Metallocene‐based functionalized polyolefins as compatibilizers in polyolefin nanocomposites

This article reports a study of some functionalized polyolefins evaluated as compatibilizers in polyethylene nanocomposites. The functionalized polymers were prepared by direct metallocene‐mediated copolymerizations of ethylene and a functional comonomer. The prepared nanocomposites were evaluated for mechanical and barrier property enhancement. A good combination of mechanical and barrier properties was obtained with the metallocene‐based functionalized polyethylene. The toughness–stiffness balance was better than or comparable to that achieved with conventional functionalized polymers such as maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene. The results also indicated that these metallocene‐based functionalized polyolefins, when used as compatibilizers, could have relatively higher molar masses and lower functionality than those of conventional post‐reactor‐modified compatibilizers, and so the drawbacks associated with the latter could be avoided. Their inherent properties could also further improve the final nanocomposite properties. This was attributed to the more homogeneous nature of metallocene‐catalyzed polymers in comparison with post‐reactor‐modified products. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1094–1100, 2004     

An Additive Model as a Physical Basis for Shadow Fading

Received signal power in mobile wireless communications is typically modeled as a product of three factors: distance-dependent average path loss law, variation in the local mean power (shadow fading), and small-scale fading. Of these three factors, the least investigated is the shadow fading, which is usually explained as a result of multiplication of large number of random attenuating factors in the radio channel. In this paper, the authors propose an additive model as an alternative physical basis for shadow fading within an "extended local area" where path loss is constant. Starting from a sum-of-sinusoids signal model, they show that under mild statistical assumptions on the powers of the sinusoids, the resulting signal power will have approximately Gaussian distribution in logarithmic scale. A cluster-based model for shadow fading emerges as a special instance of the general result. They present simulation and measurement results that support their theoretical findings. The new physical basis for shadow fading also provides insights into simulation and modeling of radio channels     

尾叶桉无性系多性状遗传分析

对广西山口林场、钦廉林场天堂分场及钦州市犀牛脚镇等3个地点20个以尾叶桉为主参试无性系6、12、18、42个月生的生长性状进行分析与遗传测定.结果表明:参试的20个无性系生长性状在无性系、地点和无性系×地点交互效应上均存在极显著差异;42个月生参试的20个无性系在不同试验地点平均生长量表现为:钦廉林场天堂分场>山口林场>钦州市犀牛脚镇,性状综合分析及评定表明12、15、18号等3个尾叶桉无性系适应性广,具速生丰产性,可推广利用;3个试点选择12、15、18号3个普适型无性系时,其单株材积遗传增益可达35.32%-47.57%.     

Polarization Behaviours at 2, 5 and 60 GHz for Indoor Mobile Communications

The behaviours of linear polarizations at 2.15, 5.3 and 61.7 GHz in corridors are studied in this paper. It shows that there is no significant difference between the received powers for vertical and horizontal polarizations. Depolarization is obvious at 2.15 GHz due to different antenna type is applied at the receiver, and it is more serious in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) cases.     

Learning game for improving forklift drivers’ safety awareness

Cognition, Technology & Work - Forklift drivers in in-house logistics are at a high risk of occupational injuries. This study piloted a video-based learning game for forklift drivers, designed...     

Comparison of MIMO antenna configurations in picocell and microcell environments

This paper presents the results achieved with a dual-polarized multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) measurement system in the 2 GHz range. Results from continuous measurement routes were used in evaluating and comparing different MIMO antenna configurations. Different pattern and polarization diversity possibilities were studied using two methods: elements were selected from the antenna arrays used in measurements, and as another option, in the mobile station the incident waves were estimated and used in different dipole antenna arrays. The capacity limit seems to be higher in an indoor picocell than in an outdoor microcell environment. At the mobile station, directive elements result in 35% higher average capacities than those of the omnidirectional elements; however, the capacity of the directive elements also depends on the azimuth direction of arrival of the incident field. Dual-polarized antenna configurations have approximately 14% higher capacities than copolarized configurations. Increasing the number of mobile antenna elements increases the capacity in those environments where the angular spread of the incident field is large. Increasing the distance between elements at the fixed station increases the capacity - especially in microcells where signals arrive from specific directions.     

Trace element deposition and trends during a ten year period in Finland

The deposition of aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, vanadium and zinc in bulk precipitation was examined at eight background stations in Finland during the last 10 years (1998-2007). The annual deposition was from the lowest values to the highest Cd < As < Cr < Ni < V < Cu and Pb < Mn < Zn < Al < Fe. Most of the elements had a south to north decreasing gradient mainly due to minor domestic emissions in the north, growing distance to the large European source areas and differences in the length of snow-cover period. Element enrichment factors divided the trace elements to the following categories: (1) slightly enriched Cr, Fe and Mn; (2) moderately enriched Cu, Ni and V; and (3) highly enriched As, Cd, Pb and Zn. Trend analysis of annual depositions showed that the established decreasing trend in As and Pb deposition continued during our study period while Cr, Cu and Fe depositions have lately increased. No statistically significant trends were detected for Cd, Mn, Ni, V and Zn during the studied years. Additionally, the measurement uncertainty of trace elements was evaluated for the whole measurement chain.     

Influence of erroneous learning samples on adaptation in on-line handwriting recognition

We have considered problems involved in the self-supervised learning process of an on-line handwriting recognition system. Our system is able to recognize isolated characters by comparing them to prototype characters with a method based on the Dynamic Time Warping algorithm. The recognition system is adapted by adding new prototypes, inactivating confusing or erroneous ones, and reshaping existing prototypes with a method based on the Learning Vector Quantization. We have analyzed the sources of erroneous learning samples and studied the influence of such samples on the performance of the recognizer via simulations. In these simulations, two adaptation strategies combined with four methods for inactivating prototypes were applied. The results of the simulations showed that the adaptation strategies are able to improve the system's recognition rate and the prototype inactivation methods do reduce the harmful effects of erroneous learning samples.