The European university landscape: A micro characterization based on evidence from the Aquameth project

This paper provides a new and systematic characterization of 488 universities, from 11 European countries: Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and UK. Using micro indicators built on the integrated Aquameth database, we characterize the European university landscape according to the following dimensions: history/foundation of university, dynamics of growth, specialization pattern, subject mix, funding composition, offer profile and productivity.     

Reliability modelling and analysis of a two unit continuous casting plant

The aim of this paper is to present a reliability modeling and analysis of a two-unit system of a continuous casting (CC) plant. Real maintenance data of a steel production plant have been used for the purpose. Three types of failures were noted: repairable, replaceable and reconditioning/reinstallation. The two-unit system is operating in parallel, on full-reduced installed capacity. Upon the unit failure, an inspection is carried out to decide the type of maintenance task to be performed. Optimized reliability indices of the plant such as mean time to system failure, availability, expected busy periods of the repairman for various maintenance tasks, expected number of visits by the repairman, expected number of repairs, replacements and reconditioning/reinstallation are obtained. Semi-Markov processes and regenerative point techniques are used for the analysis. Profit incurred to the CC plant is also evaluated and related graphs are plotted to demonstrate the results.     

Exact analysis for the identification of non-minimum phase processes

Analytical expressions are derived from a single symmetrical relay feedback test for the identification of open loop stable and unstable non-minimum phase processes. The second derivative of the limit cycle output helps in finding the time delay of the process. The derived expressions can be used to identify the process models with up to five unknowns. The effectiveness of the proposed identification method is verified through different simulation results.     

New results on BIBO stability analysis for a class of neutral delay systems

This paper studies bounded input bounded output (BIBO) stability for a class of neutral systems with time-varying delays. Based on Lyapunov method and linear matrix inequalities, some new BIBO stability criteria are established. The numerical simulation is made to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results obtained in this paper.     

A simple design method for the cosine-modulated filter banks using weighted constrained least square technique

This paper presents a simple and efficient design method for cosine-modulated filter banks with prescribed stopband attenuation, passband ripple, and channel overlap. The method casts the design problem as a linear minimization of filter coefficients such that their value at ω=π/2M is 0.707, which results in a simpler, more direct design procedure. The weighted constrained least squares technique is exploited for designing the prototype filter for cosine modulation (CM) filter banks. Several design examples are included to show the increased efficiency and flexibility of the proposed method over the exiting methods. An application of the proposed method is considered in the area of sub-band coding of the ECG and speech signals.     

Is it a question of trust or why are we afraid to go to Nineveh?

Trust is an overused concept in our contemporary world. This paper explores the complex relationship of trust, efficiency, accountability, transparency and responsibility and their relationship to recordkeeping in our globalizing culture. It focuses on the profound changes that have taken place in the meaning and practice of audit within neo-liberal societies and how the ??rituals of verification?? and the ??managerialism?? may pervert the resulting record. It challenges the unthinking use of much of the rhetoric surrounding these concepts by archivists to justify their existence. It reflects on why the archival voice often remains silent or at best goes unheard in much of the discussion about these questions that have profound consequences for democratic societies. It is easy to lay the blame at the door of a perceived breakdown of trust rather than to consider whether the root of the problem lies with archivists and records managers themselves. This paper draws on my experience in directing the Information Management and Preservation MSC programme at the University of Glasgow and wide and serendipitous reading, which has sometimes been brought to my notice by students.     

Disposable parallel poly(dimethylsiloxane) microbioreactor with integrated readout grid for germination screening of Aspergillus ochraceus

In this work a disposable, parallel microbioreactor (MBR) suitable for screening in batch or continuous mode is presented. The reactor consists of five parallel microchambers made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) bonded to a glass substrate. A grid structure is engraved on each chamber, allowing subsequent morphology imaging. Measurements are recorded over the entire cultivation period with constant parameters, namely, position and focus in the z-axis. The microdevice may be used for either parallel, uni- or multiparametric screening, and overcomes the drawback of gridless microwell plates which require expensive equipment such as an inverted microscope with an automatic stage. To validate the scalability from laboratory scale to microscale, and thus the cultivation protocol in the MBR, the germination of fungal spores (A. ochraceus) is evaluated for two different key magnitudes (pH and temperature) and compared to the results obtained from conventional laboratory scale systems (flasks and agar plates). Information on germination capacity with regard to interspecies' variability allows for optimization of industrial processes as optimal pH and temperature matched to the mesoscopic cultivation systems. The germination conditions therefore remain unaffected inside the MBR, while providing the following advantages: (i) dramatic reduction of medium consumption, (ii) submerged cultivation with constant oxygen supply, (iii) assured low cost and disposability, and (iv) possibility of a continuous cultivation mode.     

The dynamics of the impact and coalescence of droplets on a solid surface

A simple experimental setup to study the impact and coalescence of deposited droplets is described. Droplet impact and coalescence have been investigated by high-speed particle image velocimetry. Velocity fields near the liquid-substrate interface have been observed for the impact and coalescence of 2.4 mm diameter droplets of glycerol∕water striking a flat transparent substrate in air. The experimental arrangement images the internal flow in the droplets from below the substrate with a high-speed camera and continuous laser illumination. Experimental results are in the form of digital images that are processed by particle image velocimetry and image processing algorithms to obtain velocity fields, droplet geometries, and contact line positions. Experimental results are compared with numerical simulations by the lattice Boltzmann method.