MED and WPT based technique for bearings fault detection

A new technique is proposed in this work for fault detection in rolling element bearings, which is based on minimum entropy deconvolution (MED), wavelet packet decomposition (WPT) and envelop analysis. Firstly, the collected vibration signal is preprocessed to highlight defect-related impulses, and a new indicator named envelope spectra sparsity (ESS) is proposed to automatically select the filter length of MED. Then the preprocessed signal is decomposed into WPT nodes, and the most sensitive node containing fault-related information are selected from all the nodes to improve the accuracy of the fault detection. Sparsity of wavelet packet nodes signal (SWPN) is proposed in this step as a measure indicator. Lastly the power spectrum is used to highlight the bearing fault characteristic frequencies. The effectiveness of the proposed AMED-WPT technique in feature extraction and analysis is verified by a series of experimental tests corresponding to different bearing conditions

Intelligent optimization for bending moment in uniaxial fatigue loading test of wind turbine blades

Wind turbine mainly relies on blades to capture wind energy and complete energy conversion. Wind turbine blade is one of the key components of wind turbine. In the full scale load test of wind turbine blade, the moment matching is the key part of the test and the premise of wind turbine blade certification. In order to solve the matching problem of the bending moment and the arrangement of counterweight in the fatigue loading test, an improved intelligent optimization algorithm was proposed to achieve the purpose of moment matching. The relationship between the excitation frequency of the rotating mass and the natural frequency of the blade was determined through the identification of the modal test parameters, and the calculation model of the section bending moment was constructed. Based on the optimization algorithm, the joint optimization of moment distribution and amplitude control was carried out with the mean square error as the fitness function. The correctness and feasibility of the balance weight optimization scheme for moment matching in uniaxial fatigue test were verified through the blade test

Real-time Rescue Target Detection Based on UAV Imagery for Flood Emergency Response

Timely acquisition of rescue target information is critical for emergency response after a flood disaster. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with remote sensing capabilities offer distinct advantages, including high-resolution imagery and exceptional mobility, making them well suited for monitoring flood extent and identifying rescue targets during floods. However, there are some challenges in interpreting rescue information in real time from flood images captured by UAVs, such as the complexity of the scenarios of UAV images, the lack of flood rescue target detection datasets and the limited real-time processing capabilities of the airborne on-board platform. Thus, we propose a real-time rescue target detection method for UAVs that is capable of efficiently delineating flood extent and identifying rescue targets (i.e., pedestrians and vehicles trapped by floods). The proposed method achieves real-time rescue information extraction for UAV platforms by lightweight processing and fusion of flood extent extraction model and target detection model. The flood inundation range is extracted by the proposed method in real time and detects targets such as people and vehicles to be rescued based on this layer. Our experimental results demonstrate that the Intersection over Union (IoU) for flood water extraction reaches an impressive 80%, and the IoU for real-time flood water extraction stands at a commendable 76.4%. The information on flood stricken targets extracted by this method in real time can be used for flood emergency rescue

Characterization of starch structures isolated from the grains of waxy, sweet, and hybrid sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

In this study, starches were isolated from inbred (sweet and waxy) and hybrid (sweet and waxy) sorghum grains. Structural and property differences between (inbred and hybrid) sweet and waxy sorghum starches were evaluated and discussed. The intermediate fraction and amylose content present in hybrid sweet starch were lower than those in inbred sweet starch, while the opposite trend occurred with waxy starch. Furthermore, there was a higher A chain (30.93–35.73% waxy, 13.73–31.81% sweet) and lower B2 + B3 chain (18.04–16.56% waxy, 24.07–17.43% sweet) of amylopectin in hybrid sorghum starch. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared reflection measurements affirm the relative crystalline and ordered structures of both varieties as follows: inbred waxy > hybrid waxy > hybrid sweet > inbred sweet. Small angle X-ray scattering and 13C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance proved that the amylopectin content of waxy starch was positively correlated with lamellar ordering. In contrast, an opposite trend was observed in sweet sorghum starch due to its long B2 + B3 chain content. Furthermore, the relationship between starch granule structure and function was also concluded. These findings could provide a basic theory for the accurate application of existing sorghum varieties precisely

First-in-Human Gene Therapy Trial of AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 in Adults and Children With CNGB3-associated Achromatopsia

PURPOSE: To assess the safety and efficacy of AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 in participants with CNGB3-associated achromatopsia (ACHM). DESIGN: Prospective, phase 1/2 (NCT03001310), open-label, nonrandomized clinical trial. METHODS: The study enrolled 23 adults and children with CNGB3-associated ACHM. In the dose-escalation phase, adult participants were administered 1 of 3 AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 dose levels in the worse-seeing eye (up to 0.5 mL). After a maximum tolerated dose was established in adults, an expansion phase was conducted in children ≥3 years old. All participants received topical and oral corticosteroids. Safety and efficacy parameters, including treatment-related adverse events and visual acuity, retinal sensitivity, color vision, and light sensitivity, were assessed for 6 months. RESULTS: AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 (11 adults, 12 children) was safe and generally well tolerated. Intraocular inflammation occurred in 9 of 23 participants and was mainly mild or moderate in severity. Severe cases occurred primarily at the highest dose. Two events were considered serious and dose limiting. All intraocular inflammation resolved following topical and systemic steroids. There was no consistent pattern of change from baseline to week 24 for any efficacy assessment. However, favorable changes were observed for individual participants across several assessments, including color vision (n = 6/23), photoaversion (n = 11/20), and vision-related quality-of-life questionnaires (n = 21/23). CONCLUSIONS: AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 for CNGB3-associated ACHM demonstrated an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. Improvements in several efficacy parameters indicate that AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 gene therapy may provide benefit. These findings, with the development of additional sensitive and quantitative end points, support continued investigation

First-in-Human Gene Therapy Trial of AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 in Adults and Children With CNGB3-associated Achromatopsia

Purpose: To assess the safety and efficacy of AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 in participants with CNGB3-associated achromatopsia (ACHM). Design: Prospective, phase 1/2 (NCT03001310), open-label, nonrandomized clinical trial. Methods: The study enrolled 23 adults and children with CNGB3-associated ACHM. In the dose-escalation phase, adult participants were administered 1 of 3 AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 dose levels in the worse-seeing eye (up to 0.5 mL). After a maximum tolerated dose was established in adults, an expansion phase was conducted in children ≥3 years old. All participants received topical and oral corticosteroids. Safety and efficacy parameters, including treatment-related adverse events and visual acuity, retinal sensitivity, color vision, and light sensitivity, were assessed for 6 months. Results: AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 (11 adults, 12 children) was safe and generally well tolerated. Intraocular inflammation occurred in 9 of 23 participants and was mainly mild or moderate in severity. Severe cases occurred primarily at the highest dose. Two events were considered serious and dose limiting. All intraocular inflammation resolved following topical and systemic steroids. There was no consistent pattern of change from baseline to week 24 for any efficacy assessment. However, favorable changes were observed for individual participants across several assessments, including color vision (n = 6/23), photoaversion (n = 11/20), and vision-related quality-of-life questionnaires (n = 21/23). Conclusions: AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 for CNGB3-associated ACHM demonstrated an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. Improvements in several efficacy parameters indicate that AAV8-hCARp.hCNGB3 gene therapy may provide benefit. These findings, with the development of additional sensitive and quantitative end points, support continued investigation.</p

A simplified formulation to estimate influence of gearbox parameters on the rattle noise

Occurrence of gear rattle in transmission systems can result in severe vibration and noise, which in applications such as automobiles is an important source of user discomfort. As a result , the reduction of the rattling noise has attracted lot of concerns. The rattling noise level is affected by several gearbox parameters, an understanding of which is essential to prevent the expensive design modifications at later stages of product development. To develop such understanding at the gearbox design stage, this paper analytically evaluates the gear parameters’ effect on the root mean square of the wheel gear acceleration under idling condition, which is known to be linearly correlated to the rattling noise level. Therefore, this evaluation allows for an investigation of the gear parameters’ influence on the rattling noise as well. This method is then verified by comparing the analytical results with the simulation results from a dynamic model built in SIMPACK as well as previously published experimental results. Thus, the proposed analytical evaluation method can optimize the gearbox specifications at the design stage to reduce the gear rattle noise level.Published versio