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Resilience engineering has consistently argued that safety is more than the absence of failures. Since the first book was published in 2006, several book chapters and papers have demonstrated the advantage in going behind 'human error' and beyond the failure concept, just as a number of serious accidents have accentuated the need for it. But there has not yet been a comprehensive method for doing so; the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) fulfils that need.

High-speed actuation of laser frequency 1 is critical in applications using lasers and frequency combs 2 , 3 , and is a prerequisite for phase locking, frequency stabilization and stability transfer among optical carriers. For example, high-bandwidth feedback control of frequency combs is used in optical-frequency synthesis 4 , frequency division 5 and optical clocks 6 . Soliton microcombs 7 , 8 have emerged as chip-scale frequency comb sources, and have been used in system-level demonstrations 9 , 10 . Yet integrated microcombs using thermal heaters have limited actuation bandwidths 11 , 12 of up to 10 kilohertz. Consequently, megahertz-bandwidth actuation and locking of microcombs have only been achieved with off-chip bulk component modulators. Here we demonstrate high-speed soliton microcomb actuation using integrated piezoelectric components 13 . By monolithically integrating AlN actuators 14 on ultralow-loss Si 3 N 4 photonic circuits 15 , we demonstrate voltage-controlled soliton initiation, tuning and stabilization with megahertz bandwidth. The AlN actuators use 300 nanowatts of power and feature bidirectional tuning, high linearity and low hysteresis. They exhibit a flat actuation response up to 1 megahertz—substantially exceeding bulk piezo tuning bandwidth—that is extendable to higher frequencies by overcoming coupling to acoustic contour modes of the chip. Via synchronous tuning of the laser and the microresonator, we exploit this ability to frequency-shift the optical comb spectrum (that is, to change the comb’s carrier-envelope offset frequency) and make excursions beyond the soliton existence range. This enables a massively parallel frequency-modulated engine 16 , 17 for lidar (light detection and ranging), with increased frequency excursion, lower power and elimination of channel distortions resulting from the soliton Raman self-frequency shift. Moreover, by modulating at a rate matching the frequency of high-overtone bulk acoustic resonances 18 , resonant build-up of bulk acoustic energy allows a 14-fold reduction of the required driving voltage, making it compatible with CMOS (complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor) electronics. Our approach endows soliton microcombs with integrated, ultralow-power and fast actuation, expanding the repertoire of technological applications of microcombs. By monolithically integrating piezoelectric actuators on ultralow-loss photonic circuits, soliton microcombs—a spectrum of sharp lines over a range of optical frequencies—can be modulated at high speeds with megahertz bandwidths.

Auxiliary frequency control of a wind turbine gen­erator (WTG) has been widely used to enhance the frequency security of power systems with high penetration of renewable energy. Previous studies recommend two types of control schemes, including frequency droop control and emulated inertia control, which simulate the response characteristics of the synchronous generator (SG). This paper plans to further explore the optimal auxiliary frequency control of the wind turbine based on previous research. First, it is determined that the virtual inertia control has little effect on the maximum rate of change of frequency (Max-ROCOF) if the time delay of the control link of WTG is taken into consideration. Secondly, if a WTG operates in maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode and uses the rotor deceleration for frequency modulation, its optimal auxiliary frequency control will contain only droop control. Furthermore, if the droop control is properly delayed, better system frequency response (SFR) will be obtained. The reason is that coordination between the WTG and SG is important for SFR when the frequency modulation capability of the WTG is limited. The frequency modulation capability of the WTG is required to be released more properly. Therefore, when designing optimal auxiliary frequency control for the WTG, a better control scheme is worth further study.

To investigate the influence of a rapid water drawdown (RWD) on the seismic response characteristics of reservoir rock slopes, numerical dynamic analyses and shaking table tests are conducted on a rock slope containing discontinuities under a RWD using time–frequency analysis from the perspective of spectral and energy propagation characteristics. The results show that a RWD has a magnification effect on the seismic response of a surface slope, which is mainly manifested as the RWD causing the seismic energy of the surface slope to increase significantly. The RWD has a magnification effect on the Fourier spectrum amplitude of the low-order natural frequency band. A time–frequency domain analysis shows that the RWD has an influence on the characteristics of the seismic Hilbert energy spectrum (HES) in the low-frequency band of the surface slope and magnifies the amplitude of the marginal spectrum (MS) in the high-frequency band. In addition, the applicability of the Fourier spectrum, HES and MS in analysing the relationship between the RWD and the slope dynamic response is discussed. An analysis of the seismic HES shows that the RWD has a major impact on the overall dynamic response of the surface slope, while the RWD has a significant impact on the local dynamic response of the surface slope based on the Fourier spectrum and the MS. The influence mechanism of the RWD on the HES and MS of the slope is also discussed. Moreover, the influence of a RWD on the development process of seismic damage to the slope is clarified using an energy-based method.

Accurate flight trajectory prediction is a crucial and challenging task in air traffic control, especially for maneuver operations. Modern data-driven methods are typically formulated as a time series forecasting task and fail to retain high accuracy. Meantime, as the primary modeling method for time series forecasting, frequency-domain analysis is underutilized in the flight trajectory prediction task. In this work, an innovative wavelet transform-based framework is proposed to perform time-frequency analysis of flight patterns to support trajectory forecasting. An encoder-decoder neural architecture is developed to estimate wavelet components, focusing on the effective modeling of global flight trends and local motion details. A real-world dataset is constructed to validate the proposed approach, and the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework exhibits higher accuracy than other comparative baselines, obtaining improved prediction performance in terms of four measurements, especially in the climb and descent phase with maneuver control. Most importantly, the time-frequency analysis is confirmed to be effective to achieve the flight trajectory prediction task. Accurate flight trajectory prediction can be a challenging task in air traffic control, especially for maneuver operations. Here, authors develop a time-frequency analysis based on an encoder-decoder neural architecture to estimate wavelet components and model global flight trends and local motion details.

Temporal integration in visual perception is thought to occur within cycles of occipital alpha-band (8–12 Hz) oscillations. Successive stimuli may be integrated when they fall within the same alpha cycle and segregated for different alpha cycles. Consequently, the speed of alpha oscillations correlates with the temporal resolution of perception, such that lower alpha frequencies provide longer time windows for perceptual integration and higher alpha frequencies correspond to faster sampling and segregation. Can the brain’s rhythmic activity be dynamically controlled to adjust its processing speed according to different visual task demands? We recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) while participants switched between task instructions for temporal integration and segregation, holding stimuli and task difficulty constant. We found that the peak frequency of alpha oscillations decreased when visual task demands required temporal integration compared with segregation. Alpha frequency was strategically modulated immediately before and during stimulus processing, suggesting a preparatory top-down source of modulation. Its neural generators were located in occipital and inferotemporal cortex. The frequency modulation was specific to alpha oscillations and did not occur in the delta (1–3 Hz), theta (3–7 Hz), beta (15–30 Hz), or gamma (30–50 Hz) frequency range. These results show that alpha frequency is under top-down control to increase or decrease the temporal resolution of visual perception.

Young healthy adults can hear tones up to at least 20 kHz. However, clinical audiometry, by which hearing loss is diagnosed, is limited at high frequencies to 8 kHz. Evidence suggests there is salient information at extended high frequencies (EHFs; 8 to 20 kHz) that may influence speech intelligibility, but whether that information is used in challenging listening conditions remains unknown. Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments is the most common concern people have about their hearing and usually the first sign of age-related hearing loss. Digits-in-noise (DIN), a widely used test of speech-in-noise perception, can be sensitized for detection of high-frequency hearing loss by low-pass filtering the broadband masking noise. Here, we used standard and EHF audiometry, self-report, and successively higher cutoff frequency filters (2 to 8 kHz) in a DIN test to investigate contributions of higher-frequency hearing to speech-in-noise perception. Three surprising results were found. First, 74 of 116 “normally hearing,” mostly younger adults had some hearing loss at frequencies above 8 kHz. Early EHF hearing loss may thus be an easily measured, preventive warning to protect hearing. Second, EHF hearing loss correlated with self-reported difficulty hearing in noise. Finally, even with the broadest filtered noise (≤8 kHz), DIN hearing thresholds were significantly better (P < 0.0001) than those using broadband noise. Sound energy above 8 kHz thus contributes to speech perception in noise. People with “normal hearing” frequently report difficulty hearing in challenging environments. Our results suggest that one contribution to this difficulty is EHF hearing loss.

Today’s wireless environments, soft robotics, and space applications demand delicate design of devices with tunable performances and simple fabrication processes. Here we show strain-based adjustability of RF/microwave performance by applying frequency-selective patterns of conductive Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene coatings on low-cost acetate substrates under ambient conditions. The tailored performances were achieved by applying frequency-selective patterns of thin Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene coatings with high electrical conductivity as a replacement to metal on low-cost flexible acetate substrates under ambient conditions. Under quasi-axial stress, the Kirigami design enables displacements of individual resonant cells, changing the overall electromagnetic performance of a surface (i.e., array) within a simulated wireless channel. Two flexible Kirigami-inspired prototypes were implemented and tested within the S, C, and X (2-4 GHz, 4-8 GHz, and 8-12 GHz) microwave frequency bands. The resonant surface, having ~1/4 of the size of a standard A4 paper, was able to steer a beam of scattered waves from each resonator by ~25°. Under a strain of 22%, the resonant frequency of the wired co-planar resonator was shifted by 400 MHz, while the reflection coefficient changed by 158%. Deforming the geometry impacted the spectral response of the components across three arbitrary frequencies in the 4-10 GHz frequency range. With this proof of concept, we anticipate implementing thin films of MXenes on technologically relevant substrates, achieving multi-functionality through cost-effective and straightforward manufacturing. Modern communication applications may demand devices with tunable performances and simple fabrications. Here, we show strain dependent, adjustable RF/microwave performance by applying patterns of conductive Ti3C2Tx MXene coatings on low-cost acetate substrates in a straightforward coating process.

This book includes a survey of all RFID fundamentals and practices in the first part of the book while the second part focuses on UHF passive technology. This coverage of UHF technology and its components including tags, readers, and antennas is essential to commercial implementation in supply chain logistics and security. Readers of this book should have an electrical engineering background, but have not yet dealt with RFID. To this end, the author is very careful to illustrate all concepts and detail his explanations meticulously. In this way, he will bring the reader along organically showing him/her what to expect, develop, and use while implementing an RFID system.

Summary For cable bridges, the cable tension force plays a crucial role in their construction, assessment and long‐term structural health monitoring. Cable tension forces vary in real time with the change of the moving vehicle loads and environmental effects, and this continual variation in tension force may cause fatigue damage of a cable. Traditional vibration‐based cable tension force estimation methods can only obtain the time‐averaged cable tension force and not the instantaneous force. This paper proposes a new approach to identify the time‐varying cable tension forces of bridges based on an adaptive sparse time‐frequency analysis method. This is a recently developed method to estimate the instantaneous frequency by looking for the sparsest time‐frequency representation of the signal within the largest possible time‐frequency dictionary (i.e. set of expansion functions). In the proposed approach, first, the time‐varying modal frequencies are identified from acceleration measurements on the cable, then, the time‐varying cable tension is obtained from the relation between this force and the identified frequencies. By considering the integer ratios of the different modal frequencies to the fundamental frequency of the cable, the proposed algorithm is further improved to increase its robustness to measurement noise. A cable experiment is implemented to illustrate the validity of the proposed method. For comparison, the Hilbert–Huang transform is also employed to identify the time‐varying frequencies, which are then used to calculate the time‐varying cable‐tension force. The results show that the adaptive sparse time‐frequency analysis method produces more accurate estimates of the time‐varying cable tension forces than the Hilbert–Huang transform method. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.