Flexible conductive disc electrode Patent

Dry electrode design with wire sandwiched between two flexible conductive discs for monitoring physiological response

Dry electrodes for physiological monitoring

Subject preparation and application of sprayed dry electrodes for physiological monitorin

The ICON Earth System Model Version 1.0

This work documents ICON-ESM 1.0, the first version of a coupled model based 19 on the ICON framework 20 • Performance of ICON-ESM is assessed by means of CMIP6 DECK experiments 21 at standard CMIP-type resolution 22 • ICON-ESM reproduces the observed temperature evolution. Biases in clouds, winds, 23 sea-ice, and ocean properties are larger than in MPI-ESM. Abstract 25 This work documents the ICON-Earth System Model (ICON-ESM V1.0), the first cou-26 pled model based on the ICON (ICOsahedral Non-hydrostatic) framework with its un-27 structured, icosahedral grid concept. The ICON-A atmosphere uses a nonhydrostatic dy-28 namical core and the ocean model ICON-O builds on the same ICON infrastructure, but 29 applies the Boussinesq and hydrostatic approximation and includes a sea-ice model. The 30 ICON-Land module provides a new framework for the modelling of land processes and 31 the terrestrial carbon cycle. The oceanic carbon cycle and biogeochemistry are repre-32 sented by the Hamburg Ocean Carbon Cycle module. We describe the tuning and spin-33 up of a base-line version at a resolution typical for models participating in the Coupled 34 Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). The performance of ICON-ESM is assessed by 35 means of a set of standard CMIP6 simulations. Achievements are well-balanced top-of-36 atmosphere radiation, stable key climate quantities in the control simulation, and a good 37 representation of the historical surface temperature evolution. The model has overall bi-38 ases, which are comparable to those of other CMIP models, but ICON-ESM performs 39 less well than its predecessor, the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model. Problem-40 atic biases are diagnosed in ICON-ESM in the vertical cloud distribution and the mean 41 zonal wind field. In the ocean, sub-surface temperature and salinity biases are of con-42 cern as is a too strong seasonal cycle of the sea-ice cover in both hemispheres. ICON-43 ESM V1.0 serves as a basis for further developments that will take advantage of ICON-44 specific properties such as spatially varying resolution, and configurations at very high 45 resolution. 46 Plain Language Summary 47 ICON-ESM is a completely new coupled climate and earth system model that ap-48 plies novel design principles and numerical techniques. The atmosphere model applies 49 a non-hydrostatic dynamical core, both atmosphere and ocean models apply unstruc-50 tured meshes, and the model is adapted for high-performance computing systems. This 51 article describes how the component models for atmosphere, land, and ocean are cou-52 pled together and how we achieve a stable climate by setting certain tuning parameters 53 and performing sensitivity experiments. We evaluate the performance of our new model 54 by running a set of experiments under pre-industrial and historical climate conditions 55 as well as a set of idealized greenhouse-gas-increase experiments. These experiments were 56 designed by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) and allow us to com-57 pare the results to those from other CMIP models and the predecessor of our model, the 58 Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Earth System Model. While we diagnose overall 59 satisfactory performance, we find that ICON-ESM features somewhat larger biases in 60 several quantities compared to its predecessor at comparable grid resolution. We empha-61 size that the present configuration serves as a basis from where future development steps 62 will open up new perspectives in earth system modellin

Lablab purpureus—A Crop Lost for Africa?

In recent years, so-called ‘lost crops’ have been appraised in a number of reviews, among them Lablab purpureus in the context of African vegetable species. This crop cannot truly be considered ‘lost’ because worldwide more than 150 common names are applied to it. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this paper aims to put forward four theses, (i) Lablab is one of the most diverse domesticated legume species and has multiple uses. Although its largest agro-morphological diversity occurs in South Asia, its origin appears to be Africa. (ii) Crop improvement in South Asia is based on limited genetic diversity. (iii) The restricted research and development performed in Africa focuses either on improving forage or soil properties mostly through one popular cultivar, Rongai, while the available diversity of lablab in Africa might be under threat of genetic erosion. (iv) Lablab is better adapted to drought than common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) or cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), both of which have been preferred to lablab in African agricultural production systems. Lablab might offer comparable opportunities for African agriculture in the view of global change. Its wide potential for adaptation throughout eastern and southern Africa is shown with a GIS (geographic information systems) approach

The Cercal Organ May Provide Singing Tettigoniids a Backup Sensory System for the Detection of Eavesdropping Bats

Conspicuous signals, such as the calling songs of tettigoniids, are intended to attract mates but may also unintentionally attract predators. Among them bats that listen to prey-generated sounds constitute a predation pressure for many acoustically communicating insects as well as frogs. As an adaptation to protect against bat predation many insect species evolved auditory sensitivity to bat-emitted echolocation signals. Recently, the European mouse-eared bat species Myotis myotis and M. blythii oxygnathus were found to eavesdrop on calling songs of the tettigoniid Tettigonia cantans. These gleaning bats emit rather faint echolocation signals when approaching prey and singing insects may have difficulty detecting acoustic predator-related signals. The aim of this study was to determine (1) if loud self-generated sound produced by European tettigoniids impairs the detection of pulsed ultrasound and (2) if wind-sensors on the cercal organ function as a sensory backup system for bat detection in tettigoniids. We addressed these questions by combining a behavioral approach to study the response of two European tettigoniid species to pulsed ultrasound, together with an electrophysiological approach to record the activity of wind-sensitive interneurons during real attacks of the European mouse-eared bat species Myotis myotis. Results showed that singing T. cantans males did not respond to sequences of ultrasound pulses, whereas singing T. viridissima did respond with predominantly brief song pauses when ultrasound pulses fell into silent intervals or were coincident with the production of soft hemi-syllables. This result, however, strongly depended on ambient temperature with a lower probability for song interruption observable at 21°C compared to 28°C. Using extracellular recordings, dorsal giant interneurons of tettigoniids were shown to fire regular bursts in response to attacking bats. Between the first response of wind-sensitive interneurons and contact, a mean time lag of 860 ms was found. This time interval corresponds to a bat-to-prey distance of ca. 72 cm. This result demonstrates the efficiency of the cercal system of tettigoniids in detecting attacking bats and suggests this sensory system to be particularly valuable for singing insects that are targeted by eavesdropping bats

Load Balancing in Large Networks: A Comparative Study

Dynamic load balancing techniques have been shown to be the most critical part of an efficient implementation of various algorithms on large distributed computing systems. In this paper a classification of dynamic distributed load balancing algorithms for homogeneous multiprocessor systems is introduced and a general test bed, using a random load generator, for the evaluation of load balancing strategies is described. With its help a number of well known load balancing strategies are compared with two new algorithms based on the gradient model method. The behavior of all algorithms under different workload characteristics on various networks is studied. By our simulations on a transputer network it is shown that all strategies perform better on networks with small diameter. The measurements indicate, that even on large networks one of the randomized strategies and a new extension of the gradient model method behaves very well when simulating data-migration, while under process-migratio..

A Study on Dynamic Load Balancing Algorithms

Dynamic load balancing techniques have proved to be the most critical part of an efficient implementation of various algorithms on large distributed computing systems. In this paper a classification of dynamic distributed load balancing algorithms for homogeneous multiprocessor systems is introduced and a general test bed, using a random branch & bound load-generator, for evaluating load balancing strategies is described. With its help a number of well known load balancing strategies are compared with two new algorithms based on the gradient model method. The behavior of all algorithms on various networks when running different workload patterns is studied. By our simulations on a reconfigurable transputer system it is shown that all strategies perform better on networks with small diameter. The measurements indicate that even on large networks one of the randomized strategies and our extension of the gradient model method behaves very well when simulating data-migration, while under p..

Load Balancing in Large Networks: A Comparative Study (Extended Abstract)

) R. Luling, B. Monien, F. Ramme Department of Mathematics and Computer Science University of Paderborn, Germany e-mail : [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract In this paper we compare six well known and two new load balancing strategies on torus and ring topologies of different sizes and workload characteristics. Through simulations on a large transputer network, we show that all strategies behave differently under the workload of process and data migration. The two new algorithms based on the gradient model method are shown to be robust to both kinds of workloads. Thus, these new algorithms are good candidates for distributed operating systems running on large networks, where the workload characteristics can not be determined in advance. 1 Introduction We study load balancing algorithms on large MIMD multiprocessor systems. The systems we consider are homogeneous and consist of autonomous processing elements (324 transputers in our case), which..

Center for By-Products Utilization USE OF FOUNDRY INDUSTRY SILICA-DUST IN MANUFACTURING ECONOMICAL SELF- CONSOLIDATING CONCRETE Use of Foundry Industry Silica-Dust in Manufacturing Economical Self-Consolidating Concrete

Synopsis Results of an experimental work conducted on the use of foundry industry silica-dust in manufacturing economical self-consolidating concrete (SCC) are presented in this paper. Class C fly ash was used as a replacement for up to 35% of cement by mass. Silica-dust obtained from an iron foundry, collected by a high-efficiency baghouse, was used as a replacement for 10, 20, and 30% of the fly ash at 2:1 (foundry dust -fly ash) ratio by mass. The extra amount of foundry dust was treated as a partial replacement for sand. Use of foundry dust in SCC resulted in high air content (7 -10%) and low density of concrete due to reaction between foundry dust and the particular brands of chemical admixtures used. Further, with the increase in foundry dust content containing iron, the color of concrete changed from dark gray to black. For the foundry silicadust content of 20% and above, the requirement for high-range water-reducing admixture [HRWRA] increased; however, the amount of viscosity-modifying admixture [VMA]) decreased up to 33% up to the silica-dust content of 30%. It was concluded that foundry industry silica-2 dust material can be used for partial replacement of cement, fly ash, and sand in SCC. More extensive work is in progress