The effects of washing a collagen sample prior to TEM examination

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an important analysis technique to visualize (bio)macromolecules and their assemblies, including collagen fibers. Many protocols for TEM sample preparation of collagen involve one or more washing steps to remove excess salts from the dispersion that could hamper analysis when dried on a TEM grid. Such protocols are not standardized and washing times as well as washing solvents vary from procedure to procedure, with each research group typically having their own protocol. Here, we investigate the influence of washing with water, ethanol, but also methanol and 2-propanol, for both mineralized and unmineralized collagen samples via a protocol based on centrifugation. Washing with water maintains the hydrated collagen structure and the characteristic banding pattern can be clearly observed. Conversely, washing with ethanol results in dehydration of the fibrils, often leading to aggregation of the fibers and a less obvious banding pattern, already within 1 min of ethanol exposure. As we show, this process is fully reversible. Similar observations were made for methanol and propanol. Based on these results, a standardized washing protocol for collagenous samples is proposed.     

Finite-time adaptive fuzzy control for a class of output constrained nonlinear systems with dead-zone

The article investigates the finite-time adaptive fuzzy control for a class of nonlinear systems with output constraint and input dead-zone. First, by skillfully combining the barrier Lyapunov function, backstepping design method, and finite-time control theory, a novel adaptive state-feedback tracking controller is constructed, and the output constraint of the nonlinear system is not violated. Second, the fuzzy logic system is used to approximate unknown function in the nonlinear system. Third, the finite-time command filter is introduced to avoid the problem of “complexity explosion” caused by repeated differentiations of the virtual control signal in conventional backstepping control schemes. Meanwhile, a new saturation function is added in the compensating signal for filter error to improve control accuracy. Finally, based on Lyapunov stability analysis, all the signals of the closed-loop are proved to be semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded, and the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood region of the origin in a finite time. A simulation example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness for the proposed control scheme.     

PID Control of Planar Nonlinear Uncertain Systems in the Presence of Actuator Saturation

This paper investigates PID control design for a class of planar nonlinear uncertain systems in the presence of actuator saturation. Based on the bounds on the growth rates of the nonlinear uncertain function in the system model, the system is placed in a linear differential inclusion. Each vertex system of the linear differential inclusion is a linear system subject to actuator saturation. By placing the saturated PID control into a convex hull formed by the PID controller and an auxiliary linear feedback law, we establish conditions under which an ellipsoid is contractively invariant and hence is an estimate of the domain of attraction of the equilibrium point of the closed-loop system. The equilibrium point corresponds to the desired set point for the system output. Thus, the location of the equilibrium point and the size of the domain of attraction determine, respectively, the set point that the output can achieve and the range of initial conditions from which this set point can be reached. Based on these conditions, the feasible set points can be determined and the design of the PID control law that stabilizes the nonlinear uncertain system at a feasible set point with a large domain of attraction can then be formulated and solved as a constrained optimization problem with constraints in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Application of the proposed design to a magnetic suspension system illustrates the design process and the performance of the resulting PID control law.      

低压静电场辅助冷冻对竹笋品质的影响

为研究低压静电场辅助冷冻对竹笋冻结特性的影响，以冻结曲线、硬度、水分损失率、水分迁移、冰晶形态和组织微观结构为指标，探究低压静电场辅助冷冻（－35 ℃）和普通冷冻（－35 ℃）条件下竹笋品质的变化规律。结果表明：低压静电场辅助冷冻提高了冻结效率，改变了冰晶形态及分布，减轻了组织微观结构破损程度，改善了解冻汁液流失情况。与静电板间距10、20、30、40 cm处的冷冻竹笋解冻后水分损失率分别为14.16%、12.58%、9.73%、10.44%，显著低于对照组（21.01%）（P＜0.05），硬度分别为461.19、507.48、496.65 g和455.31 g，显著高于对照组（350.70 g）（P＜0.05）。低场核磁共振分析结果表明，在低压静电场辅助冷冻下竹笋解冻后汁液流失减少，扫描电子显微镜观察结果显示，竹笋纤维排列整齐，组织微观结构保持较好。低压静电场辅助冷冻可有效改善竹笋品质，可为利用低压静电场进行果蔬的冷冻贮藏和冷链运输提供参考。     

广义正交码索引调制系统的性能分析

摘 要：为了提高码索引调制（code index modulation，CIM）系统的传输效率，提出了一种具有更低复杂度的单输入单输出（single input single output，SISO）的广义正交码索引调制（generalized orthogonal code index modulation，GQCIM）系统。CIM 系统使用扩频码和星座符号传输信息，但只能激活两个扩频码索引和一个调制符号。而 GQCIM 系统以一种新颖的方式克服了只激活一个调制符号的限制，同时充分利用了调制符号的正交性，增加扩频码索引以传输更多的额外信息位，提高了系统的传输效率。此外，分析了GQCIM系统的理论性能，推导了误码率性能的上界。通过蒙特卡罗仿真验证了GQCIM系统的性能，对比发现GQCIM系统的理论和仿真性能一致。而且在相同的传输效率下，结果显示GQCIM系统的性能优于同样具有正交性的调制系统，如广义码索引调制（generalized code index modulation，GCIM）系统、CIM系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided quadrature spatial modulation，CIM-QSM）系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided spatial modulation，CIM-SM）系统、脉冲索引调制（pulse index modulation，PIM）系统。     

基于特征建模的TDD系统大气波导干扰控制体系研究

大气波导干扰是特定气象条件下发生的时分双工（time-division duplex，TDD）系统内干扰，是TDD移动通信系统大规模组网面临的顽疾。在总结分析大气波导干扰成因和分类等的基础上，对大气波导干扰进行建模和表征，验证了海量干扰源在时域和频域的功率集总特征，并结合大量4G/5G现网实测数据给出了典型条件下内陆波导和海面波导的量化干扰信号传播模型，对于干扰的预测和预防具有重要意义。基于干扰特征，给出了TDD系统预防大气波导干扰的帧结构与组网的4项设计原则，5G现网数据表明干扰控制方案有效，上行干扰下降10 dB以上，相关原则对于6G系统的设计也具有指导意义。     

An adaptive sliding mode observer based near-optimal OER tracking control approach for PEMFC under dynamic operation condition

Tracking control of oxygen excess ratio (OER) is crucial for dynamic performance and operating efficiency of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). OER tracking errors and overshoots under dynamic load limit the PEMFC output power performance, and also could lead oxygen starvation which seriously affect the life of PEMFC. To solve this problem, an adaptive sliding mode observer based near-optimal OER tracking control approach is proposed in this paper. According to real time load demand, a dynamic OER optimization strategy is designed to obtain an optimal OER. A nonlinear system model based near-optimal controller is designed to minimize the OER tracking error under variable operation condition of PEMFC. An adaptive sliding mode observer is utilized to estimate the uncertain parameters of the PEMFC air supply system and update parameters in near-optimal controller. The proposed control approach is implemented in OER tracking experiments based on air supply system of a 5 kW PEMFC test platform. The experiment results are analyzed and demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control approach under load changes, external disturbances and parameter uncertainties of PEFMC system.     

浅议生态环境监测机构的风险控制

现阶段,为了探索创新性的发展途径,生态环境监测机构应始终增强风险控制意识。应加强风险管理,立足于风险控制,以求不断健康发展。     

新型地锚张弦梁式泥石流格栅坝构件受力的简化计算方法

针对常见泥石流防治结构被冲击破坏的问题，基于“柔性消能”理念，结合张弦梁结构和竖向预应力锚杆技术，提出一种既能改善结构受力性能、增加结构整体抗冲击能力、保证结构安全可靠，又能减小结构构件截面尺寸、节约成本、便于现场施工组装和后期运营维护的新型地锚张弦梁式泥石流格栅坝，并阐述其技术原理。根据泥石流荷载分布和新型地锚张弦梁式泥石流格栅坝的受力特征，给出其简化的内力计算方法；并利用SAP2000建立新结构有限元模型，分析了结构的整体受力，验证了构件简化计算方法的合理性；结合Python语言和Qt De? signer软件开发了相应的设计计算软件，对新型地锚张弦梁式泥石流格栅坝的内力进行求解。结果表明：提出的新结构抗冲击性能好，构件受力均匀；以后设计中应关注竖杆的剪切脆性破坏和立柱偏心受力情况，保证结构安全；变形协调仅使底层张弦梁与竖杆内力偏大，实际工程应用时，应着重验算底层构件，防止其破坏；文中提出的简化计算方法能较准确的反映结构的受力特性，具有一定的合理性，研究可为新型地锚张弦梁式泥石流格栅坝的设计计算和推广应用提供理论依据和技术支持。     

Novel measurement system for respiratory aerosols and droplets in indoor environments

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created a great demand for a better understanding of the spread of viruses in indoor environments. A novel measurement system consisting of one portable aerosol-emitting mannequin (emitter) and a number of portable aerosol-absorbing mannequins (recipients) was developed that can measure the spread of aerosols and droplets that potentially contain infectious viruses. The emission of the virus from a human is simulated by using tracer particles solved in water. The recipients inhale the aerosols and droplets and quantify the level of solved tracer particles in their artificial lungs simultaneously over time. The mobile system can be arranged in a large variety of spreading scenarios in indoor environments and allows for quantification of the infection probability due to airborne virus spreading. This study shows the accuracy of the new measurement system and its ability to compare aerosol reduction measures such as regular ventilation or the use of a room air purifier.