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Kundenanforderungen an Netzwerke haben sich in den vergangenen Jahren stark verändert. Mit NFV und SDN sind Unternehmen technisch in der Lage, diesen gerecht zu werden. Die Provider stehen jedoch vor großen Herausforderungen: Insbesondere Produkte und Prozesse müssen angepasst und agiler werden, um die Stärken von NFV und SDN zum Kundenvorteil auszuspielen.
Combined with the use of renewable energy sources for
its production, Hydrogen represents a possible alternative gas
turbine fuel for future low emission power generation. Due to
its different physical properties compared to other fuels such
as natural gas, well established gas turbine combustion
systems cannot be directly applied for Dry Low NOx (DLN)
Hydrogen combustion. This makes the development of new
combustion technologies an essential and challenging task
for the future of hydrogen fueled gas turbines.
The newly developed and successfully tested “DLN
Micromix” combustion technology offers a great potential to
burn hydrogen in gas turbines at very low NOx emissions.
Aiming to further develop an existing burner design in terms
of increased energy density, a redesign is required in order to
stabilise the flames at higher mass flows and to maintain low
emission levels.
For this purpose, a systematic design exploration has
been carried out with the support of CFD and optimisation
tools to identify the interactions of geometrical and design
parameters on the combustor performance. Aerodynamic
effects as well as flame and emission formation are observed
and understood time- and cost-efficiently. Correlations
between single geometric values, the pressure drop of the
burner and NOx production have been identified as a result.
This numeric methodology helps to reduce the effort of
manufacturing and testing to few designs for single
validation campaigns, in order to confirm the flame stability
and NOx emissions in a wider operating condition field.
The concept of a laser-enhanced solar sail is introduced and the radiation pressure force model for an ideal laser-enhanced solar sail is derived. A laser-enhanced solar sail is a “traditional” solar sail that is, however, not solely propelled by solar radiation, but additionally by a laser beam that illuminates the sail. The additional laser radiation pressure increases the sail's propulsive force and can give, depending on the location of the laser source, more control authority over the direction of the solar sail’s propulsive force vector. This way, laser-enhanced solar sails may augment already existing solar sail mission concepts and make novel mission concepts feasible.
Die Frage des Schutzes von virtuellen Identitäten ist – insbesondere bei Online-Medien – von elementarer Bedeutung: Ihre Beantwortung entscheidet über die Anwendbarkeit des Datenschutzrechts auf vermeintlich anonyme Nutzerprofile im Internet. Eine differenzierte Auseinandersetzung mit der Problematik, ob und unter welchen Umständen virtuelle Identitäten dem Datenschutzrecht unterfallen, fehlt bislang. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über den Schutz virtueller Identitäten und zeigt Ansätze auf, mittels derer bestimmt werden kann, wann virtuelle Identitäten nach Inkrafttreten der DSGVO durch das Datenschutzrecht geschützt werden.
In a special paired sample case, Hotelling’s T² test based on the differences of the paired random vectors is the likelihood ratio test for testing the hypothesis that the paired random vectors have the same mean; with respect to a special group of affine linear transformations it is the uniformly most powerful invariant test for the general alternative of a difference in mean. We present an elementary straightforward proof of this result. The likelihood ratio test for testing the hypothesis that the covariance structure is of the assumed special form is derived and discussed. Applications to real data are given.
Hotelling’s T² tests in paired and independent survey samples are compared using the traditional asymptotic efficiency concepts of Hodges–Lehmann, Bahadur and Pitman, as well as through criteria based on the volumes of corresponding confidence regions. Conditions characterizing the superiority of a procedure are given in terms of population canonical correlation type coefficients. Statistical tests for checking these conditions are developed. Test statistics based on the eigenvalues of a symmetrized sample cross-covariance matrix are suggested, as well as test statistics based on sample canonical correlation type coefficients.
Multi-dimensional fragility analysis of a RC building with components using response surface method
(2017)
Conventional fragility curves describe the vulnerability of the main structure under external hazards. However, in complex structures such as nuclear power plants, the safety or the risk depends also on the components associated with a system. The classical fault tree analysis gives an overall view of the failure and contains several subsystems to the main event, however, the interactions in the subsystems are not well represented. In order to represent the interaction of the components, a method suggested by Cimellaro et al. (2006) using multidimensional performance limit state functions to obtain the system fragility curves is adopted. This approach gives the possibility of deriving the cumulative fragility taking into account the interaction of the response of different components. In this paper, this approach is used to evaluate seismic risk of a representative electrical building infrastructure, including the component, of a nuclear power plant. A simplified model of the structure, with nonlinear material behavior is employed for the analysis in Abaqus©. The input variables considered are the material parameters, boundary conditions and the seismic input. The variability of the seismic input is obtained from selected ground motion time histories of spectrum compatible synthetic ccelerograms. Unlike the usual Monte Carlo methods used for the probabilistic analysis of the structure, a computationally effective response surface method is used. This method reduces the computational effort of the calculations by reducing the required
number of samples.
This paper proposes a quick and simplified method to describe masonry vaults in global seismic analyses of buildings. An equivalent macro-element constituted by a set of six trusses, two for each transverse, longitudinal and diagonal direction, is introduced. The equivalent trusses, whose stiffness is calculated by fully modeled vaults of different geometry, mechanical properties and boundary conditions, simulate the vault in both global analysis and local analysis, such as kinematic or rocking approaches. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the influence of geometrical characteristics and mechanical features on the equivalent stiffness values. The method was numerically validated by performing modal and transient analysis on a three naves-church in the elastic range. Vibration modes and displacement time-histories were compared showing satisfying agreement between the complete and the simplified models. This procedure is particularly useful in engineering practice because it allows to assess, in a simplified way, the effectiveness of strengthening interventions for reducing horizontal relative displacements between vault supports.
Scientific questions
- How can a non-stationary heat offering in the commercial vehicle be used to reduce fuel consumption?
- Which potentials offer route and environmental information among with predicted speed and load trajectories to increase the efficiency of a ORC-System?
Methods
- Desktop bound holistic simulation model for a heavy duty truck incl. an ORC System
- Prediction of massflows, temperatures and mixture quality (AFR) of exhaust gas
Nowadays, the most employed devices for recoding videos or capturing images are undoubtedly the smartphones. Our work investigates the application of source camera identification on mobile phones. We present a dataset entirely collected by mobile phones. The dataset contains both still images and videos collected by 67 different smartphones. Part of the images consists in photos of uniform backgrounds, especially collected for the computation of the RSPN. Identifying the source camera given a video is particularly challenging due to the strong video compression. The experiments reported in this paper, show the large variation in performance when testing an highly accurate technique on still images and videos.
Purpose
In vivo, a loss of mesh porosity triggers scar tissue formation and restricts functionality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the properties and configuration changes as mesh deformation and mesh shrinkage of a soft mesh implant compared with a conventional stiff mesh implant in vitro and in a porcine model.
Material and Methods
Tensile tests and digital image correlation were used to determine the textile porosity for both mesh types in vitro. A group of three pigs each were treated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visible conventional stiff polyvinylidene fluoride meshes (PVDF) or with soft thermoplastic polyurethane meshes (TPU) (FEG Textiltechnik mbH, Aachen, Germany), respectively. MRI was performed with a pneumoperitoneum at a pressure of 0 and 15 mmHg, which resulted in bulging of the abdomen. The mesh-induced signal voids were semiautomatically segmented and the mesh areas were determined. With the deformations assessed in both mesh types at both pressure conditions, the porosity change of the meshes after 8 weeks of ingrowth was calculated as an indicator of preserved elastic properties. The explanted specimens were examined histologically for the maturity of the scar (collagen I/III ratio).
Results
In TPU, the in vitro porosity increased constantly, in PVDF, a loss of porosity was observed under mild stresses. In vivo, the mean mesh areas of TPU were 206.8 cm2 (± 5.7 cm2) at 0 mmHg pneumoperitoneum and 274.6 cm2 (± 5.2 cm2) at 15 mmHg; for PVDF the mean areas were 205.5 cm2 (± 8.8 cm2) and 221.5 cm2 (± 11.8 cm2), respectively. The pneumoperitoneum-induced pressure increase resulted in a calculated porosity increase of 8.4% for TPU and of 1.2% for PVDF. The mean collagen I/III ratio was 8.7 (± 0.5) for TPU and 4.7 (± 0.7) for PVDF.
Conclusion
The elastic properties of TPU mesh implants result in improved tissue integration compared to conventional PVDF meshes, and they adapt more efficiently to the abdominal wall. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 827–833, 2018.
Malaria infection remains a significant risk for much of the population of tropical and subtropical areas, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, it is of high importance to develop sensitive, accurate and inexpensive malaria diagnosis tests. Here, we present a novel aptamer-based electrochemical biosensor (aptasensor) for malaria detection by impedance spectroscopy, through the specific recognition between a highly discriminatory DNA aptamer and its target Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH). Interestingly, due to the isoelectric point (pI) of PfLDH, the aptasensor response showed an adjustable detection range based on the different protein net-charge at variable pH environments. The specific aptamer recognition allows sensitive protein detection with an expanded detection range and a low detection limit, as well as a high specificity for PfLDH compared to analogous proteins. The specific feasibility of the aptasensor is further demonstrated by detection of the target PfLDH in human serum. Furthermore, the aptasensor can be easily regenerated and thus applied for multiple usages. The robustness, sensitivity, and reusability of the presented aptasensor make it a promising candidate for point-of-care diagnostic systems.
An amperometric bi-enzyme biosensor based on substrate recycling principle for the amplification of the sensor signal has been developed for the detection of adrenaline in blood. Adrenaline can be used as biomarker verifying successful adrenal venous sampling procedure. The adrenaline biosensor has been realized via modification of a galvanic oxygen sensor with a bi-enzyme membrane combining a genetically modified laccase and a pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase. The measurement conditions such as pH value and temperature were optimized to enhance the sensor performance. A high sensitivity and a low detection limit of about 0.5–1 nM adrenaline have been achieved in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, relevant for measurements in blood samples. The sensitivity of the biosensor to other catecholamines such as noradrenaline, dopamine and dobutamine has been studied. Finally, the sensor has been successfully applied for the detection of adrenaline in human blood plasma.
Digitalisierung bezeichnet die Nutzung großer Datenmengen, die zu einer umfassenden Vernetzung aller Bereiche der Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft führen wird (BMWi, 2015 und ähnlich Köhler/Wollschläger, 2014: 79). Sie umfasst die Erhebung von analogen Informationen („Big Data“ in einem engen Sinne; z.B. O´Leary, 2013), ihre Speicherung in einem digitaltechnischen System (lokale Speicherung oder „Cloud Computing“ durch die Weiterentwickelung des Internets; z.B. Hashem et al., 2015: 101), die Analyse und Interpretation sowie den Transfer in andere Systeme („Internet der Dinge“ bzw. „Internet of Things“; z.B. Ashton, 2009).
Particularly multiparous elderly women may suffer from vaginal vault prolapse after hysterectomy due to weak support from lax apical ligaments. A decreased amount of estrogen and progesterone in older age is assumed to remodel the collagen thereby reducing tissue stiffness. Sacrocolpopexy is either performed as open or laparoscopic surgery using prosthetic mesh implants to substitute lax ligaments. Y-shaped mesh models (DynaMesh, Gynemesh, and Ultrapro) are implanted in a 3D female pelvic floor finite element model in the extraperitoneal space from the vaginal cuff to the first sacral (S1) bone below promontory. Numerical simulations are conducted during Valsalva maneuver with weakened tissues modeled by reduced tissue stiffness. Tissues are modeled as incompressible, isotropic hyperelastic materials whereas the meshes are modeled either as orthotropic linear elastic or as isotropic hyperlastic materials. The positions of the vaginal cuff and the bladder base are calculated from the pubococcygeal line for female pelvic floor at rest, for prolapse and after repair using the three meshes. Due to mesh mechanics and mesh pore deformation along the loaded direction, the DynaMesh with regular rectangular mesh pores is found to provide better mechanical support to the organs than the Gynemesh and the Ultrapro with irregular hexagonal mesh pores.
Insbesondere ältere, mehrgebährende Frauen leiden häufiger an einem Scheidenvorfall nach einer Hysterektomie aufgrund der schwachen Unterstützung durch laxe apikale Bänder. Es wird angenommen, dass eine verringerte Menge an Östrogen und Progesteron im höheren Alter das Kollagen umformt, wodurch die Gewebesteifigkeit reduziert wird. Die Sakrokolpopexie ist eine offene oder laparoskopische Operation, die mit prothetischen Netzimplantaten durchgeführt wird, um laxe Bänder zu ersetzen. Y-förmige Netzmodelle (DynaMesh, Gynemesh und Ultrapro) werden in einem 3D-Modell des weiblichen Beckenbodens im extraperitonealen Raum vom Vaginalstumpf bis zum Promontorium implantiert. Numerische Simulationen werden während des Valsalva-Manövers mit geschwächtem Gewebe durchgeführt, das durch eine reduzierte Gewebesteifigkeit modelliert wird. Die Gewebe werden als inkompressible, isotrop hyperelastische Materialien modelliert, während die Netze entweder als orthotrope linear elastische oder als isotrope hyperlastische Materialien modelliert werden. Die Positionen des Vaginalstumpfs, der Blase und der Harnröhrenachse werden anhand der Pubococcygeallinie aus der Ruhelage, für den Prolaps und nach der Reparatur unter Verwendung der drei Netze berechnet. Aufgrund der Netzmechanik und der Netzporenverformung bietet das DynaMesh mit regelmäßigen rechteckigen Netzporen eine bessere mechanische Unterstützung und eine Neupositionierung des Scheidengewölbes, der Blase und der Urethraachse als Gynemesh und Ultrapro mit unregelmäßigen hexagonalen Netzporen.
Using the OpenSim software and verified anatomical data, a computer model for the calculation of biomechanical parameters is developed and used to determine the effect of a reattachment of the Supraspinatus muscle with a medial displacement of the muscle attachment point, which may be necessary for a rupture of the supraspinatus tendon. The results include the influence of the operation on basic biomechanical parameters such as the lever arm, as well as the calculated the muscle activations for the supraspinatus and deltoid. In addition, the influence on joint stability is examined by an analysis of the joint reaction force. The study provides a detailed description of the used model, as well as medical findings to a reattachment of the supraspinatus.
Mit der Software OpenSim und überprüften anatomischen Daten wird ein Computermodell zur Berechnung von biomechanischen Parametern entwickelt und genutzt, um den Effekt einer Refixierung des Supraspinatusmuskels mit einer medialen Verschiebung des Muskelansatzpunktes zu ermitteln, wie sie unter anderem nach einem Riss der Supraspinatussehne notwendig sein kann. Die Ergebnisse umfassen hierbei den Einfluss der Operation auf grundlegende biomechanische Parameter wie den Hebelarm sowie die berechneten Muskelaktivierungen für den Supraspinatus und Deltoideus. Zusätzlich wird der Einfluss auf die Gelenkstabilität betrachtet und durch eine Analyse der Gelenkreaktionskraft untersucht. Die Studie bietet eine detaillierte Beschreibung des genutzten Modells, sowie medizinische Erkenntnisse zu einer Refixierung des Supraspinatus.
In this work, a spore-based biosensor is evaluated to monitor the microbicidal efficacy of sterilization processes applying gaseous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The sensor is based on interdigitated electrode structures (IDEs) that have been fabricated by means of thin-film technologies. Impedimetric measurements are applied to study the effect of sterilization process on spores of Bacillus atrophaeus. This resilient microorganism is commonly used in industry to proof the sterilization efficiency. The sensor measurements are accompanied by conventional microbiological challenge tests, as well as morphological characterizations with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The sensor measurements are correlated with the microbiological test routines. In both methods, namely the sensor-based and microbiological one, a tailing effect has been observed. The results are evaluated and discussed in a three-dimensional calibration plot demonstrating the sensor's suitability to enable a rapid process decision in terms of a successfully performed sterilization.
Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is characterized by the failure of the levator ani (LA) muscle to maintain the pelvic hiatus, resulting in the descent of the pelvic organs below the pubococcygeal line. This chapter adopts the modified Humphrey material model to consider the effect of the muscle fiber on passive stretching of the LA muscle. The deformation of the LA muscle subjected to intra-abdominal pressure during Valsalva maneuver is compared with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination of a nulliparous female. Numerical result shows that the fiber-based Humphrey model simulates the muscle behavior better than isotropic constitutive models. Greater posterior movement of the LA muscle widens the levator hiatus due to lack of support from the anococcygeal ligament and the perineal structure as a consequence of birth-related injury and aging. Old and multiparous females with uncontrolled urogenital and rectal hiatus tend to develop PFDs such as prolapse and incontinence.
After menopause, decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone remodel the collagen of the soft tissues thereby reducing their stiffness. Stress urinary incontinence is associated with involuntary urine leakage due to pathological movement of the pelvic organs resulting from lax suspension system, fasciae, and ligaments. This study compares the changes in the orientation and position of the female pelvic organs due to weakened fasciae, ligaments, and their combined laxity. A mixture theory weighted by respective volume fraction of elastin-collagen fibre compound (5%), adipose tissue (85%), and smooth muscle (5%) is adopted to characterize the mechanical behaviour of the fascia. The load carrying response (other than the functional response to the pelvic organs) of each fascia component, pelvic organs, muscles, and ligaments are assumed to be isotropic, hyperelastic, and incompressible. Finite element simulations are conducted during Valsalva manoeuvre with weakened tissues modelled by reduced tissue stiffness. A significant dislocation of the urethrovesical junction is observed due to weakness of the fascia (13.89 mm) compared to the ligaments (5.47 mm). The dynamics of the pelvic floor observed in this study during Valsalva manoeuvre is associated with urethral-bladder hypermobility, greater levator plate angulation, and positive Q-tip test which are observed in incontinent females.
A new formulation for the prediction of free surface dynamics related to the turbulence occurring nearby is proposed. This formulation, altogether with a breakup criterion, can be used to compute the inception of self-aeration in high velocity flows like those occurring in hydraulic structures. Assuming a simple perturbation geometry, a kinematic and a non-linear momentum-based dynamic equation are formulated and forces acting on a control volume are approximated. Limiting steepness is proposed as an adequate breakup criterion. Role of the velocity fluctuations normal to the free surface is shown to be the main turbulence quantity related to self-aeration and the role of the scales contained in the turbulence spectrum are depicted. Surface tension force is integrated accounting for large displacements by using differential geometry for the curvature estimation. Gravity and pressure effects are also contemplated in the proposed formulation. The obtained equations can be numerically integrated for each wavelength, hence resulting in different growth rates and allowing computation of the free surface roughness wavelength distribution. Application to a prototype scale spillway (at the Aviemore dam) revealed that most unstable wavelength was close to the Taylor lengthscale. Amplitude distributions have been also obtained observing different scaling for perturbations stabilized by gravity or surface tension. The proposed theoretical framework represents a new conceptualization of self-aeration which explains the characteristic rough surface at the non-aerated region as well as other previous experimental observations which remained unresolved for several decades.
Der vorliegende Artikel fokussiert sich auf die weibliche Belastungsinkontinenz als Insuffizienz der Speicherfunktion der Blase, auch wenn im klinischen Alltag die Harninkontinenz der Frau häufig verschiedene Ursachen hat und insbesondere eine Belastungsinkontinenz im Alter und bei neurologischer Komorbidität nur selten isoliert vorkommt.
Das kleine Becken der Frau ist sowohl als Funktions- als auch als strukturelle Einheit zu betrachten. Dabei unterliegen bei der Frau Blase, Harnröhre, Gebärmutter und Enddarm sowie die muskulären und ligamentösen Strukturen des kleinen Beckens durch Fertilitätsphase, mögliche Schwangerschaften, Geburten und Menopausen-Phase, über das „normale Altern“ hinaus, gravierenden Veränderungen.
This article focuses on female stress incontinence in the form of pelvic floor dysfunction and urethral sphincter deficiency, although isolated stress incontinence accounts for less than half of all incontinence cases. Especially in women of old age and those with neurological comorbidities, the causes of incontinence are mostly multifactorial. Also it has to be considered that the female bladder, urethra, uterus and rectum as well as the muscular and ligamentous structures of the female pelvis minor are affected by phases of fertility, possible pregnancies, births and menopause in addition to the normal ageing process.
Due to the Renewable Energy Act, in Germany it is planned to increase the amount of renewable energy carriers up to 60%. One of the main problems is the fluctuating supply of wind and solar energy. Here biogas plants provide a solution, because a demand-driven supply is possible. Before running such a plant, it is necessary to simulate and optimize the process. This paper provides a new model of a biogas plant, which is as accurate as the standard ADM1 model. The advantage compared to ADM1 is that it is based on only four parameters compared to 28. Applying this model, an optimization was installed, which allows a demand-driven supply by biogas plants. Finally the results are confirmed by several experiments and measurements with a real test plant.
Die Fallstudie FAYMONVILLE beschäftigt sich damit, wie es dem Familienunternehmen Faymonville aus Ostbelgien gelungen ist, sich zu einem der führenden Hersteller in seiner Branche zu entwickeln. Die gezielte Identifizierung neuer Märkte, die Fokussierung auf die relevanten Kundenbedürfnisse und eine konsistente Produktpolitik mit einem abgestimmten Fertigungskonzept legen die Grundsteine für den Erfolg. Das vorliegende Fallbeispiel zeigt anschaulich, wie es gelingen kann, den prinzipiellen Widerspruch zwischen wirtschaftlicher und kundenindividueller Fertigung erfolgreich aufzulösen.
Intensive poultry operation systems emit a considerable volume of inorganic and organic matter in the surrounding environment. Monitoring cleaning properties of exhaust air cleaning systems and to detect small but significant changes in emission characteristics during a fattening cycle is important for both emission and fattening process control. In the present study, we evaluated the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with chemometric techniques as a monitoring tool of exhaust air from poultry operation systems. To generate a high-quality data set for evaluation, the exhaust air of two poultry houses was sampled by applying state-of-the-art filter sampling protocols. The two stables were identical except for one crucial difference, the presence or absence of an exhaust air cleaning system. In total, twenty-one exhaust air samples were collected at the two sites to monitor spectral differences caused by the cleaning device, and to follow changes in exhaust air characteristics during a fattening period. The total dust load was analyzed by gravimetric determination and included as a response variable in multivariate data analysis. The filter samples were directly measured with NIR spectroscopy. Principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and factor analysis (FA) were effective in classifying the NIR exhaust air spectra according to fattening day and origin. The results indicate that the dust load and the composition of exhaust air (inorganic or organic matter) substantially influence the NIR spectral patterns. In conclusion, NIR spectroscopy as a tool is a promising and very rapid way to detect differences between exhaust air samples based on still not clearly defined circumstances triggered during a fattening period and the availability of an exhaust air cleaning system.
Wind is closely associated with the discussion of fairness in ski jumping. To counter-act its influence on the jump length, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has introduced a wind compensation approach. We applied three differently accurate computer models of the flight phase with wind (M1, M2, and M3) to study the jump length effects of various wind scenarios. The previously used model M1 is accurate for wind blowing in direction of the flight path, but inaccuracies are to be expected for wind directions deviating from the tangent to the flight path. M2 considers the change of airflow direction, but it does not consider the associated change in the angle of attack of the skis which additionally modifies drag and lift area time functions. M3 predicts the length effect for all wind directions within the plane of the flight trajectory without any mathematical simplification. Prediction errors of M3 are determined only by the quality of the input data: wind velocity, drag and lift area functions, take-off velocity, and weight. For comparing the three models, drag and lift area functions of an optimized reference jump were used. Results obtained with M2, which is much easier to handle than M3, did not deviate noticeably when compared to predictions of the reference model M3. Therefore, we suggest to use M2 in future applications. A comparison of M2 predictions with the FIS wind compensation system showed substantial discrepancies, for instance: in the first flight phase, tailwind can increase jump length, and headwind can decrease it; this is opposite of what had been anticipated before and is not considered in the current wind compensation system in ski jumping.
We propose a stochastic programming method to analyse limit and shakedown of structures under random strength with lognormal distribution. In this investigation a dual chance constrained programming algorithm is developed to calculate simultaneously both the upper and lower bounds of the plastic collapse limit or the shakedown limit. The edge-based smoothed finite element method (ES-FEM) using three-node linear triangular elements is used.
The overall objective of this study is to develop a new external fixator, which closely maps the native kinematics of the elbow to decrease the joint force resulting in reduced rehabilitation time and pain. An experimental setup was designed to determine the native kinematics of the elbow during flexion of cadaveric arms. As a preliminary study, data from literature was used to modify a published biomechanical model for the calculation of the joint and muscle forces. They were compared to the original model and the effect of the kinematic refinement was evaluated. Furthermore, the obtained muscle forces were determined in order to apply them in the experimental setup. The joint forces in the modified model differed slightly from the forces in the original model. The muscle force curves changed particularly for small flexion angles but their magnitude for larger angles was consistent.
A capacitive electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) field-effect biosensor for acetoin detection has been presented for the first time. The EIS sensor consists of a layer structure of Al/p-Si/SiO₂/Ta₂O₅/enzyme acetoin reductase. The enzyme, also referred to as butane-2,3-diol dehydrogenase from B. clausii DSM 8716T, has been recently characterized. The enzyme catalyzes the (R)-specific reduction of racemic acetoin to (R,R)- and meso-butane-2,3-diol, respectively. Two different enzyme immobilization strategies (cross-linking by using glutaraldehyde and adsorption) have been studied. Typical biosensor parameters such as optimal pH working range, sensitivity, hysteresis, linear concentration range and long-term stability have been examined by means of constant-capacitance (ConCap) mode measurements. Furthermore, preliminary experiments have been successfully carried out for the detection of acetoin in diluted white wine samples.
Vectrino profiler spatial filtering for shear flows based on the mean velocity gradient equation
(2018)
A new methodology is proposed to spatially filter acoustic Doppler velocimetry data from a Vectrino profiler based on the differential mean velocity equation. Lower and upper bounds are formulated in terms of physically based flow constraints. Practical implementation is discussed, and its application is tested against data gathered from an open-channel flow over a stepped macroroughness surface. The method has proven to detect outliers occurring all over the distance range sampled by the Vectrino profiler and has shown to remain applicable out of the region of validity of the velocity gradient equation. Finally, a statistical analysis suggests that physically obtained bounds are asymptotically representative.
New information regarding the influence of a stepped chute on the hydraulic performance of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Type III hydraulic jump stilling basin is presented for design (steady) and adverse (decreasing tailwater) conditions. Using published experimental data and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, this paper presents a detailed comparison between smooth-chute and stepped-chute configurations for chute slopes of 0.8H:1V and 4H:1V and Froude numbers (F) ranging from 3.1 to 9.5 for a Type III basin designed for F = 8. For both stepped and smooth chutes, the relative role of each basin element was quantified, up to the most hydraulic extreme case of jump sweep-out. It was found that, relative to a smooth chute, the turbulence generated by a stepped chute causes a higher maximum velocity decay within the stilling basin, which represents an enhancement of the Type III basin’s performance but also a change in the relative role of the basin elements. Results provide insight into the ability of the CFD models [unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with renormalization group (RNG) k-ϵ turbulence model and volume-of-fluid (VOF) for free surface tracking] to predict the transient basin flow structure and velocity profiles. Type III basins can perform adequately with a stepped chute despite the effects steps have on the relative role of each basin element. It is concluded that the classic Type III basin design, based upon methodology by reclamation specific to smooth chutes, can be hydraulically improved for the case of stepped chutes for design and adverse flow conditions using the information presented herein.
Multi-analyte biosensors may offer the opportunity to perform cost-effective and rapid analysis with reduced sample volume, as compared to electrochemical biosensing of each analyte individually. This work describes the development of an enzyme-based biosensor system for multi-parametric determination of four different organic acids. The biosensor array comprises five working electrodes for simultaneous sensing of ethanol, formate, d-lactate, and l-lactate, and an integrated counter electrode. Storage stability of the biosensor was evaluated under different conditions (stored at +4 °C in buffer solution and dry at −21 °C, +4 °C, and room temperature) over a period of 140 days. After repeated and regular application, the individual sensing electrodes exhibited the best stability when stored at −21 °C. Furthermore, measurements in silage samples (maize and sugarcane silage) were conducted with the portable biosensor system. Comparison with a conventional photometric technique demonstrated successful employment for rapid monitoring of complex media.
A light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) is a field-effect-based potentiometric device, which detects concentration changes of an analyte solution on the sensor surface in a spatially resolved way. It uses a light source to generate electron–hole pairs inside the semiconductor, which are separated in the depletion region due to an applied bias voltage across the sensor structure and hence, a surface-potential-dependent photocurrent can be read out. However, depending on the beam angle of the light source, scattering effects can occur, which influence the recorded signal in LAPS-based differential measurements. To solve this problem, a novel illumination unit based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) consisting of 16 small-sized tunable infrared laser-diode modules (LDMs) is developed. Due to the improved focus of the LDMs with a beam angle of only 2 mrad, undesirable scattering effects are minimized. Escherichia coli (E. coli) K12 bacteria are used as a test microorganism to study the extracellular acidification on the sensor surface. Furthermore, a salt bridge chamber is built up and integrated with the LAPS system enabling multi-chamber differential measurements with a single Ag/AgCl reference electrode.
A chip-based amperometric biosensor referring on using the bioelectrocatalytical amplification principle for the detection of low adrenaline concentrations is presented. The adrenaline biosensor has been prepared by modification of a platinum thin-film electrode with an enzyme membrane containing the pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase and glutaraldehyde. Measuring conditions such as temperature, pH value, and glucose concentration have been optimized to achieve a high sensitivity and a low detection limit of about 1 nM adrenaline measured in phosphate buffer at neutral pH value. The response of the biosensor to different catecholamines has also been proven. Long-term stability of the adrenaline biosensor has been studied over 10 days. In addition, the biosensor has been successfully applied for adrenaline detection in human blood plasma for future biomedical applications. Furthermore, preliminary experiments have been carried to detect the adrenaline-concentration difference measured in peripheral blood and adrenal venous blood, representing the adrenal vein sampling procedure of a physician.