Quantitative Methods for Design-Build Team Selection

The use of design/build (DB) contracting by transportation agencies has been steadily increasing as a project delivery system for large complex highway projects. However, moving to DB from traditional design-bid-build procurement can be a challenge. One significant barrier is gaining acceptance of a best-value selection process in which technical aspects of a proposal are considered separately and then combined with price to determine the winning proposal. These technical aspects mostly consist of qualitative criteria, thus making room for human errors or biases. Any perceived presence of bias or influence in the selection process can lead to public mistrust and protests by bidders. It is important that a rigorous quantitative mathematical analysis of the evaluation process be conducted to determine whether bias exists and to eliminate it. The paper discusses two potential sources of bias—evaluators and weighting model—in the DB selection process and presents mathematical models to detect and remove biases should they exist. A score normalization model deals with biases from the evaluators; then a graphical weight-space volume model and a Monte Carlo statistical sampling model are developed to remove biases from the weighting model. The models are then tested and demonstrated using results from the DB bridge replacement project for the collapsed Mississippi River bridge of Interstate 35W in Minneapolis.     

Bioimaging of metals by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS)

The distribution analysis of (essential, beneficial, or toxic) metals (e.g., Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb, and others), metalloids, and non‐metals in biological tissues is of key interest in life science. Over the past few years, the development and application of several imaging mass spectrometric techniques has been rapidly growing in biology and medicine. Especially, in brain research metalloproteins are in the focus of targeted therapy approaches of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, or stroke, or tumor growth. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) using double‐focusing sector field (LA‐ICP‐SFMS) or quadrupole‐based mass spectrometers (LA‐ICP‐QMS) has been successfully applied as a powerful imaging (mapping) technique to produce quantitative images of detailed regionally specific element distributions in thin tissue sections of human or rodent brain. Imaging LA‐ICP‐QMS was also applied to investigate metal distributions in plant and animal sections to study, for example, the uptake and transport of nutrient and toxic elements or environmental contamination. The combination of imaging LA‐ICP‐MS of metals with proteomic studies using biomolecular mass spectrometry identifies metal‐containing proteins and also phosphoproteins. Metal‐containing proteins were imaged in a two‐dimensional gel after electrophoretic separation of proteins (SDS or Blue Native PAGE). Recent progress in LA‐ICP‐MS imaging as a stand‐alone technique and in combination with MALDI/ESI‐MS for selected life science applications is summarized. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 29:156–175, 2010     

Synthese von aliphatischen Aldehyden aus Alkanen und Kohlendioxid: Valeraldehyd aus Butan und CO2 – Machbarkeit und Grenzen

During the last decades, the engineering of chemical processes has focused more and more on energy efficiency and reduction of climate‐changing emissions. Regarding the synthesis of aldehydes, the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins, using visible (sun) light, and the subsequent hydroformylation of such olefins with CO₂ seem to be capable to achieve both targets. This work deals mainly with catalyst concepts for both reaction steps. Here, kinetic studies of the photocatalytic alkane dehydrogenation are presented, and the feasibility of hydroformylation using CO₂ is described in a continuous gas phase reaction. The problems that have to be solved befoe the technical application are discussed and an economic and ecological evaluation for both processes is carried out.     

Wear–Corrosion Resistance of DLC/CoCrMo System for Medical Implants with Different Surface Finishing

The field of medical implants in the human body is a growing area with diverse tribological aspects. This application field has its own specific characteristics, dominated by stringent quality requirements due to the human suffering and sometimes life-threatening consequences of a surface failing to fulfil its required function. Combined wear–corrosion tests could provide more complete information about the implant behaviour in the aggressive body environment than separate wear and corrosion testing. Combined wear–corrosion experiments were performed using a reciprocating ball-on-plate apparatus equipped with an electrochemical cell. Untreated CoCrMo alloy samples as well as diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated samples were used as plate. The DLC coatings were tested with three different surface finishes: as-deposited, polished with diamond and brushed. All DLC coated samples with and without mechanical finishing had lower corrosion activity under wear–corrosion conditions and also smaller wear tracks when compared with the CoCrMo alloy. The current density for the coated alloy was about two orders of magnitude lower on average (10^?5 vs. 10^?3 A cm^?2) and had a final coefficient of friction of only 50% of the uncoated metal (0.15 vs. 0.3). The brushed DLC showed the lowest current density and its behaviour was better than polished DLC and DLC as-deposited up to a potential of +0.93 V.     

Effects of micro-stresses from machining and shot-peening processes on fatigue life

An investigation of the effects of tensile machining and compressive shot-peening residual stresses on fatigue life is presented. The paper is focused on fatigue life modelling using the finite element method (FEM). A representative broached notched specimen under three-point bending is modelled as a 2D plane stress geometry using the FEM. Inconel 718 mechanical and fatigue material properties at 600°C are used. Machining and shot-peening residual stresses are mapped to the macro FE models using mathematical algorithms around the notched area of the specimen and their influence on the fatigue life experiencing high cycle fatigue (HCF) and low cycle fatigue (LCF) is investigated. The results show that the compressive shot-peening residual stresses significantly increase the life at HCF compared to the LCF.     

Quasi-stationary plane-wave optical pulses and the van Cittert-Zernike theorem in time

We study the properties of quasi-stationary, partially coherent, plane-wave optical pulses in the space-time and space-frequency domains. A generalized van Cittert-Zernike theorem in time is derived to describe the propagation of the coherence function of quasi-stationary pulses. The theory is applied to rectangular pulses chopped from a stationary light source, and the evolution characteristics of such pulse trains with different states of coherence are discussed and illustrated with numerical examples.     

The effect of hyperbranched polymers on processing and thermal stability of biodegradable polyesters

Nanomodification of poly‐hydroxy‐butyrate (PHB), with hyperbranched polymers (HBP), was studied. Solid‐hyperbranched polyesters of different generations were incorporated into a biobased and biodegradable, thermoplastic, polyester. Thermal, rheological, and molecular weight measurements had indicated that due to the interactions between the hydroxyl groups and the polar esters in PHB, the rate of recrystallization was significantly increased. Furthermore, the degree of crystallinity and nonisothermal crystallization temperature were also increased. Molecular weight measurements did not indicate a reduction or retention when HBPs were incorporated. These results are of great significance for the processing of biodegradable polymers and specifically for PHB, where improved processability and enhanced crystallization are of importance. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

风电机组振动监测系统对齿轮箱故障的检测与诊断

着重介绍了本特利内华达ADAPT.wind风电机组在线状态监测系统边带能量率的算法原理,并以在风电机组齿轮箱故障诊断中的应用实例,充分说明其对风电场运营业主提高风电机组管理水平和运营效率的有效性。     

Magnetically triggered clustering of biotinylated iron oxide nanoparticles in the presence of streptavidinylated enzymes

This work deals with the production and characterization of water-compatible, iron oxide based nanoparticles covered with functional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-biotin surface groups (SPIO-PEG-biotin). Synthesis of the functionalized colloids occurred by incubating the oleate coated particles used as precursor magnetic fluid with anionic liposomes containing 14?mol% of a phospholipid-PEG-biotin conjugate. The latter was prepared by coupling dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DC(14:0)PE) to activated α-biotinylamido-ω -N-hydroxy-succinimidcarbonyl-PEG (NHS-PEG-biotin). Physical characterization of the oleate and PEG-biotin iron oxide nanocolloids revealed that they appear as colloidal stable clusters with a hydrodynamic diameter of 160?nm and zeta potentials of -?39?mV (oleate coated particles) and -?14?mV (PEG-biotin covered particles), respectively, as measured by light scattering techniques. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements revealed specific saturation magnetizations of 62-73?emu?g(-1) Fe(3)O(4) and no hysteresis was observed at 300?K. MR relaxometry at 3?T revealed very high r(2) relaxivities and moderately high r(1) values. Thus, both nanocolloids can be classified as small, superparamagnetic, negative MR contrast agents. The capacity to functionalize the particles was illustrated by binding streptavidin alkaline phosphatase (SAP). It was found, however, that these complexes become highly aggregated after capturing them on the magnetic filter device during high-gradient magnetophoresis, thereby reducing the accessibility of the SAP.