Profile modification��a design approach for increasing the tooth strength in spur gear

This work applies modular design concepts to designating beverage-container injection molds. This study aims to develop a method of controlling costs and time in relation to mold development, and also to improve product design. This investigation comprises two parts: functionality coding, and establishing a standard operation procedure, specifically designed for beverage-container injection mold design and manufacturing. First, the injection mold is divided into several modules, each with a specific function. Each module is further divided into several structural units possessing sub-function or sub-sub-function. Next, dimensions and specifications of each unit are standardized and a compatible interface is constructed linking relevant units. This work employs a cup-shaped beverage container to experimentally assess the performance of the modular design approach. The experimental results indicate that the modular design approach to manufacturing injection molds shortens development time by 36% and reduces costs by 19??23% compared with the conventional approach. Meanwhile, the information on modularity helps designers in diverse products design. Additionally, the functionality code helps effectively manage and maintain products and molds.     

Effect of Fluid Inertia on Journal Bearing Parameters

In the modeling and analysis of rotordynamic systems with journal bearings, the stiffness and damping parameters are usually obtained from the Reynolds equation of hydrodynamic lubrication. The Reynolds equation is derived from the continuity and momentum equations with several assumptions; the principal one among them being that the inertia terms are negligible since the lubricant flow is viscosity-dominated. Some previous work has shown, however, that the effect of fluid inertia on the static and dynamic properties of a bearing is not negligible in many circumstances.

This paper uses a perturbation approach to present a rigorous derivation of the correction terms to be added to account for the effect of inertia in the case of a journal on a short bearing. The governing equation for pressure correction is derived and the corrected stiffness, damping, and inertia coefficients to the first order are displayed as a function of the equilibrium position.     

Polyacrylonitrile-based nanofibers—A state-of-the-art review

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a well-known polymer with good stability and mechanical properties, has been widely used in producing carbon nanofibers (CNFs) as these have attracted much recent attention due to their excellent characteristics, such as spinnability, environmentally benign nature and commercial viability. Among the various precursors to produce CNFs, PAN has been extensively studied due to its high carbon yield and flexibility for tailoring the structure of the final CNFs as well as the ease of obtaining stabilized products due to the formation of a ladder structure via nitrile polymerization. In view of this, they have applications in areas such as electronics, tissue engineering, membrane filtration and high performance composites. This review presents various combinations of PAN and PAN-based precursors in producing CNFs from the PAN homopolymer or its modified precursors, copolymers, blends and various composites. Various modifications of PAN and their future prospects in different scientific and technological disciplines are addressed.     

Signal-to-noise measurements utilizing a novel dual-energymultimedia detector

Dual-energy measurements are presented utilizing a novel slot-scan digital radiographic imaging detector, operating on gaseous solid state ionization principles. The novel multimedia detector has two basic functional components: a noble gas-filled detector volume operating on gas microstrip principles, and a solid state detector volume. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential use of this multimedia detector for enhanced dual-energy imaging. The experimental results indicate that the multimedia detector exhibits a large subtracted signal-to-noise ratio. Although the intrinsic merit of this device is being explored for medical imaging, potential applications of the multimedia detector technology In other industrial areas, such as aerospace imaging, aviation security, and surveillance, are also very promising     

Antioxidant activity of two traditional Indian vegetables: Solanum nigrum L. and Solanum torvum L.

In the present study, chloroform, acetone, and methanol extracts of Solanum torvum and Solanum nigrum leaves and fruit were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant activity using ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), ABTS^·+, iron chelation, and antihemolytic activity. Among the various solvents used, the maximum yield was obtained in chloroform followed by acetone and methanol. The total phenolics were also significantly higher in the chloroform extracts and the in vitro antioxidant activity was shown to be highly dependant on the total phenolic content (p<0.01). The DPPH^· and 2,2′azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) cation radical scavenging activities were well proved with the ferric reducing antioxidant capacity of the extracts. The potential of multiple antioxidant activity of samples can be further evidenced by inhibition of reactive oxygen mediated erythrocyte cell lysis and metal ion chelating activity. In conclusion, the results presented here implied leaves and fruits of S. torvum and S. nigrum could be considered as health supplements and nutraceuticals/functional foods.     

Multiple-model based predictive control of nonlinear hybrid systems based on global optimization using the Bernstein polynomial approach

In this paper, we propose a Bernstein polynomial based global optimization algorithm for the optimal feedback control of nonlinear hybrid systems using a multiple-model approach. Specifically, we solve at every sampling instant a polynomial mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem arising in the model predictive control strategy. The proposed algorithm uses the Bernstein polynomial form in a branch-and-bound framework, with new ingredients such as branching for integer decision variables and fathoming for each subproblem in the branch-and-bound tree. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested and compared with existing algorithms on a benchmark three-spherical tank system. The test results show the superior performance of the proposed algorithm.     

Enhanced screening of glutathione-trapped reactive metabolites by in-source collision-induced dissociation and extraction of product ion using UHPLC-high resolution mass spectrometry

A selective and sensitive approach, called extraction of product ion (XoPI) method, was developed for the detection of l-glutathione (GSH)-trapped reactive metabolites employing an Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometer. Fragmentation of GSH conjugates in the negative ion mode leads to a product ion, deprotonated γ-glutamyl-dehydroalanyl-glycine (m/z 272.0888). As a means of utilizing this property, negative ion high resolution MS data were collected from in vitro incubations by monitoring ions from m/z 269.5 to 274.5 under in-source collision-induced dissociation. Extraction of product ions at m/z 272.0888 ± 5 ppm from this data resulted in a chromatogram exhibiting deprotonated γ-glutamyl-dehydroalanyl-glycine as the major peaks with no or very few interferences. Therefore, peaks in this extracted product ion chromatogram potentially came from GSH-trapped reactive metabolites. The GSH conjugate parent ions were then confirmed in the corresponding full scan MS data, and their structures were identified from their MS(2) fragmentation patterns. The effectiveness of the approach was assessed with four model compounds, amodiaquine, clozapine, diclofenac, and fipexide, all well-known to form GSH-trapped reactive metabolites, following incubation in human liver microsomes supplemented with β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide 2'-phosphate reduced tetrasodium salt (NADPH) and GSH. The results from XoPI method were compared to two other commonly employed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods: precursor ion scan method and mass defect filter method. Overall, the XoPI method was more selective and sensitive in detecting the GSH conjugates. Many GSH conjugates previously not reported were detected and characterized in this study.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Chromium-Free Nickel Alloy Electrode Materials

The synthesis of two Cr-free nickel-based alloys designated as 1S with 6.5 pct Mn and 2H without Mn of compositions varying between 40 to 43.5Ni, 20Mo, 22 to 25Fe, 10Cu, 6.5 to 0Mn, 1Ti, and 0.5Al (wt pct) as filler materials for TIG welding application was performed. New filler materials were developed to reduce carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) fumes generated during the welding of 300 series austenitic stainless steel. The Cr-free nickel alloys were characterized for microstructure and mechanical properties. The developed alloys showed good microstructure stability in as-cast and solution-treated conditions. A material properties simulation software JMatPro predicted that 2H alloy has 2 wt pct more γ (solid solution) phase than in 1S but has 2.2 wt pct less γ′ (strengthening precipitates) phase than in 1S alloy. The tensile strength of 1S alloy was about 2.2 pct more than 2H. The solution treatment of both alloys decreased the hardness, tensile and yield strengths by about 21 pct but ductility improved by about 17 pct. Fracture studies of both alloys showed the ductile mode of failure.     

Model-based tracking for agent-based control systems in the case of sensor failures

The study on artificial intelligence(AI) methods for tuning of particle accelerators has been reported in many literatures.This paper presents tuning method for agent-based control systems of transport lines in the case of sensor/actuator failures.The method uses model-based tracking concept to relax the demand on sensor data.The condition for successful operation of the stated scheme is derived,and the concept is demonstrated through simulation by applying it to the model of microtron,transport line-1 and booster of indus accelerator.The results show that this approach is very effective in transport line control during sensor/actuator failures.