Manufacturing Aspects of Active Acoustic Lining panel

This paper shows the technical aspects and the progress of manufacturing a lining concept with actuators and sensors for noise reduction within the cabin of aircraft with CROR engine. The structural integration, the repair possibilities and the serial production of such a lining are focused

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of Polish version of Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire (NPQ-PL) and its comparisons with different questionnaires

Aim of the study. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Polish version of the Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire (NPQ-PL), and to compare it to other diagnostic tools. Clinical rationale for the study. Neuropathic pain is a burdensome condition, of which the exact prevalence is difficult to estimate. During initial screening, pain questionnaires are helpful in alerting clinicians about the need for further evaluation. Material and methods. The NPQ-PL has been developed following the guidelines for translation and cultural adaptation. A total of 140 patients with chronic pain (ChP), 90 with neuropathic pain (NP), and 50 with nociceptive pain (NoP), were enrolled into this study. Results. The study group consisted of 60.71% women and 39.29% men; the mean age of patients (standard deviation, SD) was 53.22 years (15.81), and the average NPQ-PL score (SD) was 0.49 (1.27). Statistically significant relationships were found between higher age distribution and greater pain intensity in the NP group compared to the NoP group. There were also significant differences in pain levels between people of different ages, with the predominance in the elderly. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the whole questionnaire was 0.85 and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for test-retest reliability was 0.635. Using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.97 and the best cut-off value was 0.002, which resulted in the highest sensitivity (93.3%) and specificity (96.0%). Conclusions and clinical implications. The NPQ-PL is a valid tool for discriminating between neuropathic and nociceptive pain. It can be used by physicians of various disciplines when assessing patients with ChP of various origins

Towards a Lining Integrated Active Structural Acoustic Control System

For future aircraft counter-rotating open rotor (CROR) engines are a promising technology to reduce their CO2 footprint. Since the contribution of CROR engines to the cabin noise is higher than for jet engines, new strategies for the reduction of noise transmissions for frequency bands below 500 Hz are necessary. Active structural acoustic control (ASAC) systems are capable to reduce sound transmission of lining structures in this bandwidth. Sensors measure the vibrations of the lining to estimate its sound emission into the cabin. Based on these signals a controller calculates force signals for actuators on the lining. The actuator forces change the vibration behaviour of the lining in order to reduce its sound emission. For the realization of such a system in a real aircraft, manufacturing and maintenance issues have to be addressed. Within work package 3 of the EU project ACASIAS an aircraft lining with an integrated ASAC system is developed. The size of the lining is app. 1300 x 1690 mm2 (W x H) and it is simply curved. The radius of 2980 mm makes it relevant for a twin-aisle aircraft like the Airbus A350. The focus of research activities lies on the integration of components and the industrial manufacturing process of the lining. The components to be integrated are sensors, actuators and the corresponding wiring. A concept is proposed where each actuator and sensor is encapsulated in a kind of insert. The inserts smoothly integrate into the manufacturing process of the lining while they protect the actuators and sensors from humidity, dust, etc. The maintenance aspect is covered by the option to change each actuator or sensor upon insert level. The integrated wiring of the lining is left unaffected during an actuator or sensor replacement since connectors in each insert allow a nearly tool-free assembly/disassembly. In this paper the progress of work package 3 is presented at a detailed design review (DDR) stage. Finally, the lining will be manufactured and equipped with a full ASAC system. Experiments will be conducted in the acoustic transmission loss facility at the DLR

From Design Towards Manufacturing of Winglets with Integrated VHF Antenna

This paper shows the technical aspects and the progress of manufacturing a winglet concept with integrated VHF antenna

Prospective risk of stillbirth and neonatal complications in twin pregnancies: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risks of stillbirth and neonatal complications by gestational age in uncomplicated monochorionic and dichorionic twin pregnancies. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases (until December 2015). REVIEW METHODS: Databases were searched without language restrictions for studies of women with uncomplicated twin pregnancies that reported rates of stillbirth and neonatal outcomes at various gestational ages. Pregnancies with unclear chorionicity, monoamnionicity, and twin to twin transfusion syndrome were excluded. Meta-analyses of observational studies and cohorts nested within randomised studies were undertaken. Prospective risk of stillbirth was computed for each study at a given week of gestation and compared with the risk of neonatal death among deliveries in the same week. Gestational age specific differences in risk were estimated for stillbirths and neonatal deaths in monochorionic and dichorionic twin pregnancies after 34 weeks' gestation. RESULTS: 32 studies (29 685 dichorionic, 5486 monochorionic pregnancies) were included. In dichorionic twin pregnancies beyond 34 weeks (15 studies, 17 830 pregnancies), the prospective weekly risk of stillbirths from expectant management and the risk of neonatal death from delivery were balanced at 37 weeks' gestation (risk difference 1.2/1000, 95% confidence interval -1.3 to 3.6; I(2)=0%). Delay in delivery by a week (to 38 weeks) led to an additional 8.8 perinatal deaths per 1000 pregnancies (95% confidence interval 3.6 to 14.0/1000; I(2)=0%) compared with the previous week. In monochorionic pregnancies beyond 34 weeks (13 studies, 2149 pregnancies), there was a trend towards an increase in stillbirths compared with neonatal deaths after 36 weeks, with an additional 2.5 per 1000 perinatal deaths, which was not significant (-12.4 to 17.4/1000; I(2)=0%). The rates of neonatal morbidity showed a consistent reduction with increasing gestational age in monochorionic and dichorionic pregnancies, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit was the commonest neonatal complication. The actual risk of stillbirth near term might be higher than reported estimates because of the policy of planned delivery in twin pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: To minimise perinatal deaths, in uncomplicated dichorionic twin pregnancies delivery should be considered at 37 weeks' gestation; in monochorionic pregnancies delivery should be considered at 36 weeks. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42014007538

Nowe podejście do oceny jakości metod interpolacji niewielkich i zróżnicowanych zestawów danych

Badania dotyczą alternatywnego podejścia do oceny jakości metod interpolacji niewielkich i zróżnicowanych zestawów danych. Podstawowa analiza statystyczna oparta na klasycznej walidacji krzyżowej nie zawsze daje jednoznaczne wnioski. W przypadku analizowanego zestawu danych (niezgodnego z rozkładem normalnym) trzy metody interpolacji zostały wybrane jako najlepsze (zgodnie z procedurą klasycznej walidacji krzyżowej). Niemniej jednak mapy powstałe na podstawie tych metod wyraźnie się od siebie różnią. To jest powód, dla którego dogłębna analiza statystyczna była konieczna. Zaproponowano alternatywne podejście do tego zagadnienia, które uwzględnia szersze spektrum parametrów opisujących badany zestaw danych. Głównym założeniem tej metodyki jest porównanie nie tylko odchylenia standardowego estymatora, ale również trzech dodatkowych parametrów. To powoduje, iż końcowa ocena jest znacznie dokładniejsza. Analizę wykonano za pomocą programu Surfer (Golden Software). Zapewnia on możliwość wykorzystania wielu metod interpolacji wraz z różnorakimi, regulowanymi parametrami.The research concerns an alternative approach to the evaluation of interpolation methods for mapping small and imbalanced data sets. A basic statistical analysis of the standard cross-validation procedure is not always conclusive. In the case of the investigated data set (which is inconsistent with normal distribution), three interpolation methods have been selected as the most reliable (according to standard cross-validation). However, maps resulting from the aforementioned methods clearly differ from each other. This is the reason why a comprehensive statistical analysis of the studied data is a necessity. We propose an alternative approach that evaluates a broadened scope of parameters describing the data distribution. The general idea of the methodology is to compare not only the standard deviation of the estimator but also three additional parameters to make the final assessment much more accurate. The analysis has been carried out with the use of Golden Software Surfer. It provides a wide range of interpolation methods and numerous adjustable parameters