Development of a Continuous Segmented Flow Tubular Reactor and the “Scale‐out” Concept – In Search of Perfect Powders

The synthesis of powders with controlled shape and narrow particle size distributions is still a major challenge for many industries. A continuous Segmented Flow Tubular Reactor (SFTR) has been developed to overcome homogeneity and scale‐up problems encountered when using batch reactors. Supersaturation is created by mixing the co‐reactants in a micromixer inducing precipitation; the suspension is then segmented into identical micro‐volumes by a non‐miscible fluid and sent through a tube. These micro‐volumes are more homogeneous when compared to large batch reactors leading to narrower size distributions, better particle morphology, polymorph selectivity and stoichiometry. All these features have been demonstrated on single tube SFTR for different chemical systems. To increase productivity for commercial application the SFTR is being “scaled‐out” by multiplying the number of tubes running in parallel instead of scaling‐up by increasing their size. The versatility of the multi‐tube unit will allow changes in type of precipitate with a minimum of new investment as new chemistry can be researched, developed and optimised in a single tube SFTR and then transferred to the multi‐tube unit for powder production.     

Improving Communication in E-democracy Using Natural Language Processing

E-democracy, the design and development of new techniques for improving communication between public administration and citizens, is a major application field for natural language processing and language engineering. Helping citizens access information in a friendly, intuitive way is the primary objective of a global e-democracy framework. The E-democracy European Network project (EDEN) aimed at discovering whether a particular NLP (natural language processing) approach could further e-democracy by increasing citizens' participation in the decision-making process. The goal was twofold: to test whether e-democracy requirements could be meet using advanced linguistic technology and to test whether augmented phrase structure grammars (APSGs) were robust and well-assessed enough to use in a real-world environment. Also, the aim is to develop two toolsets to improve communication between PAs and citizens in the context of urban planning: a set of NLP-based tools to simplify access to information and knowledge and a set of forum and polling devices     

In vitro short-term response of human erythrocytes to implant materials used in maxillo-facial rigid internal fixation

A number of retinal proteins are phosphorylated by a variety of kinases, resulting in well-known regulatory effects. The identity and role of corresponding phosphatases is less clear. We simultaneously measured the activity of serine/ threonine protein phosphatases type 1, 2A and 2C in bovine retinae. The enzymes were classified according to substrate specificity, divalent cation requirement and the effect of phosphatase subtype-specific inhibitors. The total- and specific activity of phosphatase type 2A was prevalent. Type 2C was 10-fold less abundant. 80% of type 1 and 50% of type 2A and type 2C, respectively, were soluble. An economic purification scheme was developed. We demonstrated the presence of phosphatase isozymes 2Calpha and 2Cbeta in bovine rod outer segments by enzymatic analysis as well as immunological techniques. The results suggest a yet unknown role of phosphatase type 2C in phototransduction. On the other hand, the immense amount of protein phosphatases found to be soluble - therefore not associated with rod outer segment membranes - points towards participation of these enzymes in the process of visual transduction not considered thus far.     

Cerebral dominance and asynchrony between bimanual two-dimensional movements.

The asynchrony of bimanual movements was investigated. Right- and left-handers traced simple geometrical patterns (ellipses) continuously with both hands. All combinations of the direction of rotation in each hand were executed at different rhythms. Geometrically, performances were largely independent of manual dominance. However, by comparing the passage times at homologous positions, the authors found that the dominant hand led the nondominant one by about 25 msec. The asynchrony was affected by neither movement type nor rhythm. The variability of the asynchrony varied along the trajectory, with well-defined maxima and minima. The variability profiles for movements that engaged homologous muscles differed markedly from those that engaged nonhomologous muscles. The authors discuss the hypotheses that bimanual periodic movements are timed by a lateralized functional module and that asynchrony is due to the necessity of transmitting time-keeping information to the other hemisphere. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bioprocess applications of model-based estimation techniques

The last decade has seen the development of a number of approaches for estimating those variables which are difficult to measure on-line in industrial process situations. Whilst a range of techniques is available, a common element is the use of process knowledge in the form of a system model. In the case of bioprocess systems, although a large range of models has been presented in the literature, their use in estimation schemes on an industrial scale has been limited. A number of reasons can be identified for their low level of utilisation. Of particular significance is the uncertainty which exists in quantifying system performance and the process-model mismatch which inevitably results. The level of ‘pre-defined model’ uncertainty, together with the knowledge gained during the course of the fermentation, serves to dictate estimator structure. The paper considers a range of estimation strategies and contrasts, through industrial applications, their performance characteristics and utility.     

An infrastructure for smart hospitals

In healthcare facilities most of the daily activities require strict coordination between clinicians, who often operate under heavy workloads and minimal workforce conditions in environments filled with increasingly complex technology. Ubiquitous Computing applications constitute a suitable solution for both reducing medical costs and improving patient safety by better supporting clinical processes. In this study we introduce an intelligent infrastructure for smart hospitals which implements basic services to optimize medical staff/patient interactions and grants ubiquitous and transparent access to clinical data stored in standard clinical databases. This infrastructure relies on the integration of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) and photosensor technologies to identify, locate and track clinicians and patients equipped with mobile devices and wearable RFID tags.