A two-scale approach for trabecular bone microstructure modeling based on computational homogenization procedure

In this paper the numerical implementation of two-scale modelling of bone microstructure is presented. The study is a part of long-term project on bone remodelling which drives bone microstructure change based directly on trabeculae surface energy. The proposed approach is based on a first-order computational homogenization technique. The coincidence of macro- and micro-model kinematics is done with the use of uniform displacement and traction boundary conditions. The computational homogenization procedure is driven by a self-prepared manager which is coded in Python. The computation on real bone structure (a piece of female Wistar rat bone) is performed as well.     

Development and characterisation of nanowire-based FETs

Development of Si nanowire-based FETs, suitable for sensor applications is reported. Process sequences for SOI and bulk p-channel FinFETs are described. SEM observations of the fabricated devices (180 nm wide, 87 nm or 175 nm high) are presented and discussed. Electrical characteristics measurements and basic characterisation results obtained for these devices are described. A procedure for serial resistance extraction has been mentioned in more detail, due to its high value inherent in the process used. Several aspects of the device sensitivity to front- and back-gate control have been discussed from the point of view of its application in biochemical detectors.     

A method for fast simulation of multiple catastrophic faults in analogue circuits

The paper offers an efficient method for simulation of multiple catastrophic faults in linear AC circuits. The faulty elements are either open circuits or short circuits. The method exploits the well‐known Householder formula in matrix theory to find the node voltages deviations due to the perturbations of some circuit elements. The main achievement of the paper is a systematic method for performing the simulation of all combinations of the multiple catastrophic faults. The method includes two new procedures enabling us to find very efficiently the node impedance matrix of the nominal circuit and inverses of some matrices corresponding to different fault combinations. The procedures are the crucial point of this approach and make it very efficient. Consequently, the amount of the computing power needed to carry out all the simulations is significantly reduced. Numerical examples illustrating the proposed approach are provided. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing butt joints in pipes made of VM12-SHC martensitic steel

VM12-SHC steel is the newest grade of 12% Cr steel developed by the V&M company. At the present moment, there are works being conducted in order to make use of this steel in steam superheaters. It is also planned to implement VM12-SHC steel to the fabrication of water-walls for prototype boilers operated at very high temperature and pressure parameters. In this article, test materials and welding consumbables are characterized and the process of preparation of pipes to be welded is discussed. The results of metallographic examination and mechanical testing of the test joints are presented.     

Hormone replacement therapy and risk of hip fracture: population based case-control study. The Swedish Hip Fracture Study Group

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative risk of hip fracture associated with postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy including the effect of duration and recency of treatment, the addition of progestins, route of administration, and dose. DESIGN: Population based case-control study. Setting: Six counties in Sweden. SUBJECTS: 1327 women aged 50-81 years with hip fracture and 3262 randomly selected controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Use of hormone replacement therapy. RESULTS: Compared with women who had never used hormone replacement therapy, current users had an odds ratio of 0.35 (95 % confidence interval 0.24 to 0.53) for hip fracture and former users had an odds ratio of 0.76 (0.57 to 1.01). For every year of therapy, the overall risk decreased by 6% (3% to 9%): 4% (1% to 8%) for regimens without progestin and 11% (6% to 16%) for those with progestin. Last use between one and five years previously, with a duration of use more than five years, was associated with an odds ratio of 0.27 (0.08 to 0.94). After five years without hormone replacement therapy the protective effect was substantially diminished (-7% to 48%). With current use, an initiation of therapy nine or more years after the menopause gave equally strong reduction in risk for hip fracture as an earlier start. Oestrogen treatment with skin patches gave similar risk estimates as oral regimens. CONCLUSIONS: Recent use of hormone replacement therapy is required for optimum fracture protection, but therapy can be started several years after the menopause. The protective effect increases with duration of use, and an oestrogen-sparing effect is achieved when progestins are included in the regimen.     

Structure and Composition of Au–Cu and Pd–Cu Bimetallic Catalysts Affecting Acetylene Reactivity

Au–Cu and Pd–Cu bimetallic model catalysts were prepared on native SiO₂/Si(100) substrate under ultra high vacuum (UHV) by employing buffer layer assisted growth procedure with amorphous solid water as the buffer material. The effect of the bimetallic nanoclusters (NCs) surface composition and morphology on their chemical reactivity has been studied with acetylene decomposition and conversion to ethylene and benzene as the chemical probe. It was found that among the Au–Cu NCs compositions, Au_0.5Cu₃ NCs revealed outstanding catalytic selectivity towards ethylene formation. These NCs were further characterized by employing TEM, XPS and HAADF-STEM coupled EDX analysis. With CO molecule as a probe, CO temperature programmed desorption has been used to investigate the distribution of gold on the top-most surface of the supported clusters. Surface segregation at high relative elemental fraction of gold leads to a decreased activity of the Au–Cu NCs towards ethylene formation. In contrast to the Au–Cu NCs, the Pd–Cu bimetallic system reveals reduced sensitivity to the relative elemental composition with respect to selectivity of the acetylene transformation toward ethylene formation. On the other hand, remarkable activity towards benzene formation has been observed at elemental composition of Cu₃Pd, at comparable rates to those for ethylene formation on clean Pd NCs.     

Construction of food and water borne pathogens' dose-response curves using the expanded Fermi Solution

Abstract: Theoretically, the relationship between the number of pathogens that cause acute infection if settling in the gut, N, and that initially ingested, M, can be constructed from the survival probabilities at the different “stations” along the digestive tract. These probabilities are rarely known exactly, but their ranges can be estimated. If for a given N one generates estimates of M using random probabilities within these ranges, the estimates’ distribution will be approximately lognormal and its cumulative (CDF) form will represent the pathogen's dose–response curve. The distribution's logarithmic mean and standard deviation can be calculated from the ranges with a formula and used to plot the curve. The method was used to generate dose–response curves of hypothetical food and waterborne pathogens and calculate their infective dose (ID) at 5%, 50%, and 95% probability. The curves were compatible with the Beta Poisson model and robust against minor perturbations in the underlying probabilities’ ranges. The calculation and plotting procedure was automated and posted on the Internet as a freely downloadable interactive Wolfram Demonstration. It allows the user to generate, modify, examine, and compare dose–response curves, and to calculate their characteristics, by moving sliders on the screen.