Computational bioseparation process development

With the increase in computational power over the last decades, the use of modeling and simulation in process design for (petro)chemical industry has become common ground. Computational tools like ASPEN are standard in the design and operational analysis of (petro)chemical plants. However, in the bio pharmaceutical field, such modeling and simulation techniques are only recently being investigated for use and (potential) implementation. Being the workhorse of purification in the biopharmaceutical industry, chromatography is a good candidate for this modeling approach. Detailed mechanistic models describing chromatographic separation behavior are available, and software to simulate chromatography is becoming more and more available (i.e. DelftChrom, CADET, etc.). A bioseparation process normally consists of multiple chromatographic and conditioning steps, hence, an extreme large design space needs to be investigated. This may lead to prohibitive simulation times, even on state-of-the-art fast computers, when only mechanistic models are used. This presentation will show the implementation of a hybrid bioseparation process design approach using a combination of mechanistic models, artificial neural networks and high throughput experimentation for process development and optimization of the production of industrial relevant biologicals

A Broken Mirror Held to History’s Face On the Narrative Use of Computer Screens, Multi Screen Experiences, and a Transmedia Theoretical Console in the Popular Assassin’s Creed Series

This paper presents media theorist Nanna Verhoeff’s concept of the theoretical console, as a popular and overt form of transmedia narrative. The theoretical console is taken to be a transmedia assemblage that draws attention to itself, as comprising diverse and meaningful media objects, that can be connected in a shared narrative. My main examples of this concept here are those popular video games that spatially juxtapose several types of computer screens and computer uses, with a narrative emphasis. With extensive references to theory on screened media and on transmedia narratives, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is my main example case study. Specifically, this game and its series peers encourage historiographic contemplations, by assembling a theoretical console across several media forms. Other popular video games from that series provide variations of this same transmedia constellation, this “theoretical console”. In its transmedia constellation, with a second screen mobile phone app, and other complementary screen media, the fictionalized history of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag implicates elements from its actual reality, across various forms of engagement. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag presents a high fidelity historical fiction, to be comprehensively enacted. It mirrors the player’s use of differing computer screens diegetically within playable frame story sections. In addition, the complementary affordances of the mobile phone app, and integrated social media websites, all encourage its player to stay involved in this fictional world, even outside immediate play. With this, the game draws many activities into a single transmedial fiction constellation. Moreover, the game diegetically references online repositories for both its fictionalized history, and actual history. This use of computer screens, to form a transmedia constellation in the form of an overt theoretical console, is shown to complement this popular game’s hypermediative narrative of a fictional shadow war secretly driving actual human history, which then meaningfully posits how to theorize history in our everyday lives

ASODPOP: Making Open DPOP Asynchronous

In this paper we show how ODPOP can be adapted to an asynchronous environment where agents might have to decide their values before the algorithm has ended, giving us Asynchronous ODPOP (ASODPOP). We have compared the algorithm with both ADOPT and distributed local search (DSA). Compared to ADOPT we show that our approach sends fewer messages, converges to a reasonable solution faster, and uses an equal amount of NCCCs. We also show that this convergence is much faster than local search, whilst the solution that local search converges to is far from optimal

External Beam Alignment System for Quantitative Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) Spectroscopy

The effects of pollution on the ecosystem are paramount in our society, permeating air, soil, and drinking water. One contaminant of concern is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also referred to as forever chemicals , which contains fluorine (F), a potentially harmful element to humans. To investigate pollution in the environment, it is necessary to make accurate measurements of the distribution and concentrations of these PFAS chemicals. To do this, soil samples are collected and analyzed using Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) via the Union College Ion Beam Analysis Laboratory\u27s (UCIBAL) particle accelerator. A 2.2 MeV proton beam comes into contact with a sample and that sample emits gamma-rays which allows for the identification of elements, specifically fluorine. To get an accurate concentration of fluorine in any particular sample, the charge incident on the sample and the solid angle between the target and detector is needed. The charge is measured via a Faraday cup, however accuracy of the solid angle requires a precision target system to align the proton beam, sample, and detector. An Ultimaker 3D printer was utilized for the construction of the alignment system with designs made in AutoDesk 360. We will highlight the design considerations, including dimensions, thought process, failures and successes, of a new target system built to enable fluorine concentration measurements

What factors influence demotivation in Finnish language learners?:an exploratory study-related events and motivational factors

Abstract. An ever-globalizing world places further emphasis on the need for language skills that are essential for international communication. The complexity and motivation involved with language acquisition can be daunting, dissuading learners and threatening the engagement of language learning. Understanding the learner’s motivation is a crucial factor in creating an effective learning environment that caters to the student’s needs. As there are plenty of studies focusing on learners of English as foreign language, but not about those who are attempting to learn Finnish, the aim of this qualitative study is to explore experiences deemed to be demotivating as reported by learners of Finnish. This was achieved by asking the following research questions: What are the demotivating elements described by Finnish Language learners during a five-week case study? How are the reported demotivating experiences influencing the overall motivation of students? Dörnyei’s (2009) Active motivation theories and categories influenced by Sakai & Kikuchi (2009) as a cornerstone, this research delves into analyzing Finnish language learner’s motivational aspects in comparison to the already established research on English language learner’s motivation. Analyzing differences in demotivators based on implemented languages and speaker population size. This study analyzed the overall motivation and self-reported demotivational events of eight Finnish language learners over a five-week study. Participants detailed their weekly levels of motivation for learning Finnish, as well as events they encountered that could be deemed to be demotivating. Students were all university-level and participating in Finnish language courses on their own volition. Descriptions were analyzed and classified into categories, identifying key factors of the reported events. Results indicate that, while there are no unique phenomena in language learning demotivation related to Finnish language learners, they find themselves experiencing similar types of demotivation as English learners. Reported intensity of demotivational effects of events in different categories differs from that of English learners, however. Therefore, motivation doesn’t behave identically in every language and results suggest that such circumstances should be considered during the teaching and learning process

Design/Use of the Remotely Operated Bakeout Box Shutter (ROBBS)

A thermal vacuum box bakeout and certification allows orbital payloads to be cleaned and certified when the background TQCM measurements (a measure of how much molecular contamination is on a payload or chamber) are unacceptable or unmanageable in the standard thermal vacuum chamber. The box bakeout procedure is usually performed in 4 steps: bakeout the box, certify the box, bake out the payload, and finally certify the payload. In the procedure's current setup, the contaminant conduction hole ("lid") is initially open and a vacuum chamber break must occur between the bakeout and certification phases to close the box from the vacuum chamber. This exposure is necessary to allow the outgassed contaminants to escape the box's volume rapidly during bakeout phase, but payload certification isn't usually performed while the lid is still open, because it exposes the payload, TQCM, and box volume to chamber contaminants. The Remotely Operated Bakeout Box Shutter (ROBBS) is a new facility design and will allow the remote closure of the contamination hole while the chamber is still under vacuum, and with little or no time to do so