Structural and physicochemical properties of silver-rich Ag–Al alloys

The X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, dilatometric and electrical conductivity measurements were used to study the structural and physicochemical properties of selected silver-rich alloys from Ag–Al system. All the studied alloys, containing from 10 to 37 at. % of Al (Ag₉₀Al₁₀, Ag₈₅Al₁₅, Ag₇₇Al₂₃, Ag₇₅Al₂₅, Ag₇₂Al₂₈, Ag₇₀Al₃₀, Ag₆₃Al₃₇), were prepared from high purity metals by melting in a glove-box filled with a high purity argon atmosphere. The obtained X-ray diffraction patterns and microstructure observation of alloys containing up to 15 at. % of Al suggested that in this range only solid solution of silver exists. The thermal analysis showed heat effects related to phase transitions in Ag–Al system. In addition, the thermal expansion studies revealed an anomalous behavior in expansion for some composition of alloys associated with the phase transition. The electrical conductivity values rapidly changed, which may be associated with the formation of different phase areas in the Ag–Al system.Based on the results obtained in this work and critically reviewed literature data a thermodynamic re-optimization of the binary Ag–Al system using CALPHAD method was proposed. A good agreement between calculation and experiment was found.     

An economic evaluation of management strategies to mitigate the negative effect of twinning in dairy herds

Our objectives were to develop an economic model to estimate the economic impact of twinning in dairy cows and to evaluate management strategies to mitigate the negative economic impact of twinning in dairy herds. A probabilistic tree considering spontaneous embryo reduction, early pregnancy loss, abortion, metritis, retained placenta, and culling rate at 120 d of the second, at the end of the second, and at the end of the third lactation was developed for a single pregnancy; we also developed 3 management options upon diagnosis of a twin pregnancy: (1) do nothing, (2) induce abortion using PGF_2α, or (3) attempt manual embryo reduction. A value was given to each branch of the tree by simulating cow states on a farm for 1,400 d to encompass 4 consecutive lactations. The incomes considered in the simulations included milk income over feed cost, income from calves, and slaughter value upon culling. The expenses taken into account depending on each branch included additional inseminations and synchronization protocols, embryo reduction, induction of abortion, replacement heifers, and costs due to metritis and retained placenta. The gross value for a singleton pregnancy and the 3 management options upon diagnosis of a twin pregnancy were calculated by adding the value of all braches multiplied by their probability. The costs for the 3 management options were calculated by subtracting its gross value minus the gross value of a singleton pregnancy. The negative economic impact of a twin pregnancy ranged from $97 to $225 depending on the type of twin pregnancy (unilateral vs. bilateral), parity, and DIM when the twin pregnancy occurred. The overall negative economic impact of twinning on dairy farm profitability in the United States was estimated to be $96 million per year. Attempting manual embryo reduction early during gestation upon diagnosis of a twin pregnancy was the optimal management strategy for mitigating the negative economic impact of twinning under a wide variety of scenarios.     

区域控制器的安全需求建模与自动验证

轨道交通区域控制器（ZC）是我国轨道交通信号系统选型的主流制式——基于通信的列车控制系统（CBTC）的核心子系统，其突出的安全性使得安全需求的形式化验证成为一个非常重要的问题.但是ZC自身的复杂性以及领域知识的繁杂难以掌握，使得形式化方法很难应用到安全需求的验证中去.针对这些问题，提出一种安全需求的自动验证方法，使用半形式化的问题框架方法（PF）来建模和分解安全需求，根据需求模型自动生成安全需求的验证模型和验证性质，在此基础上自动生成验证模型的Scade语言实现，并通过Design Verifier验证器对需求进行组合验证.最后，使用了某个实际案例ZC的一个子问题CAL_EOA进行了研究，实验结果证明了该方法的可行性与有效性，它能自动地将安全需求模型进行组合验证，改善了验证的效率.     

A Stochastic Petri Net-Based Model of the Involvement of Interleukin 18 in Atherosclerosis

Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory and proatherogenic cytokine with pleiotropic properties, which is involved in T and NK cell maturation and the synthesis of other inflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules. It plays a significant role in orchestrating the cytokine cascade, accelerates atherosclerosis and influences plaque vulnerability. To investigate the influence of IL-18 cytokine on atherosclerosis development, a stochastic Petri net model was built and then analyzed. First, MCT-sets and t-clusters were generated, then knockout and simulation-based analysis was conducted. The application of systems approach that was used in this research enabled an in-depth analysis of the studied phenomenon. Our results gave us better insight into the studied phenomenon and allow revealing that activation of macrophages by the classical pathway and IL-18-MyD88 signaling axis is crucial for the modeled process.     

Bitumen-water interfacial tension modeling by using subtractive clustering method

Calculation of interfacial tension during bitumen production is a crucial issue in heavy crude oil history. Upon variation in pressure, temperature and phases composition, interfacial tension between bitumen and water change. In this work a sophisticated method called subtractive clustering was utilized to predict dynamic interfacial tension between bitumen and water. The subtractive clustering method is composed of optimized fuzzy logic algorithm. A data bank which is collected from open-source literature, is used to create a reliable model. Then the prediction accuracy of the measured dynamic interfacial tension using subtractive clustering have been examined. Results state that the comparison of measured interfacial tension and predicted interfacial tension indicate acceptable accuracy of proposed model. Also more than 90 percent of data points have less than 3 percent absolute error.     

利用调度优化模型研究原油调合方案的可行性

针对某沿海炼油企业拟投用原油调合系统以稳定混炼原油的性质,设计方案要求将部分码头罐的操作模式由混储改为单储的情况,采用约束规划与数学规划复合建模,实现了码头至厂区大容积长输线模拟,建立了该企业的原油调度优化模型并研究了设计方案的可行性。针对240h调度周期、10种可加工原油、3艘到港油轮的复杂工况进行了优化计算。结果表明:该设计方案具备可行性,且油轮仍可实现到港即卸油,蒸馏装置混炼油种也可长时间保持稳定;模型的优化计算时间较短(小于15min),且对长输线收付及存油情况模拟准确,复合建模方法满足工业应用要求。     

[可靠性建模及试验技术]重型机床液压元件油液污染退化量分布剖面可靠性建模

针对重型机床液压系统故障频繁且多与油液中的固态颗粒污染物相关的问题，进行了油液污染趋势变化试验。通过时域分析获得了油样颗粒数的有量纲和量纲一参数，通过Q-Q图和K-S检验分析有量纲参数，污染颗粒数是退化量服从正态分布的退化数据。进行了油液污染与环境相关性分析试验，采用相关系数法分析得到，颗粒数变化量与一定范围内的温度、流量、压力的相关性小；将液压元件分为管路、阀、过滤器三类，用直径5 μm左右的颗粒和直径大于15 μm的颗粒分别研究管路及阀件的堵塞和磨损情况，以过滤器过滤精度大小的颗粒研究过滤器的堵塞情况，设定ISO4406标准20/17级对应的颗粒数为阈值，利用退化量分布建立了液压元件单一故障模式的可靠性模型；利用竞争失效模型将上述模型融合为多故障模式下的可靠性模型。     

Modeling and analysis for multilayered complex communication network of satellite navigation system

This study is extended to construct the network model, the node model, and the link model of complex communication network for satellite navigation system (CCN‐SNS) based on the hierarchical architecture. Firstly, a method called snapshots was proposed to describe the dynamic topology for CCN‐SNS; secondly, another method was put forward to model the different nodes of the CCN‐SNS; thirdly, the different links between every two different nodes were modeled. Therefore, based on the OPNET tools, a simulation for the CCN‐SNS, which contains the models that proposed earlier used to analyze the navigation accuracy and network transmission performance, was performed.     

Use of Modelica language to simulate electrified railway lines and trains

Simulation of multi-engineering systems typically requires many issues to be solved, which are to be addressed by developing appropriate modeling and simulation programming techniques. In the last years, the authors have participated in several studies in which they analyzed in detail electrified railway systems and simulated them using Modelica language. After a few years of study, despite the huge complexity of these systems, it has appeared evident that Modelica language is very well suited and able to effectively solve the typical issues they present. While specific railway system simulations have already been discussed in specific papers, whose focus was on application and actual results, in this paper, the authors show how to use Modelica language to solve specific modeling issues through suitable programming techniques. Moreover, the issues to be solved and the conceived techniques may be interpreted in a general way and to be applied also in different engineering domains. Finally, this paper briefly recalls the principal results obtained in previous specific papers, in which these techniques were fully implemented.