Detection of near accidents by measurement of horizontal acceleration of the trunk

The aim of the study was to develop a method for the detection and recording of sudden movements caused by a person's effort to regain balance during slipping and tripping. The method is based on the assessment of the horizontal acceleration of the trunk. A portable device was developed for recording sudden movements at work sites. The device was tested in laboratory conditions with 20 test persons. The experiments showed that the device is capable of detecting slips and even slight losses of balance which do not lead to actual falls. The acceleration levels of the trunk increased significantly in slipping incidents compared to normal walking, both in antero-posterior and medial-lateral direction.     

Prolactin and thyrotropin responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in patients with secondary amenorrhea: the effect of bromocriptine

Prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH) responses to a 200 mug intravenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) bolus were measured by radioimmunoassay in 11 women with hyperprolactinemic amenorrhea and 9 with normoprolactinemic amenorrhea. In all cases, the tests were carried out under basal conditions and repeated during bromocriptine treatment. In women whose basal PRL level was normal; TRH caused a maximal PRL increment of 85 +/- 25.2 mug/l (mean +/- SE), while those women whose basal PRL level was raised showed a smaller increase (5.2 +/- 11.9 mug/l) (P=0.02). The peak levels were not significantly different in these two groups (95.0 +/- 26.7 and 134.6 +/- 35.9 mug/l) (P is greater than 0.1). During bromocriptine treatment, the raised PRL levels decreased in all cases, but levels over 30 mug/l remained in 3 patients, one of whom turned out to have a pituitary tumor. Prolactin responses to TRH were markedly inhibited in normoprolactinemic patients by the dose of bromocriptine used. The mean maximal net increase of PRL was 2.0 +/- 0.9 mug/l in normoprolactinemic patients and 11.0 +/- 8.1 mug/l in hyperprolactinemic patients taking bromocriptine. After TRH stimulation during bromocriptine, the peak PRL levels in hyperprolactinemic patients were higher (32.7 +/- 10.5 mug/l) than in normoprolactinemic patients (7.2 +/- 1.5 mug/l). Unlike what has been described for hypothyroid patients, the basal TSH level in euthyroid amenorrhea patients was not affected by bromocriptine, and we found that bromocriptine has no effect on the TRH-TSH response.     

Rutherford backscattering investigation of thermally oxidized tantalum on silicon

The Rutherford backscattering technique utilizing 2 MeV He⁺ ions was used for studying Ta and thermally grown Ta oxide films on Si substrates. Significant impurity effects were observed for the as-deposited Ta films and are attributed to gettering during deposition. Partially oxidized Ta films exhibit a surface Ta₂O₅ layer with substantial oxygen incorporation in the underlying Ta film. In contrast with anodic Ta₂O₅ films on tantalum, there is no sharp boundary between Ta and Ta₂O₅. Tantalum oxide films on silicon are, to a first approximation, stoichiometric. Their apparent density, as determined from the areal density of Ta atoms, increases with thickness (from 4.7 to 7.3 g cm^-3) as do their refractive indices. This supports the contention that incorporation of silicon is responsible for these effects and that they are not merely due to a change in stoichiometry.     

Slip resistant properties of footwear on ice

Current research on slipperiness of footwear has mainly focused on floors and lubricated floors. Slips and falls on icy and snowy surfaces involve not only outdoor workers, but also pedestrians and the general public; and occur in cold regions and in winter season in many parts of the world. However, in comparison with the size of the problem, research on slips and falls on icy and snowy surfaces has been scarce. The objective of this paper is to explore the slip resistant properties of footwear (soling materials, roughness and hardness) on ice. The coefficients of kinetic friction of four different soling materials (synthetic rubber, nitrile rubber, natural rubber and polyurethane) were measured on ice (-12 degrees C). The outsole roughness and hardness were also measured. Results showed that the polyurethane soling did not perform better than synthetic rubber, nitrile rubber and natural rubber on pure hard ice (-12 degrees C). Soling roughness was positively correlated with the coefficient of kinetic friction. The most slip resistant soling material (polyurethane) on floors and lubricated floors may not provide sufficient slip resistance on ice.     

On‐Chip Self‐Assembly of a Smart Hybrid Nanocomposite for Antitumoral Applications

A hybrid nanocomposite comprised by porous silicon nanoparticles and a stimuli responsive polymeric material, polyethylene glycol‐block‐poly(L‐histidine), is spontaneously formed by nanoprecipitation in a flow‐focusing microfluidic chip. The nanocomposite presents a novel hybrid compound micelle structure with a great robustness for therapeutic applications. Therefore, the nanocomposite is developed and tested as a “smart” multistage drug delivery system (MDDS) in response to some of the current problems that cancer treatment presents. Based on the stimuli‐responsive behavior of the nanocomposite, a chemotherapeutic agent is successfully loaded into the nanosystem and released upon changes in the pH‐values. The nanocomposite demonstrates enhanced stability in plasma, narrow size distribution, improved surface smoothness, and high cytocompatibility. Furthermore, the nanocomposite presents reduced nanoparticle internalization by phagocytic macrophage cells and pH‐dependent cell growth inhibition capacity. Overall, the developed hybrid nanocomposite shows very promising features for its further development as a “smart” pH‐responsive MDDS.     

Occurrence and destruction of PAHs,PCBs, CIPhs,CIBzs, and PCDD/Fs in ash from gasification of straw

Two experiments were performed with an atmospheric circulating fluidized bed gasifier (ACFBG), the first with pelletized straw and the second with loose straw, to investigate the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorophenols (CIPhs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated benzenes (ClBzs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in the bottom ash and fly ash formed during gasification. Only PAHs were present in large amounts, and only in the fly ash, ranging from 300 to 555 mg/kg ash in the tests with pelletized straw and from 73 to 118 mg/kg ash in those with loose straw. These amounts are so high that environmentally safe disposal or reuse of the ash would be difficult, so the development of a technique to handle the problem was included in the project. The method investigated was to burn the fly ash in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler in order to destroy the PAHs. This worked surprisingly well, eliminating 99% of the PAHs, without any further formation of the other harmful organic compounds analyzed. Thus, this method could actually be useful in practice. Especially the fact that the formation of PCDD/Fs was minimal during gasification and further treatment of the ash in the CFB boiler makes the gasification technique highly competitive relative to conventional combustion methods.     

Surface hardening of beryllium by ion implantation

The effectiveness of ion implantation for the production of a hard wear-resistant surface on instrument grade beryllium of high strength (HP-40) was explored. Samples of beryllium were implanted with boron and were subjected to microhardness tests in both the as-implanted state and after annealing. The implanted region was examined using Rutherford backscattering to determine the depth distribution of the implanted boron. By using ion implantation to produce a buried layer containing boron, the limitations imposed by solubility and diffusivity are avoided and much greater boron concentrations than those attainable with conventional thermal treatments are generated.     

Effect of apartment building energy renovation on hourly power demand

ABSTRACT

Optimal energy renovations of apartment buildings in Finland have a great impact on annual energy demand. However, reduction of energy demand does not necessarily translate into similar changes in peak power demand. Four different types of apartment buildings, representing the Finnish apartment building stock, were examined after optimal energy retrofits to see the influence of retrofitting on hourly power demand. Switching from district heating to ground-source heat pumps reduced emissions significantly under current energy mix. However, the use of ground-source heat pumps increased hourly peak electricity demand by 46–153%, compared to district heated apartment buildings. The corresponding increase in electrical energy demand was 30–108% in the peak month of January. This could increase the use of high emission peak power plants and negate some of the emission benefits. Solar thermal collectors and heat recovery systems could reduce purchased heating energy to zero in summer. Solar electricity could reduce median power demand in summer, but had only a little effect on peak power demand. The reduction in peak power demand after energy retrofits was less than the reduction in energy demand.     

Effects of physical activity on the deposition of traffic-related particles into the human lungs in silico

Traffic-related particle emissions have been a great concern over a number of years due to their adverse health effects. In this research project, traffic-related particle deposition in the human lungs is studied using lung deposition estimates based on the ICRP 66 model. This study covers four human groups, i.e. adult males, adult females and two groups of children aged 5 and 10 years. The study examines particle deposition in the human lungs in relation to four different physical exercise levels, i.e. sleeping, sitting, light exercise and heavy exercise. To conduct the study, the particle size distributions of diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) busses were monitored in field laboratory conditions. The study indicates that the total number of diesel particles measured is greater than the total number of CNG particles. The results further display that most of the diesel particles measured are smaller than 0.2 μm, whereas the CNG particles are smaller than 0.05 μm in aerodynamic diameter. The level of physical exercise, as well as the age and gender of a person affects the deposition of particles in the lungs. An increase in the physical activity results in larger amounts of small-size particles penetrating deeper into the respiratory system. The lung deposition of particles in males was substantially different compared to that of females and children. The deposited dose of particles was generally lower for females than for males and further lower for children than for females. This article argues that these groups should be discussed separately when conducting exposure assessments and that the level of physical activity should be taken into account when assessing potential health consequences.     

Mechanical behavior,structure, and reinforcement processes of TEMPO‐oxidized cellulose reinforced poly(lactic) acid

Poly(lactic) acid (PLA) was reinforced with acetylated TEMPO‐oxidized fibrillated cellulose (TOFC) prepared from birch pulp. Composite films were studied using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as static mechanical testing. The storage modulus as well as tensile strength of PLA was improved on the addition of 30 wt% of TOFC by approximately 50% and 40%, respectively. Thermal stability as well as strength properties in moist environments (up to 90% relative humidity) was significantly improved at 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt% of TOFC. DSC showed that crystallization from solution took place during preparation of the composite films and was much greater than melt crystallization. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers