High-and Low-Frequency Probe Tone Tympanometry in Chinese Infants

Objective To assess the utility of low- and high-frequency tympanometry in the diagnosis of middle ear dysfunction in Chinese infants. Methods Tympanograms were obtained with 226 Hz, 678 Hz and 1000 Hz probe tones from infants aged 5-25 weeks with normal auditory brainstem responses(ABRs)(15 infants, 30 ears) and with prolonged wave I latencies(17 infants, 20 ears), suggesting middle ear dysfunction, using a GSI Tympstar middle ear analyzer Version II. Results The single-peaked tympanogram was the most characteristic type in both groups and seen in 25 ears (83.3%) in the normal ABR group and in 18 ears (90%) in the delayed wave I group, respectively. The peak pressure, peak compensated static acoustic admittance and gradient of 226 Hz tympanometry were of no significant differences between the two groups. The 678 Hz tympanograms of admittance, susceptance and conductance demonstrated non-peak, single-, double- and tri-peaked patterns in both groups. The agreement between ABRs and 678 Hz tympanograms of admittance,susceptance and conductance were 70.0%, 58.0% and 64.0%(kappa=0.324, 0.234 and 0.118) respectively. For 1000 Hz probe tone, admittance, susceptance and conductance tympanograms showed single peaked patterns in 28(93.3%), 25 (83.3%) and 26(86.7%) of the 30 normal ears. Admittance, susceptance and conductance tympanograms using the 1000 Hz probe tone were flat in 15 (75%), 17(85%) and 13 (65%) of the ears in infants with prolonged wave I latencies. For 1000 Hz admittance, susceptance and conductance Tympanograms, the agreement between tympanometry and ABR results were 90.0%, 92.0% and 86.0% with kappa at 0.783, 0.831 and 0.690, respectively. Conclusion 1000 Hz probe tone tympanometry is a promising middle ear function test for infants of 1-6 months age, while 226 Hz and 678 Hz probe tones are less efficient in detecting middle ear dysfunction in infants.

Low-frequency oscillation of train-network system considering traction power supply mode

The low-frequency oscillation(LFO)has occurred in the train-network system due to the introduction of the power electronics of the trains.The modeling and analyzing method in current researches based on electrified railway unilateral power supply system are not suitable for the LFO analysis in a bilateral power supply system,where the trains are supplied by two traction substations.In this work,based on the single-input and single-output impedance model of China CRH5 trains,the node admittance matrices of the train-network system both in unilateral and bilateral power supply modes are established,including three-phase power grid,traction transformers and traction network.Then the modal analysis is used to study the oscillation modes and propagation characteristics of the unilateral and bilateral power supply systems.Moreover,the influence of the equivalent inductance of the power grid,the length of the transmission line,and the length of the traction network are analyzed on the critical oscillation mode of the bilateral power supply system.Finally,the theoretical analysis results are verified by the time-domain simulation model in MATLAB/Simulink.

A seismic elastic moduli module for the measurements of low-frequency wave dispersion and attenuation of fluid-saturated rocks under different pressures

Knowledge about the seismic elastic modulus dispersion,and associated attenuation,in fluid-saturated rocks is essential for better interpretation of seismic observations taken as part of hydrocarbon identification and time-lapse seismic surveillance of both conventional and unconventional reservoir and overburden performances.A Seismic Elastic Moduli Module has been developed,based on the forced-oscillations method,to experimentally investigate the frequency dependence of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio,as well as the inferred attenuation,of cylindrical samples under different confining pressure conditions.Calibration with three standard samples showed that the measured elastic moduli were consistent with the published data,indicating that the new apparatus can operate reliably over a wide frequency range of f∈[1-2000,10^(6)]Hz.The Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the shale and the tight sandstone samples were measured under axial stress oscillations to assess the frequency-and pressure-dependent effects.Under dry condition,both samples appear to be nearly frequency independent,with weak pressure dependence for the shale and significant pressure dependence for the sandstone.In particular,it was found that the tight sandstone with complex pore microstructure exhibited apparent dispersion and attenuation under brine or glycerin saturation conditions,the levels of which were strongly influenced by the increased effective pressure.In addition,the measured Young's moduli results were compared with the theoretical predictions from a scaled poroelastic model with a reasonably good agreement,revealing that the combined fluid flow mechanisms at both mesoscopic and microscopic scales possibly responsible for the measured dispersion.

Suppression of low-frequency ultrasound broadband vibration using star-shaped single-phase metamaterials

In order to suppress the low-frequency ultrasound vibration in the broadband range of 20 k Hz—100 k Hz,this paper proposes and discusses an acoustic metamaterial with low-frequency ultrasound vibration attenuation properties,which is configured by hybrid arc and sharp-angle convergent star-shaped lattices.The effect of the dispersion relation and the bandgap characteristic for the scatterers in star-shaped are simulated and analyzed.The target bandgap width is extended by optimizing the geometry parameters of arc and sharp-angle convergent lattices.The proposed metamaterial configured by optimized hybrid lattices exhibits remarkable broad bandgap characteristics by bandgap complementarity,and the simulation results verify a 99%vibration attenuation amplitude can be obtained in the frequency of20 k Hz—100 k Hz.After the fabrication of the proposed hybrid configurational star-shaped metamaterial by 3D printing technique,the transmission loss experiments are performed,and the experimental results indicate that the fabricated metamaterial has the characteristics of broadband vibration attenuation and an amplitude greater than 85%attenuation for the target frequency.These results demonstrate that the hybrid configurational star-shaped metamaterials can effectively widen the bandgap and realize high efficiency attenuation,which has capability for the vibration attenuation in the application of highprecise equipment.

Current optimization-based control of dual three-phase PMSM for low-frequency temperature swing reduction

In this paper,a control scheme based on current optimization is proposed for dual three-phase permanent-magnet synchronous motor(DTP-PMSM)drive to reduce the low-frequency temperature swing.The reduction of temperature swing can be equivalent to reducing maximum instantaneous phase copper loss in this paper.First,a two-level optimization aiming at minimizing maximum instantaneous phase copper loss at each electrical angle is proposed.Then,the optimization is transformed to a singlelevel optimization by introducing the auxiliary variable for easy solving.Considering that singleobjective optimization trades a great total copper loss for a small reduction of maximum phase copper loss,the optimization considering both instantaneous total copper loss and maximum phase copper loss is proposed,which has the same performance of temperature swing reduction but with lower total loss.In this way,the proposed control scheme can reduce maximum junction temperature by 11%.Both simulation and experimental results are presented to prove the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control scheme for low-frequency temperature swing reduction.

High-order Bragg forward scattering and frequency shift of low-frequency underwater acoustic field by moving rough sea surface

Acoustic scattering modulation caused by an undulating sea surface on the space-time dimension seriously affects underwater detection and target recognition.Herein,underwater acoustic scattering modulation from a moving rough sea surface is studied based on integral equation and parabolic equation.And with the principles of grating and constructive interference,the mechanism of this acoustic scattering modulation is explained.The periodicity of the interference of moving rough sea surface will lead to the interference of the scattering field at a series of discrete angles,which will form comb-like and frequency-shift characteristics on the intensity and the frequency spectrum of the acoustic scattering field,respectively,which is a high-order Bragg scattering phenomenon.Unlike the conventional Doppler effect,the frequency shifts of the Bragg scattering phenomenon are multiples of the undulating sea surface frequency and are independent of the incident sound wave frequency.Therefore,even if a low-frequency underwater acoustic field is incident,it will produce obvious frequency shifts.Moreover,under the action of ideal sinusoidal waves,swells,fully grown wind waves,unsteady wind waves,or mixed waves,different moving rough sea surfaces create different acoustic scattering processes and possess different frequency shift characteristics.For the swell wave,which tends to be a single harmonic wave,the moving rough sea surface produces more obvious high-order scattering and frequency shifts.The same phenomena are observed on the sea surface under fully grown wind waves,however,the frequency shift slightly offsets the multiple peak frequencies of the wind wave spectrum.Comparing with the swell and fully-grown wind waves,the acoustic scattering and frequency shift are not obvious for the sea surface under unsteady wind waves.

Diagnosing ratio of electron density to collision frequency of plasma surrounding scaled model in a shock tube using low-frequency alternating magnetic field phase shift

A non-contact low-frequency(LF)method of diagnosing the plasma surrounding a scaled model in a shock tube is proposed.This method utilizes the phase shift occurring after the transmission of an LF alternating magnetic field through the plasma to directly measure the ratio of the plasma loop average electron density to collision frequency.An equivalent circuit model is used to analyze the relationship of the phase shift of the magnetic field component of LF electromagnetic waves with the plasma electron density and collision frequency.The applicable range of the LF method on a given plasma scale is analyzed.The upper diagnostic limit for the ratio of the electron density(unit:m^(-3))to collision frequency(unit:Hz)exceeds 1×10^(11),enabling an electron density to exceed 1×10^(20)m^(-3)and a collision frequency to be less than 1 GHz.In this work,the feasibility of using the LF phase shift to implement the plasma diagnosis is also assessed.Diagnosis experiments on shock tube equipment are conducted by using both the electrostatic probe method and LF method.By comparing the diagnostic results of the two methods,the inversion results are relatively consistent with each other,thereby preliminarily verifying the feasibility of the LF method.The ratio of the electron density to the collision frequency has a relatively uniform distribution during the plasma stabilization.The LF diagnostic path is a loop around the model,which is suitable for diagnosing the plasma that surrounds the model.Finally,the causes of diagnostic discrepancy between the two methods are analyzed.The proposed method provides a new avenue for diagnosing high-density enveloping plasma.

A bio-inspired spider-like structure isolator for low-frequency vibration

This paper proposes a quasi-zero stiffness(QZS)isolator composed of a curved beam(as spider foot)and a linear spring(as spider muscle)inspired by the precise capturing ability of spiders in vibrating environments.The curved beam is simplified as an inclined horizontal spring,and a static analysis is carried out to explore the effects of different structural parameters on the stiffness performance of the QZS isolator.The finite element simulation analysis verifies that the QZS isolator can significantly reduce the first-order natural frequency under the load in the QZS region.The harmonic balance method(HBM)is used to explore the effects of the excitation amplitude,damping ratio,and stiffness coefficient on the system’s amplitude-frequency response and transmissibility performance,and the accuracy of the analytical results is verified by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta integral method(RK-4).The experimental data of the QZS isolator prototype are fitted to a ninth-degree polynomial,and the RK-4 can theoretically predict the experimental results.The experimental results show that the QZS isolator has a lower initial isolation frequency and a wider isolation frequency bandwidth than the equivalent linear isolator.The frequency sweep test of prototypes with different harmonic excitation amplitudes shows that the initial isolation frequency of the QZS isolator is 3 Hz,and it can isolate 90%of the excitation signal at 7 Hz.The proposed biomimetic spider-like QZS isolator has high application prospects and can provide a reference for optimizing low-frequency or ultra-low-frequency isolators.

Observation of low-frequency oscillation in argon helicon discharge

We present here a kind of low-frequency oscillation in argon helicon discharge with a half helical antenna.This time-dependent instability shows a global quasi-periodic oscillation of plasma density and electron temperature,with a typical frequency of a few tens of Hz which increases with external magnetic field as well as radiofrequency(RF)power.The relative oscillation amplitude decreases with magnetic field and RF power,but the rising time and pulse width do not change significantly under different discharge conditions.The oscillation can only be observed in some specific conditions of low magnetic fields and low RF power when the gas flows in from one end of the discharge area and out from another end.This global instability is suggested to be attributed to the pressure instability of neutral depletion,which is the result of compound action of gas depletion by heating expansion and gas replenishment from upstream.There are two kinds of oscillations,large and small amplitude oscillations,occurring in different discharge modes.This study could be a good verification of and complement to earlier experiments.This kind of spontaneous pulse phenomenon is also helpful in realizing a pulsing plasma source without a pulsed power supply.

A drift-kinetic perturbed Lagrangian for low-frequency nonideal MHD applications

We find that the perturbed Lagrangian derived from the drift-kinetic equation in[Porcelli F et al 1994 Phys.Plasmas 1470]is inconsistent with the ordering for the low-frequency large-scale magnetohydrodynamic(MHD).Here,we rederive the expression for the perturbed Lagrangian within the framework of nonideal MHD using the ordering system for the low-frequency largescale MHD in a low-beta plasma.The obtained perturbed Lagrangian is consistent with Chen's gyrokinetic theory[Chen L and Zonca F 2016 Rev.Mod.Phys.88015008],where the terms related to the field curvature and gradient are small quantities of higher order and thus negligible.As the perturbed Lagrangian has been widely used in the literature to calculate the plasma nonadiabatic response in low-frequency MHD applications,this finding may have a significant impact on the understanding of the kinetic driving and dissipative mechanisms of MHD instabilities and the plasma response to electromagnetic perturbations in fusion plasmas.

Understanding Lithium-ion Transport in Sulfolane- and Tetraglyme-Based Electrolytes Using Very Low-Frequency Impedance Spectroscopy

With the increasing interest in highly concentrated electrolyte systems,correct determination of the cation transference number is important.Pulsed-field gradient NMR technique,which measures self-diffusion coefficients,is often applied on liquid electrolytes because of the wide accessibility and simple sample preparation.However,since the assumptions of this technique,that is,complete salt dissociation,all ions participating in motion,and all of them moving independently,no longer hold true in concentrated solutions,the transference numbers,thus obtained are often over-estimated.In the present work,impedance spectroscopy at a frequency range of 1 MHz to 0.1 mHz was used to examine the concentration effect on lithium-ion transference number under anion-blocking conditions T abc Liþfor two electrolytes:lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide(LiFSI)in sulfolane(SL)and lithium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide(LiTFSI)in tetraglyme(G4).The T abc Liþof the former was almost an order of magnitude higher than that of the latter.It also appeared to increase with increasing concentration while the latter followed an opposite trend.The faster Li^(+)transport in the SL system is attributed to the formation of a liquid structure consisting of extended chains/bridges of SL molecules and the anions,which facilitate a cation-hopping/ligand-exchanged-typed diffusion mechanism by partially decoupling the cations from the anions and solvent molecules.The G4 system,in contrast,is dominated by the formation of long-lived,stable[Li(G4)]+solvation cages that results in a sluggish Li+transport.The difference between the two transport mechanisms is discussed via comparison of the bulk ionic conductivity,viscosity,ion self-diffusion coefficients,and the Onsager transport coefficients.

Low-Frequency Oscillation Analysis of Grid-Connected VSG System Considering Multi-Parameter Coupling

With the increasing integration of new energy generation into the power system and the massive withdrawal of traditional fossil fuel generation,the power system is faced with a large number of stability problems.The phenomenon of low-frequency oscillation caused by lack of damping and moment of inertia is worth studying.In recent years,virtual synchronous generator(VSG)technique has been developed rapidly because it can provide considerable damping and moment of inertia.While improving the stability of the system,it also inevitably causes the problem of active power oscillation,especially the low mutual damping between the VSG and the power grid will make the oscillation more severe.The traditional time-domain state-space method cannot reflect the interaction among state variables and study the interaction between different nodes and branches of the power grid.In this paper,a frequency-domain method for analyzing low-frequency oscillations considering VSG parameter coupling is proposed.First,based on the rotor motion equation of the synchronous generator(SG),a secondorder VSG model and linearized power-frequency control loop model are established.Then,the differences and connections between the coupling of key VSG parameters and low-frequency oscillation characteristics are studied through frequency domain analysis.The path and influencemechanism of a VSG during low-frequency power grid oscillations are illustrated.Finally,the correctness of the theoretical analysis model is verified by simulation.

Development of a low-frequency magnetic lightning mapping system(LFM-LMS)in North China:validation and preliminary results

A low-frequency magnetic lightning mapping system(LFM-LMS)was built during the SHAndong Triggered Lightning Experiment(SHATLE),based on continuous measurements of magnetic field radiation from lightning.The hardware and source-mapping techniques used by the LFM-LMS were introduced;both Monte Carlo simulations and the observation of rocket-triggered lightning examples were employed to examine the location accuracy and detection effectiveness of the LFM-LMS.We estimated that the system’s location accuracy about 100−200 m horizontally and~200 m vertically.A natural intra-cloud lightning flash and a rocket-triggered lightning flash,both with intricate structures and discharging processes,were examined using the three-dimensional mapping results.The progressing path of negative lightning leaders is usually well-defined,and its propagation speed is estimated to be(0.5−1.4)×10^(6)m/s.In summary,the LFM-LMS can reconstruct the three-dimensional morphology of lightning flashes;this technology provides a efficient method for investigating the characteristics of lightning development,as well as the overall electrical strucuture of thunderstorms.

Method for measuring the low-frequency sound power from a complex sound source based on sound-field correction in a non-anechoic tank

Similar to air reverberation chambers, non-anechoic water tanks are important acoustic measurement devices that can be used to measure the sound power radiated from complex underwater sound sources using diffusion field theory. However,the problem of the poor applicability of low-frequency measurements in these tanks has not yet been solved. Therefore,we propose a low-frequency acoustic measurement method based on sound-field correction(SFC) in an enclosed space that effectively solves the problem of measuring the sound power from complex sound sources below the Schroeder cutoff frequency in a non-anechoic tank. Using normal mode theory, the transfer relationship between the mean-square sound pressure in an underwater enclosed space and the free-field sound power of the sound source is established, and this is regarded as a correction term for the sound field between this enclosed space and the free field. This correction term can be obtained based on previous measurements of a known sound source. This term can then be used to correct the mean-square sound pressure excited by any sound source to be tested in this enclosed space and equivalently obtain its free-field sound power. Experiments were carried out in a non-anechoic water tank(9.0 m × 3.1 m × 1.7 m) to confirm the validity of the SFC method. Through measurements with a spherical sound source(whose free-field radiation characteristics are known),the correction term of the sound field between this water tank and the free field was obtained. On this basis, the sound power radiated from a cylindrical shell model under the action of mechanical excitation was measured. The measurement results were found to have a maximum deviation of 2.9 d B from the free-field results. These results show that the SFC method has good applicability in the frequency band above the first-order resonant frequency in a non-anechoic tank. This greatly expands the potential low-frequency applications of non-anechoic tanks.

Permeability evolution mechanism and the optimum permeability determination of uranium leaching from low-permeability sandstone treated with low-frequency vibration

Low-frequency vibrations can effectively improve natural sandstone permeability,and higher vibration frequency is associated with larger permeability.However,the optimum permeability and permeability evolution mechanism for uranium leaching and the relationship between permeability and the change of chemical reactive rate affecting uranium leaching have not been determined.To solve the above problems,in this study,identical homogeneous sandstone samples were selected to simulate lowpermeability sandstone;a permeability evolution model considering the combined action of vibration stress,pore water pressure,water flow impact force,and chemical erosion was established;and vibration leaching experiments were performed to test the model accuracy.Both the permeability and chemical reactions were found to simultaneously restrict U6þleaching,and the vibration treatment increased the permeability,causing the U6þleaching reaction to no longer be diffusion-constrained but to be primarily controlled by the reaction rate.Changes of the model calculation parameters were further analyzed to determine the permeability evolution mechanism under the influence of vibration and chemical erosion,to prove the correctness of the mechanism according to the experimental results,and to develop a new method for determining the optimum permeability in uranium leaching.The uranium leaching was found to primarily follow a process consisting of(1)a permeability control stage,(2)achieving the optimum permeability,(3)a chemical reactive rate control stage,and(4)a channel flow stage.The resolution of these problems is of great significance for facilitating the application and promotion of lowfrequency vibration in the CO_(2)+O_(2) leaching process.

An exo Probe-based Reverse Transcription and Recombinase Polymerase Amplification for Rapid Detection of Feline Calicivirus in Cats

Feline calicivirus(FCV)was a highly prevalent RNA virus causing upper respiratory tract infections in cats through the mouth and nose around the world,result in the death of cats especially under 1 year old with upper respiratory tract disease(URTD)and virulent systemic disease(FCV-VSD)[1].Infected cats usually presented with mouth ulcers,salivation and gingivitis-stomatitis.Furthermore,both recovered cats and asymptomatic carriers can still carry and spread the FCV virus for extended periods of time,contributing to the potential for outbreak.This presented a significant threat to the health and lives of cats,and rare wildlife and took a heavy financial loss on the pet industry,making the prevention and control of the virus difficult.Hence,rapid identification of FCV in clinical samples was necessary to prevent the spread of FCV and avoid financial loss.

Activatable fluorescent probes for imaging and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is a systemic autoimmune disease that is primarily manifested as synovitis and polyarticular opacity and typically leads to serious joint damage and irreversible disability,thus adversely affecting locomotion ability and life quality.Consequently,good prognosis heavily relies on the early diagnosis and effective therapeutic monitoring of RA.Activatable fluorescent probes play vital roles in the detection and imaging of biomarkers for disease diagnosis and in vivo imaging.Herein,we review the fluorescent probes developed for the detection and imaging of RA biomarkers,namely reactive oxygen/nitrogen species(hypochlorous acid,peroxynitrite,hydroxyl radical,nitroxyl),pH,and cysteine,and address the related challenges and prospects to inspire the design of novel fluorescent probes and the improvement of their performance in RA studies.

Plasma potential measurements using an emissive probe made of oxide cathode

A novel emissive probe consisting of an oxide cathode coating is developed to achieve a low operating temperature and long service life.The properties of the novel emissive probe are investigated in detail,in comparison with a traditional tungsten emissive probe,including the operating temperature,the electron emission capability and the plasma potential measurement.Studies of the operating temperature and electron emission capability show that the tungsten emissive probe usually works at a temperature of 1800 K-2200 K while the oxide cathode emissive probe can function at about 1200 K-1400 K.In addition,plasma potential measurements using the oxide cathode emissive probe with different techniques have been accomplished in microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasmas with different discharge powers.It is found that a reliable plasma potential can be obtained using the improved inflection point method and the hot probe with zero emission limit method,while the floating point method is invalid for the oxide cathode emissive probe.

Design of compact integrated diamond nitrogen-vacancy center quantum probe

An integrated quantum probe for magnetic field imaging is proposed,where the nitrogen–vacancy(NV)center fixed at the fiber tip is located on the periphery of flexible ring resonator.Using flexible polyimide(PI)as the substrate medium,we design a circular microstrip antenna,which can achieve a bandwidth of 140 MHz at Zeeman splitting frequency of 2.87 GHz,specifically suitable for NV center experiments.Subsequently,this antenna is seamlessly fixed at a three-dimensional-printed cylindrical support,allowing the optical fiber tip to extend out of a dedicated aperture.To mitigate errors originating from processing,precise tuning within a narrow range can be achieved by adjusting the conformal amplitude.Finally,we image the microwave magnetic field around the integrated probe with high resolution,and determine the suitable area for placing the fiber tip(SAP).

Progress in Mechanical Modeling of Implantable Flexible Neural Probes

Implanted neural probes can detect weak discharges of neurons in the brain by piercing soft brain tissue,thus as important tools for brain science research,as well as diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases.However,the rigid neural probes,such as Utah arrays,Michigan probes,and metal microfilament electrodes,are mechanically unmatched with brain tissue and are prone to rejection and glial scarring after implantation,which leads to a significant degradation in the signal quality with the implantation time.In recent years,flexible neural electrodes are rapidly developed with less damage to biological tissues,excellent biocompatibility,and mechanical compliance to alleviate scarring.Among them,the mechanical modeling is important for the optimization of the structure and the implantation process.In this review,the theoretical calculation of the flexible neural probes is firstly summarized with the processes of buckling,insertion,and relative interaction with soft brain tissue for flexible probes from outside to inside.Then,the corresponding mechanical simulation methods are organized considering multiple impact factors to realize minimally invasive implantation.Finally,the technical difficulties and future trends of mechanical modeling are discussed for the next-generation flexible neural probes,which is critical to realize low-invasiveness and long-term coexistence in vivo.