GRINDING WHEEL CONDITION MONITORING WITH HIDDEN MARKOV MODEL-BASED CLUSTERING METHODS

Hidden Markov model (HMM) is well known for sequence modeling and has been used for condition monitoring. However, HMM-based clustering methods are developed only recently. This article proposes a HMM-based clustering method for monitoring the condition of grinding wheel used in grinding operations. The proposed method first extract features from signals based on discrete wavelet decomposition using a moving window approach. It then generates a distance (dissimilarity) matrix using HMM. Based on this distance matrix several hierarchical and partitioning-based clustering algorithms are applied to obtain clustering results. The proposed methodology was tested with feature sequences extracted from acoustic emission signals. The results show that clustering accuracy is dependent upon cutting condition. Higher material removal rate seems to produce more discriminatory signals/features than lower material removal rate. The effect of window size, wavelet decomposition level, wavelet basis, clustering algorithm, and data normalization were also studied.     

Improving repeatability of coordinate measuring machines with shaped command signals

Performance of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) is adversely effected by structural vibrations. The effect of input shaping, a method of reducing residual vibration, on the quality of CMM measurements has been investigated. Measurements of a CMM show a reduction of structural deflection when input shaping is used. Additional tests indicate that input shaping improves measurement repeatability over a large range of operating parameters.     

Two‐Step Targeted Hybrid Nanoconstructs Increase Brain Penetration and Efficacy of the Therapeutic Antibody Trastuzumab against Brain Metastasis of HER2‐Positive Breast Cancer

Therapeutic antibodies (e.g., trastuzumab, TRA) against human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐positive breast cancers have shown benefits in controlling primary tumors, yet are ineffective against brain metastases due to their inability to cross the blood‐brain barrier (BBB). A novel hybrid nanoconstruct system is designed to deliver trastuzumab to brain metastasis of HER2‐positive breast cancer via a two‐step sequential targeting approach. Self‐assembly of a polysorbate 80 (PS 80)‐containing polymer, lipid, and polymer‐conjugated TRA forms hybrid nanoconstructs (TRA–terpolymer nanoparticles (TPN)) with high encapsulation efficiency and bioactivity. The PS 80 moiety enables the first‐step targeting and receptor‐mediated trancytosis across BBB is demonstrated in vitro with a 3D human BBB model in healthy and brain tumor‐bearing mice. The subsequent partial dissociation of the nanoconstructs exposes the encapsulated TRA for the second‐step targeting to HER2‐positive cancer cells in the brain. Intravenously injected TRA–TPN delivers 50‐fold TRA compared to free TRA to the brain metastasis of HER2‐positive breast cancer. Treatment with TRA–TPN increases tumor cell apoptosis by 4‐fold, inhibits tumor growth by 43‐fold, and prolongs median survival by >1.3‐fold compared to free TRA, without causing noticeable organ toxicity. These findings suggest the two‐step targeted nanoconstruct system is promising for shuttling therapeutic antibodies to treat central nervous system diseases.     

Estimating oxygen distribution from vasculature in three-dimensional tumour tissue

Regions of tissue which are well oxygenated respond better to radiotherapy than hypoxic regions by up to a factor of three. If these volumes could be accurately estimated, then it might be possible to selectively boost dose to radio-resistant regions, a concept known as dose-painting. While imaging modalities such as ¹⁸F-fluoromisonidazole positron emission tomography (PET) allow identification of hypoxic regions, they are intrinsically limited by the physics of such systems to the millimetre domain, whereas tumour oxygenation is known to vary over a micrometre scale. Mathematical modelling of microscopic tumour oxygen distribution therefore has the potential to complement and enhance macroscopic information derived from PET. In this work, we develop a general method of estimating oxygen distribution in three dimensions from a source vessel map. The method is applied analytically to line sources and quasi-linear idealized line source maps, and also applied to full three-dimensional vessel distributions through a kernel method and compared with oxygen distribution in tumour sections. The model outlined is flexible and stable, and can readily be applied to estimating likely microscopic oxygen distribution from any source geometry. We also investigate the problem of reconstructing three-dimensional oxygen maps from histological and confocal two-dimensional sections, concluding that two-dimensional histological sections are generally inadequate representations of the three-dimensional oxygen distribution.     

Influence of Martensitic Structure and Carbide Precipitation Behavior on Mechanical Properties of 25CrMoNbB Alloy Steels with Mo Contents of 0.25 and 0.5 Pct

In this article, the effects of Mo contents of 0.25 and 0.50 pct on the martensitic structure and carbide precipitation behavior of the experimental steels were investigated and their effects on strength, toughness, and fatigue strength were studied. The results showed that the martensitic blocks and laths were refined and the dislocation density increased with the addition of Mo contents of 0.25 and 0.50 pct. Meanwhile, the amount of carbides increased and the size of carbides decreased in tempered steels. The refinement of carbides is due to the increment of nucleation sites resulting from martensitic structure refinement and the dislocation density increment. Besides, the improvement of thermal stability of M₂₃C₆ carbides enriched with Mo also contributes to carbide refinement. With the addition of 0.50 pct Mo, the strength was improved and the toughness did not deteriorate compared with the steel 0.25 pct Mo. Meanwhile, the fatigue strength was also significantly improved with the addition of 0.50 pct Mo.

     

An Introduction and Welcome for Jim Bieman,the New Editor-in-Chief of the Software Quality Journal

Software Quality Journal -     

Delay discounting in current and former marijuana-dependent individuals.

Studies have found that a variety of drug-dependent groups discount delayed rewards more than matched controls. This study compared delay discounting for a hypothetical $1,000 reward among dependent marijuana users, former dependent marijuana users, and matched controls. Discounting of marijuana was also assessed in the currently marijuana-dependent group. No significant differences in discounting were detected among the groups; however, currently dependent users showed a trend to discount money more than the other 2 groups. Within the dependent marijuana group, marijuana was discounted more than money, and discounting for money and marijuana was significantly and positively correlated. Regression analyses indicated that delay discounting was more closely associated with tobacco use than marijuana use. A variety of questionnaires were also administered, including impulsivity questionnaires. Dependent marijuana users scored as significantly more impulsive on the Impulsiveness subscale of the Eysenck Impulsiveness–Venturesomeness–Empathy questionnaire than controls. However, the 3 groups did not significantly differ on several other personality questionnaires, including the Barratt Impulsivity Scale—11. The Stanford Time Perception Inventory Present–Fatalistic subscale was positively correlated with money and marijuana discounting, indicating that a greater sense of powerlessness over the future is related to greater delay discounting. Results suggest that current marijuana dependence may be associated with a trend toward increased delay discounting, but this effect size appears to be smaller for marijuana than for previously examined drugs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A review of physical and mechanical properties of titanium beryllides with specific modern application of TiBe12

Titanium beryllide with the composition TiBe₁₂ has been identified as a potential alternative to beryllium metal for neutron multiplier applications in nuclear fusion reactors such as ITER and DEMO. TiBe₁₂ stands out from other beryllides for fusion because it has the highest neutron-multiplication characteristic, with the added benefit of higher temperature performance capability compared to beryllium metal. To date, little information has been available on the physical and mechanical properties of TiBe₁₂ despite an extensive R&D effort to characterize many beryllide intermetallic compounds in the U.S. from 1956 to 1970. This paper compiles data pertaining to TiBe₁₂ which are taken from several reports written during the referenced time period. This important historical work, which until now has only existed in hard copy reports in private technical libraries, is summarized for current relevance and subsequently, made available in electronic format as a technical reference and basis for planning future work.