2,739 research outputs found
Monitoring of bed material in a biomass fluidized bed boiler using an electronic tongue
The thermal conversion of biomass fuel mixes in fluidized beds can cause agglomeration. To counteract agglomeration, bed material is gradually exchanged with virgin bed material, and this results in increased disposal of used bed material. Furthermore, the bed material exchange represents a costly option, as it involves a cost for virgin bed material, for landfill, and for unplanned downtime of the plant. This paper presents a novel method for the evaluation of bed material quality: the electronic tongue (ET). Evaluation of bed material quality can contribute toward decreasing the cost of unnecessary exchanges of bed material. The proposed method was tested on bed material sampled on an almost daily basis from a commercial fluidized bed boiler during several months of operation. A two-electrode ET was used for the evaluation of the bed material quality. The analysis relied on pulsed voltammetry measurements and multivariate data analysis with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results suggest that it is possible to follow bed material changes and that the ET, after further development, may be used to optimize the material flows connected to the bed material. Further research is being conducted to optimize the ET\u27s performance and its application in monitoring bed material
Anisotropic Nonstationary Image Estimation and Its Applications: Part I--Restoration of Noisy Images
Collagen type III alpha I is a gastro-oesophageal reflux disease susceptibility gene and a male risk factor for hiatus hernia
Published Online First 26 April 2009Background and objectives: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder with a genetic component. Our aim was to identify genetic factors associated with GORD. Patients and methods: Four separate patient cohorts were analysed using a step-wise approach. (1) Whole genome linkage analysis was performed in 36 families. (2) Candidate genes were tested for GORD association in a trio cohort. (3) Genetic association was replicated in a case–control cohort. We also investigated genetic association to hiatus hernia (HH). (4) Protein expression was analysed in oesophageal biopsies. Results: A region on chromosome 2, containing collagen type III alpha 1 (COL3A1), was identified (LOD = 3.3) in families with dominant transmission of GORD, stratified for hiatus hernia (HH). COL3A1 showed significant association with GORD in an independent paediatric trio cohort (pcorr = 0.003). The association was male specific (pcorr = 0.018). The COL3A1 association was replicated in an independent adult case control cohort (pcorr = 0.022). Moreover, male specific association to HH (pcorr = 0.019) was found for a SNP not associated to GORD. Collagen type III protein was more abundant in oesophageal biopsies from male patients with GORD (p = 0.03). Conclusion: COL3A1 is a disease-associated gene in both paediatric and adult GORD. Furthermore, we show that COL3A1 is genetically associated with HH in adult males. The GORD- and HH-associated alleles are different, indicating two separate mechanisms leading to disease. Our data provides new insight into GORD aetiology, identifying a connective tissue component and indicating a tissue remodelling mechanism in GORD. Our results implicate gender differences in the genetic risk for both for GORD and HH.B Åsling, J Jirholt, P Hammond, M Knutsson, A Walentinsson, G Davidson, L Agreus, A Lehmann, M Lagerström-Ferme
Introducing EMMIE: An evidence rating scale to encourage mixed-method crime prevention synthesis reviews
Objectives This short report describes the need for, and the development of, a coding system to distil the quality and coverage of systematic reviews of the evidence relating to crime prevention interventions. The starting point for the coding system concerns the evidence needs of policymakers and practitioners. Methods The coding scheme (EMMIE) proposed builds on previous scales that have been developed to assess the probity, coverage and utility of evidence both in health and criminal justice. It also draws on the principles of realist synthesis and review. Results The proposed EMMIE scale identifies five dimensions to which systematic reviews intended to inform crime prevention should speak. These are the Effect of intervention, the identification of the causal Mechanism(s) through which interventions are intended to work, the factors that Moderate their impact, the articulation of practical Implementation issues, and the Economic costs of intervention
The CCFM Monte Carlo generator CASCADE 2.2.0
CASCADE is a full hadron level Monte Carlo event generator for ep, \gamma p
and p\bar{p} and pp processes, which uses the CCFM evolution equation for the
initial state cascade in a backward evolution approach supplemented with off -
shell matrix elements for the hard scattering. A detailed program description
is given, with emphasis on parameters the user wants to change and variables
which completely specify the generated events
Generating patient specific pseudo-CT of the head from MR using atlas-based regression
Hyperbolic planforms in relation to visual edges and textures perception
We propose to use bifurcation theory and pattern formation as theoretical
probes for various hypotheses about the neural organization of the brain. This
allows us to make predictions about the kinds of patterns that should be
observed in the activity of real brains through, e.g. optical imaging, and
opens the door to the design of experiments to test these hypotheses. We study
the specific problem of visual edges and textures perception and suggest that
these features may be represented at the population level in the visual cortex
as a specific second-order tensor, the structure tensor, perhaps within a
hypercolumn. We then extend the classical ring model to this case and show that
its natural framework is the non-Euclidean hyperbolic geometry. This brings in
the beautiful structure of its group of isometries and certain of its subgroups
which have a direct interpretation in terms of the organization of the neural
populations that are assumed to encode the structure tensor. By studying the
bifurcations of the solutions of the structure tensor equations, the analog of
the classical Wilson and Cowan equations, under the assumption of invariance
with respect to the action of these subgroups, we predict the appearance of
characteristic patterns. These patterns can be described by what we call
hyperbolic or H-planforms that are reminiscent of Euclidean planar waves and of
the planforms that were used in [1, 2] to account for some visual
hallucinations. If these patterns could be observed through brain imaging
techniques they would reveal the built-in or acquired invariance of the neural
organization to the action of the corresponding subgroups.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figures, 2 table
Restoring Rangelands for Nutrition and Health for Humans and Livestock
Drylands cover 40% of the global land area and host 2 billion people, of which 90% live in low- or middleincome countries. Drylands often face severe land degradation, low agricultural productivity, rapid population growth, widespread poverty, and poor health. Governance structures and institutions are often eroded. Livestock-based livelihoods, largely depending on seasonal migration are common. Pastoralist communities and their land are highly vulnerable to climate shocks, while there are also changes in land tenure, insecurity/conflicts and rapid infrastructure development. Drylands Transform is an interdisciplinary research project revolving around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project aim is to contribute new knowledge to a transformative change and sustainable development of drylands in East Africa to help escape the ongoing negative spiral of land, livestock and livelihood degradation. We investigate the links between land health, livelihoods, human well-being, and land management and governance with several study sites along the Kenya-Uganda border. Through strong stakeholder engagement we will explore challenges and pathways towards a social-ecological transformation in these drylands. The entry point is the urgent need to identify and enhance synergies between food and nutrition security (SDG2), land and ecosystem health (SDG15) and governance and justice (SDG16) for sustainable dryland development, aiming to improve health and equity (SDGs 3 and 5), while minimizing trade-offs between agricultural productivity, natural resources management and climate change. We are using innovative field research approaches focusing on livelihood improvement through rangeland (grazing areas) restoration and governance interventions. We will present results from the initial work to assess land health using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework and explore the links with human health and well-being through household survey data. We will also show how we will co-develop sustainable dryland management options (e.g., field experiments with fodder grasses and shrubs) with local communities and set-up knowledge sharing hubs
Small x Phenomenology: summary of the 3rd Lund Small x Workshop in 2004
A third workshop on small-x physics, within the Small-x Collaboration, was held in Hamburg in May 2004 with the aim of overviewing recent theoretical progress in this area and summarizing the experimental status.A third workshop on small-x physics, within the Small-x Collaboration, was held in Hamburg in May 2004 with the aim of overviewing recent theoretical progress in this area and summarizing the experimental status
- …