Aristolactam-Type Alkaloids from Orophea enterocarpa and Their Cytotoxicities

A new aristolactam, named enterocarpam-III (10-amino-2,3,4,6-tetramethoxy phenanthrene-1-carboxylic acid lactam, 1) together with the known alkaloid stigmalactam (2), were isolated from Orophea enterocarpa. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of interpretation of their spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant cytotoxicities against human colon adenocarcinoma (HCT15) cell line with IC(50) values of 1.68 and 1.32 μM, respectively.     

Dissolvable and edible film for long-lasting kaffir lime aroma in food

A dissolvable and edible carboxymethylcellulose–alginate film with 34% (w/w) of kaffir lime oil (KLO) was prepared. The prepared films can be redissolved in warm water providing highly dispersed KLO microdroplets. The freshly prepared KLO films (KLO film-0) and 6-month stored KLO films (KLO film-6) were evaluated for consumer acceptance in a Thai Tom-yum soup recipe in comparison with fresh kaffir lime (KL) leaves and commercialised instant Tom-Yum paste. The data analysis from 120 consumers presented the higher liking scores of the soups using the KLO film-0 and KLO film-6 on aroma, taste and overall preference than those using the instant Tom-Yum paste and the KL leaves. Additionally, chefs noted a longer lasting aroma intensity of the soups prepared with KLO films. Thus, this edible KLO film can be used in place of fresh KL leaves with the additional benefits of a long shelf-life, ease of use and better consumer preferences in Tom-Yum soup cooking.     

Transient elastohydrodynamic lubrication in artificial knee joint with non-Newtonian fluids

This paper presents the transient analysis of a human artificial knee joint under elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) for point contact with non-Newtonian lubricants. The artificial knee joints use ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) against metal with time-varying speed and load during walking. This numerical simulation employed a perturbation method, Newton Raphson method and multigrid method with full approximation technique to solve simultaneously both the time-dependent Reynolds equation, with non-Newtonian fluid based on a Carreau model, and the elasticity equation.The general numerical schemes are implemented to investigate the characteristics of elastohydrodynamic lubrication in human artificial knee joints; profiles of pressure and film thickness are determined, with varying material and lubricant properties, applied loads and speeds. The results show that the elastohydrodynamic fluid film thickness between the metallic component of the artificial knee joint and the soft polyethylene bearing becomes larger as the contact area increases and the fluid film pressure decreases. At the beginning of the first walking cycle, the film thickness is lower than in subsequent cycles because of the time required to develop the fluid film; after the first cycle, the fluid film is similar for every cycle and is dependent on transient applied load and speed during human movement.     

A robust centralized SMES controller design based on WAMS considering system and communication delay uncertainties

It is well known that the communication delay due to the phasor measurement in wide area monitoring system (WAMS) as well as various system operating conditions such as heavy line flows and unpredictable network structures, may deteriorate the wide-area stabilizing control effect. To overcome this problem, the inverse input and output multiplicative model is proposed to represent unstructured uncertainties due to system operations and communication delay in the robust centralized damping controller design of superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) based on WAMS. The structure of centralized controller for SMES is the practical 1st-order lead/lag compensator. To automatically tune the control parameters, the optimization problem based on the enhancement of damping performance and system robust stability margin is achieved by particle swarm optimization. Simulation studies in the West Japan six-area interconnected system confirm that the proposed robust SMES centralized controller is superior to the conventional SMES centralized controller in terms of damping performance and robustness against system and time delay uncertainties.     

Changes in lipid composition and fatty acid profile of Nham,a Thai fermented pork sausage,during fermentation

Changes in lipid composition and fatty acid profile of Nham during fermentation were investigated. Total lipids of Nham were in the range 2–3%. The extracted lipid of initial Nham mix consisted mainly of triglycerides (TG), accounting for more than 75% of the total lipid, followed by phospholipids (PL) and a trace amount of diglycerides (DG) and free fatty acid (FFA). During fermentation, TG, DG and PL decreased with a concomitant increase in FFA, indicating lipolysis of Nham lipids during fermentation. Changes in fatty acids of the total lipids, non-polar and polar lipid fractions were observed during fermentation. In both total and non-polar lipid fractions, the major fatty acids found in a descending order were oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2) and palmitic (C16:0) acids, which together accounted for 90% of the total fatty acids. Increases in fatty acid contents in both total and non-polar lipid fractions, were observed with a corresponding decrease in the quantity of fatty acids of phospholipids. As the fermentation proceeded, peroxide value generally increased while TBARS values decreased. Overall, lipid oxidation in Nham occurred during fermentation but did not cause the objectionable odour and taste in any Nham tested.     

Compaction Properties of Microcrystalline Cellulose Using Tableting Indices

The compaction properties of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from 6 different sources were investigated and compared using tableting indices. The 50-μm and 100-μm grades were studied in order to determine lot-to-lot variability within a source, variability between sources, and the influence of storage conditions on the compaction properties of MCC. Two lots of each grade of MCC were obtained from each source and tested as received. It was found that the Avicel and Emcocel products demonstrated the most similarities based on tableting indices. Significant lot-to-lot differences in the tableting indices were observed for Fibrocel, Omnicel, and Spectrum MCC products. The brittle fracture index was low for all products tested and not significant. Storage of compacts at elevated humidity conditions prior to determining the tableting indices decreased the magnitude of the tensile strength, dynamic indentation hardness, and bonding index. Particle size analysis revealed differences between the labeled mean particle size and the experimentally determined value for some of the MCC grades and sources investigated. The percent weight gain of MCC powder at 18 hr was less than 0.6% at 30% relative humidity, and ranged from about 0.75% to 1.46% at 51% and 75% relative humidities. The x-ray diffraction patterns were similar for the MCC grades and sources investigated. MCC products from different sources are not directly substitutable based on the differences in physicomechanical properties observed for the tableting indices.     

Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication of Rough Surfaces under Oscillatory Line Contact with Non-Newtonian Lubricant

This paper presents the results of a transient analysis of elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) of two parallel cylinders in line contact with a non-Newtonian lubricant under oscillatory motion. Effects of the transverse harmonic surface roughness are also investigated in the numerical simulation. The time-dependent Reynolds equation uses a power law model for viscosity. The simultaneous system of modified Reynolds equation and elasticity equation with initial conditions was solved using the multigrid, multilevel method with full approximation technique. The film thickness and the pressure profiles were determined for smooth and rough surfaces in the oscillatory EHL conjunctions, and the film thickness predictions were verified experimentally.

For an increase in the applied load on the cylinders or a decrease in the lubricant viscosity, there is a reduction in the minimum film thickness, as expected. The predicted film thickness for smooth surfaces is slightly higher than the film thickness obtained experimentally, owing primarily to cavitation that occurred in the experiments. The lubricant film under oscillatory motion becomes very thin near the ends of the contact when the velocity goes to zero as the motion direction changes, but a squeeze film effect keeps the fluid film thickness from decreasing to zero. This is especially true for surfaces of low elastic modulus. Harmonic surface roughness and the viscosity and power law index of the non-Newtonian lubricant all have significant effects on the film thickness and pressure profile between the cylinders under oscillatory motion.     

Stability analysis of rough journal bearings under TEHL with non-Newtonian lubricants

The combined effects of surface roughness and lubricants rheology on stability of a rigid rotor supported on finite journal bearing under thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication have been investigated using the transient method. The newly derived time dependent modified Reynolds and the adiabatic energy equations were formulated using a non-Newtonian Carreau viscosity model. The simultaneous systems of modified Reynolds equation, elasticity equation, energy equation, and the rotor motion equation with initial conditions were solved numerically using multigrid multi-level method with full approximation technique. From the characteristic equation, the instability threshold is then obtained with various surface roughness parameters and the elastic modulus of the bearing liner materials. The results show that stability of the bearing system deteriorates with decreasing both the power law exponent and the elastic modulus of bearing liner material. The rough surface journal bearing with transverse pattern under TEHL regime exhibits better stability when compared with the rough surface journal bearing with longitudinal pattern.     

Broadband bandpass filters using slotted resonators fed by interdigital coupled lines for improved upper stopband performances

This paper proposes new broadband microstrip bandpass filters based on slotted linear tapered-line resonator (SLTR) and slotted step impedance resonator (SSIR) structures for size reduction and improved stopband performances. A comprehensive treatment of slotted resonators and both ends of the resonator with interdigital coupled lines is described. The design concept is demonstrated by two filter examples including one with an SLTR and another one with an SSIR. These filters have not only compact size but also a wider upper stopband resulting from resonator bandstop characteristics. The simulated and experimental results of stopband performances are better than 15 dB for a frequency range up to 25 GHz.