As the number falls,alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number method: A review

This review examines the application, limitations, and potential alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number (FN) method used in the global wheat industry for detecting the risk of poor end-product quality mainly due to starch degradation by the enzyme α-amylase. By viscometry, the FN test indirectly detects the presence of α-amylase, the primary enzyme that digests starch. Elevated α-amylase results in low FN and damages wheat product quality resulting in cakes that fall, and sticky bread and noodles. Low FN can occur from preharvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity α-amylase (LMA). Moist or rainy conditions before harvest cause PHS on the mother plant. Continuously cool or fluctuating temperatures during the grain filling stage cause LMA. Due to the expression of additional hydrolytic enzymes, PHS has a stronger negative impact than LMA. Wheat grain with low FN/high α-amylase results in serious losses for farmers, traders, millers, and bakers worldwide. Although blending of low FN grain with sound wheat may be used as a means of moving affected grain through the marketplace, care must be taken to avoid grain lots from falling below contract-specified FN. A large amount of sound wheat can be ruined if mixed with a small amount of sprouted wheat. The FN method is widely employed to detect α-amylase after harvest. However, it has several limitations, including sampling variability, high cost, labor intensiveness, the destructive nature of the test, and an inability to differentiate between LMA and PHS. Faster, cheaper, and more accurate alternatives could improve breeding for resistance to PHS and LMA and could preserve the value of wheat grain by avoiding inadvertent mixing of high- and low-FN grain by enabling testing at more stages of the value stream including at harvest, delivery, transport, storage, and milling. Alternatives to the FN method explored here include the Rapid Visco Analyzer, enzyme assays, immunoassays, near-infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.     

Piezoelectric properties and microstructure of ceramicrete-based piezoelectric composites

Inorganic piezoelectric ceramic composite is the potential sensing element for long-term structural health monitoring due to its excellent durability and compatibility. In this study, a Ceramicrete-based piezoelectric composite is proposed preliminarily, in which the magnesium potassium phosphate cement is used as the matrix and the lead zirconate titanate particle is utilized as the functional phase. Piezoelectric properties test and microstructure analysis are performed to evaluate the testing samples. Results show that the piezoelectric performance of the composite increase with the increase of piezoelectric ceramic particle size. The value of the piezoelectric strain factor (d₃₃) can reach 83.8 pC/N, while the corresponding piezoelectric voltage factor (g₃₃) is 50.1 × 10^-3 V•m/N at the 50th day after polarization. Microstructure analysis illustrates that the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the matrix and the particles is dense. Moreover, the influence of aging on the composite is attributed to the continuous hydration after polarization. It indicates that the composites have a higher piezoelectric performance, which can be regarded as a promising sensing element material.     

基于FLAC3D的破碎围岩巷道支护效果分析

为了解破碎围岩分别采用锚杆支护、锚喷支护以及锚喷+锚索耦合三种支护方式下的支护效果,进而为破碎围岩巷道选择合理的支护方式提供参考。通过借助FLAC^3D软件建立数值模型,分析不同支护条件下的破碎围岩巷道位移量、应力分布以及塑性区的时空演化特征。结果表明,采用锚喷+锚索耦合支护时,可以较好的控制巷道围岩的位移量、减小应力集中效应、缩小塑性区的影响范围。     

The analysis and comparison of two novel kinds of focusing elements as reflectors

In this article, two novel kinds of focusing elements as reflectors are analyzed and compared. One is the grooved Fresnel zone plate reflector with continuous phase‐correcting. The other called subzone paraboloid reflector, has the profile that consists of a series of paraboloids. Their diffraction efficiencies and bandwidths are described. The two elements still preserve the advantages of Fresnel zone plates, namely, low profile, high efficiency, and simple fabrication. Two dual‐reflector antennas using the proposed focusing elements as the main reflectors are simulated and the results show that these antennas have good radiation performances. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 25:101–108, 2015.     

Doping-free hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes with fluorescent blue,phosphorescent green and red emission layers

Industrialized white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) currently require host-guest doping, a complicated process necessitating precise control of the guest concentration to get high efficiency and stability. Two doping-free, hybrid white OLEDs with fluorescent blue, and phosphorescent green and red emissive layers (EMLs) are reported in this work. An ultra-thin red phosphorescent EML was situated in a blue-emitting electron transport layer (ETL), while the ultra-thin green phosphorescent EML was placed either in the ETL (Device 1), or the hole transport layer (HTL) (Device 2). Device 2 exhibits higher efficiency and more stable spectrum due to the enhanced utilization of excitons by ultra-thin green EML at the exciton generation zone within the HTL. Values of current efficiency (CE), power efficiency (PE), and CRI obtained for the optimized hybrid white OLEDs fabricated through a doping-free process were of 23.2 cd/A, 20.5 lm/W and 82 at 1000 cd/m², respectively.     

Regulation of sensory nerve conduction velocity of human bodies responding to annual temperature variations in natural environments

The extensive research interests in environmental temperature can be linked to human productivity / performance as well as comfort and health; while the mechanisms of physiological indices responding to temperature variations remain incompletely understood. This study adopted a physiological sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) as a temperature‐sensitive biomarker to explore the thermoregulatory mechanisms of human responding to annual temperatures. The measurements of subjects’ SCV (over 600 samples) were conducted in a naturally ventilated environment over all four seasons. The results showed a positive correlation between SCV and annual temperatures and a Boltzmann model was adopted to depict the S‐shaped trend of SCV with operative temperatures from 5°C to 40°C. The SCV increased linearly with operative temperatures from 14.28°C to 20.5°C and responded sensitively for 10.19°C‐24.59°C, while tended to be stable beyond that. The subjects’ thermal sensations were linearly related to SCV, elaborating the relation between human physiological regulations and subjective thermal perception variations. The findings reveal the body SCV regulatory characteristics in different operative temperature intervals, thereby giving a deeper insight into human autonomic thermoregulation and benefiting for built environment designs, meantime minimizing the temperature‐invoked risks to human health and well‐being.     

综放工作面防治水技术应用实践

为解决21000工作面采空区及顶板涌水问题,根据工作面出水点的不同情况,采取了集水器导水、老塘设挡水堰截水、挖排水沟疏水等多项治水措施,经统计排水量达33~42m3/h,有效控制了水情,确保了工作面正常生产。     

Reducing treatment zone diameter in orthokeratology and its effect on peripheral ocular refraction

PurposeTo determine whether orthokeratology (OK) induced treatment zone (TZ) diameter can be reduced by altering OK lens design, and if so the impact of modifying TZ diameter on relative peripheral refraction (RPR).Methods16 subjects (mean age 23.4 ± 1.5 years; 8 female) completed the study. Standard (Control) OK lens design (PJ, Capricornia, Australia) or a modified version (Test) where the back optic zone diameter was reduced, and back optic zone asphericity and intermediate lens curves were altered, were worn overnight only for 7-nights in a randomised double masked order, with a minimum 1-week wash out (no lens wear) between lens designs. Full correction of refractive error was targeted. Refraction; best corrected visual acuity (BCVA); RPR (Shin-Nippon NVision-k 5001) along the horizontal and vertical meridians; and corneal topography (Medmont E300) were measured before starting lens wear and in the morning after lens removal after the seventh night of lens wear for both lens designs. TZ diameter and decentration was calculated from corneal topography.ResultsAfter 7-nights of wear both lens designs created -2.00D refraction effect with no significant difference in refractive effect or change to BCVA between the designs. The Test design created a significantly smaller horizontal (4.78 ± 0.37 vs 5.70 ± 0.37 mm, p < 0.001) and vertical (5.09 ± 0.51 vs 5.92 ± 0.51 mm p < 0.001) TZ diameter. The TZ was decentered inferior temporal with no significant difference between designs. There was no significant difference between the lens designs in RPR along the horizontal and vertical meridians at any measurement period.ConclusionsOK induced TZ diameter can be reliably reduced by altering OK lens design without detrimentally effecting lens centration or refractive effect. Reducing TZ diameter did not alter RPR, though measurement artifacts could be responsible for masking an effect. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess whether smaller TZ OK lens designs increase efficacy for slowing progression of myopia.     

埋地管道在冻土带的热力变形分析

埋地油气管道通过永冻土地带时,由于管内介质与周围的冻土发生了热力作用,使冰土解冻,在管道周围形成融化圈。文章分析了永冻土的特点,建立了永冻土地带土壤传热数学模型:融化圈内外传热方程、管道向土壤和土壤表面向大气所放热量的守恒关系、融化圈界面处土壤温度、相变界面处固相变为液相的传热条件。还建立了埋地管道模型,并以穿过永冻土地带土壤的输油管道为例,分析并计算了各种应力的最大值所在的位置和大小,提出了在永冻土地带减小管道热力变形的措施。     

淤泥软基爆炸固结试验研究

对爆炸效应在淤泥软基工程中的应用问题进行了探讨，并首次提出了爆炸在淤泥软基中的分界应力特征以及排水固结及破坏分区的基本模式。为采用动力加速对淤泥软基工程的处理，提供了试验依据，具有实用价值和指导意义。