A study on characteristic indexesof railway ballast bed underhigh-frequency radar

Purpose–In this paper,a high-frequency radar test system was used to collect the data of clean ballast bed and fouled ballast bed of ballasted tracks,respectively,for a quantitative evaluation of the condition of railway ballast bed.Design/methodology/approach–Based on original radar signals,the time–frequency characteristics of radar signals were analyzed,five ballast bed condition characteristic indexes were proposed,including the frequency domain integral area,scanning area,number of intersections with the time axis,number of timedomain inflection points and amplitude envelope obtained by Hilbert transform,and the effectiveness and sensitivity of the indexes were analyzed.Findings–The thickness of ballast bed tested at the sleep bottom by high-frequency radar is up to 55 cm,which meets the requirements of ballast bed detection.Compared with clean ballast bed,the values of the five indexes of fouled ballast bed are larger,and the five indexes could effectively show the condition of the ballast bed.The computational efficiency of amplitude envelope obtained by Hilbert transform is 140 s$km
1,and the computational efficiency of other indexes is 5 s$km
1.The amplitude envelopes obtained by Hilbert transform in the subgrade sections and tunnel sections are the most sensitive,followed by scanning area.The number of intersections with the time axis in the bridge sections was the most sensitive,followed by the scanning area.The scanning area can adapt to different substructures such as subgrade,bridges and tunnels,with high comprehensive sensitivity.Originality/value–The research can provide appropriate characteristic indexes from the high-frequency radar original signal to quantitatively evaluate ballast bed condition under different substructures.

Characteristic Model-based Discrete-time Sliding Mode Control for Spacecraft with Variable Tilt of Flexible Structures

In this paper, the finite-time attitude tracking control problem for the spacecrafts with variable tilt of flexible appendages in the conditions of exogenous disturbances and inertia uncertainties is addressed. First the characteristic modeling method is applied to the problem of the spacecraft modeling.Second, a novel adaptive sliding mode surface is designed based on the characteristic model. Furthermore, a discrete-time sliding mode control(DTSMC) law, which makes the tracking error converge into a predefined bound in finite time, is proposed by employing the parameters of characteristic model associated with the sliding mode surface to provide better performances,robustness, faster response, and higher control precision. The designed DTSMC includes the adaptive control architecture and is chattering-free. Finally, digital simulations of a sun synchronous orbit satellite(SSOS) are presented to illustrate effectiveness of the control strategies as well as to verify the practical feasibility of the rapid maneuver mission.

Time Delay Characteristic of Industrial Wireless Networks Based on IEEE 802.15.4a

The IEEE 802.15.4a standard provides a framework for low-data-rate communication systems,typically sensor networks.In this paper,we established a realistic environment for the time delay characteristic of industrial network based on IEEE 802.15.4a.Several sets of practical experiments are conducted to study its various features,including the effects of 1） numeral wireless nodes,2） numeral data packets,3） data transmissions with different upper-layer protocols,4） physical distance between nodes,and 5） adding and reducing the number of the wireless nodes.The results show that IEEE 802.15.4a is suitable for some industrial applications that have more relaxed throughput requirements and time-delay.Some issues that could degrade the network performance are also discussed.

Colon transit time according to physical activity and characteristics in South Korean adults

AIM:To investigate factors contributing to the colon transit time(CTT),physical activity and characteristics were examined.METHODS:Forty-seven Korean adults(males,n=23;females,n=24) took a capsule containing 20 radioopaque markers to measure the CTT.The subjects used an accelerometer to measure the physical activity and underwent a bioelectrical impedance analysis to determine the physical characteristics.Macro-nutrient was also surveyed.RESULTS:The mean total CTTs(TCTT) in the males and females were 8.8 and 24.7 h(P=0.002),respectively.In the male subjects,the right CTT(3.5±4.9 h vs 10.0±11.6 h,P=0.023) and recto-sigmoid CTT(4.4±4.7 vs 13.6±12.5 h,P=0.004) were significantly shorter and the total energy expenditure(637.6±44.3 kcal vs 464.3±64.9 kcal,P=0.003),total activity count(247 017±75 022 count vs 178 014±75 998 count,P=0.003),energy expenditure of light intensity(148.5±6.9 kcal vs 120.0±16.8 kcal,P=0.006),energy expenditure of moderate intensity(472.0±36.2 kcal vs 281.4±22.2 kcal,P < 0.001),fat intake(65.5±23.3 g vs 51.2±17.4 g,P=0.010),and water consumption(1714.3±329.4 g vs 1164.7±263.6 g,P=0.009) were significantly higher than in the female subjects.Regarding correlations,when adjusted for gender,fiber(r =-0.545,P < 0.001) and water intake(r =-0.257,P < 0.05) correlated significantly with the TCTT in all subjects.In addition,the body mass index(r =-0.424,P < 0.05) and fiber intake(r =-0.417,P < 0.05) in the males as well as the fiber intake(r =-0.655,P < 0.001) in the females showed significant correlations with the TCTT.CONCLUSION:The subjects showed significant gender differences in the TCTT,right CTT,and recto-sigmoid CTT.Furthermore,the intake of the fiber and water contributed to the CTT.

Control of Interior Sources on Time-Bound Characteristics of Mineralization in Southwest Yangtze Massif

Strata bound ore deposits of Au, Ag, Hg, Sb, As, Sn, Pb and Zn in southwest Yangtze massif are concentrated in Cambrian, Devonian, Upper Permian to Lower Triassic and rarely in other horizons, showing a strong time bound feature. The metallogenic elements are highly enriched in these host strata and limited in other horizons. Isotope researches indicate that the metallogenic elements in the ore deposits mainly come from the host strata. The studies of trace elements in the host mudstone show lower w (Th)/ w (Sc), w (Th)/ w (U) ratios, higher mafic elements (such as Cr, Ni, Co) mass fractions than the average values of the same kind of rocks in the upper crust and the research area. The chondrite normalized REE patterns of mudstone in the host strata are quite different from the common mudstones and shales with relatively steep HREE slopes (relatively high w (Tb) n/ w (Yb) n ratios, between 1.48 and 2.00) and no or slightly negative Eu anomalies (high δ (Eu) ratios, between 0.79 and 0.89). The NASC normalized REE patterns of siliceous rocks in the host strata show the HREE enrichment (the w (La) n/ w (Yb) n ratios are less than 1), a little Eu positive anomalies and Ce depletion with high abundances of As, Se, Sb and Ba elements, which shows the hydrothermal deposit features. The NASC normalized REE patterns of the mudstone in the host strata are very similar to those of the hydrothermal siliceous rocks and to those of the tuffs and basalts except the higher total REE mass fractions. All of these geochemical characteristics suggest the existence of interior sources pouring into basin when the host strata were deposited. The research of basin evolution also indicates that the host strata were deposited in the pulling apart periods. It can be realized from these facts that the degree of enrichment and deficiency of the elements in the normal depositional strata is very limited, and it is only the particular horizons corresponding to the particular periods of the earth ’s evolution that can be the significant source beds because only in these unusual horizons can be highly enriched metallogenic elements. The interior sources corresponding to the pulling apart of basin evolution may be the main cause to make the mineralization of the strata bound ore deposits in southwest Yangtze massif take on time bound characteristics.

Analysis of the time domain characteristics of tapered semiconductor lasers

We use traveling wave coupling theory to investigate the time domain characteristics of tapered semiconductor lasers with DBR gratings.We analyze the influence of the length of second order gratings on the power and spectrum of output light,and optimizing the length of gratings,in order to reduce the mode competition effect in the device,and obtain the high power output light wave with good longitudinal mode characteristics.

Remote Sensing Monitoring of Tobacco Field Based on Phenological Characteristics and Time Series Image―A Case Study of Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province, China

Using three-phase remote sensing images of China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite 02B (CBERS02B) and Landsat-5 TM, tobacco field was extracted by the analysis of time series image based on the different phenological characteristics between tobacco and other crops. The spectral characteristics of tobacco and corn in luxuriant growth stage are very similar, which makes them difficult to be distinguished using a single-phase remote sensing image. Field film after tobacco seedlings transplanting can be used as significant sign to identify tobacco. Remote sensing interpre- tation map based on the fusion image of TM and CBERS02B's High-Resolution (HR) camera image was used as stan- dard reference material to evaluate the classification accuracy of Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and Maximum Like- lihood Classifier (MLC) for time series image based on full samples test method. SAM has higher classification accu- racy and stability than MLC in dealing with time series image. The accuracy and Kappa of tobacco coverage extracted by SAM are 83.4% and 0.692 respectively, which can achieve the accuracy required by tobacco coverage measurement in a large area.

Impact of the Changes in Women’s Characteristics over Time on Antenatal Health Care Utilization in Egypt (2000-2008)

Objectives: This study empirically assesses the impact of the changes in women’s characteristics, empowerment, availability and quality of health services on woman’s decision to use antenatal care (ANC) and the frequency of that use during the period 2000-2008. Study Design: The study is a cross-sectional analytical study using 2000 and 2008 Egypt Demographic and Health Surveys. Methods: The assessment of the studied impact is conducted using the Zero-inflated Negative Binomial Regression. In addition, Factor Analysis technique is used to construct some of the explanatory variables such as women’s empowerment, the availability and quality of health services indicators. Results: Utilization of antenatal health care services is greatly improved from 2000 to 2008. Availability of health services is one of the main determinants that affect the number of antenatal care visits in 2008. Wealth index and quality of health services play an important role in raising the level of antenatal care utilization in 2000 and 2008. However, the impact of the terminated pregnancy on receiving ANC increased over time. Conclusions: Further research of the determinants of antenatal health care utilization is needed, using more updated measures of women’s empowerment, availability and quality of health services. In order to improve the provision of antenatal health care services, it is important to understand barriers to antenatal health care utilization. Therefore, it is advisable to collect information from women about the reasons for not receiving antenatal care.

Time-frequency characteristics of blasting vibration signals measured in milliseconds

In order to study the time-frequency characteristics of blasting vibration signals, measured in milliseconds, we carried out site blasting vibration tests at an open pit of the Jinduicheng Mine. Based on recorded field data and applying a combination of RSPWVD and wavelet, we analyzed the time-frequency characteristics of recorded field data, summarized the time-frequency characteristics of blasting vibration signals in different frequency bands and present detailed information of blasting vibration signals in milliseconds of high time-frequency resolutions. Because RSPWVD can be seen as of definite physical significance to signal energy distribution in time and frequency domains, we studied the energy distribution of blasting vibration signals for various milliseconds intervals from a perspective of energy distribution. The results indicate that the effect of milliseconds intervals on time-frequency characteristics of blasting vibration signals is significant; the length of delay time directly affects the energy distribution of blasting vibration signals as well as the duration of energy in frequency bands.

Estimation of characteristic parameters in region-time-length algorithm and its application

On the basis of gap＇s temporal-spatial characteristics in and around source area before an earthquake, we propose a method to estimate characteristic parameters （characteristic distance and time） in the region-time-length （RTL） algorithm and introduce the method of correlation coefficient developed by some authors in 2006 to determine the characteristic parameters. The anomalous seismic activities before four moderately strong earthquakes occurred in the northwestern and southwestern China in recent years are studied by the two methods. The results show that the method to estimate characteristic parameters advanced in this paper is a simple one, which possesses a physical meaning and is well applicable to the four moderately strong earthquakes studied.

Dynamic characteristics of the planetary gear train excited by time-varying meshing stiffness in the wind turbine

Wind power has attracted increasing attention as a renewable and clean energy. Gear fault frequently occurs under extreme environment and complex loads. The time-varying meshing stiffness is one of the main excitations. This study proposes a 5 degree-of-freedom torsional vibration model for the planetary gear system. The influence of some parameters(e.g., contact ratio and phase difference) is discussed under different conditions of a single teeth pair and double pairs of teeth. The impact load caused by the teeth face fault, ramped load induced by the complex wind conditions, and the harmonic excitation are investigated. The analysis of the time-varying meshing stiffness and the dynamic meshing force shows that the dynamic design under different loads can be made to avoid resonance, can provide the basis for the gear fault location of a wind turbine, and distinguish the fault characteristics from the vibration signals.

Research on Regional Crustal Deformation Characteristics Using Displacement Time Series Data of GNSS Reference Stations in Xinjiang

Using GNSS data from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China( CMONOC),and PODAP software which was developed by the Satellite Navigation Institute of Wuhan University,the authors calculated data from 31 GNSS stations from July 1,2011 to December 31,2014,sampling at 30 seconds,and studied regional crustal deformation characteristics. Analysis results showed that in southwestern Xinjiang,the NS movement rate was influenced by Indian plate pushing. Under the blocking effect of the Tarim Basin,the EW movement rate was slightly smaller. In the north Tianshan area,the vertical dimension movement rate was quite different,which shows as a high gradient zone in the combination area between the basin and the mountain. With regards to regional overall characteristics,the authors considered that the intersection region from south Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains was prone to strong earthquakes, especially moderate-strong earthquakes,even more than M ≥ 7. 0 earthquakes. Middle of North Tianshan was the turning point of the vertical movement rate around Bayanbulak,and was also the high gradient zone of vertical movement. The area is also prone to strong earthquakes in the future.

Time-Series Characteristics of Wind Power and Its Impact on Jilin Power Grid

With the rapid development of wind power, the large-scale wind power integration brings a new range of issues in dispatching operation. In order to gain a better grasp of the influence caused by wind power combined to the grid, the paper first establishes the impact characteristic indexes, and then analyzes the regularity of wind power time series in different spatial and temporal scales. At last, according to the analysis results, this paper assesses the impact of time-series characteristics of wind power on power grid, such as the frequency regulation, peak load regulation, which can provide the reference for wind power optimal dispatching of Jilin Power Grid.

Efficient computation for dynamic responses of systems with time-varying characteristics

Based on Neumman series and epsilon-algorithm, an efficient computation for dynamic responses of systems with arbitrary time-varying characteristics is investigated. Avoiding the calculation for the inverses of the equivalent stiffness matrices in each time step, the computation effort of the proposed method is reduced compared with the full analysis of Newmark method. The validity and applications of the proposed method are illustrated by a 4-DOF spring-mass system with periodical time-varying stiffness properties and a truss structure with arbitrary time-varying lumped mass. It shows that good approximate results can be obtained by the proposed method compared with the responses obtained by the full analysis of Newmark method.

A real time processing system of seismic waves using personal computers-Function and characteristics

Seismological Bureau of Sichuan Province, Chengdu 610041, China2) Center for Analysis and Prediction, State Seismological Bureau, Beijing 100036, China3) Observation Center for Prediction of Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions, Faculty of Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 98077, Japan

Relationship Between Urban Road Traffic Characteristics and Road Grade Based on a Time Series Clustering Model： A Case Study in Nanjing, China

With the increasing number of vehicles in large-and medium-sized cities challenges in urban traffic management, control, and road planning are being faced. Taxi GPS trajectory data is a novel data source that can be used to study the potential dynamic traffic characteristics of urban roads, and thus identify locations that show a notable lack of road planning. Considering that road traffic characteristics on their own are insufficient for a comprehensive understanding of urban traffic, we develop a road traffic characteristic time series clustering model to analyze the relationship between urban road traffic characteristics and road grade based on existing taxi trajectory data. We select the main urban area of Nanjing as our study area and use the taxi trajectory data of a single month for evaluating our method. The experiments show that the clustering model exhibit good performance and can be successfully used for road traffic characteristic classification. Moreover, we analyze the correlation between traffic characteristics and road grade to identify road segments with planning designs that do not match the actual traffic demands.

CHARACTERISTIC FUNCTIONS OF BILINEAR TIME SERIES MODEL

Bilinear time series models are of importance to nonlinear time seriesanalysis.In this paper,the autocovariance function and the relation between linearand general bilinear time series models are derived.With the help of Volterra seriesexpansion,the impulse response function and frequency characteristic function of thegeneral bilinear time series model are also derived.

Hydraulic mechanism and time-dependent characteristics of loose gully deposits failure induced by rainfall

Failure of loose gully deposits under the effect of rainfall contributes to the potential risk of debris flow.In the past decades, researches on hydraulic mechanism and time-dependent characteristics of loosedeposits failure are frequently reported, however adequate measures for reducing debris flow are notavailable practically. In this context, a time-dependent model was established to determine the changesof water table of loose deposits using hydraulic and topographic theories. In addition, the variation inwater table with elapsed time was analyzed. The formulas for calculating hydrodynamic and hydrostaticpressures on each strip and block unit of deposit were proposed, and the slope stability and failure risk ofthe loose deposits were assessed based on the time-dependent hydraulic characteristics of establishedmodel. Finally, the failure mechanism of deposits based on infinite slope theory was illustrated, with anexample, to calculate sliding force, anti-sliding force and residual sliding force applied to each slice. Theresults indicate that failure of gully deposits under the effect of rainfall is the result of continuouslyincreasing hydraulic pressure and water table. The time-dependent characteristics of loose depositfailure are determined by the factors of hydraulic properties, drainage area of interest, rainfall pattern,rainfall duration and intensity.

Time-domain characteristics of overlying strata failure under condition of longwall ascending mining

Ascending mining is one of the most effective ways to solve problems of water inrush, gas outburst and rock burst in coal seams mining. In order to reveal the law of motion and spatiotemporal relationship of overlaying strata, field measurement has been done in a mine. Long distance drillings were constructed from 4# coal seam to 6# coal seam at several certain typical positions, and movement and failure law of overlying strata after mining was analyzed by drilling video and observing the fluid leakage. Besides, we also analyzed the spatiotemporal development law of overlying strata failure with different mining heights and time intervals in the lower coal seam. The results show that: ascending mining is significantly affected by time-domain characteristics of overlaying strata failure after the lower coal seam's mining, height equations of caving zone and fractured zone are given in this paper, and the feasibility of ascending mining was compartmentalized concretely according to the spatiotemporal relationship. Research methods and conclusions of this paper have certain referential significance for the study of ascending mining, mining under water, mining under building, mining under railway and stress-relief mining.

A New Proposal of Inverse-Time Characteristics for Overcurrent Relay Based on Microcomputer

The conventional time function of electromechanical relays is hard to coordinate with other relays. In order to promote the application of inverse-time overcurrent relays, a new time function for microprocessor-type relay is proposed. The setting of the trip time for this relay is performed by determining the shortest trip time and the longest trip time, respectively. The results of analysis show that with the new time function, the inverse-time overcurrent relay is easy to coordinate with other relays and has a comparatively shorter trip time, and that the fault happens in the protective zone.