Failure behaviour of honeycomb sandwich corner joints and inserts

In nearly all sandwich constructions certain types of joints have to be used for assembly, but little is known about their failure behaviour. This paper deals with the investigation of the mechanical behaviour of three different corner joints as a right-angled connection of two sandwich panels and of two different potted inserts as a localised load introduction in Nomex^® honeycomb sandwich structures with glass fibre-reinforced composite skins. For this purpose, experimental test series were conducted including shear tests and bending tests of the corner joints and pull-out as well as shear-out tests of the threaded inserts. The failure mechanisms and sequences are described for each load case and the influence of the different designs and of the loading rate is discussed. Based on these characteristics, finite element simulation models were developed in LS-DYNA, which are able to represent the respective failure behaviours.     

Simultaneous removal of chromium and leather dye from simulated tannery effluent by photoelectrochemistry

The feasibility of the photobleaching of a leather acid dye, acid red 151, simultaneously to degradation of anionic surfactant, Tamol^®, and reduction of Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(III) was investigated by photoelectrocatalytic oxidation. The best experimental conditions were found to be pH 2.0 and 0.1 mol L⁻¹ sodium sulfate when the nanoporous Ti/TiO₂ photo anode was biased at +1.0 V and submitted to UV-irradiation. The photoelectrocatalytic oxidation promotes 100% discoloration, reducing around 98–100% of Cr(VI) and achieving an abatement of 95% of the original total organic carbon. The effect of pH, the applied potential, the Cr(VI) concentration and the complexation reaction between Cr(VI) and acid red dye were evaluated as to their effect on the kinetics of the reaction.     

Bridging the gap: Transitive associations between items presented in similar temporal contexts.

In episodic memory tasks, associations are formed between items presented close together in time. The temporal context model (TCM) hypothesizes that this contiguity effect is a consequence of shared temporal context rather than temporal proximity per se. Using double-function lists of paired associates (e.g., A–B, B–C) presented in a random order, the authors examined associations between items that were not presented close together in time but that were presented in similar temporal contexts. After learning, across-pair associations fell off with distance in the list, as if subjects had integrated the pairs into a coherent memory structure. Within-pair associations (e.g., A–B) were strongly asymmetric favoring forward transitions; across-pair associations (e.g., A–C) showed no evidence of asymmetry. While this pattern of results presented a stern challenge for a heteroassociative mediated chaining model, TCM provided an excellent fit to the data. These findings suggest that contiguity effects in episodic memory do not reflect direct associations between items but rather a process of binding, encoding, and retrieval of a gradually changing representation of temporal context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decomposition of high protein aquaculture feed under variable oxic conditions

The microbial decomposition of nitrogen-rich organic matter in aquaculture ponds is affected by the oxic-anoxic conditions gradient at the soil-water interface as well as by resuspension practices. To investigate these interactions, the decomposition of a 49% protein fish feed was analyzed in 10 marine lab-scale systems with different exposures to aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The degree of coupling between oxic and anoxic conditions in the system had a strong effect on product accumulation and loss from the culture system. Pure oxic or anoxic conditions proved to be less favorable than mixed aerobic-anaerobic systems with respect to the metabolites accumulated in the system. Short 15-min resuspension events and a continuous alternation of oxic and anoxic conditions at 12-h time intervals proved to be the best options to minimize the accumulation of organic matter in the systems. The correct coupling of aerobic-anaerobic conditions in space and time is a key to maintain a good water quality condition for the cultured animals and also to improve the decomposition and recycling of organic matter, reducing the environmental impact from the effluents.     

Microcosm experiments of oil degradation by microbial mats

Several microcosm experiments were run in parallel to evaluate the efficiency of microbial mats for crude oil degradation as compared with physico-chemical weathering. The oils used in the experiments constituted representative examples of those currently used for commercial purposes. One was aliphatic and of low viscosity (33.4 American Petroleum Institute degrees, degrees API) and the other was predominantly aromatic, with high sulphur content (ca. 2.7%) and viscosity (16.6 degrees API). After crude oil introduction, the microcosms were kept under cyclic changes in water level to mimic coastal tidal movements. The transformations observed showed that water weathering leads to more effective and rapid elimination of low molecular weight hydrocarbons than microbial mat metabolism, e.g. n-alkanes with chain length shorter than n-pentadecane or n-heptadecane, regular isoprenoid hydrocarbons with chain length lower than C16 or C18 or lower molecular weight naphthalenes. Microbial mats preserved these hydrocarbons from volatilization and water washing. However, hydrocarbons of lower volatility such as the C24-C30 n-alkanes or containing nitrogen atoms, e.g. carbazoles, were eliminated in higher proportion by microbial mats than by water weathering. The strong differences in composition between the two oils used for the experiments were also reflected in significant differences between water weathering and microbial mat biodegradation. Higher oil viscosity seemed to hinder the former but not the later.     

Magnesium‐Lanthanum Mixed Metal Oxide: a Strong Solid Base for the Michael Addition Reaction

Michael additions were achieved quantitatively at room temperature with a broad spectrum of acceptors and donors, using a magnesium‐lanthanum mixed oxide, a strong solid base. The best solvent for the reaction is dimethylformamide, but good yields were also obtained using toluene as solvent. The results obtained with magnesium‐lanthanum are comparable to those reported for super bases. The catalyst can be separated from the reaction mixture and recycled five times without loss of activity with no other treatment.     

Nonlinear averaging theorems, and the determination of parameter convergence rates in adaptive control

The paper presents nonlinear averaging theorems for two-time scale systems, where the dynamics of the fast system are allowed to vary with the slow system. The results are applied to the Narendra-Valavani adaptive control algorithm, and estimates of the parameter convergence rates are obtained which do not rely on a linearization of the system around the equilibrium, and therefore are valid in a larger region in the parameter space.     

Effects of organizational scheme and labeling on task performance in product-centered and user-centered retail Web sites

As companies increase the quantity of information they provide through their Web sites, it is critical that content is structured with an appropriate architecture. However, resource constraints often limit the ability of companies to apply all Web design principles completely. This study quantifies the effects of two major information architecture principles in a controlled study that isolates the incremental effects of organizational scheme and labeling on user performance and satisfaction. Sixty participants with a wide range of Internet and on-line shopping experience were recruited to complete a series of shopping tasks on a prototype retail shopping Web site. User-centered labels provided a significant benefit in performance and satisfaction over labels obtained through company-centered methods. User-centered organization did not result in improved performance except when the label quality was poor. Significant interactions suggest specific guidelines for allocating resources in Web site design. Applications of this research include the design of Web sites for any commercial application, particularly E-commerce.     

Representing Animations by Principal Components

In this paper, we present a representation for three-dimensional geometric animation sequences. Different from standard key-frame techniques, this approach is based on the determination of principal animation components and decouples the animation from the underlying geometry. The new representation supports progressive animation compression with spatial, as well as temporal, level-of-detail and high compression ratios. The distinction of animation and geometry allows for mapping animations onto other objects.     

Microwave radiation as heating method in the synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles from hexafluorotitanate-organic salts

Nanocrystalline anatase was obtained from ionic liquid-like precursors containing hexafluorotitanate-organic salts and less than 25 wt.% of water, and using boric acid as fluoride scavenger. Two alternative heating methods were explored using either a conventional oven or a domestic microwave apparatus. A significant reduction in the reaction time from 24 h to only few minutes was obtained using the microwave route. The as-prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen sorption analysis, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared, X-ray photoelectronic and Raman spectroscopes. The convenience of using the microwave heating option was a function of the organic cation present in the precursor. Thus, organic ammonium cations containing only hydrocarbon substituents, such as diethylammonium, phenylammonium and benzyltrimethylammonium led to the precipitation of nanocrystalline anatase powder with high specific surface area (up to 120 m² g⁻¹) in a short processing time (1-3 min). Otherwise, alcohol and carboxylate functionalized cations decomposed under microwave treatment. Moreover, the choice of the organic cation allowed tuning several properties of the end material, such as particle size and pore morphology.