Using fractal structure to describe nickel crystal morphology

The morphology of nickel crystals can be quantified using measurements of fractal structure. In the study described in this article, fractal dimensions of cross sections of 16 nickel samples were determined, and the numerical analysis indicates that the more rugged surfaces are characterized by higher fractal dimensions although the relationship between morphology and fractal dimension is relatively weak. However, the data also show that fractal dimension is a better predictor of morphology than apparent density, which is the measurement currently used. The nickel samples were also subjected to an avalanching disc technique that has the potential to separate out the differences in flow in the different types of nickel powder. The differences in flow between powders were ascribed to the similar gross morphologies of the particles, and the presence of shattered individual particles in the mix. For more information, contact A.E. Lewis, University of Cape Town, Precipitation and Crystallisation Research Facility, Department of Chemical Engineering, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa; +27-21-650-4091; fax +27-21-689-7479; e-mail alison@chemeng.uct.ac.za.     

An application of expert systems techniques to the on-line control and fault diagnosis of a mixing process

An application of expert hierarchical control is described in this paper. The control is implemented in a two-level configuration, where the lower layer performs direct regulation control and the upper layer performs supervisory functions. In the regulation layer, a rule-based controller performs the regulation task, where the controller is constructed upon causal relations between subsystems. The control action is inferred from the measurement of both controlled and noncontrolled variables. In the supervisory layer, the main function is a fault diagnosis system which diagnoses faults on-line. The diagnosis is based upon reasoning from the structure of the system and the functions of its components, and efficient diagnosis is achieved by dividing the system into several subsystems. The overall technique has been successfully implemented on a pilot scale mixing process under on-line computer control.     

Reliability evaluation and optimisation of imperfect inspections for a component with multi-defects

In this paper, a model is developed to evaluate the reliability and optimise the inspection schedule for a multi-defect component. The model uses a non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) method in conjunction with a delay time approach. The inspections are designed to detect any defects in the component, however it can be imperfect. The defect is a definable state before a functional failure happens to the component. Occurrences of defects are assumed to follow an NHPP and a defect will be minimally repaired if it is identified during an inspection. It is shown that the failures occurring in an interval of inspection will also follow an NHPP. The situation of imperfect inspections and non-constant inspection intervals are considered. An algorithm is presented to optimise the intervals of inspections in order to maximise the reliability of the component, and the properties of the algorithm are shown. A numerical example with parametric study is given to show the performance of the model and the algorithm.     

Pronoun resolution without pronouns: some consequences of memory-based text processing

A memory-based processing approach to discourse comprehension emphasizes the rapid deployment of information in memory to facilitate understanding of the text that is currently being read. S. B. Greene, R. J. Gerrig, G. McKoon, and R. Ratcliff (1994) demonstrated that when a text described the reunion of 2 characters who had previously discussed a 3rd character, the accessibility of the 3rd character increased, and the use of an unheralded pronoun (R. J. Gerrig, 1986) to refer to that character was felicitous. In experiments in this article, the authors demonstrate that concepts related to the unheralded pronoun also increase in accessibility and that those concepts form associations in memory with concepts present in the discourse at the time the pronoun is used. The authors also show that the increase in accessibility for the referent of the pronoun, as well as the appropriate long-term memory associations, occurs even in the absence of the pronoun.     

Structural characterization of a new galactofuranose-containing glycolipid antigen of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

An acidic glycolipid (Band 1), purified from P. brasiliensis by a combination of ion exchange chromatography, HPLC, and HPTLC, was found to be reactive with sera of all patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). Monosaccharide analysis of Band 1 yielded mannose and galactose in a 2:1 ratio, while mild acid hydrolysis and mild periodate oxidation/NaB3H4 reduction indicated the presence of a terminal galactofuranose. Preliminary analysis of 1H-NMR and MS data suggests that the structure of the glycan is Galf beta 1-->6(Manp alpha 1-->3)Manp beta 1-->2Ins (Ins = myo-inositol). Removal of the galacto-furanose decreased by 60-80% the reactivity of sera from PCM patients with Band 1, suggesting that this residue is immunodominant. With the presumed absence of galactofuranose in mammalian hosts, compounds containing this residue may be useful targets for therapy of several parasitic and fungal diseases.     

Menarcheal age in University of Warwick young women

The influence of ischemia on purine nucleotide and their catabolite concentration in human myocardium was investigated during surgery of acquired and congenital heart defects. This was compared with the influence of ischemia on rat heart. Concentrations of adenine and guanine nucleotides and their catabolites were measured in the extracts of heart biopsies taken at the onset of ischemia and at the time of reperfusion. The content of myocardial ATP in human heart decreased from the initial value of 22.3 +/- 1.1 to 14.6 +/- 1.5 nmol/mg protein and total adenine nucleotide pool decreased from 34.2 +/- 1.8 to 27.6 +/- 1.5 nmol/mg protein during the operation. Significant increases in myocardial concentrations of purine catabolites were also observed with the most prominent rise in inosine from below 0.5 at the onset of the ischemia to 3.0 +/- 0.5 nmol/mg protein at the time of reperfusion. A positive correlation was demonstrated between the concentration of purine catabolites in the heart at the end of ischemia with the decrease of both ATP and the total nucleotide pool. An interesting metabolic specificity of the ischemic human heart appeared to be only a small accumulation of inosine monophosphate (IMP). The increase of IMP in the rat heart after ischemia was several-fold higher. Thus, cardiac surgery of congenital and acquired heart defects was associated with a significant decrease in myocardial adenylate pool and a single biopsy collected at the end of ischemia seems to be sufficient to evaluate the extent of this metabolic and possibly functional impairment of the heart.     

Classification of temporal patterns in dynamic biological networks

A general method is presented to classify temporal patterns generated by rhythmic biological networks when synaptic connections and cellular properties are known. The method is discrete in nature and relies on algebraic properties of state transitions and graph theory. Elements of the set of rhythms generated by a network are compared using a metric that quantifies the functional differences among them. The rhythms are then classified according to their location in a metric space. Examples are given, and biological implications are discussed.