Reduced basis isogeometric mortar approximations for eigenvalue problems in vibroacoustics

We simulate the vibration of a violin bridge in a multi-query context using reduced basis techniques. The mathematical model is based on an eigenvalue problem for the orthotropic linear elasticity equation. In addition to the nine material parameters, a geometrical thickness parameter is considered. This parameter enters as a 10th material parameter into the system by a mapping onto a parameter independent reference domain. The detailed simulation is carried out by isogeometric mortar methods. Weakly coupled patch-wise tensorial structured isogeometric elements are of special interest for complex geometries with piecewise smooth but curvilinear boundaries. To obtain locality in the detailed system, we use the saddle point approach and do not apply static condensation techniques. However within the reduced basis context, it is natural to eliminate the Lagrange multiplier and formulate a reduced eigenvalue problem for a symmetric positive definite matrix. The selection of the snapshots is controlled by a multi-query greedy strategy taking into account an error indicator allowing for multiple eigenvalues

Analogue peptides for the immunotherapy of human acute myeloid leukemia

Accepted manuscript. The final publication is available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00262-015-1762-9The use of peptide vaccines, enhanced by adjuvants, has shown some efficacy in clinical trials. However, responses are often short-lived and rarely induce notable memory responses. The reason is that self-antigens have already been presented to the immune system as the tumor develops, leading to tolerance or some degree of host tumor cell destruction. To try to break tolerance against self-antigens, one of the methods employed has been to modify peptides at the anchor residues to enhance their ability to bind major histocompatibility complex molecules, extending their exposure to the T-cell receptor. These modified or analogue peptides have been investigated as stimulators of the immune system in patients with different cancers with variable but sometimes notable success. In this review we describe the background and recent developments in the use of analogue peptides for the immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia describing knowledge useful for the application of analogue peptide treatments for other malignancies

The Acceptable Limits of State Interference in Private Property Rights During Periods of Economic Crisis

The power of the state to compulsorily acquire the privately held real property of citizens is recognised in numerous developed democracies. However, the exercise of this power remains extremely controversial. In most jurisdictions the state’s power to compulsorily acquire private property is limited to instances of necessary public good. In many instances, such as hospitals or railways, a necessary public good is clearly identifiable. However, successive United States Supreme Court judgments have expanded the definition of public good to include redevelopment which is primarily to the benefit of another private party. The Supreme Court judgment in Kelo v. City of New London sparked a political outcry which led to severe limitations being placed on the power of state authorities to compulsorily acquire property for private redevelopment. Given the jurisprudence of the Irish Supreme Court in cases such as Clinton v An Bord Pleanála and others it is likely that the attitude of the Irish courts would be similar to that of their American counterparts in Kelo. Proponents of the Coase Theorem argue that the state should take a secondary role in such property disputes, leaving resolution to be achieved through private bargaining between the parties. However, this approach is predicated on an illusion of minimal transaction cost. The effectiveness of such an approach also declines as the distance between the parties to the transaction increases. Furthermore, property rights cannot be understood in purely economic terms. The role of law must be to delineate property rights in a manner which takes account of, and balances, private economic and other arguments such as community cohesion, economic development and social justice concerns

Heterogeneity assessment of functional T cell avidity.

The potency of cellular immune responses strongly depends on T cell avidity to antigen. Yet, functional avidity measurements are rarely performed in patients, mainly due to the technical challenges of characterizing heterogeneous T cells. The mean functional T cell avidity can be determined by the IFN-γ Elispot assay, with titrated amounts of peptide. Using this assay, we developed a method revealing the heterogeneity of functional avidity, represented by the steepness/hillslope of the peptide titration curve, documented by proof of principle experiments and mathematical modeling. Our data show that not only natural polyclonal CD8 T cell populations from cancer patients, but also monoclonal T cells differ strongly in their heterogeneity of functional avidity. Interestingly, clones and polyclonal cells displayed comparable ranges of heterogeneity. We conclude that besides the mean functional avidity, it is feasible and useful to determine its heterogeneity (hillslope) for characterizing T cell responses in basic research and patient investigation

Structure of human carbonic anhydrase B: I. Crystallization and heavy atom modifications

Human carbonic anhydrase B has been crystallized from 2.3 M-ammonium sulphate solution at pH 8.7. A method for reproducible crystallization is presented. The crystals are suitable for high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies. They belong to the orthorhombic space group P 212121 with cell dimensions a = 81.5 Å, B = 73.6 Å, C = 37.1Å. The position of the essential zinc ion has been established from two projections. The zinc ion has been replaced by mercury to form one of the heavy atom derivatives

Autonomous robotic rock breaking using a real‐time 3D visual perception system

Crushing of blasted ore is an essential phase in extraction of valuable minerals in mining industry. It is typically performed in multiple stages with each stage producing finer fragmentation. Performance and throughput of the first stage of crushing is highly dependent on the size distribution of the blasted ore. In the crushing plant, a metal grate prevents oversized boulders from getting into the crusher jaws, and a human-controlled hydraulic manipulator equipped with a rock hammer is required to break oversized boulders and ensure continuous material flow. This secondary breaking task is event-based in the sense that ore trucks deliver boulders at irregular intervals, thus requiring constant human supervision to ensure continuous material flow and prevent blockages. To automatize such breaking tasks, an intelligent robotic control system along with a visual perception system (VPS) is essential. In this manuscript, we propose an autonomous breaker system that includes a VPS capable of detecting multiple irregularly shaped rocks, a robotic control system featuring a decision-making mechanism for determining the breaking order when dealing with multiple rocks, and a comprehensive manipulator control system. We present a proof of concept for an autonomous robotic boulder breaking system, which consists of a stereo-camera-based VPS and an industrial rock-breaking manipulator robotized with our retrofitted system design. The experiments in this study were conducted in a real-world setup, and the results were evaluated based on the success rates of breaking. The experiments yielded an average success rate of 34% and a break pace of 3.3 attempts per minute.publishedVersionPeer reviewe