An Insight into Lüders Deformation Using Advanced Imaging Techniques

An investigation to explore the feasibility of simultaneous application of infrared thermography (IRT) and digital image correlation (DIC) for analysis of Lüders deformation is carried out. Physical models and proposed concepts explaining the dynamics of deformation localization associated with Lüders band phenomenon addressing band-formation mechanism, inhomogeneity in stress-strain distribution across the band front, and strain localization following band front propagation are successfully correlated with the thermal and strain evolutions obtained using IRT and DIC. The studies revealed the potential of using these techniques simultaneously in providing an enhanced understanding of micro mechanisms involved in Lüders deformation based on associated macroscopic thermal and strain evolutions in a noncontact, nondestructive manner.     

Structure analysis on Ni and V co-doped zinc oxide prepared by solid state reactions

Powder samples of ZnO co-doped with Ni and V have been grown by standard solid state reaction technique with varying concentrations 2, 4 and 6 %. The grown samples were found to be dilute magnetic in nature along with semiconducting property. The structure of the grown material was solved using powder X-ray diffraction refinements and the electronic structure of the material was determined by maximum entropy method. Magnetic properties of the samples were studied using vibrating sample magnetometry and the samples exhibited ferromagnetic characteristics at room temperature. Inductively coupled-atomic emission spectroscopy was employed to identify the elemental composition of the grown samples. Direct band gap of the material was calculated using UV–vis studies.     

Effect of cumin,cinnamon, ginger,mustard and tamarind in induced hypercholesterolemic rats

The effect of a few common spices - cumin (Cuminum cyminum), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), mustard (Brassica nigra) and tamarind (Tamarindus indica) - added to normal and hypercholesterolemia inducing diet on serum and liver cholesterol levels in rats was studied. These spices did not show any cholesterol lowering effect when included in the diet at about 5-fold the normal human intake level.     

Groundwater Modeling Under Variable Operating Conditions Using SWAT,MODFLOW and MT3DMS: a Catchment Scale Approach to Water Resources Management

This paper presents an integrated modeling approach by linking soil and water application tool (SWAT), modular finite difference groundwater flow (MODFLOW) and modular 3-dimensional multi-species transport (MT3DMS) models capable of predicting a groundwater system response, in terms of flow and salt concentrations, to current and future development conditions. SWAT, a semi-distributed hydrologic model, estimates the spatio-temporal distribution of groundwater recharge rates. These rates are then input to MODFLOW using an interface module developed that maps the HRU-based spatial resolution of SWAT outflows into the cell-based spatial structure of inputs to MODFLOW and MT3DMS. The integrated SWAT-MODFLOW-MT3DMS model is used in modeling Dehloran aquifer system located in the arid western region of Iran, experiencing changes in land-use, irrigation system and pumping locations and loads. The results illustrate the significance of the developed integrated modeling tool in quantifying the impact of changes in land and surface water resources on its subsurface water system.     

Attraction Region of Planar Linear Systems with One Unstable Pole and Saturated Feedback

The bifurcation of the attraction region for planar systems with one stable and one unstable pole under a saturated linear state feedback is considered. The attraction region can have either an unbounded hyperbolic shape or be bounded by a limit cycle. An analytical condition, under which either of these boundary shapes occurs, is given with a formal proof. This condition is based on the relationship between the stable and unstable manifolds associated with secondary saddle equilibrium points, whose presence is caused by the saturation on the input. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 34C23, 93C10, 34D99.     

Black pepper and its pungent principle-piperine: a review of diverse physiological effects

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is one of the most widely used among spices. It is valued for its distinct biting quality attributed to the alkaloid, piperine. Black pepper is used not only in human dietaries but also for a variety of other purposes such as medicinal, as a preservative, and in perfumery. Many physiological effects of black pepper, its extracts, or its major active principle, piperine, have been reported in recent decades. Dietary piperine, by favorably stimulating the digestive enzymes of pancreas, enhances the digestive capacity and significantly reduces the gastrointestinal food transit time. Piperine has been demonstrated in in vitro studies to protect against oxidative damage by inhibiting or quenching free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Black pepper or piperine treatment has also been evidenced to lower lipid peroxidation in vivo and beneficially influence cellular thiol status, antioxidant molecules and antioxidant enzymes in a number of experimental situations of oxidative stress. The most far-reaching attribute of piperine has been its inhibitory influence on enzymatic drug biotransforming reactions in the liver. It strongly inhibits hepatic and intestinal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and UDP-glucuronyl transferase. Piperine has been documented to enhance the bioavailability of a number of therapeutic drugs as well as phytochemicals by this very property. Piperine's bioavailability enhancing property is also partly attributed to increased absorption as a result of its effect on the ultrastructure of intestinal brush border. Although initially there were a few controversial reports regarding its safety as a food additive, such evidence has been questionable, and later studies have established the safety of black pepper or its active principle, piperine, in several animal studies. Piperine, while it is non-genotoxic, has in fact been found to possess anti-mutagenic and anti-tumor influences.     

Electrical discharge when machining medium-density fibreboard and tool wear

Electrical potentials between the workpiece and cutting tool have been shown to be generated when cutting green and dry wood. The voltages have been reported as relatively constant. A series of turning tests on medium-density fibreboard (MDF) were undertaken to characterize the electrical potentials in wood machining. The results indicated numerous discharges generally from the MDF-workpiece (cathode) to the tool (anode). However, both voltage and current reversals or discharges occurred from the tool to the MDF-workpiece. The reversals occurred simultaneously with electrostatic discharges within the MDF-workpiece. The possibility of an electric discharge machining effect on tool wear is also discussed. These electrical discharge characteristics from wood machining could provide insight for the wear mechanisms for dry wood and wood products as well as for other dielectric materials.     

Decision support for green supply chain operations by integrating dynamic simulation and LCA indicators: diaper case study

As the issue of environmental sustainability is becoming an important business factor, companies are now looking for decision support tools to assess the fuller picture of the environmental impacts associated with their manufacturing operations and supply chain (SC) activities. Lifecycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to measure the environmental consequences assignable to a product. However, it is usually limited to a high-level snapshot of the environmental implications over the product value chain without consideration of the dynamics arising from the multitiered structure and the interactions along the SC. This paper proposes a framework for green supply chain management by integrating a SC dynamic simulation and LCA indicators to evaluate both the economic and environmental impacts of various SC decisions such as inventories, distribution network configuration, and ordering policy. The advantages of this framework are demonstrated through an industrially motivated case study involving diaper production. Three distinct scenarios are evaluated to highlight how the proposed approach enables integrated decision support for green SC design and operation.