Model for self-polarization and motility of keratocyte fragments

Computational modelling of cell motility on substrates is a formidable challenge; regulatory pathways are intertwined and forces that influence cell motion are not fully quantified. Additional challenges arise from the need to describe a moving deformable cell boundary. Here, we present a simple mathematical model coupling cell shape dynamics, treated by the phase-field approach, to a vector field describing the mean orientation (polarization) of the actin filament network. The model successfully reproduces the primary phenomenology of cell motility: discontinuous onset of motion, diversity of cell shapes and shape oscillations. The results are in qualitative agreement with recent experiments on motility of keratocyte cells and cell fragments. The asymmetry of the shapes is captured to a large extent in this simple model, which may prove useful for the interpretation of experiments.     

Effect of carboxyl graphene nanofluid on automobile radiator performance

Nanofluid is a promising solution for the improvement of the radiator performance. In the current research work, the effect of the nanofluid carboxyl graphene on the performance of a radiator is studied. Carboxyl graphene nanoplatelets are added to 50:50 ethylene glycol–distilled water at three concentrations of 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 vol%. The liquid flow rate is varied from 3 liters per minute (LPM) to 6 LPM, and the inlet liquid to the radiator has been maintained at constant temperatures of 40 °C and 50 °C. The inlet air Reynolds number is varied between 1200 and 2500. The effects of these on performance parameters such as Nusselt number, effectiveness, and friction factor are investigated. It is observed that addition of carboxyl graphene nanoplatelets increases the Nusselt number and effectiveness of radiator while friction factor is unaltered. The effectiveness of radiator increases by 27.38% and 23.41% for inlet temperatures of 40 °C and 50 °C respectively at 0.02 vol% and 5 LPM flow rate.     

Formation of Nondendritic Primary Aluminum Phase in Hypoeutectic Alloys in Controlled Diffusion Solidification (CDS): A Hypothesis

Controlled diffusion solidification (CDS) is a novel process wherein specific Al alloys can be cast by mixing two precursor alloys of specific compositions and temperature and subsequently casting the resultant mixture. This process enables a nondendritic morphology of the primary Al phase in the cast samples, which is beneficial in mitigating hot tearing tendencies and enabling castability of dilute Al (wrought) alloys to obtain castings with superior mechanical and performance properties. In this study, a hypothesis is proposed to describe the mechanism of the CDS process, specifically the processes of mixing two precursor alloys and a subsequent solidification process. Al – 4.5 wt pct Cu was used as an example alloy system to propose a hypothesis and to verify the various features in the mechanism of mixing two alloys. Experimental results show that the mixing process naturally causes copious nucleation of one of the alloys mixed and that the turbulence energy during mixing distributes these nuclei uniformly to enable a favorable solidification condition for a nondendritic cast microstructure. It is critical that the alloy with the higher thermal mass (mass and temperature) is mixed into the alloy with lower thermal mass to obtain a valid CDS process and that the reverse will not yield a favorable homogeneous cast sample. Certain critical parameters during the CDS process have also been identified and quantified for a favorable microstructure of the casting.     

Sensitivity of Thermophysical Material Properties on Solidification Simulation of Al-Si Binary Alloys

The challenges in the numerical simulation of the solidification of binary alloys are not only in the complexity of the algorithms themselves, but also in the validity of the data used to define the material properties of the various phases to obtain a valid simulation. The effect of material properties on the numerical simulations was investigated in the present study wherein the Al-3 wt pct Si hypoeutectic binary alloy was solidified such that the solidification front traveled against the gravity vector (upward solidification). Numerical simulations were carried out with a new algorithm that was developed to include the effect of undercooling of the liquid temperature prior to the solidification event. The effect of specific heat of solid, density of solid, solute diffusivity coefficient of liquid, and thermal conductivity of solid on transient temperature distribution and solidification start time at mushy zone/liquid interface was investigated. It was found that specific heat and thermal conductivity of the solid could not be assumed as constants, whereas most properties in the liquid phase could be assumed as constants for the temperature range used in the study and the experiments used for validation (low initial melt superheat temperature). These properties were enumerated and quantified. The results of the numerical simulations using the optimum set of material properties were validated by experiments.     

Micromechanisms of damage nucleation during contact deformation of columnar multilayer nitride coatings

In order to resolve some missing micromechanistic details regarding contact deformation in nitride multilayer coatings we report here observations from cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and focused ion beam studies of the Vickers indentations on TiN/TiAlN multilayer films of various total thicknesses as well as bilayer periods. The study of damage induced by contact deformation in a nitride multilayer coating is complemented by stress calculated using an analytical model. Kinked boundaries of sliding columns give rise to cracks which propagate at an angle to the indentation axis under a combination of compressive and shear stresses. It is seen that multilayers provide more distributed columnar sliding, thereby reducing the stress intensity factor for shear cracking, while interfacial dislocations provide a stress relief mechanism by enabling lateral movement of material.     

Productivity Modeling of Group Machine Loading with Variable Processing Times

This paper describes a procedure for optimizing the Tota Productivity (TP) in a manufacturing process under a Group Technology production environment. This is achieved by inputting the optimal values of the cutting parameters (such as speed, feed, and depth of cut under different manufacturing process conditions) into a fractional programming model, which will then compute the optimal total productivity values for such cutting parameter values.

The application of this procedure offers greater flexibility to take advantage of the Group Technology concept by allowing management to consider optimal combinations of cutting parameters for the optimum use of resources.     

Endothelial cell culture model for replication of physiological profiles of pressure, flow, stretch, and shear stress in vitro

The phenotype and function of vascular cells in vivo are influenced by complex mechanical signals generated by pulsatile hemodynamic loading. Physiologically relevant in vitro studies of vascular cells therefore require realistic environments where in vivo mechanical loading conditions can be accurately reproduced. To accomplish a realistic in vivo-like loading environment, we designed and fabricated an Endothelial Cell Culture Model (ECCM) to generate physiological pressure, stretch, and shear stress profiles associated with normal and pathological cardiac flow states. Cells within this system were cultured on a stretchable, thin (～500 μm) planar membrane within a rectangular flow channel and subject to constant fluid flow. Under pressure, the thin planar membrane assumed a concave shape, representing a segment of the blood vessel wall. Pulsatility was introduced using a programmable pneumatically controlled collapsible chamber. Human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) were cultured within this system under normal conditions and compared to HAECs cultured under static and "flow only" (13 dyn/cm(2)) control conditions using microscopy. Cells cultured within the ECCM were larger than both controls and assumed an ellipsoidal shape. In contrast to static control control cells, ECCM-cultured cells exhibited alignment of cytoskeletal actin filaments and high and continuous expression levels of β-catenin indicating an in vivo-like phenotype. In conclusion, design, fabrication, testing, and validation of the ECCM for culture of ECs under realistic pressure, flow, strain, and shear loading seen in normal and pathological conditions was accomplished. The ECCM therefore is an enabling technology that allows for study of ECs under physiologically relevant biomechanical loading conditions in vitro.