Für die zerstörungsfreie Prüfung großer Betonbauwerke unter dem Aspekt der Analyse von Spannkanälen hat sich die Ultraschalltechnik in den letzten Jahren als geeignete Methode herausgestellt, da ...sowohl die Messtechnik – insbesondere die Ultraschallwandler – als auch die numerischen Auswerteverfahren in einem Stadium sind, das es erlaubt, größere Messflächen und damit größere Volumina zu beschallen und abzubilden. Mit Hilfe der Modellierung der Ausbreitung elastischer Wellen in komplexen Medien können praxisrelevante Problemstellungen untersucht werden, auch unter dem Aspekt, Testkörper zu planen oder gar zu ersetzen. Durch die Auswertung der Phase der Rekonstruktion eines Streuvorgangs können Fehlstellen klassifiziert und damit Aussagen über die Bauwerkssicherheit signifikant objektiviert werden. Die Methoden werden, im Hinblick auf eine ganzheitliche Sichtweise von skalaren und polarimetrischen Abbildungsverfahren mit Unterstützung der Modellierung und der anschließenden Klassifizierung durch Phasenanalyse, an ausgewählten Beispielen erläutert.
For nondestructive testing of concrete buildings under the aspect of tendon duct analysis, ultrasonic testing has proven to be a suitable method, as both the measuring technique – in particular the acoustic sensors – and the numerical methods allow the insonification and imaging of larger surfaces and volumes. With the aid of numerical modelling of elastic wave propagation in complex media real life problems can be examined with the goal to design or even to replace test specimen. By determination of the phase of an imaged scattering event, defects can be classified, and the prediction of the integrity of buildings can be significantly objectified. The methods are explained for selected examples in an integral way with respect to scalar and polarimetric imaging algorithms supported by modelling and subsequent classification through phase analysis.
Propionibacterium acnes belongs to the cutaneous flora of humans and is rarely considered a pathogen in human diseases. It is a frequent contaminant in blood cultures; however, in some patients it ...has been identified as the causative agent of life-threatening infections. Within the last years we have observed an abrupt increase in severe P. acnes infections which prompted us to study in detail the clinical and microbiological features, risk factors, and outcomes of these cases. In a retrospective review of microbiological records of 905 Propionibacterium isolates from a five-year period (1990-95), 70 were identified from 20 patients with clinical and microbiological evidence of a P. acnes infection. The clinical syndromes included endocarditis (7 patients), post-craniotomy infections (6 patients), arthritis and spondylodiscitis (4 patients), endophthalmitis (2 patients) and pansinusitis (1 patient). The predominant predisposing conditions were previous surgery preceding the infection from 2 weeks to 4 years and implantation of foreign bodies such as prosthetic heart valves, intraocular lenses and ventriculo-peritoneal shunts. Therapy consisted of intravenous antibiotics in all cases and surgical procedures to remove infected tissue in eighteen patients. The outcome was favorable in sixteen patients (80 percent) who had a complete recovery. These data confirm the pathogenic potential of P. acnes in late post-surgical infections, in particular after implantation of a foreign body, and suggest a combined therapeutic approach with intravenous antibiotics and surgical removal of the infected tissue.
Feedback from radio jets associated with Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) plays a profound role in the evolution of galaxies. Kinetic power of these radio jets appears to show temporal variation, but the ...mechanism(s) responsible for this process are not yet clear. Recently, the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) has uncovered large populations of active, remnant and restarted radio jet populations. By focusing on LOFAR data in the Lockman Hole, in this work we use the Radio AGN in Semi-Analytic Environments (RAiSE) dynamical model to present the first self-consistent modelling analysis of active, remnant and restarted radio source populations. Consistent with other recent work, our models predict that remnant radio lobes fade quickly. Any high (>10 percent) observed fraction of remnant and restarted sources therefore requires a dominant population of short-lived jets. We speculate that this could plausibly be provided by feedback-regulated accretion.
