Introduction of very high bit rates for NFC and RFID

This article gives a detailed insight into the very high bit rates (VHBR) technology for the data transfer with NFC and RFID. In the first part enhancements and changes to the ISO/IEC 14443 and related standards are discussed. In the second part an analysis of different bit rates with focus on communication parameters and bit error rates are provided.     

The influence of wine additives on colour and colour quality of young red wine

Summary Zweigelt 1987, a typical Austrian wine treated with wine additives such as sulphur dioxide,l-ascorbic acid and sorbic acid was stored for 77 days. All characteristic wine components were analysed during the storage period. Only changes in colour could be detected. The changes in the amount of anthocyanins and anthocyanidin chlorides were analysed. The results show that Zweigelt 1987 mixed with wine additives such asl-ascorbic acid or sorbic acid resulted in a larger loss in colour than untreated wine. The changes could be measured photometrically but they were invisible to the naked eye. Appropriate use of wine additives did not appear to deterioriate the ruby colour of young red wine during the period tested.

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Der Einfluß von Wein-Zusatzstoffen auf Farbe und Farbqualität von jungem Rotwein

Zusammenfassung Österreichischer Wein Zweigelt 1987, welcher für die Versuchsreihe unter authentischen Bedingungen hergestellt worden war, wurde mit Weinbehandlungsmitteln wie Schwefeldioxid, Sorbinsäure undl-Ascorbinsäure versetzt. Die Wechselwirkungen der Farbe des Rotweines mit den zugesetzten Chemikalien wurden während einer Lagerzeit von 77 Tagen studiert. Die Anthocyane und Anthocyanidinchloridmengen wurden bestimmt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß Zweigelt 1987, der mitl-Ascorbinsäure bzw. Sorbinsäure versetzt worden war, etwas größere Farbverluste zeigte als unbehandelter Wein. Abschließend wurde festgestellt, daß die Farbveränderungen zwar photometrisch meßbar sind, aber mit freiem Auge nicht erkannt werden. Eine Verwendung dieser Weinbehandlungsmittel in richtiger Dosierung führt zu keiner Verschlechterung der Farbqualität bei jungem Rotwein über den untersuchten Zeitraum.

     

Anomalous behavior of electrical conductivity and thermal noise in carbon black-containing polymers at Tg and Tm

Pronounced maxima in resistivity–temperature curves have been found at or above T_g for a number of amorphous polymers (PS, PMMA, PVC) containing a small percentage of carbon black. The maxima appeared only after a certain period of storage at T < T_g or at heating rates substantially higher than those used in cooling the samples prior to the measurement. For this reason, no maxima were observed during cooling. In crystalline polymers (PE, PP), maxima at T_m appeared both on heating and cooling. Marked relaxation effects (time-dependent resistivity) were recorded in the T_g and T_m regions. Good agreement was found between resistivity and thermal noise data.     

Actor networks and the construction of applicable knowledge: the case of the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool

This article deals with experiences acquired during the process of developing the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool (TBPT). Developing a decision support tool that takes into account the expectations and experiences of its potential users is similar to creating applicable knowledge by the joint action of scientists and heterogeneous actors. Actor network theory is used to explore the construction of this form of applicable knowledge as a process of actor network creation. Following the French sociologist Callon, networks are seen to be initiated and carried out by a group of scientists (tool developers) via four moments of translation, called problematization, interessement, enrolment and mobilization. Each step in the construction of the TBPT—from the initial research question to the final model—can be linked in retrospect to changing configurations of actor networks. Based on the experiences of the tool developers in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Romania, we illustrate how these configurations varied across space and time. This contribution emphasizes the ability to correlate gains in knowledge with the more visible changes in the scope of actor networks in order to highlight achievements but also limitations in acquiring applicable knowledge.     

Micro-CT-based identification of double porosity in fired clay ceramics

Optimizing thermal and mechanical properties of clay block masonry requires detailed knowledge on the microstructure of fired clays. We here identify the macro- and microporosity stemming from the use of three different pore-forming agents (expanded polystyrene, sawdust, and paper sludge) in different concentrations. Micro-CT measurements provided access to volume, shape, and orientation of macropores, and in combination with X-ray attenuation averaging and statistical analysis, also to voxel-specific microporosities. Finally, the sum of micro- and macroporosity was compared to corresponding data gained from two statistically and physically independent methods (namely from chemical analysis in combination with weighing, and from mercury intrusion porosimetry). Satisfactory agreement of all these independently gained experimental data renders our new concept for identifying the pore spaces of fired clay as a very promising tool supporting the further optimization of clay blocks.     

Obituary

RILEM Bulletin

Obituary     

Estimating weak ratiometric signals in imaging data. II. Meta-analysis with multiple, dual-channel datasets

Ratiometric fluorescent indicators are used for making quantitative measurements of a variety of physiological variables. Their utility is often limited by noise. This is the second in a series of papers describing statistical methods for denoising ratiometric data with the aim of obtaining improved quantitative estimates of variables of interest. Here, we outline a statistical optimization method that is designed for the analysis of ratiometric imaging data in which multiple measurements have been taken of systems responding to the same stimulation protocol. This method takes advantage of correlated information across multiple datasets for objectively detecting and estimating ratiometric signals. We demonstrate our method by showing results of its application on multiple, ratiometric calcium imaging experiments.