429 research outputs found
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Usage of Unconventional Data Sources for Market Intelligence (MI) in the Field of Additive Manufacturing (AM) - Expert Networks, Technology Territories and Trends
The geographic expansion of the markets for AM increasingly confronts companies with greater
competitiveness due to the globalization. In addition, market participants are facing rapid changes in the business
environment - due to new information and communication technologies. Companies only have a chance to hold
their market position if they quickly adopt market changes. Therefore, the decision-making process needs to be
accelerated by on-demand information provision. MI offers one possibility to meet these requirements, but
typically based on external unstructured data for market and competitive evaluation, which makes it cost and time
consuming. A specific investigation of such data sources related to MI for systematic use within the AM markets
is being carried out. For this purpose, different data sources (e.g. LinkedIn) will be identified, analysed with focus
on information synthesis using text mining and their suitability for the evaluation of expert networks, technology
territories and trends be presented.Mechanical Engineerin
Effects of landscape setting on oyster reef structure and function largely persist more than a decade post-restoration
Long-term monitoring is vital to understanding the efficacy of restoration approaches and how restoration may enhance ecosystem functions. We revisited restored oyster reefs 13 years post-restoration and quantified the resident and transient fauna that utilize restored reefs in three differing landscape contexts: on mudflats isolated from vegetated habitat, along the edge of salt marsh, and in between seagrass and salt marsh habitat. Differences observed 1–2 years post-restoration in reef development and associated fauna within reefs restored on mudflats versus adjacent to seagrass/salt marsh and salt marsh-only habitats persisted more than 10 years post-restoration. Reefs constructed on open mudflat habitats had the highest densities of oysters and resident invertebrates compared to those in other landscape contexts, although all restored reefs continued to enhance local densities of invertebrate taxa (e.g. bivalves, gastropods, decapods, polychaetes, etc.). Catch rates of juvenile fishes were enhanced on restored reefs relative to controls, but to a lesser extent than directly post-restoration, potentially because the reefs have grown vertically within the intertidal and out of the preferred inundation regime of small juvenile fishes. Reef presence and landscape setting did not augment the catch rates of piscivorous fishes in passive gill nets, similar to initial findings; however, hook-and-line catch rates were greater on restored reefs than non-reef controls. We conclude that ecosystem functions and associated services provided by restored habitats can vary both spatially and temporally; therefore, a better understanding of how service delivery varies among landscape setting and over time should enhance efforts to model these processes and restoration decision-making
Targeting lentiviral vectors to antigen-specific immunoglobulins
Gene transfer into B cells by lentivectors can provide an alternative approach to managing B lymphocyte malignancies and autoreactive B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. These pathogenic B cell Populations can be distinguished by their surface expression of monospecific immunoglobulin. Development of a novel vector system to deliver genes to these specific B cells could improve the safety and efficacy of gene therapy. We have developed an efficient rnethod to target lentivectors to monospecific immunoglobulin-expressing cells in vitro and hi vivo. We were able to incorporate a model antigen CD20 and a fusogenic protein derived from the Sindbis virus as two distinct molecules into the lentiviral Surface. This engineered vector could specifically bind to cells expressing Surface immunoglobulin recognizing CD20 (αCD20), resulting in efficient transduction of target cells in a cognate antigen-dependent manner in vitro, and in vivo in a xenografted tumor model. Tumor suppression was observed in vivo, using the engineered lentivector to deliver a suicide gene to a xenografted tumor expressing αCD20. These results show the feasibility of engineering lentivectors to target immunoglobulin-specific cells to deliver a therapeutic effect. Such targeting lentivectors also Could potentially be used to genetically mark antigen-specific B cells in vivo to study their B cell biology
Kirchhoff's Loop Law and the maximum entropy production principle
In contrast to the standard derivation of Kirchhoff's loop law, which invokes
electric potential, we show, for the linear planar electric network in a
stationary state at the fixed temperature,that loop law can be derived from the
maximum entropy production principle. This means that the currents in network
branches are distributed in such a way as to achieve the state of maximum
entropy production.Comment: revtex4, 5 pages, 2 figure
Early detection of neuropathy in leprosy: A comparison of five tests for field settings
Background: Early detection and treatment of neuropathy in leprosy is important to prevent disabilities. A recent study showed that the Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) and Warm Detection Thresholds (WDT) tests can detect leprosy neuropathy the earliest. These two tests are not practical under field conditions, however, because they require climate-controlled rooms and highly trained staff and are expensive. We assessed the usefulness of alternative test methods and their sensitivity and specificity to detect neuropathy at an early stage. Methods: Through a literature search we identified five alternative devices that appeared user-friendly, more affordable, portable and/or battery-operated: the Neuropad®, Vibratip™, NC-Stat®DPNCheck™, NeuroQuick and the Thermal Sensibility Tester (TST), assessing respectively sweat function, vibration sensation, nerve conduction, cold sensation and warm sensation. In leprosy patients in Bangladesh, the posterior tibial and sural nerves that tested normal for the monofilament test and voluntary muscle test were assessed with the NCS and WDT as reference standard tests. The alternative devices were then tested on 94 nerves with abnormal WDT and/or NCS results and on 94 unaffected nerves. Sensitivity and specificity were the main outcomes. Results: The NeuroQuick and the TST showed very good sensitivity and specificity. On the sural nerve, the NeuroQuick had both a sensitivity and a specificity of 86%. The TST had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 82%. Both the NC-Stat®DPNCheck™ and Vibratip™ had a high specificity (88% and 100%), but a low sensitivity (16% and 0%). On the posterior tibial nerve, the NeuroQuick and the TST also showed good sensitivity, but the sensitivity was lower than for the sural nerve. The Neuropad® had a sensitivity of 56% and a specificity of 61%. Conclusions: The NeuroQuick and TST are good candidates for further field-testing for reliability and reproducibility. The feasibility of production on a larger scale should be examined
Dynamical symmetry breaking in a 2D electron gas with a spectral node
We study a disordered 2D electron gas with a spectral node in a vicinity of
the node. After identifying the fundamental dynamical symmetries of this
system, the spontaneous breaking of the latter by a Grassmann field is studied
within a nonlinear sigma model approach. This allows us to reduce the average
two-particle Green's function to a diffusion propagator with a random diffusion
coefficient. The latter has non-degenerate saddle points and is treated by the
conventional self-consistent Born approximation. This leads to a renormalized
chemical potential and a renormalized diffusion coefficient, where the DC
conductivity increases linearly with the density of quasiparticles. Applied to
the special case of Dirac fermions, our approach provides a comprehensive
description of the minimal conductivity at the Dirac node as well as for the
V-shape conductivity inside the bands.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, extended versio
Low energy fast events from radon progenies at the surface of a CsI(Tl) scintillator
In searches for rare phenomena such as elastic scattering of dark matter
particles or neutrinoless double beta decay, alpha decays of Rn222 progenies
attached to the surfaces of the detection material have been identified as a
serious source of background. In measurements with CsI(Tl) scintillator
crystals, we demonstrate that alpha decays of surface contaminants produce fast
signals with a characteristic mean-time distribution that is distinct from
those of neutron- and gamma-induced events.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
A modified blister test to study the adhesion of thin coatings based on local helium ion implantation
Effect of rhenium irradiations on the mechanical properties of tungsten for nuclear fusion applications
As-received and annealed tungsten samples were irradiated at a temperature of 400 °C with Re and W ions to peak concentrations of 1600 appm (atomic parts per million) and damage levels of 40 dpa (displacements per atom). Mechanical properties were investigated using nanoindentation, and the orientation and depth dependence of irradiation damage was investigated using Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD). Following irradiation there was a 13% increase in hardness in the as received sheet and a 23% increase in the annealed material for both tungsten and rhenium irradiation. The difference between the tungsten and rhenium irradiated samples was negligible, suggesting that for the concentrations and damage levels employed, the presence of rhenium does not have a significant effect on the hardening mechanism. Energy dependent EBSD of annealed samples provided information about the depth distribution of the radiation damage in individual tungsten grains and confirmed that the radiation damage is orientation dependant
From Social Data Mining to Forecasting Socio-Economic Crisis
Socio-economic data mining has a great potential in terms of gaining a better
understanding of problems that our economy and society are facing, such as
financial instability, shortages of resources, or conflicts. Without
large-scale data mining, progress in these areas seems hard or impossible.
Therefore, a suitable, distributed data mining infrastructure and research
centers should be built in Europe. It also appears appropriate to build a
network of Crisis Observatories. They can be imagined as laboratories devoted
to the gathering and processing of enormous volumes of data on both natural
systems such as the Earth and its ecosystem, as well as on human
techno-socio-economic systems, so as to gain early warnings of impending
events. Reality mining provides the chance to adapt more quickly and more
accurately to changing situations. Further opportunities arise by individually
customized services, which however should be provided in a privacy-respecting
way. This requires the development of novel ICT (such as a self- organizing
Web), but most likely new legal regulations and suitable institutions as well.
As long as such regulations are lacking on a world-wide scale, it is in the
public interest that scientists explore what can be done with the huge data
available. Big data do have the potential to change or even threaten democratic
societies. The same applies to sudden and large-scale failures of ICT systems.
Therefore, dealing with data must be done with a large degree of responsibility
and care. Self-interests of individuals, companies or institutions have limits,
where the public interest is affected, and public interest is not a sufficient
justification to violate human rights of individuals. Privacy is a high good,
as confidentiality is, and damaging it would have serious side effects for
society.Comment: 65 pages, 1 figure, Visioneer White Paper, see
http://www.visioneer.ethz.c
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