TY - JOUR A1 - Laack, Walter van T1 - Nature is much smarter than expected: the Genetic Code is not degenerate JF - American journal of humanities and social sciences N2 - In any books about genetics it can still today be read that our genetic code is called “degenerate” because it is still believed that 43 = 64 triplets encode the 20 essential amino acids. Indeed we have to assume the inverse law, what means that 34 = 81 exact code positions are really effective for our genetic code and encode the amino acids, compiled to proteins. This very important discovery leads to two completely new results that are limits-overlooking: 1) 34 (=81) genetic code positions mean exactly the same number as there are stable and naturally existing chemical elements in our universe. This famous argument should now lead to some alternative, as well as new fundamental conclusions about our existence. 2) A genetic code positioning system shows that nature is much smarter than expected: mutations are made less dangerous than believed, because they won't be that easily able any more to cause severe damages in the protein-synthesis. This should also lead to some alternative views upon evolution of life. Y1 - 2014 SN - 2329-0781 (Print) ; 2329-079X (Online) VL - Vol. 2 IS - No. 1 SP - 10 EP - 12 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Miyamoto, Ko-ichiro A1 - Itabashi, Akinori A1 - Wagner, Torsten A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Yoshinobu, Tatsuo T1 - High-speed chemical imaging inside a microfluidic channel JF - Sensors and actuators. B: Chemical N2 - In this study, a high-speed chemical imaging system was developed for visualization of the interior of a microfluidic channel. A microfluidic channel was constructed on the sensor surface of the light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS), on which the ion concentrations could be measured in parallel at up to 64 points illuminated by optical fibers. The temporal change of pH distribution inside the microfluidic channel was recorded at a maximum rate of 100 frames per second (fps). The high frame rate allowed visualization of moving interfaces and plugs in the channel even at a flow velocity of 111 mm/s, which suggests the feasibility of plug-based microfluidic devices for flow-injection analysis (FIA). Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2013.12.090 SN - 1873-3077 (E-Journal); 0925-4005 (Print) VL - 194 SP - 521 EP - 527 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dikta, Gerhard T1 - Asymptotically efficient estimation under semi-parametric random censorship models JF - Journal of multivariate analysis N2 - We study the estimation of some linear functionals which are based on an unknown lifetime distribution. The observations are assumed to be generated under the semi-parametric random censorship model (SRCM), that is, a random censorship model where the conditional expectation of the censoring indicator given the observation belongs to a parametric family. Under this setup a semi-parametric estimator of the survival function was introduced by the author. If the parametric model assumption is correct, it is known that the estimated functional which is based on this semi-parametric estimator is asymptotically at least as efficient as the corresponding one which rests on the nonparametric Kaplan–Meier estimator. In this paper we show that the estimated functional which is based on this semi-parametric estimator is asymptotically efficient with respect to the class of all regular estimators under this semi-parametric model. Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmva.2013.10.002 SN - 1095-7243 (E-Journal); 0047-259X (Print) VL - 124 SP - 10 EP - 24 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bandodkar, Amay J. A1 - Molinnus, Denise A1 - Mirza, Omar A1 - Guinovart, Tomas A1 - Windmiller, Joshua R. A1 - Valdes-Ramirez, Gabriela A1 - Andrade, Francisco J. A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Wang, Joseph T1 - Epidermal tattoo potentiometric sodium sensors with wireless signal transduction for continuous non-invasive sweat monitoring JF - Biosensors and bioelectronics N2 - This article describes the fabrication, characterization and application of an epidermal temporary-transfer tattoo-based potentiometric sensor, coupled with a miniaturized wearable wireless transceiver, for real-time monitoring of sodium in the human perspiration. Sodium excreted during perspiration is an excellent marker for electrolyte imbalance and provides valuable information regarding an individual's physical and mental wellbeing. The realization of the new skin-worn non-invasive tattoo-like sensing device has been realized by amalgamating several state-of-the-art thick film, laser printing, solid-state potentiometry, fluidics and wireless technologies. The resulting tattoo-based potentiometric sodium sensor displays a rapid near-Nernstian response with negligible carryover effects, and good resiliency against various mechanical deformations experienced by the human epidermis. On-body testing of the tattoo sensor coupled to a wireless transceiver during exercise activity demonstrated its ability to continuously monitor sweat sodium dynamics. The real-time sweat sodium concentration was transmitted wirelessly via a body-worn transceiver from the sodium tattoo sensor to a notebook while the subjects perspired on a stationary cycle. The favorable analytical performance along with the wearable nature of the wireless transceiver makes the new epidermal potentiometric sensing system attractive for continuous monitoring the sodium dynamics in human perspiration during diverse activities relevant to the healthcare, fitness, military, healthcare and skin-care domains. Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2013.11.039 SN - 1873-4235 (E-Journal); 0956-5663 (Print) VL - 54 SP - 603 EP - 609 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Tran, Thanh Ngoc A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Shakedown analysis of Reissner-Mindlin plates using the edge-based smoothed finite element method T2 - Direct methods for limit states in structures and materials / Dieter Weichert ; Alan Ponter, ed. N2 - This paper concerns the development of a primal-dual algorithm for limit and shakedown analysis of Reissner-Mindlin plates made of von Mises material. At each optimization iteration, the lower bound of the shakedown load multiplier is calculated simultaneously with the upper bound using the duality theory. An edge-based smoothed finite element method (ES-FEM) combined with the discrete shear gap (DSG) technique is used to improve the accuracy of the solutions and to avoid the transverse shear locking behaviour. The method not only possesses all inherent features of convergence and accuracy from ES-FEM, but also ensures that the total number of variables in the optimization problem is kept to a minimum compared with the standard finite element formulation. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present method. Y1 - 2014 SN - 978-94-007-6826-0 (Print) 978-94-007-6827-7 (Online) U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6827-7_5 SP - 101 EP - 117 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht [u.a.] ER -