99,545 research outputs found
Shellular SiCN ceramics with integrated structure and function realizing full electromagnetic wave absorption in the X-band
No full textIn this paper, the electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption properties of SiCN ceramics with a shellular structure prepared by 3D printing technology (DLP) at different pyrolysis temperatures were investigated. The research shows that polarization loss and multiple reflections are the principal reasons for the improvement in sample absorption performance. The shellular structure is favorable for the multiple reflections and scattering of electromagnetic wave inside the material. The turbostratic carbon, graphitic carbon and SiC generated by pyrolysis are conducive to improving the dielectric loss of the sample, adjusting its impedance matching performance and improving its absorption performance. The RLmin of SiCN-1200 reaches − 21.12 dB (3.22 mm), and the effective band width is 4.20 GHz, covering the whole X-band. The excellent EMW absorption performance of DLP-SiCN ceramics, together with additive manufacturing, enable the integration of material, structure and function within a single component
Real-Time Optimal Trajectory Planning for Autonomous Driving with Collision Avoidance Using Convex Optimization
No full textAn online trajectory planning method for collision avoidance is proposed to improve vehicle driving safety and comfort simultaneously. The collision-free trajectory for autonomous driving is formulated as a nonlinear optimization problem. A novel approximate convex optimization approach is developed for the online optimal trajectory in both longitudinal and lateral directions. First, a dual variable is used to model the non-convex collision-free constraint for driving safety and is calculated by solving a dual problem of the relative distance between vehicles. Second, the trajectory is further optimized in a model predictive control framework considering the safety. It realizes continuous-time and dynamic feasible motion with collision avoidance. The geometry of object vehicles is described by polygons instead of circles or ellipses in traditional methods. In order to avoid aggressive maneuver in the longitudinal and lateral directions for driving comfort, rates of the acceleration and the steering angle are restricted. The final formulated optimization problem is convex, which can be solved by using quadratic programming solvers and is computationally efficient for online application. Simulation results show that this approach can obtain similar driving performance compared to a state-of-the-art nonlinear optimization method. Furthermore, various driving scenarios are tested to evaluate the robustness and the ability for handling complex driving tasks
Ring-polymer molecular dynamics: Rate coefficient calculations for energetically symmetric (near thermoneutral) insertion reactions (X + H[subscript 2]) → HX + H(X = C([superscript 1]D), S([superscript 1]D))
No full textFollowing our previous study of prototypical insertion reactions of energetically asymmetric type with the RPMD (Ring-Polymer Molecular Dynamics) method [Y. Li, Y. Suleimanov, and H. Guo, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 5, 700 (2014)], we extend it to two other prototypical insertion reactions with much less exothermicity (near thermoneutral), namely, X + H[subscript 2] → HX + H where X = C([superscript 1] D), S([superscript 1] D), in order to assess the accuracy of this method for calculating thermal rate coefficients for this class of reactions. For both chemical reactions, RPMD displays remarkable accuracy and agreement with the previous quantum dynamic results that make it encouraging for the future application of the RPMD to other barrier-less, complex-forming reactions involving polyatomic reactants with any exothermicity.United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy Frontier Research Center for Excitonics. Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center. Award DE-SC0001198)MIT Energy Initiativ
Mutations among Italian mucopolysaccharidosis Type I patients
No full textA group of 27 Italian patients was screened for -L-iduronidase mucopolysaccharidosis type I mutations. Mutations were found in 18 patients, with 28 alleles identified. The two most common mutations in northern Europeans (W402X and Q70X) accounted for 11% and 13% of the alleles, respectively. The R89Q mutation, uncommon in Europeans, was found only in one patient, accounting for 1 of 54 alleles (1.9%). The other mutations, P533R, A327P and G51D, accounted for 11%, 5.6% and 9.3% of the total alleles, respectively. Interestingly, the high frequency of the P533R mutation seems to be confined to Sicily and is higher than the 3% reported in a British/Australian study.R. Gatti, P. DiNatale, G.R.D. Villani, M. Filocamo, V. Muller, X.-H. Guo, P.V. Nelson, H.S. Scott, J. J. Hopwoo
Iterative Detection of Diagonal Block Space Time Trellis Codes, TCM and Reversible Variable Length Codes for Transmission over Rayleigh Fading Channels
No full textIterative detection of Diagonal Block Space Time Trellis Codes (DBSTTCs), Trellis Coded Modulation (TCM) and Reversible Variable Length Codes (RVLCs) is proposed. With the aid of efficient iterative decoding, the proposed scheme is capable of providing full transmit diversity and a near channel capacity performance. The performance of the proposed scheme was evaluated when communicating over uncorrelated Rayleigh fading channels. Explicitly, significant iteration gains were achieved by the proposed scheme, which was capable of performing within 2~dB from the channel capacity
Applicability of Phase-Function Normalization Techniques for Radiation Transfer Computation
No full textThe applicability of recently-developed four phase-function (PF) normalization techniques for modeling radiation transfer in strongly anisotropic scattering media is intensively examined using the discrete-ordinate method. The three simple techniques via normalization of only the forward- and/or backward-scattering directions were shown to reduce normalization complexity whilst retaining diffuse radiation computation accuracy for Henyey-Greenstein (HG) PFs. For Legendre PFs, however, such simple techniques are found to result in unphysical negative PF value at one or few correction direction in some cases. Additionally, negative PF values can occur for these simple techniques for ballistic radiation transfer for both HG and Legendre PF types. If negative-intensity correction is applied, however, radiative heat transfer calculation can still converge regardless of the appearance of negative PF values. The relatively complex Hunter and Guo 2012 technique, in which normalization is realized through a correction matrix covering all discrete directions, is shown to be applicable for diffuse and ballistic radiation for both PF types.Peer reviewed
Diabetes, impaired fasting glucose and their relations to plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines: a population-based study in China
No full textH. Zuo, Z. Shi, X. Hu, M. Wu, Z. Guo and A. Hussai
Phenotypic traits of the Mediterranean Phragmites australis M1 lineage : differences between the native and introduced ranges
No full textThe environmental conditions in the new ranges of introduced plant species are often different from the conditions in their native ranges, and invasive plant species have been assumed to adapt to different environmental conditions by rapid ecological evolution in the invasive range after the introduction. Another interpretation of the change in plant traits after their introduction, however, is ecological fitting, which is based on the inherently high phenotypic plasticity of the species rather than on evolution. The Mediterranean haplotype M1 lineage of the wetland grass Phragmites australis was introduced to the coastal wetlands along the Gulf Coast of North America, where it is exposed to a different climate compared to its original range. The climate in the native range is arid or temperate with dry and hot summers, whereas the climate in the introduced range is warmer and has a higher and more uniform precipitation than that in the native range. This warmer and more humid environment is likely to pose different selection pressures to the plants in the introduced range and thus cause rapid evolutionary change and phenotypic differentiation in the introduced range. Here, we compared phenotypic traits of the M1 lineage from the native and introduced ranges in a common garden experiment to study the processes assisting the successful spread in the introduced range. Overall, the native and introduced groups were similar, but we detected a few phenotypic traits that diverged. Ecological fitting could be the fundamental mechanism by which the P. australis M1 lineage survives and spreads in the introduced Gulf Coast region. However, further research is needed to assess how the diverging traits observed in our study in Denmark (lower photosynthetic rates, lower chlorophylls concentration and higher leaf K concentration for the introduced than for the native genotypes) are expressed in the two ranges
Field monitoring and control for vortex-induced vibration of hanger cables in suspension bridge
No full textThis study aims to investigate the vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs) characteristics of hanger cables in suspension bridges based on field monitoring and propose effective control strategies to mitigate such vibrations. The vibration monitoring system for VIVs of hanger cables is established. On this basis, the acceleration amplitude, vibration frequency, and the relationship between in-plane and out-of-plane vibration of hanger cables are first investigated. Subsequently, a series of band-pass filters are employed to obtain the acceleration RMS distributions and determine the controlled modes of hanger cables. In addition, the modal damping ratio distributions for the vibration modes are also identified by using the natural excitation technique. Thirdly, the occurrence conditions for VIVs of hanger cables are explored based on the relationships between wind characteristic parameters and the vibration response of hanger cables. Finally, two types of arrayed tuned mass dampers (ATMD) are designed and installed to suppress the VIVs of hanger cables. The results showed that the VIVs of hanger cables are always dominated by multiple modes with large acceleration and high frequency, which are generally recorded when the wind velocity ranges from 2 m/s to 8 m/s. The in-plane vibrations are more frequent and larger than the out-of-plane vibrations. The two types of ATMD can effectively suppress the VIVs of hanger cables. The maximum acceleration RMS reduction of the monitored hanger cables is larger than 85%
Phylogenetic diversity shapes salt tolerance in Phragmites australis estuarine populations in East China
No full textEstuaries are dynamic and selective environments that provide frequent opportunities for the turnover of Phragmites australis populations. We studied Phragmites genetic diversity patterns in three of the major deltas of China, viz. the Yellow River, the Yangtze and the Liaohe, in relation to Phragmites global phylogeography and soil salinity. We found that two distantly related P. australis haplotypes, each with intercontinental distribution, co-occur in these deltas in China. One is European Phragmites (Haplotype O) and is related to P. japonicus; the other (Haplotype P) has its range in East Asia and Australia and is related to the Asian tropical species P. karka. The two haplotypes have differing salt tolerance, with Haplotype O in areas with the highest salinity and Haplotype P in areas with the lowest. Introgressed hybrids of Haplotype P with P. karka, and F1 hybrids with Haplotype O, have higher salt tolerance than Haplotype P. Phylogenetic diversity appears as the factor that better explains population structure and salinity tolerance in these estuaries. Future research may explain whether the two P. australis haplotypes evolved in East Asia, and East Asia is a center of Phragmites diversity, or are introduced and a threat to P. japonicus and P. karka
- …
