Discrete element modeling of the transient heat transfer and toner fusing process in the Xerographic printing of coated papers

In this study, a computer model based on discrete element method is employed to simulate the unsteady state heat transfer from the fuser roll to the toner and coating layer during the Xerography printing of coated papers. The model coating layers consisted of randomly arranged spherical pigment and latex particles with commercially relevant size distributions. Effects of coating characteristics, toner size, multiple toner layers, toner melting energy, toner thermal conductivity, coating layer thermal conductivity, and fuser roll temperature and pressure were investigated. Iso-thermal contours of fusing time were generated to demonstrate the relative importance of different fusing conditions and toner properties. Simulation results showed that temperature variation highly depended on the toner size, toner melting energy and the fuser roll temperature. Moreover, simultaneous coupling of the compressive stress and heat transfer indicated that the pressure exerted by the fuser roll did not significantly affect the rate of heat transfer.     

Analysis of antibiotic resistance patterns and detection of mecA gene in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from packaged hamburger

Presence of Staphylococcus aureus, antibiotic resistance pattern and PCR detection of mecA gene in isolated strains were investigated in total of 256 packaged hamburgers in Iran-Tehran. For this purpose we used standard disk-diffusion method and sensitive and specific PCR technique, respectively. Results showed that 25% of samples were positive for S. aureus. Resistance to meticillin, erythromycin, penicillin G, cefazolin, ciprofloxasin, vacomycin and amoxiclave was determined 89%, 20.3%, 18.7%, 15.6%, 14%, 26.6% and 12.5%, respectively. According to the obtained results from PCR analysis of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), mecA gene was present in 100% of the resistant isolates, 0% of intermediate-resistance isolates and 25% of susceptible isolates. The results obtained from PCR detection of mecA gene showed high correlation with standard disk diffusion test.     

Hierarchical analysis and multi-scale modelling of rat cortical and trabecular bone

The aim of this study was to explore the hierarchical arrangement of structural properties in cortical and trabecular bone and to determine a mathematical model that accurately predicts the tissue''s mechanical properties as a function of these indices. By using a variety of analytical techniques, we were able to characterize the structural and compositional properties of cortical and trabecular bones, as well as to determine the suitable mathematical model to predict the tissue''s mechanical properties using a continuum micromechanics approach. Our hierarchical analysis demonstrated that the differences between cortical and trabecular bone reside mainly at the micro- and ultrastructural levels. By gaining a better appreciation of the similarities and differences between the two bone types, we would be able to provide a better assessment and understanding of their individual roles, as well as their contribution to bone health overall.     

A cost-effective approach to generate accurate correlations via analyzing a minimum number of data points; Case study on the convection heat transfer problem

It is very common in the heat transfer area to analyze and design heat equipment using the past available heat correlations. Basically, demanding higher-accuracy correlations enforces the heat laboratories to test and collect larger banks of laboratory data. However, this conversely affects the laboratory cost. Therefore, it becomes challenging to create new approaches that let the correlation developers use smaller experimental datasets and provide correlations with sufficient accuracies. To surmount this challenge, the present work develops a new approach that benefits from the computational fluid dynamics method as a reliable and cheap tool and adequately enriches the original, insufficient dataset. Then, suitable enhanced correlations are developed using the new enriched experimental-numerical-based dataset. In parallel, the artificial neural network (ANN) is used to enrich the original insufficient dataset separately. Using this experimental-ANN-based dataset, it provides a totally ANN-based correlation. It is shown that the results of enhanced correlations are as accurate as those of the ANN-based correlation. However, the point is that the use of the present approach is about 100 times faster than using the ANN. The typical forced convection heat transfer through a pipe is examined here to show the capabilities of the current approach.     

Numerical simulation of the wall shear stress distribution in a carotid artery bifurcation

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - The effect of stenosis for a carotid artery bifurcation with elastic and rigid walls is investigated numerically. In the present study, the blood flow...     

Parrot Beak-Inspired Metamaterials with Friction and Interlocking Mechanisms 3D/4D Printed in Micro and Macro Scales for Supreme Energy Absorption/Dissipation

Energy absorption and dissipation features of mechanical metamaterials have widespread applications in everyday life, ranging from absorbing shock impacts to mechanical vibrations. This article proposes novel bioinspired friction-based mechanical metamaterials with a zero Poisson's ratio behavior inspired from parrot's beaks and manufactured additively. The mechanical performances of the corresponding metamaterials are studied at both macro and micro scales by experiments and finite element analysis (FEA). An excellent agreement is observed between the FEA and both microscopic and macroscopic scale experiments, showing the accuracy of the developed digital tool. Performances are compared to traditional triangular lattice metamaterials. Both experimental tests and FEA results demonstrate the following advantages: 1) absorbing and dissipating energy per unit of mass (SEA) at large compressive strains without global buckling; 2) bistable deformation patterns including friction-based and interlocking mechanisms; 3) reversible deformation patterns after unloading; 4) shape recovery behavior after a heating–cooling process; and 5) the higher elastic modulus of micro metamaterials compared with their macro counterparts. This is the first demonstration of a bioinspired friction-based design of 3D-printed mechanical metamaterials that feature absorbing/dissipating energy, stability, and reversibility properties to cater to a wide range of sustainable meta-cylinders in micro and macro scales.     

Discovery of Potent Inhibitors of Cyclin-Dependent Kinases 7 and 9: Design,Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis and Biological Evaluation

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 7 and 9 are deregulated in various types of human cancer and are thus viewed as therapeutic targets. Accordingly, small-molecule inhibitors of both CDKs are highly sought-after. Capitalising on our previous discovery of CDKI-73, a potent CDK9 inhibitor, medicinal chemistry optimisation was pursued. A number of N-pyridinylpyrimidin-2-amines were rationally designed, chemically synthesised and biologically assessed. Among them, N-(6-(4-cyclopentylpiperazin-1-yl)pyridin-3-yl)-4-(imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-3-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine was found to be one of the most potent inhibitors of CDKs 7 and 9 as well as the most effective anti-proliferative agent towards multiple human cancer cell lines. The cellular mode of action of this compound was investigated in MV4-11 acute myeloid leukaemia cells, revealing that the compound dampened the kinase activity of cellular CDKs 7 and 9, arrested the cell cycle at sub-G1 phase and induced apoptosis.