Implementation of sustainable sanitation in existing urban areas: long-term strategies for an optimised solution.

If technologies for decentralised sanitation and reuse (DESAR) and for natural stormwater management should at least partially replace existing systems, then intensive reconstruction work becomes essential. A conversion can only be realised successively over a long period due to high construction and financial expenses and requires new strategies. This paper presents the development and practical implementation of a mathematical tool to find an optimised strategy for the realisation of alternative and more decentralised drainage and sanitation concepts in existing urban areas. The succession of construction measures (e.g. the implementation of decentralised greywater recycling) for the whole period of consideration is determined based upon a mathematical optimisation model on the condition that the favoured future state is known. The model describes the complex interdependencies of the urban water and nutrient cycle and enables the minimisation of both financial efforts and ecological impacts on the way toward the future state. The results of the implementation for a rural area in Germany show that the mathematical optimisation is an adequate instrument to support decision-making processes in finding strategies for the realisation of sustainable urban water management.     

Ground state systematics and collective dipole excitations of spheroidally deformed sodium clusters in a diffuse jellium model

We solve the Kohn-Sham equations self-consistently in the local density approximation for spheroidal sodium clusters in the particle range 8 ≤ Z ≤ 40. We use a smooth fermi-like jellium density to simulate the influence of the ions in the surface region and obtain similar results as Ekardt and Penzar, but slightly different regions of prolate-to-oblate transitions. We present the systematics of potential energy curves with respect to transitions between oblate, prolate and spherical shapes. Shape transitions occur at particle numbers 12/14 (prolate/oblate), 18/20/22 (oblate/spherical/prolate) and 30/32 (prolate/oblate), which are in good agreement with experimental results. The quadrupole and hexadecupole overlap of the electron density with the jellium is investigated, showing a strong hexadecupole dependence for selected clusters. Collective dipole resonances are described in a simple sum rule approach, which reveals a double splitting according to the different resonance frequencies along the principal axes of the spheroid. The systematics of the resonance peaks for the larger clusters with Z ≥ 20 is in good agreement with experimental results.     

Determination and Health Implication of the Erucic Acid Content of Broccoli Florets, Sprouts, and Seeds

The erucic acid content of broccoli florets, sprouts, and seeds was found to be about 0.8, 320, and 12100 mg/100 g, respectively. Using the erucic acid limit established for canola oil in the U.S.A. and Canada as a guideline, the estimated dietary intake of erucic acid from florets and sprouts was considered of little consequence, whereas in seeds a relatively small amount (about 35 g/wk) equaled our calculated exposure limit for erucic acid. Additionally, the most complete fatty acid distribution yet published for the various forms of broccoli are presented.     

Modeling and analysis of substrate coupling in integrated circuits

This paper describes a fast and accurate simulator for characterizing the effects of substrate coupling on integrated-circuit performance. The technique uses the electrostatic Green function of the substrate medium and the fast Fourier transform algorithm. It is demonstrated that this technique is suitable for optimization of layout for minimization of substrate coupling. Analysis of substrate coupling in different types of substrates and the utility of guard rings in different types of substrates is also discussed. Experimental verification of the models is presented     

Towards hybrid Triple Helix indicators: A study of university-related patents and a survey of academic inventors

This paper presents work directed at capturing the entrepreneurial and collaborative activity of university researchers. The Triple Helix points to the emergence of the entrepreneurial university as well as to an increasing overlay of activities in universities, industry and government. This study explores ways in which patent-based metrics could be utilized in a Triple Helix context, and how hybrid indicators could be developed by combining patent with survey data. More specifically, it aims to develop indicators that connect technological inventiveness of university researchers to both funding organizations and users, as well as to entrepreneurial activities by academics. The paper develops a simplified model of the innovation process to benchmark the relevance of the indicators to the Triple Helix. An analysis of Finnish academic patents illustrates that patent data can already provide useful indicators but, on its own, cannot provide information about how academic patents are interconnected with government or industry through funding or utilization links. An exclusive analysis of patents can point to patent concentrations on certain universities, to inventors and assignees, or to potential gaps in translating applied science into industrial technology. However, the patent data had to be combined with an inventor survey in order to relate academic patents more to their Triple Helix environment. The survey indicated that most patented academic inventions are connected to (often publicly funded) scientific research by the inventors and tend to be utilized in large firms rather than in start-up companies founded by academic entrepreneurs.     

Multisite microprobes for neural recordings

Multisite, passive microprobes have been developed to allow simultaneous recording of action potential activity from multiple neurons at different locations in the brain. The microprobes were fabricated using standard integrated circuit techniques. The probe is a planar structure that consists of gold electrodes sandwiched between two polyimide dielectric layers and bonded to a molybdenum structural support. Windows in the top dielectric layer expose the electrode sites and bonding pads. In two distinct versions of the probe four or six recordings sites, respectively, of approximately 25 microns 2 are arranged on a dagger-shaped structure which can penetrate the pia. The bonding pads and interconnect wires at the probe head are entirely encapsulated in a tubular fixture that is packed with silicone RTV and sealed with epoxy to protect the interconnections from contact with body fluids. The site impedances at 1 kHz are typically between 2 and 4 M omega. Probe lifetimes for continuous immersion in physiological saline solution, as measured by impedance, have exceeded 750 h. The failure mechanism is believed to be due to moisture and ion absorption in the top dielectric layer. In acute neurophysiological experiments using the four site probes, action potential activity was recorded from physiologically identified neurons in the dorsal column nuclei of anesthetized rat.     

Efficient model reduction in non-linear dynamics using the Karhunen-Loève expansion and dual-weighted-residual methods

 We look at the task of computing the time-evolution of a non-linear system for a long time, in our case under random external influences. Our specific example is the fatigue evaluation of a wind turbine. To facilitate such a computation, we look at a reduction of the computational effort by projecting everything on a low-dimensional basis. In this case we take the Karhunen-Loève basis generated from running the model a little while under the random loading. It is important that the error which is caused by this reduction process can be controlled. We estimate the error by dual or adjoint methods. This in turn allows the process of model reduction to be performed adaptively. Dedicated to the memory of Prof. Mike Crisfield, for his cheerfulness and cooperation as a colleague and friend over many years.