Biosonar behaviour of free-ranging porpoises

Detecting objects in their paths is a fundamental perceptional function of moving organisms. Potential risks and rewards, such as prey, predators, conspecifics or non-biological obstacles, must be detected so that an animal can modify its behaviour accordingly. However, to date few studies have considered how animals in the wild focus their attention. Dolphins and porpoises are known to actively use sonar or echolocation. A newly developed miniature data logger attached to a porpoise allows for individual recording of acoustical search efforts and inspection distance based on echolocation. In this study, we analysed the biosonar behaviour of eight free-ranging finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) and demonstrated that these animals inspect the area ahead of them before swimming silently into it. The porpoises inspected distances up to 77 in, whereas their swimming distance without using sonar was less than 20 in. The inspection distance was long enough to ensure a wide safety margin before facing real risks or rewards. Once a potential prey item was detected, porpoises adjusted their inspection distance from the remote target throughout their approach.

The challenges ahead for bio-inspired 'soft' robotics

THERE ARE MANY different kinds of robots: factory automation systems that weld and assemble car engines; machines that place chocolates into boxes; medical devices that support surgeons in operations requiring high-precision manipulation; cars that drive automatically over long distances; vehicles for planetary exploration; mechanisms for powerline or oil platform inspection; toys and educational toolkits for schools and universities; service robots that deliver meals, clean floors, or mow lawns; and "companion robots" that are real partners for humans and share our daily lives. In a sense, all these robots are inspired by biological systems; it's just a matter of degree. A driverless vehicle imitates animals moving autonomously in the world.© 2012 ACM.

Analysis of structural health monitoring data from hammersmith flyover

There has recently been considerable research published on the applicability of monitoring systems for improving civil infrastructure management decisions. Less research has been published on the challenges in interpreting the collected data to provide useful information for engineering decision makers. This paper describes some installed monitoring systems on the Hammersmith Flyover, a major bridge located in central London (United Kingdom). The original goals of the deployments were to evaluate the performance of systems for monitoring prestressing tendon wire breaks and to assess the performance of the bearings supporting the bridge piers because visual inspections had indicated evidence of deterioration in both. This paper aims to show that value can be derived from detailed analysis of measurements from a number of different sensors, including acoustic emission monitors, strain, temperature and displacement gauges. Two structural monitoring systems are described, a wired system installed by a commercial contractor on behalf of the client and a research wireless deployment installed by the University of Cambridge. Careful interpretation of the displacement and temperature gauge data enabled bearings that were not functioning as designed to be identified. The acoustic emission monitoring indicated locations at which rapid deterioration was likely to be occurring; however, it was not possible to verify these results using any of the other sensors installed and hence the only method for confirming these results was by visual inspection. Recommendations for future bridge monitoring projects are made in light of the lessons learned from this monitoring case study. © 2014 This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license,.

The effects of concomitant In and N incorporation on the photoluminescence of GaInNAs

We investigated the effects of concomitant In- and N-incorporation on the photoluminescence (PL) of GaInNAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy. In comparison with the N-free GaInAs epilayer, the PL spectra of the GaInNAs epilayer exhibit an anomalous S-shape temperature dependence of dominant luminescence peak. Through further careful inspection, two PL peaks are clearly discerned and are associated with the interband excitonic recombinations and excitons bound to N-induced isoelectronic impurity states, respectively. By comparing the PL spectra of GaInNAs/ GaAs quantum wells (QWs) with those of In-free GaNAs/GaAs QWs grown under similar conditions, it is found that the concomitant In- and N-incorporation reduces the density of impurities and has an effect to improve the intrinsic optical transition of GaInNAs, but also enhance the N-induced clustering effects. At last, we found that rapid thermal annealing can significantly reduce the density of N-induced impurities. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Anomalous temperature dependence of photoluminescence in GaInNAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of GaInNAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells grown on a GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy are measured in a range of temperatures and excitation power densities. The energy position of the dominant PL peak shows an anomalous S-shape temperature dependence instead of the Varshni relation. By careful inspection, especially for the PL under lower excitation power density, two near bandedge peaks are well identified. These are assigned to carriers localized in nitrogen-induced bound states and interband excitonic recombinations, respectively. It is suggested that the temperature-induced switch of such two luminescence peaks in relative intensity causes a significant mechanism responsible for the S-shape shift observed in GaInNAs. A quantitative model based on the thermal depopulation of carriers is used to explain the temperature dependence of the PL peak related to N-induced bound states.

A linkage map of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) based on AFLP and microsatellite markers

P>Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is an important fish for aquaculture, but genomics of this species is still in its infancy. In this study, a linkage map of common carp based on Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and microsatellite (SSR) markers has been generated using gynogenetic haploids. Of 926 markers genotyped, 151 (149 AFLPs, two SSRs) were distorted and eliminated from the linkage analyses. A total of 699 AFLP and 20 microsatellite (SSR) markers were assigned to the map, which comprised 64 linkage groups and covered 5506.9 cM Kosambi, with an average interval distance of 7.66 cM Kosambi. The normality tests on interval map distances showed a non-normal marker distribution. Visual inspection of the map distance distribution histogram showed a cluster of interval map distances on the left side of the chart, which suggested the occurrence of AFLP marker clusters. On the other hand, the lack of an obvious cluster on the right side showed that there were a few big gaps which need more markers to bridge. The correlation analysis showed a highly significant relatedness between the length of linkage group and the number of markers, indicating that the AFLP markers in this map were randomly distributed among different linkage groups. This study is helpful for research into the common carp genome and for further studies of genetics and marker-assisted breeding in this species.

effect of staffing pattern on software project: an empirical analysis

Univ SE Calif, Ctr Syst & Software Engn, ABB, Microsoft Res, IEEE, ACMSIGSOFT, N Carolina State Univ Comp Sci

Novel morphology of polyethylene crystals created upon melt crystallization of spin-coated film

We demonstrate a strikingly novel morphology of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) crystal obtained upon melt crystallization of spin-coated thin film. This crystal gives windmill-like morphology which contains a number of petals. A detailed inspection on this morphology reveals that each petal is actually composed of terrace-stacked PE lamellae, in which the polymer chains within crystallographic a-c planes adopt similar to 45 degrees tilting around b-axis. The surrounding domains associated with a petal of the windmill composed of twisted lamellar overgrowths with an identical orientation of their long axis, which is the crystallographic b-axis shared by the petal and its corresponding twisted lamellar overgrowths.

Isolation, characterization and electron microscopic single particle analysis of the NADH : ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) from the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Aquifex aeolicus

The proton-translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) has been purified from Aquifex aeolicus, a hyperthermophilic eubacterium of known genome sequence. The purified detergent solubilized enzyme is highly active above 50 degreesC. The specific activity for electron transfer from NADH to decylubiquinone is 29 U/mg at 80 degreesC. The A. aeolicus complex I is completely sensitive to rotenone and 2-n-decyl-quinazoline-4-yl-amine. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that it may contain up to 14 subunits. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the bands indicates the presence of a stable subcomplex, which is composed of subunits E, F, and G. The isolated complex is highly stable and active in a temperature range from 50 to 90 degreesC, with a half-life of about 10 h at 80 degreesC. The activity shows a linear Arrhenius plot at 50-85 degreesC with an activation energy at 31.92 J/mol K. Single particle electron microscopy shows that the A. aeolicus complex I has the typical L-shape. However, visual inspection of averaged images reveals many more details in the external arm of the complex than has been observed for complex I from other sources. In addition, the angle (90degrees) between the cytoplasmic peripheral arm and the membrane intrinsic arm of the complex appears to be invariant.

Sensitive and Rapid Detection of Genetic Modified Soybean (Roundup Ready) by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

Using the LAMP method, a highly specific and sensitive detection system for genetically modified soybean (Roundup Ready) was designed. In this detection system, a set of four primers was designed by targeting the exogenous 35S epsps gene. Target DNA was amplified and visualized on agarose gel within 45 min under isothermal conditions at 65 degrees C. Without gel electrophoresis, the LAMP amplicon was visualized directly in the reaction tube by the addition of SYBR Green I for naked-eye inspection. The detection sensitivity of LAMP was 10-fold higher than the nested PCR established in our laboratory. Moreover, the LAMP method was much quicker, taking only 70 min, as compared with 300 min for nested PCR to complete the analysis of the GM soybean. Compared with traditional PCR approaches, the LAMP procedure is faster and more sensitive, and there is no need for a special PCR machine or electrophoresis equipment. Hence, this method can be a very useful tool for GMO detection and is particularly convenient for fast screening.

具有自适应能力管道机器人的设计与运动分析

提出并研制一种基于自适应移动机构的管内探查机器人。通过对机器人传动机构的设计,实现了在不增加驱动电动机数量的前提下,机器人具有适应不同管道直径的能力。机器人的传动机构能够在管道直径改变时,自动地改变行走部件的输出形式以克服障碍,完成越障任务。在没有应用链式多节构型的情况下,机器人配备一个驱动电动机就能够完成越障任务,改善了传统螺旋驱动式机器人越障能力不高的问题,同时也提高了对驱动电动机的使用效率。为了分析试验中发现的机器人保持架自转现象,对机器人进行运动分析,并由分析结果对相关部分进行改进。试验结果表明,该机器人能够在内径为190 mm和180 mm的管道中行进,并能够顺利通过两节管道间形成的同心台阶障碍,验证了自适应移动机构的行走能力。

输电线巡检机器人越障机理与试验

分析超高压输电线路架空地线上的障碍物类型以及跨越这些障碍的过程。可以发现,巡检机器人采用双臂交替跨越障碍,越障过程简单。但是由于受巡检机器人自身重力偏矩的影响和手臂长度尺寸的限制,当单臂悬架在架空地线上时,导致巡检机器人本体倾斜,另一手臂完成脱线和上线任务变得十分困难,有时甚至造成越障失败。为了解决上述问题,提出质量调节的控制方法。该方法通过调节巡检机器人的质心,使巡检机器人的本体保持水平状态。为了验证质量调节控制方法的正确性,采用Lagrange方法建立巡检机器人动力学模型,通过仿真试验、实验室模拟实际架空地线试验以及超高压实际现场试验说明了提出方法的可行性。

一种输电线路巡检机器人控制系统的设计与实现

介绍了一种超高压输电线路巡检机器人控制系统的设计与实现方法.根据巡检作业任务的要求,采用遥控与局部自主相结合的控制模式实现巡检机器人沿线行走及跨越障碍.设计了巡检机器人有限状态机模型,实现了机器人遥控与局部自主控制的有机结合.采用基于激光传感器定位的方法实现了巡检机器人的自主越障控制.实验结果表明,该机器人可实现沿线行走及自主跨越障碍,从而验证了控制系统设计的有效性与合理性.

基于视觉伺服的输电线巡检机器人抓线控制

巡检机器人在越障时,需要完成机器人手臂的准确抓线控制.结合输电线的几何特征和摄像机成像原理,提出了一种基于单摄像机的立体视觉方法来确定输电线的位置和姿态.基于该定位方法及视觉伺服理论,建立机械手抓线伺服控制模型.利用自行研制的巡检机器人进行了视觉伺服抓线实验;实验结果验证了该方法的有效性.

超高压输电线路巡检机器人两种越障定位方法比较

将两种基于传感器信息的导线定位方法的特点和差异进行了分析和对比,得出方法Ⅱ的解算能力强于方法Ⅰ的解算能力,但由于方法Ⅱ的定位精度低于方法Ⅰ的定位精度,因此,选用方法Ⅰ进行野外作业。