Excluded volume effects in on‐ and off‐lattice reaction–diffusion models

Mathematical models are important tools to study the excluded volume effects on reaction–diffusion systems, which are known to play an important role inside living cells. Detailed microscopic simulations with off‐lattice Brownian dynamics become computationally expensive in crowded environments. In this study, the authors therefore investigate to which extent on‐lattice approximations, the so‐called cellular automata models, can be used to simulate reactions and diffusion in the presence of crowding molecules. They show that the diffusion is most severely slowed down in the off‐lattice model, since randomly distributed obstacles effectively exclude more volume than those ordered on an artificial grid. Crowded reaction rates can be both increased and decreased by the grid structure and it proves important to model the molecules with realistic sizes when excluded volume is taken into account. The grid artefacts increase with increasing crowder density and they conclude that the computationally more efficient on‐lattice simulations are accurate approximations only for low crowder densities.Inspec keywords: reaction‐diffusion systems, cellular biophysics, biodiffusion, Brownian motion, cellular automata, molecular biophysics, molecular configurationsOther keywords: crowder density, grid artefacts, grid structure, crowded reaction rates, artificial grid, randomly distributed obstacles, crowding molecules, cellular automata models, on‐lattice approximations, crowded environments, off‐lattice Brownian dynamics, detailed microscopic simulations, living cells, mathematical models, off‐lattice reaction‐diffusion models, on‐lattice reaction‐diffusion models, excluded volume effects     

Noncontact Sonic NDE and Defect Imaging Via Local Defect Resonance

A selective acoustic activation of defects based on the concept of local defect resonance enables to enhance considerably the intensity of defect vibrations and makes it possible to reduce the input acoustic powers to the levels permissible for noncontact nondestructive inspection. Since for cm-size defects in composite materials, the LDR frequencies lie in the low kHz-range, the resonant noncontact activation shifts to an audible frequency range and can be provided by conventional sonic equipment. In this paper, the feasibility of the resonant noncontact inspection is validated for the most “problematic” methodologies of nonlinear, thermosonic and shearosonic NDE that usually require an elevated acoustic power and, therefore, a reliable contact between the specimen and the transducer. In contrast, the noncontact versions developed employ commercial loudspeakers which can simultaneously insonify large areas and be applied for a contactless sonic inspection of different materials and various scale components.     

Bootstrap- and permutation-based inference for the Mann–Whitney effect for right-censored and tied data

The Mann–Whitney effect is an intuitive measure for discriminating two survival distributions. Here we analyse various inference techniques for this parameter in a two-sample survival setting with independent right-censoring, where the survival times are even allowed to be discretely distributed. This allows for ties in the data and requires the introduction of normalized versions of Kaplan–Meier estimators from which adequate point estimates are deduced. Asymptotically exact inference procedures based on standard normal, bootstrap, and permutation quantiles are developed and compared in simulations. Here, the asymptotically robust and—under exchangeable data—even finitely exact permutation procedure turned out to be the best. Finally, all procedures are illustrated using a real data set.     

Single point incremental forming: state-of-the-art and prospects

Incremental sheet metal forming in general and Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) specifically have gone through a period of intensive development with growing attention from research institutes worldwide. The result of these efforts is significant progress in the understanding of the underlying forming mechanisms and opportunities as well as limitations associated with this category of flexible forming processes. Furthermore, creative process design efforts have enhanced the process capabilities and process planning methods. Also, simulation capabilities have evolved substantially. This review paper aims to provide an overview of the body of knowledge with respect to Single Point Incremental Forming. Without claiming to be exhaustive, each section aims for an up-to-date state-of-the-art review with corresponding conclusions on scientific progress and outlook on expected further developments.     

Conformations and folding of lysozyme ions in vacuo

Proton transfer reactivity of isolated charge states of the protein hen egg-white lysozyme shows that multiple distinct conformations of this protein are stable in the gas phase. The reactivities of the 9+ and 10+ charge state ions, formed by electrospray ionization of "native" (disulfide-intact) and "denatured" (disulfide-reduced) solutions, are consistent with values calculated for ions in their crystal structure and fully denatured conformations, respectively. Charge states below 8+ of both forms, formed by proton stripping, have similar or indistinguishable reactivities, indicating that the disulfide-reduced ions fold in the gas phase to a more compact conformation.     

GOST 34.10—A brief overview of Russia's DSA

GOST 34.10 is Russia's DSA. Like its US counterpart, GOST is an ElGamal-like signature scheme used in Schnorr mode. It is similar to NIST DSA in many aspects. In this paper we will overview GOST 34.10 and discuss the three main differences between the two algorithms, (i) GOST's principal design criterion does not seem to be computational efficiency: the algorithm is 1.6 times slower than the DSA and produces 512-bit signatures. This is mainly due to the usage of the modulus q which is at least 254 bits long. During verification, modular inverses are computed by exponentiation (while the Extended Euclidian algorithm is roughly 100 times faster for this parameter size) and the generation of the public parameters is much more complicated than in the DSA. This choice of the parameters makes GOST 34.10 very secure. (ii) GOST signers do not have to generate modular inverses as the basic signature equation is s = xr + mk (mod q) instead of (mod q). (iii) GOST's hash function (the Russian equivalent of the SHA) is the standard GOST 34.11 which uses the block cipher GOST 28147 (partially classified) as a building block. The hash function will be briefly described. Copyright     

Beyond loop bounds: comparing annotation languages for worst-case execution time analysis

Worst-case execution time (WCET) analysis is concerned with computing a precise-as-possible bound for the maximum time the execution of a program can take. This information is indispensable for developing safety-critical real-time systems, e. g., in the avionics and automotive fields. Starting with the initial works of Chen, Mok, Puschner, Shaw, and others in the mid and late 1980s, WCET analysis turned into a well-established and vibrant field of research and development in academia and industry. The increasing number and diversity of hardware and software platforms and the ongoing rapid technological advancement became drivers for the development of a wide array of distinct methods and tools for WCET analysis. The precision, generality, and efficiency of these methods and tools depend much on the expressiveness and usability of the annotation languages that are used to describe feasible and infeasible program paths. In this article we survey the annotation languages which we consider formative for the field. By investigating and comparing their individual strengths and limitations with respect to a set of pivotal criteria, we provide a coherent overview of the state of the art. Identifying open issues, we encourage further research. This way, our approach is orthogonal and complementary to a recent approach of Wilhelm et al. who provide a thorough survey of WCET analysis methods and tools that have been developed and used in academia and industry.     

Investigating paper vs. screen in real-life hospital workflows: Performance contradicts perceived superiority of paper in the user experience

IntroductionAll hospitals in the province of Styria (Austria) are well equipped with sophisticated Information Technology, which provides all-encompassing on-screen patient information. Previous research made on the theoretical properties, advantages and disadvantages, of reading from paper vs. reading from a screen has resulted in the assumption that reading from a screen is slower, less accurate and more tiring. However, recent flat screen technology, especially on the basis of LCD, is of such high quality that obviously this assumption should now be challenged. As the electronic storage and presentation of information has many advantages in addition to a faster transfer and processing of the information, the usage of electronic screens in clinics should outperform the traditional hardcopy in both execution and preference ratings.This study took part in a County hospital Styria, Austria, with 111 medical professionals, working in a real-life setting. They were each asked to read original and authentic diagnosis reports, a gynecological report and an internal medical document, on both screen and paper in a randomly assigned order. Reading comprehension was measured by the Chunked Reading Test, and speed and accuracy of reading performance was quantified. In order to get a full understanding of the clinicians' preferences, subjective ratings were also collected.ResultsWilcoxon Signed Rank Tests showed no significant differences on reading performance between paper vs. screen. However, medical professionals showed a significant (90%) preference for reading from paper. Despite the high quality and the benefits of electronic media, paper still has some qualities which cannot provided electronically do date.