Article
Refine
Year of publication
- 2022 (78) (remove)
Institute
- Fachbereich Medizintechnik und Technomathematik (33)
- IfB - Institut für Bioengineering (22)
- Fachbereich Chemie und Biotechnologie (14)
- INB - Institut für Nano- und Biotechnologien (13)
- Fachbereich Energietechnik (8)
- Fachbereich Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik (5)
- Fachbereich Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik (5)
- ECSM European Center for Sustainable Mobility (3)
- Fachbereich Bauingenieurwesen (3)
- Fachbereich Maschinenbau und Mechatronik (3)
Language
- English (78) (remove)
Document Type
- Article (78) (remove)
Keywords
- Chemometrics (2)
- Earthquake (2)
- Heparin (2)
- NMR spectroscopy (2)
- biosensors (2)
- damage (2)
- Actuator disk modelling (1)
- Algal Turf Scrubber (1)
- Algal–bacterial bioflm (1)
- Alkalihalobacillus okhensis (1)
- Alzheimer's disease (1)
- Artificial intelligence (1)
- Assembly (1)
- Automated driving (1)
- Automotive application (1)
- BET (1)
- Behaviour factor q (1)
- Benchmark (1)
- Biocomposites (1)
- Biogas (1)
- Biomass (1)
- Biomechanical simulation (1)
- Bootstrapping (1)
- Boundary integral equations (1)
- Brake set-up (1)
- Brake test (1)
- CAV (1)
- CFD propeller simulation (1)
- Categorial variable (1)
- Cementoblast (1)
- Circular bioeconomy (1)
- Civil engineering (1)
- Clinical decision support systems (1)
- Collective risk model (1)
- Compression (1)
- Concomitant (1)
- Conductive boundary condition (1)
- Crude heparin (1)
- Decoupling (1)
- Drinfeld modules (1)
- Dynamic simulation (1)
- ES-FEM (1)
- Empirical process (1)
- Explainability (1)
- FS-FEM (1)
- Feature selection (1)
- Finite element analysis (1)
- Forces (1)
- Fracture classification (1)
- Fracture configuration (1)
- Fracture simulation (1)
- Freight rail (1)
- Gamification (1)
- Genetic algorithm (1)
- Haemodialysis (1)
- Handbike (1)
- Hazard assessment (1)
- Heterostructure (1)
- Higher derivations (1)
- INSYSME (1)
- IR spectroscopy (1)
- Image Reconstruction (1)
- Imaging (1)
- In-plane performance, isolation (1)
- Incident analysis (1)
- Independence test (1)
- Infill wall design (1)
- Inorganic ions (1)
- Instructional design (1)
- Interstellar objects (1)
- Inverse spectral problem (1)
- Ions (1)
- Justice (1)
- Landslide tsunamis (1)
- Large scale tests (1)
- Level system (1)
- Lidar (1)
- Linear elastic analysis (1)
- Machine learning (1)
- Masonry infill (1)
- Measurement models (1)
- Measurement uncertainty (1)
- Mechanotransduction (1)
- Medical AI (1)
- Metascintillator (1)
- Methane (1)
- Microcirculation (1)
- Mild cognitive impairment (1)
- Missions (1)
- Modelling (1)
- Modern constructions (1)
- Molecular modelling (1)
- Molecular weight determination (1)
- Molten salt receiver system (1)
- Molten salt solar tower (1)
- Monte Carlo Tree Search (1)
- Morphing (1)
- Multiple TOF kernels (1)
- Myocardial infarction and cardiac death (1)
- NMR (1)
- Natural fibres (1)
- Normative standards (1)
- Numerical modelling (1)
- Overland flow (1)
- PLS-regression (1)
- Paralympic sport (1)
- Periods (1)
- Polymer-matrix composites (1)
- Probability distribution mapping (1)
- Propeller aerodynamics (1)
- Propeller performance (1)
- Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (1)
- Proximal humerus fracture (1)
- Pulsations (1)
- Q-criterion (1)
- Quality control (1)
- Quantum chemistry (1)
- Reinforced concrete frame (1)
- Retinal vessel analysis (1)
- Retinal vessels (1)
- Rotator cuff (1)
- S-FEM (1)
- Seismic design (1)
- Seismic loading (1)
- Self-driving (1)
- Shoulder (1)
- Solitary waves (1)
- Standardization (1)
- Stress concentrations (1)
- Structural design (1)
- TOF PET (1)
- Tension (1)
- Train composition (1)
- Trajectories (1)
- Transcendence (1)
- Transient flux distribution (1)
- Transmission eigenvalues (1)
- Two-phase modelling (1)
- USP (1)
- Unreinforced masonry buildings (1)
- User study (1)
- Vasomotions (1)
- Virtual reality (1)
- additive manufacturing (1)
- adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) (1)
- aminooctanethiol (1)
- anaesthetic complications (1)
- anisotropy (1)
- aortic perfusion (1)
- aseptic parameters (1)
- atomic layer deposition (1)
- automated vehicles (1)
- bacterial cellulose (1)
- batteries and fuel cells (1)
- bi-enzyme biosensor (1)
- biaxial tensile experiment (1)
- biocompatible materials (1)
- biodegradable electronic devices (1)
- biopotential electrodes (1)
- body imaging at 7 T MRI (1)
- bootstrap (1)
- borefields (1)
- borehole disposal (1)
- capacitive field-effect sensor (1)
- capacitive field-effect sensors (1)
- capacitive model (1)
- carbon electrodes (1)
- cell aerosolization (1)
- cell atomization (1)
- cerebral small vessel disease (1)
- chance constrained programming (1)
- coculture (1)
- cognitive impairment (1)
- coherent structures (1)
- computational fluid dynamics analysis (1)
- connected automated vehicles (1)
- constitutive modeling (1)
- correlation (1)
- crystallization (1)
- dental trauma (1)
- detergent protease (1)
- dialysis (1)
- difficult airway (1)
- disposal facility (1)
- distorted element (1)
- double-lumen tube intubation (1)
- electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor capacitors (1)
- electrospinning (1)
- endoluminal (1)
- energy (1)
- enzyme-logic gate (1)
- exopolysaccharides (1)
- experimental evaluation (1)
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (1)
- eye movement modelling examples (1)
- fibers (1)
- field-effect sensor (1)
- force generation (1)
- forehead EEG (1)
- frequency mixing magnetic detection (1)
- fused filament fabrication (1)
- gaseous hydrogen peroxide (1)
- geological disposal (1)
- geothermal (1)
- glucose (1)
- gold nanoparticles (1)
- halotolerant protease (1)
- high-alkaline subtilisin (1)
- high-intensity exercise (1)
- hydraulic modelling (1)
- hyperelastic (1)
- ignition (1)
- impedance spectroscopy (1)
- in-ear EEG (1)
- irradiation (1)
- limit analysis (1)
- magnetic nanoparticles (1)
- magnetic sensors (1)
- microplasma (1)
- microwave (MW) plasma (1)
- model performance (1)
- multi-sensing platform (1)
- muscle fascicle behavior (1)
- nanoparticle coverage (1)
- non-simplex S-FEM elements (1)
- nuclear waste (1)
- oxidative stable protease (1)
- pH sensors (1)
- penicillinase (1)
- performance testing (1)
- plasma jet (1)
- polyetheretherketone (1)
- porous materials (1)
- prebiotic (1)
- pullulan (1)
- rapid tooling (1)
- reliability of structures (1)
- retention time (1)
- retinal vessels (1)
- sEMG (1)
- shakedown analysis (1)
- simulation (1)
- sizing (1)
- smooth muscle contraction (1)
- spore kill rate (1)
- sterility (1)
- stochastic programming (1)
- strain energy function (1)
- survival (1)
- t-modules (1)
- tendon rupture (1)
- thermal dose (1)
- tissue temperature (1)
- tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) (1)
- transmit antenna arrays (1)
- tri-lineage differentiation (1)
- twin-fluid atomizer (1)
- ultrasound imaging (1)
- ultrathin gate insulators (1)
- urease (1)
- video learning (1)
- videolaryngoscopy (1)
- virgin passive (1)
- viscoelasticity (1)
- walking gait (1)
A generalized shear-lag theory for fibres with variable radius is developed to analyse elastic fibre/matrix stress transfer. The theory accounts for the reinforcement of biological composites, such as soft tissue and bone tissue, as well as for the reinforcement of technical composite materials, such as fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP). The original shear-lag theory proposed by Cox in 1952 is generalized for fibres with variable radius and with symmetric and asymmetric ends. Analytical solutions are derived for the distribution of axial and interfacial shear stress in cylindrical and elliptical fibres, as well as conical and paraboloidal fibres with asymmetric ends. Additionally, the distribution of axial and interfacial shear stress for conical and paraboloidal fibres with symmetric ends are numerically predicted. The results are compared with solutions from axisymmetric finite element models. A parameter study is performed, to investigate the suitability of alternative fibre geometries for use in FRP.
Virgin passive colon biomechanics and a literature review of active contraction constitutive models
(2022)
The objective of this paper is to present our findings on the biomechanical aspects of the virgin passive anisotropic hyperelasticity of the porcine colon based on equibiaxial tensile experiments. Firstly, the characterization of the intestine tissues is discussed for a nearly incompressible hyperelastic fiber-reinforced Holzapfel–Gasser–Ogden constitutive model in virgin passive loading conditions. The stability of the evaluated material parameters is checked for the polyconvexity of the adopted strain energy function using positive eigenvalue constraints of the Hessian matrix with MATLAB. The constitutive material description of the intestine with two collagen fibers in the submucosal and muscular layer each has been implemented in the FORTRAN platform of the commercial finite element software LS-DYNA, and two equibiaxial tensile simulations are presented to validate the results with the optical strain images obtained from the experiments. Furthermore, this paper also reviews the existing models of the active smooth muscle cells, but these models have not been computationally studied here. The review part shows that the constitutive models originally developed for the active contraction of skeletal muscle based on Hill’s three-element model, Murphy’s four-state cross-bridge chemical kinetic model and Huxley’s sliding-filament hypothesis, which are mainly used for arteries, are appropriate for numerical contraction numerical analysis of the large intestine.
Because of simple construction process, high energy efficiency, significant fire resistance and excellent sound isolation, masonry infilled reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures are very popular in most of the countries in the world, as well as in seismic active areas. However, many RC frame structures with masonry infills were seriously damaged during earthquake events, as the traditional infills are generally constructed with direct contact to the RC frame which brings undesirable infill/frame interaction. This interaction leads to the activation of the equivalent diagonal strut in the infill panel, due to the RC frame deformation, and combined with seismically induced loads perpendicular to the infill panel often causes total collapses of the masonry infills and heavy damages to the RC frames. This fact was the motivation for developing different approaches for improving the behaviour of masonry infills, where infill isolation (decoupling) from the frame has been more intensively studied in the last decade. In-plane isolation of the infill wall reduces infill activation, but causes the need for additional measures to restrain out-of-plane movements. This can be provided by installing steel anchors, as proposed by some researchers. Within the framework of European research project INSYSME (Innovative Systems for Earthquake Resistant Masonry Enclosures in Reinforced Concrete Buildings) the system based on a use of elastomers for in-plane decoupling and steel anchors for out-of-plane restrain was tested. This constructive solution was tested and deeply investigated during the experimental campaign where traditional and decoupled masonry infilled RC frames with anchors were subjected to separate and combined in-plane and out-of-plane loading. Based on a detailed evaluation and comparison of the test results, the performance and effectiveness of the developed system are illustrated.
FEM shakedown analysis of structures under random strength with chance constrained programming
(2022)
Direct methods, comprising limit and shakedown analysis, are a branch of computational mechanics. They play a significant role in mechanical and civil engineering design. The concept of direct methods aims to determine the ultimate load carrying capacity of structures beyond the elastic range. In practical problems, the direct methods lead to nonlinear convex optimization problems with a large number of variables and constraints. If strength and loading are random quantities, the shakedown analysis can be formulated as stochastic programming problem. In this paper, a method called chance constrained programming is presented, which is an effective method of stochastic programming to solve shakedown analysis problems under random conditions of strength. In this study, the loading is deterministic, and the strength is a normally or lognormally distributed variable.
Miniaturized electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor capacitors (EISCAPs) with ultrathin gate insulators have been studied in terms of their pH-sensitive sensor characteristics: three different EISCAP systems consisting of Al–p-Si–Ta2O5(5 nm), Al–p-Si–Si3N4(1 or 2 nm)–Ta2O5 (5 nm), and Al–p-Si–SiO2(3.6 nm)–Ta2O5(5 nm) layer structures are characterized in buffer solution with different pH values by means of capacitance–voltage and constant capacitance method. The SiO2 and Si3N4 gate insulators are deposited by rapid thermal oxidation and rapid thermal nitridation, respectively, whereas the Ta2O5 film is prepared by atomic layer deposition. All EISCAP systems have a clear pH response, favoring the stacked gate insulators SiO2–Ta2O5 when considering the overall sensor characteristics, while the Si3N4(1 nm)–Ta2O5 stack delivers the largest accumulation capacitance (due to the lower equivalent oxide thickness) and a higher steepness in the slope of the capacitance–voltage curve among the studied stacked gate insulator systems.
Upcoming gasoline engines should run with a larger number of fuels beginning from petrol over methanol up to gas by a wide range of compression ratios and a homogeneous charge. In this article, the microwave (MW) spark plug, based on a high-speed frequency hopping system, is introduced as a solution, which can support a nitrogen compression ratio up to 1:39 in a chamber and more. First, an overview of the high-speed frequency hopping MW ignition and operation system as well as the large number of applications are presented. Both gives an understanding of this new base technology for MW plasma generation. Focus of the theoretical part is the explanation of the internal construction of the spark plug, on the achievable of the high voltage generation as well as the high efficiency to hold the plasma. In detail, the development process starting with circuit simulations and ending with the numerical multiphysics field simulations is described. The concept is evaluated with a reference prototype covering the frequency range between 2.40 and 2.48 GHz and working over a large power range from 20 to 200 W. A larger number of different measurements starting by vector hot-S11 measurements and ending by combined working scenarios out of hot temperature, high pressure and charge motion are winding up the article. The limits for the successful pressure tests were given by the pressure chamber. Pressures ranged from 1 to 39 bar and charge motion up to 25 m/s as well as temperatures from 30◦ to 125◦.
NMR standardization approach that uses the 2H integral of deuterated solvent for quantitative multinuclear analysis of pharmaceuticals is described. As a proof of principle, the existing NMR procedure for the analysis of heparin products according to US Pharmacopeia monograph is extended to the determination of Na+ and Cl- content in this matrix. Quantification is performed based on the ratio of a 23Na (35Cl) NMR integral and 2H NMR signal of deuterated solvent, D2O, acquired using the specific spectrometer hardware. As an alternative, the possibility of 133Cs standardization using the addition of Cs2CO3 stock solution is shown. Validation characteristics (linearity, repeatability, sensitivity) are evaluated. A holistic NMR profiling of heparin products can now also be used for the quantitative determination of inorganic compounds in a single analytical run using a single sample. In general, the new standardization methodology provides an appealing alternative for the NMR screening of inorganic and organic components in pharmaceutical products.
This study addresses a proof-of-concept experiment with a biocompatible screen-printed carbon electrode deposited onto a biocompatible and biodegradable substrate, which is made of fibroin, a protein derived from silk of the Bombyx mori silkworm. To demonstrate the sensor performance, the carbon electrode is functionalized as a glucose biosensor with the enzyme glucose oxidase and encapsulated with a silicone rubber to ensure biocompatibility of the contact wires. The carbon electrode is fabricated by means of thick-film technology including a curing step to solidify the carbon paste. The influence of the curing temperature and curing time on the electrode morphology is analyzed via scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical characterization of the glucose biosensor is performed by amperometric/voltammetric measurements of different glucose concentrations in phosphate buffer. Herein, systematic studies at applied potentials from 500 to 1200 mV to the carbon working electrode (vs the Ag/AgCl reference electrode) allow to determine the optimal working potential. Additionally, the influence of the curing parameters on the glucose sensitivity is examined over a time period of up to 361 days. The sensor shows a negligible cross-sensitivity toward ascorbic acid, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. The developed biocompatible biosensor is highly promising for future in vivo and epidermal applications.
Biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) fundamentally rely on the particles’ magnetic relaxation as a response to an alternating magnetic field. The magnetic relaxation complexly depends on the interplay of MNP magnetic and physical properties with the applied field parameters. It is commonly accepted that particle core size is a major contributor to signal generation in all the above applications, however, most MNP samples comprise broad distribution spanning nm and more. Therefore, precise knowledge of the exact contribution of individual core sizes to signal generation is desired for optimal MNP design generally for each application. Specifically, we present a magnetic relaxation simulation-driven analysis of experimental frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) for biosensing to quantify the contributions of individual core size fractions towards signal generation. Applying our method to two different experimental MNP systems, we found the most dominant contributions from approx. 20 nm sized particles in the two independent MNP systems. Additional comparison between freely suspended and immobilized MNP also reveals insight in the MNP microstructure, allowing to use FMMD for MNP characterization, as well as to further fine-tune its applicability in biosensing.
Analysis and computation of the transmission eigenvalues with a conductive boundary condition
(2022)
We provide a new analytical and computational study of the transmission eigenvalues with a conductive boundary condition. These eigenvalues are derived from the scalar inverse scattering problem for an inhomogeneous material with a conductive boundary condition. The goal is to study how these eigenvalues depend on the material parameters in order to estimate the refractive index. The analytical questions we study are: deriving Faber–Krahn type lower bounds, the discreteness and limiting behavior of the transmission eigenvalues as the conductivity tends to infinity for a sign changing contrast. We also provide a numerical study of a new boundary integral equation for computing the eigenvalues. Lastly, using the limiting behavior we will numerically estimate the refractive index from the eigenvalues provided the conductivity is sufficiently large but unknown.
Utilizing an appropriate enzyme immobilization strategy is crucial for designing enzyme-based biosensors. Plant virus-like particles represent ideal nanoscaffolds for an extremely dense and precise immobilization of enzymes, due to their regular shape, high surface-to-volume ratio and high density of surface binding sites. In the present work, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) particles were applied for the co-immobilization of penicillinase and urease onto the gate surface of a field-effect electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor capacitor (EISCAP) with a p-Si-SiO₂-Ta₂O₅ layer structure for the sequential detection of penicillin and urea. The TMV-assisted bi-enzyme EISCAP biosensor exhibited a high urea and penicillin sensitivity of 54 and 85 mV/dec, respectively, in the concentration range of 0.1–3 mM. For comparison, the characteristics of single-enzyme EISCAP biosensors modified with TMV particles immobilized with either penicillinase or urease were also investigated. The surface morphology of the TMV-modified Ta₂O₅-gate was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the bi-enzyme EISCAP was applied to mimic an XOR (Exclusive OR) enzyme logic gate.
An alternative method is presented to numerically compute interior elastic transmission eigenvalues for various domains in two dimensions. This is achieved by discretizing the resulting system of boundary integral equations in combination with a nonlinear eigenvalue solver. Numerical results are given to show that this new approach can provide better results than the finite element method when dealing with general domains.
Frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) has been explored for its applications in fields of magnetic biosensing, multiplex detection of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and the determination of core size distribution of MNP samples. Such applications rely on the application of a static offset magnetic field, which is generated traditionally with an electromagnet. Such a setup requires a current source, as well as passive or active cooling strategies, which directly sets a limitation based on the portability aspect that is desired for point of care (POC) monitoring applications. In this work, a measurement head is introduced that involves the utilization of two ring-shaped permanent magnets to generate a static offset magnetic field. A steel cylinder in the ring bores homogenizes the field. By variation of the distance between the ring magnets and of the thickness of the steel cylinder, the magnitude of the magnetic field at the sample position can be adjusted. Furthermore, the measurement setup is compared to the electromagnet offset module based on measured signals and temperature behavior.
REM sleep without atonia (RSWA) is a key feature for the diagnosis of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). We introduce RBDtector, a novel open-source software to score RSWA according to established SINBAR visual scoring criteria. We assessed muscle activity of the mentalis, flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), and anterior tibialis (AT) muscles. RSWA was scored manually as tonic, phasic, and any activity by human scorers as well as using RBDtector in 20 subjects. Subsequently, 174 subjects (72 without RBD and 102 with RBD) were analysed with RBDtector to show the algorithm’s applicability. We additionally compared RBDtector estimates to a previously published dataset. RBDtector showed robust conformity with human scorings. The highest congruency was achieved for phasic and any activity of the FDS. Combining mentalis any and FDS any, RBDtector identified RBD subjects with 100% specificity and 96% sensitivity applying a cut-off of 20.6%. Comparable performance was obtained without manual artefact removal. RBD subjects also showed muscle bouts of higher amplitude and longer duration. RBDtector provides estimates of tonic, phasic, and any activity comparable to human scorings. RBDtector, which is freely available, can help identify RBD subjects and provides reliable RSWA metrics.
The subtilase family (S8), a member of the clan SB of serine proteases are ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life and fulfil different physiological functions. Subtilases are divided in several groups and especially subtilisins are of interest as they are used in various industrial sectors. Therefore, we searched for new subtilisin sequences of the family Bacillaceae using a data mining approach. The obtained 1,400 sequences were phylogenetically classified in the context of the subtilase family. This required an updated comprehensive overview of the different groups within this family. To fill this gap, we conducted a phylogenetic survey of the S8 family with characterised holotypes derived from the MEROPS database. The analysis revealed the presence of eight previously uncharacterised groups and 13 subgroups within the S8 family. The sequences that emerged from the data mining with the set filter parameters were mainly assigned to the subtilisin subgroups of true subtilisins, high-alkaline subtilisins, and phylogenetically intermediate subtilisins and represent an excellent source for new subtilisin candidates.
Acetoin and diacetyl have a major impact on the flavor of alcoholic beverages such as wine or beer. Therefore, their measurement is important during the fermentation process. Until now, gas chromatographic techniques have typically been applied; however, these require expensive laboratory equipment and trained staff, and do not allow for online monitoring. In this work, a capacitive electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor sensor modified with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) particles as enzyme nanocarriers for the detection of acetoin and diacetyl is presented. The enzyme acetoin reductase from Alkalihalobacillus clausii DSM 8716ᵀ is immobilized via biotin–streptavidin affinity, binding to the surface of the TMV particles. The TMV-assisted biosensor is electrochemically characterized by means of leakage–current, capacitance–voltage, and constant capacitance measurements. In this paper, the novel biosensor is studied regarding its sensitivity and long-term stability in buffer solution. Moreover, the TMV-assisted capacitive field-effect sensor is applied for the detection of diacetyl for the first time. The measurement of acetoin and diacetyl with the same sensor setup is demonstrated. Finally, the successive detection of acetoin and diacetyl in buffer and in diluted beer is studied by tuning the sensitivity of the biosensor using the pH value of the measurement solution.
Advances in polymer science have significantly increased polymer applications in life sciences. We report the use of free-standing, ultra-thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes, called CellDrum, as cell culture substrates for an in vitro wound model. Dermal fibroblast monolayers from 28- and 88-year-old donors were cultured on CellDrums. By using stainless steel balls, circular cell-free areas were created in the cell layer (wounding). Sinusoidal strain of 1 Hz, 5% strain, was applied to membranes for 30 min in 4 sessions. The gap circumference and closure rate of un-stretched samples (controls) and stretched samples were monitored over 4 days to investigate the effects of donor age and mechanical strain on wound closure. A significant decrease in gap circumference and an increase in gap closure rate were observed in trained samples from younger donors and control samples from older donors. In contrast, a significant decrease in gap closure rate and an increase in wound circumference were observed in the trained samples from older donors. Through these results, we propose the model of a cell monolayer on stretchable CellDrums as a practical tool for wound healing research. The combination of biomechanical cell loading in conjunction with analyses such as gene/protein expression seems promising beyond the scope published here.
We present a concise mini overview on the approaches to the disposal of nuclear waste currently used or deployed. The disposal of nuclear waste is the end point of nuclear waste management (NWM) activities and is the emplacement of waste in an appropriate facility without the intention to retrieve it. The IAEA has developed an internationally accepted classification scheme based on the end points of NWM, which is used as guidance. Retention times needed for safe isolation of waste radionuclides are estimated based on the radiotoxicity of nuclear waste. Disposal facilities usually rely on a multi-barrier defence system to isolate the waste from the biosphere, which comprises the natural geological barrier and the engineered barrier system. Disposal facilities could be of a trench type, vaults, tunnels, shafts, boreholes, or mined repositories. A graded approach relates the depth of the disposal facilities’ location with the level of hazard. Disposal practices demonstrate the reliability of nuclear waste disposal with minimal expected impacts on the environment and humans.
In proton therapy, the dose from secondary neutrons to the patient can contribute to side effects and the creation of secondary cancer. A simple and fast detection system to distinguish between dose from protons and neutrons both in pretreatment verification as well as potentially in vivo monitoring is needed to minimize dose from secondary neutrons. Two 3 mm long, 1 mm diameter organic scintillators were tested for candidacy to be used in a proton–neutron discrimination detector. The SCSF-3HF (1500) scintillating fibre (Kuraray Co. Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan) and EJ-260 plastic scintillator (Eljen Technology, Sweetwater, TX, USA) were irradiated at the TRIUMF Neutron Facility and the Proton Therapy Research Centre. In the proton beam, we compared the raw Bragg peak and spread-out Bragg peak response to the industry standard Markus chamber detector. Both scintillator sensors exhibited quenching at high LET in the Bragg peak, presenting a peak-to-entrance ratio of 2.59 for the EJ-260 and 2.63 for the SCSF-3HF fibre, compared to 3.70 for the Markus chamber. The SCSF-3HF sensor demonstrated 1.3 times the sensitivity to protons and 3 times the sensitivity to neutrons as compared to the EJ-260 sensor. Combined with our equations relating neutron and proton contributions to dose during proton irradiations, and the application of Birks’ quenching correction, these fibres provide valid candidates for inexpensive and replicable proton-neutron discrimination detectors
In this study, an online multi-sensing platform was engineered to simultaneously evaluate various process parameters of food package sterilization using gaseous hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The platform enabled the validation of critical aseptic parameters. In parallel, one series of microbiological count reduction tests was performed using highly resistant spores of B. atrophaeus DSM 675 to act as the reference method for sterility validation. By means of the multi-sensing platform together with microbiological tests, we examined sterilization process parameters to define the most effective conditions with regards to the highest spore kill rate necessary for aseptic packaging. As these parameters are mutually associated, a correlation between different factors was elaborated. The resulting correlation indicated the need for specific conditions regarding the applied H₂O₂ gas temperature, the gas flow and concentration, the relative humidity and the exposure time. Finally, the novel multi-sensing platform together with the mobile electronic readout setup allowed for the online and on-site monitoring of the sterilization process, selecting the best conditions for sterility and, at the same time, reducing the use of the time-consuming and costly microbiological tests that are currently used in the food package industry.