bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stakeholder group consensus based on multi-aspect hydrology decision making / Skupinový konsensus zainteresovaných subjektů založený na multikriteriální metodě rozhodování. j. hydrol. hydromech., 60, 2012, 4; 22 lit, 6 obr., 8 tab.
Authors: Kovář Pavel , Vrana Ivan , Vaššová Darina
Published: May 2018

Catastrophic impact of floods is the result of an interaction between extreme hydrologic events and environmental, social and economic processes. Therefore, an integrated approach to flood management plays an important role in sustainable development. Such an approach requires a team comprising experts from the fields of hydrology and water resources, nature protection, risk management, human security, municipalities, economics and land use. The estimations of experts can serve for finding a solution to specific YES/NO problems and for estimating the value of specific attributes or parameters. In order to measure and evaluate the level of agreement between experts, a newly developed method for assessing the level of agreement and the value of τ-agreement, based on the Shannon theory of entropy, was applied. The use of such fuzzy-group-agreement decision making procedure, involving a broad range of stakeholders, is illustrated by the Flood Control Case Study, Zarosice, Czech Republic. In the case study of the Zdrava Voda catchment, where a part of the urbanised territory of the Zarosice village suffered from periodical flooding, a group of experts analysed the catchment data, focusing particularly on designed rainfall data. The KINFIL model was subsequently applied.
Improved horizontal installation of large soil moisture content sensors and interpretation of their readings in terms of preferential flow / Zlepšená vodorovná instalace velkých čidel půdní vlhkosti a interpretace jejich čtení ve smyslu preferenčního proudění
Authors: Doležal František , Matula Svatopluk , Moreira Barradas João Manuel
Published: May 2018

Soil moisture content was measured by TDR sensors Aqua-Tel-TDR (Automata, Inc., today McCrometer CONNECT) in a loamy Chernozem on carbonate-rich loess substrate. The sensors, wrapped in slurry made of local soil and water, were installed horizontally into pre-made holes. The bias caused by imperfectly filled gaps between the wall of the hole and the sensor surface was reduced by field calibration. The same gaps made it possible to detect the preferential flow in soil macropores, due to which the reflectometric readings were perceivably higher than analogous readings before percolation events and sometimes higher than the native soil porosity. One typical event is presented. It is envisaged that sensors of this type can be used for semi-quantitative estimation of the preferential flux density, e.g. with the help of dual or multiple porous medium models or the momentum dissipation theory.
Mutual Dependence between Sustainable Energy- and Sustainable Agriculture Policies-from the Global and European Perspective
Authors: Wysokińska Zofia
Published: May 2018

The aim of the paper is to present the interrelationship between the sustainable energy, especially renewable energy sector and sustainable agriculture policy from both: the European and the global perspectives. In the world and European economy the role of Renewable Energy Technologies is still increasing. Energy efficiency; sustainable agriculture; renewable energies for rural development belong to main poles of sustainable development in the world economy and its regions. Agriculture is one of the economic sectors to which the EU commitment to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases applies. Like any other economic sector, agriculture produces greenhouse gases and is a major source of the non- CO2 greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. It is also the strong relationship between the sustainable agriculture sector and the renewable energy development possibilities. The sustainable agriculture can be seen as a source of renewable energy.
Sustainable Energy Crop Production in Poland: Perspectives
Authors: Pszczółkowska Agata , Romanowska-Duda Zdzisława , Pszczółkowski Wiktor , Grzesik Mieczysław , Wysokińska Zofia
Published: May 2018

In the context of achieving the targets of the energy economy, Poland’s demand for bioenergy is stimulated by several factors, including the biomass potential of agricultural cultivation. The objective of this article is to indicate perspectives for the sustainable production of energy crops in Poland through the production of total biomass as the main renewable source of energy utilized in the countries of Europe and supported by Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 23, 2009 on the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources, currently in force. The most important reasons for promoting the production of plant biomass for energy purposes is the desire to work against climate change and reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses. This article indicates the significant role of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in biofuels and their production. Note is also taken of agro– climatic and soil conditions for the production of biomass in Poland as well as the economic aspects using the Agricultural Production Space Valuation Ratio (APSVR).
Effective Governance to Develop Creative Quarters: Three Case Studies from Germany
Authors: Lauderbach Martina
Published: May 2018

As the positive economic and social impacts of the creative economy on regions are evident, many regions and local policy makers aim to attract creative industries and creative people by offering adequate spaces and framework conditions (Musterd & Murie 2010). Beside other efforts, creative quarters are initiated artificially by top-down governance. Based on the assumption that creatives (bohemians, core of the creative class) need a certain amount of autonomy and do not want to be instrumentalised, initiating creative quarters top-down seems to be difficult. This paper analyses different ways of governance to develop creative quarters in the range of top-down, bottom-up and co-governance. By reference to three quarters (located in the Ruhr area, Germany) which have been developed by different ways of governance, the research derives ideal governance structures and processes to develop creative quarters considering practical opportunities and limitations.
Satisfaction of the Creative Class with Living in Szczecin: a Relationship Perspective
Authors: Bąkowska Sylwia
Published: May 2018

This paper presents a set of criteria for measuring the satisfaction of the creative class derived from living in Szczecin. For this purpose, data from a telephone survey sample of the Szczecin creative class was collected*. On the basis of these criteria, the satisfaction level is estimated in the light of such factors as the attractiveness of and access to urban amenities, the city’s aesthetic values, and the attitude towards the closest neighbourhood. As a result, the satisfaction level reflects the relationship between the creative class and the local government. Also, this level decides the choice of representatives of the creative class as to whether to continue living in Szczecin or move out.
Weak consistency of estimators in linear regression model
Authors: Lachout Petr
Published: May 2018

A linear regression model and M-estimator of its regression coefficients are considered. We present a derivation of a weak consistency of the M-estimator together with a rate. Derivation is made under general conditions set on the error term, say “asymptotic stationarity” property. The results are proved by means of L2-convergence and cover the cases as the error term is ARMA, ARCH, GARCH process or it is attracted by an ARMA, ARCH, GARCH process. We do not separate random and deterministic covariates. Both cases are treated in one general setting.
Duality Mapping and Birkhoff Orthogonality
Authors: Precupanu T.
Published: May 2018

In this note we establish some properties of Birkhoff orthogonality in terms of duality mapping. Particularly, using a slight extension of a Rockafellar result we obtain a new proof of a result earlier established by Blanco and Turnšek concerning the linear operators preserving Birkhoff orthogonality.
Stabilizing A Reaction-Diffusion System Via Feedback Control
Authors: Dodea Smaranda C.
Published: May 2018

A two-component reaction-diffusion system modelling a prey-predator system is considered. A necessary condition and a sufficient condition for the internal stabilizability to zero of one the two components of the solution while preserving the nonnegativity of both components have been established by Aniţa. In case of stabilizability, a feedback stabilizing control of harvesting type has been indicated. The rate of stabilization corresponding to the indicated feedback control depends on the principal eigenvalue of a certain elliptic operator. A large principal eigenvalue leads to a fast stabilization. The first goal of this paper is to approximate this principal eigenvalue. The second goal is to derive a conceptual iterative algorithm to improve at each iteration the position of the support of the stabilizing control in order to get a faster stabilization.
A control Lyapunov function approach to adaptive control of HIV-1 Infection
Authors: Lemos João M. , Barão Miguel S.
Published: May 2018

This paper presents an algorithm for nonlinear adaptive control of the viral load in HIV-1 infection. The infection model considered is a reduced complexity nonlinear state-space model with two state variables, that represent the plasma concentration of uninfected and infected CD4+ T-cells of the human immune system. The viral load is assumed to be proportional to the concentration of infected cells. First, a change of variables that exactly linearizes the system is obtained. For the resulting linear system the manipulated variable is obtained by state feedback. To compensate for the uncertainty in the infection parameter of the model an estimator based on a Control Lyapunov Function is designed.
Multiobjective shape optimization of selected coupled problems by means of evolutionary algorithms
Authors: Długosz A. , Burczyński T.
Published: May 2018

In present paper an improved multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is used for Pareto optimization of selected coupled problems. Coupling of mechanical, electrical and thermal fields is considered. Boundary-value problems of the thermo-elasticity, piezoelectricity and electro-thermo-elasticity are solved by means of finite element method (FEM). Ansys Multiphysics and MSC.Mentat/Marc software are used to solve considered coupled problems. Suitable interfaces between optimization tool and the FEM software are created. Different types of functionals are formulated on the basis of results obtained from the coupled field analysis. Functionals depending on the area or volume of the structure are also proposed. Parametric curves NURBS are used to model some optimized structures. Numerical examples for exemplary three-objective optimization are presented in the paper.
Multi-constrained topology optimization using constant criterion surface algorithm
Authors: Mrzygłód M.
Published: May 2018

This paper sets out to describe a multi-constrained approach to topology optimization of structures. In the optimization, a constant criterion surface algorithm and the multi-constraint procedure is used. The multi-constraint procedure consists of constraints normalization and equivalent design space assembling. The work is illustrated by an example of the L-shaped domain optimization with the horizontal line support and complex loads. The example takes into consideration stress, fatigue and compliance constraints. The separate and simultaneous application of constraints resulted in significant differences in structure topology layouts. The application of a fatigue constraint gave more conservative results when compared to static stress or compliance limitations. The multi-constrained approach allowed effectively lowering the mass of the structure while satisfying all constraints.
Swarm optimization of stiffeners locations in 2-D structures
Authors: Szczepanik M. , Burczyński T.
Published: May 2018

The paper is devoted to the application of the swarm methods and the finite element method to optimization of the stiffeners location in the 2-D structures (plane stress, bending plates and shells). The structures are optimized for the stress and displacement criteria. The numerical examples demonstrate that the method based on the swarm computation is an effective technique for solving the computer aided optimal design. The additional comparisons of the effectiveness of the particle swarm optimizer (PSO) and evolutionary algorithms (EA) are presented.
A structural optimisation viewpoint on growth phenomena
Authors: Barthold F.-J.
Published: May 2018

Evolutionary solid bodies undergoing changes of mass, of properties, and of shapes are considered in models of growth and adaptation and similarily in structural optimisation. A fundamental separation of different growth phenomena and a subsequent parametrisation using independent design variables for the amount of substance as well as for molar mass and molar volume facilitates an efficient formulation of the design space. Thus, the effects of design variations, i.e. change of amount of substance, on the variations of the structural response, i.e. the deformation in physical space, can be clearly described. Overall, a novel treatment of growth processes based on an evolution of the amount of substance is outlined. The parallelism of variations in physical and design space are highlighted and compared with the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into a growth and an elastic part incorporating an incompatible intermediate configuration. This drawback is overcome by a compatible manifold based on material points modelling the amount of substance outside of any geometrical space.
Quantity-based flow control strategy for connection-oriented communication networks
Authors: Karbowańczyk M. , Żuk J.
Published: May 2018

In this paper a new flow control strategy for connection-oriented communication networks is presented. It utilises methods of control theory, in particular the Smith predictor and dead-beat control, to achieve desirable dynamics of the considered network. In contrast to a number of earlier proposals in which the controller command is interpreted as the rate transmission, in our solution it is interpreted as the quantity of data that the controlled node is expected to send. This allows us to model a single virtual connection with non-persistent data source as a time-delay system in which the delay may temporarily exceed its assumed boundary. Favourable properties of the proposed control strategy are formulated as mathematical theorems and thoroughly discussed.
GPU-based tuning of quantum-inspired genetic algorithm for a combinatorial optimization problem
Authors: Nowotniak R. , Kucharski J.
Published: May 2018

This paper concerns efficient parameters tuning (meta-optimization) of a state-of-the-art metaheuristic, Quantum-Inspired Genetic Algorithm (QIGA), in a GPU-based massively parallel computing environment (NVidia CUDATMtechnology). A novel approach to parallel implementation of the algorithm has been presented. In a block of threads, each thread transforms a separate quantum individual or different quantum gene; In each block, a separate experiment with different population is conducted. The computations have been distributed to eight GPU devices, and over 400× speedup has been gained in comparison to Intel Core i7 2.93GHz CPU. This approach allows efficient meta-optimization of the algorithm parameters. Two criteria for the meta-optimization of the rotation angles in quantum genes state space have been considered. Performance comparison has been performed on combinatorial optimization (knapsack problem), and it has been presented that the tuned algorithm is superior to Simple Genetic Algorithm and to original QIGA algorithm.
Migration channels produced by laser ablation for substrate endothelialization
Authors: Major R. , Maksymow K. , Marczak J. , Lackner J.M. , Kot M. , Major B.
Published: May 2018

Seeding of cells on functional, biocompatible scaffolds is a crucial step in achievement the desired engineered tissue. In the present study, a pulsed laser modification onto inorganic substrate was made to promote endothelium cells migration and spread. Presented scaffolds were fabricated on carbon and titanium based coatings. Fabricated films provided very good mechanical properties together with a chemical stability preservation. The substrate modification consisted of grid-like template fabrication of micrometer size meshes. The microstructure analysis of laser traces revealed the grain size increase in the zone of laser beam interaction, which exerts an influence on a surface topography. Endothelium cells locomotion was observed within 10 day time period. As a result it was shown that the modified area enhanced cells adhesion with a preferred static behavior. The performed research work improved our understanding on the pulsed laser ablation process and template size influence on cells spatial arrangement. It constituted an important step towards fabrication of inorganic, biocompatible scaffolds for successful substrate endothelialization.
On Rayleigh wave in generalized magneto-thermoelastic media with hydrostatic initial stress
Authors: Singh B. , Kumari S. , Singh J.
Published: May 2018

The governing equations of generalized magneto-thermoelasticity with hydrostatic initial stress are solved for surface wave solutions. The particular solutions in the half-space are applied to the boundary conditions at the free surface of the half-space to obtain the frequency equation of Rayleigh wave. The frequency equation is approximated for small thermal coupling and small reduced frequency. The velocity of propagation and amplitude-attenuation factor of Rayleigh wave are computed numerically for a particular material. Effects of magnetic field and hydrostatic initial stress on the velocity of the propagation and amplitude-attenuation factor are shown graphically.
Power system stability with parallel active filter ensuring compensation of capacitive reactive power of a resonant LC circuit
Authors: Platek T.
Published: May 2018

This paper presents an analysis allowing for the determination of the differential equation describing the circuit of the active filter inverter output current control with an additional measurement of input voltage. The resulting equation allows to determine the conditions that ensure stable operation of the filter with the load in form of a resonant LC circuit. Analysis results were confirmed by computer simulation and experimental studies of commercial active filter.
Properties of active carbon with various particle shapes obtained in char-steam reaction Properties of active carbon with various particle shapes obtained in char-steam reaction
Authors: Buczek Bronisław
Published: May 2018

The porous structure of cylindrical and ring-shaped char material was developed by partial steam gasification. Micropore and mesopore structures of active carbons with various forms of burn-off were evaluated by nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. Parameters of the Dubinin- Radushkevich equation were calculated as well as the micropore size distribution by the Horvath- Kawazoe method. The results of textural investigations showed that more uniform micropore structure and better mechanical properties were found for ring-shaped active carbons.
Limestone in flue gas desulphurisation in oxygenenriched atmospheres. Part II: The effect of CO2 on direct limestone sulphation
Authors: Kochel Angelika , Cieplińska Aleksandra , Szymanek Arkadiusz
Published: May 2018

The article presents tests carried out on three selected samples of limestone originating from three commercially exploited deposits. The tests of sorbents included desulphurisation in different atmospheres and a physicochemical analysis of desulphurisation products. The aim of the tests was to determine desulphurisation efficiency and conversion degree as dependent on the concentration of O2 and CO2.
Pressure drop in two-phase gas-liquid (Taylor) flow in microreactors
Authors: Cygański Paweł , Sobieszuk Paweł , Pohorecki Ryszard
Published: May 2018

The pressure drop in microreactors for the gas - liquid Taylor flow was measured for 4 different microreactor geometries and 3 different gas - liquid systems. The results have been compared with the existing literature correlations. A selection of the best correlations has been made.
Confined fluidised bed porosity in the light of bubbling-bed models
Authors: Zabierowski Piotr
Published: May 2018

Based on hydrodynamic data, Kato-Wen and Kunii-Levenspiel bubbling-bed model parameters, supplemented with assumptions characteristic for tested confined fluidised bed, were analysed. The calculated bubble diameters and the bed composition proved essential influence of inter-particle space of packed compacted component onto fluidisation character. The usability of the conducted model analysis was also confirmed. Finally, it can be concluded that Kunii-Levenspiel and Kato- Wen models with characteristic assumptions (for the tested bed) can be applied for calculation of the confined fluidised bed layer porosity. Discrepancies of ε f value, determined on the basis of the above mentioned bubbling-bed models do not exceed 8% of the error. The model parameters obtained from the matching the model relations to experimental data εf = f(u0) allow an analysis of the fluidisation character as well as gas velocity regime and the fluidised bed structural composition identification. A description of the regime of the process in which confined fluidised bed is characterised with an increase of mass and heat transfer rate is also possible using relation (17) derived in the present study.
Life with Oxidative Stress
Authors: Gurda Dorota , Kietrys Anna M. , Szopa Aleksandra , Twardowski Tomasz
Published: May 2018

Incomplete oxygen reduction gives rise to reactive oxygen species (ROS). For a long time they have been considered unwelcome companions of aerobic metabolism. Organisms using oxygen developed several systems of ROS scavenging with enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidants, which allow them control the cellular level of oxygen derived from free radicals. It is well established nowadays that ROS are not necessarily negative byproducts, but they also play an important role in cellular mechanisms. They are involved in many regular cellular processes in all aerobic organisms. When the antioxidant system is overcome and the balance between ROS production and scavenging is disrupted, oxidative stress occurs. It has been reported that oxidative stress may be linked to some human diseases and is also involved in biotic and abiotic stress response in plants.
Substrate Inhibition in Lipase-Catalysed Transesterification of Mandelic acid with Vinyl Acetate
Authors: Dąbkowska Katarzyna , Pilarek Maciej , Szewczyk Krzysztof W.
Published: May 2018

Kinetic resolution of (R)- and (S)-mandelic acid by its transesterification with vinyl acetate catalysed by Burholderia cepacia lipase has been studied. The influence of the initial substrate concentration on the kinetics of process has been investigated. A modified ping-pong bi-bi model of enzymatic transesterification of (S)-mandelic acid including substrate inhibition has been developed. The values of kinetic parameters of the model have been estimated. We have shown that the inhibition effect revealed over a certain threshold limit value of the initial concentration of substrate.
Designing of Membrane Contactors with Cross-Counter Current Flow
Authors: Kołtuniewicz Andrzej B. , Modelski Szymon , Witek Anna
Published: May 2018

The knowledge about membrane contactors is growing rapidly but is still insufficient for a reliable designing. This paper presents a new type of membrane contactors that are integrated with one of the following ways of separation by using absorbents, micelles, flocculants, functionalized polymers, molecular imprints, or other methods that are based on aggregation. The article discusses methods for designing multi-stage cascade, usually counter-current. At every stage of this cascade, relevant aggregates are retained by the membrane, while the permeate passes freely through membrane. The process takes place in the membrane boundary layer with a local cross-flow of the permeate and the retentate. So the whole system can be called a cross-counter-current. The process kinetics, k, must be coordinated with the permeate flux, J, and the rate of surface renewal of the sorbent on the membrane surface, s. This can be done by using ordinary back-flushing or relevant hydrodynamic method of sweeping, such as: turbulences, shear stresses or lifting forces. A surface renewal model has been applied to adjust the optimal process conditions to sorbent kinetics. The experimental results confirmed the correctness of the model and its suitability for design of the new type of contactors.
Absorption of Co2 into Perfluorinated Gas Carrier in the Taylor Gas–Liquid Flow in a Microchannel System
Authors: Sobieszuk Paweł , Pilarek Maciej
Published: May 2018

The aim of this study was to determine the solubility of CO2 in perfluorodecalin (PFD) which is frequently used as efficient liquid carrier of respiratory gases in bioprocess engineering. The application of perfluorinated liquid in a microsystem has been presented. Gas-liquid mass transfer during Taylor (slug) flow in a microchannel of circular cross section 0.4 mm in diameter has been investigated. A physicochemical system of the absorption of CO2 from the CO2/N2 mixture in perfluorodecalin has been applied. The Henry’s law constants have been found according to two theoretical approaches: physical (H = 1.22·10-3 mol/m3Pa) or chemical (H = 1.26·10-3 mol/m3Pa) absorption. We are hypothesising that the gas-liquid microchannel system is applicable to determine the solubility of respiratory gases in perfluorinated liquids.
Biological Regeneration of Liquid Sorbents after Industrial Purification of Outlet Gases
Authors: Trusek-Holownia Anna , Noworyta Andrzej
Published: May 2018

Biological regeneration of water and organic sorbents used in the absorption of hydrophilic and hydrophobic pollutants, respectively, was studied. In both cases biodegradation takes place in a membrane bioreactor. In the case of organic sorbents regeneration of the biodegradation process is integrated with the extraction of a given pollutant to water phase. In experiments carried out in this work, the proposed systems were tested using a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens. For hydrophilic compounds experiments were performed using alcohols (1-butanol and 2-propanol) as model substrates. Applying the mathematical model of a membrane bioreactor elaborated previously, the values of pollutant concentration were determined and positively verified in the experiments. This system of water sorbent regeneration is fully satisfying. The process of biodegradation integrated with extraction was analysed on the basis of model compounds such as benzene and toluene. The study confirmed a possibility of organic sorbent (silicone oil) regeneration. However, due to a very high partition coefficient of benzene or toluene between the organic and aqueous phases, the process could be considered only for the case of their high concentrations in the gas directed to absorption.
Distribution of Extracellular Polymeric Substances and their Role in Aerobic Granule Formation
Authors: Miksch Korneliusz , Beata Kończak
Published: May 2018

This study investigated the quantity and distribution of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in aerobic granules. Results showed that EPS play an important role in the formation and stabilisation of granules. The content of EPS significantly increases during the first weeks of biogranulation. An analysis of EPS in the granules revealed that the protein level was 5 times higher than in polysaccharides. The increase of protein content correlated with the growth of cell hydrophobicity (r2 = 0.95). EPS and hydrophobicity are important factors in cell adhesion and formation of granules.

The aim of this work was also to determine the distribution of EPS in the granule structure. In situ EPS staining showed that EPS are located mostly in the center of granules and in the subsurface layer. The major components of the EPE matrix are proteins, nucleic acids and β-polysaccharides. These observations confirm the chemical extraction data and indicate that granule formation and stability are dependent on protein content.
Delivery of Nebulised Drugs using Endotracheal Tube
Authors: Penconek Agata , Odziomek Marcin , Niedzielska Agata , Arkadiusz Moskal
Published: May 2018

The purpose of the studies was to estimate efficiency of delivering nebulised drugs into the lower respiratory tract through endotracheal tubes (ET tubes) which are commonly used in the treatment of uncooperative patients. Water solution of Disodium Cromoglycate (DSCG) was nebulised with a constant air flow (25 l/min). Experimental studies were done for eight ET tubes with varying sizes (internal diameter, length) and made of two different materials. Size distribution of aerosol leaving ET tubes was determined with the use of aerosol spectrometer. Fine Particle Fraction (FPF) and Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameter (MMAD) were calculated for the aerosol leaving each tube. Additionally, mass of the Disodium Cromoglycate deposited into each endotracheal tube was determined. ET tubes can significantly influence the parameters of delivered aerosol depending on their diameter. FPF of aerosol delivered in to the respiratory tract is lower if small endotracheal tubes are used. However, MMAD and FPF for large endotracheal tubes are almost identical with MMAD and FPF from nebuliser. The results indicate that a substantial fraction of large droplets is eliminated from the aerosol stream in long endotracheal tubes (270 mm). In this case the mass of drug delivered through ET tubes is reduced but the content of small droplets increases (high value of FPF).
Some quantum limits for scaling of electronic devices – estimations and measurements
Authors: Nawrocki Waldemar , Shukrinov Yury M.
Published: May 2018

In this paper we discuss some physical limits for scaling of transistors and conducting paths inside of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs). Since 40 years only a semiconductor technology, mostly the CMOS and the TTL technologies, are used for fabrication of integrated circuits on an industrial scale. Miniaturization of electronic devices in integrated circuits has technological limits and physical limits as well. In 2010 best parameters of commercial ICs shown the Intel Core i5-670 processor manufactured in the technology of 32 nm. Its clock frequency in turbo mode is 3.73 GHz. A forecast of the development of the semiconductor industry (ITRS 2011) predicts that sizes of electronic devices in ICs circuits will be smaller than 10 nm in the next 10 years. At least 5 physical effects should be taken into account if we discuss limits of scaling of integrated circuits.
Comparative analysis of variants of Gabor-Wigner transform for cross-term reduction
Authors: Ajab Muhammad , Taj Imtiaz Ahmad , Khan Nabeel Ali
Published: May 2018

Gabor Wigner Transform (GWT) is a composition of two time-frequency planes (Gabor Transform (GT) and Wigner Distribution (WD)), and hence GWT takes the advantages of both transforms (high resolution of WD and cross-terms free GT). In multi-component signal analysis where GWT fails to extract auto-components, the marriage of signal processing and image processing techniques proved their potential to extract autocomponents. The proposed algorithm maintained the resolution of auto-components. This work also shows that the Fractional Fourier Transform (FRFT) domain is a powerful tool for signal analysis. Performance analysis of modified fractional GWT reveals that it provides a solution of cross-terms of WD and blurring of GT.
Laser diode distance measuring interferometer - metrological properties
Authors: Dobosz Marek
Published: May 2018

A novel laser diode based length measuring interferometer for scientific and industrial metrology is presented. Wavelength the stabilization system applied in the interferometer is based on the optical wedge interferometer. Main components of the interferometer such as: laser diode stabilization assembly, photodetection system, measuring software, air parameters compensator and base optical assemblies are described. Metrological properties of the device such as resolution, measuring range, repeatability and accuracy are characterized.
Laser frequency counting and frequency modulation width measurement from a fft signal
Authors: Křen Petr
Published: May 2018

A new method of optical frequency beat counting based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis is described. Signals with a worse signal-to-noise ratio can be counted correctly comparing to the conventional counting method of detecting each period separately. The systematic error of FFT counting below 10 Hz is demonstrated and can be decreased. Additionally the modulation width of a frequency-stabilized laser with high frequency modulation index can be simultaneously measured during a carrier frequency measurement against an optical frequency synthesizer or other laser.
Thermal model of selected parts of human hand and thermal touch screen for the blind
Authors: Boroń Krzysztof , Kos Andrzej
Published: May 2018

In this article, the authors present a model and a method of determining thermal parameters of a single point of the thermal touch screen for the blind and thermal parameters of selected parts of a human hand. Blind people, by using this device can “see” a pattern of dots by feeling hot spots. The thermal touch screen for the blind was used as a calorimeter and enables to calculate the amount of heat provided to a finger at a temperature ranging from 8°C to 52°C, that is the full range of temperature detected by humans. The authors designated thermal conductivity and heat capacity of both Peltier micromodule and parts of the user's hand. Results of the presented research allow optimizing the construction of the thermal touch screen for the blind and may be helpful for thermal modelling of the human body.
High frequency metrology for intracardiac ablation: in-vivo results
Authors: Rouane Amar , Bru Paul
Published: May 2018

Cardiac Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a commonly used clinical procedure for treating many cardiac arrhythmias. However, the efficacy of RF ablation may be limited by two factors: small ventricular lesions and impedance rise, leading to coagulum formation and desiccation of tissue. In this paper, a high frequency (HF) energy ablation system operating at 27.12 MHz based on an automated load matching system was developed. A HF energy matched probe associated to the automated impedance matching device ensures optimal transfer of the energy to the load. The aim of this study was to evaluate this energy for catheter ablation of the atrioventricular junction.

In vivo studies were performed using 10 sheep to characterize the lesions created with the impedance matching system. No cardiac perforation was noted. No thrombus was observed at the catheter tip. Acute lesions ranged from 3 to 45 mm in diameter (mean ±SD = 10.3±10) and from 1 to 15 mm in depth (6.7±3.9), exhibiting a close relationship between HF delivered power level and lesion size. Catheter ablation using HF current is feasible and appears effective in producing a stable AV block when applied at the AV junction and large myocardial lesions at ventricular sites.
New compensation scheme of magneto-optical current sensor for temperature stability improvement
Authors: Chen Jinling , Li Hongbin , Zhang Mingming , Zhang Yan
Published: May 2018

A novel magneto-optical current sensor (MOCS) with two sensing arms is proposed to improve the temperature stability. One of the arms, with a highly stable permanent magnet attached and orthogonal to the other one, is designed to provide a reference that follows the temperature characteristics of the sensing material. By a normalization operation between two arms, the temperature drift is compensated adaptively and a sensing output proportional to the measured current can be reached. A dual-input and dual-output structure is specially designed for the reference sensing arm to demodulate the DC Faraday rotation angle. This scheme compensates simultaneously two main temperature influence factors, the Verdet constant and linear birefringence. Validation tests were carried out and are discussed.
Spectra for the Product of Gaussian Noises
Authors: Kish Laszlo Bela , Mingesz Robert , Gingl Zoltan , Granqvist Claes-Goran
Published: May 2018

Products of Gaussian noises often emerge as the result of non-linear detection techniques or as parasitic effects, and their proper handling is important in many practical applications, including fluctuation-enhanced sensing, indoor air or environmental quality monitoring, etc. We use Rice’s random phase oscillator formalism to calculate the power density spectra variance for the product of two Gaussian band-limited white noises with zero-mean and the same bandwidth W. The ensuing noise spectrum is found to decrease linearly from zero frequency to 2W, and it is zero for frequencies greater than 2W. Analogous calculations performed for the square of a single Gaussian noise confirm earlier results. The spectrum at non-zero frequencies, and the variance of the square of a noise, is amplified by a factor two as a consequence of correlation effects between frequency products. Our analytic results are corroborated by computer simulations.
Prony’S Method Used for Testing Harmonics and Interharmonics in Electrical Power Systems
Authors: Zygarlicki Jarosław , Mroczka Janusz
Published: May 2018

The article presents an application of Prony’s method with some known components in the analysis of electric power quality. Modifications of the Prony algorithm broaden the scope of method application. Modification of the filter of known components enables more accurate analysis of the parameters of unknown components and components with known or assumed frequencies. This article presents a comparison of the results of analyses conducted with the proposed algorithm for simulated and real signals and the results obtained by means of a commercial electric power quality testing device, operating in class A and using the Fourier transform. The proposed method enables to estimate the levels of the harmonic components, the frequency of the fundamental signal and real parameters of the interharmonic components, which are grouped and averaged in the contemporary monitoring equipment. Knowledge of the individual parameters of the interharmonics has considerable diagnostic importance while removing causes of incorrect operation affecting sensitive equipment in some electric power systems. Additionally, the algorithm is capable of analyzing exponentially damped components and finds its application in analysis of disturbances, for example, transient oscillations.
Systematic Errors of the Lidft Method: Analytical form and Verification by a Monte Carlo Method
Authors: Borkowski Józef
Published: May 2018

This paper derives analytical formulas for the systematic errors of the linear interpolated DFT (LIDFT) method when used to estimating multifrequency signal parameters and verifies this analysis using Monte-Carlo simulations. The analysis is performed on the version of the LIDFT method based on optimal approximation of the unit circle by a polygon using a pair of windows. The analytical formulas derived here take the systematic errors in the estimation of amplitude and frequency of component oscillations in the multifrequency signal as the sum of basic errors and the errors caused by each of the component oscillations. Additional formulas are also included to analyze particular quantities such as a signal consisting of two complex oscillations, and the analyses are verified using Monte-Carlo simulations.
Software Application for Calibration of Stereoscopic Camera Setups
Authors: Rzeszotarski Dariusz , Pełczyński Paweł
Published: May 2018

The article describes an application for calibration of a stereovision camera setup constructed for the needs of an electronic travel aid for the blind. The application can be used to calibrate any stereovision system consisting of two DirectShow compatible cameras using a reference checkerboard of known dimensions. A method for experimental verification of the correctness of the calibration is also presented. The developed software is intended for calibration of mobile stereovision systems that focus mainly on obstacle detection.
A Novel Method of Handling Tolerances for Analog Circuit Fault Diagnosis Based on Normal Quotient Distribution
Authors: Ao Yongcai , Shi Yibing , Zhang Wei , Li Xifeng
Published: May 2018

While the Slope Fault Model method can solve the soft-fault diagnosis problem in linear analog circuit effectively, the challenging tolerance problem is still unsolved. In this paper, a proposed Normal Quotient Distribution approach was combined with the Slope Fault Model to handle the tolerances problem in soft-fault diagnosis for analog circuit. Firstly, the principle of the Slope Fault Model is presented, and the huge computation of traditional Slope Fault Characteristic set was reduced greatly by the elimination of superfluous features. Several typical tolerance handling methods on the ground of the Slope Fault Model were compared. Then, the approximating distribution function of the Slope Fault Characteristic was deduced and sufficient conditions were given to improve the approximation accuracy. The monotonous and continuous mapping between Normal Quotient Distribution and standard normal distribution was proved. Thus the estimation formulas about the ranges of the Slope Fault Characteristic were deduced. After that, a new test-nodes selection algorithm based on the reduced Slope Fault Characteristic ranges set was designed. Finally, two numerical experiments were done to illustrate the proposed approach and demonstrate its effectiveness.
Analysis of beam elements of circular cross section using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation
Authors: Orzechowski Grzegorz
Published: May 2018

The beam elements, which are widely used in the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) can be treated as isoparametric elements, and by analogy to the classical finite element analysis (FEA) are integrated with standard, spatial Gauss- Legendre quadratures. For this reason, the shape of the ANCF beam cross section is restricted only to the shape of rectangle.

In this paper, a distinct method of integration of ANCF elements based on continuum mechanics approach is presented. This method allows for efficient analysis of the ANCF beam elements with circular cross section. The integration of element vectors and matrices is performed by separation of the quadrature into the part that integrate along beam axis and the part that integrate in the beam cross section. Then, an alternative quadrature is used to integrate in the circular shape of the cross section. Since the number of integration points in the alternative quadrature corresponds to the number of points in the standard Gaussian quadrature the change in the shape of the cross section does not affects negatively the element efficiency.

The presented method was verified using selected numerical tests. They show good relatively agreement with the reference results. Apart from the analysis of the beams with the circular cross section, a possibility of further modifications in the methods of the element integration is also discussed. Due to the fact that locking influence on the convergence of the element is also observed, the methods of locking elimination in the proposed elements are also considered in the paper.
Application of thermography method to the investigation of two-dimensional elastic-plastic states
Authors: Kozłowska Barbara
Published: May 2018

In the paper, the author presents the application of thermography method for investigation of elastic-plastic states in two-dimensional models. The experimental testing was carried out on the duralumin elements with different stress concentrators loaded by uniformly distributed tensile stresses. The changes of temperature distribution on the surface of the models during loading process were recorded by a thermovision camera. On the basis of calibrating test carried out on the stretched element, the relationship between loading, temperature increment and specimen elongation was determined. Quantitative temperature distribution in chosen crosssections of the models was determined using thermograms received for various levels of loading. On the basis of the obtained results, the author estimated the accuracy of the method as well as its usability for investigation of the plastic zones’ localization and propagation.
Computational analysis for the effect of the taper angle and helical pitch on the heat transfer characteristics of the helical cone coils
Authors: Abo Elazm Mohamed , Ragheb Ahmed , Elsafty Ahmed , Teamah Mohamed
Published: May 2018

This numerical research is devoted to introducing the concept of helical cone coils and comparing the performance of helical cone coils as heat exchangers to the ordinary helical coils. Helical and spiral coils are known to have better heat and mass transfer than straight tubes, which is attributed to the generation of a vortex at the helical coil. This vortex, known as the Dean Vortex, is a secondary flow superimposed on the primary flow. The Dean number, which is a dimensionless number used in describing the Dean Vortex, is a function of Reynolds Number and the square root of the curvature ratio, so varying the curvature ratio for the same coil would vary the Dean Number. Numerical investigation based on the commercial CFD software fluent is used to study the effect of changing the structural parameters (taper angle of the helical coil, pitch and the base radius of curvature changes while the height is kept constant) on the Nusselt Number, heat transfer coefficient and coil outlet temperature. Six main coils having pipe diameters of 10 and 12.5 mm and base radius of curvature of 70, 80 and 90 mm were used in the investigation. It was found that, as the taper angle increases, both Nusselt Number and the heat transfer coefficient increase, also the pitch at the various taper angles was found to have an influence on Nusselt Number and the heat transfer coefficient. A MATLAB code was built to calculate the Nusselt Number at each coil turn, then to calculate the average Nusselt number for all of the coil turns. The MATLAB code was based on empirical correlation of Manlapaz and Churchill for ordinary helical coils. The CFD simulation results were found acceptable when compared with the MATLAB results.