Simulations and Experiments of the Nonisothermal Forging Process of a Ti-6Al-4V Impeller

In the present study, a nonisothermal precision forging process of a Ti-6Al-4V first-stage impeller for the gas turbine engine was simulated using the finite element software. The simulation results such as load requirements, damage, velocity field, stress, strain, and temperature distributions are discussed in detail. Simulations predicted the maximum load requirement of about 80 MN. The maximum temperature loss was observed at the contour surface regions. The center and contour regions are the high-strained regions in the part. To validate the model, forging experiments mimicking simulations were performed in the α + β phases region (930 °C). The selected locations of the part were characterized for tensile properties at 27 and 200 °C, hardness, microstructure, grain size, and the amount of primary α phase based on the strain distribution results. The soundness of the forged part was verified using fluorescent penetrant test (Mil Std 2175 Grade A) and ultrasonic test (AMS 2630 class A1). From the experimental results, it was found that the variations in the hardness, tensile properties at room, and elevated temperature are not significant. The microstructure, grain size, and primary α phase content are nearly same.     

Quercetin intake,MATE1 polymorphism,and metabolic syndrome in Korean population: Hallym aging study

Food Science and Biotechnology - Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporter-1 (MATE1) is a quercetin transporter. We examined the associations of quercetin intake and polymorphism of MATE1...     

Autonomous knowledge acquisition based on artificial curiosity: Application to mobile robots in an indoor environment

This paper describes an autonomous system for knowledge acquisition based on artificial curiosity. The proposed approach allows a humanoid robot to discover, in an indoor environment, the world in which it evolves, and to learn autonomously new knowledge about it. The learning process is accomplished by observation and by interaction with a human tutor, based on a cognitive architecture with two levels. Experimental results of deployment of this system on a humanoid robot in a real office environment are provided. We show that our cognitive system allows a humanoid robot to gain increased autonomy in matters of knowledge acquisition.     

Where people live and die makes a difference: Individual and geographic disparities in well-being progression at the end of life.

Life-span psychological research has long been interested in the contextual embeddedness of individual development. To examine whether and how regional variables relate to between-person disparities in the progression of late-life well-being, we applied three-level growth curve models to 24-year longitudinal data from deceased participants of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (N = 3,427; age at death = 18 to 101 years). Results indicated steep declines in well-being with impending death, with some 8% of the between-person differences in both level and decline of well-being reflecting between-county differences. Exploratory analyses revealed that individuals living and dying in less affluent counties reported lower late-life well-being, controlling for key individual predictors, including age at death, gender, education, and household income. The regional variables examined did not directly relate to well-being change but were found to moderate (e.g., amplify) the disparities in change attributed to individual variables. Our results suggest that resource-poor counties provide relatively less fertile grounds for successful aging until the end of life and may serve to exacerbate disparities. We conclude that examinations of how individual and residential characteristics interact can further our understanding of individual psychological outcomes and suggest routes for future inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Molecular Detection of Foodborne Pathogens: A Rapid and Accurate Answer to Food Safety

Food safety is a global health concern. For the prevention and recognition of problems related to health and safety, detection of foodborne pathogen is of utmost importance at all levels of food production chain. For several decades, a lot of research has been targeted at the development of rapid methodology as reducing the time needed to complete pathogen detection tests has been the primary goal of food microbiologists. With the result, food microbiology laboratories now have a wide array of detection methods and automated technologies such as enzyme immunoassay, polymerase chain reaction, and microarrays, which can cut test times considerably. Nucleic acid amplification strategies and advances in amplicon detection methodologies have been the key factors in the progress of molecular microbiology. A comprehensive literature survey has been carried out to give an overview in the field of foodborne pathogen detection. In this paper, we describe the conventional methods, as well as recent developments in food pathogen detection, identification, and quantification, with a major emphasis on molecular detection methods.     

A Comparative Study: Degradation of 2,5-Dichlorophenol in Wastewater and Distilled Water by Ozone and Ozone-UV

The effectiveness of ozone and ozone-UV processes on effluents containing chlorophenol was evaluated. Experiments were performed using 3.06 mM of 2,5-dichlorophenol in distilled water and wastewater at pH 7 with ozone dose of 37 mg/L. An ozone dose of 1.2 g/h was effective in completely degrading 2,5-dichlorophenol and reducing the toxicity of its by-products. Overall, ozone-UV process was more effective in the oxidation of 2,5-DCP. Ozone-UV treatment of wastewater showed the highest mineralization (53%), dechlorination (100%), COD removal (75%), and biodegradability (BOD₅/COD = 0.85). The organic/inorganic matters in wastewater seem to have a positive effect on the oxidation of 2,5-DCP and supports the use of ozone and ozone-UV processes for industrial effluent treatment.     

Evaluation of the in vitro biocompatibility of PMMA/high-load HA/carbon nanostructures bone cement formulations

Although commercially-available poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement is widely used in total joint replacements, it has many shortcomings, a major one being that it does not osseointegrate with the contiguous structures. We report on the in vitro evaluation of the biocompatibility of modified formulations of the cement in which a high loading of hydroxyapatite (67 wt/wt%), an extra amount of benzoyl peroxide, and either 0.1 wt/wt% functionalized carbon nanotubes or 0.5 wt/wt% graphene oxide was added to the cement powder and an extra amount of dimethyl-p-toluidiene was added to the cement’s liquid monomer. This evaluation was done using mouse L929 fibroblasts and human Saos-2 osteoblasts. For each combination of cement formulation and cell type, there was high cell viability, low apoptosis, and extensive spread on disc surfaces. Thus, these two cement formulations may have potential for use in the clinical setting.