Multidirectional focus measure for accurate three-dimensional shape recovery of microscopic objects

Shape from focus (SFF) is a technique to recover the shape of an object from multiple images taken at various focus settings. Most of conventional SFF techniques compute focus value of a pixel by applying one of focus measure operators on neighboring pixels on the same image frame. However, in the optics with limited depth of field, neighboring pixels of an image have different degree of focus for curved objects, thus the computed focus value does not reflect the accurate focus level of the pixel. Ideally, an accurate focus value of a pixel needs to be measured from the neighboring pixels lying on tangential plane of the pixel in image space. In this article, a tangential plane on each pixel location (i, j) in image sensor is searched by selecting one of five candidate planes based on the assumption that the maximum variance of focus values along the optical axis is achieved from the neighborhood lying on tangential plane of the pixel (i, j). Then, a focus measure operator is applied on neighboring pixels lying on the searched plane. The experimental results on both the synthetic and real microscopic objects show the proposed method produces more accurate three-dimensional shape in comparison to conventional SFF method that applies focus measures on original image planes.     

基于改进奇异值分解滤波和谱峭度的滚动轴承故障诊断

针对含噪信号的有效奇异值个数难以确定的问题，提出了一种改进的奇异值分解降噪方法--奇异值累积法。该方法通过计算奇异值的实际下降值与奇异值平均下降速度累积量的差值，并取该差值最大值点的位置作为有效奇异值的分界点来确定有效奇异值的个数。在此基础上，提出了一种基于奇异值累积法与快速谱峭度的滚动轴承故障诊断方法。采用奇异值累积法对原信号进行降噪处理，然后利用快速谱峭度确定滤波器中心频率及带宽，通过分析频段包络谱中明显的频率成分来诊断故障。该方法可以有效去除信号中的噪声，使得到的峭度值所反映的故障冲击更接近实际情况。对含内圈、外圈故障的滚动轴承实验数据进行分析，实验结果表明，相比快速谱峭度的故障诊断方法，该方法具有更好的故障识别效果。     

Novel superabsorbent materials from bacterial cellulose

A novel process for the production of superabsorbent materials (hydrogels) from bacterial cellulose (BC) was developed. Prior to crosslinking with a water‐soluble polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), BC was first carboxymethylated and functionalized with glycidyl methacrylate. The degree of crosslinking influenced the swelling properties of the hydrogels. The use of greater amounts of PEGDA enhanced the formation of a thicker macromolecular network containing fewer capillary spaces in the crosslinked gel. The maximum water retention value of the hydrogels containing 2.5–3.5 mmol of carboxyl groups per gram of gel reached 125 g g^?1 in distilled water, and 29 g g^?1 in saline (0.9% NaCl solution). The highly porous hydrogel architecture with a pore size of 350–600 µm created a high specific surface area. This enables rapid mass penetration in superabsorbent applications. The superabsorbent hydrogels reached 80% of their maximum water absorption capacity in 30 min. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Quantifying phosphine penetration through the bark of pine (Pinus radiata D.Don) logs

Phosphine (PH₃) is used as an in-transit phytosanitary treatment (10-d fumigation period) for pine (Pinus radiata D.Don) logs exported from New Zealand to China. The ability of PH₃ to penetrate through the bark of the logs is not well known. We designed equipment to accurately quantify PH₃ penetration into the bark of wooden blocks (100 × 100 × 50 mm; n = 12) cut from the upper and lower trunk of recently harvested pine trees fumigated at 15 or 25 °C. Fumigations simulated commercial conditions consisting of two phases; phase I with 2.0 g m⁻³ of PH₃ for the first 5 days (1–120 h) and 1.5 g m⁻³ of PH₃ in phase II for the next 5 days (121–240 h). During the 10-d schedule, we achieved the required commercial CT (concentration × time) of ≥48,000 ppm h at both temperatures. Bark thickness (i.e., trunk location) did not significantly affect fumigant penetration. Phosphine penetration through the bark of the wooden blocks was greatest after each application, then the penetrated concentrations diminished over time. Greater penetration occurred at 15 °C than at 25 °C. Further studies are required to better understand the dynamics of PH₃ penetration particularly at lower temperatures and through insect-infested blocks.     

Cross grouping strategy based 2DPCA method for face recognition

Grouping strategy exactly specifies the form of covariance matrix, therefore it is very essential. Most 2DPCA methods use the original 2D image matrices to form the covariance matrix which actually means that the strategy is to group the random variables by row or column of the input image. Because of their grouping strategies these methods have two main drawbacks. Firstly, 2DPCA and some of its variants such as A2DPCA, DiaPCA and MatPCA preserve only the covariance information between the elements of these groups. This directly implies that 2DPCA and these variants eliminate some covariance information while PCA preserves such information that can be useful for recognition. Secondly, all the existing methods suffer from the relatively high intra-group correlation, since the random variables in a row, column, or a block are closely located and highly correlated. To overcome such drawbacks we propose a novel grouping strategy named cross grouping strategy. The algorithm focuses on reducing the redundancy among the row and the column vectors of the image matrix. While doing this the algorithm completely preserves the covariance information of PCA between local geometric structures in the image matrix which is partially maintained in 2DPCA and its variants. And also in the proposed study intra-group correlation is weak according to the 2DPCA and its variants because the random variables spread over the whole face image. These make the proposed algorithm superior to 2DPCA and its variants. In order to achieve this, image cross-covariance matrix is calculated from the summation of the outer products of the column and the row vectors of all images. The singular value decomposition (SVD) is then applied to the image cross-covariance matrix. The right and the left singular vectors of SVD of the image cross-covariance matrix are used as the optimal projective vectors. Further in order to reduce the dimension LDA is applied on the feature space of the proposed method that is proposed method + LDA. The exhaustive experimental results demonstrate that proposed grouping strategy for 2DPCA is superior to 2DPCA, its specified variants and PCA, and proposed method outperforms bi-directional PCA + LDA.     

大学生信守社会主义核心价值观“三自”理性演进论——基于主体能动价值的实现

依据马克思主义哲学观对人的主体能动价值实现的条件，联系高校对大学生社会主义核心价值观培育的实践，尊重、培育、强化大学生信守社会主义核心价值观的主体性就应当基于其主体能动价值的实现，应当尊重、培育、强化自为、自觉、自由的“三自”理性的能动性，使之信守社会主义核心价值观的“三自”理性能动性向着由高校引领的方向演进。     

Propagation of surface cracks on beam blank in the mould during continuous casting

ABSTRACT

We focus on crack propagation to investigate surface cracks in the mould during continuous casting, based on the crack initiation mechanism proposed in previous studies. The temperature and stress data of a solidified shell were extracted, and an extended finite element model based on the continuous damage theory of elastic–plastic materials was developed to simulate surface crack propagation. The results showed that, in the cracked area, stress concentration occurred at the crack tip, and the element split open and the crack propagated when the maximum principal stress in the stress concentration area reached the critical value. Prefabricated cracks in the fillet and web mainly developed into longitudinal cracks in the mould. The theoretical mechanism of this study was found to be the same as the crack propagation mechanism observed during the actual production of beam blanks. Thus, this study reveals the theoretical principle of crack initiation and propagation and can provide theoretical guidance for controlling surface cracks during beam blank continuous casting.     

Horizon scanning for management of emerging parasitic infections in fishery products

Public organizations operating in health and food-safety sectors are increasingly realizing the advantages of the long-term view of risk uncertainties associated to biological hazards, served-up in the short-term to anticipate the problem and its handling. Thus, the horizon scanning is becoming a major strand in proactive risk management and patient-consumer protection continuity. This approach was recently explained in the scientific opinion on risk assessment of parasites in fishery products by the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA (2010), followed by the launching of a funding scheme for a specific EU Framework Program Project under the Knowledge Based Bio-Economy concept, KBBE (FP7-KBBE-2012-6), which drives the new EU 2020 strategy. The aim of this paper is to examine horizon scanning issues in relation to public health and industrial concern on the presence of parasites in fishery products recorded in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) System. We focus on specific threats, targets, methods and challenges as a means of acquiring management goals and future objectives. The proposed horizon scanning identifies emerging ideas/technologies for an early handling of parasitized fish stocks/products for priority setting to inform strategic planning of stakeholders, policy-makers and health services. In order to accomplish this, a set of risk GIS maps illustrating the state of art about the presence of the zoonotic Anisakis spp. on commercial fish stocks of the last 65 years was firstly developed. Secondly, a program of 108 surveys among fish sellers of Galicia (NW Spain) were carried out with the main objective of getting information about hazard recognition, fish product management practices, quality self-controls and corrective and preventive measures in use. Additionally, during the “I International Symposium on strategies for management of parasitized seafood products” (Vigo, Spain), groups of researchers, technologists, official inspectors and industries participated in round tables with 3 different perspectives: market-industry, inspection and academia. All scanners agreed that the status quo to manage fish parasites in the production-to-consumption food pathway is unsatisfactory. The central message proposed a stable network performance based on collaborative software to provide multi-level information for industrial management of parasite contaminants in fish products. The discussion group also proposed to invigorate collaborative translational research and professional training as key drivers to fuel technological innovations and tech transfer, which may help to minimize/eliminate the risk of parasites that have public health and economic impacts in fish products.