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Present Contribution (present + contribution)
Selected AbstractsInfluence of the Wall Characteristics on the Development of MARFE in TokamaksCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 7-9 2006O. Marchuk Abstract Multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE) normally develops in fusion devices close to the density limit. MARFE is considered a result of thermal instabilities excited under critical conditions through different mechanisms: impurity radiation, recycling of neutral particles, anomalous transport of charged particles and energy. Recent experiments on tokamaks TEXTOR and JET show that plasma-wall interaction, leading to release of recycling neutrals and impurities, plays a very important role for the formation of MARFE. In the present contribution we develop further the MARFE models based on the instability of particle recycling on the tokamak wall by including a simple description for the release of recycling neutrals from the wall surface into the plasma. This development takes into account the time delay between the out flow of charged particles from the plasma and in flux of neutrals. The linear stability analysis shows that this does not change the critical plasma density for the MARFE formation but modifies significantly the growth rate of unstable perturbations developing when the density exceeds the threshold. These findings are confirmed in a non-linear consideration by solving the equations for the particle, momentum and energy transfer in the plasma coupled with the wall particle balance equations. This is done in a one-dimensional approximation by taking into account the variation of the main plasma parameters in the poloidal direction and making averaging in the radial direction over the plasma edge width of the penetration depth of neutrals. The intrinsic poloidal asymmetry of the system, defining the MARFE localization, is introduced by the Shafranov shift of magnetic flux surfaces. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Philosophical Arguments, Historical Contexts, and Theory of Education1EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY, Issue 1 2007Daniel Tröhler Abstract This paper argues that many philosophical arguments within the education discourse are too little embedded in their own historical contexts. Starting out from the obvious fact that philosophers of education use sources from the past, the paper asks how we can deal with the arguments that these sources contain. The general attitude within philosophy of education, which views arguments as timeless, is being challenged by the insight that arguments always depend upon their own contexts. For this reason, citing past authors, heroes, or enemies without respecting the context says more about our interest at the present time than it does about the times of the authors examined. Conversely, the contextual approach helps us to avoid believing that ,timeless truths' are to be found in different texts of different ages. However, the present contribution in no way advocates a total relativization of statements. Quite the contrary; it claims that the contextual approach helps us to understand the traditions and contexts within which we ourselves, as researchers, are positioned. And this self-awareness is believed to be the proper starting position for theoretical statements about education. [source] Neural connectivity as an intermediate phenotype: Brain networks under genetic controlHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 7 2009Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg Abstract Recent evidence suggests that default mode connectivity characterizes neural states that account for a sizable proportion of brain activity and energy expenditure, and therefore represent a plausible neural intermediate phenotype. This implies the possibility of genetic control over systems-level connectivity features. Imaging genetics is an approach to combine genetic assessment with multimodal neuroimaging to discover neural systems linked to genetic abnormalities or variation. In the present contribution, we report results obtained from applying this strategy to both structural connectivity and functional connectivity data. Using data for serotonergic (5-HTTLPR, MAO-A) and dopaminergic (DARPP-32) genes as examples, we show that systems-level connectivity networks under genetic control can be identified. Remarkable similarities are observed across modalities and scales of description. Features of connectivity often better account for behavioral effects of genetic variation than regional parameters of activation or structure. These data provide convergent evidence for genetic control in humans over connectivity systems, whose characterization has promise for identifying neural systems mediating genetic risk for complex human behavior and psychiatric disease. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Comparative quantification of alcohol exposure as risk factor for global burden of diseaseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007Jürgen Rehm Abstract Alcohol has been identified as one of the most important risk factors in the burden experienced as a result of disease. The objective of the present contribution is to establish a framework to comparatively quantify alcohol exposure as it is relevant for burden of disease. Different key indicators are combined to derive this quantification. First, adult per capita consumption, composed of recorded and unrecorded consumption, yields the best overall estimate of alcohol exposure for a country or region. Second, survey information is used to allocate the per capita consumption into sex and age groups. Third, an index for detrimental patterns of drinking is used to determine the additional impact on injury and cardiovascular burden. The methodology is applied to estimate global alcohol exposure for the year 2002. Finally, assumptions and potential problems of the approach are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Organic-soluble chitosan/polyhydroxybutyrate ultrafine fibers as skin regeneration prepared by electrospinningJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010Guiping Ma Abstract In the present contribution, the ultrafine fiber membranes of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and organic-soluble chitosan(O-CS) was prepared by electrospinning. The structure and thermal stability were studied by infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The surface properties of ultrafine fibers were estimated by contact angle measurements using water. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cytotoxicity assessment with mouse fibroblast cells (L929) was also investigated. Cell culture results showed that it benefits promoting the cell attachment and proliferation. The results showed it could be as tissue engineering for skin regeneration. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Elongational Rheology of Polymer/Clay Dispersions: Determination of Orientational Extent in Elongational Flow Processes,MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2008Eduard A. Stefanescu Abstract The purpose of the present contribution is to provide an efficient method that would help to quantify the orientational levels occurring in polymer/clay dispersions subjected to elongational flow. The extent of internal orientation developed in salt containing montmorillonite/poly(ethylene oxide) gels is investigated, combining shear and elongational rheology methods. Entropic changes indicate that the strength of the transient network present in each gel affects the orientational ability of clay particles and polymer chains. We found that an increased Hencky strain of the hyperbolic die leads to a higher variation of the calculated entropy of the material. [source] Ultrafine Electrospun Polyamide-6 Fibers: Effects of Solvent System and Emitting Electrode Polarity on Morphology and Average Fiber DiameterMACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 9 2005Pitt Supaphol Abstract Summary: In the present contribution, polyamide-6 (PA-6) solutions were prepared in various pure and mixed-solvent systems and later electrospun with the polarity of the emitting electrode being either positive or negative. The PA-6 concentration in the as-prepared solutions was fixed at 32% w/v. Some of the solution properties, i.e., shear viscosity, surface tension, and conductivity, were measured. Irrespective of the polarity of the emitting electrode, only the electrospinning of PA-6 solution in formic acid (85 wt.-% aqueous solution) produced uniform electrospun fibers, while solutions of PA-6 in m -cresol or sulfuric acid (either 20 or 40 wt.-% aqueous solution) did not. In the mixed-solvent systems, formic acid (85 wt.-% aqueous solution) was blended with m -cresol, sulfuric acid (either 20 or 40 wt.-% aqueous solution), acetic acid, or ethanol in the compositional range of 10,40 vol.-% (based on the amount of the minor solvent). Generally, the average fiber diameter increased with increasing amount of the minor solvent or liquid. Interestingly, the diameters of the fibers obtained under the negative electrode polarity were larger than those obtained under the positive one. Optical images of electrospun fibers from solutions of polyamide-6 in a mixed solvent of 85 wt.-% formic acid and 20 vol.-% m -cresol under positive (left) and negative (right) electrode polarity. [source] Numerical Simulation of the Application of NiTi Alloys in Medical TechnologiesPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2005Daniel Christ Shape memory alloys are nowadays already established as a material which is able to solve exceptional tasks in practical applications. Particularly, its utilization in the field of medical technologies increases steadily. For example micro tools (staple, catheters) and implants (coronary stents) are made out of Nickel-Titanium well known as a basic shape memory alloy. Apart from the advantages like the avoidance of auxiliary components and joints in the system and to utilize the high volume specific work of shape memory alloys, NiTi alloys exhibit a good biocompatibility. This property is necessary with regard to either permanent or temporary implants. To optimize the use of NiTi alloys in the scope of medical technologies, the support of the development of applicable tools by numerical simulations is highly recommended. However the complex material behaviour containing a profoundly thermomechanical coupling poses indeed a big challenge to the material modeling and its implementation into a finite element code. Particularly, the material model proposed by Helm [1] proves to be a firm model containing the most common properties of shape memory alloys, as the pseudoelasticity, the shape memory effect and the two-way effect. In the present contribution the FE modelling of a medical staple used in foot surgery is presented by considering the model of Helm which was investigated by the authors to improve its performance in the finite element method [2]. The foot staple, produced by a group of members of the SFB 459 which is funded by the DFG, avails the shape memory effect to excite the desired clamping effect [3]. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Phosphite-driven, [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H2O)]2+ -catalyzed reduction of nicotinamide and flavin cofactors: characterization and application to promote chemoenzymatic reduction reactionsAPPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2010Maria Mifsud Grau Abstract The organometallic compound [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H2O)]2+ is a versatile catalyst for the in situ regeneration of reduced nicotinamides and flavins by catalyzing the electron transfer between the cathode or formate to the oxidized cofactors and prosthetic groups. In the present contribution we demonstrate the feasibility of phosphite as an alternative source of reducing equivalents. Thus, [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H2O)]2+ combines the catalytic activities of hydrogenases, formate and phosphite dehydrogenases in one catalyst. The catalytic properties of this novel regeneration approach are investigated, demonstrating that the general catalytic properties of [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H2O)]2+ are preserved. The principal applicability to promote alcoholdehydrogenase-catalyzed reduction reactions is demonstrated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] PANTELLERIAN WARE: A COMPREHENSIVE ARCHAEOMETRIC REVIEW,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 3 2007G. MONTANA Pantellerian ware is a Late Roman cooking ware whose production centre was established on the island of Pantelleria by the pioneering research of Fulford and Peacock almost 20 years ago (Peacock 1982; Fulford and Peacock 1984). Archaeological and archaeometric studies carried out by the authors of the present contribution during the past four years have aimed to fully characterize this ceramic class. Recurrent ceramic forms, their distribution over time and space, their petrographic characteristics and their chemical identity, as well as possible raw materials and their technological properties, were considered. The present paper is a comprehensive review of this archaeometric work and aims to establish a ,reference group'. Using a representative number of samples of Pantellerian ware that were recently discovered in the island through archaeological field surveys or surface and submarine excavations, it was possible to characterize in detail the compositional variability of this ware in terms of chemistry and petrography. Furthermore, the physical properties of this ceramic type have been defined in order to better understand its performance characteristics, mainly in response to induced thermal stress. In the meantime, the experimental mixing and tempering of locally sampled raw materials have shed light on the ancient manufacturing process and have led to an approximation of the original paste. [source] Bauphysikalische, ökologische und ökonomische Bewertung von geförderten Sanierungskonzepten in WienBAUPHYSIK, Issue 3 2009Azra Korjenic Univ.-Ass. Energieeinsparung; Gebäudebestand Abstract In diesem Beitrag wird die Nachhaltigkeit von Gebäudesanierungen untersucht, wobei die Reduzierung des Energieverbrauchs das oberste Ziel ist, was mit bis zu 80 % erreicht werden kann. Während in anderen Großstädten Europas das Konzept der Flächensanierung praktiziert wurde und wird, wird in Wien die "sanfte Sanierung" propagiert und auch gefördert. Die Stadt Wien hat dafür verschiedene Sanierungskonzepte bei der Hand. In dieser Untersuchung werden die verschiedenen geförderten Sanierungskonzepte anhand eines realen Beispiels gezeigt und rechnerisch überprüft. Ein Vergleich der verschiedenen Konzepte beleuchtet die einzelnen Punkte der Sanierung: Energieeffizienz, Sanierungskosten, Belastung für den Eigentümer bzw. Mieter der Wohnungen und Belastung für den Fördergeber (Land Wien). Die Ergebnisse ausgeführter Sanierungskonzepte brachten folgende Erkenntnisse bzw. Problemstellungen: , die Sanierungsmaßnahmen kommen hauptsächlich den Mietern zugute, während der Kostenträger (Eigentümer) nur die Wertsteigerung als Nutzen hat; , mangelnde Bereitschaft der Bewohner zur Sanierung; , erhebliche Mehrkosten für Passivhaustechnik; , zu geringe höchstzulässige Gesamtsanierungskosten. Evaluation of retrofitting concepts and municipal sponsoring in Vienna. Major energy efficiency improvements can be achieved via building stock retrofit. While in some major cities in Europe, mostly large-area building retrofit measures have been targeted; in Vienna a gradual thermal improvement of the building stock has been practiced. Thereby, a number of different instruments and programs have been promoted by the regional government. In the present contribution, a number of such programs are compared and evaluated based on the demonstrative case of a concrete example. Thereby, multiple related issues were addressed: energy efficiency, retrofit expenses, burden for the building owners and tenants, and burden for the funding agency (Municipal of Vienna). The results suggest: , the main beneficiary of retrofit programs are typically the tenants. The landlords benefit indirectly due to the appreciation of property value; , there is a certain lack of willingness on the side of the occupants toward thermal building retrofit measures; , achieving passive house standard in the course of retrofit measures cause significant additional costs; , permissible (fundable) maximum total retrofit expenses has been set too low. [source] Das Druckgurtmodell für StahlbetonbauteileBETON- UND STAHLBETONBAU, Issue 8 2009Der nachfolgende Beitrag erscheint aus Anlass des 60. Berechnungs- und Bemessungsverfahren; Versuche Abstract In den vergangenen Jahren wurden verschiedene auf die Bemessung von Stahl- und Spannbetonbauteilen ausgerichtete theoretische Modelle entwickelt. Heute stehen das Zuggurtmodell, das Modell der gerissenen (Steg-)Scheibe und das Druckgurtmodell zur Verfügung, auf deren Grundlage Verformungsverhalten und Tragwiderstände umfassend beurteilt werden können. Auf das Druckgurtmodell wird im vorliegenden Beitrag detailliert eingegangen. Es berücksichtigt die Festigkeits- und Duktilitätssteigerung durch eine Umschnürungsbewehrung sowie die bruchmechanisch begründete Entfestigung des Betons und die damit einhergehende Verformungslokalisierung. Auf der Grundlage neuerer Versuchsergebnisse können für die komplexen Interdependenzen zwischen diesen Effekten plausible Beziehungen angegeben werden. Die mithilfe des Druckgurtmodells gewonnenen Erkenntnisse sind für die Baupraxis von Bedeutung: Das Verhalten von auf Druck beanspruchten Bauteilen (z. B. Druckplatten von Brückenquerschnitten, Stützen) lässt sich zuverlässig erfassen; darüber hinaus ergeben sich wichtige Hinweise für die konstruktive Durchbildung. Compression Chord Model for Structural Concrete In recent years, several theoretical models have been developed with the scope on the design of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. Today, the tension chord model, the cracked membrane model and the compression chord model are available, with which the deformation behaviour as well as ultimate loads can be determined. In the present contribution the compression chord model is discussed in detail. The model takes the increase of strength and ductility due to a confining reinforcement into account and considers the softening as well as the localisation of deformations accompanying the fracture of concrete. On the basis of new test results plausible relations for the complex interdependencies between these effects are found. The results of the compression chord model are relevant for practical applications: The behaviour of compressed members (e.g. in bridge girders or columns) can be assessed reliably; moreover, hints for the detailing of reinforcement can be deduced. [source] Building a consensus regarding the nature and origin of mesenchymal stem cellsJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue S38 2002Donald G. PhinneyArticle first published online: 23 APR 200 Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are believed to be the common precursors to differentiated cell lineages found in bone and bone marrow, including adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and hematopoiesis-supporting stroma. Apart from this fact, most aspects of MSC biology, including their ontogeny, anatomical location in marrow, and in vivo functions remain vague. Attempts to clarify these issues have produced confounding results, principally due to the fact that many researchers employ different methods to culture MSCs, assess their differentiation potential, and evaluate their capacity for self-renewal. Accordingly, the current status of the field appears fragmentary with no clear consensus on how to define the cells. In describing past and present contributions to the field of MSC research, I will demonstrate that the apparent incongruity of the literature is misleading, and that an unbiased interpretation reveals a fairly cohesive picture of MSC biology. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 38: 7,12, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||