A numerical study of a method for measuring the effective in situ sound absorption coefficient

The accuracy of a method [Wijnant et al., “Development and applica- tion of a new method for the in-situ measurement of sound absorption”, ISMA 31, Leuven, Belgium (2010).], for measurement of the effective area-averaged in situ sound absorption coefficient is investigated. Based on a local plane wave assump- tion, this method can be applied to sound fields for which a model is not available. Investigations were carried out by means of finite element simulations for a typical case. The results show that the method is a promising method for determining the effective area-averaged in situ sound absorption coefficient in complex sound fields

Adherence to surveillance guidelines after removal of colorectal adenomas: a large, community-based study

Objective To determine adherence to recommended surveillance intervals in clinical practice. Design 2997 successive patients with a first adenoma diagnosis (57% male, mean age 59 years) from 10 hospitals, who underwent colonoscopy between 1998 and 2002, were identified via Pathologisch Anatomisch Landelijk Geautomatiseerd Archief: Dutch Pathology Registry. Their medical records were reviewed until 1 December 2008. Time to and findings at first surveillance colonoscopy were assessed. A surveillance colonoscopy occurring within +/- 3 months of a 1-year recommended interval and +/- 6 months of a recommended interval of 2 years or longer was considered appropriate. The analysis was stratified by period per change in guideline (before 2002: 2-3 years for patients with 1 adenoma, annually otherwise; in 2002: 6 years for 1-2 adenomas, 3 years otherwise). We also assessed differences in adenoma and colorectal cancer recurrence rates by surveillance timing. Results Surveillance was inappropriate in 76% and 89% of patients diagnosed before 2002 and in 2002, respectively. Patients eligible under the pre-2002 guideline mainly received surveillance too late or were absent (57% of cases). For patients eligible under the 2002 guideline surveillance occurred mainly too early (48%). The rate of advanced neoplasia at surveillance was higher in patients with delayed surveillance compared with those with too early or appropriate timed surveillance (8% vs 4-5%, p<0.01). Conclusions There is much room for improving surveillance practice. Less than 25% of patients with adenoma receive appropriate surveillance. Such practice seriously hampers the effectiveness and efficiency of surveillance, as too early surveillance poses a considerable burden on available resources while delayed surveillance is associated with an increased rate of advanced adenoma and especially colorectal cancer

ARGES: Radial segregation and helical instabilities in metal halide lamps studied under microgravity conditions in the international space station

HID lamps (High-Intensity Discharge) are gaining ground in the lighting industry because of their very high energy efficiency (up to 40%). In these lamps, which are operated in the arc regime and which are contained in a ceramic balloon, filled with argon or xenon, mercury, and salts of various rare earth metals and iodine), de-mixing occurs. This de-mixing is driven by differences in diffusion velocities of molecules and atoms. Furthermore, helical instabilities might occur in the lamp. Both phenomena are severely modified under 1 G conditions: convection will bend a horizontally burning arc channel upwards, and a vertically burning arc channel will exhibit convective cells. This makes it impossible to study these phenomena on the ground. If a proper understanding of these phenomena is to be gained, experiments under microgravity are necessary. The main objectives of the experiment are: (1) determination of the critical factors for the onset of helical instabilities in HID lamps and (2) characterisation of the radial de-mixing processes by radially resolved high-resolution emission spectroscopy. To this end, special hardware has been designed and built which houses a very compact high-resolution spectrometer, a video camera and a caroussel with 20 lamps in it. The lamps are measured consecutively. The experiments have been performed successfully by the Dutch astronaut Andre´ Kuipers on board the International Space Station during the Dutch Soyuz Mission DELTA on 24 and 25 April 2004. Especially the helical instabilities part yielded immediate and surprising results: the arc channel does bend, but does not rotate under microgravity. This fact is very important in improving the performance of the lamps, especially since the instabilities occur mainly in the most efficient lamps. © Z-Tec Publishing, Bremen

Metal halide discharge lamps under micro gravity conditions

Metal Halide Lamps are very efficient light sources based on a mercury plasma arc with metal halide salt additions. In spite of their high efficiency the lamps suffer from colour separation and instabilities, which currently hinders a large-scale use. These phenomena are caused by a complex interaction of convection and diffusion flows in the plasma. In order to unravel the various contributions experiments under micro gravity have been performed, where convection is absent. In this contribution the experiments as well as some first results are presented

A mobile genetic element profoundly increases heat resistance of bacterial spores

Bacterial endospores are among the most resilient forms of life on earth and are intrinsically resistant to extreme environments and antimicrobial treatments. Their resilience is explained by unique cellular structures formed by a complex developmental process often initiated in response to nutrient deprivation. Although the macromolecular structures of spores from different bacterial species are similar, their resistance to environmental insults differs widely. It is not known which of the factors attributed to spore resistance confer very high-level heat resistance. Here, we provide conclusive evidence that in Bacillus subtilis, this is due to the presence of a mobile genetic element (Tn1546-like) carrying five predicted operons, one of which contains genes that encode homologs of SpoVAC, SpoVAD and SpoVAEb and four other genes encoding proteins with unknown functions. This operon, named spoVA(2mob), confers high-level heat resistance to spores. Deletion of spoVA(2mob) in a B. subtilis strain carrying Tn1546 renders heat-sensitive spores while transfer of spoVA(2mob) into B. subtilis 168 yields highly heat-resistant spores. On the basis of the genetic conservation of different spoVA operons among spore-forming species of Bacillaceae, we propose an evolutionary scenario for the emergence of extremely heat-resistant spores in B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and B. amyloliquefaciens. This discovery opens up avenues for improved detection and control of spore-forming bacteria able to produce highly heat-resistant spores.The ISME Journal advance online publication, 22 April 2016; doi:10.1038/ismej.2016.59