GlyphLink: An interactive visualization approach for semantic graphs

Graph analysis by data visualization involves achieving a series of topology-based tasks. When the graph data belongs to a data domain that contains multiple node and link types, as in the case of semantic graphs, topology-based tasks become more challenging. To reduce visual complexity in semantic graphs, we propose an approach which is based on applying relational operations such as selecting and joining nodes of different types. We use node aggregation to reflect the relational operations to the graph. We introduce glyphs for representing aggregated nodes. Using glyphs lets us encode connectivity information of multiple nodes with a single glyph. We also use visual parameters of the glyph to encode node attributes or type specific information. Rather than doing the operations in the data abstraction layer and presenting the user with the resulting visualization, we propose an interactive approach where the user can iteratively apply the relational operations directly on the visualization. We present the efficiency of our method by the results of a usability study that includes a case study on a subset of the International Movie Database. The results of the controlled experiment in our usability study indicate a statistically significant contribution in reducing the completion time of the evaluation tasks.     

Numerical and experimental analysis of a horizontal ground-coupled heat pump system

The main objective of this work is to evaluate a heat pump system using the ground as a source of heat. A ground-coupled heat pump (GCHP) system has been installed and tested at the test room, University of Firat, Elazig, Turkey. Results obtained during experimental testing are presented and discussed here. The coefficient of performance (COP_sys) of the GCHP system is determined from the measured data. A numerical model of heat transfer in the ground was developed for determining the temperature distribution in the vicinity of the pipe. The finite difference approximation is used for numerical analysis. It is observed that the numerical results agree with the experimental results.     

Fermentation and oxygen transfer characteristics in recombinant human growth hormone production by Pichia pastoris in sorbitol batch and methanol fed‐batch operation

BACKGROUND: The influence of methanol feed rate on recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) production by Pichia pastoris hGH‐Mut⁺ in medium containing sorbitol was investigated at three different specific growth rates (µ), namely, 0.02 (MS‐0.02), 0.03 (MS‐0.03), and 0.04 (MS‐0.04). RESULTS: Increasing methanol feed rate above MS‐0.03 did not affect sorbitol consumption, showing that µ = 0.03 h^?1 is a threshold limiting value, above which sorbitol utilization became independent of methanol feed rate. Moreover, when sorbitol was consumed, no further cell growth was observed. Increase in methanol feed rate triggered cell synthesis and the highest cell concentration was obtained at MS‐0.04 as 48 g L^?1 (t = 18 h); whereas, the highest rhGH production, 270 mg L^?1, was obtained at MS‐0.03 as a consequence of lower extracellular protease production and higher AOX activity (41 U g^?1 CDW). Oxygen uptake rate increased with increasing µ, having the maximum value, 76.6 mmol m^?3 s^?1, at MS‐0.04. K_La had a tendency to increase with µ, having a maximum value of 0.15 s^?1 at MS‐0.04 (t = 15 h). CONCLUSION: By considering rhGH concentration and oxygen transfer characteristics, the bioprocess can be improved by a two‐stage feeding strategy, operating at MS‐0.04 at the beginning of fermentation, and thereafter shifting to MS‐0.03. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Experimental investigation of a two-phase closed thermosyphon solar water heater

In this study, experiments were performed to find out how the thermal performance of a two-phase thermosyphon solar collector was affected by using different refrigerants. Three identical small-scale solar water heating systems, using refrigerants R-134a, R407C, and R410A, were constructed and tested side-by-side under various environmental and load conditions. The performance of the system under clear-sky conditions has been investigated with and without water load. Detailed temperature distributions and cumulative collection efficiencies were determined and presented. The experimental results were compared to the results found in the literature and they showed good agreement.     

Experimental investigation of thermal performance of a double-flow solar air heater having aluminium cans

This study experimentally investigates a device for inserting an absorbing plate made of aluminium cans into the double-pass channel in a flat-plate solar air heater (SAH). This method substantially improves the collector efficiency by increasing the fluid velocity and enhancing the heat-transfer coefficient between the absorber plate and air. These types of collectors had been designed as a proposal to use aluminium materials to build absorber plates of SAHs at a suitable cost. The collector had been covered with a 4-mm single glass plate, in order to reduce convective loses to the atmosphere. Three different absorber plates had been designed and tested for experimental study. In the first type (Type I), cans had been staggered as zigzag on absorber plate, while in Type II they were arranged in order. Type III is a flat plate (without cans). Experiments had been performed for air mass flow rates of 0.03 kg/s and 0.05 kg/s. The highest efficiency had been obtained for Type I at 0.05 kg/s. Also, comparison between the thermal efficiency of the SAH tested in this study with the ones reported in the literature had been presented, and a good agreement had been found.     

Free vibration and buckling stability of FG nanobeams exposed to magnetic and thermal fields

Engineering with Computers - Due to the increasing usage of nanostructures in nanotechnology and nanodevice, the following article aims to investigate the free vibration and buckling behaviours of...     

Poly(methyl methacrylate) hybrid syntactic foams with hollow glass microspheres and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes

The study aims to produce poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based lower density syntactic foams with hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) and to improve their mechanical properties by the addition of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) while maintaining the thermal properties of the neat polymer. First to understand the effect of POSS addition, PMMA–POSS composites with octaisobutyl and octaphenyl POSS were produced through extrusion. Higher relative flexural and impact strengths were obtained with POSS addition to PMMA. Obtaining more enhanced properties with octaphenyl POSS, PMMA-HGM-POSS hybrid syntactic foams were prepared with this additive. In general, the specific flexural strength and modulus of the PMMA syntactic foams were improved with the POSS loading, while the lower density and thermal properties of the PMMA syntactic foams were maintained. PMMA hybrid syntactic foams with 15 wt % HGMs and 0.25 wt % POSS exhibited 37.6% improvement in the specific flexural modulus with respect to the neat PMMA. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48368.     

Effect of Graphitic Nanosheets on the Physical Properties of Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Composite Films

In this study, microstructural and physical properties of cyclic olefin copolymer composite films prepared by melt processing method and using of graphitic nanofillers, namely, graphite, graphite oxide, and reduced graphite oxide were investigated. Structural and physical properties of the chemically modified graphites and composite films were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analyzer, and thermogravimetric analyzer methods. It was found that the composite films including reduced graphite oxide exhibited exfoliated structure whereas graphite- and graphite oxide-based films showed intercalated structure. It was also obtained that all composite films showed superior gas barrier performance compared to the cyclic olefin copolymer.