Aereodynamics of dry helically-filleted bridge cables

Dry limited amplitude vibrations flow-transition induced vibrations were experienced on a helically-filleted tube, in a previous study performed by Kleissl and Georgakis (2012). These vibrations have never been reported in previous studies. A deep study on the same inclined-yawed cable configuration has been performed, in order to investigate and further understand the nature of these vibrations. The investigation has been carried out through passive-dynamic wind tunnel tests in the Climatic Wind Tunnel at FORCE Technology, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. The results are carried out in terms of aerodynamic damping and peak to peak amplitude at different flow velocities and different boundary conditions. The latter are done by testing the model with and without the spray system installed in the wind tunnel cross section, in order to understand and evaluate the influence of the spray system on the start of the vibrations mechanism and on the flow turbulence. The gained experiences are finally presented for the use in future testing activities with the purpose of improving the performance of passive-dynamic tests.

Il fascicolo sanitario elettronico tra Semantic Web e diritto alla privacy

Principale obiettivo della ricerca è quello di ricostruire lo stato dell’arte in materia di sanità elettronica e Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico, con una precipua attenzione ai temi della protezione dei dati personali e dell’interoperabilità. A tal fine sono stati esaminati i documenti, vincolanti e non, dell’Unione europea nonché selezionati progetti europei e nazionali (come “Smart Open Services for European Patients” (EU); “Elektronische Gesundheitsakte” (Austria); “MedCom” (Danimarca); “Infrastruttura tecnologica del Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico”, “OpenInFSE: Realizzazione di un’infrastruttura operativa a supporto dell’interoperabilità delle soluzioni territoriali di fascicolo sanitario elettronico nel contesto del sistema pubblico di connettività”, “Evoluzione e interoperabilità tecnologica del Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico”, “IPSE - Sperimentazione di un sistema per l’interoperabilità europea e nazionale delle soluzioni di Fascicolo Sanitario Elettronico: componenti Patient Summary e ePrescription” (Italia)). Le analisi giuridiche e tecniche mostrano il bisogno urgente di definire modelli che incoraggino l’utilizzo di dati sanitari ed implementino strategie effettive per l’utilizzo con finalità secondarie di dati sanitari digitali , come Open Data e Linked Open Data. L’armonizzazione giuridica e tecnologica è vista come aspetto strategico per ridurre i conflitti in materia di protezione di dati personali esistenti nei Paesi membri nonché la mancanza di interoperabilità tra i sistemi informativi europei sui Fascicoli Sanitari Elettronici. A questo scopo sono state individuate tre linee guida: (1) armonizzazione normativa, (2) armonizzazione delle regole, (3) armonizzazione del design dei sistemi informativi. I principi della Privacy by Design (“prottivi” e “win-win”), così come gli standard del Semantic Web, sono considerate chiavi risolutive per il suddetto cambiamento.

Hydraulic evaluation of the gyro electric wave energy converter

Motivation Thanks for a scholarship offered by ALma Mater Studiorum I could stay in Denmark for six months during which I could do physical tests on the device Gyro PTO at the Departmet of Civil Engineering of Aalborg University. Aim The goal of my thesis is an hydraulic evaluation of the device: Gyro PTO, a gyroscopic device for conversion of mechanical energy in ocean surface waves to electrical energy. The principle of the system is the application of the gyroscopic moment of flywheels equipped on a swing float excited by waves. The laboratory activities were carried out by: Morten Kramer, Jan Olsen, Irene Guaraldi, Morten Thøtt, Nikolaj Holk. The main purpose of the tests was to investigate the power absorption performance in irregular waves, but testing also included performance measures in regular waves and simple tests to get knowledge about characteristics of the device, which could facilitate the possibility of performing numerical simulations and optimizations. Methodology To generate the waves and measure the performance of the device a workstation was created in the laboratory. The workstation consist of four computers in each of wich there was a different program. Programs have been used : Awasys6, LabView, Wave lab, Motive optitrack, Matlab, Autocad Main Results Thanks to the obtained data with the tank testing was possible to make the process of wave analisys. We obtained significant wave height and period through a script Matlab and then the values of power produced, and energy efficiency of the device for two types of waves: regular and irregular. We also got results as: physical size, weight, inertia moments, hydrostatics, eigen periods, mooring stiffness, friction, hydrodynamic coefficients etc. We obtained significant parameters related to the prototype in the laboratory after which we scale up the results obtained for two future applications: one in Nissun Brending and in the North Sea. Conclusions The main conclusion on the testing is that more focus should be put into ensuring a stable and positive power output in a variety of wave conditions. In the irregular waves the power production was negative and therefore it does not make sense to scale up the results directly. The average measured capture width in the regular waves was 0.21 m. As the device width is 0.63 m this corresponds to a capture width ratio of: 0.21/0.63 * 100 = 33 %. Let’s assume that it is possible to get the device to produce as well in irregular waves under any wave conditions, and lets further assume that the yearly absorbed energy can be converted into electricity at a PTO-efficiency of 90 %. Under all those assumptions the results in table are found, i.e. a Nissum Bredning would produce 0.87 MWh/year and a North Sea device 85 MWh/year.

User centered retrofit: The case of kadk campus, Copenhagen, (dk)

The following research thesis is about a retrofit project made in Denmark, Copenhagen, and carried out on one of the buildings belonging to the Royal Danish Academy. The key assumption and base of the entire research process is that, up to now, the standard procedure in retrofit cases like this provides as comparative method between de facto and design, the use of Energy Simulation software. These programs generally divide the space into different thermal zones, assigning to each of them different levels of employment, activities, set-point temperatures set for cooling and heating analysis and so on, but always providing average and constant values, usually taken in the middle point of the single thermal zone. Therefore, the project and its research path stems from the attempt to investigate the potentialities of this kind of designing for retrofit process, as previously anticipated not antithetical but complementary to that classic energy-based retrofit, thus passing from the building scale, and all its thermal zones, to the users' scale, related to humans and microclimates. The main software used in this process is Autodesk Simulation CFD. The idea behind the project is that in certain situations, for example, it will not be necessary to add throughout insulation layers (previously parameterized and optimized with Design Builder), and that even in Winter conditions, due maybe to the users' activities, the increased level of clothing (clo) and the heat produced by equipments, thermal comfort could be achieved also in areas characterized by considerably lower MRT. After the analysis of the State of Art and its simulations, the project has still been supported by the tool itself, the CFD Software, in an iterative process aimed at achieving visible improvements in terms of MRT, on spaces with different needs and characteristics, both in Winter and Summer regimes.

Factors influencing age at diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia in European children

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a hereditary disorder of mucociliary clearance causing chronic upper and lower airways disease. We determined the number of patients with diagnosed PCD across Europe, described age at diagnosis and determined risk factors for late diagnosis. Centres treating children with PCD in Europe answered questionnaires and provided anonymous patient lists. In total, 223 centres from 26 countries reported 1,009 patients aged < 20 yrs. Reported cases per million children (for 5-14 yr olds) were highest in Cyprus (111), Switzerland (47) and Denmark (46). Overall, 57% were males and 48% had situs inversus. Median age at diagnosis was 5.3 yrs, lower in children with situs inversus (3.5 versus 5.8 yrs; p < 0.001) and in children treated in large centres (4.1 versus 4.8 yrs; p = 0.002). Adjusted age at diagnosis was 5.0 yrs in Western Europe, 4.8 yrs in the British Isles, 5.5 yrs in Northern Europe, 6.8 yrs in Eastern Europe and 6.5 yrs in Southern Europe (p < 0.001). This strongly correlated with general government expenditures on health (p < 0.001). This European survey suggests that PCD in children is under-diagnosed and diagnosed late, particularly in countries with low health expenditures. Prospective studies should assess the impact this delay might have on patient prognosis and on health economic costs across Europe.

Two ways to common knowledge

It is not clear what a system for evidence-based common knowledge should look like if common knowledge is treated as a greatest fixed point. This paper is a preliminary step towards such a system. We argue that the standard induction rule is not well suited to axiomatize evidence-based common knowledge. As an alternative, we study two different deductive systems for the logic of common knowledge. The first system makes use of an induction axiom whereas the second one is based on co-inductive proof theory. We show the soundness and completeness for both systems.

International survey of primary and revision total knee replacement

Purpose Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is currently the international standard of care for treating degenerative and rheumatologic knee joint disease, as well as certain knee joint fractures. We sought to answer the following three research questions: (1) What is the international variance in primary and revision TKA rates around the world? (2) How do patient demographics (e.g., age, gender) vary internationally? (3) How have the rates of TKA utilization changed over time? Methods The survey included 18 countries with a total population of 755 million, and an estimated 1,324,000 annual primary and revision total knee procedures. Ten national inpatient databases were queried for this study from Canada, the United States, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. Inpatient data were also compared with published registry data for eight countries with operating arthroplasty registers (Denmark, England & Wales, Norway, Romania, Scotland, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand). Results The average and median rate of primary and revision (combined) total knee replacement was 175 and 149 procedures/100,000 population, respectively, and ranged between 8.8 and 234 procedures/100,000 population. We observed that the procedure rate significantly increased over time for the countries in which historical data were available. The compound annual growth in the incidence of TKA ranged by country from 5.3% (France) to 17% (Portugal). We observed a nearly 27-fold range of TKA utilization rates between the 18 different countries included in the survey. Conclusion It is apparent from the results of this study that the demand for TKA has risen substantially over the past decade in countries around the world.

Performance of the pediatric-sized i-gel compared with the Ambu AuraOnce laryngeal mask in anesthetized and ventilated children

This prospective, randomized, controlled trial compares the performance of the pediatric i-gel (Intersurgical Ltd., Wokingham, United Kingdom) with the Ambu AuraOnce laryngeal mask (Ambu A/S, Ballerup, Denmark) in anesthetized and ventilated children.

Chlamydia infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility: cross-national study

Objectives To describe, using routine data in selected countries, chlamydia control activities and rates of chlamydia infection, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy and infertility and to compare trends in chlamydia positivity with rates of PID and ectopic pregnancy. Methods Cross-national comparison including national data from Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland. Routine data sources about chlamydia diagnosis and testing and International Classification of Disease-10 coded diagnoses of PID, ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women aged 15–39 years from 1999 to 2008 were described. Trends over time and relevant associations were examined using Poisson regression. Results Opportunistic chlamydia testing was recommended in all countries except Switzerland, but target groups differed. Rates of chlamydia testing were highest in New Zealand. Chlamydia positivity was similar in all countries with available data (Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden) and increased over time. Increasing chlamydia positivity rates were associated with decreasing PID rates in Denmark and Sweden and with decreasing ectopic pregnancy rates in Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden. Ectopic pregnancy rates appeared to increase over time in 15–19-year-olds in several countries. Trends in infertility diagnoses were very variable. Conclusions The intensity of recommendations about chlamydia control varied between countries but was not consistently related to levels of chlamydia diagnosis or testing. Relationships between levels of chlamydia infection and complication rates between or within countries over time were not straightforward. Development and validation of indicators of chlamydia-related morbidity that can be compared across countries and over time should be pursued.

Future storm surge impacts on insurable losses for the North Sea region

The influence of climate change on storm surges including increased mean sea level change and the associated insurable losses are assessed for the North Sea basin. In doing so, the newly developed approach couples a dynamical storm surge model with a loss model. The key element of the approach is the generation of a probabilistic storm surge event set. Together with parametrizations of the inland propagation and the coastal protection failure probability this enables the estimation of annual expected losses. The sensitivity to the parametrizations is rather weak except when the assumption of high level of increased mean sea level change is made. Applying this approach to future scenarios shows a substantial increase of insurable losses with respect to the present day. Superimposing different mean sea level changes shows a nonlinear behavior at the country level, as the future storm surge changes are higher for Germany and Denmark. Thus, the study exhibits the necessity to assess the socio-economic impacts of coastal floods by combining the expected sea level rise with storm surge projections.