Signal processing and health assessment techniques in structural health monitoring

Considering the practical necessity of realizing the aircraft structure health monitoring (SHM), not only some advanced sensors must be adopted, an appropriate signal processing method is also necessary, in order to achieve the goals of signal characteristic extraction and health assessment. Based on the fact that piezoelectric (PZT) sensor signals extracted from the monitored structure carry a lot of useful health related information, this paper proposes to utilize the power characteristics of PZT signals for health assessment of the aircraft structure. The Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) algorithm is employed to calculate the power characteristic vector, after that, the self-organizing map (SOM) is used to map the corresponding characteristics into a confidence value (CV) which represents the health state of the monitored structure. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is reliable

Nonlinear vibrations of beams with spring and damping delayed feedback control

The primary, subharmonic, and superharmonic resonances of an Euler–Bernoulli beam subjected to harmonic excitations are studied with damping and spring delayed-feedback controllers. By method of multiple scales, the non-linear governing partial differential equation is transformed into linear differential equations directly. Effects of the feedback gains and time-delays on the steady state responses are investigated. The velocity and displacement delayed-feedback controllers are employed to suppress the primary and superharmonic resonances of the forced nonlinear oscillator. The stable vibration regions of the feedback gains and time-delays are worked out based on stablility conditions of the resonances. It is found that proper selection of feedback gains and time-delays can enhance the control performance of beam’s nonlinear vibration. Position of the bifurcation point can be changed or the bifurcation can be eliminated

Compact base station antenna based on image theory for UWB/5G RTLS embraced smart parking of driverless cars

The Internet of Thing (IoT) and fifth-generation mobile communication networks (5G) are leading towards a paradigm shift by proving seamless connectivity to a large number of devices. The applications of IoT in smart cities have further attracted local authorities to adopt technologies such as driverless cars, smart parking and smart waste management. This paper presents a compact base station antenna design with enhanced directivity/gain for ultra-wideband (UWB)/5G embraced real-time location systems (RTLS) based smart parking of driverless cars. The proposed base station antenna is based on image theory to achieve enhanced directivity and narrower beam width without using more array elements to keep smaller dimensions. Moreover, the base station antenna consists of an antipodal dipole printed on the opposite side of Rogers 4350 substrate, and a metal plate carefully designed and placed to produce a mirror image in order to achieve a high value of directivity in a specified direction. The advantage behind the antipodal dipole configuration is to avoid the use of extra balun for impedance matching. The half-power beamwidth of 110° is achieved along with 7 dB gain by placing a reflector plane at the distance of 0.25 λo from the proposed antipodal dipole antenna. Also, this antenna provides a bandwidth ranging from 6 to 7.25 GHz, which can be used for UWB or 5G based RTLS systems. Furthermore, the proposed compact antenna design will help to improve the localization accuracy of ultra-wideband RTLS systems for smart parking applications of autonomous cars

Effects of different dietary ratio of metabolizable glucose and metabolizable protein on growth performance, rumen fermentation, blood biochemical indices and ruminal microbiota of 8 to 10-month-old dairy heifers

Objective The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of different dietary ratio of metabolizable glucose (MG) to metabolizable protein (MP) on growth performance, blood metabolites, rumen fermentation parameters and the ruminal microbial community of 8 to 10-month-old heifers. Methods A total of 24 Holstein heifers weighing an average of 282.90 kg (8 month of age) were randomly assigned to four groups of six. The heifers were fed one of four diets of different dietary MG/MP (0.97, 1.07, 1.13, and 1.26). Results The results showed that the ratio of MG/MP affected the growth performance, blood metabolites, rumen fermentation parameters and the ruminal microbial community of heifers. The average daily gain of heifers was enhanced by increasing the ratio of MG/MP (p<0.05). The concentration of blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as the concentration of total volatile fatty acid in the rumen fluid of heifers decreased with the improvement in the ratio of dietary MG/MP (p<0.05). However, the relative amount of Ruminococcus albus and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens in the rumen of heifers was increased significantly (p<0.05) when the dietary MG/MP increased. At the same time, with the improvement in dietary MG/MP, the amount of Fibrobacter succinogenes increased (p = 0.08). Conclusion A diet with an optimal ratio (1.13) of MG/MP was beneficial for the improvement of growth, rumen fermentation, dietary protein and energy utilization of 8 to 10-month-old dairy heifers in this experiment

The organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis and subfornical organ: regulation of thirst

Thirst and water intake are regulated by the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) and subfornical organ (SFO), located around the anteroventral third ventricle, which plays a critical role in sensing dynamic changes in sodium and water balance in body fluids. Meanwhile, neural circuits involved in thirst regulation and intracellular mechanisms underlying the osmosensitive function of OVLT and SFO are reviewed. Having specific Nax channels in the glial cells and other channels (such as TRPV1 and TRPV4), the OVLT and SFO detect the increased Na+ concentration or hyperosmolality to orchestrate osmotic stimuli to the insular and cingulate cortex to evoke thirst. Meanwhile, the osmotic stimuli are relayed to the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) via direct neural projections or the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) to promote the secretion of vasopressin which plays a vital role in the regulation of body fluid homeostasis. Importantly, the vital role of OVLT in sleep-arousal regulation is discussed, where vasopressin is proposed as the mediator in the regulation when OVLT senses osmotic stimuli

Gut microbiota dysbiosis: The potential mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts gut and brain functions

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a high-risk psychiatric disorder and a key cause of death and disability in individuals. In the development of AUD, there is a connection known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis, where alcohol use disrupts the gut barrier, resulting in changes in intestinal permeability as well as the gut microbiota composition, which in turn impairs brain function and worsens the patient’s mental status and gut activity. Potential mechanisms are explored by which alcohol alters gut and brain function through the effects of the gut microbiota and their metabolites on immune and inflammatory pathways. Alcohol and microbiota dysregulation regulating neurotransmitter release, including DA, 5-HT, and GABA, are also discussed. Thus, based on the above discussion, it is possible to speculate on the gut microbiota as an underlying target for the treatment of diseases associated with alcohol addiction. This review will focus more on how alcohol and gut microbiota affect the structure and function of the gut and brain, specific changes in the composition of the gut microbiota, and some measures to mitigate the changes caused by alcohol exposure. This leads to a potential intervention for alcohol addiction through fecal microbiota transplantation, which could normalize the disruption of gut microbiota after AUD

Resveratrol Protects PC12 Cell against 6-OHDA Damage via CXCR4 Signaling Pathway

Resveratrol, herbal nonflavonoid polyphenolic compound naturally derived from grapes, has long been acknowledged to possess extensive biological and pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ones and may exert a neuroprotective effect on neuronal damage in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain undefined. In the present study, we intended to investigate the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol against 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity of PC12 cells and further explore the possible mechanisms involved. For this purpose, PC12 cells were exposed to 6-OHDA in the presence of resveratrol (0, 12.5, 25, and 50 μM). The results showed that resveratrol increased cell viability, alleviated the MMP reduction, and reduced the number of apoptotic cells as measured by MTT assay, JC-1 staining, and Hoechst/PI double staining (all p<0.01). Immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting revealed that resveratrol averts 6-OHDA induced CXCR4 upregulation (p<0.01). Our results demonstrated that resveratrol could effectively protect PC12 cells from 6-OHDA-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis via CXCR4 signaling pathway

Real-time Monitoring for the Next Core-Collapse Supernova in JUNO

Core-collapse supernova (CCSN) is one of the most energetic astrophysical events in the Universe. The early and prompt detection of neutrinos before (pre-SN) and during the SN burst is a unique opportunity to realize the multi-messenger observation of the CCSN events. In this work, we describe the monitoring concept and present the sensitivity of the system to the pre-SN and SN neutrinos at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), which is a 20 kton liquid scintillator detector under construction in South China. The real-time monitoring system is designed with both the prompt monitors on the electronic board and online monitors at the data acquisition stage, in order to ensure both the alert speed and alert coverage of progenitor stars. By assuming a false alert rate of 1 per year, this monitoring system can be sensitive to the pre-SN neutrinos up to the distance of about 1.6 (0.9) kpc and SN neutrinos up to about 370 (360) kpc for a progenitor mass of 30$M_{\odot}$ for the case of normal (inverted) mass ordering. The pointing ability of the CCSN is evaluated by using the accumulated event anisotropy of the inverse beta decay interactions from pre-SN or SN neutrinos, which, along with the early alert, can play important roles for the followup multi-messenger observations of the next Galactic or nearby extragalactic CCSN.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figure

Research Progress on Plant RING-Finger Proteins

E3 ubiquitin ligases are the most expanded components of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). They mediate the recognition of substrates and later transfer the ubiquitin (Ub) of the system. Really Interesting New Gene (RING) finger proteins characterized by the RING domain, which contains 40&ndash;60 residues, are thought to be E3 ubiquitin ligase. RING-finger proteins play significant roles in plant growth, stress resistance, and signal transduction. In this study, we mainly describe the structural characteristics, classifications, and subcellular localizations of RING-finger proteins, as well the physiological processes of RING-finger proteins in plant growth and development. We also summarize the functions of plant RING-finger proteins in plant stress resistance. Finally, further research on plant RING-finger proteins is suggested, thereby establishing a strong foundation for the future study of plant RING-finger proteins

柠檬酸环氧反应性增容改性聚乳酸/淀粉复合材料的研究

Citric acid based epoxy was firstly used to modify the polylactic acid (PLA) /Starch composites by reactive extrusion. The static contact angle test and scanning electron microscope demonstrate that the citric acid based epoxy reacted with starch during the melt blending, resulting in the better compatibility of PLA/Starch composites. Moreover, the mechanical properties of PLA/starch composites including flexible strength and impact strength are all significantly improved by universal testing machine