An expert system with temporal reasoning for alarm processing inpower system control centers

The alarm lists presented to control center operators are usually difficult to interpret. The authors present an expert system that processes the alarm lists in Portuguese control centers. This system makes an intelligent synthesis of the available information and presents it in a flexible and structured way. It uses an original approach to deal with temporal reasoning and real-time constraints. The system incorporates an explanation module that enables its use as a tutor for novice operators     

Isolation and preliminary characterization of Pichia pinus mutants insensitive to glucose repression

A new method for the isolation of glucose repression-insensitive mutants in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pinus was developed. The method is based on screening of small suspension samples derived from 2-deoxyglucose-resistant colonies for alcohol oxidase activity. Alcohol oxidase activity was evaluated by determination of formaldehyde excreted by cells. Mutants with glucose non-repressible alcohol oxidase and catalase synthesis were obtained. All mutants grew poorly on D -xylose compared to the wild type, whereas growth on L -arabinose was similar to the wild type. Changes in the glucose transport system were suggested to be responsible for altered growth characteristics and defective glucose repression.     

General solution of one-dimensional,time dependent coupled heat flow systems

A new, powerful method of analysis, involving the combined use of finite integral transform and finite element techniques, is presented for the solution of time dependent heat flow systems composed of many one-dimensional elements connected through the nodes. This method leads to an eigenvalue problem which is not of the conventional Sturm-Liouville type. A procedure for the determination of the eigenvalues is described. The solution obtained is in the form of an infinite series and contains quasi-steady and transient terms. The general solution obtained can be applied in the mathematical modelling of many engineering applications such as the determination of the penetration of the daily temperature cycle into buildings, the analysis of heat transfer in array of extended surfaces in compact heat exchangers, and many others.     

Pilot Tones Optimization Using Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for MIMO–OFDM Systems

How to design the pilot tones that are used in channel estimation has a significant effect on the estimation performance. To achieve good performance in least square (LS) algorithm, we propose the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm for optimizing the placement of pilot tones in MIMO–OFDM systems. We also derive the upper bound of mean square error of LS estimation with the help of Gerschgorin disc theorem for fitness function of ABC algorithm. The results show that designing pilot tones using the ABC algorithm outperforms other considered placement strategies in terms of high system performance and low computational complexity.     

Capacity of practical wireless multihop broadcast networks

In a wireless multihop broadcasting scenario, a number of relay nodes may cooperate the source node in order to improve the capacity of the network. However, the imposition of total energy and maximum hop constraints to this system in a practical setting. In this paper, we study an ad-hoc network with infinitely many nodes and analytically find the number and positions of rebroadcasting relay nodes to achieve the optimal broadcast capacity. The interference due to multiple transmissions in the same geographical area is taken into account. According to the results of this theoretical model, we propose two heuristics, one distributed and one centralized, as suboptimal but practical solutions to the relay selection problem in wireless multihop broadcasting. We discuss the broadcast capacity performances and CSI (channel state information) requirements of these algorithms. The results illustrate that the benefits of peer-assisted broadcasting are more pronounced in the centralized relay selection algorithm when compared to the fully randomized and distributed selection under a realistic system model.     

Thermoeconomic optimization of subcooled and superheated vapor compression refrigeration cycle

An exergy-based thermoeconomic optimization application is applied to a subcooled and superheated vapor compression refrigeration system. The advantage of using the exergy method of thermoeconomic optimization is that various elements of the system—i.e., condenser, evaporator, subcooling and superheating heat exchangers—can be optimized on their own. The application consists of determining the optimum heat exchanger areas with the corresponding optimum subcooling and superheating temperatures. A cost function is specified for the optimum conditions. All calculations are made for three refrigerants: R22, R134a, and R407c. Thermodynamic properties of refrigerants are formulated using the Artificial Neural Network methodology.     

Internationale Zusammenarbeit zum Nachweis bestrahlter Lebensmittel

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine Übersicht über die neuesten internationalen Entwicklungen, insbesondere die Programme von ADMIT (FAO/IAEA) und dem BCR (Europäische Gemeinschaft) zum Nachweis einer erfolgten Bestrahlung von Lebensmitteln gegeben. Eine Kontrolle bestrahlter Lebensmittel direkt am Produkt ist wünschenswert, um Kennzeichnung und eventuell bestehende Verbote zu überwachen, aber auch um das Vertrauen des Verbrauchers in eine korrekte Anwendung des Verfahrens zu stärken und sein Recht auf freie Wahl zwischen bestrahlten und unbestrahlten Lebensmitteln zu schützen. Auf internationaler Ebene haben bereits mehrere größere Ringversuche stattgefunden, z. B. Messung der Elektronen-Spin-Resonanz in Knochen von Geflügel, Schwein, Rind, Froschschenkeln und Fisch; Messung der Thermoluminescenz von unlöslichen Mineralien, isoliert aus Gewürzen und Kräutern; die gaschroma- tographische Analyse von Kohlenwasserstoffen und Alkylcyclobutanonen aus der Lipidfraktion von Hähnchen; und die mikrobiologische DEFT/APC-Analyse von Gewürzen. Diese Methoden sollen in naher Zukunft als internationale Standardmethoden etabliert werden.

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International co-operation in the field of detection of irradiated food

A survey over recent international developments to detect the irradiation treatment of foods is given, in particular the programmes of ADMIT (FAO/ IAEA) and of BCR (European Community). The need to detect radiation treatment by analysing the food itself is desirable to check compliance with existing regulations, such as the enforcement of labelling and control of prohibition, to enhance consumer confidence in the correct application of radiation processing, and to protect consumers' freedom of choice between irradiated or unirra-diated food products. Some larger collaborative studies on an international scale have already taken place, e.g. ESR measurements of bones from chicken, pork, beef, frog legs and fish, thermoluminescence of insoluble minerals isolated from herbs and spices, gas Chromatographic analysis of hydrocarbons and alkylcyclobutanones derived from the lipid fraction of chicken and the microbiological DEFT/APC procedure for spices. These methods could soon be implemented in international standard protocols.