High-speed penetration of ogive-nose projectiles into thick concrete targets:Tests and a projectile nose evolution model

The majority of the projectiles used in the hypersonic penetration study are solid flat-nosed cylindrical projectiles with a diameter of less than 20 mm.This study aims to fill the gap in the experimental and analytical study of the evolution of the nose shape of larger hollow projectiles under hypersonic penetration.In the hypersonic penetration test,eight ogive-nose AerMet100 steel projectiles with a diameter of 40 mm were launched to hit concrete targets with impact velocities that ranged from 1351 to 1877 m/s.Severe erosion of the projectiles was observed during high-speed penetration of heterogeneous targets,and apparent localized mushrooming occurred in the front nose of recovered projectiles.By examining the damage to projectiles,a linear relationship was found between the relative length reduction rate and the initial kinetic energy of projectiles in different penetration tests.Furthermore,microscopic analysis revealed the forming mechanism of the localized mushrooming phenomenon for eroding penetration,i.e.,material spall erosion abrasion mechanism,material flow and redistribution abrasion mechanism and localized radial upsetting deformation mechanism.Finally,a model of highspeed penetration that included erosion was established on the basis of a model of the evolution of the projectile nose that considers radial upsetting;the model was validated by test data from the literature and the present study.Depending upon the impact velocity,v0,the projectile nose may behave as undistorted,radially distorted or hemispherical.Due to the effects of abrasion of the projectile and enhancement of radial upsetting on the duration and amplitude of the secondary rising segment in the pulse shape of projectile deceleration,the predicted DOP had an upper limit.

Speed Measurement Feasibility by Eddy Current Effect in the High-Speed MFL Testing

It is known that eddy current effect has a great influence on magnetic flux leakage testing(MFL).Usually,contacttype encoder wheels are used to measure MFL testing speed to evaluate the effect and further compensate testing signals.This speed measurement method is complicated,and inevitable abrasion and occasional slippage will reduce the measurement accuracy.In order to solve this problem,based on eddy current effect due to the relative movement,a speed measurement method is proposed,which is contactless and simple.In the high-speed MFL testing,eddy current induced in the specimen will cause an obvious modification to the applied field.This modified field,which is measured by Hall sensor,can be utilized to reflect the moving speed.Firstly,the measurement principle is illustrated based on Faraday’s law.Then,dynamic finite element simulations are conducted to investigate the modified magnetic field distribution.Finally,laboratory experiments are performed to validate the feasibility of the proposed method.The results show that Bmz(r1)and Bmx(r2)have a linear relation with moving speed,which could be used as an alternative measurement parameter.

Unbound^(28)O,the heaviest oxygen isotope observed:a cutting-edge probe for testing nuclear models

The beyond-dripline oxygen isotopes^(27,28)O were recently observed at RIKEN,and were found to be unbound decaying into^(24)O by emitting neutrons.The unbound feature of the heaviest oxygen isotope,^(28)O,provides an excellent test for stateof-the-art nuclear models.The atomic nucleus is a self-organized quantum manybody system comprising specific numbers of protons Z and neutrons N.

Expert Experience and Data-Driven Based Hybrid Fault Diagnosis for High-SpeedWire Rod Finishing Mills

The reliable operation of high-speed wire rod finishing mills is crucial in the steel production enterprise.As complex system-level equipment,it is difficult for high-speed wire rod finishing mills to realize fault location and real-time monitoring.To solve the above problems,an expert experience and data-driven-based hybrid fault diagnosis method for high-speed wire rod finishing mills is proposed in this paper.First,based on its mechanical structure,time and frequency domain analysis are improved in fault feature extraction.The approach of combining virtual value,peak value with kurtosis value index,is adopted in time domain analysis.Speed adjustment and side frequency analysis are proposed in frequency domain analysis to obtain accurate component characteristic frequency and its corresponding sideband.Then,according to time and frequency domain characteristics,fault location based on expert experience is proposed to get an accurate fault result.Finally,the proposed method is implemented in the equipment intelligent diagnosis system.By taking an equipment fault on site,for example,the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated in the system.

Torque effect on vibration behavior of high-speed train gearbox under internal and external excitations

The high-speed train transmission system,experiencing both the internal excitation originating from gear meshing and the external excitation originating from the wheel-rail interaction,exhibits complex dynamic behavior in the actual service environment.This paper focuses on the gearbox in the high-speed train to carry out the bench test,in which various operat-ing conditions(torques and rotation speeds)were set up and the excitation condition covering both internal and external was created.Acceleration responses on multiple positions of the gearbox were acquired in the test and the vibration behavior of the gearbox was studied.Meanwhile,a stochastic excitation modal test was also carried out on the test bench under different torques,and the modal parameter of the gearbox was identified.Finally,the sweep frequency response of the gearbox under gear meshing excitation was analyzed through dynamic modeling.The results showed that the torque has an attenuating effect on the amplitude of gear meshing frequency on the gearbox,and the effect of external excitation on the gearbox vibration cannot be ignored,especially under the rated operating condition.It was also found that the torque affects the modal param-eter of the gearbox significantly.The torque has a great effect on both the gear meshing stiffness and the bearing stiffness in the transmission system,which is the inherent reason for the changed modal characteristics observed in the modal test and affects the vibration behavior of the gearbox consequently.

A discussion about the limitations of the Eurocode’s high-speed load model for railway bridges

High-speed railway bridges are subjected to normative limitations concerning maximum permissible deck accelerations.For the design of these structures,the European norm EN 1991-2 introduces the high-speed load model(HSLM)—a set of point loads intended to include the effects of existing high-speed trains.Yet,the evolution of current trains and the recent development of new load models motivate a discussion regarding the limits of validity of the HSLM.For this study,a large number of randomly generated load models of articulated,conventional,and regular trains are tested and compared with the envelope of HSLM effects.For each type of train,two sets of 100,000 load models are considered:one abiding by the limits of the EN 1991-2 and another considering wider limits.This comparison is achieved using both a bridge-independent metric(train signatures)and dynamic analyses on a case study bridge(the Canelas bridge of the Portuguese Railway Network).For the latter,a methodology to decrease the computational cost of moving loads analysis is introduced.Results show that some theoretical load models constructed within the stipulated limits of the norm can lead to effects not covered by the HSLM.This is especially noted in conventional trains,where there is a relation with larger distances between centres of adjacent vehicle bogies.

Failure characterization of fully grouted rock bolts under triaxial testing

Confining stresses serve as a pivotal determinant in shaping the behavior of grouted rock bolts.Nonetheless,prior investigations have oversimplified the three-dimensional stress state,primarily assuming hydrostatic stress conditions.Under these conditions,it is assumed that the intermediate principal stress(σ_(2))equals the minimum principal stress(σ_(3)).This assumption overlooks the potential variations in magnitudes of in situ stress conditions along all three directions near an underground opening where a rock bolt is installed.In this study,a series of push tests was meticulously conducted under triaxial conditions.These tests involved applying non-uniform confining stresses(σ_(2)≠σ_(3))to cubic specimens,aiming to unveil the previously overlooked influence of intermediate principal stresses on the strength properties of rock bolts.The results show that as the confining stresses increase from zero to higher levels,the pre-failure behavior changes from linear to nonlinear forms,resulting in an increase in initial stiffness from 2.08 kN/mm to 32.51 kN/mm.The load-displacement curves further illuminate distinct post-failure behavior at elevated levels of confining stresses,characterized by enhanced stiffness.Notably,the peak load capacity ranged from 27.9 kN to 46.5 kN as confining stresses advanced from σ_(2)=σ_(3)=0 to σ_(2)=20 MPa and σ_(3)=10 MPa.Additionally,the outcomes highlight an influence of confining stress on the lateral deformation of samples.Lower levels of confinement prompt overall dilation in lateral deformation,while higher confinements maintain a state of shrinkage.Furthermore,diverse failure modes have been identified,intricately tied to the arrangement of confining stresses.Lower confinements tend to induce a splitting mode of failure,whereas higher loads bring about a shift towards a pure interfacial shear-off and shear-crushed failure mechanism.

Aerodynamic Features of High-Speed Maglev Trains with Different Marshaling Lengths Running on a Viaduct under Crosswinds

The safety and stability of high-speed maglev trains traveling on viaducts in crosswinds critically depend on their aerodynamic characteristics.Therefore,this paper uses an improved delayed detached eddy simulation(IDDES)method to investigate the aerodynamic features of high-speed maglev trains with different marshaling lengths under crosswinds.The effects of marshaling lengths(varying from 3-car to 8-car groups)on the train’s aerodynamic performance,surface pressure,and the flow field surrounding the train were investigated using the three-dimensional unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes(N-S)equations.The results showed that the marshaling lengths had minimal influence on the aerodynamic performance of the head and middle cars.Conversely,the marshaling lengths are negatively correlated with the time-average side force coefficient(CS)and time-average lift force coefficient(Cl)of the tail car.Compared to the tail car of the 3-car groups,the CS and Cl fell by 27.77%and 18.29%,respectively,for the tail car of the 8-car groups.It is essential to pay more attention to the operational safety of the head car,as it exhibits the highest time average CS.Additionally,the mean pressure difference between the two sides of the tail car body increased with the marshaling lengths,and the side force direction on the tail car was opposite to that of the head and middle cars.Furthermore,the turbulent kinetic energy of the wake structure on the windward side quickly decreased as marshaling lengths increased.

Numerical Study on Reduction in Aerodynamic Drag and Noise of High-Speed Pantograph

Reducing the aerodynamic drag and noise levels of high-speed pantographs is important for promoting environmentally friendly,energy efficient and rapid advances in train technology.Using computational fluid dynamics theory and the K-FWH acoustic equation,a numerical simulation is conducted to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of high-speed pantographs.A component optimization method is proposed as a possible solution to the problemof aerodynamic drag and noise in high-speed pantographs.The results of the study indicate that the panhead,base and insulator are the main contributors to aerodynamic drag and noise in high-speed pantographs.Therefore,a gradual optimization process is implemented to improve the most significant components that cause aerodynamic drag and noise.By optimizing the cross-sectional shape of the strips and insulators,the drag and noise caused by airflow separation and vortex shedding can be reduced.The aerodynamic drag of insulator with circular cross section and strips with rectangular cross section is the largest.Ellipsifying insulators and optimizing the chamfer angle and height of the windward surface of the strips can improve the aerodynamic performance of the pantograph.In addition,the streamlined fairing attached to the base can eliminate the complex flow and shield the radiated noise.In contrast to the original pantograph design,the improved pantograph shows a 21.1%reduction in aerodynamic drag and a 1.65 dBA reduction in aerodynamic noise.

Dynamic analysis of axle box bearings on the high-speed train caused by wheel-rail excitation

To explore the impact of wheel-rail excitation on the dynamic performance of axle box bearings,a dynamic model of the high-speed train including axle box bearings is developed.Subsequently,the dynamic response characteristics of the axle box bearing are examined.The investigation focuses on the acceleration characteristics of bearing vibration under excitation of track irregularities and wheel flats.In addition,experiments on both normal and faulty bearings are conducted separately,and the correctness of the model and some conclusions are verified.According to the research,track irregularity is unfavorable for bearing fault detection based on resonance demodulation.Under the same speed conditions,the acceleration peak of bearing is inversely proportional to the length of the wheel flat and directly proportional to its depth.The paper will contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamic performance of axle box bearings.

C-CORE:Clustering by Code Representation to Prioritize Test Cases in Compiler Testing

Edge devices,due to their limited computational and storage resources,often require the use of compilers for program optimization.Therefore,ensuring the security and reliability of these compilers is of paramount importance in the emerging field of edge AI.One widely used testing method for this purpose is fuzz testing,which detects bugs by inputting random test cases into the target program.However,this process consumes significant time and resources.To improve the efficiency of compiler fuzz testing,it is common practice to utilize test case prioritization techniques.Some researchers use machine learning to predict the code coverage of test cases,aiming to maximize the test capability for the target compiler by increasing the overall predicted coverage of the test cases.Nevertheless,these methods can only forecast the code coverage of the compiler at a specific optimization level,potentially missing many optimization-related bugs.In this paper,we introduce C-CORE(short for Clustering by Code Representation),the first framework to prioritize test cases according to their code representations,which are derived directly from the source codes.This approach avoids being limited to specific compiler states and extends to a broader range of compiler bugs.Specifically,we first train a scaled pre-trained programming language model to capture as many common features as possible from the test cases generated by a fuzzer.Using this pre-trained model,we then train two downstream models:one for predicting the likelihood of triggering a bug and another for identifying code representations associated with bugs.Subsequently,we cluster the test cases according to their code representations and select the highest-scoring test case from each cluster as the high-quality test case.This reduction in redundant testing cases leads to time savings.Comprehensive evaluation results reveal that code representations are better at distinguishing test capabilities,and C-CORE significantly enhances testing efficiency.Across four datasets,C-CORE increases the average of the percentage of faults detected(APFD)value by 0.16 to 0.31 and reduces test time by over 50% in 46% of cases.When compared to the best results from approaches using predicted code coverage,C-CORE improves the APFD value by 1.1% to 12.3% and achieves an overall time-saving of 159.1%.

Efficient Penetration Testing Path Planning Based on Reinforcement Learning with Episodic Memory

Intelligent penetration testing is of great significance for the improvement of the security of information systems,and the critical issue is the planning of penetration test paths.In view of the difficulty for attackers to obtain complete network information in realistic network scenarios,Reinforcement Learning(RL)is a promising solution to discover the optimal penetration path under incomplete information about the target network.Existing RL-based methods are challenged by the sizeable discrete action space,which leads to difficulties in the convergence.Moreover,most methods still rely on experts’knowledge.To address these issues,this paper proposes a penetration path planning method based on reinforcement learning with episodic memory.First,the penetration testing problem is formally described in terms of reinforcement learning.To speed up the training process without specific prior knowledge,the proposed algorithm introduces episodic memory to store experienced advantageous strategies for the first time.Furthermore,the method offers an exploration strategy based on episodic memory to guide the agents in learning.The design makes full use of historical experience to achieve the purpose of reducing blind exploration and improving planning efficiency.Ultimately,comparison experiments are carried out with the existing RL-based methods.The results reveal that the proposed method has better convergence performance.The running time is reduced by more than 20%.

SARS-CoV-2 Pooled Testing Methodology for PCR Testing Applied in Private Laboratory in Armenia

Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemics many countries were facing challenges with testing capacity recourse limitations. Throughout the waves of the pandemic countries were trying to address the existing constrains exploring solutions to increase the testing capacity with more cost-effective approaches. Pooled methodology was one of the methods which many have validated and used. It is evident that in case of pooled sample testing the sensitivity becomes lower, however the variation highly depends on the pool size as well as the incidence rate at the certain point. Armenia as well as many other countries has adopted regulations for mandatory COVID-19 PCR testing for all the travelers. Current study aimed to explore the efficiency of COVID-19 pooled PCR testing for nasopharyngeal swabs of individuals with no symptoms in a time period with good epidemiological state of the infection. Nasopharingeal swab samples from individuals were collected. The manual extraction of RNAs of samples was performed after pooling up to 5 samples. The pools with Cycle Threshold (CT) of < 37 were considered positive and were retested individually. In total 28,015 samples were grouped in 667 pools of which 57 were positive. The total number of positive samples was 65. The median difference (CT-pool–CT samples) was 2.4 (ranging from–3.0 to 8.9). The correlation of CT of pools and positive samples was positive. The correlation coefficient r = 0.84, P < 0.000, 95% CI range 0.7423 to 0.9243). The total economic saving when using pools compared to the individual testing was 72%. The minor difference between CT values of pools and samples can be explained by the dilution effect in the pool. However, the positive correlation between the values as well as the amount of cost saving demonstrate that pooling on nasopharyngeal samples for COVID-19 PCR testing can be a good method for efficient screening with significant resource saving. One of the most important advantages of the proposed method is the fact that samples are pooled prior extraction, which avoids the possibilities with misinterpretation of IC due to low yield of RNA in the extraction process.

Reflection on methodology of the correlation between electromagnetic interference and safety in high-speed railway

Purpose – In the continuous development of high-speed railways, ensuring the safety of the operation controlsystem is crucial. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) faults in signaling equipment may cause transportationinterruptions, delays and even threaten the safety of train operations. Exploring the impact of disturbances onsignaling equipment and establishing evaluation methods for the correlation between EMI and safety isurgently needed.Design/methodology/approach – This paper elaborates on the necessity and significance of studying theimpact of EMI as an unavoidable and widespread risk factor in the external environment of high-speed railwayoperations and continuous development. The current status of research methods and achievements from theperspectives of standard systems, reliability analysis and safety assessment are examined layer by layer.Additionally, it provides prospects for innovative ideas for exploring the quantitative correlation between EMIand signaling safety.Findings – Despite certain innovative achievements in both domestic and international standard systems andrelated research for ensuring and evaluating railway signaling safety, there’s a lack of quantitative and strategic research on the degradation of safety performance in signaling equipment due to EMI. A quantitativecorrelation between EMI and safety has yet to be established. On this basis, this paper proposes considerationsfor research methods pertaining to the correlation between EMI and safety.Originality/value – This paper overviews a series of methods and outcomes derived from domestic andinternational studies regarding railway signaling safety, encompassing standard systems, reliability analysisand safety assessment. Recognizing the necessity for quantitatively describing and predicting the impact ofEMI on high-speed railway signaling safety, an innovative approach using risk assessment techniques as abridge to establish the correlation between EMI and signaling safety is proposed.

Contribution of Stress Testing to the Management of Ischemic Heart Disease in Mali

Introduction: Exercise stress testing (on a treadmill or ergometer bicycle) is an important test in cardiology for diagnosing myocardial ischemia. This test in Mali is still in its beginning compared to other countries in the sub-region. The lack of data in Mali prompted this study, which aimed to evaluate the indications of this activity and its diagnostic contribution to cardiology in Mali. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive study. The study was conducted at the “TOUCAM” medical clinic in Kati based on the analysis of stress test reports between January 2016 and August 2022. Result: During the study period, we documented 73 patients who underwent exercise testing on a bicycle ergometer for suspected coronary heart disease. The mean age of our patients was 47.5 ± 13.8 years (14 and 79 years). Males accounted for the majority (78.1%). The sex ratio is 3.5. More than half of our patients were overweight or obese (77.1%). Hypertension and diabetes affected 52.1% and 25.8% of patients, respectively. 20.8% of patients had coronary artery disease. renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers (56.8%) and beta-blockers (51.3%). The main indications were chest pain (63.0%) and ischemia detection (15.1%). A modified STEEP protocol was used. The majority of our patients (71.2%) achieved at least 85% of their maximum theoretical heart rate. The main reason for the termination of the study was fatigue (57.3%). The average duration was 11.3 ± 4.2 minutes. 24.7% thought the stress tests were positive and 17.8% thought they were controversial. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the importance of stress testing in the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic heart disease, especially in settings where we have very limited access to coronary angiography.

Investigations on High-Speed Flash Boiling Atomization of Fuel Based on Numerical Simulations

Flash boiling atomization(FBA)is a promising approach for enhancing spray atomization,which can generate a fine and more evenly distributed spray by increasing the fuel injection temperature or reducing the ambient pressure.However,when the outlet speed of the nozzle exceeds 400 m/s,investigating high-speed flash boiling atomization(HFBA)becomes quite challenging.This difficulty arises fromthe involvement ofmany complex physical processes and the requirement for a very fine mesh in numerical simulations.In this study,an HFBA model for gasoline direct injection(GDI)is established.This model incorporates primary and secondary atomization,as well as vaporization and boilingmodels,to describe the development process of the flash boiling spray.Compared to lowspeed FBA,these physical processes significantly impact HFBA.In this model,the Eulerian description is utilized for modeling the gas,and the Lagrangian description is applied to model the droplets,which effectively captures the movement of the droplets and avoids excessive mesh in the Eulerian coordinates.Under various conditions,numerical solutions of the Sauter mean diameter(SMD)for GDI show good agreement with experimental data,validating the proposed model’s performance.Simulations based on this HFBA model investigate the influences of fuel injection temperature and ambient pressure on the atomization process.Numerical analyses of the velocity field,temperature field,vapor mass fraction distribution,particle size distribution,and spray penetration length under different superheat degrees reveal that high injection temperature or low ambient pressure significantly affects the formation of small and dispersed droplet distribution.This effect is conducive to the refinement of spray particles and enhances atomization.

Assessing the Spatial Equality of COVID Testing Sites Maintaining Zero COVID Policy

Rapid and timely testing is essential to minimize the COVID-19 spread. Decision makers and policy planners need to determine the equal distribution and accessibility of testing sites. This study mainly examines the spatial equality of COVID-19 testing sites that maintain a zero COVID policy in Guangzhou City. The study has identified the spatial disparities of COVID testing sites, characteristics of testing locations, and accessibility. The study has obtained information on COVID testing sites in Guangzhou City and population data. Point pattern analyses, Euclidian distance and allocation, and network analyses are the main methods used to achieve the research objectives, and 1183 total COVID testing sites can be recognized in Guangzhou City. Results revealed that spatial disparities could be noticed over the study area. Testing locations of Guangzhou City are highly clustered. The most significant testing sites are located in Haizhu District, which has the third largest population. The highest population density can be identified in Yuexiu District. However, only 94 testing sites are located there. According to all the results, higher disparities can be identified, and a lack of testing sites is located in the north part of the study area. Some people in the northern part have to travel more than 10 km to reach a testing site. Finally, this paper suggests increasing the number of testing sites in the north and south parts of the study area and keeping the same distribution, considering the area, total population, and population density. This kind of research will be helpful to decision-makers in making proper decisions to maintain a zero COVID policy.

Human intrusion detection for high-speed railway perimeter under all-weather condition

Purpose – The paper aims to solve the problem of personnel intrusion identification within the limits of highspeed railways. It adopts the fusion method of millimeter wave radar and camera to improve the accuracy ofobject recognition in dark and harsh weather conditions.Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts the fusion strategy of radar and camera linkage toachieve focus amplification of long-distance targets and solves the problem of low illumination by laser lightfilling of the focus point. In order to improve the recognition effect, this paper adopts the YOLOv8 algorithm formulti-scale target recognition. In addition, for the image distortion caused by bad weather, this paper proposesa linkage and tracking fusion strategy to output the correct alarm results.Findings – Simulated intrusion tests show that the proposed method can effectively detect human intrusionwithin 0–200 m during the day and night in sunny weather and can achieve more than 80% recognitionaccuracy for extreme severe weather conditions.Originality/value – (1) The authors propose a personnel intrusion monitoring scheme based on the fusion ofmillimeter wave radar and camera, achieving all-weather intrusion monitoring;(2) The authors propose a newmulti-level fusion algorithm based on linkage and tracking to achieve intrusion target monitoring underadverse weather conditions;(3) The authors have conducted a large number of innovative simulationexperiments to verify the effectiveness of the method proposed in this article.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of High-Speed Pantographs with Supporting Beam Wind Deflectors

Aiming to mitigate the aerodynamic lift force imbalance between pantograph strips,which exacerbates wear and affects the current collection performance of the pantograph-catenary system,a study has been conducted to support the beam deflector optimization using a combination of experimental measurements and computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulations.The results demonstrate that the size,position,and installation orientation of the wind deflectors significantly influence the amount of force compensation.They also indicate that the front strip deflectors should be installed downwards and the rear strip deflectors upwards,thereby forming a“π”shape.Moreover,the lift force compensation provided by the wind deflectors increases with the size of the deflector.Alternative wind compensation strategies,such as control circuits,are also discussed,putting emphasis on the pros and cons of various pantograph types and wind compensation approaches.

Cautionary Remarks When Testing Agreement between Two Raters for Continuous Scale Measurements: A Tutorial in Clinical Epidemiology with Implementation Using R

Background: When continuous scale measurements are available, agreements between two measuring devices are assessed both graphically and analytically. In clinical investigations, Bland and Altman proposed plotting subject-wise differences between raters against subject-wise averages. In order to scientifically assess agreement, Bartko recommended combining the graphical approach with the statistical analytic procedure suggested by Bradley and Blackwood. The advantage of using this approach is that it enables significance testing and sample size estimation. We noted that the direct use of the results of the regression is misleading and we provide a correction in this regard. Methods: Graphical and linear models are used to assess agreements for continuous scale measurements. We demonstrate that software linear regression results should not be readily used and we provided correct analytic procedures. The degrees of freedom of the F-statistics are incorrectly reported, and we propose methods to overcome this problem by introducing the correct analytic form of the F statistic. Methods for sample size estimation using R-functions are also given. Results: We believe that the tutorial and the R-codes are useful tools for testing and estimating agreement between two rating protocols for continuous scale measurements. The interested reader may use the codes and apply them to their available data when the issue of agreement between two raters is the subject of interest.