Precise Speed Estimation From a Low-Resolution Encoder by Dual-Sampling-Rate Observer

This paper describes an effective way to estimate state variables, such as motor speed and disturbance from a low-resolution encoder at low speed by using the dual-sampling-rate observer. The dual-sampling-rate observer estimates the state variables at every DSP control period and correct the estimation error at the instant that the measurement signal is detected. A novel pole assignment method, which considers the relation of the estimation and error correction periods, is proposed to maintain the stability for long error correcting period. Moreover, the dual-sampling-rate observer can be applied for higher order systems since it is generalized in state space. The effectiveness of the observer is verified through various simulations and experiments     

Functionalization of hybrid poly(n‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels for Escherichia coli cell capture via adsorbed intermediate dye molecule

Poly(n‐isopropylacrylamide) Laponite (PNIPAM‐Lap) hybrid hydrogels, which use the synthetic clay Laponite as a crosslinker, permanently adsorb cationic laser dyes out of solution. This proof‐of‐concept expounds on this capability by adsorbing an intermediate dye molecule and using it as the foundation for successfully conjugating microbial antibodies to the surface of a PNIPAM hydrogel. The study involves using acriflavinium chloride molecules, adsorbed by a PNIPAM‐Lap hydrogel from an acriflavine laser dye solution, as an intermediate molecule to attach antibodies raised against E. coli to the hydrogel and demonstrate cell capture. Furthermore, this system exemplifies a novel biotechnological platform for greatly expanding PNIPAM hydrogels' capabilities and applicability through conjugation chemistry to surface‐bound molecules. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41557.     

Synthesis of transition metal hydrides and a new process for production of refractory metal alloys: An autoreview

Briefly overviewed are the SHS-based processes developed at our lab for synthesis of metal hydrides and their alloys. More than 200 binary and complex hydrides have been synthesized by SHS reactions of metals in hydrogen. Radiation-induced synthesis of transition metal hydrides, termed Thermal-Radiation Synthesis (TRS), was suggested and used to prepare more than 50 different binary and complex hydrides. A phenomenon of Cold Synthesis (CS) of hydrides at room temperature from irradiated metal powders has been observed. Advance in these studies has led to elaboration of a new technique, termed hydride-cycle process, for fabrication of compact blocks of hydrides and refractory metal alloys. A wide range of binary and multicomponent alloys and their hydrides have been synthesized by this route. The developed processes are offered for industrial-scale implementation.     

Interface reactions between rutile coatings and molten aluminium or AlSi7Mg0.6 alloy

Rutile coatings deposited on corundum substrates are considered as promising functional elements improving the efficiency of the filtration of oxide inclusions out of aluminium melts. This contribution describes the reactions between rutile and two kinds of the aluminium melts and discusses the consequences of these reactions for the filtration process. It was found that the contact of rutile coatings with molten aluminium leads to the formation of a corundum layer at the solid/liquid interface. The exposure of the rutile coatings to molten AlSi7Mg0.6 alloy produces an interface layer of MgTiO₃. The interface layers possess defined orientation relationship to rutile which is characteristic for locally heteroepitaxial growth. The density functional theory calculations revealed that the TiO₂/α-Al₂O₃ and TiO₂/MgTiO₃ interfaces with the orientation relationships observed experimentally have low interface energies. The mechanisms of the interface layer formation and the impact of these layers on the degradation of the rutile coatings are discussed.     

Tetraalkynylated and Tetraalkenylated Benzenes and Pyridines: Synthesis and Photophysical Properties

Tetra(arylalkynyl)pyridines and tetra(arylalkenyl)pyridines and their benzene analogues were prepared by palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions from the commercially available chlorinated substrates in good to excellent yields. The photophysical properties of selected compounds were investigated and compared to each other. Very good fluorescence quantum yields were observed, especially for the pyridine derivatives.     

The prospects of brewery waste application in biohydrogen production by photofermentation of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Selection of the source for biohydrogen (H₂) production is essential, since it affects bacterial metabolism. Pure organic substrates give fast H₂ generation with high yields, but they increase the production cost. Using industrial wastes as a source provides inexpensive energy generation with simultaneous waste utilization. H₂ production by photofermentation of Rhodobacter sphaeroides is monitored during cultivation on brewery waste. Maximum specific growth rate is observed for 5–10% waste containing media. H₂ production by cells, grown on waste, is detected at 48–96 h of growth; it is comparable or higher than that of control medium with expensive carbon and nitrogen sources. N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-sensitive ATPase activity of R. sphaeroides membrane vesicles from growth on waste containing media is 1.6–1.7-fold higher compared to control, correlating with enhanced H₂ production. Growth medium containing optimal amount of wastes may be a successful alternative to expensive media for high H₂ yield in R. sphaeroides during photofermentation.     

Service-oriented visualization applied to medical data analysis

With the era of Grid computing, data driven experiments and simulations have become very advanced and complicated. To allow specialists from various domains to deal with large datasets, aside from developing efficient extraction techniques, it is necessary to have available computational facilities to visualize and interact with the results of an extraction process. Having this in mind, we developed an Interactive Visualization Framework, which supports a service-oriented architecture. This framework allows, on one hand visualization experts to construct visualizations to view and interact with large datasets, and on the other hand end-users (e.g., medical specialists) to explore these visualizations irrespective of their geographical location and available computing resources. The image-based analysis of vascular disorders served as a case study for this project. The paper presents main research findings and reports on the current implementation status.     

Dynamic generation of accident progression event trees

Currently, the development and analysis of accident progression event trees (APETs) are performed in a manner that is computationally time consuming, difficult to reproduce and also can be phenomenologically inconsistent. A software tool is presented for automated APET generation using the concept of dynamic event trees. The tool determines the branching times from a severe accident analysis code based on user specified criteria for branching. It assigns user specified probabilities to every branch, tracks the total branch probability, and truncates branches based on the given pruning/truncation rules to avoid an unmanageable number of scenarios. While the software tool could be applied to any systems analysis code, the MELCOR code is used for this illustration. A case study is presented involving station blackout with the loss of auxiliary feedwater system for a pressurized water reactor.