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Now all world tendencies of energy are sent on the use and combining of renewable energy sources. Combination of a few renewable energy sources bringing in of not renewable sources results in partial independence. In this work was the tested laboratory device for heating and cooling of liquid. During an experiment rules were used Carnot, hydrodynamics, dynamic compression of gases and many other principles. The offered combination of a few systems of replaceable energy, marked in graphic arts, represented the amount of sources, necessary for work of experimental settlement. There were the taken off indexes in the different terms of work of experimental settlement, for this purpose it was equipped plenty of pickoffs.A this job performance is development and testing of pilot laboratory plant. Constructed the laboratory setting behaves to difficult, but possibility experimentally to probe its work and get static descriptions appeared. There was the accepted decision to find out functional connection of initial sizes from changes an entrance. A major index is a temperature in a hot capacity. After treatment of the collected indexes the experimental line of regression was built and the mean values of indexes, which was needed for finding of coefficient of correlation, are found. The probed time, temperature, pressure, on the different intervals of settlement is managed on-line from a mobile device.For a construction and estimation of adequacy of mathematical exemplary collection of indexes from touch-controls depending on the temperature indexes of condition of exploitation, which requires more detailed supervisions, for this research it may need anymore the river, depending on time of annual and desired temperature in an apartment. Taken off indexes, allowed to get the approximated information for the construction of diagrams of dependences of festering of pressure from temperatures. By an experimental result graphic dependences of pressure became built on temperatures on three basic areas of settlement. Findings are given by possibilities to build a mathematical model for successive modernization of settlement.

Paper presents diagnostic analysis of automotive ignition system for various working and adverse conditions in laboratory. Description and importance of basic diagnostics of automotive ignition system are examined in the first part of the paper. In the second the focus is placed on the basic principles and solution of the spark plug model. The test laboratory device is proposed in the following and the specialized measurements were executed by the proposed measurement system. The faults were simulated by application of oil and gasoline between the electrodes and failing by the driver to make the ignition contact on the spark plug.

The use of additive technologies allows increasing the availability of scientific equipment in educational centres. The research is dedicated to designing, assembling and testing a laboratory device for measuring the mechanical moduli of granular media. The mechanics of a granular media depend on both the mechanical parameters of individual granules such as particle size, elastic moduli, friction and macro-parameters of the granular media, such as internal structure or humidity. The laboratory device was designed in CAD software package and printed on the 3D printer DF-Print 3.5 using ABS plastic. Comparing to the other similar devices, the advantage of the one we are developing consists in the quick and cheap replicating of its parts on any available 3D printer. The device was tested for different materials, the available range of measuring data and applied loads were determined.

Introduction Highly sensitive reagents for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antigens have been developed for accurate and rapid diagnosis till date. In this study, we aim to clarify the frequency of false-positive reactions and reveal their details in SARS-CoV-2 quantitative antigen test using an automated laboratory device. Methods Nasopharyngeal swab samples (n = 4992) and saliva samples (n = 5430) were collected. We measured their SARS-CoV-2 antigen using Lumipulse® Presto SARS-CoV-2 Ag and performed a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) using the Ampdirect™ 2019 Novel Coronavirus Detection Kit as needed. The results obtained from each detection test were compared accordingly. Results There were 304 nasopharyngeal samples and 114 saliva samples were positive in the Lumipulse® Presto SARS-CoV-2 Ag test. All positive nasopharyngeal samples in the antigen test were also positive for NAAT. In contrast, only three (2.6%) of all the positive saliva samples in the antigen test were negative for NAAT. One showed no linearity with a dilute solution in the dilution test. Additionally, the quantitative antigen levels of all the three samples did not decrease after reaction with the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Conclusions The judgment difference between the quantitative antigen test and NAAT seemed to be caused by non-specific reactions in the antigen test. Although the high positive and negative predictive value of this quantitative antigen test could be confirmed, we should consider the possibility of false-positives caused by non-specific reactions and understand the characteristics of antigen testing. We recommend that repeating centrifugation before measurement, especially in saliva samples, should be performed appropriately.

Population extended life expectancy has significantly increased the risk of septic shock in an ageing population. Sepsis affects roughly 20 million people every year, resulting in over 11 million deaths. The need for faster more accurate diagnostics and better management is therefore paramount in the fight to prevent these avoidable deaths. Here we report the development of a POC device with the ability to identify a broad range of pathogens on a lateral flow platform. Namely Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The simple to use laboratory device has the potential to be automated, thus enabling an operator to carry out solid-phase lysis and room temperature RPA in situ, providing accurate results in hours rather than days. Results show there is a potential for a fully automated device in which concepts described in this paper can be integrated into a lateral flow device.

Understanding the cut and chip (CC) effect in rubber is important for successful product development for tires used in off-road or poor road conditions and for other demanding applications of rubbe...

High ratio penetration of power electronic devices have added many inter-harmonics to the power system. These dynamically changing inter-harmonics raise new security issues, such as sub-synchronous oscillations (SSO) and frequency stability control, which propose new requirements to power system monitoring devices. In this paper, a fast synchronized measurement method with wide frequency bandwidth is proposed by using super-resolution characteristics of spatial spectrum estimation, and a kurtosis based method for estimating the number of signal frequency components is proposed, the stability under low SNR conditions of the method is improved, and the fast and high-precision measurement of the wide frequency bandwidth signal is realized. And then, a prototype of wide frequency bandwidth measurement is developed. The results of simulation test, laboratory device test and field data test verify the validity of the proposed method.

Coal and gas outbursts usually generate a large amount of coal fragment of various sizes. This phenomenon is assumed to be related to the exploding and shattering of coal containing high-pressure adsorbed gas when it is suddenly exposed. To verify this assumption, a laboratory device has been developed to test the shatter proneness of coal blocks at high pressure. Experiments were conducted by using coal blocks sampled from four different mines. The experiments show that if the gas pressure is high enough, all coal blocks can be shattered. The particle size of the shattered coal follows the Weibull distribution. Under specific gas pressure, the shatter proneness of coal can be represented by the scale parameter in the Weibull distribution function derived from experiments. This parameter represents the susceptibility of outburst and may be used as one of the outburst predictive indicators in the future.

Nowadays, cell characterization represents a fundamental task widely diffused in different fields. The main purpose of this paper is the design and development of a device for cellular characterization based on a pyroelectric sensor. After a brief introduction dedicated to the methods actually employed for cell counting, the pyroelectric sensor, the electronic readout unit, and the prototype will be introduced. Different cell concentration samples have been analyzed in order to highlight how the induced pyroelectric response is related to the cell properties. Experimental results shown that sensor output is strongly affected by cell type, concentration and viability. Particularly, it has been observed an increase in output signal related to an increase in cell concentration, mainly due to a lower thermal conductivity. No significant variation has been observed by the drastic reduction of cell viability also by varying cell concentration. The aforementioned results are probably due to the induction of a decrease in mitochondrial activity. Obtained results are very promising for the realization of a low cost laboratory device with all the characteristics listed above.

The current study presents the design and evaluation of a laboratory device combining mechanical motion of wheat grain and turbulent air streaming inside a positive pneumatic conveyor system. The device recovers microparticulate nano-engineered alumina insecticide powders (NAIP) from treated grain. The particle removal efficiency of the conveying system was experimentally quantified by using a laboratory prototype assembled by attaching an electrostatic filter (EF) to the conveyors exhaust. Then, the NAIP particles detached from the grain inside the conveyor were drawn by the conveyors’ exhaust air stream into the EF, where particles bound to the electrodes due to electric charge differences. The NAIP particle load bound to the EF electrodes was removed and weighed to determine the efficiency of the wheat grain cleaning process. Our experimental results, under laboratory conditions, show that the recovery efficiency of the prototype averaged 98.0% (±1.4). Thus, the present study provides an innovative strategy to remove NAIP insecticide particles after storage, once their role as insecticide in stored grain has been fulfilled. This technology provides advancement in grain technology allowing the possibility to provide insecticide-free grain to the food market.

The design and test results for a prototype laboratory device capable of condensing and solidifying gases is presented. This equipment is a new approach to the fabrication of NH 3 material for polarized target experiments in nuclear physics experiments. The formed solids have a cylindrical geometry with 32 mm diameter and 50 mm height. With Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis we designed and established operational parameters for the condenser. The system designed for initial testing with CO 2 is now ready to use for growing good quality crystals of NH 3 with a novel shape, featuring cooling channels for polarized target experiments.

Electronic cigarettes are the most popular tobacco product among middle and high schoolers and are the most popular alternative tobacco product among adults. High quality, reproducible research on the consequences of electronic cigarette use is essential for understanding emerging public health concerns and crafting evidence based regulatory policy. While a growing number of papers discuss electronic cigarettes, there is little consistency in methods across groups and very little consensus on results. Here, we describe a programmable laboratory device that can be used to create extracts of conventional cigarette smoke and electronic cigarette aerosol. This protocol details instructions for the assembly and operation of said device, and demonstrates the use of the generated extract in two sample applications: an in vitro cell viability assay and gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry. This method provides a tool for making direct comparisons between conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, and is an accessible entry point into electronic cigarette research.

The 4SPIN® desktop laboratory device has been developed for the deposition of nanomaterials dedicated not only to medical applications, but also to other fields such as nanoelectronics, optics, filtration, etc. The apparatus integrates various methods to enable the preparation of nanostructured materials according to researching demands. Nine principally different emitters (most of them are usable in the method called electroblowing) and six different collectors enable researchers to perform various types of experiments. This allowed nanofibrous materials with different microscopic and macroscopic structures to be successfully prepared. The 4SPIN® laboratory device was developed at Contipro Biotech Ltd. and seven principles used were patented. The device has been certified for electrical safety by the CE mark and has been marketed since January 2013.

We undertook the first clinical evaluation of a novel, non-invasive device for the continuous measurement of plasma haemoglobin concentration in 25 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. At four pre-determined intervals, samples of blood were taken for plasma haemoglobin estimation on a blood gas analyser and a laboratory device and were compared with the plasma haemoglobin estimation on the novel device using the Bland-Altman method. The 95% limits of agreement for estimation of plasma haemoglobin concentration for the device vs. laboratory, the device vs. the blood gas analyser and the blood gas analyser vs. the laboratory were 101.3 g.l(-1) , 103.1 g.l(-1) and 14.5 g.l(-1) , respectively. The bias (mean difference) in each case was 27.4 g.l(-1) , 25.1 g.l(-1) and 2.4 g.l(-1) , respectively. We conclude that the novel device in its current form is not a suitable replacement for more invasive methods of determining plasma haemoglobin concentration in patients in the setting of cardiac surgery; however, lessons learnt from the study will help to improve the device's future performance.

We describe a method for accelerating a thin (~1 mm thick) striker with a diameter of 35 mm in a shock tube channel up to velocities above to ~275 m/s under the pressure of detonation products of acetylene–oxygen fuel mixture. Impact of this striker on a ~1-cm-thick water layer generates a nonstationary decaying shock wave (Taylor wave) with amplitude of ~0.2 GPa on escape from the free surface.

This paper deals with control of a laboratory binary distillation column used for separation of methanol from water. The focus of this paper is the tutorial demonstration of the model-free fuzzy control design for the laboratory device. The performance and the control synthesis of the fuzzy control approach are moreover compared with classical PID controller.

BACKGROUND Hemoglobin level monitoring is essential during liver transplantation (LT) due to substantial blood loss. We evaluated the accuracy of non-invasive and continuous hemoglobin monitoring (SpHb) obtained by a transcutaneous spectrophotometry-based technology (Masimo Corporation, Irvine, CA) compared with conventional laboratory Hb measurement (HbL) during LT. Additionally, we made subgroup analyses for distinct surgical phases that have special features and hemodynamic problems and thus may affect the accuracy of SpHb. METHODS During LT, blood samples were obtained twice for each of the three phases of LT (pre-anhepatic, anhepatic, and neohepatic) and were analyzed by the central laboratory. The HbL measurements were compared with SpHb obtained at the time of the blood draws. RESULTS A total of 282 data pairs obtained from 53 patients were analyzed. The SpHb values ranged from 6.9 to 17.7 g/dL, and the HbL values ranged from 5.4 to 17.1 g/dL. The correlation coefficient between SpHb and HbL was 0.73 (P

Hydraulic pumps are the most important components of hydraulic circuits in agricultural tractors. Their durability is influenced by flow characteristics and thus the flow efficiency. This paper presents the laboratory test of an ecological synthetic hydraulic fluid of UTTO type. This fluid is currently under development. In terms of a decrease in hydraulic pump flow efficiency, laboratory tests of these fluids did not show negative effects of its application. It can be stated that after completion of laboratory tests, it will be needed to continue with trials under operational conditions.

The purpose of this study was to determine if improvements in knee function after arthroplasty could be practicably measured in the clinical setting using available, validated technology. The tools we assessed included a timed test of common activities, a platform posturography analysis, and a portable gait laboratory device to quantify body segment motion. We measured the function of 25 total knee arthroplasty patients before surgery and at 1, 4, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Assessment of sit-to-stand, walking, stair climbing, lunging, Knee Society Scores, and Oxford Survey Scores were collected at each interval. Patients showed significant improvement in step length, gait speed, symmetry of weight distribution, symmetry of lunging, and speed of stair climbing. Changes in function with long-term follow-up can be precisely measured, making this technology promising for clinical or research applications.

Over the past decades a wide range of routine measurement devices has been developed, all of them measuring the friction force between a rubber wheel and the (wetted) road surface. At the same time, many efforts have been undertaken to predict skid resistance solely from texture measurements. This paper presents a concept of contactless skid resistance measurement which is based on optical texture measurement and consists of two components: (1) measurement of the pavement texture by means of an optical measuring system and (2) calculation of skid resistance based on the measured texture by means of a rubber friction model. The basic assumptions and equations underlying the theoretical approach are presented. Two skid resistance-measuring devices were chosen to prove the theoretical approach: one laboratory device called Wehner/Schulze machine which corresponds to a locked-wheel braking test and another, the ViaFriction® device of ViaTech AS which measures the skid resistance under controlled longitudinal ...

INTRODUÇÃO: Métodos clínicos e laboratoriais estão sendo cada vez mais desenvolvidos para avaliar os diferentes aspectos do equilíbrio postural e estabelecer parâmetros para identificação de idosos com maior risco de quedas. OBJETIVOS: Analisar a correlação entre três testes utilizados para avaliar o risco de quedas em idosos. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Tratou-se de um estudo analítico transversal realizado com 49 idosos comunitários, hígidos, com diferentes níveis de condicionamento físico. Foram utilizados dois testes clínicos, o Timed Up and Go (TUG) e o QuickScreen Clinical Fall Risck Assessment (QuickScreen), e um laboratorial, o Biodex Balance System - Modo Fall Risck (BBS-FR). A correlação dos dados foi realizada por meio da aplicação do coeficiente de correlação de Spearman, com nível de significância de 5% (p < 0,05). RESULTADOS: Verificou-se correlação positiva e moderada entre o QuickScreen e o BBS-FR (r = 0,35; p = 0,01) e entre o QuickScreen e o TUG (r = 0,32; p = 0,02). Não houve correlação significativa entre o BBS-FR e o TUG (r = 0,10; p = 0,47). CONCLUSÃO: Os testes analisados são complementares, tendo em vista que não se correlacionaram fortemente e mostraram-se com particularidades e limitações distintas. Entretanto, sugerimos a utilização do instrumento QuickScreen no ambiente clínico, já que este foi o que melhor se correlacionou com o dispositivo laboratorial, o BBS-FR, e o que mais identificou idosos ativos com risco de quedas. Dessa forma, o QuickScreen avaliou o risco de quedas de forma mais ampla, uma vez que engloba questões não abordadas pelos dois outros testes estudados. INTRODUCTION: Clinical and laboratory methods are increasingly being developed to assess different aspects of body balance and establish parameters for identification of elderly at risk of falls. Objectives: To analyze the correlation between the three tests used to assess the risk of falls in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a crosssectional study, conducted with 49 community-dwelling elderly, healthy controls, with different levels of fitness. We used two clinical tests, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and QuickScreen clinical assessment fall risk (QuickScreen), and one laboratory, the Biodex Balance System -Mode Fall Risk (BBS-FR). The correlation of the data was performed by using the Spearmam's rank correlation coefficient, with a significance level of 5% (p < 0.5). RESULTS: There were moderate positive correlations between QuickScreen and BBS-FR (r = 0.35; p = 0.01) and between QuickScreen and TUG (r = 0.32; p = 0.02). There was no significant correlation between BBS-FR and TUG (r = -0.10; p = 0.47). CONCLUSION: The analyzed tests are complementary, given that not correlated strongly and showed up with specific and distinct limitations. However, we suggest the use of the instrument QuickScreen in the clinical setting, as this was what was best correlated with the laboratory device, the BBS-FR, and identified that more active seniors at risk of falling. Thus, QuickScreen assessed the risk of falls more broadly, as encompassing issues not addressed by the other two tests studied.

The principle and the potential of an incremental bulk metal forming method is presented in the paper. It can be used for manufacturing of the specific aircraft integral panels in a form of ribbed parts with high surface/thickness ratio. A unique laboratory device has been developed to investigate the effect of process parameters on the material flow and the press load. It utilizes tooling consisting of working rolls, a die and a punch that is divided into a number of segments. The results of preliminary numerical simulations proved that the presented forming method offers significant advantages in comparison with conventional forging.

Highly viscous substances, such as feces, produce significant heat when layer deformation occurs. We describe the use of viscous heating sufficient to destroy disease-causing microorganisms and whipworms in feces. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to evaluate preliminary design and provide initial geometric specifications for a laboratory-scale unit. The laboratory device has a rotating core separated from a fixed shell wall by a defined space. Data were obtained over a range of operating conditions with simulant materials. The CFD model was validated with the experimental results. The temperature observed with the smallest spacing was 190 °C. Alternative geometries are considered for high-volume sludge processing. Potential design modifications include enhancing efficient water evaporation and recovery.

The designed laboratory device will solve the issue of test methods of tractor hydraulics, monitoring the lifetime of hydraulic components, and testing of various oil types. The results of experimental measurements of forces and pressures in the three-point hydraulic hitch of tractor with plough allow implementing the design and simulation of operational loads of the dynamic system of tractor three-point hitch (TPH) under laboratory conditions. Theoretical and experimental works were focused on tractors. The design of test device is based on load characteristics obtained from the operation of tractor with plough. Research was focused on the use of results obtained from operational measurements of the tractor with plough and their simulation by a hydrostatic simulator under laboratory conditions. The laboratory device will enable the TPH life tests while loading with forces in the horizontal and vertical direction so that it corresponds to a practical loading process

Experimental field tests as well as laboratory tests have been conducted. In addition to field tests, a geothermal laboratory device has been developed. With the help of this device, the heat transport processes in different geological and hydrogeological conditions can be simulated. The different types of heat transport mechanisms in geothermal systems can be characterized clearly. Furthermore, it is possible to determine the increase of the effective thermal conductivity of a line source with rising groundwater flow velocities. With the geothermal data gathered, common numerical programs are verified and optimized. Therefore, all measured data are reconsidered by numerical back analysis. Copyright , Oxford University Press.

There are a number of challenges that need to be overcome in order to stimulate more synthesis chemists to adopt continuous-flow chemical processing techniques. By way of example, the use of cryogenic consumables to cool reactions is impractical on scale or over extended reaction times. Here, a solution to the problem is described with the development of a convenient laboratory device that offers chemists the benefits of continuous flow processing using an accurate thermal energy transfer block which provides long-term reaction stability and is free from water ingress.

Physical and mathematical models of a mechanical-draft cooling tower with a new wire packing protected by a Russian Federation patent, and drip irrigation are examined. The following auxiliary parameters are determined experimentally on a prototype laboratory device: holding capacity with respect to water, heatand mass-transfer coefficients, and the porosity of the packing. A procedure and algorithm are developed, and an example is cited for an analysis, which indicates superiority of drip-type cooling towers (mass- and heat-transfer coefficients higher by 10% and almost an order, respectively.)

The paper presents a WebGL model of Segway based laboratory device that is available to user via web browser. The user can interact with the model and simulate various initial conditions. In addition, its dynamical behavior can also be controlled using PID controller. The background of the application is driven by OpenModelica software environment.

A maneuverable laboratory device, developed to evaluate the compatibility of a gamma ray detector and MRI magnetic gradients, is presented The tool was designed to characterize the sensitivity to switching gradients of the detector modules of INSERT, a clinical SPECT ring compatible with commercial MRI scanners. The time-varying magnetic fields generated with this tool can be tailored to be identical in amplitude (0-20 mT) and frequency (0.1-3 kHz) to those utilized in common MRI sequences, but can be localized with cm-resolution, in such a way that sensitive points inside the hardware under test can be revealed. The device has been utilized to identify weaknesses inside the ASIC board of the INSERT system. Thanks to its use in mapping the board, a novel layout demonstrated improved rejection of disturbances.

The objective of this work is to collaborate with EpiSolar to develop and test processes that are consistent with the goals and milestones of an NREL FPace1 (Foundational Program to Advance Cell Efficiency) project entitled 'High-Temperature, Roll-to-Roll (RTR) CdTe Superstrate Devices Using Flexible Glass.' The primary milestone for this CRADA relates to demonstration of a 15% efficient laboratory device.

In the paper some ideas of studying multivariable control are presented where special attention is devoted to step - by step transition to e-learning. Introduced ideas are realized through design projects between which one is chosen as a competition game and is realized using E-CHO system, Matlab and a pilot plant. All preparation for the game can be realized using remote virtual and actual laboratory device while the competition itself is taking place in the laboratory to preserve personal contacts between the students and the staff. Copyright © 2002 IFAC

Die Forschungsarbeiten hatten das Ziel, einen Prozess zu entwickeln, der die Erzeugung einer hohen elektrischen Durchschlagsfestigkeit in kurzester Prozesszeit auf Aluminiumbandern ermoglicht. Um in den Versuchen die Prozessparameter in einem breiten Bereich zu variieren, wurde gemeinsam mit der Fa. Steinert Elektromagnetbau GmbH Koln eine flexible diskontinuierliche Laboranlage konzipiert. Durch die Anwendung des Flussigleiterprinzips lies sich in diesem Equipment die in kontinuierlichen Anlagen praktizierte festkontaktfreie Anodisierung von Aluminiumbandern nachempfinden. Die Entwicklungsarbeiten konzentrierten sich auf die Gestaltung der Stromform. Anhand der Ergebnisse wird deutlich, dass es durch geeignete elektrische Parameter (Stromformen) in Verbindung mit einer entsprechenden Nachbehandlung moglich ist, hochste Durchschlagsspannungen in kurzester Prozesszeit zu erreichen. Die nach der neuen Technologie (Stromform TUCAL) erzeugten Schichten weisen zudem eine hohere Porendichte als die konventionell hergestellten auf, was sich in einer hoheren Duktilitat (geringeren Rissanfalligkeit) niederschlagt. Process for anodizing of aluminum stripes with high electrical breakdown voltage The Aim of the research was to develop an anodizing process for generating a high breakdown voltage on aluminum stripes in the shortest processing time possible. In order to vary process parameters in a wide range, a flexible discontinuous anodizing laboratory device was designed in cooperation with Steinert Elektromagnetbau GmbH Koln. By means of the liquid contact method, conditions equal to non-solid contact anodizing of aluminum stripes in continuous laboratory devices were simulated. The research was focused on the development of the current pulse shape. The results show that the highest possible breakdown voltages can be achieved in a short processing time using suitable electrical parameters (current pulse shape) and the appropriate post-treatment. The films generated by the new technology (current pulse shape referred to as “TUCAL”) reveal a higher pore density than conventional layers. This results in a higher ductility (less tendency for cracking).

Earth pressure balanced (EPB) full face tunneling machines have experienced a remarkable increase in the number of applications throughout the world due to both mechanical developments and a more effective use of additives to condition the ground. Conditioning modifies the mechanical and hydraulic properties of a soil by making it suitable for the pressure control in the bulk chamber and extraction with the screw conveyor. The extraction system plays a fundamental role during the EPB operations particularly for a correct application of the face pressure. Despite the extensive use of the EPB technique, little knowledge exists concerning the understanding of the behavior of conditioned soil, particularly for noncohesive ground (sand and gravel). This paper presents and describes a prototype laboratory device, which simulates the extraction of the ground from a pressurized tank with a screw conveyor. The results of a preliminary test program carried out on a medium sized sand show that the prototype device is efficient in verifying the effects of foam for an optimal use in EPB conditioning.

A new laboratory device is used to investigate the resistance to clast ploughing at the base of glaciers. In experiments in which a ploughing tip is dragged at different velocities and effective normal stresses through water-saturated sediment from Unteraargletscher, Switzerland, pore pressures above and below the hydrostatic level develop around the tip. The absolute magnitude of these nonhydrostatic pore pressures increases with the ploughing velocity but remains small compared to the sediment yield strength, so that the pore pressures do not significantly weaken the sediment. The shear stress on the tip is independent of the velocity but scales with the applied effective normal stress, in agreement with a Coulomb-plastic behavior of the sediment. The results indicate that, depending upon position close to the object, both sediment compaction and dilation can influence the pore-pressure distribution and thus the sediment yield strength. Comparison with other studies of clast ploughing suggests that the significance of sediment weakening in front of ploughing clasts may depend on the relative magnitudes of the non-hydrostatic pore pressures. Therefore, depending on the dominant pore-pressure response of the deforming sediment, clast ploughing may have the potential to either trigger ice-flow instabilities or stabilize glacier motion.

The study and assessment of Power Quality issues is nowadays a very important subject, particularly regarding Cyber-physical and Industrial Agents based systems, which are extremely sensitive to Power Quality disturbances. Giving students or engineers practical experience in this field requires a large investment from teaching institutions. This paper presents a laboratory device that emulates Power Quality disturbances in order to provide the required experimental expertize in the subject. It addresses limiting aspects such as harmonic distortion, flicker, sags, swells and transients. The developed system presents a good opportunity for technicians, even without deep knowledge on the field of power quality, to learn basic principles and be able to identify Power Quality events. Since the system is based on real data, represents a valuable approach giving trainees practical knowledge on the field.

Background: The StatSensor® Xpress-i™, a point-of-care system for blood creatinine measurement, offers patients the possibility of self-monitoring creatinine. In this study, the analytical performance of the StatSensor® for both detecting current renal function and monitoring renal (dys)function in kidney transplant patients was examined. Methods: Accuracy of the StatSensor® with capillary and venous whole blood was evaluated and compared to an isotopic dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS)-traceable enzymatic creatinine test in venous serum (n=138). Twenty Li-heparin samples were compared to the IDMS reference method performed by a Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM)-listed reference laboratory (RfB, Bonn, Germany). To evaluate StatSensor®'s suitability to monitor kidney function, both venous and capillary samples were obtained in 20 hospitalized transplantation patients. Venous samples were analyzed with an IDMS-traceable enzymatic test, capillary samples were measured using the StatSensor®. For all 2-day intervals, percentage change in creatinine was compared between both methods. Results: The StatSensor® did not meet total allowable error criterion of 6.9%. Average overall CVa for the StatSensor® was 10.4% and 5.2% for capillary and venous whole blood results, respectively. Overall CVa for the central laboratory serum creatinine method was

The last decade has seen an extensive development of the field of nanomaterials which are currently being used in their first commercial applications. This rapid development is necessarily connected with certain technological demands. This paper describes a technology for the manufacture of nanomaterials from solutions by electrostatic spinning or spraying. Although this method has been well known since the last century, there are still only a few high-quality devices that can be used for the research of new nanomaterials. The main reason for this is that the process of nanomaterials manufacturing is influenced by numerous processing parameters which need to be properly regulated, and furthermore all device components must be resistant to interference from high voltage. The technological requirements are thus stringent. Moreover, such a device must be multifunctional, compact and affordable. This paper describes the technical aspects of a unique laboratory device, i.e., device modules and central control, measured processing parameters, and their effect on the produced materials. The developed laboratory device meets the most demanding criteria for a nanotechnological laboratory device and helps facilitate and speed up the research and development of new nanomaterials produced in high electrostatic field.

In a comparative investigation 3 file handles were evaluated with regard to their ergonomic quality. By means of a mobile measuring system for the recording of peripheral-physiological data, the muscle strain of 9 muscles of the left and right hand-arm-shoulder system was quantified with surface electromyography. A special laboratory device facilitated the standardized execution of the tests. A specific bipolar questionnaire had enabled the subjective assessment of the design, surface material, general usability, avoidance of pressure marks and blisters, suitability for the exertion of the necessary pressure and pushing forces, and the suitability during hand perspiration. Also, the assessment of more or less favorable body positions to various filing directions was made. From substantial differences in the objective data and the subjective evaluation, the inference has to be drawn that only the combination of subjective surveys and objective measurements represent the opportunity to assess the ergonomic quality of working tools adequately.

When estimating the time-rate of settlement for foundation soils treated with vertical drains, understanding the horizontal drainage behavior of the soil is important because the time of consolidation settlement may be critical to the overall construction schedule and sequencing. This paper explains the process for obtaining the horizontal properties of soft soils in the laboratory using a Rowe cell, a laboratory device that directly measures the horizontal drainage of soft soil samples through a radial consolidation test. The Rowe cell further allows for back-saturation of test specimens and the ability to replicate in situ lateral stress conditions with an applied cell pressure. This paper summarizes how challenges associated with specimen preparation, test setup and procedure, and data analysis and interpretation can be overcome. Finally, this paper demonstrates that this is a viable method that should be considered more often for obtaining horizontal drainage design parameters.

This is a chronicle of how the Proceedings of the IRE documented and influenced the dramatic changes in telecommunications technology and electronics that took place during the years from 1913 through 1937, the first quarter century of the Institute of Radio Engineers. During these years, the vacuum tube evolved from a laboratory device of low power and frequency into a wide variety of mass-produced tubes suitable for a wide range of power levels and frequencies. The long-wave systems that dominated initially gave way to short-wave systems for international communication and radio broadcasting enjoyed spectacular growth. Electromechanical television that was introduced in the 1920s gave way to all-electronic television in the 1930s. Proceedings papers disclosed developments that marked the advent of microwave systems and applications of the differential analyzer that set the stage for the digital computer. The impacts of World War I and of the Great Depression that began in 1929 also were reflected in the Proceedings. Military enterprise exerted a strong influence on trends in the radio-electronics industry throughout the period.

The “controlled impact” laboratory device is developed in Technical University of Sofia. The acceleration of impact bodies is realized by cold rocket engine, which is operated with compressed air. The control system of the device ensure impact velocity up to 8 m/s, and measurement of impact parameters - path, velocity, acceleration. The parameters of the control system and there accuracy are investigated.

Biological aerosol detectors are used as early-warning devices to alert personnel to the presence of airborne biological threats. Fielded bioaerosol detectors must be checked periodically with threat-simulant aerosols to confirm their functionality. Two field aerosol generators were available for testing: confidence checker units (CCUs; Flir Systems, Inc.; Elkridge, MD) and puffers, also known as pressurized metered dose inhalers (U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD). In this study, the characteristics of the aerosol output from the field aerosol generators were compared to those of a laboratory aerosol generator, the ink-jet aerosol generator (IJAG). In this study, two similar custom-made proprietary aerosol detectors were used to compare the inter- and intravariability of challenge aerosols generated by eight CCUs, six puffers, and one IJAG. Ten challenges from each aerosol generator were provided to each detector, and the detector responses and alarm statuses were recorded. This report presents the test results and conclusions, which indicate that the CCU outputs had the greatest variability, and the IJAG outputs had the least variability.

In about 1840, when electric motors were little more than scientific toys and the electric battery only a laboratory device, an obscure Scotsman built an electric locomotive weighing some five tons. Powered only by the most primitive of batteries it carried two people for a mile and a half at speeds upwards of four miles an hour. In the cold light of today's knowledge, it appears an impossibility but the reports are beyond question. This paper describes experiments with a small-scale model which suggest some answers.

Background Accidents related to slips, trips and falls represent roughly one fourth of the total accidents in the mining and quarrying industry in Finland. According to a recent estimate, in Finland, an accident involving a fall costs about 6000 € on average. Working in the northern open pit mines exposes the workers in harsh weather conditions where pedestrian walkways are often very slippery because they are covered by ice and snow. Therefore it is essential that the footwear used by the workers has good grip in those conditions. Description of the problem Footwear selected to be used in the mine work is normally based on the risk assessment because some workers do occasionally work that includes welding the footwear are selected on those based on those criteria’s. Most commonly the footwear soles are selected so that they are resistant to hot contact (HRO) according the PPE-footwear standard. This leads to the selection of footwear which sole are made from dense materials like nitrile rubber. Using of those dense polymers like can be problematic in the arctic area because the slip resistance of the footwear soles made from dense materials is found to be poorer than footwear made from softer soling materials. The cold climate can increase the hardness of the soling material which makes footwear even more slippery. Slip resistance, i.e. dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) of the footwear was measured in laboratory by using FIOH’s own laboratory device slip simulator. Measurements were carried out according the parameters defined in the standard EN ISO 13287: 2012 Personal protective equipment-Footwear-Test method for slip resistance. The standard method was modified only by using smooth ice surface as a test surface. Ten consecutive measurements were done by each footwear model. The mean value and standard deviation was calculated. In addition the footwear was pre-conditioned in the climatic chamber at the temperature of – 20 C° for four hours in order to see how the hardening of the sole materials affects to the slip resistance. Hardness of the sole was measured by using hardness tester with Shore (A) hardness scale. Four different footwear were selected and collected form the mines participating in the project. Three of those footwear were safety footwear according EN ISO 20345: 2011 they were half-knee height leather footwear designed for winter conditions. One sample was rubber boot from Russia and it was not classified as safety footwear according to EN or ISO standards. Additionally six different safety footwear for winter conditions were selected in order to compare level of performance the slip resistance of footwear used in mines to the winter footwear available in the market. Results Samples collected from the four mines got almost equal DCOF levels than the winter safety footwear selection from market when they were measured without pre-conditioning, but the DCOF values were 39% lower compared to winter safety footwear selection when the samples were pre continued in climatic chamber. Hardness of the footwear sole increased 26% in average because of the pre-conditioning in cold. Conclusions Footwear currently used in the four mines have reasonable good slip resistance compared to footwear’s available in the market, but their fiction level is strongly dependent of the temperature. For safety reasons, it would be advisable to use footwear sole materials which are not so much affected by the temperature changes especially in the artic area mines.

Rapid assessment of the stickiness of cotton can be accomplished with a new apparatus designed, constructed, and tested at the U.S. Cotton Ginning Laboratory at Stoneville, Mississippi, and at a commercial laboratory. The apparatus essentially consists of a cabinet equipped with an infrared moisture sensor, resistance sensor, and compression platen. The apparatus may be used as a stationary laboratory device or it may be used for continuous, online monitoring in a gin or textile environment. The infrared moisture meter responds to the level of natural sugar and insect sugar that is contained within the sample whereas the resistance moisture content is affected only slightly. Results of several studies involving a number of cottons grown across the cotton belt indicated that the instrument can correctly estimate whether a sample is sticky or not about 75% of the time.

Protection of the vineyard against diseases and pests may lead to pesticide residues in the wine. Traces of these active substances, even at concentrations below the legal limits, alarm the consumers and can compromise the potential to sale wines to some markets. A new oenological practice based on the use of selective vegetal fibres for the reduction of pesticide residues in wine is under evaluation by the International Organization of Vine and Wine. This technology, implemented on wine during filtration, is very effective for certain substances and impacts only little the wine quality. A laboratory pilot filtration device has been developed in order to confirm the efficiency of this treatment and its impact on the wine quality before its large-scale use in industrial conditions. This simple device is made of a peristaltic pump and a laboratory filter holder. Several wines with different fibre doses and filtration speeds can be rapidly tested, at bottle scale (75 cl). This pilot filtration device would be a quick and easy tool for the winemakers to evaluate the impact of a filtration on their wines using selective vegetal fibres in terms of efficiency to reduce the pesticide residues, chemical composition and of sensory quality.

As prevalence of dental caries in children rises worldwide, there is an increasing need for a safe, easy to use and cost-effective technique to detect and identify childhood caries at an early stage where remineralization of the tooth is possible and damage may be reversed. We have developed a simple and robust autofluorescence (AF) laboratory device that uses the dental AF spectra from 405 nm and 532 nm laser excitation and computes a ratio of the integrated areas of the spectra. Ten human extracted teeth with early stage natural caries lesions and an additional 8 human extracted teeth with artificially created erosion lesions were used for the study. The 405/532 nm AF ratio was obtained from healthy as well as unhealthy enamel regions for all teeth. A clear distinction between the ratios for healthy enamel and unhealthy enamel was seen. A percent change in 405/532 nm AF ratio of 62% was seen between natural white spot lesions and healthy enamel, with progressively more severe lesions leading to greater percent changes in AF ratios. The 405/532 nm AF ratio is a promising technique that may be used to detect the presence of early stage dental caries and triage high risk children. A cost effective clinical device can be developed which utilizes the proposed technique to screen children in underserved communities.