Synthesis of Ba2TiOSi2O7 and Ba2TiOSi1.8Ge0.2O7 ferroelectric ceramics and the structure determination by Rietveld analysis

Polycrystalline ceramic samples of pure fresnoite compound of formula Ba₂TiOSi₂O₇ and germanium (Ge⁴⁺) doped compound Ba₂TiOSi_1.8Ge_0.2O₇ have been prepared by standard solid state reaction technique using high purity oxides and carbonates. The pure compound of fresnoite was sintered at 1300 °C while the Ge⁴⁺ substituted compound was sintered into pellet form at 1180 °C. The formation of the single phase compound was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the structural parameters were refined by the Rietveld analysis. A good agreement between observed and calculated X-ray diffraction pattern was obtained from the Rietveld refinement using noncentrosymmetric space group P4bm. The bond distances along with bond angles between atoms for both the compounds as well as the position of the atoms in the unit cell were calculated which supports the structural results. The grain size of both the compounds was investigated from SEM micrographs. The results are discussed in detail.     

Chisel edge and cutting lip shape optimization for improved twist drill point design

This paper investigates the optimization of twist drill point geometries in order to minimize thrust and torque in drilling. A point geometry parameterization based on the drill grinding parameters is used to ensure manufacturability of the optimized geometry. Three commonly used drill point geometries, namely, conical, Racon^® and helical, are optimized for drilling forces while maintaining the inherent characteristics of each of the profiles. A significant reduction is shown in the drilling forces for the optimized drills. Drills with the optimized conical point profile are produced and tests run to validate the reduction in thrust and torque.     

The effects of process faults and misalignments on the cutting force system and hole quality in reaming

A chip thickness and cutting force model that considers the deflection of the tool and the regenerative effect resulting from the presence of process faults and misalignments has been developed for the reaming process. Through a series of experiments, the model has been calibrated and validated. The model predicts tool displacement, torque, thrust, X and Y forces, and the average radius of the reamed hole. The developed model is also shown to be capable of being used as a basis for the on-line detection of process faults present in the system.     

Cyclopropene fatty acids in Gnetum gnemon (L.) seeds and leaves

The seeds and leaves of Gnetum gnemon (L.), a Gymnosperm, were examined for their fatty acid composition by gas-liquid chromatography, infrared, ultraviolet and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. They were found to contain cyclopropene fatty acids (CPFA) determined as silver nitrate derivatives of their esters. ‘Keropok’, a product prepared from seeds, was also examined for its CPFA content. The values (area%) for total CPFA were 51.62, 37.87 and 46.91% of the total fatty acids in the oil of seeds, leaves and keropok, respectively. The effect of normal cooking temperatures on the retention of CPFA in these materials was also investigated.     

Vanadium in Bipolar Disorders—Reviving an Old Hypothesis

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and common chronic mental illness. The biological basis of the disease is poorly understood and its treatment is unsatisfactory. Our previous studies supported the notion that alterations in Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity were involved in the etiology of BD. As various chemical elements inhibit Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase, we determined the concentration of 26 elements in the serum of BD patients before and after treatment and in postmortem brain samples from BD patients, and compared them with matched controls. The only element that was reduced significantly in the serum following treatment was vanadium (V). Furthermore, the concentration of V was significantly lower in the pre-frontal cortex of BD patients compared with that of the controls. Intracerebroventricular administration of V in mice elicited anxiolytic and depressive activities, concomitantly inhibited brain Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity, and increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation. A hypothesis associating V with BD was set forth decades ago but eventually faded out. Our results are in accord with the hypothesis and advocate for a thorough examination of the possible involvement of chemical elements, V in particular, in BD.     

A new approach to stability analysis of variable speed machining systems

This paper presents a new method for the stability analysis of variable speed machining systems. By using spindle angular position as the independent variable, the system dynamics are modeled as a linear periodic time-varying system with fixed delay. This representation is proven much easier to analyze and to numerically simulate than the time-varying delay representation, which traditionally uses the real-time as the independent variable. With a finite difference scheme, the infinite dimensional periodic time-varying system is approximated by a finite dimensional periodic time-varying discrete system, which in turn is converted to a time-invariant system by multiplying the time-varying state transition matrix over one period of speed variation. System-relative stability becomes tractable by spectral radius analysis. This approach makes possible the quantitative characterization of system stability as a function of variable speed profiles as well as other system parameters such as stiffness and damping of the cutting process and the tool/workpiece structure. Verifications for the face milling process by numerical simulation and experiment for both constant and variable speed are given.     

Assessment the Surface Characteristics of Heat-Treated AISI 1040 Steel Using Magnetic Nondestructive Techniques

Russian Journal of Nondestructive Testing - In the manufacturing industries, heat treatment is extremely important process to achieve desirable thermo-mechanical properties of engineering materials...     

The weakest t-norm based intuitionistic fuzzy fault-tree analysis to evaluate system reliability

In this paper, a new approach of intuitionistic fuzzy fault-tree analysis is proposed to evaluate system reliability and to find the most critical system component that affects the system reliability. Here weakest t-norm based intuitionistic fuzzy fault tree analysis is presented to calculate fault interval of system components from integrating expert's knowledge and experience in terms of providing the possibility of failure of bottom events. It applies fault-tree analysis, α-cut of intuitionistic fuzzy set and T(ω) (the weakest t-norm) based arithmetic operations on triangular intuitionistic fuzzy sets to obtain fault interval and reliability interval of the system. This paper also modifies Tanaka et al.'s fuzzy fault-tree definition. In numerical verification, a malfunction of weapon system "automatic gun" is presented as a numerical example. The result of the proposed method is compared with the listing approaches of reliability analysis methods.     

Interconnection of specific nano-objects by electron beam lithography — A controllable method

We report a widely applicable and highly controlled approach, based on electron beam lithography (EBL), to interconnect single nano-objects, previously immobilized onto solid surfaces, and to investigate the transport properties at the level of single nanostructures. In particular, a three-step EBL-procedure was used for this purpose by patterning two planar contacts on the sides of an individual nano-object. To demonstrate this approach, we use two different kinds of active elements: a semiconductor nanocrystal (tetrapod) and a thin triangular gold nanoprism (NT).     

Multifactorial Approach to Biosurfactant Production by Adaptive Strain Candida tropicalis MTCC 230 in the Presence of Hydrocarbons

In this study, Candida tropicalis MTCC 230 was used to adapted in hydrocarbon along with glucose for biosurfactant production, showing diauxic growth during the production. Biosurfactant was characterized through TLC and FTIR analysis as surfactin, a lipopeptide. Process parameters were optimized one factor at a time, showing the highest emulsification index (%E₂₄) at 54 %. The production of biosurfactant was enhanced by using biostatistically based experimental design with the interactive effect of different parameters. On the basis of Placket–Burman design, four factors, hydrocarbon, ammonium chloride, microelements and temperature are found to be significant (P < 0.05) for the production of biosurfactant. A second order polynomial regression model in central composite design estimated the maximum biosurfactant production in terms of the emulsification index (%E₂₄). The optimum combination of different parameters for the biosurfactant production, obtained for hydrocarbon, ammonium chloride, microelements and temperature are 81.41 %, 1.63 (g/l), 1.69 (g/l) and 35.25 °C, respectively. The biosurfactant production was increased twofold after optimization and selection of interactive parameters by response surface methodology.