Saxion University of Applied Sciences

About: Saxion University of Applied Sciences is a education organization based out in Enschede, Netherlands. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Health care & Context (language use). The organization has 390 authors who have published 653 publications receiving 8859 citations. The organization is also known as: Saxion University of Applied Sciences.

Swelling of Poly(methyl acrylate) Brushes in Acetone Vapor.

Abstract: Sensor platforms can benefit from the incorporation of polymer brushes since brushes can concentrate the analyte near the sensor surface. Brushes that absorb acetone vapor are of particular interest since acetone is an important marker for biological processes. We present a simple procedure to synthesize acetone-responsive poly(methyl acrylate) brushes. Using spectroscopic ellipsometry, we show that these brushes respond within seconds and swell by more than 30% when exposed to acetone vapor. Moreover, quartz crystal microbalance measurements demonstrate that the brushes can be exploited to increase the acetone detection sensitivity of sensors by more than a factor 6. Surprisingly, we find that the swelling ratio of the brushes in acetone vapor is independent of the grafting density and the degree of polymerization of the polymers in the brush. This is qualitatively different from swelling of the same brushes in liquid environments, where the swelling ratio decreases for increasing grafting densities. Yet, it indicates that the brushes are robust and reproducible candidates for implementation in vapor sensor systems.

Impact of the FindMyApps program on people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and their caregivers; an exploratory pilot randomised controlled trial

Abstract: FindMyApps is a web-based selection-tool and errorless learning training program to help people with mild dementia/Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and caregivers find user-friendly apps. In prepara...

House thermal model parameter estimation method for Model Predictive Control applications

Abstract: In this paper we investigate thermal network models with different model orders applied to various Dutch low-energy house types with high and low interior thermal mass and containing floor heating. Parameter estimations are performed by using data from TRNSYS simulations. The paper discusses results in relation to model order and the order which yields a sufficient level of accuracy is determined. The paper presents a semi-physical estimation method which is used to improve correlation of model parameters with physical determined values. The thermal network model can be used for various simulation studies or for Model Predictive Control (MPC) of house heating or cooling systems. The paper investigates accuracy of the model for MPC by comparing MPC-results with results from TRNSYS simulations, including ventilation heat losses.