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The article describes the results of measurements using a hydrostatic level (HL) with a base of about 10 m, designed for measurements on a linear base of 1 km, installed in the premises of the prognostic center of IPE RAS. Experimental data are obtained on the operation of a new capacitive transducer with an increased dynamic range and 0.1-μm sensitivity to vertical displacement of the fluid level. The expansion vessel has been tested; the HL time constant has been measured, which is 110 s; and a spectral analysis of three months of observations is presented. A new HL scheme is proposed, which includes volumes to compensate for the influence of temperature changes, necessary for the construction of a long-base version of the device. The results of the studies bring us closer to implementing the scheme of a device with a linear base of 1 km in the adit of the TRINITY state scientific center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To comprehensively evaluate the accuracy and performance of machine tools, in this paper, a novel measuring method for the body diagonal error of a machine tool using a multibeam laser interferometer as the measuring instrument is proposed. On this basis, a three-dimensional evaluation method for the body diagonal error of a machine tool is proposed. First, a method of measuring the body diagonal error of a machine tool by using a multibeam laser interferometer is proposed. Six errors for the body diagonal of a machine tool can be measured simultaneously, including three position deviations and three angle errors. The mathematical model of the relationship between the measured data and the volumetric error is established. Second, a new evaluation method for the body diagonal error is presented that takes the position deviation and attitude error into consideration. The advantage of this evaluation method is that it fills in the blanks in the evaluation method for the body diagonal error. The method can also be applied to the evaluation of linear axis error. Finally, the proposed measurement method is applied to a vertical three-axis machining centre, and the experimental results show that this measuring method is quite convenient and effective for measuring the body diagonal error of a machine tool. The proposed method is used to evaluate the body diagonal error from measurement data. The results show that the positioning error of the machine tool is 49.37 μm; the repeatability of the positioning error is 36.85 μm; and the angle errors are − 22.47 μm/m, − 70.9 μm/m and 29.7 μm/m. The traditional method (ISO230-6) is used to evaluate the body diagonal error from measurement data. The results show that the positioning error of the machine tool is 49.4 μm. Compared with the traditional method, the information from the proposed evaluation method is more abundant, and the evaluation method is systematic and universal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Harbin Institute of Technology. Social Sciences Edition / Haerbin Gongye Daxue Xuebao. Shehui Kexue Ban is the property of Harbin Institute of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The high-frequency LCLC resonant converter is one of the important parts of the two-stage power supply in the space travelling-wave tube amplifier application. Usually, the high-frequency LCLC resonant converter utilizes open-loop control and simultaneously sets its switching frequency and duty cycle to the required values to guarantee low cost and high power efficiency. However, the required switching frequency and duty cycle are determined by the transformer parasitic parameters. Therefore, how to measure the real transformer parasitic parameters under the real working conditions precisely becomes very important to the high-frequency LCLC resonant converter. The conventional way to measure the transformer parasitics is to employ an offline impedance analyzer. However, the transformer parasitics under real operating conditions may deviate from the offline measured results. The online measurement methods can obtain the real values when the high-frequency LCLC resonant converter is working, but these online approaches also mean additional cost and complex implementation requirement. To solve the above-mentioned problems, a sequential offline-online-offline (SO3) measurement method is proposed in this paper. With this SO3 measurement approach, all the real transformer parasitics can be easily obtained in a low cost and simple implementation way, which combines the advantages of both traditional offline and online measurement methods while removing their corresponding shortcomings. The proposed method is validated by the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study aimed to develop a method for measuring the ceiling level of ortho‐phthalaldehyde (OPA) exposure and evaluate the ceiling levels of OPA exposure among health care workers who handle disinfectant solutions containing OPA for the disinfection of endoscopes. Methods: The study consisted of a preliminary survey and main survey. In the preliminary survey, processes involving high‐concentration exposure to OPA were identified by video‐exposure monitoring (VEM). In the main survey, the ceiling levels of OPA exposure for high‐concentration exposure processes identified from the results of the preliminary survey were determined using a measuring method combining sampling using a 2,4‐dinitrophenylhydrazine‐silica cartridge and analysis by high‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results: In the preliminary survey, seven processes involving high‐concentration exposure to OPA were identified by VEM. The duration of each process was short, lasting from 20 seconds to a few minutes. In the main survey, the OPA concentrations for the identified high‐concentration exposure processes ranged from 1.18 to 4.49 ppb, which markedly exceeded the threshold limit value ceiling (TLV‐C) of 0.1 ppb recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Conclusions: The method for measuring the ceiling level of OPA exposure was established using VEM and the highly sensitive method of chemical analysis; and we successfully evaluated the ceiling levels of OPA exposure among health care workers engaged in endoscope disinfection. This approach can also be applied to other chemical substances with recommended TLV‐Cs, and important information for reducing exposure can thus be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to overcome the shortcomings of the measurement methods for gas cumulative flow, especially in the long-term continuous measurement, a novel memristor-based gas cumulative flow sensor is proposed in this paper. The sensor is mainly composed of a hot-wire resistor, the memristor module, a feedback compensation network and some basic circuit components. According to the thermal balance equation and the memory characteristics of memristor, the sensor can measure the gas cumulative flow by combining the memristor resistance with the cross-sectional area of the pipe. In order to verify the design of memristor-based gas accumulation flow sensor, experiments are carried out under a constant gas flow velocity, a gradually increasing flow velocity, and a randomly varying flow velocity. The active region thickness D of the selected TiO2/TiO2-n memristor is 40 nm. The hot-wire used is a tungsten wire having a radius of 10 μm and a length of 2 mm. The gas measured is air at a temperature of 300 K in the paper. The experimental results show that the sensor achieves the measurement of gas cumulative flow. When gas flow velocity at the center of the pipe is 5 m/s, the measuring range is approximately 0–20 m3 and the sensitivity within the effective range is approximately 28.44 Ω/m3. When the gas flow velocity, the memristor pairs increase and the gain of the amplifier changes, the measuring range, and the sensitivity of the sensor will changes accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Wool Textile Journal is the property of National Wool Textile Science & Technology Information Center and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper introduces a new developed wool fiber length imaging measurement instrument, named the random-beard image method, an applied fibrogram method of wool fiber length measurement. It includes four parts, namely the fiber beard preparation, image acquisition and fibrograms and fiber length parameter calculation using the dual beard and a new calculation method of Hauteur length (mean fiber length biased by the cross-section of the fibers). To check the accuracy of the built instrument, the international standard fiber length measurement instrument, the Almeter100, was used as the reference method for comparison. Hence, 10 kinds of wool fibers were measured with both methods and the results showed that four fiber length parameters, the Barbe length (weighted mean length), Hauteur length, the coefficient of variation of the Barbe length and the Hauteur length of the two methods, have high consistency. An F -test was also applied to test the repeatability of these two methods measuring another three kinds of wool fibers five times. It was found that, under the significance level of α = 0.05, the repeatability of both methods is on the same level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil temperature and moisture are important factors that control many ecosystem processes. However, interactions between soil thermal and hydrological processes are not adequately understood in cold regions, where the frozen soil, fire disturbance, and soil drainage play important roles in controlling interactions among these processes. These interactions were investigated with a new ecosystem model framework, the dynamic organic soil version of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model, that incorporates an efficient and stable numerical scheme for simulating soil thermal and hydrological dynamics within soil profiles that contain a live moss horizon, fibrous and amorphous organic horizons, and mineral soil horizons. The performance of the model was evaluated for a tundra burn site that had both preburn and postburn measurements, two black spruce fire chronosequences (representing space-for-time substitutions in well and intermediately drained conditions), and a poorly drained black spruce site. Although space-for-time substitutions present challenges in model-data comparison, the model demonstrates substantial ability in simulating the dynamics of evapotranspiration, soil temperature, active layer depth, soil moisture, and water table depth in response to both climate variability and fire disturbance. Several differences between model simulations and field measurements identified key challenges for evaluating/improving model performance that include (1) proper representation of discrepancies between air temperature and ground surface temperature; (2) minimization of precipitation biases in the driving data sets; (3) improvement of the measurement accuracy of soil moisture in surface organic horizons; and (4) proper specification of organic horizon depth/properties, and soil thermal conductivity.

The oxidative ratio (OR) of the net ecosystem carbon balance is the ratio of net O2 and CO2 fluxes resulting from photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and other lateral and vertical carbon flows. The OR of the terrestrial biosphere must be well characterized to accurately estimate the terrestrial CO2 sink using atmospheric measurements of changing O2 and CO2 levels. To estimate the OR of the terrestrial biosphere, measurements are needed of changes in the OR of aboveground and belowground carbon pools associated with decadal timescale disturbances (e.g., land use change and fire). The OR of aboveground pools can be measured using conventional approaches including elemental analysis. However, measuring the OR of soil carbon pools is technically challenging, and few soil OR data are available. In this paper we test three solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques for measuring soil OR, all based on measurements of the closely related parameter, organic carbon oxidation state (Cox). Two of the three techniques make use of a molecular mixing model which converts NMR spectra into concentrations of a standard suite of biological molecules of known Cox. The third technique assigns Cox values to each peak in the NMR spectrum. We assess error associated with each technique using pure chemical compounds and plant biomass standards whose Cox and OR values can be directly measured by elemental analyses. The most accurate technique, direct polarization solid-state 13C NMR with the molecular mixing model, agrees with elemental analyses to ±0.036 Cox units (±0.009 OR units). Using this technique, we show a large natural variability in soil Cox and OR values. Soil Cox values have a mean of −0.26 and a range from −0.45 to 0.30, corresponding to OR values of 1.08 ± 0.06 and a range from 0.96 to 1.22. We also estimate the OR of the carbon flux from a boreal forest fire. Analysis of soils from nearby intact soil profiles imply that soil carbon losses associated with the fire had an OR of 1.091 (±0.003). Fire appears to be a major factor driving the soil C pool to higher oxidation states and lower OR values. Episodic fluxes caused by disturbances like fire may have substantially different ORs from ecosystem respiration fluxes and therefore should be better quantified to reduce uncertainties associated with our understanding of the global atmospheric carbon budget.

Cl2, Br2, and I2 were measured in coastal Pacific air from 2 to 29 January 2006. Air was sampled at 10 m over the sea surface near the end of Scripps Pier (La Jolla, California). The measurements were made using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization with tandem mass spectrometry (APCI/MS/MS). Over the course of this study, Cl2, Br2, and I2 levels ranged from below detection limits of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.2 ppt, respectively, to maxima of 26, 19, and 8 ppt, respectively. Mean dihalogen levels for the study period were 2.3 ± 1 ppt for Cl2, 2.3 ± 0.4 ppt for Br2, and 0.7 ± 0.1 ppt for I2 (expressed as geometric mean ±1 geometric standard error). The mixed dihalogens BrCl, ICl, and IBr had geometric mean levels below 0.3 ± 1 ppt and never exceeded their detection limits of 0.5 ppt. Consistent patterns of diurnal variability were observed for Cl2 and I2, with Cl2 maxima during daytime and I2 appearing almost exclusively at night. The detection of I2 appeared to be related to the passage of air over nearby kelp beds. The observed dihalogen levels suggest that (1) chlorine atom oxidation of hydrocarbons makes a significant contribution to the formation of ozone and (2) halogen atom oxidation of airborne mercury contributes to mercury deposition in polluted coastal air.

Degree of oxidation of organic carbon (Cox) is a fundamental property of the carbon cycle, reflecting the synthesis and decomposition of natural organic matter. Cox is also related to ecosystem oxidative ratio (OR), the molar ratio of O2 to CO2 fluxes associated with net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Here we compare two methods for measuring Cox and OR: (1) %C, %H, %N, and %O elemental analysis, and (2) heat of combustion (ΔHc) measured by means of bomb calorimetry coupled with %C elemental analysis (hereafter referred to as calorimetry). Compared with %C, %N, %H, and %O elemental analysis, calorimetry generates Cox and OR data more rapidly and cheaply. However, calorimetric measurements yield less accurate Cox and OR data. We additionally report Cox and OR data for a pair of biomass standards and a suite of biomass samples. The OR values we measured in these samples were less variable than OR data reported in the literature (generated by simultaneous measurement of ecosystem O2 and CO2 gas mixing ratios). Our biomass OR values had a mean of 1.03 and range of 0.99–1.06. These estimates are lower than the OR value of 1.10 that is often used to partition uptake of fossil fuel CO2 between the ocean and the terrestrial biosphere.

The mechanism and environmental controls on soil hydrogen (H2) uptake are not well understood but are essential for understanding the atmospheric H2 budget. Field observations of soil H2 uptake are limited, and here we present the results from a series of measurements in forest, desert, and marsh ecosystems in southern California. We measured soil H2 fluxes using flux chambers from September 2004 to July 2005. Mean H2 flux rates and standard deviations were −7.9 + −4.2, −7.6 + −5.3 and −7.5 + −3.4 nmol m−2 s−1 for the forest, desert, and marsh, respectively (corresponding to deposition velocities of 0.063 + −0.029, 0.051 + −0.036, 0.035 + −0.013 cm s−1). Soil profile measurements showed that H2 mixing ratios were between 3% and 51% of atmospheric levels at 10 cm and that the penetration of H2 into deeper soil layers increased with soil drying. Soil removal experiments in the forest demonstrated that the litter layer did not actively consume H2, the removal of this layer increased uptake by deeper soil layers, and the exposure of subsurface soil layers to ambient atmospheric H2 levels substantially increased their rate of uptake. Similar soil removal experiments at the desert site showed that extremely dry surface soils did not consume H2 and that fluxes at the surface increased when these inactive layers were removed. We present a model of soil H2 fluxes and show that the diffusivity of soils, along with the vertical distribution of layers that actively consume H2 regulate surface fluxes. We found that soil organic matter, CO2 fluxes, and ecosystem type were not strong controllers of H2 uptake. Our experiments highlight H2 diffusion into soils as an important limit on fluxes and that minimum moisture level is needed to initiate microbial uptake.

The measurement of beak lengths in poultry can be used to study the effects of beak trimming and to evaluate different abrasive methods for beak treatment. Various methods are used in research, and different measurements on the beaks are performed. The present study compared different methods for measuring beak values using a flexible measuring tape, digital caliper, and image analysis. The measurements were performed on 100 severed heads of laying hens. Different beak lengths, heights, and widths were recorded, and the agreement between methods was calculated. The most consistent measurements were obtained using image analysis and calipers when measuring the length from the rictus to the tip of the upper beak. These methods showed 67% agreement. Since there was very low agreement between the methods, it is generally not advisable to use 2 different methods in 1 study. In addition, several measurements should be carried out, and overall, measurement processes should be described in detail in order to make the results comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new thermal contact resistance distribution measurement method using lock-in thermography. This method was used to evaluate a two-dimensional local thermal contact resistance distribution. To be able to measure the distribution, a uniform intensity laser heating system was developed. The developed system has a top-hat intensity distribution with a diameter of 30 mm. By combining this heat source and the lock-in thermography, a new measurement instrument was developed, which can evaluate local temperature behavior in the frequency domain, including the information of the contact interface in high spatial resolution of about 70 μm. Additionally, a new thermal contact resistance measurement principle was constructed based on a one-dimensional heat transfer equation that considers the reflected and transmitted temperature waves at the boundary and contact interface. The thermal contact resistance was acquired as a solution to the inverse problem of the temperature response done by fitting analyses. The validation of this method was performed quantitatively with two samples made of two bonded isotropic graphite plates. The one sample has an intentional defect area that has a slightly higher thermal resistance. The other sample has the known thermal contact resistance value measured with a validated method. Based on the results, the measurement value agreed with the referenced value. Also, the defect area was quantitatively detected clearly as a high thermal resistance region. Furthermore, as a practical example, the measurement method was applied for two different contact interface roughness samples consisting of aluminum alloys and thermal grease. Consequently, it was revealed and visualized that the contact interface with a rough surface has a high thermal resistance spot. • A new thermal contact resistance distribution measurement method was using lock-in thermography are proposed. • A new measurement device using a laser light source with a uniform intensity and lock-in thermograph is developed. • The differences in thermal contact resistance due to differences in surface roughness can be quantitatively visualized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual capital (IC) has become a crucial strategic resource in the knowledge economy. The purpose of this study is to understand the IC-financial performance relationship of listed Chinese agricultural companies. This paper uses the original value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) model, the adjusted VAIC (AVAIC) model, and the modified VAIC (MVAIC) model to measure IC. The results show a positive and significant relationship between IC and financial performance (return on assets and return on equity) in three models. Additionally, human capital and physical capital are two major driving forces. In the AVAIC model, innovation capital exerts a positive impact on financial performance, whereas this impact is not significant at the 5% level in the MVAIC model. The results suggest that further improvements in IC measurement are still needed. This study has important implications for both academia and industry regarding IC measurement.

Three-dimensional (3D) root system architecture (RSA) is a predominant factor in anchorage failure in trees. Only a few studies have used 3D laser scanners to evaluate RSA, but they do not check the accuracy of measurements. 3D laser scanners can quickly obtain RSA data, but the data are collected as a point cloud with a large number of points representing surfaces. The point cloud data must be converted into a set of interconnected axes and segments to compute the root system traits. The purposes of this study were: (i) to propose a new method for easily obtaining root point data as 3D coordinates and root diameters from point cloud data acquired by 3D laser scanner measurement; and (ii) to compare the accuracy of the data from main roots with intensive manual measurement. We scanned the excavated root systems of two Pinus thunbergii Parl. trees using a 3D laser scanner and neuTube software, which was developed for reconstructing the neuronal structure, to convert the point cloud data into root point data for reconstructing RSA. The reconstruction and traits of the RSA calculated from point cloud data were similar in accuracy to intensive manual measurements. Roots larger than 7 mm in diameter were accurately measured by the 3D laser scanner measurement. In the proposed method, the root point data were connected as a frustum of cones, so the reconstructed RSAs were simpler than the 3D root surfaces. However, the frustum of cones still showed the main coarse root segments correctly. We concluded that the proposed method could be applied to reconstruct the RSA and calculate traits using point cloud data of the root system, on the condition that it was possible to model both the stump and ovality of root sections.

The soil sink of molecular hydrogen is the largest and most uncertain term in the global atmospheric H2 budget. Lack of information about the mechanisms regulating this sink limits our ability to predict how atmospheric H2 may respond to future changes in climate or anthropogenic emissions. Here we present the results from a series of laboratory experiments designed to systematically evaluate and describe the temperature and soil moisture dependence of H2 uptake by soils from boreal forest and desert ecosystems. We observed substantial H2 uptake between −4°C and 0°C, a broad temperature optimum between 20°C and 30°C, a soil moisture optimum at approximately 20% saturation, and inhibition of uptake at both low and high soil moisture. A sigmoidal function described the temperature response of H2 uptake by soils between −15°C and 40°C. Based on our results, we present a framework for a model of the soil H2 sink.

We present an inverse-modeling analysis of CO emissions using column CO retrievals from the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument and a global chemical transport model (GEOS-CHEM). We first focus on the information content of MOPITT CO column retrievals in terms of constraining CO emissions associated with biomass burning and fossil fuel/biofuel use. Our analysis shows that seasonal variation of biomass-burning CO emissions in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia can be characterized using monthly mean MOPITT CO columns. For the fossil fuel/biofuel source category the derived monthly mean emission estimates are noisy even when the error statistics are accurately known, precluding a characterization of seasonal variations of regional CO emissions for this source category. The derived estimate of CO emissions from biomass burning in southern Africa during the June–July 2000 period is significantly higher than the prior estimate (prior, 34 Tg; posterior, 13 Tg). We also estimate that emissions are higher relative to the prior estimate in northern Africa during December 2000 to January 2001 and lower relative to the prior estimate in Central America and Oceania/Indonesia during April–May and September–October 2000, respectively. While these adjustments provide better agreement of the model with MOPITT CO column fields and with independent measurements of surface CO from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory at background sites in the Northern Hemisphere, some systematic differences between modeled and measured CO fields persist, including model overestimation of background surface CO in the Southern Hemisphere. Characterizing and accounting for underlying biases in the measurement model system are needed to improve the robustness of the top-down estimates.

The MOZAIC (Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapor by Airbus In-service Aircraft) program (Marenco et al., 1998) has archived in situ measurements of temperature, water vapor, and ozone from August 1994 to December 2003. We analyze the trends, seasonality, and interannual variability of these quantities at aircraft cruise levels (7.7–11.3 km) within the tropics (20°S–20°N). Mean lapse rates for temperature and log(water vapor) are nearly identical in both tropics. The root-mean-square variance in temperature over cruise levels, seasons, and years is small, ≤1°C. The seasonal range in water vapor, a factor of 2.5, is much larger than expected from the seasonal range in temperature (1.7°C) if the two scale with the lapse rate relation or the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. The mean ozone abundance in the region sampled is 45 ppb in the north tropics and 50 ppb in the south tropics. This 112-month period shows a clearly linear increase in ozone over the north tropics with a trend fit of 1.12 ± 0.05 ppb/yr. In the south tropics, which has a large seasonal range of over 25 ppb, the trend is less obvious but still robust, 1.03 ± 0.08 ppb/yr. These trends in the upper troposphere are twice as large as reported for surface ozone over the tropical Atlantic (Lelieveld et al., 2004), but this pattern of ozone increases is consistent with projected increases driven by industrial emissions.

This paper presents the first ice core measurements of methyl bromide (CH3Br). Samples from a shallow Antarctic ice core (Siple Dome, West Antarctica), ranging in mean gas dates from 1671 to 1942, had a mean CH3Br mixing ratio of 5.8 ppt. These results extend the existing historical record derived from air and Antarctic firn air to about 350 years before present. Model simulations illustrate that the ice core results are consistent with estimates of the impact of anthropogenic activity (fumigation, combustion, and biomass burning) on the atmospheric CH3Br burden, given the large current uncertainties in the modern atmospheric CH3Br budget. A preindustrial scenario assuming no fumigation, no combustion, and a 75% reduction in biomass-burning sources yields a Southern Hemisphere mean mixing ratio of 5.8 ppt, in good agreement with the ice core results. There is a significant imbalance between the known CH3Br sources and sinks in the modern atmospheric CH3Br budget. The ice core data do not sufficiently constrain the model to determine how much of the “unknown source” was present in the preindustrial budget. The results do indicate that most of the southern hemispheric component of this “unknown source” is not anthropogenic.

The study aimed to develop an accurate and convenient 3D occlusal tooth wear assessment technique, applicable when surfaces other than the occlusal undergo changes during the observation period. Various degrees of occlusal tooth wear were simulated in vitro on 18 molar and 18 premolar plaster teeth. Additionally, their buccal and lingual surfaces were gently grinded to induce superficial changes and digital dental models were generated. The grinded and the original tooth crowns were superimposed using six different 3D techniques (two reference areas with varying settings; gold standard: GS). Superimposition on intact structures provided the GS measurements. Tooth wear volume comprised the primary outcome measure. All techniques differed significantly to each other in their accuracy (p < 0.001). The technique of choice (CCD: complete crown with 30% estimated overlap of meshes) showed excellent agreement with the GS technique (median difference: 0.045, max: 0.219 mm3), no systematic error and sufficient reproducibility (max difference < 0.040 mm3). Tooth type, tooth alignment in the dental arches, and amount of tooth wear did not significantly affect the results of the CCD technique (p > 0.01). The suggested occlusal tooth wear assessment technique is straightforward and offers accurate outcomes when limited morphological changes occur on surfaces other than the occlusal.

The data related in this paper are related to “Environmental-behavior studies of sustainable construction of the third place – based on outdoor environment-behavior cross-feed symbiotic analysis and verification of selective activities” (Ren, 2017) [1]. The dataset was from a field sub-time extended investigation to children of Hohhot West Inner Mongolia Electric Power Community Residential Area in Inner Mongolia of China that belongs to cold region of ID area according to Chinese design code for buildings. This filed data provided descriptive statistics about outdoor time, behavior scale specificity, age exclusivity and self-centeredness for children in different ages (babies, preschool children, school age children). This data provided five measurement elements of child-friendly space and their weight ratio. The field data set is made publicly available to enable critical or extended analyzes.

Competing Interests: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Objectives: Evidence on the reliability of digital techniques for wear volume assessment using three-dimensional (3D) scan datasets is scarce. This study evaluated the reliability of a repeated-scan superimposition technique and two single-scan techniques in assessing wear volume loss on flat surfaces of 3D-printed resin specimens., Methods: Cuboid-shaped (15×10×10 mm) resin specimens were 3D-printed (n = 14) and scanned before and after 200,000 cycles of masticatory simulation. For the repeated-scan superimposition technique, digital 3D models of specimens before and after masticatory simulation were superimposed, and the volume loss was determined. The first single-scan technique utilized a computer-aided design freeware program, while the second one employed a 3D-metrology software program. In the freeware program, the worn area of 3D objects was edited directly to obtain a flat surface. In the 3D-metrology software program, the worn area was deleted first and then filled to the flat surface. The volume differences before and after editing were calculated in each software program. Agreement between the three measurement techniques was determined through intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). One-way analysis of variance was performed to compare the wear volume loss assessed by the three techniques (α = 0.05)., Results: High inter-technique reliability was observed between the three assessment techniques (ICC = 0.998, p < .001). On pair-wise comparisons of two of the three techniques, all pairs showed high consistency (ICC ≥ 0.999, p < .001). No significant difference was found in the wear volume loss assessed using the three techniques (p = .996)., Conclusions: Digital repeated-scan superimposition and two single-scan techniques demonstrated high reliability in assessing wear volume loss on flat surfaces., Clinical Significance: The repeated-scan superimposition technique can be effectively utilized to assess wear volume loss of anatomically shaped specimens and flat surfaces. This study indicates that the single-scan techniques may serve as a suitable alternative to the repeated-scan superimposition technique when evaluating wear volume loss of flat surfaces., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In order to optimize the design and working parameters of agricultural machinery related to harvesting, knowledge about the physical properties and mechanical behaviour of harvest-ready maize is required. Previous studies have been conducted on different maize varieties from different parts of the world in different growing seasons. However, these experiments were usually conducted on dried or deep-frozen samples and therefore the condition of these samples was not related to the harvested material. In order to produce more relevant experimental results, a complex measurement method that involves in-situ observations and laboratorial experiments was established after taking into consideration the process of maize harvesting with a combine harvester and a maize header. The measurement method was successfully conducted over a period of days of harvesting in Hungary. With regard to the physical properties of the stalk, the distribution of the internodal diameter and the length, mass and moisture content of the stalk were determined. The mechanical behaviour of the stalk was analysed through transversal compression, three-point bending and dynamic cutting experiments. The results clearly demonstrate that the physical properties (diameter, length and wet-mass ratio, moisture content) and mechanical properties (force response characteristic and required mechanical work) of different parts of the maize stalk vary significantly. Therefore, different parts of the maize stalk require different considerations during machine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sarkar et al. (this issue) proposed a laboratory measurement method for obtaining the hydraulic conductivity of soil at near‐saturated moisture conditions, bridging the gap between measurements that can be obtained with the evaporation method in the medium dry region, and measurements of the saturated conductivity by traditional methods. The method is based on a tension infiltration on a limited part of the surface of a soil sample and drainage of the sample at the same tension, leading to a divergent flow field. Despite equal tensions at top and bottom of the sample ("unit gradient"), the water flux in the sample is smaller than the corresponding value of the soil hydraulic conductivity at the applied tension. From numerical analysis of the flow problem, they concluded that unsaturated conductivity can be obtained with an accuracy of 10% for all texture classes of the USDA soil texture triangle. In this paper, we test the methodology for three different soil types using an appropriate apparatus. The results match well with independent saturated conductivity measurements on the wet side, and with unsaturated conductivity measurements in the medium moisture range that were obtained with the evaporation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The saturated and near‐saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils, ku, is a sensitive indicator of soil structure and a key parameter for solute transport and soil aeration. In this contribution, we present and numerically investigate a double‐disk method to determine ku in the laboratory by steady‐state percolation at different suction steps. Tension infiltration of water takes place at the top of a soil column through a porous disk with a smaller diameter than the soil sample. This leaves part of the soil surface open and ensures a proper soil ventilation. Drainage takes place at the base through a porous disk with the full diameter of the soil column at exactly the same tension as applied to the top boundary. Since the infiltration area is less than the percolation area, the water flow diverges and the equality of steady flow rate and hydraulic conductivity, which characterizes the standard unit‐gradient experiment, is no longer valid. To develop a general relationship between observed steady flow rate and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, the experiment was simulated with the Richards‐equation solver HYDRUS 2D/3D, for twelve different soil classes. We found for tensions in the range 1 cm < 10 cm, an infiltration disk diameter of 4.5 cm diameter and a sample diameter of 8 cm diameter that the flux rate at any given tension was about 0.7 times the respective hydraulic conductivity, with an error of less than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Economía (Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán) is the property of Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Facultad de Economia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Technical Electrodynamics / Tekhnichna Elektrodynamika is the property of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Electrodynamics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tacit knowledge is the source of innovation and competitiveness of enterprises, so the reasonable expression, transformation, sharing and measurement of it will bring intangible economic benefits to enterprises. Therefore, this paper proposed a method for measuring the individual tacit knowledge based on Bayesian network( BN). Construction of tacit knowledge measure model included: set and analysis of specific situations, Bayesian’s construction of network topology, network node parameter learning Bayes probability, probability inference, sorting and interpretation of the BN, the validity of the model test. Finally, taking L-company’s R&D department as an example, the results show that the validity of the model is 75% ～ 80%, which validates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the solid armature’s in-bore motion state using B-dot probes is significant for studying the electromagnetic emission. The common method uses B-dot probes to acquire the discrete time points when the armature passes by them. These points can be interpolated into a curve of the armature’s displacement. However, considering the rapid current changes, the points contain an error. What is worse, it is difficult to recover the armature’s whole process motion by limited discrete points. In this paper, by deeply digging out the information contained in induced electromotive force curve of B-dot probes, a novel measurement method is proposed, which we can recover solid armature’s in-bore whole process motion without any interpolation. At the beginning, considering the current skin and velocity skin effects, a precise 3-D model is built. By analyzing the effect of the current changing rate, the discrete precise time points when the armature passes by them are getting. Then, through the mathematical transformation and applying Newton’s second law, a novel method to acquire velocity curve, displacement curve, and acceleration curve of armature’s in-bore motion in the whole launch process is put forward. Finally, the simulation model of 9-m rail gun with 18 B-dot probes is built. Simulation shows that the proposed method can obtain precise armature’s in-bore motion state in the whole electromagnetic emission process and can deduce in-bore force curve of the armature, which is significant for fault diagnosis of launcher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An indirect method to determine the internal polarization of a GaN/AlGaN-based quantum well is presented. The technique consists of carefully measuring the difference between the two lowest conduction subband levels under the application of an electrical bias across the epitaxial layers. Due to a quantum confined Stark effect, the bound energy levels of the well show a strong frequency shift, which depends on the size of the external field. Since this electric field was oriented oppositely to the internal polarization, partial screening of the latter occurred. By measuring these Stark shifts at three different fields, one was able to calculate the size of the internal polarization. Since the composition of the AlGaN barriers had previously been determined by X-ray diffraction, an extrapolated value of the internal polarization—as it would occur in a pure AlN/GaN interface—could be given. In agreement with the literature, a value of 720 MV/m was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Systems Engineering & Electronics is the property of Journal of Systems Engineering & Electronics Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Nursing of Integrated Traditional Chinese & Western Medicine is the property of Journal of Clinical Nursing in Practice (Editorial Board, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: A broad literature base exists for measuring medication adherence to monotherapeutic regimens, but publications are less extensive for measuring adherence to multiple medications.Objectives: To identify and characterize the multiple medication adherence (MMA) methods used in the literature.Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, the International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and the Cochrane Library databases on methods used to measure MMA published between January 1973 and May 2015. A two-step screening process was used; all abstracts were screened by pairs of researchers independently, followed by a full-text review identifying the method for calculating MMA. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review. For studies that met the eligibility criteria, general study and adherence-specific characteristics and the number and type of MMA measurement methods were summarized.Results: The 147 studies that were included originated from 32 countries, in 13 disease states. Of these studies, 26 used proportion of days covered, 23 used medication possession ratio, and 72 used self-reported questionnaires (e.g., the Morisky Scale) to assess MMA. About 50% of the studies included more than one method for measuring MMA, and different variations of medication possession ratio and proportion of days covered were used for measuring MMA.Conclusions: There appears to be no standardized method to measure MMA. With an increasing prevalence of polypharmacy, more efforts should be directed toward constructing robust measures suitable to evaluate adherence to complex regimens. Future research to understand the validity and reliability of MMA measures and their effects on objective clinical outcomes is also needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]