Optimization of design and operating parameters in a pilot scale Jameson cell for slime coal cleaning

The Jameson flotation cell has been commonly used to treat a variety of ores (lead, zinc, copper etc.), coal and industrial minerals at commercial scale since 1989. It is especially known to be highly efficient at fine and ultrafine coal recovery. However, although the Jameson cell has quite a simple structure, it may be largely inefficient if the design and operating parameters chosen are not appropriate. In this study, the design and operating parameters of a pilot scale Jameson cell were optimized to obtain a desired metallurgical performance in the slime coal flotation. The optimized design parameters are the nozzle type, the height of the nozzle above the pulp level, the downcomer diameter and the immersion depth of the downcomer. Among the operating parameters optimized are the collector dosage, the frother dosage, the percentage of solids and the froth height. In the optimum conditions, a clean coal with an ash content of 14.90% was obtained from the sample slime having 45.30% ash with a combustible recovery of 74.20%. In addition, a new type nozzle was developed for the Jameson cell, which led to an increase of about 9% in the combustible recovery value.     

A genetic algorithm approach to determine the sample size for attribute control charts

Determining the sample size for control charts (CCs) is generally an important problem in the literature. In this paper, Kaya and Engin’s [?. Kaya, O. Engin, A new approach to define sample size at attributes control chart in multistage processes: an application in engine piston manufacturing process, Journal of Materials Processing Technology 183 (2007) 38-48] model based on minimum cost and maximum acceptance probability to determine the sample size for attribute control charts (ACCs), and solved by genetic algorithms (GAs) with linear binary representation structure, is handled to solve it by a linear real-valued representation. A new chromosome structure is also suggested to increase the efficiency of GAs. The performance of GAs depends on mutation and crossover operators, and their ratios. To determine the most appropriate operators, five different mutation and crossover operators are used and they are compared with each other. An application in a motor engine factory is illustrated. u-Control charts are constructed with respect to the sample size determined by GA in the model. The piston production stages in this factory are monitorized using the obtained control charts.     

Adaptive Q control for tapping-mode nanoscanning using a piezoactuated bimorph probe

A new approach, called adaptive Q control, for tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) is introduced and implemented on a homemade AFM setup utilizing a laser Doppler vibrometer and a piezoactuated bimorph probe. In standard Q control, the effective Q factor of the scanning probe is adjusted prior to the scanning depending on the application. However, there is a trade-off in setting the effective Q factor of an AFM probe. The Q factor is either increased to reduce the tapping forces or decreased to increase the maximum achievable scan speed. Realizing these two benefits simultaneously using standard Q control is not possible. In adaptive Q control, the Q factor of the probe is set to an initial value as in standard Q control, but then modified on the fly during scanning when necessary to achieve this goal. In this article, we present the basic theory behind adaptive Q control, the electronics enabling the online modification of the probe's effective Q factor, and the results of the experiments comparing three different methods: scanning (a) without Q control, (b) with standard Q control, and (c) with adaptive Q control. The results show that the performance of adaptive Q control is superior to the other two methods.     

Reactive scheduling in a dynamic and stochastic FMS environment

In this paper, we study the reactive scheduling problems in a dynamic and stochastic manufacturing environment. Specifically, we develop a simulation-based scheduling system for flexible manufacturing systems. We also propose several reactive scheduling policies (i.e. when-to-schedule and how-to-schedule policies) and test their performances under various experimental conditions, processing time variations, and machine breakdowns. Moreover, we compare offline and online scheduling schemes in a dynamic manufacturing environment. The results of extensive simulation experiments indicate that the variable-time-response is better than the fixed-time-response. The full scheduling scheme generally performs better than the partial scheduling. Finally, the online scheduling is more robust to uncertainty and variations in processing times than the optimum-seeking offline scheduling. A comprehensive bibliography is also provided in the paper.     

Vibro-acoustic analysis of free piston engine structure using finite element and boundary element methods

This paper presents the results of vibro-acoustic modeling and simulation using the finite element and the boundary element methods for the free piston engine structure. A model of the engine was constructed through the use of finite element software to perform a normal mode analysis of the engine structure. The objective was to determine the mode shapes and the natural frequency that contribute to engine structure vibration. Theoretical development of the engine balance motion and frequency response was also conducted. From the simulation and finite element analysis, the force response pattern of the engine vibration was determined and then compared with its natural frequency. The vibration data were used as the input data for noise analysis using the boundary element method. The integration of the finite element and the boundary element determined the noise-frequency data of the engine structure toward the occurrence of engine noise. The information can be used by designers to analyze engine specifications and structure, especially at the preliminary design stage.     

Comparison of the mechanical and biological properties of self-adhering materials

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to compare the Vickers hardness numbers (VHNs), roughness numbers (RNs) and biological compatibility of glass carbomer (Glass Fill), resin-modified glass ionomer (Fuji II LC) and self-adhering flowable composite (Vertise Flow) materials. Materials and methods: Disc-shaped specimens of test materials (n = 15/group) were prepared, and VHNs and RNs were determined after 24 h. A direct contact test was used for cytotoxicity evaluation. Cell viability was measured for 24 h post-exposition with a photometric test (MTT assay; n = 16). Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance with a post hoc Tukey’s test, the Kruskal–Wallis test and the Mann–Whitney U-test (p < 0.05). Results: Fuji II LC had the highest VHN. The VHN of Fuji II LC differed significantly from those of the other materials (p < 0.05). The RNs of Fuji II and Glass Fill were higher than that of Vertise Flow (p < 0.05). The self-adhering materials were not significantly cytotoxic compared with the control group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The materials tested in this study showed a similar lack of cytotoxicity. The VHN of Fuji II LC was the highest, and the RN of Vertise Flow was the lowest.     

Predicting Addiction Severity Index (ASI) interviewer severity ratings for a computer-administered ASI.

The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is a reliable and valid measure of problem severity among addicted patients. Concerns have been raised about the reliability of the Interviewer Severity Rating (ISR), a summary score for each of 7 domains. As part of an effort to build a computer-administered ASI, regression equations were developed to predict the ISR. Repeated resampling of a large dataset, consisting of 1,124 ASIs conducted by trained interviewers, permitted derivation of stable regression equations predicting the ISR for each ASI domain from patients' answers to preselected interview items. The resulting 7 Predicted Severity Ratings (PSRs) were tested on 8, standardized vignettes, with "gold standard," expert-generated ISRs. Reliabilities compared well with those of intensively trained interviewers. The PSRs could provide an alternative to potentially unreliable interviewer ratings, enhancing the ASI's role in treatment planning and treatment matching and make possible a computer-administered version of the ASI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine produces enhanced anaerobic work capacity with reduced lactate accumulation in resistance trained males

Background  

Recent research has indicated that short term administration of glycine propionyl-L-carnitine (GPLC) significantly elevates levels of nitric oxide metabolites at rest and in response to reactive hyperaemia. However, no scientific evidence exists that suggests such supplementation enhances exercise performance in healthy, trained individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of GPLC on the performance of repeated high intensity stationary cycle sprints with limited recovery periods in resistance trained male subjects.     

Suppression of TRPV1/TRPM8/P2Y Nociceptors by Withametelin via Downregulating MAPK Signaling in Mouse Model of Vincristine-Induced Neuropathic Pain

Vincristine (VCR) is a widely used chemotherapy drug that induced peripheral painful neuropathy. Yet, it still lacks an ideal therapeutic strategy. The transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, purinergic receptor (P2Y), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Withametelin (WMT), a potential Phytosteroid isolated from datura innoxa, exhibits remarkable neuroprotective properties. The present investigation was designed to explore the effect of withametelin on VCR-induced neuropathic pain and its underlying molecular mechanism. Initially, the neuroprotective potential of WMT was confirmed against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced PC12 cells. To develop potential candidates for neuropathic pain treatment, a VCR-induced neuropathic pain model was established. Vincristine (75 μg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 10 consecutive days (day 1–10) for the induction of neuropathic pain. Gabapentin (GBP) (60 mg/kg, i.p.) and withametelin (0.1 and 1 mg/kg i.p.) treatments were given after the completion of VCR injection on the 11th day up to 21 days. The results revealed that WMT significantly reduced VCR-induced pain hypersensitivity, including mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia, and thermal hyperalgesia. It reversed the VCR-induced histopathological changes in the brain, spinal cord, and sciatic nerve. It inhibited VCR-induced changes in the biochemical composition of the myelin sheath of the sciatic nerve. It markedly downregulated the expression levels of TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1); TRPM8 (Transient receptor potential melastatin 8); and P2Y nociceptors and MAPKs signaling, including ERK (Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase), JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase), and p-38 in the spinal cord. It suppressed apoptosis by regulating Bax (Bcl2-associated X-protein), Bcl-2 (B-cell-lymphoma-2), and Caspase-3 expression. It considerably attenuated inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity. This study suggests that WMT treatment suppressed vincristine-induced neuropathic pain by targeting the TRPV1/TRPM8/P2Y nociceptors and MAPK signaling.