Multiresolution analysis for reconstruction of conductivity profiles in eddy current nondestructive evaluation using probe impedance data

This paper presents a wavelet-based multiresolution analysis method for solving the inverse problem in eddy current testing (ECT). Using the probe impedance signals as the measurement data, the reconstruction of conductivity profiles can be performed by a minimization scheme. The method allows to identify the regions where the perturbation may be localized and to retrieve the unknown parameters only in those regions. Some numerical simulation results show the feasibility of the technique

Sequential optimization method for the design of electromagnetic device

Three sequential optimization methods, sequential least square method, sequential Kriging method, and sequential linear Bayesian method, are presented for the optimization design of electromagnetic device. Sequential optimization method (SOM) is composed of coarse optimization process and fine optimization process. The main purpose of the former is to reduce the design space; while the target of the latter is to update the optimal design parameters. To illustrate the performance of the proposed methods, an analytic test function and the TEAM Workshop Problem 22 are investigated. Experimental results of test function demonstrate that SOM can obtain satisfactory solutions; and practical application illustrates that the number of finite element sample points is less than 1/10 compared with that by direct optimization method, while the optimal results are even better than that by direct optimization method. © 2008 IEEE

Multiscale combined radial basis function collocation method for eddy currents analysis in high-speed moving conductors

A novel multiscale combined radial basis function (RBF) collocation method, as a truly meshless method, is presented to overcome the shortage of general RBF collocation method and is applied to analyze eddy currents in high-speed moving conductors in this paper. A typical example is set here to illustrate the accuracy and affectivity of the proposed method, including a comparison with general RBF collocation method and finite element method (FEM). © 2009 IEEE

Domain decomposition combined radial basis function collocation method to solve transient eddy current magnetic problems with moving conductors

Radial basis function (RBF) collocation method is a kind of pure meshless numerical method and has been applied to solve static and transient electromagnetic problems. Especially, it shows a great advantage in the computation of moving conductor eddy current magnetic problems. To simulate the conductor movement, the field equations are decoupled with superposition principle and solved by time-domain iteration under moving coordinate systems. One problem is that the coefficient matrix of RBF governing equations, which needs to be computed in each iteration step, is full. As the number of RBF nodes increases, the computational capacity will grow rapidly. The domain decomposition method (DDM), which divides the solving domain into several subdomains, could be conveniently combined with RBF collocation method. This paper first applies DDM combined RBF collocation method to compute transient eddy current magnetic field problems with moving conductors. With this novel method, the iteration only proceeds in the subdomains containing conductors. And the magnetic field in the subdomains without conductors needs to be computed just once before the iteration. The dimension of the coefficient matrix computed in the iteration is only determined by the number of nodes in the corresponding subdomains and on the interfaces. An engineering problem is computed to show that the DDM combined RBF collocation method is much more efficient than the normal one. © 2011 IEEE

On the implications of aerosol liquid water and phase separation for modeled organic aerosol mass

Water is an important component of PM2.5 Many traditional SOA species are highly soluble and thus can be considered extractable Water can influence the partitioning of compounds traditionally considered insoluble in models Organic aerosol takes up water according to RH Organic aerosol interacts with inorganic water Deviations in ideality (solubility) must be considered

Evolution favors protein mutational robustness in sufficiently large populations

BACKGROUND: An important question is whether evolution favors properties such as mutational robustness or evolvability that do not directly benefit any individual, but can influence the course of future evolution. Functionally similar proteins can differ substantially in their robustness to mutations and capacity to evolve new functions, but it has remained unclear whether any of these differences might be due to evolutionary selection for these properties. RESULTS: Here we use laboratory experiments to demonstrate that evolution favors protein mutational robustness if the evolving population is sufficiently large. We neutrally evolve cytochrome P450 proteins under identical selection pressures and mutation rates in populations of different sizes, and show that proteins from the larger and thus more polymorphic population tend towards higher mutational robustness. Proteins from the larger population also evolve greater stability, a biophysical property that is known to enhance both mutational robustness and evolvability. The excess mutational robustness and stability is well described by existing mathematical theories, and can be quantitatively related to the way that the proteins occupy their neutral network. CONCLUSIONS: Our work is the first experimental demonstration of the general tendency of evolution to favor mutational robustness and protein stability in highly polymorphic populations. We suggest that this phenomenon may contribute to the mutational robustness and evolvability of viruses and bacteria that exist in large populations

Development and application of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for rapid detection of Haemophilus parasuis

Haemophilus parasuis is the causative agent of Glässer’s disease that has received much attention recently, due to the increasing economic losses this disease inflicts upon the pig industry worldwide. In this study, loop-mediated isothermal amplification method (LAMP) methodology was designed for diagnosing H. parasuis infections and tested against 56 clinical samples. Two sets of primers for LAMP were designed based on the H. parasuis inf B gene sequence. Target DNA was amplified and visualized on agarose gels after 50 min incubation at 63°C. The LAMP amplicon was also directly visualized in the reaction tubes by the naked eye following the addition of SYBR green I. The detection limit of the inf BLAMP method was 10 cfu mL-1, that was 10 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. Furthermore, positive rates of H. parasuis detection using inf B-LAMP were higher (46.4%, 26/56) than the rates obtained with conventional PCR (33.9%, 19/56). inf B-LAMP specificity analysis demonstrated no crossreactivity with any other swine pathogens. In conclusion, inf B-LAMP was more sensitive and faster and could be carried out in the absence of expensive equipment. Furthermore, the visual readout demonstrated great potential for the use of inf B-LAMP in the clinical detection of H. parasuis.Key words: Glässer’s disease, Haemophilus parasuis, inf B, PCR, LAM

A boundary meshless method for transient eddy current problems

This paper presents a boundary meshless method (BMLM) for transient eddy current problems. With difference to the traditional boundary element method (BEM), the BMLM combines a point interpolation method (PIM) for construction of spatial interpolation functions with a boundary integral formulation for the governing equations, thus the spatial interpolation functions satisfy the Kronecker delta function and the essential boundary condition can be directly imposed without any other procedure. Theoretical analysis in details is given and a transient eddy current example is also presented to prove the proposed theory. © 2005 IEEE