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A avaliação da influência do layout no desempenho operacional e na usabilidade de composteiras de pequena escala contribui para a obtenção de soluções compactas, de operação simplificada e sanitariamente seguras, adequadas a espaços reduzidos e uso continuado. Este artigo teve como objetivo relatar a influência de diferentes modelos geométricos no processo de compostagem e na usabilidade de composteiras. Cinco composteiras de escala similar (3,0 litros) e diferentes modelos geométricos foram projetadas, confeccionadas e testadas. Foram realizados testes de bancada por 60 dias, monitorando parâmetros físicos e químicos, aspectos operacionais e sanitários e a qualidade do composto segundo parâmetros agronômicos. As composteiras foram preenchidas com as mesmas proporções de resíduos orgânicos (resíduos alimentares, folhas secas e aparas de grama) para obter a relação C/N ideal ao início do processo. Três layouts geométricos de composteiras foram testados quanto à usabilidade (prisma de base hexagonal, cubo e paralelepípedo) por voluntários durante 50 dias. Os testes em bancada associados ao tratamento estatístico dos resultados permitiram verificar que a geometria dos protótipos interferiu na qualidade do composto final e na operação da composteira. Os modelos geométricos de base hexagonal e cubo mostraram-se de maior usabilidade. Os resultados representam contribuição significativa para o avanço de soluções na compostagem descentralizada., The evaluation of layout influence on the operational performance and usability of small-scale composters contributes to produce compact solutions with simplified operation and sanitary safety, suitable for reduced spaces and continued use. This study aims to report the influence of different designs on the composting process and the usability of compost bins. Five composters of similar scale (3 liters) and different geometric shapes were designed, manufactured, and tested. Bench tests were carried out for 60 days, and physical, chemical, and sanitary parameters were monitored, as well as the quality of the compost, according to agronomic parameters. The composters were filled with the same proportions of organic residues (food residues, dry leaves, and lawn trimming) to obtain the ideal C:N ratio. Three geometrical layouts were tested concerning usability (hexagonal prism, cube, and parallelepiped) by volunteers for 50 days. The performed tests associated with the statistical treatment of results showed that the geometry of the prototypes interfered with the quality of the final compost and the composter operation. The hexagonal prism and the cube showed greater usability. The results represent a significant contribution to the advancement of solutions in decentralized composting.

A binary mixture homogenization model is proposed for predicting the effects on liquefaction-induced settlement after soil improvement based on the consideration of the added spatial variability between the natural and the treated soil. A 2D finite element model of an inelastic structure founded on a shallow foundation was coupled with a binary random field. Nonlinear soil behavior is used and the model is tested for different mesh size, model parameters and input motions. Historical evidence as well as physical and numerical modeling indicate that improved sites present less liquefaction and ground deformation. In most cases this improvement is modeled as homogeneous; however, in-situ measurements evidence the high level of heterogeneity in the deposit. Inherent spatial variability in the soil and the application of some soil improvement techniques such as biogrouting and Bentonite permeations will necessary introduce heterogeneity in the soil deposit shown as clusters of the treated material in the natural soil. Hence, in this study, improvement zones are regarded as a two-phase mixture that will present a nonlinear relation due to the level of complexity of seismic liquefaction and the consequent settlement in a structure. This relation is greatly affected by the mechanical behavior of the soils used and the input motion. The effect on the latter can be efficiently related to the equivalent wave period as the proposed homogenization model depends on the stiffness demand of the input motion. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

We consider the classic d-choice paradigm of Azar et al. [STOC'94] in which m balls are put into n bins sequentially as follows: For each ball we are given a choice of d bins chosen according to d hash functions and the ball is placed in the least loaded of these bins, breaking ties arbitrarily. The interest is in the number of balls in the fullest bin after all balls have been placed. In this paper we suppose that the d hash functions are simple tabulation hash functions which are easy to implement and can be evaluated in constant time. Generalising a result by Dahlgaard et al. [SODA'16] we show that for an arbitrary constant d ≥ 2 the expected maximum load is at mostlg lg lg d n + O(1). We further show that by using a simple tie-breaking algorithm introduced by Vöcking [J.ACM'03] the expected maximum load is reduced tod lg lg lg ϕ n d + O(1) where ϕd is the rate of growth of the d-ary Fibonacci numbers. Both of these expected bounds match those known from the fully random setting. The analysis by Dahlgaard et al. relies on a proof by P tra cu and Thorup [J.ACM'11] concerning the use of simple tabulation for cuckoo hashing. We require a generalisation to d > 2 hash functions, but the original proof is an 8-page tour de force of ad-hoc arguments that do not appear to generalise. Our main technical contribution is a shorter, simpler and more accessible proof of the result by P tra cu and Thorup, where the relevant parts generalise nicely to the analysis of d choices.

Surface display couples genotype with a surface exposed phenotype and thereby allows screening of gene-encoded protein libraries for desired characteristics. Of the various display systems available, phage display is by far the most popular, mainly thanks to its ability to harbour large size libraries. Here, we describe the first use of a Gram-positive bacterial host for display of a library of human antibody genes which, when combined with phage display, provides ease of use for screening, sorting and ranking by flow cytometry. We demonstrate the utility of this method by identifying low nanomolar affinity scFv fragments towards human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The ranking and performance of the scFv isolated by flow sorting in surface-immobilised form was retained when expressed as soluble scFv and analysed by biolayer interferometry, as well as after expression as full-length antibodies in mammalian cells. We also demonstrate the possibility of using Gram-positive bacterial display to directly improve the affinity of the identified binders via an affinity maturation step using random mutagenesis and flow sorting. This combined approach has the potential for a more complete scan of the antibody repertoire and for affinity maturation of human antibody formats., QC 20170828

Structural gradients are of great interest for state-of-the-art cemented carbides used in metal cutting applications. The gradient growth during sintering is controlled by the fundamental aspects of diffusion, thermodynamics and phase equilibria in systems with multiple components and phases. With the demand for binder alternatives to Co, there is a need for understanding the diffusion and thermodynamics in new materials systems. Materials development guided by ICME (Integrated Computational Materials Engineering) is a new approach that accelerates the design of tailor-made materials, assisting us to find and optimize prospective binder candidates using computational tools. The role of the thermodynamic descriptions will be briefly discussed but this work focuses on a better kinetic description. Models based on cemented carbide microstructures and fundamental understanding of kinetics will allow for a more general use of simulations of gradient formation. The diffusion of elements during sintering mainly occurs in the liquid binder phase, with the solid WC and gamma phases acting as an effective labyrinth, hindering diffusion. In this work, the liquid mobilities and the effective labyrinth factor is studied for traditional and alternative binders by combing ab initio molecular dynamics and diffusion couple experiments with CALPHAD modeling., Export Date: 13 February 2018; Article; CODEN: IJRMD; Correspondence Address: Walbrühl, M.; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of TechnologySweden; email: walbruhl@kth.se; Funding details: KTH, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan; Funding details: VINNOVA. QC 20180227

The energetics, defect volume and magnetic properties of single SIAs and small SIA clusters up to size 6 have been calculated by DFT for different configurations like the parallel 〈110〉 dumbbell, the non parallel 〈110〉 dumbbell and the C15 structure. The most stable configurations of each type have been further analyzed to determine the influence on their stability of various solute atoms (Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, W, Pd, Al, Si, P), relevant for steels used under irradiation. The results show that the presence of solute atoms does not change the relative stability order among SIA clusters. The small SIA clusters investigated can bind to both undersized and oversized solutes. Several descriptors have been considered to derive interesting trends from results. It appears that the local atomic volume available for the solute is the main physical quantity governing the binding energy evolution, whatever the solute type (undersized or oversized) and the cluster configuration (size and type)., Export Date: 13 February 2018; Article; CODEN: JNUMA; Correspondence Address: Becquart, C.S.; Univ.Lille, CNRS, INRA, ENSCL, UMR 8207, UMET, Unité Matériaux et TransformationsFrance; email: charlotte.becquart@univ-lille1.fr; Funding details: 2016153636, PRACE, Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe AISBL. QC 20180327

In the context of historical document analysis, image binarization is a first important step, which separates foreground from background, despite common image degradations, such as faded ink, stains, or bleed-through. Fast binarization has great significance when analyzing vast archives of document images, since even small inefficiencies can quickly accumulate to years of wasted execution time. Therefore, efficient binarization is especially relevant to companies and government institutions, who want to analyze their large collections of document images. The main challenge with this is to speed up the execution performance without affecting the binarization performance. We modify a state-of-the-art binarization algorithm and achieve on average a 3.5 times faster execution performance by correctly mapping this algorithm to a heterogeneous platform, consisting of a CPU and a GPU. Our proposed parameter tuning algorithm additionally improves the execution time for parameter tuning by a factor of 1.7, compared to previous parameter tuning algorithms. We see that for the chosen algorithm, machine learning-based parameter tuning improves the execution performance more than heterogeneous computing, when comparing absolute execution times. © 2018 The Author(s)

The vehicles of tomorrow will be more sophisticated, intelligent and safe than the vehicles of today. The future is leaning towards fully autonomous vehicles. This degree project provides a data driven solution for a speed adaptation system that can be used to compute a vehicle speed for curves, suitable for the underlying driving style of the driver, road properties and weather conditions. A speed adaptation system for curves aims to compute a vehicle speed suitable for curves that can be used in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) or in Autonomous Driving (AD) applications. This degree project was carried out at Volvo Car Corporation. Literature in the field of speed adaptation systems and factors affecting the vehicle speed in curves was reviewed. Naturalistic driving data was both collected by driving and extracted from Volvo's data base and further processed. A novel speed adaptation system for curves was invented, implemented and evaluated. This speed adaptation system is able to compute a vehicle speed suitable for the underlying driving style of the driver, road properties and weather conditions. Two different artificial neural networks and two mathematical models were used to compute the desired vehicle speed in curves. These methods were compared and evaluated., Morgondagens fordon kommer att vara mer sofistikerade, intelligenta och säkra än dagens fordon. Framtiden lutar mot fullständigt autonoma fordon. Detta examensarbete tillhandahåller en datadriven lösning för ett hastighetsanpassningssystem som kan beräkna ett fordons hastighet i kurvor som är lämpligt för förarens körstil, vägens egenskaper och rådande väder. Ett hastighetsanpassningssystem för kurvor har som mål att beräkna en fordonshastighet för kurvor som kan användas i Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) eller Autonomous Driving (AD) applikationer. Detta examensarbete utfördes på Volvo Car Corporation. Litteratur kring hastighetsanpassningssystem samt faktorer som påverkar ett fordons hastighet i kurvor studerades. Naturalistisk bilkörningsdata samlades genom att köra bil samt extraherades från Volvos databas och bearbetades. Ett nytt hastighetsanpassningssystem uppfanns, implementerades samt utvärderades. Hastighetsanpassningssystemet visade sig vara kapabelt till att beräkna en lämplig fordonshastighet för förarens körstil under rådande väderförhållanden och vägens egenskaper. Två olika artificiella neuronnätverk samt två matematiska modeller användes för att beräkna fordonets hastighet. Dessa metoder jämfördes och utvärderades.

Magnesium Bismuth Oxide (MgBi2O6) has been experimentally synthesized three decades ago, however, an in-depth theoretical understanding of its electronic structure is still lacking. The bandgap of MgBi2O6 is calculated to be 1.10 eV based on Heyd−Scuseria−Ernzerhof (HSE) functional method, which is the same as that of Silicon. Moreover, the bandgap can be widely tuned by the external strain and leading to a semiconductor-to-semimetal transition with a Dirac-like band crossing. Our tight-binding (TB) model can well reproduce the electronic structure of MgBi2O6 in the presence of strain. More interestingly, we also predict that strain can effectively reduce effective electron mass and enhance visible light absorption. The favourable bandgap and substantial tuning of electronic structure in MgBi2O6 will place it as a promising candidate for novel photovoltaic and optoelectronic application.

Proteases are involved in fundamental biological processes and are important tools in both biotechnological and biomedical research. An important property of proteases is to discriminate among potential substrates. Here, a new method for substrate profiling of proteases is presented. The substrates are displayed between two anti-idiotypic affinity domains on the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus carnosus. The first domain functions as a reporter tag and has affinity for a labeled reporter protein, whereas the second domain blocks the reporter tag from interacting with the reporter protein. Site-specific proteolysis of the substrate results in release of the blocking domain, enabling the reporter tag to bind the labeled reporter protein. Proteolysis is therefore reflected in reporter binding, which is quantified by flow cytometry. First, the method with tobacco etch virus protease (TEVp) is evaluated and then the substrate preference of matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP-1) is determined using two libraries of around three million substrates each. Identified substrate peptides contained the previously reported motif (PXXXHy) and on-cell determination of apparent kcat/KM revealed that the enriched substrate peptides are hydrolyzed six to eight-fold more efficiently than a previously reported substrate peptide. The method thus works as intended and the authors believe it has potential as an efficient tool for substrate profiling., Correspondence Address: Löfblom, J.; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH – Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University CenterSweden; email: lofblom@kth.se. QC 20170320

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) is assumed to be implicated in a variety of neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The progress of these disorders can be studied through imaging α7-nAChR with positron emission tomography (PET). [18F]ASEM is a novel and potent α7-nAChR PET radioligand showing great promise in recent tests. However, the mechanism of the molecular interaction between [18F]ASEM and α7-nAChR is still unclear. In this paper, the binding profile of [18F]ASEM to a chimera structure of α7-nAChR was investigated with molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and metadynamics simulation methods. We found that [18F]ASEM binds at the same site as the crystallized agonist epibatidine but with a different binding mode. The dibenzo[b,d]thiophene ring has a different orientation compared to the pyridine ring of epibatidine and has van der Waals interactions with residues from loop C on one side and π-π stacking interaction with Trp53 on the other side. The conformation of Trp53 was found to have a great impact on the binding of [18F]ASEM. Six binding modes in terms of the side chain dihedral angles χ1 and χ2 of Trp53 were discovered by metadynamics simulation. In the most stable binding mode, Trp53 adopts a different conformation from that in the crystalline structure and has a rather favorable π-π stacking interaction with [18F]ASEM. We believe that these discoveries can be valuable for the development of novel PET radioligands., QC 20170601

Selective detection and staining of toxic amyloid plaques, a potential biomarker present in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain is crucial for both clinical diagnosis and monitoring AD disease progression. Herein, we report a coumarin-quinoline (CQ) conjugate-based turn-on near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence probe for specific detection of β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregates. CQ probe is highly sensitive and exhibits ~100-fold fluorescence enhancement in vitro upon binding Aβ aggregates with enhanced quantum yield. Furthermore, the probe has ~10-fold higher binding affinity towards Aβ aggregates (86 nM) compared to commonly used Thioflavin T. Most importantly, CQ probe displays unambiguous selectivity towards Aβ aggregates compared to other toxic protein aggregates such as tau, α-synuclein (α-Syn) and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). In addition, CQ is nontoxic to neuronal cells and shows significant blood brain barrier permeability. Remarkably, CQ stains Aβ plaques in human brain tissue over co-existing tau aggregates and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are associated in AD and tauopathies. This is a highly desirable attribute to distinguish AD from tau pathology and mixed dementia., QC 20171130

Soft bitumen asphalt concrete is a common paving material in Scandinavia. The purpose of this investigation was to indicate the possibility to compensate for the stiff binder of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) by using softer binders compared to the mix design. Characterization of binder mixing and diffusion were carried out using viscosity measurements and tests on asphalt concrete comprised stiffness modulus and cyclic compression testing. Acquired results suggest that virgin and reclaimed binders mix and the viscosity can be predicted using simple mixing models. In the case of asphalt made from mixing virgin and recycled material, the mechanical properties indicates fully mixed binders and mixing occurs during sample manufacturing. In general, this study suggests that soft asphalt mixtures can be produced using RAP and that nominal binder viscosity of the final product can be obtained by compensating the stiff binder of the RAP by virgin bitumen of a softer grade., Correspondence Address: Ekblad, J.; KTH Royal Institute of Technology, NCC Roads AB, Sweden; email: jonas.ekblad@ncc.se. QC 20161107

The catalytic activity of the allosteric enzyme pyruvate decarboxylase from yeast is strictly controlled by its own substrate pyruvate via covalent binding at a separate regulatory site. Kinetic studies, chemical modifications, cross-linking, small-angle X-ray scattering, and crystal structure analyses have led to a detailed understanding of the substrate activation mechanism at an atomic level with C221 as the core moiety of the regulatory site. To characterize the individual role of the residues adjacent to C221, we generated variants H92F, H225F, H310F, A287G, S311A, and C221A/C222A. The integrity of the protein structure of the variants was established by small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. The analyses of both steady state and transient kinetic data allowed the identification of the individual roles of the exchanged side chains during allosteric enzyme activation. In each case, the kinetic pattern of activation was modulated but not completely abolished. Despite the crucial role of C221, the covalent binding of pyruvate is not obligate for enzyme activation but is a requirement for a kinetically efficient transition from the inactive to the active state. Moreover, only one of the three histidines guiding the activator molecule to the binding pocket, H310, specifically interacts with C221. H310 stabilizes the thiolate form of C221, ensuring a rapid nucleophilic attack of the thiolate sulfur on C2 of the regulatory pyruvate, thus forming a regulatory dyad. The influence of the other two histidines is less pronounced. Substrate activation is slightly weakened for A287G and significantly retarded for S311A., QC 20170607

We prove PSPACE-completeness of checking whether a given ideal language serves as the language of reset words for some automaton with at most four states over a binary alphabet. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2017.

We propose a bivariate integer-valued fractional integrated (BINFIMA) model to account for the long-memory property and apply the model to high-frequency stock transaction data. The BINFIMA model allows for both positive and negative correlations between the counts. The unconditional and conditional first- and second-order moments are given. The model is capable of capturing the covariance between and within intra-day time series of high-frequency transaction data due to macroeconomic news and news related to a specific stock. Empirically, it is found that Ericsson B has mean recursive process while AstraZeneca has long-memory property.

Functional biological materials are a growing research area with potential applicability in medicine and biotechnology. Using genetic engineering, the possibility to introduce additional functions into spider silk-based materials has been realized. Recently, a recombinant spider silk fusion protein, Z-4RepCT, was produced intracellularly in Escherichia coli and could after purification self-assemble into silk-like fibers with ability to bind antibodies via the IgG-binding Z domain. In this study, the use of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris for production of Z-4RepCT has been investigated. Temperature, pH and production time were influencing the amount of soluble Z-4RepCT retrieved from the extracellular fraction. Purification of secreted Z-4RepCT resulted in a mixture of full-length and degraded silk proteins that failed to self-assemble into fibers. A position in the C-terminal domain of 4RepCT was identified as being subjected to proteolytic cleavage by proteases in the Pichia culture supernatant. Moreover, the C-terminal domain was subjected to glycosylation during production in P. pastoris. These observed alterations of the CT domain are suggested to contribute to the failure in fiber assembly. As alternative approach, Z-4RepCT retrieved from the intracellular fraction, which was less degraded, was used and shown to retain ability to assemble into silk-like fibers after enzymatic deglycosylation., QC 20160518

On the periplasmic side of LacY, two conserved Gly-Gly pairs in helices II and XI (Gly46 and Gly370, respectively) and helices V and VIII (Gly159 and Gly262, respectively) allow close packing of each helix pair in the outward (periplasmic)-closed conformation. Previous studies demonstrate that replacing one Gly residue in each Gly-Gly pair with Trp leads to opening of the periplasmic cavity with abrogation of transport activity, but an increased rate of galactoside binding. To further investigate the role of the Gly-Gly pairs, 11 double-replacement mutants were constructed for each pair at positions 46 (helix II) and 262 (helix VIII). Replacement with Ala or Ser results in decreased but significant transport activity, while replacements with Thr, Val, Leu, Asn, Gln, Tyr, Trp, Glu, or Lys exhibit very little or no transport. Remarkably, however, the double mutants bind galactoside with affinities 10-20-fold higher than that of the pseudo-WT or WT LacY. Moreover, site-directed alkylation of a periplasmic Cys replacement indicates that the periplasmic cavity becomes readily accessible in the double-replacement mutants. Molecular dynamics simulations with the WT and double-Leu mutant in the inward-open/outward-closed conformation provide support for this interpretation., QC 20161110

The recent interest in substitution of cobalt in cemented carbides has led to renewed efforts into finding alternative binders. Promising candidates are Fe and Ni-based systems which generally can be divided into austenitic (fcc) and martensitic (bct) binders. The martensitic transformation may drastically change the properties, thus, when designing an alternative binder it is important to know at what temperature and composition the martensitic transformation takes place. Furthermore, it is of interest to understand how the transformation is affected by the binder mean free path and the stresses in the binder introduced by the carbide grains. Another aspect, that is important for high temperature properties, is the tempering of martensite as well as reversion to austenite. The effect of these processes is here investigated along with how they influence the behavior of the cemented carbides at different temperatures, thereby determining their application range., QC 20180327

Two recently synthesized copper(II) complexes with spacer-armed bispicolylamidrazone ligands have been theoretically studied at the density functional theory (DFT) level accounting for empirical dispersion correction and intrinsic anionic environment by perchlorate ions. The exchange parameter between the open-shell singlet and triplet states of the studied complexes has been estimated by broken symmetry DFT calculations. The mechanism of spin-spin exchange interaction between the unpaired electrons via the σ-bond aliphatic chain (Gusev et al., 2015) is confirmed. Instead, a anion-induced mechanism is proposed which means that the anionic grid participates in the exchange interaction between the unpaired electrons., QC 20161109

Aims. We present the results of the monitoring programmes performed with the Swift/XRT telescope and aimed specifically to detect an abrupt decrease of the observed flux associated with a transition to the propeller regime in two well-known X-ray pulsars 4U 0115+63 and V 0332+53. Methods. Both sources form binary systems with Be optical companions and undergo so-called giant outbursts every 3-4 years. The current observational campaigns were performed with the Swift/XRT telescope in the soft X-ray band (0.5-10 keV) during the declining phases of the outbursts exhibited by both sources in 2015. Results. The transitions to the propeller regime were detected at the threshold luminosities of (1.4 ± 0.4) × 1036 erg s-1 and (2.0 ± 0.4) × 1036 erg s-1 for 4U 0115+63 and V 0332+53, respectively. Spectra of the sources are shown to be significantly softer during the low state. In both sources, the accretion at rates close to the aforementioned threshold values briefly resumes during the periastron passage following the transition into the propeller regime. The strength of the dipole component of the magnetic field required to inhibit the accretion agrees well with estimates based on the position of the cyclotron lines in their spectra, thus excluding presence of a strong multipole component of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the neutron star., QC 20161213

Infrared spectra of samples from oil paintings often show metal carboxylate bands that are broader and shifted compared to those of crystalline metal soap standards (metal complexes of long-chain saturated fatty acids). Using quantitative attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), it is demonstrated that the broad metal carboxylate band is typically too intense to be explained by carboxylates adsorbed on the surface of pigment particles or disordered metal complexes of saturated fatty acids. The metal carboxylate species associated with the broad bands must therefore be an integral part of the polymerized binding medium. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements on model ionomer systems based on linseed oil revealed that the medium contains ionic clusters similar to more classical ionomers. These structural similarities are very helpful in understanding the chemistry of mature oil paint binding media and the potential degradation mechanisms that affect oil paintings., QC 20161128

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), to supply energy to the sensor nodes, wireless energy transfer (WET) is a promising technique. One of the most efficient procedures to transfer energy to the sensor nodes consists in using a sharp wireless energy beam from the base station to each node at a time. A natural fundamental question is what is the lifetime ensured by WET and how to maximize the network lifetime by scheduling the transmissions of the energy beams. In this paper, such a question is addressed by posing a new lifetime maximization problem for WET enabled WSNs. The binary nature of the energy transmission process introduces a binary constraint in the optimization problem, which makes challenging the investigation of the fundamental properties of WET and the computation of the optimal solution. The sufficient condition for which the WET makes WSNs immortal is established as function of the WET parameters. When such a condition is not met, a solution algorithm to the maximum lifetime problem is proposed. The numerical results show that the lifetime achieved by the proposed algorithm increases by about 50% compared to the case without WET, for a WSN with a small to medium size number of nodes. This suggests that it is desirable to schedule WET to prolong lifetime of WSNs having small or medium network sizes., QC 20170131

We have used time-dependent density functional theory in conjunction with the CAM-B3LYP functional and MWB28/aug-cc-pVDZ basis set to determine non-, near-, and on-resonance Raman spectra for a complex formed by 4-mercaptopyridine (4-Mpy) binding with a Ag13 cluster via the thiolate Ag-S bond. Geometry optimizations of the Ag13-4-Mpy complex showed an on-top structure directly bound to one Ag atom with the ring of the molecule almost flat with respect to two Ag atoms of the complex. The corresponding B3LYP/MWB28/aug-cc-pVDZ geometry is also an on-top structure directly bound to one Ag atom, but the molecule is directed away from the surface. The near-resonance Raman calculations were carried out in the infinite lifetime approximation, while the on-resonant Raman excitation profiles were calculated with the complex polarization propagator (CPP) approach, introducing a half width at half-maximum spectral broadening of 0.2 eV. Calculation of the UV-vis spectra of the isolated 4-Mpy and of the Ag13-4-Mpy complex showed that binding shifts the spectra from deep in the UV to the visible region. Calculation of the near-resonance Raman spectra of the two structures of the complex at 410 (3.025 eV) and 425 nm (2.918 eV) showed a strong enhancement. A very large variation across vibrational modes by a factor of at least 103 was found for both the static chemical enhancement and charge-transfer (CT) enhancement mechanisms. This large variation in enhancement factor indicates that B-term Herzberg-Teller scattering is occurring because inactive or very low intensity modes in the static spectra of the molecule are much stronger in both the static and near-resonance spectra of the complex. From the excitation profile using the CPP method, an overall surface enhancement on the order 103 or higher was found for individual modes on excitation into a CT excited state., QC 20240110

Antibody-based proteomics offers distinct advantages in the analysis of complex samples for discovery and validation of biomarkers associated with disease. However, its large-scale implementation requires tools and technologies that allow development of suitable antibody or antibody fragments in a high-throughput manner. To address this we designed and constructed two human synthetic antibody fragment (scFv) libraries denoted HelL-11 and HelL-13. By the use of phage display technology, in total 466 unique scFv antibodies specific for 114 different antigens were generated. The specificities of these antibodies were analyzed in a variety of immunochemical assays and a subset was further evaluated for functionality in protein microarray applications. This high-throughput approach demonstrates the ability to rapidly generate a wealth of reagents not only for proteome research, but potentially also for diagnostics and therapeutics. In addition, this work provides a great example on how a synthetic approach can be used to optimize library designs. By having precise control of the diversity introduced into the antigen-binding sites, synthetic libraries offer increased understanding of how different diversity contributes to antibody binding reactivity and stability, thereby providing the key to future library optimization., QC 20161114

The aim of the present study was to explore the brain region correlated with stereoscopic depth perception with different degree of binocular disparities. fNIRS was used to measure the neural activity of the occipital cortex induced by random-dot stereogram (RDS) with disparities from 0.1° to 1.5° and analyzed the strength and activation pattern from participants with left and right eyedness. Results revealed that the visual cortex was spatial correlated with the binocular disparity and there was a left lateralization effect for right-eye-dominant participants. Furthermore, binocular disparity around 0.5° led the strongest activation, whereas binocular disparity exceed 1.1° led lower activation which could be caused by visual fatigue. The present study supported the feasibility of fNIRS to assess the neural correlates of stereoscopic depth perception, to optimize the stereoscopic vision, and to objective evaluation of visual fatigue., QC 20170223

The results of a study of wooden fiberboards, for which phenol cardanol formaldehyde resins with different cardanol content were used as binders, are shown. The influence of technological factors on the bending strength of fiberboards and their water absorption in the case of the use of such binders is shown. © 2016, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

We refine a uniform algebraic approach for deriving upper bounds on reset thresholds of synchronizing automata. We express the condition that an automaton is synchronizing in terms of linear algebra, and obtain new upper bounds for automata with a short word of small rank. The results are applied to make several improvements in the area. In particular, we improve the upper bound for reset thresholds of finite prefix codes (Huffman codes): we show that an n-state synchronizing decoder has a reset word of length at most O(nlog3n). In addition to that, we prove that the expected reset threshold of a uniformly random synchronizing binary n-state decoder is at most O(nlog n). We prove the Černý conjecture for n-state automata with a letter of rank ≤6n−63. In another corollary, we show that the probability that the Černý conjecture does not hold for a random synchronizing binary automaton is exponentially small in terms of the number of states, and that the expected value of the reset threshold is at most n3/2+o(1). Moreover, all of our bounds are constructible. We present suitable polynomial algorithms for the task of finding a reset word of length within our bounds. © 2016

Transient behavior of the heat transfer through binary gas mixture, confined between two infinite parallel plates, caused by the sudden change of the plates' temperatures, is studied for two monoatomic gas mixtures: Ne-Ar and He-Ar. The walls' temperature changes are considered small compared to the equilibrium temperature of the system, so the McCormack kinetic model is used for the numerical simulations. The time evolution of the main macroscopic parameter is investigated for various species concentrations and for different gas rarefactions ranging from near the free molecular to slip flow regime. It is found that the mixture heat flux takes several characteristic times, which is defined by the distance between the plates over the most probable molecular speed, to achieve its new equilibrium state. This time of the steady state flow establishment depends strongly on the gas rarefaction, mixture nature and composition. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

Fungal maleidrides are an important family of bioactive secondary metabolites that consist of 7, 8, or 9-membered carbocycles with one or two fused maleic anhydride moieties. The biosynthesis of byssochlamic acid (a nonadride) and agnestadride A (a heptadride) was investigated through gene disruption and heterologous expression experiments. The results reveal that the precursors for cyclization are formed by an iterative highly reducing fungal polyketide synthase supported by a hydrolase, together with two citrate-processing enzymes. The enigmatic ring formation is catalyzed by two proteins with homology to ketosteroid isomerases, and assisted by two proteins with homology to phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins. Ring cycle: The enzymes involved in the cyclization of the maleidride family of bioactive fungal natural products, including agnestadride A and byssochlamic acid, were identified. These previously unknown proteins show homology to ketosteroid isomerases (KI-like) and phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBP-like).

Due to health concerns surrounding the use of cobalt as a binder for tungsten carbide in cemented carbides there is a drive to find an alternative binder. Although there are many publications on cemented carbides with alternative binders very few consider the possibility to coat these materials. In this work four different binder compositions containing iron-nickel or iron-nickel-cobalt and a pure cobalt reference are investigated with respect to coating ability. It is shown that it is possible to coat these cemented carbides with alternative binders through the same chemical vapor deposition process that is commonly used for cobalt based inserts and get similar coating structure. It is further shown that it can be done without the formation of η-phase and with comparable scratch test adhesion., QC 20170308

We consider the well-known one dimensional cutting stock problem (1CSP). Based on the pattern structure of the classical ILP formulation of Gilmore and Gomory, we can decompose the infinite set of 1CSP instances, with a fixed number n of demanded pieces, into a finite number of equivalence classes. We show up a strong relation to weighted simple games. Studying the integer round-up property (IRUP) we use the proper LP relaxation of the Gilmore and Gomory model that allows us to consider the 1CSP as the bin packing problem (BPP). We computationally show that all 1CSP instances with n≤&9 have the proper IRUP, while we give examples of proper non-IRUP instances with n=10 and proper gap 1. Proper gaps larger than 1 occur for n≥11. The largest known proper gap is raised from 1.003 to 1.0625. The used algorithmic approaches are based on exhaustive enumeration and integer linear programming. Additionally we give some theoretical bounds showing that all 1CSP instances with some specific parameters have the proper IRUP. ;copy; 2015 Elsevier B.V.

We refine results about relations between Markov chains and synchronizing automata. We express the condition that an automaton is synchronizing in terms of linear algebra, and obtain upper bounds for the reset thresholds of automata with a short word of a small rank. The results are applied to make several improvements in the area. We improve the best general upper bound for reset thresholds of finite prefix codes (Huffman codes): we show that an n-state synchronizing decoder has a reset word of length at most O(n log3 n). Also, we prove the Černý conjecture for n-state automata with a letter of rank at most 3√6n-6. In another corollary, based on the recent results of Nicaud, we show that the probability that the Čern conjecture does not hold for a random synchronizing binary automaton is exponentially small in terms of the number of states. It follows that the expected value of the reset threshold of an n-state random synchronizing binary automaton is at most n7/4+o(1). Moreover, reset words of the lengths within our bounds are computable in polynomial time. We present suitable algorithms for this task for various classes of automata for which our results can be applied. These include (quasi-)one-cluster and (quasi-)Eulerian automata. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015.

Práce se zabývá problematikou skladové logistiky ve společnosti Kiekert - CS s.r.o. Teoretická část práce je zaměřena na charakteristiku skladové logistiky a její zanalyzování ve vybraném podniku. Praktická část práce se věnuje možným návrhům skladových systémů pro zefektivnění skladových procesů. V závěru práce je nejvhodnější varianta ekonomicky zhodnocena., The work deals with the issue of warehouse logistics in Kiekert - CS s.r.o. company. The theoretical part is focusing on the characteristics of the warehouse logistics and analyzing of selected company. The practical part describes possible proposals of the storage systems improving efficiency of warehouse proccesses. In the end the best choice economically evaluated., Katedra dopravního managementu, marketingu a logistiky, Diplomantka přednesla ucelenou a logicky uspořádanou obhajobu svého diplomového projektu. V ní dokázala přesvědčivým způsobem obhájit závěry svých řešení. Na připomínky oponenta reagovala správně a v plném rozsahu je zodpověděla. U doplňkových otázek prokázala schopnost logického myšlení, pohotové reakce, jasného a srozumitelného vysvětlení.

De aangepaste Ploeger-spinaziemaaier van Taco Agro heeft een bak met schuifwand. Daardoor blijft bij het lossen nooit spinazie achter. Bovendien kun je met de klep te veel geloste spinazie weer laden.

Machinefabrikant Miedema introduceert dit jaar de opvolger van SB-stortbunkers, namelijk de MH200. LandbouwMechanisatie testte die najaar deze stortbak met een 2 meter brede bunkermat.

It has taken some time to obtain general acceptance but in recent times, at least in Australia, competent designers of mass-flow bins use techniques based on the traditional concepts of Jenike to determine the appropriate geometry for mass-flow hoppers to handle bulk solids reliably. While the traditional Jenike design concepts may appear straightforward experience dictates that some important considerations need to be exercised during the design process, especially when handling the more difficult bulk solids, to ensure that the final bin construction performs to expectations. Some of the important considerations that this paper will highlight include: • Appropriate bulk solids sampling for flow property testwork; • Interpreting flow property test results; • Applying flow property test results to determine appropriate hopper geometries; • Detail design issues; • Special requirements for particular circumstances (eg segregation, fine powders); • Design auditing.

In photon counting multi-bin CT, both projection based weighting and image based weighting (designed to maximize the signal-difference-to-noise ratio SDNR) in the final image, are pixel based and do not account for any spatial frequency dependency of signal and noise among the bins. The same weighting scheme will be used when imaging objects with a large fraction of high spatial frequencies and those with predominantly low spatial frequency content. Any effect on the detectability of a certain target due to correlation between detector elements and bins that might arise in pulse height discriminating systems will not be captured using such an approach. We show how to take the spatial frequency dependency of signal and noise transfer for each bin, and the spatial frequency composition of a target, into account when determining optimal task based weights for photon-counting multi-bin CT imaging using the 2D slice detectability index by applying cascaded system analysis to a spectrally resolved photon counting CT detector system with multiple bins., QC 20120625

This research examines issues regarding model estimation and robustness in the use of Bayesian Inference Networks (BINs) for measuring Learning Progressions (LPs). It provides background information on LPs and how they might be used in practice. Two simulation studies are performed, along with real data examples. The first study examines the case of using a BIN to measure one LP, while the items in the second study are designed to measure two LPs. For each study, data are generated under four alternative models, and each of the models is fit to the data. The results are compared in terms of fit, parameter recovery, and classification accuracy for individuals. In the case where one LP was used, two models provided high correct classification rates. When two LPs are being measured the classification rates were not found to be high, although an unconstrained model with freely-estimated conditional probabilities had slightly higher rates than a constrained model in which the conditional probabilities were given by lower-dimensional functions. Overall, while BIN show promise in modeling LPs, further research is needed to determine the conditions under which this modeling approach is appropriate.

An excel-based model was developed to evaluate economic and environmental benefits of the solar-powered compaction garbage bins in public areas in Australia. Input data were collected from Brisbane and Wollongong City councils, and Sydney Olympic Park. The results demonstrate that solar-powered compaction garbage bins would provide environmental benefits in all scenarios. However, results of the economic analysis of the three studied areas varied significantly. The unique situation of Sydney Olympic Park made implementation in that facility particularly appealing. A lower monthly rental cost is needed for the implementation of this novel waste management practice.

In this paper we investigate the face recognition problem via the overlapping energy histogram of the DCT coefficients. Particularly, we investigate some important issues relating to the recognition performance, such as the issue of selecting threshold and the number of bins. These selection methods utilise information obtained from the training dataset. Experimentation is conducted on the Yale face database and results indicate that the proposed parameter selection methods perform well in selecting the threshold and number of bins. Furthermore, we show that the proposed overlapping energy histogram approach outperforms the Eigenfaces, 2DPCA and energy histogram significantly.

Research to improve dredging contract management, economics (cost optimization), and contaminated sediments management (document dredging and placement locations) is currently being conducted by the Innovative Technologies (IT) Focus Area of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Dredging Operations and Environmental Research (DOER) Program. A common element in these research efforts is the ability to measure dredge production with the Silent Inspector (SI). This technical note (TN) describes currently used hopper and bin production measurement methods and discusses their respective capabilities and limitations. In this TN, the term hopper is defined as the holding space for dredged material in a hopper dredge, and the term bin identifies the holding space of a barge or scow. Subsequent DOER technical notes will refer back to this document as a basis for defining system requirements in the development of improved hopper and bin measurement technologies.

The following thesis studies how the utility of organization can influence oneâ s work sphere. Presented is a modular storage unit that can be reconfigured to ensure its utility to the user.

This paper explains the phenomenon of segregation and previous methods used in its quantification. Also explained is the current research, which has attempted to develop a two dimensional sampling technique to quantify the degree of mixing present under gravity fill conditions. Binary mixtures have been prepared in varying proportions and charged into a test rig where sampling has taken place and the results analysed. From these results, a relationship between degree of mixing and product proportion has been developed.

Techniques are described in this NebGuide for excluding rodents from drains, pipes, feed bunks, bins, and storage containers. Rodents often travel along pipes, electrical cables, conduits, drains, and other equipment to gain access to buildings used for housing livestock and storing feed. Rodent-proof materials should be installed to prevent access to buildings along these routes. Additional methods to consider in an integrated pest management (IPM) program include sanitation, toxicants, and trapping.

This is a final report on a project on three-dimensional sensing and interpretation under DARPA Contract F33615-83-C-1023. Four topics are discussed: a triangulation range finder mounted in the hand of a robot, a system to identify randomly-oriented cylinders in a bin, routines for extracting viewpoint-independent features of polyhedral objects using the range finder, and the use of pose cluster matching to match and recognize three-dimensional objects.

Lindén, Johan B. (10.2016). "Glutaraldehyde-crosslinking for improved copper absorption selectivity and chemical stability of polyethyleneimine coatings". Journal of applied polymer science (0021-8995), 133 (37). Available here