Removing zero-volume parts from CAD models for layeredmanufacturing

CAD models for automated manufacturing should describe solids as mathematically regularized sets. The technique presented clears STL files of zero-volume parts that violate the definition of a regularized set     

Five-year experience with setup and implementation of an integrated database system for clinical documentation and research

In radiation oncology, where treatment concepts are elaborated in interdisciplinary collaborations, handling distributed, large heterogeneous amounts of data efficiently is very important, yet challenging, for an optimal treatment of the patient as well as for research itself. This becomes a strong focus, as we step into the era of modern personalized medicine, relying on various quantitative data information, thus involving the active contribution of multiple medical specialties. Hence, combining patient data from all involved information systems is inevitable for analyses. Therefore, we introduced a documentation and data management system integrated in the clinical environment for electronic data capture. We discuss our concept and five-year experience of a precise electronic documentation system, with special focus on the challenges we encountered. We specify how such a system can be designed and implemented to plan, tailor and conduct (multicenter) clinical trials, ultimately reaching the best clinical performance, and enhancing interdisciplinary and clinical research.     

Prototypical implementation of location-aware services based on a middleware architecture for super-distributed RFID tag infrastructures

We provide evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of a middleware architecture for mobile devices (MoDs), which employs dense distributions of small computerized entities for providing fault-tolerant location-aware services. We do so by describing exemplary implementations based on radio frequency identification as an enabling technology. Firstly, we present prototypical implementations of the hardware abstraction layer and of selected core middleware services. The latter enable a MoD to store and retrieve data and position information in physical places in a fault-tolerant manner, and to identify places based on a location abstraction which is robust against failure of individual tags. Secondly, we investigate the feasibility of some higher-level services and applications by developing and evaluating prototypical systems for tracing and tracking, self-positioning, and collaborative map-making.

Zyklisches Werkstoffverhalten sprühkompaktierter Aluminiumwerkstoffe. Kennwerte für die Bauteilbemessung: Von der Probe zum Bauteil

The fatigue behaviour of spray compacted aluminium materials. Material properties for component design data: From specimen to component. Spray compacted, high performance aluminium alloys (DISPAL = DISpersion hardened Aluminium) are characterised by their high strength, high Young’s modulus, good wear resistance and low coefficient of thermal expansion. These properties vindicate both the application of these materials and the increasing interest of the automobile manufacturers. Within the framework of a bilateral project, tests were carried out by varying different parameters under both strain‐ and load‐controlled conditions in order to describe the fatigue behaviour of these materials.     

Microstructure of the HMX‐Based PBX KS32 after Mechanical Loading

Non‐destructive X‐ray diffraction techniques were applied in order to monitor the influence of mechanical and shock‐loading on the microstructure of the plastic‐bonded high explosive KS32. The investigations uncovered damage to embedded coarse HMX crystals and to the binder system HTPB‐IPDI. Damage to the crystals occurred already during the kneading process in terms of deformation twinning. On higher loading between 400 MPa (static) and 480 MPa (dynamic) also crystal fracture was observed. The change in the binder structure was found after both static and dynamic loading, but not in the cured, differently kneaded samples. Moreover, the change in binder structure after dynamic loading was verified by dynamic mechanical analysis, and interpreted as a partial damage of the binder rubber shell around the explosive particles. The results are compared to literature data from imaging techniques.     

Aging Behavior of Propellants investigated by heat generation,stabilizer consumption,and molar mass degradation

Four double-base rocket propellants and a single-base gun propellant were tested to find out stabilizer consumption molar mass degradation, and heat generation between 50 °C and 90 °C and between 40 °C and 110 °C, respectively. Stabilizer depletion was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), molar mass degradation by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and heat generation by microcalorimetry. The conditioning times at different temperatures were determined with one of the rocket propellants, and the influence of the long-term storage on heat generation at 60 °C for 2191 dys was investigated. A correlated experiment between stabilizer consumption and heat generation showed that heat production does not increase substantially until the stabilizer has been consumed almost completely. The experimental data of molar mass degradation are described by a kinetic model based on statistical chain scission, and the stabilizer decrease by a first order reaction. For the gun propellant the Arrhenius plots of the reaction rate constants show two temperatures of teh stabilizer consumption, molar mass degradation and heat generation were determined.     

Comparison of 3 Spectrophotometric Methods for Carotenoid Determination in Frequently Consumed Fruits and Vegetables

ABSTRACT: Carotenoids are C-40 tetraterpenoid compounds with potential health beneficial effects. Major dietary sources include a variety of fruits and vegetables. Rapid screening methods are therefore desired, but their accuracy varies depending on the carotenoid profile and the matrix of the plant food. In the present study, 3 different methods were compared, all based on a rapid extraction protocol and spectrophotometric measurements to determine the total amount carotenoids present in fruits and vegetables (n = 28), either with or without chlorophyll. Published methods (a) Lichtenthaler and (b) Hornero-Méndez and Mínguez-Mosquera were compared with a newly developed method (method c) based on the average molar absorption coefficient (135310 Lcm⁻¹mol⁻¹) and wavelength (450 nm in acetone), for the 5 predominant carotenoid species (beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lycopene, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin) in the investigated foods. All results were compared to HPLC (method d). To avoid overestimating carotenoid concentrations due to chlorophyll A and B presence, the effect of saponification was studied for all methods. Overall, saponification led to significant carotenoid losses (12.6 ± 0.9%). Methods a, b, c, and d yielded 5.1 ± 0.4 mg/100 g, 4.6 ± 0.5 mg/100 g, 4.3 ± 0.5 mg/100 g, and 4.2 ± 0.5 mg/100 g total carotenoids, respectively, with method a leading to significant higher mean concentrations compared to all other methods (P < 0.001, Bonferroni) with methods b and c being not significantly different and highly correlated compared to HPLC (> r = 0.95). Similar results were found when stratifying for chlorophyll content and fruits compared with vegetables, however, accuracy varied for individual fruits, highlighting the limitation to use the same method for all plant foods. Practical Application: This study presents a comparison of various rapid spectrophotometric measurements to determine total carotenoid content in various fruits and vegetables and could aid in the selection of the appropriate method for individual plant foods with different carotenoid profile and matrices.     

Total internal reflection fluorescence and electrocapillary investigations of adsorption at a H2O-dichloroethane electrochemical interface. 1. Low-frequency behavior

Total internal reflection fluorescence and electrocapillary measurements are employed to provide complementary potential-dependent information about the mechanical and photophysical properties of the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions, 1,2-dichloroethane-H2O. Adsorption of the zwitterionic amphiphile, di-N-butylaminonaphthylethenylpyridiniumpropylsulfonate (I) produces an interface with mechanical (interfacial tension) and charge transport properties qualitatively like the unmodified interface. Addition of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) to the organic phase produces an interface dominated by DLPC adsorption and drastically alters the potential dependence of the interfacial tension, gamma, the interfacial excess populations, GammaI, the charge transport, and the fluorescence response from I. This result is explained in terms of a potential-dependent protonation of the DLPC at the interface, which causes it to desorb, and a competition for interfacial sites between DLPC and protonated and unprotonated dye I. Protonation of DLPC results in a rise in gamma, which is correlated with an increase in transport of the organic-phase anion tetraphenylborate, TPB-, and an increase in interfacially excited fluorescence from I. Both results are explained by a model in which the mechanical properties of the interface, as determined by the interfacial DLPC population, direct the ability of other species to transfer across TPB- or adsorb to I the interface.     

Algebraic relations between system response and system parameters for linear time-invariant systems

By means of a rational-fraction approximation to the delay function, and through use of a generalised technique for evaluating convolution integrals, it is possible to approximately evaluate the inverse Laplace transform. The time-domain response is approximated by a ratio of polynomials in t, with coefficients which are algebraic functions of the system parameters.