Decision making for material selection using the UTA method

The considered optimization problem deals with the design of the machine equipment used in a serial paced line. The cost and effectiveness of such a line depend on this decision. The investment cost can be reduced by optimizing the assignment of machining operations to the pieces of equipment. In this paper, new powerful metaheuristic methods applying the principles of a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure and a genetic algorithm are suggested for this problem. These methods are evaluated on a series of benchmarks and real industrial problems.     

Refining abstract interpretations

Abstract interpretation techniques prove properties of programs by computing abstract fixpoints. All such analyses suffer from the possibility of false errors. We present a dag-based abstraction refinement technique to automatically refine such abstract interpretations and reduce false errors. This technique refines precision loss due to widen operator by a new interpolated widen operator and refines precision loss due to join operator by disjunctions. We prove the soundness and progress properties of this abstraction refinement procedure.     

Numerical predictions of backward-facing step flows in microchannels using extended Navier–Stokes equations

Flows in microchannels were successfully predicted, in the past, both analytically and numerically, employing the extended Navier–Stokes equations (ENSE). In ENSE, the self-diffusion transport of mass, together with the resulting momentum and heat transport, is taken into account properly and the same is omitted in the classical Navier–Stokes equations. The ENSE have been employed here to numerically predict backward-facing step flows in microchannels, and the predictions are summarized in this paper. The results obtained by employing ENSE are compared with the available literature data computed by both direct simulation Monte Carlo and slip-velocity-based simulations. The good agreement of the present results with those given in the literature evidently points out that the ENSE can be applied to gas flows through complex microchannel geometries.     

Poloxamer and gelatin gel guided polyaniline nanofibers: synthesis and characterization

A rapid polymerization technique was successfully employed to synthesize interconnected polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers using chemical oxidative polymerization inside a soft template. The thermoreversible hydrogels of Lutrol F 127 and gelatin were used as templates where the interstices present in the hydrogel were responsible for the formation of PANI nanofibers with a diameter in the range ca 70?75 nm and ca 50?55 nm respectively and several micrometers in length. The doped emeraldine salt of PANI was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The crystallinity of as‐synthesized PANI nanofibers for both cases was verified by an X‐ray diffraction study while thermogravimetric analysis was performed to compare the relative stability of the synthesized PANI nanofibers. The electrical conductivities of polymerized PANI are of the order of 10^?3 S cm^?1 and are compared with those of template fabricated PANI. The Lutrol F 127 gel guided PANI nanofibers showed a rectifying property while the gelatin gel guided PANI provided a simple ohmic nature. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

A novel normalization technique for unsupervised learning in ANN

Unsupervised learning is used to categorize multidimensional data into a number of meaningful classes on the basis of the similarity or correlation between individual samples. In neural-network implementation of various unsupervised algorithms such as principal component analysis, competitive learning or self-organizing map, sample vectors are normalized to equal lengths so that similarity could be easily and efficiently obtained by their dot products. In general, sample vectors span the whole multidimensional feature space and existing normalization methods distort the intrinsic patterns present in the sample set. In this work, a novel method of normalization by mapping the samples to a new space of one more dimension is proposed. The original distribution of the samples in the feature space is shown to be almost preserved in the transformed space. Simple rules are given to map from original space to the normalized space and vice versa.     

Study on an advanced adsorption desalination cycle with evaporator–condenser heat recovery circuit

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the efficacy of a silica gel–water based advanced adsorption desalination (AD) cycle with internal heat recovery between the condenser and the evaporator. A mathematical model of the AD cycle was developed and the performance data were compared with the experimental results. The advanced AD cycle is able to produce the specific daily water production (SDWP) of 9.24 m³/tonne of silica gel per day at 70 °C hot water inlet temperature while the corresponding performance ratio (PR) is comparatively high at 0.77. It is found that the cycle can be operational at 50 °C hot water temperature with SDWP 4.3. The SDWP of the advanced cycle is almost twice that of the conventional AD cycle.     

Coal blend moisture—a boon or bane in cokemaking?

A by-product coke making plant is required to supply sufficient coke of good quality and adequate gas of high calorific value for the integrated steel plant to be a going concern. The one element that influences the handling of coal and impacts the operation and efficiency of the plant is moisture. Compared to other important properties of the coal blend, moisture can be easily manipulated. The coal moisture can be increased simply by adding water through hose pipes. Also, it can be reduced to 5–6 mass percent using Coal Moisture Control (CMC) and 2–4 mass percent using Dry-cleaned & Agglomerated Pre-compaction System (DAPS). Moisture content is one among the many variables affecting the bulk density of coal blend and those controlling the coke qualities and yield. Increase in moisture reduces coal grindability, coking pressure and internal gas pressure; helps in dust suppression during charging and hence reduces jamming of ascension pipes and hydraulic main. Batteries charging coals with high moisture content are not troubled with roof carbon deposits. It was observed that when moisture content in coal blend of SAIL-Bokaro Steel Plant increased to more than 8.50%, the calorific value of coke oven gas improved. In the working moisture range of 9–11%, the increase of the yield of coke oven gas per 1% of working moisture is 5.2 m³. Studies have shown, however, that the increase in moisture content of coal beyond 8% hampers strong coke formation. Pre-carbonization preheating process generally showed an increase in the proportion of 40–80 mm coke, compared with wet charges. For SAILBokaro coke ovens, driving out 1% moisture from coal blend requires 125 Mega-calories of heat/oven. With lesser moisture, the emission of NO _x in atmosphere will also be low. On using dry to low moisture coal blend, the swelling of coke mass increases leading to difficulty in oven pushings. Hence, an optimum level of moisture content of charge coal needs to be maintained for improving coke oven productivity, coke quality and operational smoothness. The coke oven managers all around the globe maintain this optimum level according to their requirement, the operating conditions, the quality of product and by products, the oven health & age and the ease of handling.     

Study of metal poisoning in natural rubber–based tire‐tread compound

In the present study the effect of metal poisoning was studied in a natural rubber (NR)–based tire‐tread compound. The experimental compound contained 1000 ppm copper metal as an additional ingredient. A detailed study was carried out and the results of the experimental compound were compared against a control compound having no metal ion. The effect of metal poisoning was not significant in the case of the green experimental compound, even after prolonged storage of 150 days. However, the cured experimental compound deteriorated substantially after ageing in aerobic‐, anaerobic‐, oil‐, and outdoor‐ageing conditions. The ozone resistance property of the experimental compound also proved to be inferior. The degradation kinetic of metal poisoning was found to be a first‐order reaction and the service life (as expressed by the half‐life period) was drastically reduced for the poisoned compound. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1492–1499, 2005     

Vitiligo, psoralen, and melanogenesis: some observations and understanding

Since the etiology of vitiligo is still unknown, we searched for some abnormal biochemical parameters, if any, in subjects with vitiligo. Higher urinary excretion of indole metabolites in vitiliginous patients have been noted, in association with higher dioxygenase, superoxide dismutase, and tyrosine aminotransferase activity in their serum. Similar results have also been found in an animal model, Bufo melanostictus, during induced tyrosinase inhibition. Treatment with psoralen can reverse the parameters, except tyrosine aminotransferase, to a normal level. Although psoralens are not the magic bullet for the therapy of vitiligo, they are still being used as a chemotherapeutic agent against vitiligo on a major scale to date. Tryptophan was found to participate in the pathway of melanogenesis, as a precursor as well as a positive regulator of tyrosinase. Its behavior in this regard is much more similar to the conventional substrates tyrosine and dopa (dihydroxyphenylalanine). In consideration of combined participation of tyrosine and tryptophan in the synthesis of melanin and its breakdown, the possible influence of different enzymatic reactions, like mono-oxygenase, dioxygenase, and deamination, has been suggested.     

Detection of cross-reactive antigens shared by Fusarium oxysporum and Glycine max by indirect ELISA and their cellular location in root tissues

Pathogenicity test of Fusarium oxysporum on ten cultivars of soybean revealed Soymax and Punjab-1 to be most resistant while JS-2 and UPSM-19 were most susceptible. Antigens were prepared from the roots of all the ten varieties of soybean and the mycelium of F. oxysporum. Polyclonal antisera were raised against the mycelial suspension of F. oxysporum and the root antigen of the susceptible cultivar UPSM-19. Cross reactive antigens shared by the host and the pathogen were detected first by immunodiffusion. The immunoglobulin fraction of the antiserum was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography. The immunoglobulin fractions were used for detection of cross-reactive antigens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, antigens of susceptible cultivars showed higher absorbance values when tested against the purified anti-F. oxysporum antiserum. Antiserum produced against UPSM-19 showed cross-reactivity with the antigens of other cultivars. Indirect staining of antibodies using fluorescein isothiocyanate indicated that in cross-sections of roots of susceptible cultivar (UPSM-19) cross-reactive antigens were concentrated around xylem elements, endodermis and epidermal cells, while in the resistant variety, fluorescence was concentrated mainly around epidermal cells and distributed in the cortical tissues. CRAs were also present in microconidia, macroconidia and chlamydospores of the fungus.