Application of Visual Basic for Automation of LC-MS Analysis

An approach to customizing the data acquisition and interpretation process of liquid chromatography electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of compound libraries is presented. Macro programs, using Microsoft Visual Basic, were applied to allow the seamless flow of data from the sample synthesis stage through data acquisition/interpretation and reporting, with minimum user interaction. Logical functions were also incorporated into the macros to allow automated actions to be performed based on experimental results. The application of this approach as a universal method for supplementing the automation process of other instruments controlled by the Microsoft Windows PC platform is also discussed.     

A neural network meta-model of roll-drafting process

This paper presents a neural network based meta‐model of the roll‐drafting process which was elaborated on the basis of a discrete‐event simulation model presented previously. The GRNN, RBF, MLP3, and MLP4 networks were trained, tested and compared. The training set for the neural networks was obtained from the discrete event simulation model, which is characterized by a beta‐distributed velocity change point and satisfies the first and second limit schemes of the roll‐drafting process. A comparative analysis of the four different types of meta‐models led to the conclusion that the MLP4 meta‐model provides the best prediction of roll‐drafted fibrous material irregularity. Testing of the developed meta‐model has shown a high‐level coincidence between this meta‐model and the DES model of the roll‐drafting process.     

Improvement of enzyme electrocatalysis using substrate containing electroactive polymers. Towards limiting efficiencies of bioelectrocatalysis

Direct electrocatalysis by the enzymes in the absence of any freely diffusing mediators requires proper orientation of the protein macromolecule on the electrode surface. We report a conception on how to improve efficiency of bioelectrocatalysis using electroactive polymers containing analogues of the enzyme substrates (usually acting as artificial donors-acceptors). Indeed, substrate analogues having affinity to terminal redox groups of the enzymes can anchor them in an optimal orientation upon immobilization. The improvement of bioelectrocatalysis using such electroactive polymers is reported for different enzymes: hydrogenases and cellobiose dehydrogenase. Highly efficient electrocatalysis by hydrogenases was determined by thermodynamics of the catalyzed reaction confirming the direct bioelectrocatalysis. For hydrogenases immobilized over viologen substituted conducting polymers the limiting performance characteristics in bioelectrocatalysis have been achieved.     

Zeus: A system description of the two‐time winner of the collegiate SAE autodrive competition

The SAE AutoDrive Challenge is a 3‐year collegiate competition to develop a self‐driving car by 2020. The second year of the competition was held in June 2019 at MCity, a mock town built for self‐driving car testing at the University of Michigan. Teams were required to autonomously navigate a series of intersections while handling pedestrians, traffic lights, and traffic signs. Zeus is aUToronto's winning entry in the AutoDrive Challenge. This article describes the system design and development of Zeus as well as many of the lessons learned along the way. This includes details on the team's organizational structure, sensor suite, software components, and performance at the Year 2 competition. With a team of mostly undergraduates and minimal resources, aUToronto has made progress toward a functioning self‐driving vehicle, in just 2 years. This article may prove valuable to researchers looking to develop their own self‐driving platform.     

Neutronic analysis for the IFMIF target and test cell using a new CAD-based geometry model

This work presents neutronic analyses to support the IFMIF target and test cell (TTC) design in the framework of the Broader Approach activities. A very detailed Monte Carlo geometry model of IFMIF TTC based on the modular TTC concept was prepared directly from a CAD model by using the McCad conversion software which has been developed at KIT. The Monte Carlo code McDeLicious, which is an enhancement to MCNP5, was utilized and nuclear heating, displacement damage and gas production rates in the TTC vessel wall were calculated. The calculation result shows that there are two prominent peaks; downstream of the test modules due to the high energy neutron contribution for gas productions and upstream due to neutron back-streaming along the beam ducts. The result suggests it is very important in the neutronic analysis to consider the detailed configuration of TTC and test modules. The dose rate distribution during operation has been assessed for the rooms adjacent to TTC across thick surrounding walls. The necessary thickness for the shielding walls has been examined. The result demonstrates the substantial improvement in the shielding capability for the top access cell with the present TTC design.     

Influence of curing agent concentration and curing temperatures on the thermostability of styrene–acrylonitrile–acrylamide–trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate copolymer systems

Thermogravimetric (TGA) and infrared (IR) analyses were used to determine the thermal stability of a polymer system consisting of styrene–acrylonitrile–acrylamide–trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. This study indicates that increases in curing temperature and the use of two initiators with different activities decreases the percentages of unreacted monomers. This increases the thermal stability of the polymer. To prove this, dynamic and isothermal TGA were used. The change in typical functional groups found by IR spectra also confirms this observation.     

Prussian blue based nanoelectrode arrays for H(2)O(2) detection

We propose to form nanoelectrode arrays by deposition of the electrocatalyst through lyotropic liquid crystalline templates onto inert electrode support. Whereas Prussian Blue is known to be a superior electrocatalyst in hydrogen peroxide reduction, carbon materials used as electrode support demonstrate only a minor activity. We report on the possibility for nanostructuring of Prussian Blue by its electrochemical deposition through lyotropic liquid crystalline templates, which is noticed from atomic force microscopy images of the resulting surfaces. The resulting Prussian Blue based nanoelectrode arrays in flow injection analysis mode demonstrate a sub-part-per-billion detection limit (1 x 10(-)(8) M) and a linear calibration range starting exactly from the detection limit and extending over 6 orders of magnitude of H(2)O(2) concentrations (1 x 10(-)(8) to 1 x 10(-)(2) M), which are the most advantageous analytical performances in hydrogen peroxide electroanalysis.     

Influence of semicrystalline order on the second-harmonic generation efficiency in the anisotropic bands of myocytes

The influence of semicrystalline order on the second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency in the anisotropic bands of Drosophila melanogaster sarcomeres from larval and adult muscle has been investigated. Differences in the semicrystalline order were obtained by using wild-type and mutant strains containing different amounts of headless myosin. The reduction in semicrystalline order without altering the chemical composition of myofibrils was achieved by observing highly stretched sarcomeres and by inducing a loss of viability in myocytes. In all cases the reduction of semicrystalline order in anisotropic bands of myocytes resulted in a substantial decrease in SHG. Second-harmonic imaging during periodic contractions of myocytes revealed higher intensities when sarcomeres were in the relaxed state compared with the contracted state. This study demonstrates that an ordered semicrystalline arrangement of anisotropic bands plays a determining role in the efficiency of SHG in myocytes.