Finite Element Analysis of Precursors to Macroscopic Stick–Slip Motion in Elastic Materials: Analysis of Friction Test as a Boundary Value Problem

In this study, we apply the finite element method to investigate precursor to frictional sliding phenomena arising immediately prior to macroscopic stick–slip transitions in elastic bodies within the framework of a continuum theory. Using a numerical model that mimics an actual experimental system, we study the behavior of contact surface nodes to assess the influence of stiffness, driving velocity, initial conditions, and discretization conditions on the propagation characteristics of microscopic slips. In particular, we show that the initial distribution of frictional stress arising due to the Poisson effect has a significant effect on the propagation characteristics in slip regions. Next, based on the results of a finite element analysis of precursor phenomena that accounts for the influence of bulk compliance, we consider the determination of parameters in rate-dependent friction models. With regard to the behavior of sliding friction, we show that the relationship between friction tests and friction models is fundamentally different from the relationship between material tests and constitutive models for material deformation. We conclude that a proper understanding and classification of friction tests, friction models, and the relationship between these tests and boundary value problems are crucial ingredients in the application of computer-aided engineering techniques to sliding-friction phenomena; indeed, friction tests must ultimately be treated as boundary value problems.     

Characterization of alternative plasticizers in poly(vinyl chloride) sheets for blood containers

This study aimed to optimize the ratio of dioctyl 4‐cyclohexene‐1,2‐dicarboxylate (DOTH) and di‐isononyl‐cyclohexane‐1,2‐dicarboxylate (DINCH^®) for use as plasticizers in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) sheets. We also evaluated the biological safety of DOTH for its potential to be part of a safe PVC‐based blood container. The suppression of hemolysis in mannitol‐adenine‐phosphate / red cell concentrates (MAP/RCC) with DOTH/(DINCH^®‐PVC) sheets and the elution of plasticizers from the sheets increased with higher DOTH compositions. The properties of the PVC sheet containing DOTH and DINCH^® in the ratio of 25:33 parts against PVC 100 parts as a weight were almost identical to the PVC sheet made of di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate. From a subchronic toxicity test, DOTH did not show any adverse effects on all organs, including the testes, epididymis, liver, and kidneys. The no‐observed‐adverse‐effect level was 300 mg/kg body weight/day in a rat. These results suggest that DOTH/DINCH^® (25:33) is a promising candidate for the replacement of di(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate in blood containers. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:520–528, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effects of Aliphatic Alcohols on Formation of Cyclodextrin from Soluble Starch by Bacillus macerans Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase

Effects of aliphatic alcohols such as ethanol, n-butanol and n-decanol on the formation of cyclodextrin (CD) from soluble starch by Bacillus macerans cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) were experimentally studied at 50°C and pH 6.0. The addition of such aliphatic alcohols caused an increase in α-CD yield, which extent was remarkable in n-butanol. From the incubation of α-CD with CGTase, such an increase was found to be due to a restriction on further transglycosylation of α-CD into β-CD by CGTase imposed by the aliphatic alcohols.     

Flexible and Conductive 3D Printable Polyvinylidene Fluoride and Poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) Based Gel Polymer Electrolytes

In this work, 3D printable gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) based on N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in lithium chloride containing ethylene glycol solution are synthesized and their physicochemical properties are investigated. 3D printing is carried out with a customized stereolithography type 3D gel printer named “Soft and Wet Intelligent Matter‐Easy Realizer” and free forming GPE samples having variable shapes and sizes are obtained. Printed PVDF/PDMAAm‐based GPEs exhibit tunable mechanical properties and favorable thermal stability. Electrochemical proprieties of the printed GPEs are carried out via impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range of 25–90 °C by varying PVDF content. Ionic conductivity as high as 6.5 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 is achieved at room temperature for GPE containing low PVDF content (5 wt%) and conductivity of the GPEs is increased as temperature rises.     

Present Status of the Nd:YAG Thomson Scattering System Development for Time Evolution Measurement of Plasma Profile on Heliotron J

A new high repetition rate Nd:YAG Thomson scattering system is developed for the Heliotron J helical device.A main purpose of installing the new system is the temporal evolution measurement of a plasma profile for improved confinement physics such as the edge transport barrier (H-mode) or the internal transport barrier of the helical plasma.The system has 25 spatial points with ～10mm resolution.Two high repetition Nd:YAG lasers (>550mJ@ 50Hz) realize the measurement of the time evolution of the plasma profile with ～10ms time intervals.Scattered light is collected by a large concave mirror (D=800 mm,f/2.25) with a solid angle of ～100 mstr and transferred to interference filter polychromators by optical fiber bundles in a staircase form.The signal is amplified by newly designed fast preamplifiers with DC and AC output,which reduces the low frequency background noise.The signals are digitized with a multi-event QDC,fast gated integrators.The data acquisition is performed by a VME-based system operated by the CINOS.     

Carrier Transport and Optical Properties of InGaN SQW With Embedded AlGaN$delta$-Layer

We investigate the carrier transport and optical properties of a thick InGaN single quantum well (SQW) where an AlGaN delta-layer is embedded. By way of simulation, it is found that the carrier density distribution in the active region is more uniform in such a QW structure, compared to a double QW (DQW) configuration showing a discontinuity in the hole quasi-Fermi level due to the large effective mass of the holes along with the strong piezoelectric field. Through the photoluminescence (PL) measurements, we have shown that the PL peak energy varies depending sensitively on the delta-layer thickness, providing an extra degree of freedom in the wavelength-tuning control. In particular, such a QW structure is highly desired for long-wavelength emission as the wavelength tuning can be achieved with lower indium composition. The embedded delta-layer also increases the wave function overlap between holes and electrons, thereby shortening the PL lifetime. The results of PL measurements are shown to be consistent with the self-consistent numerical results. A possible application of the proposed QW structure is to the design of long-wavelength light-emitting diodes and laser diodes     

Simultaneous design of the sensory morphology and controller of mobile robots

This paper proposes a method for automatic design of the sensory morphology of a mobile robot. The proposed method employs two types of adaptations, ontogenetic and phylogenetic, to optimize the sensory morphology of the robot. In ontogenetic adaptation, reinforcement learning searches for the optimal policy, which is highly dependent on the sensory morphology. In phylogenetic adaptation, a genetic algorithm is used to select morphologies with which the robot can learn tasks faster. Our proposed method was applied to the design of the sensory morphology of a line‐following robot. We performed simulation experiments to compare the design solution with a hand‐coded robot. The results of the experiments revealed that our robot outperformed the hand‐coded robot in terms of the following accuracy and learning speed, although our robot had fewer sensors than the hand‐coded one. We also built a physical robot using the design solution. The experimental results revealed that this physical robot used its morphology effectively and outperformed the hand‐coded robot. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 172(1): 48–57, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20965     

Chromatographic determination of the absolute configuration of an acyclic secondary alcohol using difluorodinitrobenzene

A chromatographic determination method was developed for the absolute configuration of an acyclic secondary alcohol using the characteristic functions of 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FFDNB). This method relies on the formation of the fixed favorable conformation of a secondary alcohol-DLA (2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-leucinamide) derivative and its recognition by ODS silica gel. The secondary alcohol reacted first with FFDNB under mild basic conditions, and L-leucinamide or DL-leucinamide was then introduced into the secondary alcohol-FDNB derivative. Because the conformations of the resulting alcohol-DLA derivatives were rigidly fixed by the dinitrobenzene plane, the absolute configuration at the asymmetric carbon of the secondary alcohol tested can be definitely deduced by the elution behavior of both of the diastereomers in the HPLC and/or LC/MS. One of the diastereomers has the cis (Z)-type arrangement of two more hydrophobic substituents of the alcohol and leucinamide moieties, the more hydrophobic side chain and isobutyl groups, to the plane of the dinitrobenzene, whereas another diastereomer has the opposite arrangement (trans (E)-type). Therefore, the cis arrangement interacts more strongly with the ODS silica gel and has a longer retention time than that of the trans-type arrangement. This established method was successfully applied to various chiral acyclic secondary alcohols including chloramphenicol and 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid. Finally, the limitations of this method were also examined.     

Classical/nonclassical hybrid cannabinoids: southern aliphatic chain-functionalized C-6beta methyl, ethyl, and propyl analogues

The stereoelectronic requirements for interaction of the southern aliphatic hydroxyl of cannabimimetic pharmacophores with the CB1 and CB2 receptors are explored. The stereoselective syntheses of three series of classical/nonclassical hybrid cannabinoids are described. These compounds were designed to investigate the importance of the southern aliphatic hydroxyl (SAH) pharmacophore for cannabimimetic activity. Variation in the chain length of the SAH moiety in these 6beta-(hydroxyalkyl)dihydrobenzopyran analogues, from 6beta-hydroxymethyl to 6beta-(omega-hydroxyethyl) and 6beta-(omega-hydroxypropyl), and the effects of replacing the hydroxyl functionality by hydride and iodide are reported. Our results indicate that the SAH pharmacophore has less pronounced effects than the C-3 aliphatic chain on cannabinoid activity. Furthermore, it appears that this southern molecular component is capable of interacting with two different subsites on the receptor and that the nature of this interaction is determined by the terminal substituent on the C-6beta alkyl group. One of the subsites can accommodate the relatively polar SAH pharmacophore, while the second subsite interacts with more hydrophobic C-6beta substituents and can accommodate large spherical pharmacophores separated by three methylene carbons from the tricyclic cannabinoid template.