Remote surface damage detection on rotor blades of operating wind turbines by means of infrared thermography

Wind turbines are constantly exposed to wind gusts, dirt particles and precipitation. Depending on the site, surface defects on rotor blades emerge from the first day of operation on. While erosion increases quickly with time, even small surface defects can affect the performance of the wind turbine. Consequently, there is demand for an easily applicable remote monitoring method for rotor blades that is capable of detecting surface defects at an early stage. In this work it is investigated if infrared thermography (IRT) can meet these requirements by visualizing differences in the thermal transport and the corresponding surface temperature of the wall-bounded flow.Firstly, a validation of the IRT method compared to stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements is performed comparing both types of experimental results for the boundary layer of a flat plate. Then, the main characteristics of the flow in the wake of generic surface defects on different types of lifting surfaces are studied both experimentally and numerically: temperature gradients behind protruding surface defects on a flat plate and a DU 91-W2-250 profile are studied by means of IRT. The same is done with the wall shear stress from Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations of a wind turbine blade. It is consistently observed, both in the experiments and the simulations, that turbulent wedges are formed on the flow downstream of generic surface defects. These wedges provide valuable information about the kind of defects that generate them. At last, experimental and numerical performance measures are taken into account for evaluating the aerodynamic impact of surface defects on rotor blades. We conclude that the IRT method is a suitable remote monitoring technique for detecting surface defects on wind turbines at an early stage.</p

COVID-19-related consultation-liaison (CL) mental health services in general hospitals: A perspective from Europe and beyond

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic posed new challenges for integrated health care worldwide. Our study aimed to describe newly implemented structures and procedures of psychosocial consultation and liaison (CL) services in Europe and beyond, and to highlight emerging needs for co-operation. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey from June to October 2021, using a self-developed 25-item questionnaire in four language versions (English, French, Italian, German). Dissemination was via national professional societies, working groups, and heads of CL services. Results: Of the participating 259 CL services from Europe, Iran, and parts of Canada, 222 reported COVID-19 related psychosocial care (COVID-psyCare) in their hospital. Among these, 86.5% indicated that specific COVID-psyCare co-operation structures had been established. 50.8% provided specific COVID-psyCare for patients, 38.2% for relatives, and 77.0% for staff. Over half of the time resources were invested for patients. About a quarter of the time was used for staff, and these interventions, typically associated with the liaison function of CL services, were reported as most useful. Concerning emerging needs, 58.1% of the CL services providing COVID-psyCare expressed wishes for mutual information exchange and support, and 64.0% suggested specific changes or improvements that they considered essential for the future. Conclusion: Over 80% of participating CL services established specific structures to provide COVID-psyCare for patients, their relatives, or staff. Mostly, resources were committed to patient care and specific interventions were largely implemented for staff support. Future development of COVID-psyCare warrants intensified intra- and inter-institutional exchange and co-operation

Decreased startle modulation during anticipation in the postpartum period in comparison to late pregnancy

Knowledge about healthy women’s psychophysiological adaptations during the large neuroendocrine changes of pregnancy and childbirth is essential in order to understand why these events have the potential to disrupt mental health in vulnerable individuals. This study aimed to compare startle response modulation, an objective psychophysiological measure demonstrated to be influenced by anxiety and depression, longitudinally across late pregnancy and the postpartum period. The acoustic startle response modulation was assessed during anticipation of affective images and during image viewing in 31 healthy women during gestational weeks 36–39 and again at 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. No startle modulation by affective images was observed at either time point. Significant modulation during anticipation stimuli was found at pregnancy assessment but was reduced in the postpartum period. The women rated the unpleasant images more negative and more arousing and the pleasant images more positive at the postpartum assessment. Self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms did not change between assessments. The observed postpartum decrease in modulation of startle by anticipation suggests a relatively deactivated defense system in the postpartum period

Maternal Psychosocial Stress during Pregnancy and Placenta Weight: Evidence from a National Cohort Study

To study in a large-scale cohort with prospective data the associations between psychosocial stress during pregnancy and placenta weight at birth. Animal data suggest that the placenta is involved in stress-related fetal programming.; We defined a priori two types of psychosocial stress during pregnancy, life stress (perceived burdens in major areas of life) and emotional symptoms (e.g. anxiety). We estimated the associations of maternal stress during pregnancy with placenta weight at birth, controlled for length of gestation, by predicting gestational age- and sex-specific z-scores of placenta weight through multiple regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders (N?=?78,017 singleton pregnancies). Life stress (per increase in stress score by 1, range: 0-18) during pregnancy was associated with increased placenta weight at birth (z-score, reported in 10(-3); B, 14.33; CI, 10.12-18.54). In contrast, emotional symptoms during pregnancy were not associated with placenta weight at birth.; Maternal life stress but not emotional symptoms during pregnancy was associated with increased placenta weight at birth; yet, the association-estimate was rather small. Our results may contribute to a better understanding of the role of the placenta in the regulation of intrauterine processes in response to maternal stress

The Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) Contributes to Prosocial Fund Allocations in the Dictator Game and the Social Value Orientations Task

Background: Economic games observe social decision making in the laboratory that involves real money payoffs. Previously we have shown that allocation of funds in the Dictator Game (DG), a paradigm that illustrates costly altruistic behavior, is partially determined by promoter-region repeat region variants in the arginine vasopressin 1a receptor gene (AVPR1a). In the current investigation, the gene encoding the related oxytocin receptor (OXTR) was tested for association with the DG and a related paradigm, the Social Values Orientation (SVO) task. Methodology/Principal Findings: Association (101 male and 102 female students) using a robust-family based test between 15 single tagging SNPs (htSNPs) across the OXTR was demonstrated with both the DG and SVO. Three htSNPs across the gene region showed significant association with both of the two games. The most significant association was observed with rs1042778 (p = 0.001). Haplotype analysis also showed significant associations for both DG and SVO. Following permutation test adjustment, significance was observed for 2–5 locus haplotypes (p,0.05). A second sample of 98 female subjects was subsequently and independently recruited to play the dictator game and was genotyped for the three significant SNPs found in the first sample. The rs1042778 SNP was shown to be significant for the second sample as well (p = 0.004, Fisher’s exact test). Conclusions: The demonstration that genetic polymorphisms for the OXTR are associated with human prosocial decisio

On-line detection of delaminations in laminated wood-based panels using thermography

In a semi-industrial thermographic inspection system, newly installed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, a great variety of different laminates and carrier materials were examined. Different examples of laminated parquet and floorings show the capability of this technique to detect delaminations and reduced adhesions even at high speed on large surfaces