggested that the relatively large and significant variance was a result of spatial variables (including broad- and fine-scale spatial variables and trend), indicating the importance of dispersal limitation and autocorrelation processes. The significant contribution of environmental variables was detected in 2012 based on a partial Mantel test, and soil moisture and soil organic matter were especially important for the soil mite metacommunity composition in both years. The study suggested that the soil mite metacommunity was primarily regulated by dispersal limitation due to broad-scale and neutral biotic processes at a fine-scale and that environmental filtering might be of subordinate importance. In conclusion, a combination of metacommunity perspectives between neutral and species sorting theories was suggested to be important in the observed structure of the soil mite metacommunity at the studied small scale.</p></div

Visualization and quantification of coconut using advanced computed tomography postprocessing technology.

IntroductionComputed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive examination tool that is widely used in medicine. In this study, we explored its value in visualizing and quantifying coconut.Materials and methodsTwelve coconuts were scanned using CT for three months. Axial CT images of the coconuts were obtained using a dual-source CT scanner. In postprocessing process, various three-dimensional models were created by volume rendering (VR), and the plane sections of different angles were obtained through multiplanar reformation (MPR). The morphological parameters and the CT values of the exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp, embryo, bud, solid endosperm, liquid endosperm, and coconut apple were measured. The analysis of variances was used for temporal repeated measures and linear and non-linear regressions were used to analyze the relationship between the data.ResultsThe MPR images and VR models provide excellent visualization of the different structures of the coconut. The statistical results showed that the weight of coconut and liquid endosperm volume decreased significantly during the three months, while the CT value of coconut apple decreased slightly. We observed a complete germination of a coconut, its data showed a significant negative correlation between the CT value of the bud and the liquid endosperm volume (y = -2.6955x + 244.91; R2 = 0.9859), and a strong positive correlation between the height and CT value of the bud (y = 1.9576 ln(x) -2.1655; R2 = 0.9691).ConclusionCT technology can be used for visualization and quantitative analysis of the internal structure of the coconut, and some morphological changes and composition changes of the coconut during the germination process were observed during the three-month experiment. Therefore, CT is a potential tool for analyzing coconuts

Simple and partial Mantel tests of soil mite metacommunity dissimilarity against spatial and environmental distances (999 permutations).

<p>Simple and partial Mantel tests of soil mite metacommunity dissimilarity against spatial and environmental distances (999 permutations).</p

Species and individuals of soil mite metacommunities in 2012 and 2013.

<p>Species and individuals of soil mite metacommunities in 2012 and 2013.</p

The effect of environmental factors on the soil mite metacommunity structures analyzed by redundancy analysis and Monte Carlo permutation test (999 permutations)

<p>The effect of environmental factors on the soil mite metacommunity structures analyzed by redundancy analysis and Monte Carlo permutation test (999 permutations)</p