A Linear Model for the Continuous Network Design Problem

Abstract:   This article is concerned with the continuous network design problem on traffic networks, assuming system optimum traffic flow conditions and time-dependent demand. A linear programming formulation is introduced based on a dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model that propagates traffic according to the cell transmission model. The introduced approach is limited to continuous link improvements and does not provide for new link additions. The main contribution of the article is to provide an analytical formulation for network design that accounts for DTA conditions that can be used for further analysis and extensions. The model is tested on a single destination example network, resembling a freeway corridor, for various congestion levels, loading patterns and budget sizes, to demonstrate the simplicity and effectiveness of the approach.     

Interaction of soil, water and TNT during degradation of TNT on contaminated soil using subcritical water

Subcritical water was used at laboratory scale to reveal information with respect to the degradation mechanism of TNT on contaminated soil. Highly contaminated soil (12% TNT) was heated with water at four different temperatures, 150, 175, 200 and 225 degrees C and samples were obtained at appropriate time intervals. At the same time, similar experiments were performed with TNT spiked on to clean soil, sand and pure water in order to compare and eliminate various factors that may be present in the more complex contaminated soil system. Subcritical water was successful at remediating TNT-contaminated soil. TNT destruction percentages ranged between 98 and 100%. The aim of this work was to study the soil-water-contaminant interaction and determine the main physical parameters that affect TNT degradation. It was shown that the rate-limiting step of the process is the extraction/diffusion of TNT molecules from the soil core to the soil surface, where they degrade. Additionally, it was determined that the soil matrix also catalyses degradation to a lesser extent. Autocatalytic effects were not clearly observed.     

Diameter-selective solubilization of carbon nanotubes by lipid micelles

The one-step dispersion of HiPco single-walled carbon nanotubes in aqueous media with the use of a synthetic lyso-phosphatidylcholine was studied. Solubilization occurs through wrapping of lipid molecules around the circumference of the tubes, yielding lipid monolayers on the graphitic sidewalls as evidenced by atomic force microscopy imaging and dynamic light scattering measurements. Raman spectroscopy showed that the dispersion and centrifugation process leads to an effective enrichment of the stable aqueous suspension in carbon nanostructures with smaller diameters.     

Charge transport in a single superconducting tin nanowire encapsulated in a multiwalled carbon nanotube

The charge transport properties of single superconducting tin nanowires encapsulated by multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been investigated by multiprobe measurements. The multiwalled carbon nanotube protects the tin nanowire from oxidation and shape fragmentation and therefore allows us to investigate the electronic properties of stable wires with diameters as small as 25 nm. The transparency of the contact between the Ti/Au electrode and nanowire can be tuned by argon ion etching the multiwalled nanotube. Application of a large electrical current results in local heating at the contact which in turn suppresses superconductivity.     

Microwave‐induced enhancement of the dissolution rate of poorly water‐soluble tibolone from poly(ethylene glycol) solid dispersions

In this study, solid dispersions of poorly water‐soluble Tibolone in a poly(ethylene glycol) matrix were prepared with conventional melt mixing and microwave irradiation. The results of the assay content, LC–MS, and ¹H‐NMR indicated that microwave irradiation did not affect drug stability when a relatively low irradiation power (440 W) was used. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that there were no hydrogen bonds formed between Tibolone and poly(ethylene glycol), and this affected the drug's crystallinity and its particle size distribution. The dissolution rate of the drug was slightly higher in the case of dispersions prepared by microwave irradiation. This enhancement of the drug dissolution rate was probably due to the lower size of the Tibolone particles in the dispersions prepared by microwave irradiation. The application of microwaves represents a promising alternative to conventional preparative methods of drug dispersions. The main advantage in comparison with conventional melt mixing is that solid dispersions can be prepared in much shorter times. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Aviation fuel JP-5 and biodiesel on a diesel engine

Naval aviation turbine fuel, JP-5, has been accepted as alternative to JP-8 in the frame of the Single Fuel Policy. This has resulted in some ongoing research on JP-5 fuel for its application as a naval single fuel. The necessity to cope with the environmental problems identified in the process of implementing the Single Fuel Policy as well as the strict requirements of modern diesel engines has lead to the need of improved single fuel quality. The development of biomass derived substitutes for diesel, such as biodiesel, is a possible attractive solution. The present paper is an effort to evaluate JP-5 along with diesel and biodiesel for use in a diesel engine. These fuels were used alone and in various mixture fractions in a single cylinder stationary diesel engine in order to evaluate their performance under defined operating conditions of the engine. JP-5 reduced both the NOx and particulate matter emissions as compared to the reference fuel case. Biodiesel significantly lowered particulate emissions, but slightly increased NOx emissions and fuel consumption. Fuel sulfur content has an undesired effect on smoke opacity. Biodiesel increased the fuel consumption when added to petroleum fuels and the increase was larger at high engine loads. Diesel and JP-5 showed similar fuel consumption, with diesel consumption increasing at high engine loads. Ternary blends showed similar behavior. The blends with lower biodiesel content showed lower volumetric fuel consumption.     

A Review of the Alleged Health Hazards of Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an umami substance widely used as flavor enhancer. Although it is generally recognized as being safe by food safety regulatory agencies, several studies have questioned its long‐term safety. The purpose of this review was to survey the available literature on preclinical studies and clinical trials regarding the alleged adverse effects of MSG. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the reported possible risks that may potentially arise following chronic exposure. Preclinical studies have associated MSG administration with cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, low‐grade inflammation, metabolic disarray, and premalignant alterations, along with behavioral changes. However, in reviewing the available literature, we detected several methodological flaws, which led us to conclude that these studies have limited relevance for extrapolation to dietary human intake of MSG risk exposure. Clinical trials have focused mainly on MSG effects on food intake and energy expenditure. Besides its well‐known impact on food palatability, MSG enhances salivary secretion and interferes with carbohydrate metabolism, while the impact on satiety and post‐meal recovery of hunger varied in relation to meal composition. Reports on MSG hypersensitivity or links of its use to increased pain sensitivity and atopic dermatitis were found to have little supporting evidence. Many of the reported negative health effects of MSG have little relevance for chronic human exposure and are poorly informative as they are based on excessive dosing that does not meet with levels normally consumed in food products. We conclude that further clinical and epidemiological studies are needed, with an appropriate design, accounting for both added and naturally occurring dietary MSG.     

The influence of retail display storage on the fatty acid composition of modified atmosphere packaged Graviera Agraphon cheese

In this study, changes in the fatty acid profile including conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) of grated Graviera Agraphon cheese packaged in modified atmosphere under retail display lighting for up to 60 days at 4 °C, were determined. Saturated fatty acids increased, while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids including CLA decreased by day 30 of storage and remained stable thereafter. In the aerobically packaged and light‐exposed samples, lipid hydroperoxides increased by day 30 of storage and declined thereafter while malondialdehyde was increasing continuously during storage. Unlike the light‐exposed modified atmosphere samples, these samples showed much lower hydroperoxide and malondialdehyde concentrations throughout storage.     

A machine learning approach for the condition monitoring of rotating machinery

Rotating machinery breakdowns are most commonly caused by failures in bearing subsystems. Consequently, condition monitoring of such subsystems could increase reliability of machines that are carrying out field operations. Recently, research has focused on the implementation of vibration signals analysis for health status diagnosis in bearings systems considering the use of acceleration measurements. Informative features sensitive to specific bearing faults and fault locations were constructed by using advanced signal processing techniques which enable the accurate discrimination of faults based on their location. In this paper, the architecture of a diagnostic system for extended faults in bearings based on neural networks is presented. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) with Bayesian automatic relevance determination has been applied in the classification of accelerometer data. New features like the line integral and feature based sensor fusion are introduced which enhance the fault identification performance. Vibration feature selection based on Bayesian automatic relevance determination is introduced for finding better feature combinations.     

Lipid and protein oxidation of α-linolenic acid-enriched pork during refrigerated storage as influenced by diet supplementation with olive leaves (Olea europea L.) or α-tocopheryl acetate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of diet supplementation with olive leaves or α-tocopheryl acetate on lipid and protein oxidation of raw and cooked n-3 enriched-pork during refrigerated storage. Enrichment of pork with α-linolenic acid through diet supplementation with linseed oil enhanced (p≤0.05) lipid oxidation in both raw and cooked chops but had no effect (p>0.05) on protein oxidation during refrigerated storage while decreasing (p≤0.05) the sensory attributes of cooked pork. Diet supplementation with olive leaves or α-tocopheryl acetate had no effect (p>0.05) on the fatty acid composition of pork but decreased (p≤0.05) lipid oxidation while exerting no effect (p>0.05) on protein oxidation in both raw and cooked α-linolenic acid-enriched chops stored and chilled for 9days. Moreover, olive leaves and α-tocopheryl acetate supplemented at 10g/kg and 200mg/kg diet, respectively, exerted (p≤0.05) a beneficial effect on the sensory attributes of cooked α-linolenic acid-enriched pork chops.