Piezoresistive Behavior Study on Finger‐Sensing Silicone Rubber/Graphite Nanosheet Nanocomposites

A novel finger‐sensing nanocomposite with remarkable and reversible piezoresistivity is successfully fabricated by dispersing homogeneously conductive graphite nanosheets (GNs) in a silicone rubber (SR) matrix. Because of the high aspect ratio of the graphite nanosheets, the nanocomposite displays a very low percolation threshold. The SR/GN nanocomposite with a volume fraction of conductive nanosheets closest to that for the percolation threshold presents a sharp positive‐pressure coefficient effect of the resistivity under very low pressure, namely, in the finger‐pressure range (0.3–0.7 MPa), whereby the abrupt transition could be attributed to compressive‐stress‐induced deformation of the conducting network. The super‐sensitive piezoresistive behavior of the nanocomposite is accounted for by an extension of the tunneling conduction theory which provides a good approximation to the piezoresistive effect.     

Enhancing echo cancellation via estimation of delay

The advent of packetized audio transmission, such as voice over IP (VoIP), has resulted in challenging requirements for echo cancellation technology. One key aspect of this technology is the need to characterize, quickly and accurately, the echo paths in the transmission media. Echo paths consist of a constant time delay with no echo signal and active regions in which the echo signal is present. When an adaptive filter echo cancellation algorithm is used, its performance can be greatly increased, and its complexity can be reduced if it is only applied to the active regions. This requires an algorithm to estimate the constant delay and locate the active regions. Traditionally, delay estimation has been based on direct application of cross-correlation. This method has poor performance because the input signals are highly correlated and has a high implementation cost because many cross-correlation lags have to be computed for longer time delays. The delay estimation addressed in this paper has two major advantages over the traditional methods. The first is that it has improved performance because the input signals are processed to have less correlation. The second is that the implementation cost is significantly reduced because fewer cross-correlation lags are computed, and an efficient method to estimate lags is created.     

Optimal diagonal precoder for multiantenna communication systems

In this paper, we examine a multiantenna single-user wireless communication system fitted with a QR-based successive cancellation receiver (QR receiver). Initially, our consideration is confined to uncoded binary phase shift keying (BPSK) signals transmitted through independent and identically distributed (IID) Rayleigh fading channels and to the design of an optimum precoder for the transmitter. For minimum feeding back of the channel state information (CSI) to the transmitter from the receiver, we stipulate the precoder to be in the form of a power loading square diagonal matrix. We proceed to develop the theory for the design of this diagonal matrix based on the minimization of the lower bound of the average bit error rate (BER) of transmission. The design obtained provides substantially lower error rates than most of other existing schemes under the same environment. The corresponding gain in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be several decibels. To further improve the performance, we extend the design to include an optimal detection order of the received bits using an iterative approach. This iterative process proves to have fast convergence and results in a design providing significant SNR gain. We also propose a subchannel dropping scheme for cases in which SNR is low, and when the minimum BER precoder is equipped with this scheme, its average performance can be substantially superior to the Vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time (V-BLAST) detection. We extend our design of the optimum precoder to quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation scheme and similar performance gain has been observed.     

Mechanical improvement of concrete by irradiated polypropylene fibers

Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) contains fibers physically mixed with gravel, sand, cement, and water. So far, adequate mechanical performance of FRC has been obtained at high cost and using complex technologies; important here is the geometry and surface characteristics of the polymers. We have modified polymeric‐fiber surfaces by using gamma radiation. Irradiated polypropylene (PP) fibers were submitted to 0, 5, 10, 50, and 100 kGy of gamma irradiation dosages. First, tensile strength of PP fibers was evaluated, and then fibers blended at 0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% in volume with Portland cement, gravel, sand, and water. The highest values of compressive strength were obtained with irradiated‐fibers at 10 kGy and 1.5% in volume of fiber. The result is 101 MPa, as compared to 35 MPa for simple concrete without fibers. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1426–1431, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

安徽省水资源宏观经济优化模型研究

以水资源可持续发展为出发点,探讨了一种可以同时兼顾经济发展、水资源利用和社会效益的多目标水资源宏观经济模型的建立方法,通过引入带权2-模评价函数,将多目标优化问题转变成单目标优化问题。以2002年为现状水平年,对安徽省2010年的产业结构及产业规模进行优化分析。结果表明,多目标模型求得的总用水量较单目标模型明显降低,而两模型优化的产业规模与结构差别不大,体现了高用水效率行业优先发展的要求。     

改性生物质作为型煤黏结剂的研究

探讨了用NaOH改性生物质秸秆作为型煤黏结剂的可行性,考察了NaOH溶液浓度对生物质改性的影响以及生物质添加量、无机物(MgO和MgCl2)添加量对型煤机械强度、防水性能和着火温度的影响。研究结果表明,NaOH改性液的质量分数为1.0%~2.0%时,制得的生物质型煤有较高的机械强度;生物质添加量在2%~20%时,随生物质添加量的增加,机械强度增加,着火温度降低,但防水性较差;而在生物质型煤中加入适量无机黏结剂后,型煤有很高的浸水强度,表现出优越的防水性能。     

Peracetic acid pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse for enzymatic hydrolysis: a continued work

Previous work has shown that the enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse could be greatly enhanced by peracetic acid (PAA) pretreatment. There are several factors affecting the enzymatic digestibility of the biomass, including lignin and hemicelluloses content, cellulose crystallinity, acetyl group content, accessible surface area and so on. The objective of this work is to analyze the mechanism of the enhancement of enzymatic digestibility caused by PAA pretreatment. Delignification resulted in an increase of the surface area and reduction of the irreversible absorption of cellulase, which helped to increase the enzymatic digestibility. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum showed that the absorption peaks of aromatic skeletal vibrations were weakened or disappeared after PAA pretreatment. However, the infrared crystallization index (N.O'KI) was increased. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the crystallinity of PAA‐treated samples was increased owing to the partial removal of amorphous lignin and hemicelluloses and probable physical change of cellulose. The effect of acetyl group content on enzymatic digestibility is negligible compared with the degree of delignification and crystallinity. The results indicate that enhancement of enzymatic digestibility of sugarcane bagasse by PAA pretreatment is achieved mainly by delignification and an increase in the surface area and exposure of cellulose fibers. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

用于实时数据传输的滑动帧方法及其实现

根据某雷达系统对测量信号的快速传输要求,提出采用滑动帧的处理方法并在FPGA中实现,克服了传统帧处理难以满足快速传输要求的不足。阐述了滑动帧结构的构造思想,详述了滑动帧结构的特点及具体功能模块的实现。根据实际应用需求构造了滑动帧结构处理器,试验和应用结果表明设计可行有效,能充分满足实时数据传输的要求。     

Simultaneous degradation of nitroaromatic compounds TNT,RDX, atrazine,and simazine by Pseudomonas putida HK‐6 in bench‐scale bioreactors

BACKGROUND: Environmental contamination by nitroaromatic compounds such as 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐s‐triazine (RDX), atrazine, and/or simazine (TRAS) generated as waste from military and agricultural activities is a serious worldwide problem. Microbiological treatment of these compounds is an attractive method because many explosives and herbicides are biodegradable and the process can be made cost‐effective. We explored the feasibility of using cultures of Pseudomonas putida HK‐6 for simultaneous degradation of TRAS with the aim of microbial application in wastewater treatment in bench‐scale bioreactors. RESULTS: Experiments were conducted to study the effects of supplemental carbons, nitrogens, and Tween‐80 on the degradation of Ps. putida HK‐6 in media containing TRAS as target substrate(s). The most effective TRAS degradation was shown in the presence of molasses. Addition of nitrogen sources produced a delayed effect for the target substrate(s). Tween‐80 enhanced the degradation of target substrate(s). Simultaneous degradation of these compounds proceeded to completion within the given period. CONCLUSIONS: Ps. putida HK‐6 was capable of growth with TRAS, and the effects of supplements on TRAS degradation and simultaneous TRAS degradation were evaluated in bench‐scale bioreactors. The results of this study have practical applications in the processes of industrial waste stream treatment where the disposal of TRAS may be problematic. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry