Experimental and Numerical Characterization of a Gravitational Electromagnetic Energy Harvester

In this paper, the dynamic experimental identification of an inductive energy harvester for the conversion of vibration energy into electric power is presented. Recent advances and requirements in structural monitoring and vehicle diagnostic allow defining Autonomous Internet of Things (AIoT) systems that combine wireless sensor nodes with energy harvester devices properly designed considering the specific duty cycle. The proposed generator was based on an asymmetrical magnetic suspension and was addressed to structural monitoring applications on vehicles. The design of the interfaces of the electric, magnetic, and structural coupled systems forming the harvester are described including dynamic modeling and simulation. Finally, the results of laboratory tests were compared with the harvester dynamic response calculated through numerical simulations, and a good correspondence was obtained.

Investigation of Regenerative Braking Performance of Brushless Direct Current Machine Drive System

The brushless direct current (BLDC) machines which are preferred in light electric vehicles (LEVs) come forward as high regenerative braking capability machines due to their permanent magnet excitation and relatively simple operation. In this paper, the regenerative braking capability limits of BLDC machines and their drive circuits are examined by taking into account nonlinear circuit parameters and battery internal resistance variation. During energy recovery from mechanical port to electrical port, the inverter of BLDC machine is operated as a boost converter which enables power flow to a battery. However, the regeneration performance is also heavily dependant on the battery condition, particularly the temperature. By means of the developed detailed circuit model including the non-ideal effects of the boosting converter and the increase of the internal resistance variation which is caused by the temperature variation of the battery and ambient temperature, the specific duty cycle can be determined. The specific duty ratio is then applied in a proposed approach for various operation scenarios. The experimental tests are implemented by a 400 W BLDC machine drive system controlled via a TMS320F28335 digital signal processor. The experimental results show that the proposed comprehensive model presents a proper performance estimation of regenerative braking system under varying battery temperature.

The contract-delict interface and harm-causing omissions

Dale Hutchison co-authored two excellent articles on the contract– delict interface. Their focus was primarily on breaches of contract causing pure economic loss. This article extends the investigation to omissions which are in breach of contract and which cause physical harm to person or property. At the centre of the investigation is the Supreme Court of Appeal’s (majority) judgment in the case of Chartaprops 16 v Silberman 2009 (1) SA 265 (SCA). A harm-causing omission will be wrongful, for the purpose of delictual liability, only if it was in breach of a specific duty. To date, our law has recognised only a small number of such specific duties. The Chartaprops judgment seems to recognise another, arising – in a way which is not clearly explained in the judgment – from the contractual duties by which the harm-causer and certain third parties are bound. In a series of steps, this article develops an account of that duty, culminating in the following formulation, which is meant to capture both the duty’s ground and its content: ‘If a person has contracted with another person to perform a task and knows (or ought to know) that the other person has contracted with him to perform that task in order to discharge a delictual duty owed by the other person to one or more further persons, then he owes those further persons a specific duty, the breach of which constitutes a wrong for the purposes of Aquilian liability, not to cause harm to them by negligently having contracted with the other person to perform that task and then failing to perform it.’

Experience of Spiritual Dryness and Acedia Symptoms in Seventh-Day Adventists

In a cross-sectional survey among 626 Adventists, we investigated their perception of spiritual dryness, and its association with indicators of Acedia, well-being and emotional exhaustion. Women, younger persons and those without a specific duty within the church had significantly higher spiritual dryness scores. Spiritual dryness was predicted best by perceived Excessive Spiritual Demands (indicating spiritual exhaustion) and low perception of the sacred. Further predictors are Acedia’s Difficulties in Prayer Life, reduced well-being and emotional exhaustion. The underlying causes might be complex and thus to support persons experiencing these phases, a thorough differentiation of the underlying ‘spirits’ is required.

Long sentenced women prisoners: Rights, risks and rehabilitation

This paper re-examines critically the role of rehabilitative interventions for a seriously neglected group of prisoners: women serving long sentences. Drawing on empirical research conducted in a democratic therapeutic community in a women’s prison in the south of England, it considers how far established criticisms identify insuperable difficulties that exacerbate existing harms and inequalities. It argues that evidence can be adduced to support rehabilitative interventions that are not predominantly concerned with the reduction of criminal risk but which provide tangible benefits to the personal wellbeing of women in prison and may increase their prospects of integration post release. It explores how such rehabilitative policies and practices could be supported and protected from attrition by penal power, by embedding them within a doctrine of human rights. By challenging and replacing prevalent assumptions and justifications that uphold existing power relations in prisons, we argue that a specific duty of care, owed by the prison service to women serving long sentences, can protect, support and re-imagine their right to rehabilitative opportunities.

Are EUIPO Trade Mark Examiners and the Boards of Appeal Bound by Precedent Decisions?

Are EUIPO examiners and appeal bodies bound by previous decisions of the office they belong to? Before the decision in Puma was issued, there was a succession of frequently referred to ECJ precedents which were apparently disregarded. EUIPO offices had been considered bound to the sole law (and, where precedents are concerned, only to ECJ case-law). However, after Puma, pursuant to the administrative duty to act consistently and to state the grounds on which decisions are based, it is concluded that relevance of EUIPO precedents (and of the ‘Trade mark guidelines’, as far as they are based on them) should not be set aside simply because they are not formal sources of law. Instead, they should be appreciated as rules of administrative procedure. In this sense, precedent EUIPO decisions should be recognised as more than just a persuasive power (which they share with all other relevant ‘precedents’ such as Member States case-law or offices’ decisions). In fact, it should be acknowledged that they also have a role within the duty of motivation of administrative decisions. So if EUIPO decides to depart from a precedent or from its ‘Trade mark guidelines’, explicit and detailed motivation of such departure is required. Even if the EUIPO is under a general duty to take into account the decisions already taken in respect of similar applications, a specific duty to take into consideration a given precedent requires that such precedents are duly reported with all relevant elements to be taken into consideration (factual context and legal reasoning) within the decision to be issued.

Jurisdiction and Justification

This chapter argues, first, that existing accounts of jurisdiction are concerned precisely with capturing this necessary relationship between state and individual for a human rights obligation to be identified. It asks, second, what the desiderata for an account of jurisdiction are. I argue that the criteria are plausible guidance, a connection to an account of the nature of human rights, the ability to justify the allocation of obligations to a specific duty bearer, and non-arbitrariness in the sense of internal consistency. Third, the chapter analyses three sophisticated and influential accounts of jurisdiction. I ask, fourth, whether these accounts meet the desiderata and argue that they do not. The chapter concludes that there is a need to develop an account of jurisdiction that meets the success criteria.

A Biofeedback Based Auto-Controlled Neurostimulator Design for Proper NCS Signal Acquisition and Measurement

This paper presents the design of a biofeedback based auto-controlled neurostimulator for acquiring nerve response. Nerve conduction study (NCS) employs an electrical stimulator that generates a stimulus to be applied over the skin of an underlying nerve. Conventional neurostimulator uses manual control of voltage or current to generate the nerve responses. It is observed that the stimulation for supramaximal response varies with subjects due to different skin resistances of the subjects. Such measurement needs repeated trials which is time consuming, irritating to subjects and often suffers difficulties in real-time applications. This study proposes a portable neurostimulator based on the skin resistance as bio-feedback parameter to control the stimulus. A custom made NCS setup is developed for experimental recording of real-time nerve signals and identified the best compound muscle action potential signal for generating optimal stimulus i.e., supramaximal stimulus (SS) manually. Then, mathematical models are investigated using real-time data and models are implemented in a microcontroller (µC) based stimulator. The µC triggers a pulse train of specific duty cycle to a buck converter for producing the required optimal voltage which is used as a SS across the electrodes. Online experimental results with new subjects show that the proposed design is efficacious and adaptable with safety.

Corporate Communication

In September 2015, it appeared that the Volkswagen Group had circumvented the rules for testing diesel car exhaust gases. Although the organization presents itself as eco-friendly, it used a “default device” for diesel cars to produce less CO2 during test situations. Due to this kind of scandal, corporate communication is often associated with greenwashing and the manipulation of minds. Using the normative practice approach, the authors introduce some basic distinctions that may help to come to a better understanding of what the specific duty and responsibility of communication professionals is. They argue that corporate communication stands or falls with public trust. Building confidence and public legitimation is the main task of communication professionals. Although communication is about the construction of a communal world, that does not mean that framing and strategic reasoning are not important. In order to bring in a legitimate point of view, one has to present this point of view in an impactful way. Communication professionals have to balance between the interests of the organization and the requirements of public legitimation. They also have to make convincingly clear how their personal biography and the narrative of the organization are interrelated.