Joint spatial-directional localization features of wave fields focused at a complex point

A systematic study of the joint spatial-directional localization features of monochromatic wave fields focused at a complex point is presented, on the basis of recently introduced measures of spatial and directional spread for wide-angle wave fields. Such features are compared with those of a class of fields defined to achieve the theoretical minimum product of these spread measures. It is found that the two classes of fields are remarkably similar.     

A CMUT probe for medical ultrasonography: from microfabrication to system integration

Medical ultrasonography is a powerful and cost-effective diagnostic technique. To date, high-end medical imaging systems are able to efficiently implement real-time image formation techniques that can dramatically improve the diagnostic capabilities of ultrasound. Highly performing and thermally efficient ultrasound probes are then required to successfully enable the most advanced techniques. In this context, ultrasound transducer technology is the current limiting factor. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) are micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based devices that have been widely recognized as a valuable alternative to piezoelectric transducer technology in a variety of medical imaging applications. Wideband operation, good thermal efficiency, and low fabrication cost, especially for those applications requiring high-volume production of small-area dice, are strength factors that may justify the adoption of this MEMS technology in the medical ultrasound imaging field. This paper presents the design, development, fabrication, and characterization of a 12-MHz ultrasound probe for medical imaging, based on a CMUT array. The CMUT array is microfabricated and packed using a novel fabrication concept specifically conceived for imaging transducer arrays. The performance of the developed probe is optimized by including analog front-end reception electronics. Characterization and imaging results are used to assess the performance of CMUTs with respect to conventional piezoelectric transducers.     

Experimental springback evaluation in hydromechanical deep drawing (HDD) of large products

Springback is a really troublesome effect in sheet metal forming processes. In fact changes in geometry after springback are a big and costly problem in the automotive industry. In this paper the authors want to analyse the springback phenomenon experimentally in sheet metal hydroforming. Compared with conventional deep drawing, sheet hydroforming technology has many remarkable advantages, such as a higher drawing ratio, better surface quality, less springback, better dimensional freezing and capability to manufacture complicated shapes. The springback phenomenon has been extensively analysed in deep drawing processes but there are not many works in the literature about springback in sheet metal hydroforming. In order to study it, the authors have performed an accurate measuring phase on the chosen test cases through a coordinate measuring machine and the obtained measurements have been utilised for the determination of springback parameters, taking into account the method proposed by Makinouchi et al. The authors have focused their attention on the possibility of adopting a modified Makinouchi et al. approach in order to measure the springback of the large size considered test cases. Through the implemented methodology it has been possible to calculate the values of the springback parameters. The obtained results correspond to the observed experimental deformations. Analysing the springback parameter values of the different combinations investigated experimentally, the authors have also studied the pre-bulging influence on the springback amount.     

Towards a de-carbonized energy system in north-eastern Morocco: Prospective geothermal resource

Geothermal data has been indicating promising potentialities in the north-eastern Morocco. This paper presents new temperature data, recently recorded in water boreholes located in the Berkane and Oujda areas. Generally, the observed temperature gradients are rather high. One hole near Berkane, revealed an average geothermal gradient of more than 110 °C/km at depths greater than 300 m. This result confirms the geothermal gradient estimated in a mining borehole located about 30 km west of the Berkane borehole, in which water temperature of 96 °C is reached at a depth of about 700 m. Such a high geothermal gradient, exceeding by far the ones already determined for northeastern Morocco, could act as a stimulus to programs aimed at the geothermal exploitation of high temperature aquifers.     

Influence of NaCl,Na2SO4 and O2 on power generation from microbial fuel cells with non-catalyzed carbon electrodes and natural inocula

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are facing several technological challenges before they can be considered as reliable energy sources. Although several feasible inocula, materials and catalysts have been employed to produce energy, the design of a MFC should be done under realistic conditions: abundant and economic feedstock. In this study, two different MFC designs (parallel plate and tank reactors) are tested with non-catalyzed carbon electrodes and natural inocula. In both approaches cathodic oxygen reduction is performed on two different non-catalyzed carbon materials: carbon fabric and reticulate vitreous carbon. This study shows that power and current densities can be boosted by systematically decreasing the catholyte resistance (by additions of NaCl or Na₂SO₄) and dissolved oxygen concentration. In the parallel plate cell configuration, a mixed culture coming from sludge wastewater was used and power outputs up to 73 mW m^?2 (2867 mW m^?3) coupled to 187 mA m^?2 (anode surface area), were achieved. In the Sediment MFC cell configuration, lagoon sediment was used as both organic source of energy and natural supply of bacteria. Under this approach, the concentration of the organic matter is limited but it is demonstrated that bacteria can be adapted to degrade acetate. Power outputs up to 3.9 mW m^?2 normalized to the anodic electrode footprint area, coupled to 13 mA m^?2 were achieved.     

Influence of repeated extrusions on some properties of non-conventional spaghetti

The influence of the re-extrusion (repeated extrusion) number on the rheological properties of non-conventional doughs, mechanical and sensorial characteristics of dry spaghetti was investigated. Moreover, the dough gelatinization degree was also evaluated. Amaranth, oat and quinoa flours were used to produce the spaghetti samples. Twelve non-conventional spaghetti samples were manufactured varying the re-extrusion number. The rheological properties of doughs were determined using a capillary rheometer, the mechanical characteristics of dry spaghetti by a dynamic mechanical analyzer and the sensorial parameters by a trained panel. The re-extrusion number affected the extensional and shears viscosity of amaranth, oat and quinoa dough samples. The breaking strength of dry non-conventional spaghetti increased with the increase of the re-extrusion number for amaranth and oat. The dough gelatinization degree of the quinoa and oat significantly increased with the re-extrusion, whereas no influence of re-extrusion was found for the amaranth dough. Moreover, the re-extrusion number improved sensorial color and homogeneity for oat and quinoa dry spaghetti and had no effects on the sensorial characteristics of all cooked spaghetti.     

Effect of antifungal hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-lipid edible composite coatings on Penicillium decay development and postharvest quality of cold-stored "Ortanique" mandarins

Edible composite coatings based on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydrophobic components (beeswax and shellac), and food preservatives with antifungal properties were evaluated on "Ortanique" mandarins during long-term cold storage. Selected food preservatives included potassium sorbate (PS), sodium benzoate (SB), sodium propionate (SP), and their mixtures. Intact mandarins or mandarins artificially inoculated with the pathogens Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum, the causal agents of citrus postharvest green (GM) and blue (BM) molds, respectively, were coated and stored up to 8 wk at 5 °C + 1 wk of shelf-life at 20 °C. HPMC-lipid coatings containing food preservatives controlled better GM than BM on Ortanique mandarins. SB- and SB + SP-based coatings reduced the incidence of GM by about 35% after 4 wk at 5 °C. Among all coatings, only the SB-based coating reduced the incidence of GM (about 16%) after 6 wk at 5 °C. All coatings significantly reduced disease severity of both GM and BM after 6 wk at 5 °C. Analytical and sensory fruit quality was evaluated on intact mandarins. All coatings, especially the SB + SP-based coatings, were effective to control weight loss and maintain the firmness of coated mandarins. Internal gas concentration, juice ethanol and acetaldehyde content, sensory flavor, off-flavor, and fruit appearance were not adversely affected by the application of the antifungal coatings. Further studies should focus on the modification of some physical characteristics of the coatings to improve the gloss and visual aspect of treated mandarins.     

Early detection of toxigenic fungi on maize by hyperspectral imaging analysis

Fungi can grow on many food commodities. Some fungal species, such as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium spp., can produce, under suitable conditions, mycotoxins, secondary metabolites which are toxic for humans and animals. Toxigenic fungi are a real issue, especially for the cereal industry. The aim of this work is to carry out a non destructive, hyperspectral imaging-based method to detect toxigenic fungi on maize kernels, and to discriminate between healthy and diseased kernels. A desktop spectral scanner equipped with an imaging based spectrometer ImSpector- Specim V10, working in the visible-near infrared spectral range (400-1000 nm) was used. The results show that the hyperspectral imaging is able to rapidly discriminate commercial maize kernels infected with toxigenic fungi from uninfected controls when traditional methods are not yet effective: i.e. from 48 h after inoculation with A. niger or A. flavus.     

An improved adaptive power line interference canceller for electrocardiography

Power line interference may severely corrupt a biomedical recording. Notch filters and adaptive cancellers have been suggested to suppress this interference. We propose an improved adaptive canceller for the reduction of the fundamental power line interference component and harmonics in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings. The method tracks. the amplitude, phase, and frequency of all the interference components for power line frequency deviations up to about 4 Hz. A comparison is made between the performance of our method, former adaptive cancellers, and a narrow and a wide notch filter in suppressing the fundamental power line interference component. For this purpose a real ECG signal is corrupted by an artificial power line interference signal. The cleaned signal after applying all methods is compared with the original ECG signal. Our improved adaptive canceller shows a signal-to-power-line-interference ratio for the fundamental component up to 30 dB higher than that produced by the other methods. Moreover, our method is also effective for the suppression of the harmonics of the power line interference.     

Coupling arterial windkessel with peripheral vasomotion: modeling the effects on low-frequency oscillations

Arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) waves have long been recognized as an important sign of cardiovascular regulation, however, the underlying interactions involving vasomotion, arterial mechanisms and neural regulation have not been clarified. With the aid of simple dynamical models consisting of active peripheral vascular districts (PVDs) fed by a compliant/resistant arterial tree, the relationship between local AP and flow and systemic AP waves were analyzed. A PVD was described as a nonlinear flow regulation loop. Various feedback dynamics were experimented and general properties were focused. The PVDs displayed a region of active flow compensation against pressure changes, in which self-sustained low-frequency (LF, 0.1 Hz) appeared. Oscillations critically depended on parameter, Teq, analogous to a windkessel time constant, proportional to arterial compliances: a value of about 2 s (consistent with a normal pulse pressure) performed a buffering effect essential for LF oscillations in peripheral flow; conversely, stiffer arteries damped LF vasomotion. Two PVDs fed by a common compliance oscillated in phase opposition; the consequent negative interference cancelled systemic AP waves, even in presence of large peripheral oscillations. The partial disruption of phase opposition by a common neural drive oscillating at a LF proximal to that of the PVDs unveiled LF waves in AP. Also, several PVDs with randomly different natural frequencies displayed a tendency to reciprocal cancellation, while a limited neurally induced phase alignment unmasked LF oscillations at systemic level. It is concluded that vasomotion, arterial compliances and, neural drives are all elements which may cooperate in forming AP waves.