“Technically Unavoidable” in Terms of Genetically Modified Organisms – an Approach for Food Control

In case of findings of authorized genetically modified (gm) plant ingredients below the 0.9 per cent threshold, exceptions from labelling requirements according to regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 can only be made, “provided that this presence is adventitious or technically unavoidable”. The authors describe factors that should be considered regarding contaminations by gm plant ingredients as technically unavoidable or not. A practical approach for interpretation, taking into account quality control measures and documentation as well as present findings in comparable products is proposed. Received: February 23, 2007     

自动实时X射线检测技术在半导体制程控制中的应用

对X光检测的不同技术在半导体制程上的应用作了详细的介绍;着重讨论了全旋倾斜(off-axis)X射线技术的特点和优势。     

Energy storage devices for future hybrid electric vehicles

Powertrain hybridization as well as electrical energy management are imposing new requirements on electrical storage systems in vehicles. This paper characterizes the associated vehicle attributes and, in particular, the various levels of hybrids. New requirements for the electrical storage system are derived, including: shallow-cycle life, high dynamic charge acceptance particularly for regenerative braking and robust service life in sustained partial-state-of-charge usage. Lead/acid, either with liquid or absorptive glass-fibre mat electrolyte, is expected to remain the predominant battery technology for 14 V systems, including micro-hybrids, and with a cost-effective battery monitoring system for demanding applications. Advanced AGM batteries may be considered for mild or even medium hybrids once they have proven robustness under real-world conditions, particularly with respect to cycle life at partial-states-of-charge and dynamic charge acceptance. For the foreseeable future, NiMH and Li-ion are the dominating current and potential battery technologies for higher-functionality HEVs. Li-ion, currently at development and demonstration stages, offers attractive opportunities for improvements in performance and cost. Supercapacitors may be considered for pulse power applications. Aside from cell technologies, attention to the issue of system integration of the battery into the powertrain and vehicle is growing. Opportunities and challenges for potential “battery pack” system suppliers are discussed.     

Characterization of Oleogels Based on Waxes and Their Hydrolyzates

In this paper, the structuring of liquid oils, also known as oleogelation, is systematically investigated for the first time using a quasi-quaternary mixing system approach. Native waxes with different quantities of wax esters (WE), n-alkanes (hydrocarbons (HC)), fatty acids (FA), and fatty alcohols (FaOH) are applied in mixtures with hydrolyzed waxes to systematically change the composition. Hydrolyzed waxes contain high levels of FA and FaOH. The model systems are investigated on microscopic level (brightfield light microscopy (BFM), cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM)) as well as on their macroscopic properties (rheology, gel hardness) and calorimetric behavior (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)). It is found that sunflower wax (SFW)-based gels (12% structurant) become less hard on any admixture. Beeswax (BW)-based gels show significant increases in hardness when 25% and 50% (w/w) hydrolyzate are admixed. This could be related to stepwise crystallization. Further analysis reveals that the dissolution/melting behavior of the wax ester mixtures can be surprisingly well described as ideal solubility of a single pseudocomponent. The approach to unravel the individual contributions of the different species present in waxes is successful and marks a first step to better understand the systematic of wax functionality as oleogelators. Practical Application: The substitution of hardstock fats in structured oil phases is of interest for two reasons. The improved nutritional profile oleogels offer are beneficial for public health while the elimination of palm oil based ingredients appears to be a general public desire. Among the technical solutions for non-TAG oil structuring waxes are very promising. This is primarily due to their availability, prior consumption, potentially low cost for functionality. Currently waxes are technically and scientifically wrongly treated as single components. In order to better utilize the potential of waxes and design future sourcing strategies it is necessary to understand the wax functionality at a compositional/molecular level. This contribution marks the first step into this direction by considering classes of molecules with respect to their contribution to functionality. This understanding is considered as a key for future compositional design.     

Effect of Step Size in Incremental Loading Tests

Using the crack-growth model, the deviation of real fracture stress from the stressing level measured by stepwise incremental loading with three starting modes is calculated. For both static and dynamic fatigue, the relative error depends only on the relative increment size and the crack-growth parameter, n. The usefulness of stepwise incremental loading for strength testing can be confirmed.     

A New Research Infrastructure for Investigating Flow Hydraulics and Process Equipment at Critical Fluid Properties

An optimized equipment design for natural gas processing and liquefaction plants becomes increasingly difficult with changing process conditions: Particularly low values of surface tension create rising challenges on the design of phase separators and column internals. The TERESA test rig at HZDR was designed to allow the investigation of multiphase thermohydraulics and phase separator performance under critical fluid properties in industrial dimensions. A versatile pipe test section is available in DN200 and equipment internals may be tested in a sectional DN300/DN500 test separator. The applied test fluid shows a high vapor-liquid density difference between 1470 and 940 kg m⁻³, viscosity as low as 0.12 mm²s⁻¹, and surface tension down to 1.3 mN m⁻¹. Volumetric liquid and vapor flow rates may be varied up to 9 and 530 m³h⁻¹ in the test rig, respectively.     

Virtual Reference Feedback Tuning for non-minimum phase plants

Model reference control design methods fail when the plant has one or more non-minimum phase zeros that are not included in the reference model, leading possibly to an unstable closed loop. This is a very serious problem for data-based control design methods, where the plant is typically unknown. In this paper, we extend the Virtual Reference Feedback Tuning method to non-minimum phase plants. This extension is based on the idea proposed in Lecchini and Gevers (2002) for Iterative Feedback Tuning. We present a simple two-step procedure that can cope with the situation where the unknown plant may or may not have non-minimum phase zeros.     

Treatment of malignant melanoma (clinical stages I and II) (author's transl)

The uncorrected cumulative five-year survival rate ("actuarial method") among 195 patients with infiltrative malignant melanoma of the skin was 58% (160 cases) in clinical stage I, 26% (35 cases) in clinical stage II. In addition to clinical staging, microstaging - i.e. the histologically determined depth of invasion of the primary tumour - is of great prognostic significance. In microstages 2 and 3 with the largest vertical tumour diameter below 0.76 mm, five-year survival rate was 100% while in microstage 3 with greater vertical tumour diameter it was 66% in microstage 4 55% and microstage 5 31%. Results of treatment can be reliably interpreted only if they are divided according to microstage. Propylactic dissection of the regional lymph-nodes (dissection in clinical stage I) need not be undertaken in microstages 2 and 3 with vertical tumours diameter below 0.76 mm. Whether prophylactic dissection was done in one or two sessions has apprarently no significant influence on survival rate. A single X-radiation dose to the primary tumour of 4 000 -6000 R immediately before excision of the tumour did not significantly increase the results. The results were particularly bad when the primary tumour was removed after inadequate manipulation.