ADAPTIVE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC PHYSICAL EFFORT PLAN GENERATION—DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH

Mathematical models delivered using both expert knowledge and experimental data improve understanding of dynamic properties of the system under consideration. This is useful for different purposes, such as prediction, diagnosis, decision making, and system control. A data-driven approach has been found to be particularly useful in designing adaptive decision support systems. We demonstrate the usefulness of data-driven models in a custom application designed for sport training management. We have developed a system that makes use of expert knowledge together with measurement data (heart rate, electromyography, and acceleration) as well as environmental (Global Positioning System) in order to generate an optimal training plan. The system performs such tasks as modeling of the athlete's cardiovascular system, estimation of the athlete's parameters, and adaptation of the model to the athlete.     

Usability Evaluation of VR Interface for Mobile Robot Teleoperation

This article presents the results from research in which 3 different remote control interfaces were compared to assess the impact of interface structure on the performance of the operator for remotely controlled mobile inspection robots. The primary control interface of a mobile robot consists of a head-mounted display, data gloves for gripper control, joystick for movement control of the robot platform, and a motion tracking system for measuring head orientation and hand position. In order to compare different control interfaces, an additional system, based on a Liquid Crystal Display monitor and joystick, was prepared. Results of this study show that the use of virtual reality techniques in the interfaces of mobile inspection robots increases operator productivity, the level of spatial presence, and distance evaluation while facilitating the execution of tasks, as well as improving and speeding up their execution and reducing the operator’s time needed to adapt to the control interface. The latter is achieved with the increased level of intuitive control while ensuring comfort.     

Parallel tabu search algorithm for the hybrid flow shop problem

The paper deals with the parallel variant of the scheduling algorithm dedicated to the hybrid flow shop problem. The problem derives from practice of automated manufacturing lines, e.g. for printed packages. The overall goal is to design a new algorithm which merges the performance of the best known sequential approach with the efficient exploitation of parallel calculation environments. In order to fulfill the above aim, there are two methods proposed in this paper: the original fast method of parallel calculation of the criterion function and the local neighborhood parallel search method embedded in the tabu search approach. The theoretical analysis, as well as the original implementation, with the use of vector processing instructions SSE2 supported by suitable data organization, are presented below. Numerical properties of the proposed algorithm are empirically verified on the multi-core processor.     

Alternative Local Melting-Solidification of Suspended Nanoparticles for Heterostructure Formation Enabled by Pulsed Laser Irradiation

Phase formation by pulsed laser irradiation of suspended nanoparticles has recently been introduced as a promising synthesis technique for heterostructures. The main challenge still lingers regarding the exact mechanism of particle formation due to the non-equilibrium kinetic by-products resulting from the localized alternative, fast, high-temperature nature of the process. Here, the authors analyze the bond breaking/formation of copper or copper (II) interfaces with ethanol during the absorption of pulses for Cu-CuO-Cu₂O formation applicable as an electrocatalyst in ethanol oxidation fuel cells. This study includes but is not limited to, a comprehensive discussion of the interaction between nano-laser pulses and suspension for practical control of the synthesis process. The observed exponential and logarithmic changes in the content of heterostructures for the CuO-ethanol and Cu-ethanol samples irradiated with different fluences are interpreted as the dominant role of physical and chemical reactions, respectively, during the pulsed laser irradiation of suspensions synthesis. It is also shown that the local interface between dissociated ethanol and the molten sphere is responsible for the oxidative/reductive interactions resulting in the formation of catalytic-augmented Cu³⁺ by-product, thanks to the reactive bond force field molecular dynamics studies confirmed by ab-initio calculations and experimental observations.     

Parallelization of stochastic bounds for Markov chains on multicore and manycore platforms

The author demonstrates the methodology for parallelizing of finding stochastic bounds for Markov chains on multicore and manycore platforms. The stochastic bounds algorithm for Markov chains with the sparse matrices is investigated, thus needing a lot of irregular memory access. Its parallel implementations should scale across multiple threads and characterize with a high performance and performance portability between multicore and manycore platforms. The presented methods are built on the usage of two parallelization extensions of the C++ language: OpenMP and Cilk Plus. For this two extensions, we use two programming models, namely loop parallelism and task-based parallelism. The numerical experiments show the execution time of the implementations and the scalability on multicore and manycore platforms. This work provides the parallel implementations and at the same time presents an educational example of how computer science problems with irregular memory access can be implemented for high performance using OpenMP and Cilk Plus.     

Structural and physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of recrystallized linear α-d-(1 → 4) glucans derived from mild-acid-modified cassava starch

Molecular structure and recrystallization method influence the techno-functional behaviour of recrystallized starch as a functional ingredient in foods. The physicochemical properties of debranched and recrystallized mild-acid-modified cassava starch were studied. Cassava starch was treated with 0.14 mol/L hydrochloric acid for 24, 96 and 216 h at 40 °C prior to debranching with pullulanase. The debranched starches (DS) were recrystallized by annealing (ANN-DS), temperature-cycling (TC-DS) or heat-moisture treatment (HMT-DS) and the particle distribution, crystallinity, thermal properties, solubility, water binding and in vitro digestibility were analyzed. Acid treatment increased the fraction of linear α-d-(1 → 4) glucans comprising 13–30 monomers. Particles comprised loosely to firmly coalesced primary elements forming aggregates of mono- or bi-modal size distribution at ?5 μm and ?20 μm. The relative crystallinities ranged between 31.1–56.1%. Water binding decreased significantly with acid treatment whereas both solubility and water binding were influenced by the recrystallization method and decreased in the order: DS > ANN-DS > TC-DS > HMT-DS. Major thermal transitions occurred at 80–130 °C and 130–160 °C, and the in vitro digestibility rates of 6.8–62.8% correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with relative crystallinity and melting enthalpy.     

Experimental and numerical investigation on development of new incremental forming process

The main subject of the present work is to present the new and innovative manufacturing technology based on the incremental forming approach. The idea is to develop a deformation process that is strictly based on small incremental deformations realized by a series of thin anvils. To realise this idea in practise this idea, a proper geometry of the upper die has to be designed. In the present work it is a set of several rolls (pressure rollers) that moves down towards a series of small anvils and performs rotational movement at the same time. As a result, the pressure is not transferred by the upper die directly to the material. The pressure is transferred to the sample through the series of thin anvils. To incrementally transfer the desired final shape to the forging a series of anvils with various lengths has to be used. Due to the complexity and novelty of the proposed approach, a set of questions has to addressed. These are related to appropriate depth of anvil indentation, material flow under a single anvil, material interaction with anvils and interaction between subsequent anvils. This basic research is done in the present work with the use of simple laboratory tests. Then detailed experimental analysis of material flow in the developed new process is presented. At this stage of the research the prototype of the proposed device is created on the basis of the orbital Marciniak forging press (Marciniak, 1970). All the obtained results are presented, and conclusions related to the effectiveness of the process are highlighted. The experimental part of the research is also supported by numerical analysis. The commercial finite element (FE) Forge2005 software was used in the present work to evaluate the forging process parameters and analyze the character of material deformation. The obtained numerical results are compared with the experimental analysis performed on the developed prototype press.     

In vivo biocompatibility assessment of (PTFE–PVDF–PP) terpolymer-based membrane with potential application for glaucoma treatment

The aim of the work was to evaluate the in vivo biological behaviour of polymeric membrane materials for glaucoma implants. The base material was biostable synthetic terpolymer (PTFE–PVDF–PP) with proved biocompability (PN-EN ISO 10993). The samples manufactured in the form a membrane were subjected to chemical and physical treatment to create an open pore system within the polymer matrix. As a porogenic phase biodegradable natrium alginate in a fibrous form was employed. The non-perforating deep sclerectomy technique was performed in a rabbit model. The clinical observations were made after 14 and 30 days. During the study clinical symptoms of a moderate degree were observed, and histopathological changes were typical for foreign body implantation. At the end stage of the study no significant difference in histopathological assessment was found between control and experimental group. Similarities observed in both groups and relatively mild histopathological changes in the tissue surrounding the implant indicate that the observed symptoms come from a deep scleral trauma caused by surgery, and not by the presence of the implant itself.     

Two-Dimensional Random Field of Mechanical Soil Properties

In situ tests were performed and samples were taken from a uniform layer of clay used as a material for the production of bricks. The shear resistance was measured, using Geonor Inspection Vane Tester H-60, in a quadratic mesh of 961 test points in the horizontal plane, spaced at 15 cm. Vane resistance tests were also performed in the laboratory on 76 undisturbed samples, on which the constrained modulus in consolidometers was determined. The aim of the research was to find the parameters of the 2D random field of shear strength and the correlation of this field with that of constrained modulus. The strong correlation obtained eventually enabled estimating the autocorrelation function of the constrained modulus describing the elastic behavior of the soil. A simple estimation procedure is proposed, enabling curve fitting of different isotropic and anisotropic correlation functions. Additionally, some statistical analyses of data were performed, including regression and time series analysis. The problem of the local and global variabilities of soil properties and their ramifications is also considered.     

Effect of apple cultivar and enzyme treatment on phenolic compounds content during clear apple juice production

The aim of the investigation was evaluation of phenolic compounds content, measured by HPLC method at selected stages of clear apple juice production with pectolytic mash enzymation from ‘Shampion’ and ‘Idared’ apples. Sum of phenolic compounds in ‘Shampion’ mash was significantly higher than in ‘Idared’ mash, 520 and 352 mg kg^?1, respectively. Enzymation of ‘Idared’ mash resulted in a higher phenolic compounds decrease compared to ‘Shampion’, 23% and 14% respectively. Sum of phenolics in juices from ‘Shampion’ for Panzym at 50 °C (366 mg kg^?1) was significantly higher than in juices from ‘Shampion’ for Rohapect at 20 °C and ‘Idared’ for Panzym at 50 °C (256 and 234 mg kg^?1, respectively). The lowest phenolics (95 mg kg^?1) was in juices from ‘Idared’ for Rohapect at 20 °C. There was a positive correlation (R² = 0.933) between phenolics content and antioxidant activity of juices (ABTS^?+). In general, enzymation at 50 °C with Panzym lead to a higher content of the phenolic compounds in juices compared to Rohapect at 20 °C.