The Composite Face Effect Between Young and Older Chinese Adults Remains Stable

Holistic face perception is often considered to be a cornerstone of face processing. However, the development of the ability to holistically perceive faces in East Asian individuals is unclear. Therefore, we measured and compared holistic face processing in groups of Chinese children, young adults, and older adults by employing the complete composite face paradigm. The results demonstrate a similar magnitude of the composite effect in all three groups although face recognition performance in the task was better in young adults than in the two other groups. These findings suggest that holistic face perception in Eastern individuals is stable from late childhood to at least age 60, whereas face memory may be subject to later development and earlier decline.

Simultaneous effect of cathode potentials and magnetite concentrations on methanogenesis of acetic acid under different ammonia conditions

Electromethanogenesis (EM) is a system that facilitates direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) in anaerobic digestion (AD) by providing an external power supply to favor desired reactions. Substrates of AD commonly contain ammonia (NH3) as biodegradation product of nitrogen-rich compounds that can deteriorate the stability of AD process. Optimized cathode potential (VCAT) and magnetite (Mag) concentration ([Mag]) are expected to improve AD efficiency in the presence of NH3. Response surface analysis with central composite face-centered design was used in this study to investigate the effect of VCAT and [Mag] under different total ammonia nitrogen concentration ([TAN]). Highest cumulative methane production was achieved at VCAT = -737.4 mV, [Mag] = 18.2 mM, and [TAN] = 1.5 g/L; highest acetate degradation rate was achieved at VCAT = 757.6 mV, [Mag] = 21.4 mM, and [TAN] = 1.5 g/L. The study demonstrated that VCAT promotes either microbial growth or electrochemical NH3 removal. A Shift from acetoclastic to hydrogenotrophic pathway was also observed by the increase of hydrogenotrophic methanogen populations at the end of experiment. This study is beneficial for process control of AD under different NH3 conditions.

Vibro-acoustical responses of a sandwich panel consist of aluminum honeycomb core and fabric-reinforced graphite facings

This research presents a numerical study on vibro-acoustic and sound transmission loss behavior of an aluminum honeycomb core sandwich panel with fabric-reinforced graphite (FRG) composite face sheets. The sandwich theory, which assumes the honeycomb core as an orthotropic structural layer, is applied to investigate the free and forced vibration behavior of the panel. The radiated sound power from the panel is quantified by Rayleigh integral method, and the random diffuse field as an incident sound source is derived based on finite element method with the employment of ACTRAN. A validation between the simulated results and the experimental data published is carried out to demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of the present approach. The comparison between different materials of honeycomb sandwich structures illustrates the advantages of the fabric-reinforced graphite honeycomb sandwich structure over the other types of sandwich structures considered. The effects of different boundary conditions and honeycomb structural geometry properties on the acoustical performance of the stiffness of the FRG panel are also investigated. The approach of the present research provides useful guidance for evaluating and selecting the other honeycomb sandwich panels when the vibratory and acoustic behaviors of the panels are considered.

Development and optimization of sewage wastewater treatment program

In this study, a wastewater treatment program was developed and optimized for the treatment of sewage wastewater. Central composite face design (CCFD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were utilized to develop the experimental design and to establish the relationship between the independent variables (coagulant and flocculant dosage) and responses (turbidity and total dissolved solids removal). Statistical analysis showed that the developed response models were accurate. Optimal removal efficiencies of 93.3% and 23.2% for turbidity and TDS, respectively, were obtained under the optimal conditions for coagulant (120.9 ppm of U6750) and flocculant (125 ppm of Floc887) dosage. This showed that the developed treatment using the coagulant, U6750 and flocculant, Floc887 improved the physical characteristics of the wastewater.