Coal desulfurization

A method for enhancing solubilizing mass transport of reactive agents into and out of carbonaceous materials, such as coal. Solubility parameters of mass transfer and solvent media are matched to individual peaks in the solubility parameter spectrum of coals to enhance swelling and/or dissolution. Methanol containing reactive agent carriers are found particularly effective for removing organic sulfur from coals by chlorinolysis

Identification of the plastic behavior of aluminum plates under free air explosions using inverse methods and full-field measurements

AbstractThis article describes an inverse method for the identification of the plastic behavior of aluminum plates subjected to sudden blast loads. The method uses full-field optical measurements taken during the first milliseconds of a free air explosion and the finite element method for the numerical prediction of the blast response. The identification is based on a damped least-squares solution according to the Levenberg–Marquardt formulation. Three different rate-dependent plasticity models are examined. First, a combined model based on linear strain hardening and the strain rate term of the Cowper–Symonds model, secondly, the Johnson–Cook model and finally, a combined model based on a bi-exponential relation for the strain hardening term and the strain rate term of the Cowper–Symonds model. A validation of the method and its sensitivity to measurement uncertainties is first provided according to virtual measurements generated with the finite element method. Next, the plastic behavior of aluminum is identified using measurements from real free air explosions obtained from a controlled detonation of C4. The results show that inverse methods can be successfully applied for the identification of the plastic behavior of metals subjected to blast waves. In addition, the material parameters identified with inverse methods enable the numerical prediction of the material’s response with increased accuracy

Роль эластографических методов для неинвазивной оценки распространенных хронических заболеваний печени

Centrul de Cercetare în Gastroenterologie şi Hepatologie, Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie, Craiova, România, Conferinţa Ştiinţifico-Practică „Medicina modernă, actualităţi şi perspective”, consacrată aniversării de 40 de ani ai Spitalului Clinic al Ministerului Sănătăţii, 27-28 mai, 2010, Chişinău, Republica MoldovaLiver biopsy is considered the procedure of choice at many centers for evaluation of hepatic fibrosis, despite the complications and discomfort suffered by patients. Modern non-invasive imaging methods for assessing liver fibrosis include ultrasound elastography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Since the introduction of magnetic resonance in medical practice, it has become a method of choice for the diagnosis and characterization of liver pathology (tumoral or diffuse type). Unidirectional elastography is the first imaging method for quantifying liver fibrosis introduced in clinical practice and the latest noninvasive method for assessing liver fibrosis. Being a new and promising method for assessing liver fibrosis, it is necessary to prove through extensive studies its real role in noninvasive assessment of hepatic fibrosi; and possibly in association with serological markers, it can completely replace liver biopsyВо многих центрах биопсия печени считается процедурой выбора для оценки фиброза печени, несмотря на сложности и неудобства для пациентов. Ультразвуковая эластография и магнитно-резонансная томография являются современными неинвазивными методами визуализации при оценке фиброза печени. С момента внедрения магнитно-резонансная томография стала методом выбора в диагностике и характеристике диффузных и опухолевых патологий печени. Однонаправленная эластография является первым методом количественной визуализации и оценки фиброза печени в клинической практике. На основе широких исследований остается доказать, что она может играть первостепенную роль в неинвазивной оценке фиброза печени и, возможно, этот метод может полностью заменить биопсию печени

Optimal Network QoS over the Internet of Vehicles for E-Health Applications

Wireless technologies are pervasive to support ubiquitous healthcare applications. However, a critical issue of using wireless communications under a healthcare scenario is the electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by RF transmission, and a high level of EMI may lead to a critical malfunction of medical sensors. In consideration of EMI on medical sensors, we study the optimization of quality of service (QoS) within the whole Internet of vehicles for E-health and propose a novel model to optimize the QoS by allocating the transmit power of each user. Our results show that the optimal power control policy depends on the objective of optimization problems: a greedy policy is optimal to maximize the summation of QoS of each user, whereas a fair policy is optimal to maximize the product of QoS of each user. Algorithms are taken to derive the optimal policies, and numerical results of optimizing QoS are presented for both objectives and QoS constraints

Activation of the innate immune receptor Dectin-1 upon formation of a 'phagocytic synapse'.

Innate immune cells must be able to distinguish between direct binding to microbes and detection of components shed from the surface of microbes located at a distance. Dectin-1 (also known as CLEC7A) is a pattern-recognition receptor expressed by myeloid phagocytes (macrophages, dendritic cells and neutrophils) that detects β-glucans in fungal cell walls and triggers direct cellular antimicrobial activity, including phagocytosis and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast to inflammatory responses stimulated upon detection of soluble ligands by other pattern-recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), these responses are only useful when a cell comes into direct contact with a microbe and must not be spuriously activated by soluble stimuli. In this study we show that, despite its ability to bind both soluble and particulate β-glucan polymers, Dectin-1 signalling is only activated by particulate β-glucans, which cluster the receptor in synapse-like structures from which regulatory tyrosine phosphatases CD45 and CD148 (also known as PTPRC and PTPRJ, respectively) are excluded (Supplementary Fig. 1). The 'phagocytic synapse' now provides a model mechanism by which innate immune receptors can distinguish direct microbial contact from detection of microbes at a distance, thereby initiating direct cellular antimicrobial responses only when they are required

Cloud computing: survey on energy efficiency

International audienceCloud computing is today’s most emphasized Information and Communications Technology (ICT) paradigm that is directly or indirectly used by almost every online user. However, such great significance comes with the support of a great infrastructure that includes large data centers comprising thousands of server units and other supporting equipment. Their share in power consumption generates between 1.1% and 1.5% of the total electricity use worldwide and is projected to rise even more. Such alarming numbers demand rethinking the energy efficiency of such infrastructures. However, before making any changes to infrastructure, an analysis of the current status is required. In this article, we perform a comprehensive analysis of an infrastructure supporting the cloud computing paradigm with regards to energy efficiency. First, we define a systematic approach for analyzing the energy efficiency of most important data center domains, including server and network equipment, as well as cloud management systems and appliances consisting of a software utilized by end users. Second, we utilize this approach for analyzing available scientific and industrial literature on state-of-the-art practices in data centers and their equipment. Finally, we extract existing challenges and highlight future research directions

Live Coding, Live Notation, Live Performance

This paper/demonstration explores relationships between code, notation including representation, visualisation and performance. Performative aspects of live coding activities are increasingly being investigated as the live coding movement continues to grow and develop. Although live instrumental performance is sometimes included as an accompaniment to live coding, it is often not a fully integrated part of the performance, relying on improvisation and/or basic indicative forms of notation with varying levels of sophistication and universality. Technologies are developing which enable the use of fully explicit music notations as well as more graphic ones, allowing more fully integrated systems of code in and as performance which can also include notations of arbitrary complexity. This itself allows the full skills of instrumental musicians to be utilised and synchronised in the process. This presentation/demonstration presents work and performances already undertaken with these technologies, including technologies for body sensing and data acquisition in the translation of the movements of dancers and musicians into synchronously performable notation, integrated by live and prepared coding. The author together with clarinetist Ian Mitchell present a short live performance utilising these techniques, discuss methods for the dissemination and interpretation of live generated notations and investigate how they take advantage of instrumental musicians’ training-related neuroplasticity skills