Application Study on Fiber Optic Monitoring and Identification of CRTS-II-Slab Ballastless Track Debonding on Viaduct

China Railway Track System (CRTS)-II-slab ballastless track is a new type of track structure, and its interlayer connection state is considerably important for the operation safety and ride comfort of high-speed trains. However, the location and multiple influencing factors of interlayer debonding lead to difficulties in monitoring and identification. Here, the research on the design and application of a monitoring scheme that facilitates interlayer debonding detection of ballastless track and an effective indicator for debonding identification and assessment is proposed. The results show that on-site monitoring can effectively capture the vibration signals caused by train vibration and interlayer debonding. The features of the data acquired in the situations with and without interlayer debonding are compared after instantaneous baseline validation. Some significant features capable of obviously differentiating a debonding state from the normal state are identified. Furthermore, a new indicator, combining multiple debonding-sensitive features by similarity-based weights normalizing the initial difference between mutual instantaneous baselines, is developed to support rational and comprehensive assessment quantitatively. The contribution of this study includes the development and application of an interlay-debonding monitoring scheme, the establishment of an effective-feature pool, and the proposal of the similarity-based indicator, thereby laying a good foundation for debonding identification of ballastless track.

Disequilibrium linkage (gametic disequilibrium) of structural genes in the bovine population

In the population of Kholmogor cattle (n=824), gametic disequilibrium was studied for alleles of the polymorphic loci β-Lg (LGB), β-Cn (CSN2) and æ-Cn (CSN3). In purebred Kholmogor cattle, the β-casein polymorphism is determined by three alleles with the frequencies of CSN2А 1 – 0.368±0.0076, CSN2А 2 – 0.497±0.0078, CSN2B – 0.136±0.0056 and the frequencies of acasein of CSN3А – 0.689 ±0.0061, CSN3B – 0.311±0.0061, respectively. The beta-lactoglobulin polymorphism is controlled by two alleles LGBA and LGBB with a frequency of 0.237±0.0048 and 0.763±0.0048, respectively. In the population of breeding plants, the gametic disequilibrium was revealed according to the alleles of loci CSN2 and LGB; CSN2 and CSN3. The factor that caused the gametic disequilibrium was probably the initial difference between native Russian cattle and black-and-white cattle of Western Europe on the basis of which the Kholmogor breed gene pool was developed. The population showed an excess of haplotypes β-CnВæ-CnВ, β-CnВβ-LgВ (the "attraction" phase), apparently inherited mainly from native Russian cattle, and β-CnА 1æ-CnА, β-CnА 2β-LgА characteristic mainly for black-and-white cattle of Western Europe and a lack of β-CnВæ-CnА, β-CnВβ-LgА (the "repulsion" phase), probably due to the low frequency of these haplotypes in both initial breeds. The role of various factors in the occurrence and maintenance of gamete disequilibrium is discussed. It is suggested that for alleles of non-linked loci, longtime retention of gametic disequilibrium in population is most likely supported by selection

Direction, ontogeny, and mechanism of the temperature-size rule operating in a large marine crab, Chionoecetes opilio

The classic temperature-size rule (TSR) states that ectotherms mature smaller in warmer than in colder conditions; the reverse TSR is the opposite response. We combined field observations with laboratory experiments and published information to synthesise the response of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio), a marine brachyuran with determinate growth, to temperature. Size at onset of physiological maturation/maturity and after terminal moult (TM) were positively related to temperature, thus indicating the reverse TSR. Moult increment varied little with temperature, but crabs were larger at instar in colder than in warmer water due to an initial difference in settlement size that propagated to higher instars, suggesting classic TSR prior to settlement. The pattern of increasing TM size with temperature was caused by crabs moulting more times before TM in warmer than in colder water. Intermoult period (IP) declined exponentially with temperature, and lower instars were more temperature sensitive than higher instars. Temperature effects on IP were strong enough to explain changes in size and instar number at TM under a possible time-invariant maturation schedule. Skip moulting was observed in the smallest crabs reared in the laboratory and resulted in high mortality. The reverse TSR in snow crab seems to be adaptive to coping with ectotherm predation.

Empirical lognormality of biological variation: implications for the ‘zero-force evolutionary law’

ABSTRACTThe zero-force evolutionary law (ZFEL) of McShea et al. states that independently evolving entities, with no forces or constraints acting on them, will tend to accumulate differences and therefore diverge from each other. McShea et al. quantified the law by assuming normality on an additive arithmetic scale and reflecting negative differences as absolute values, systematically augmenting perceived divergence. The appropriate analytical framework is not additive but proportional, where logarithmic transformation is required to achieve normality. Logarithms and logarithmic differences can be negative but the proportions they represent cannot be negative. Reformulation of ZFEL in a proportional or geometric reference frame indicates that when entities evolve randomly and independently, differences smaller than any initial difference are balanced by differences larger than the initial difference. Total variance increases with each step of a random walk, but there is no statistical expectation of divergence between random-walk lineages.

The effects of the Paleolithic Diet on obesity anthropometric measurements

Comparing the effects of Paleolithic Diet (PD) and of a Guidelines Substantiated Diet (GSD) on anthropometric indicators of obese individuals. Randomized clinical trial. Obese patients were divided into two groups based on dietary prescription: PD and GSD. These diets encompassed 82 and 73 patients, respectively, who were followed-up for 60 days. Anthropometric measurements were taken before the beginning of the trial, at the 30th day of it and at the end of the experimental period. At the 60th experimental day, there was 26.8% treatment abandonment by individuals in group PD and 19.2% by the ones in group GSD; there was not difference between groups (p = 0.684). Weight and height measurements were taken in order to determine body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC), which allowed determining the waist/hip ratio (WHR). There was no initial difference between groups in demographic, socioeconomic, exercising and anthropometric variables (p > 0.05). Group PD recorded the highest weight (p = 0.003), BMI (p = 0.002) and WC (p = 0.033) values at the 30th experimental day. Group PD kept the highest weight loss at the 60th day (p < 0,001), as well as the highest BMI (p < 0.001), WC (p = 0.002) and WHR (p = 0.002) reduction. PD is a feasible option to treat obesity, it led to reduced anthropometric markers. Other studies are necessary to assure the safety of its use for longer periods of time.

Statistical Software Output in the Classroom: A Comparison of R and SPSS

The current study examines whether R or SPSS output induces greater initial anxiety in students and whether anxiety toward one or both changes after being taught one type of software output throughout the course. The authors each taught an introductory statistics course, with the first course ( n = 43) teaching R output exclusively and the second course ( n = 39) teaching SPSS output exclusively. Students in both courses were given surveys assessing their anxiety and confidence toward R and SPSS output on the first and last days of class. Students initially reported greater anxiety and lower confidence when viewing R compared to SPSS output. However, the initial difference between R- and SPSS-related anxiety and confidence level disappeared when students were taught R and decreased substantially when students were taught SPSS. The results suggest that although R output may seem more intimidating initially, students adapt to it as well as they do to SPSS.

Understanding node-link and matrix visualizations of networks: A large-scale online experiment

We investigated human understanding of different network visualizations in a large-scale online experiment. Three types of network visualizations were examined: node-link and two different sorting variants of matrix representations on a representative social network of either 20 or 50 nodes. Understanding of the network was quantified using task time and accuracy metrics on questions that were derived from an established task taxonomy. The sample size in our experiment was more than an order of magnitude larger (N = 600) than in previous research, leading to high statistical power and thus more precise estimation of detailed effects. Specifically, high statistical power allowed us to consider modern interaction capabilities as part of the evaluated visualizations, and to evaluate overall learning rates as well as ambient (implicit) learning. Findings indicate that participant understanding was best for the node-link visualization, with higher accuracy and faster task times than the two matrix visualizations. Analysis of participant learning indicated a large initial difference in task time between the node-link and matrix visualizations, with matrix performance steadily approaching that of the node-link visualization over the course of the experiment. This research is reproducible as the web-based module and results have been made available at: https://osf.io/qct84/.

Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Characteristics of Conventionally Cast and Cold-Rolled 5754-Sc-Zr Aluminium Alloy

The effect of cold-rolling on mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties as well as microstructure behaviour of the Al-2.93wt.%Mg-0.34wt.%Mn-0.33wt.%Si-0.22wt.%Fe-0.19wt.%Cr-0.24wt.%Sc-0.06wt.%Zr was studied. The material was investigated during step-by-step isochronal annealing in a temperature range from room temperature up to 540 °C and during isothermal annealing at 200, 450 and 550 °C. Precipitation reactions were studied by electrical resistometry, conductivity, (micro) hardness measurements and differential scanning calorimetry. The hardening effect appears due to the additional precipitation of the Al3Sc and/or Al3(Sc,Zr) particles. The distinct changes in residual resistivity ratio above ~ 330 °C are probably caused by precipitation of the Mn (,Fe,Cr)-containing particles. This precipitation process is highly influenced by cold rolling but it has a negligible effect on hardness. The apparent activation energy values for additional formation of the Al3Sc and/or Al3(Sc,Zr) particles were determined. The kinetics of the Al3(Sc,Zr)-phase precipitation seems to be independent of Mn-and Mg-addition in the studied alloys. A partial recrystallization of the cold-rolled alloy was registered by electron backscatter diffraction after annealing at 550 °C. The initial difference in microhardness introduced by cold rolling is almost removed after annealing at 550 °C/30 min.