Non-uniqueness and Non-existence in the Statistical Theory of Elastic Composites: The Correlational Approximation

I give the boundary conditions corresponding to the phenomenological model of a statistically homogeneous and isotropic elastic body, in the correlational approximation. I show that the involved strain energy density is not positive definite. By a simple ewample I show that a correctly formulated traction boundary value problem can have a unique solution, can have an infinity of solutions, or can have no solution, according to the relation existing between the geometrical dimension of the body and the correlation radius of the considered material

Application of electronic tongue to discriminate white wines originated from different regions of Hungary

In this work, the application of an electronic tongue (ET) based on a specific ion-selective sensor array for discrimination of different white wine types is presented. The electronic tongue equipped with specific sensor array containing seven IFSET sensors was used to analyze wine samples. The obtained ET responses were evaluated using different pattern recognition methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) provides the possibility to identify some initial patterns. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to build models to separate white wine samples based on wine regions and grape cultivars. The results showed that every group was distinguished from each other with no misclassification error. Furthermore, the sequence of the wine sample groups was similar to the increasing total acidity content. Partial least square (PLS) regression was used to build models for the prediction of the main chemical compositions of the wine samples based on the electronic tongue results. The closest correlation (R2=0.93) was found in case of ‘total acidity’, and the prediction error (RMSEP) was 6.9%. The pH of the wine samples was predicted with good correlation (R2=0.89) but higher prediction error (RMSEP=10.71%) from the electronic tongue results. The ET combining these statistical methods can be applied to determine the origin and variety of the wine samples in easy and quick way

Vision system and electronic tongue application to detect coffee adulteration with barley

Time consuming and expensive methods have been applied for detection of coffee adulteration based on the literature. In the present work, an optical method (vision system) and the application of an electronic tongue is proposed to reveal the addition of barley in different proportion to coffee in ground and brewed forms. In a range of 1 to 80% (w/w) Robusta coffee was blended with roasted barley. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) accomplished on vision system image data showed a good discrimination of the adulterated samples. The results of Polar Qualification System (PQS) data reduction method revealed even small differences in the right barley content order by point method approach. With Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression the amount of barley in Robusta was predicted with high R2 (0.996) and relatively low RMSEP (∼2%) values in case of vision system data processing. Considering electronic tongue measurements, PCA results showed a good discrimination of samples with higher barley concentration. Misclassification was found in the low concentrated area by Lienar Discriminant Analgsis (LDA). To obtain an accurate model for barley content prediction in coffee, the most sensitive sensor signals were used to apply PLS regression successfully (R2=0.97, RMSEP=3.99% (w/w))

Radiation Tolerance Qualification Tests of the Final Source Interface Unit for the ALICE Experiment

The ALICE Detector Data Link (DDL) is a high-speed optical link designed to interface the readout electronics of ALICE sub-detectors to the DAQ computers. The Source Interface Unit (SIU) of the DDL will operate in radiation environment. Previous tests showed that a configuration loss of SRAM-based FPGA devices may happen and the frequency of undetected data errors in the FPGA user memory area is also not acceptable. Therefore, we redesigned the SIU card using another FPGA based on flash technology. In order to detect bit errors in the user memory we added parity check logic to the design. The new SIU has been extensively tested using neutron and proton irradiation to verify its radiation tolerance. In this paper we summarize the design changes, introduce the final design, and the results of the radiation tolerance measurements on the final card

PCI Based Read-out Receiver Card in the ALICE DAQ System

The Detector Data Link (DDL) is the high-speed optical link for the ALICE experiment. This link shall transfer the data coming from the detectors at 100 MB/s rate. The main components of the link have been developed: the destination Interface Unit (DIU), the Source Interface Unit (SIU) and the Read-out Receiver Card (RORC). The first RORC version is based on the VME bus. The performance tests show that the maximum VME bandwidth could be reached. Meanwhile the PCI bus became very popular and is used in many platforms. The development of a PCI-based version has been started. The document describes the prototype version in three sections. An overview explains the main purpose of the card: to provide an interface between the DDL and the PCI bus. Acting as a 32bit/33MHz PCI master the card is able to write or read directly to or from the system memory from or to the DDL, respectively. Beside these functions the card can also be used as an autonomous data generator. The card has been designed to be well adapted to applications, which require small software overhead such the high-speed data acquisition systems. The implementation of the firmware will be presented. For the logic design we are using VHDL and schematic draw. Software library routines were written in C and are available on Linux OS. The results of performance measurements will be available to allow the comparison between the VME-RORC and PCI-RORC. In the conclusion the future plans and the idea of the improved (64bit/66MHz) PCI-RORC will be shown

Age and nutritional state influence the effects of cholecystokinin on energy balance

AbstractCholecystokinin (CCK) is anorexic, irrespective whether it is applied intraperitoneally (IP) or intracerebroventricularly (ICV) in male Wistar rats. The metabolic effects depend on the route of administration: by the IP route it elicits hypothermia (presumably by type-1 receptors, CCK1R-s), while ICV administration is followed by fever-like hypermetabolism and hyperthermia via activation of CCK2R-s, which latter response seems to be most important in the postprandial (compensatory) hypermetabolism. The efficacy of the IP injected CCK varies with age: it causes strong anorexia in young adult 4 and 6-months old and again in old rats (aged 18–24months), but the middle-aged (12-month old) ones seem to be resistant to this effect. Such pattern of effects may contribute to the explanation of age-related obesity observed in middle-aged animals as well as to the aging anorexia and loss of body weight in old ones. Diet-induced obesity accelerates the appearance of CCK-resistance as well as the return of high sensitivity to CCK in further aging, while chronic calorie-restriction prevents the development of resistance, as if the speed of the age-related regulatory changes was altered by the nutritional state. The effects of ICV applied CCK also change with age: the characteristic anorexic and hypermetabolic/hyperthermic effects can be observed in young adult rats, but the effects gradually and monotonically decline with age and disappear by the old age of 24months. These disparate age-related patterns of CCK efficacy upon peripheral or central administration routes may indicate that although both peripheral and central CCKR-s exert anorexic effects, they may have dissimilar roles in the regulation of overall energy balance