Knowledge Centre Wind turbine Materials and Constructions

Significance. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging is increasingly used for perfusion assessment in clinical care and research settings. While subjective interpretation demonstrates clinical benefits, quantitative analysis is crucial for broader adoption and classification of perfusion patterns. However, strict standardization often conflicts with fast-paced clinical workflow, obstructing broad implementation.Aim and approach. This study hypothesized that normalization of fluorescence measurements could effectively correct for measurement variability, reducing the need for strict standardization in quantitative NIRF perfusion imaging. To evaluate this, a model capable of consistently simulating fluorescence perfusion patterns was employed. Experiments were conducted in an operating room using four NIRF camera systems under varying measurement conditions.Results. Normalization to maximum signal intensity provided consistent perfusion parameter values across differences in camera type, angle, rotation and settings (Δ≤1%). In cases of severe malperfusion where peak-intensity was not reached within the measurement period, normalization did not adequately correct for measurement variability (Δ increased).Conclusion. While standardization remains valuable beyond parameter accuracy, appropriate normalization substantially reduces dependence on strict measurement protocols. These findings support broader clinical adoption of quantitative NIRF imaging, extending its utility beyond specialized tertiary centers and facilitating widespread integration into routine surgical care.

Social welfare aims to support financially vulnerable households by protecting them from financial shocks and providing them with a basic standard of living. Many eligible households, however, do not take up social welfare. We present the results of in-depth interviews with 31 members of financially vulnerable households in two large Dutch cities about their experiences with welfare. We examined the role that money played in their lives, what inhibited them from taking up social welfare, and how they sought support. For many interviewed households, money was a source of stress. We found that the fear of reclaims and mistrust in government institutions were the main inhibitors for participating in welfare programs. Whereas the experience of shame and stigma were substantial inhibitors for claiming local welfare benefits, they were not for participating in national welfare programs. Both formal and informal help promoted welfare participation, but many participants lacked access to both forms of help. We discuss policies that could decrease the uncertainty associated with benefits receipt and give directions for future research.

<p>In this work, a numerical framework for modelling of hygrothermal ageing in laminated composites is proposed. The model consists of a macroscopic diffusion analysis based on Fick's second law coupled with a multiscale FE<sup>2</sup> stress analysis in order to take microscopic degradation mechanisms into account. Macroscopic material points are modelled with a representative volume element with random fibre distribution. The resin is modelled as elasto-plastic with damage, and cohesive elements are included at the fibre/matrix interfaces. The model formulations and the calibration of the epoxy model using experimental results are presented in detail. A study into the representative volume element size is conducted, and the framework is demonstrated by simulating the ageing process of a unidirectional specimen immersed in water. The influence of transient swelling stresses on microscopic failure is investigated, and failure envelopes of dry and saturated micromodels are compared.</p>

Mechanical properties of glass fibre reinforced polymers are dependent on the manufacturing curing cycles. During the laminate manufacturing process, each thickness position experiences a different local curing cycle. Therefore, it can be expected that mechanical properties vary through the thickness, particularly for thick laminates. To study the through-thickness variation of static and fatigue mechanical properties, thick laminates were divided into sub-laminates and these sub-laminates were separately tested. The present work reports temperature profiles through the thickness recorded during the manufacturing of thick laminates, as well as experimental data from static and fatigue tests (S–N curves) of sub-laminates obtained at different thickness positions. The variation of the mechanical properties through the thickness is discussed and related to the local curing temperatures experienced by each sub-laminate.

Most epidemiological studies of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) were performed in the Western countries, and only limited data highlighting that in the Asian population. The aim of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis for the incidence rates of STS in Taiwan.This was a population-based study analyzing the incidence rates and trends of the primary STS over extremities and trunk wall during 2003 to 2011 by using the nationwide Taiwan Cancer Registry. More specific analyses were conducted for subtypes. Incidence rates of overall STS by cities and counties were also investigated.A total of 3843 cases were diagnosed with STS during the study period, giving an age-standardized rate (ASR) of 1.63 per 100,000 person-years. Liposarcoma was the most frequent subtype, followed by undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and leiomyosarcoma. STS was more frequently diagnosed in males and angiosarcoma was the most prominent sex-specific type. ASR increased with age in most of the STS subtypes and varied by histologic subtype. The incidence of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor was highest in children, whereas rhabdomyosarcoma revealed a bimodal age distribution. Annual percent change (APC) of STS was 2.2%, and significant change in trend was only in males (APC, 3.5%, P < 0.05). Geographical variations indicated that New Taipei City had a significantly higher rate compared with the rest areas. Significantly lower rates were observed in 1 major offshore island.Incidence variations of STS by sexes, ages, histologic subtypes, and geographic regions were observed in Taiwanese population. The emerging factors associated STS incidence rates deserve further studies to verify.

To perform, from an insurance perspective, a cost analysis of one of the outpatient community wound care clinics in the Netherlands, the Knowledge Centre in Wound Care (KCWC) at Venray. This study involved a cost analysis based on an observational cohort study with a one-year pre-admission and a one-year post-admission comparison of costs. Patients were included when they first consulted the outpatient wound care clinic. Participants were all insured by the same health insurance company, Coöperatie Volksgezondheidszorg (VGZ). A standard six-step procedure for performing cost studies was used to calculate the costs. Given the skewed cost data, non-parametric bootstrapping was used to test for statistical differences. There were 172 patients included in this study. The difference in costs related to wound care between the year before and the year after initial admission to the wound clinic amounted to an average reduction of €2621 (£1873) per patient in the base case analysis. The categories 'general practitioner', 'hospital care', 'mental health care' and 'transport' scored lower, indicating lower costs, in the year after admission to the wound clinic. In this study, only the reimbursement data of patients of one health insurance company, and specifically only those made under the 2006 Dutch Health Insurance Act, were available. Because of the observational design, definitive conclusions cannot be made regarding a demonstrated reduction of costs in the year post admission. Nevertheless, this study is a first attempt of a cost analysis of an equipped outpatient wound clinic as an innovative way of responding to the increasing number of chronic wounds in the Netherlands. The calculations show that savings in wound care are possible. A possible conflict of interest should be mentioned. First author AALM Rondas, PhD student at Maastricht University, is working at the KCWC wound clinic at Venray in the Netherlands as a physician. However, the research data were provided externally by Coöperatie Volksgezondheidszorg (VGZ) and checked by the academic co-authors, none of whom have a conflict of interest. The authors have no financial or commercial interest to declare.

&lt;p&gt;This paper gives the results of a study into the (semi) long-term effects of wet and outdoor condition on the material properties of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polyester (GFRP). In 2001, 6 GFRP test panels have been placed above, below and on the water level at the lock-heads of the “Spieringsluis” lock in the Netherlands. After 13 years of being exposed to these outdoor conditions, the panels were removed and material tests were carried out to determine the remaining strength and stiffness. In this paper, test results are compared to test results from panels that have been stored indoors during the same period and to test results from tests that were carried out in 1999. The reduction of strength and stiffness properties is compared to the reduction factors for temperature and humidity effects according to the Dutch CUR Recommendation 96 for the design of FRP structures.&lt;/p&gt;

To circumvent current industry problems related to the settling of grouted connections, a steel-to-steel or slip joint connection is proposed for fitting a transition piece onto an installed monopile foundation. In the first part of this contribution, a simplified dynamic analysis of the installation of such a joint is considered. Assuming velocity dependent Coulomb friction, slip-stick equations of motion are derived for a simplified 1-D model of the joint, and the slip distance under self weight and resulting overlap lengths are calculated for different initial cone angles and friction coefficients. It is concluded that even for small initial cone angles, small angle differences between the top and bottom cone, and low friction coefficients, the tangential displacement caused by the self weight is insufficient to reach the desired contact overlap. In the second part of this contribution, the static capacities (axial and bending) of the joint in the in-place situation are determined by means of a FE model. Contact analyses are performed based on the ideal situation in which the two parts of the joint is initially in full contact. Of the parameters varied in these analyses, small cone angles and large overlaps are identified as most conducive to a succesfull transferral of the loads from the transition piece to the monopile. Given the uncertainty on the friction coefficient, it is then also recommended to use a cone angle of 1 ◦ and preferably an overlap > 1.5D.