Manufacturing vegetable oil based biodiesel: An engineering management perspective

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

According to the USDA, 6.45 million tons of cottonseed was produced in 2007. Each ton will yield approximately 44 to 46 gallons unrefined oil. Cottonseed oil bio-diesel could have the potential to create a more competitive oil market for oil mills. The proposed cost model is based on an existing cot...

Pyrolysis of forest residues: an approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The techno-economics for producing liquid fuels from Maine forest residues were determined from a combination of: (1) laboratory experiments at USDA-ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center using hog fuel (a secondary woody residue produced from mill byproducts such as sawdust, bark and shavings) as a...

76 FR 18157 - Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From Brazil, India, and Thailand: Notice of Initiation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-01

... (Marine Div.) Choice Canning Company Choice Trading Corporation Private Limited.\\2\\ Coastal Corporation... Investment and Trading Company Private Limited/Liberty Frozen Foods Pvt. Ltd./Liberty Oil Mills Ltd./Premier... International SSF Ltd Star Agro Marine Exports Private Limited......... Sun-Bio Technology Ltd Suryamitra Exim...

Investigation of the milling capabilities of the F10 Fine Grind mill using Box-Behnken designs.

PubMed

Tan, Bernice Mei Jin; Tay, Justin Yong Soon; Wong, Poh Mun; Chan, Lai Wah; Heng, Paul Wan Sia

2015-01-01

Size reduction or milling of the active is often the first processing step in the design of a dosage form. The ability of a mill to convert coarse crystals into the target size and size distribution efficiently is highly desirable as the quality of the final pharmaceutical product after processing is often still dependent on the dimensional attributes of its component constituents. The F10 Fine Grind mill is a mechanical impact mill designed to produce unimodal mid-size particles by utilizing a single-pass two-stage size reduction process for fine grinding of raw materials needed in secondary processing. Box-Behnken designs were used to investigate the effects of various mill variables (impeller, blower and feeder speeds and screen aperture size) on the milling of coarse crystals. Response variables included the particle size parameters (D10, D50 and D90), span and milling rate. Milled particles in the size range of 5-200 μm, with D50 ranging from 15 to 60 μm, were produced. The impeller and feeder speeds were the most critical factors influencing the particle size and milling rate, respectively. Size distributions of milled particles were better described by their goodness-of-fit to a log-normal distribution (i.e. unimodality) rather than span. Milled particles with symmetrical unimodal distributions were obtained when the screen aperture size was close to the median diameter of coarse particles employed. The capacity for high throughput milling of particles to a mid-size range, which is intermediate between conventional mechanical impact mills and air jet mills, was demonstrated in the F10 mill. Prediction models from the Box-Behnken designs will aid in providing a better guide to the milling process and milled product characteristics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A modified milling system, using a bimodal distribution of highly resistant ceramics. Part 1. A natural hydroxyapatite study.

PubMed

Harabi, Abdelhamid; Harabi, Esma

2015-06-01

A careful combination of the main parameters controlling natural hydroxyapatite (NHA: Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) production such as milling techniques, sintering temperature and holding time may lead to an interesting NHA based bio-ceramics without any foreign oxide additions. In this way, an original wet milling setup has been proposed to obtain sub-micron sized NHA powders. In order to avoid any possible NHA decomposition, a precise Ca/P ratio of NHA derived from animals was selected accordingly. Also, an alternative direct visual approach of the bone age classification was also proposed. A relative density of about 95% was obtained for powders sintered at 1300°C for 2h. The best Vickers micro-hardness and 3 point bending strength values for these sintered samples, using this proposed milling system and without any additions, were 4.7±0.3GPa and 37MPa, respectively. Finally, a complete correlation between the powder microstructure and the final product properties has been established. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of carbonization conditions on properties of bamboo pellets

Treesearch

Zhijia Liu; Zehui Jiang; Zhiyong Cai; Benhua Fei; Yan Yu; Xing' e Liu

2013-01-01

Bamboo is a biomass material and has great potential as a bio-energy resource of the future in China. Bamboo pellets were successfully manufactured using a laboratory pellet mill in preliminary work. This study was therefore carried out to investigate the effect of carbonization conditions (temperature and time) on properties of bamboo pellets and to evaluate product...

Synthesis of Bio-aromatics from Black Liquors Using Catalytic Pyrolysis

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Bio-aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylenes, BTX) were prepared by the catalytic pyrolysis of six different black liquors using both in situ and ex situ approaches. A wide range of catalysts was screened and conditions were optimized in microscale reactors. Up to 7 wt % of BTX, based on the organic fraction of the black liquors, was obtained for both the in situ and ex situ pyrolysis (T = 500–600 °C) using a Ga-modified H-ZSM-5 catalyst. The in situ catalytic pyrolysis of black liquors from hardwood paper mills afforded slightly higher yields of aromatics/BTX than softwood black liquors, a trend that could be confirmed by the results obtained in the ex situ catalytic pyrolysis. An almost full deoxygenation of the lignin and carbohydrate fraction was achieved and both organic fractions were converted to a broad range of (substituted) aromatics. The zeolite catalyst used was remarkably stable and even after 100 experiments in batch mode with intermittent oxidative catalyst regeneration, the yields and selectivity toward BTX remained similar. The ex situ pyrolysis of black liquor has potential for large-scale implementation in a paper mill without disturbing the paper production process. PMID:29607268

New alternative energy pathway for chemical pulp mills: From traditional fibers to methane production.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Chiang, Lourdes; Vanhatalo, Kari; Llorca, Jordi; Dahl, Olli

2017-07-01

Chemical pulp mills have a need to diversify their end-product portfolio due to the current changing bio-economy. In this study, the methane potential of brown, oxygen delignified and bleached pulp were evaluated in order to assess the potential of converting traditional fibers; as well as microcrystalline cellulose and filtrates; to energy. Results showed that high yields (380mL CH 4 /gVS) were achieved with bleached fibers which correlates with the lower presence of lignin. Filtrates from the hydrolysis process on the other hand, had the lowest yields (253mL CH 4 /gVS) due to the high amount of acid and lignin compounds that cause inhibition. Overall, substrates had a biodegradability above 50% which demonstrates that they can be subjected to efficient anaerobic digestion. An energy and cost estimation showed that the energy produced can be translated into a significant profit and that methane production can be a promising new alternative option for chemical pulp mills. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Black liquor gasification integrated in pulp and paper mills: A critical review.

PubMed

Naqvi, M; Yan, J; Dahlquist, E

2010-11-01

Black liquor gasification (BLG) has potential to replace a Tomlinson recovery boiler as an alternative technology to increase safety, flexibility and energy efficiency of pulp and paper mills. This paper presents an extensive literature review of the research and development of various BLG technologies over recent years based on low and high temperature gasification that include SCA-Billerud process, Manufacturing and Technology Conversion International (MTCI) process, direct alkali regeneration system (DARS), BLG with direct causticization, Chemrec BLG system, and catalytic hydrothermal BLG. A few technologies were tested on pilot scale but most of them were abandoned due to technical inferiority and very fewer are now at commercial stage. The drivers for the commercialization of BLG enabling bio-refinery operations at modern pulp mills, co-producing pulp and value added energy products, are discussed. In addition, the potential areas of research and development in BLG required to solve the critical issues and to fill research knowledge gaps are addressed and highlighted. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the Influence of Bio-catalytic Enzyme Produced from Fruit and Vegetable Waste on Palm Oil Mill Effluent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasit, Nazaitulshila; Chee Kuan, Ooi

2018-04-01

Pre-consumer waste from supermarkets, such as vegetables and fruits dreg are always discarded as solid waste and disposed to landfill. Implementing waste recovery method as a form of waste management strategy will reduce the amount of waste disposed. One of the ways to achieve this goal is through fermentation of the pre-consumer supermarket waste to produce a solution known as garbage enzyme. This study has been conducted to produce and characterize biocatalytic garbage enzyme and to evaluate its influence on palm oil mill effluent as a pre-treatment process before further biological process takes place. Garbage enzyme was produced by three-month long fermentation of a mixture of molasses, pre-consumer supermarket residues, and water in the ratio of 1:3:10. Subsequently, the characterization of enzyme was conducted based on pH, total solids (TS), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and enzyme activities. The influence of produced enzyme was evaluated on oil & grease (O&G), TSS and COD of palm oil mill effluent (POME). Different levels of dilution of garbage enzyme to POME samples (5%, 10%, 15%) were explored as pre-treatment (duration of six days) and the results showed that the garbage enzyme contained bio-catalytic enzyme such as amylase, protease, and lipase. The pre-treatment showed removal of 90% of O&G in 15% dilution of garbage enzyme. Meanwhile, reduction of TSS and COD in dilution of 10% garbage enzyme were measured at 50% and 25% respectively. The findings of this study are important to analyse the effectiveness of pre-treatment for further improvement of anaerobic treatment process of POME, especially during hydrolysis stage.

Adding biofuel/bioproduct capacity to existing U.S. mills. Part 1, Options : Agenda 2020 analysis charts a course.

Treesearch

Tom Belin; Craig Brown; Eric Connor; Jim Frederick; Peter Ince; Ryan Katofsky; Gerard Closset

2008-01-01

The chief technology officers of the American Forest & Paper Association’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance recently conducted an analysis of the most feasible and effective routes for forest products facilities in this country to add energy, biofuels and bio-based chemicals to their existing product streams. Considering that at least 21 billion gallons of the...

A context based approach using Green Chemistry/Bio-remediation principles to enhance interest and learning of organic chemistry in a high school AP chemistry classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Tricia

The ability of our planet to sustain life and heal itself is not as predictable as it used to be. Our need for educated future scientists who know what our planet needs, and can passionately apply that knowledge to find solutions should be at the heart of science education today. This study of learning organic chemistry through the lens of the environmental problem "What should be done with our food scraps?" explores student interest, and mastery of certain concepts in organic chemistry. This Green Chemistry/ Bio-remediation context-based teaching approach utilizes the Nature MillRTM, which is an indoor food waste composting machine, to learn about organic chemistry, and how this relates to landfill reduction possibilities, and resource production. During this unit students collected food waste from their cafeteria, and used the Nature MillRTM to convert food waste into compost. The use of these hands on activities, and group discussions in a context-based environment enhanced their interest in organic chemistry, and paper chromatography. According to a one-tailed paired T-test, the result show that this context-based approach is a significant way to increase both student interest and mastery of the content.

Anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) using bio-methane potential (BMP) test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, Nur Izzah Hamna A.; Hanafiah, Marlia M.

2018-04-01

Biogas is a promising sustainable and renewable energy alternative to reduce the dependence on fossil fuel. In Malaysia, the conversion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) to bioenergy has recently been expanded due to its high potential in generating energy. However, without a proper treatment and management, POME could be harmful to environment because it emits greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and could also pollutes the watercourses if discharge directly due to the high acidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) content. Many initiatives have been taken by the government towards sustainable development. Therefore, more efforts need to be practiced to improve and upscale the technology for a better waste management. In this study, the anaerobic digestion of POME was carried out using Bio-methane potential (BMP) test in batch and laboratory scales. Physicochemical characteristics and the biogas production of POME were measured. The BMP test under mesophilic condition was conducted for 23 consecutive days to measure the biogas production. The POME produced 721.3 cm3 of biogas by using anaerobic sludge as inoculum. The results also found that the methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) gases produced with 360.65 cm3 and 288.52 cm3, respectively.

Design and Testing of UMM Vertical Ball Mill (UVBM) for producing Aluminium Powder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aisyah, I. S.; Caesarendra, Wahyu; Suprihanto, Agus

2018-04-01

UMM Vertical Ball Mill (UVBM) was intended to be the apparatus to produce metal powder with superior characteristic in production rate while retaining good quality of metal powder. The concept of design was adopting design theory of Phal and Beitz with emphasis on increasing of probability of success in engineering and economy aspects.Since it was designed as vertical ball mill, a new way to produce powder, then it need to be tested for the performance after manufactured. The test on UVBM was carried out by milling of aluminium chip for 5 (five) different milling time of 0.5 hours, 1 hour, 3 hours, 5 hours and 7 hours, and the powder product then be characterized for it morphology and size using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Sieve.The results of the study were the longer of the milling time, the finer of the powder. From the test results of SEM, the morphology of the powder with 5 variations of milling time were most of the powder in form of flake (flat), small round and angular (irregular). The distribution of powder size was best obtained on the variation of milling time 3 hours, 5 hours, and 7 hours with percentage of 200 mesh in size of 22.14 %, 64 % and 91.25 % respectively.

Media milling process optimization for manufacture of drug nanoparticles using design of experiments (DOE).

PubMed

Nekkanti, Vijaykumar; Marwah, Ashwani; Pillai, Raviraj

2015-01-01

Design of experiments (DOE), a component of Quality by Design (QbD), is systematic and simultaneous evaluation of process variables to develop a product with predetermined quality attributes. This article presents a case study to understand the effects of process variables in a bead milling process used for manufacture of drug nanoparticles. Experiments were designed and results were computed according to a 3-factor, 3-level face-centered central composite design (CCD). The factors investigated were motor speed, pump speed and bead volume. Responses analyzed for evaluating these effects and interactions were milling time, particle size and process yield. Process validation batches were executed using the optimum process conditions obtained from software Design-Expert® to evaluate both the repeatability and reproducibility of bead milling technique. Milling time was optimized to <5 h to obtain the desired particle size (d90 < 400 nm). The desirability function used to optimize the response variables and observed responses were in agreement with experimental values. These results demonstrated the reliability of selected model for manufacture of drug nanoparticles with predictable quality attributes. The optimization of bead milling process variables by applying DOE resulted in considerable decrease in milling time to achieve the desired particle size. The study indicates the applicability of DOE approach to optimize critical process parameters in the manufacture of drug nanoparticles.

Pyrolysis of Woody Residue Feedstocks: Upgrading of Bio-Oils from Mountain-Pine-Beetle-Killed Trees and Hog Fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zacher, Alan H.; Elliott, Douglas C.; Olarte, Mariefel V.

Liquid transportation fuel blend-stocks were produced by pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading of woody residue biomass. Mountain pine beetle killed wood and hog fuel from a saw mill were pyrolyzed in a 1 kg/h fluidized bed reactor and subsequently upgraded to hydrocarbons in a continuous fixed bed hydrotreater. Upgrading was performed by catalytic hydrotreatment in a two-stage bed at 170°C and 405°C with a per bed LHSV between 0.17 and 0.19. The overall yields from biomass to upgraded fuel were similar for both feeds: 24-25% despite the differences in bio-oil (intermediate) mass yield. Pyrolysis bio-oil mass yield was 61% from MPBKmore » wood, and subsequent upgrading of the bio-oil gave an average mass yield of 41% to liquid fuel blend stocks. Hydrogen was consumed at an average of 0.042g/g of bio-oil fed, with final oxygen content in the product fuel ranging from 0.31% to 1.58% over the course of the test. Comparatively for hog fuel, pyrolysis bio-oil mass yield was lower at 54% due to inorganics in the biomass, but subsequent upgrading of that bio-oil had an average mass yield of 45% to liquid fuel, resulting in a similar final mass yield to fuel compared to the cleaner MPBK wood. Hydrogen consumption for the hog fuel upgrading averaged 0.041 g/g of bio-oil fed, and the final oxygen content of the product fuel ranged from 0.09% to 2.4% over the run. While it was confirmed that inorganic laded biomass yields less bio-oil, this work demonstrated that the resultant bio-oil can be upgraded to hydrocarbons at a higher yield than bio-oil from clean wood. Thus the final hydrocarbon yield from clean or residue biomass pyrolysis/upgrading was similar.« less

Microalgal bacterial flocs treating paper mill effluent: A sunlight-based approach for removing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium.

PubMed

Van Den Hende, Sofie; Rodrigues, André; Hamaekers, Helen; Sonnenholzner, Stanislaus; Vervaeren, Han; Boon, Nico

2017-10-25

Treatment of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) effluent from a paper mill in aerated activated sludge reactors involves high aeration costs. Moreover, this calcium-rich effluent leads to problematic scale formation. Therefore, a novel strategy for the aerobic treatment of paper mill UASB effluent in microalgal bacterial floc sequencing batch reactors (MaB-floc SBRs) is proposed, in which oxygen is provided via photosynthesis, and calcium is removed via bio-mineralization. Based on the results of batch experiments in the course of this study, a MaB-floc SBR was operated at an initial neutral pH. This SBR removed 58±21% organic carbon, 27±8% inorganic carbon, 77±5% nitrogen, 73±2% phosphorus, and 27±11% calcium. MaB-flocs contained 10±3% calcium, including biologically-influenced calcite crystals. The removal of calcium and inorganic carbon by MaB-flocs significantly decreased when inhibiting extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CA), an enzyme that catalyses the hydration and dehydration of CO 2 . This study demonstrates the potential of MaB-floc SBRs for the alternative treatment of calcium-rich paper mill effluent, and highlights the importance of extracellular CA in this treatment process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3. Interior of the attic of Mill No. 1, looking ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. Interior of the attic of Mill No. 1, looking west. Unlike Mill No. 2 or the Sugar River Grist Mill, there were no iron tension members in this roof truss design. The structural framing members and the roof sheathing have been encased in finish millwork. - Monadnock Mills, Mill No. 1, 13-17 Water Street, Claremont, Sullivan County, NH

Pathogenesis-Related Proteins of Tomato 1

PubMed Central

Vera, Pablo; Conejero, Vicente

1988-01-01

An endoproteinase induced by citrus exocortis viroid has been purified from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv “Rutgers”) leaves. The proteinase corresponds to one of the major pathogenesis-related proteins of tomato plants and was designated proteinase P-69 as it has a molecular weight of 69,000 to 70,000. The proteinase was purified in four steps: (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, chromatography on Bio-Gel P-60, DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, and casein-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The proteinase had a pH optimum of 8.5 to 9.0 when assayed with either fluorescein thiocarbamoyl derivative (FTC)-casein or FTC-ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase as substrates. The proteinase activity was inhibited by pCMB and strongly activated by calcium and magnesium ions as well as by DTT. When analyzed by electrofocusing, the activity showed a pI around 9.0. Images Fig. 4 Fig. 8 PMID:16666127

Engineering and technology of industrial water power at Castleford Mills from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century

PubMed Central

Rollinson, Andrew N.

2016-01-01

This article tells the story of engineering and technology at Castleford Water Mills from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century through the presentation of recently discovered design plans and deeds, supplemented by other historical research. One of Castleford's mills was operated by Dr Thomas Allinson's Natural Food Company and therefore retained stoneground milling when fashions for white flour prompted other mills to switch to roller systems. The millstones were powered by a high-efficiency breastshot wheel, believed to be the last of its type taken out of industrial service in Britain. Many of its features, and its subsequent longevity, can be attributed to the influential works of William Fairbairn and John Smeaton. Detailed colour designs show the construction specifications of this water-wheel and its civil housing, along with other engineering plans such as a previously unrecorded Henry Simon horizontal turbine. Links with John Smeaton and the entry in his catalogue of designs for Castleford Oil Mill are also explored, and a former flood mill is identified at the site.

The Value of the Freshwater Snail Dip Scoop Sampling Method in Macroinvertebrates Bioassessment of Sugar Mill Wastewater Pollution in Mbandjock, Cameroon

PubMed Central

Takougang, Innocent; Barbazan, Phillipe; Tchounwou, Paul B.; Noumi, Emmanuel

2008-01-01

Macroinvertebrates identification and enumeration may be used as a simple and affordable alternative to chemical analysis in water pollution monitoring. However, the ecological responses of various taxa to pollution are poorly known in resources-limited tropical countries. While freshwater macroinvertebrates have been used in the assessment of water quality in Europe and the Americas, investigations in Africa have mainly focused on snail hosts of human parasites. There is a need for sampling methods that can be used to assess both snails and other macroinvertebrates. The present study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of the freshwater snail dip scoop method in the study of macroinvertebrates for the assessment of the SOSUCAM sugar mill effluents pollution. Standard snail dip scoop samples were collected upstream and downstream of the factory effluent inputs, on the Mokona and Mengoala rivers. The analysis of the macroinvertebrate communities revealed the absence of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, and the thriving of Syrphidae in the sections of the rivers under high effluent load. The Shannon & Weaver diversity index was lower in these areas. The dip scoop sampling protocol was found to be a useful method for macroinvertebrates collection. Hence, this method is recommended as a simple, cost-effective and efficient tool for the bio-assessment of freshwater pollution in developing countries with limited research resources. PMID:18441407

The value of the freshwater snail dip scoop sampling method in macroinvertebrates bioassessment of sugar mill wastewater pollution in Mbandjock, Cameroon.

PubMed

Takougang, Innocent; Barbazan, Phillipe; Tchounwou, Paul B; Noumi, Emmanuel

2008-03-01

Macroinvertebrates identification and enumeration may be used as a simple and affordable alternative to chemical analysis in water pollution monitoring. However, the ecological responses of various taxa to pollution are poorly known in resources-limited tropical countries. While freshwater macroinvertebrates have been used in the assessment of water quality in Europe and the Americas, investigations in Africa have mainly focused on snail hosts of human parasites. There is a need for sampling methods that can be used to assess both snails and other macroinvertebrates. The present study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of the freshwater snail dip scoop method in the study of macroinvertebrates for the assessment of the SOSUCAM sugar mill effluents pollution. Standard snail dip scoop samples were collected upstream and downstream of the factory effluent inputs, on the Mokona and Mengoala rivers. The analysis of the macroinvertebrate communities revealed the absence of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, and the thriving of Syrphidae in the sections of the rivers under high effluent load. The Shannon & Weaver diversity index was lower in these areas. The dip scoop sampling protocol was found to be a useful method for macroinvertebrates collection. Hence, this method is recommended as a simple, cost-effective and efficient tool for the bio-assessment of freshwater pollution in developing countries with limited research resources.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR PULP AND PAPER-MILL SLUDGE LANDFILLS

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents procedures for the engineering design and control of pulp and paper-mill sludge disposal landfills. Engineering design will allow more efficient use, thereby contributing to economic and environmental benefits. To form the basis for engineering design of slud...

Analysis of machining accuracy during free form surface milling simulation for different milling strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matras, A.; Kowalczyk, R.

2014-11-01

The analysis results of machining accuracy after the free form surface milling simulations (based on machining EN AW- 7075 alloys) for different machining strategies (Level Z, Radial, Square, Circular) are presented in the work. Particular milling simulations were performed using CAD/CAM Esprit software. The accuracy of obtained allowance is defined as a difference between the theoretical surface of work piece element (the surface designed in CAD software) and the machined surface after a milling simulation. The difference between two surfaces describes a value of roughness, which is as the result of tool shape mapping on the machined surface. Accuracy of the left allowance notifies in direct way a surface quality after the finish machining. Described methodology of usage CAD/CAM software can to let improve a time design of machining process for a free form surface milling by a 5-axis CNC milling machine with omitting to perform the item on a milling machine in order to measure the machining accuracy for the selected strategies and cutting data.

7 CFR 868.316 - Special grade designation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... FOR CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES United States Standards for Milled Rice Special Grades, Special... designation for coated, granulated brewers, parboiled, undermilled, glutinous, or aromatic milled rice shall...

7 CFR 868.316 - Special grade designation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... FOR CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES United States Standards for Milled Rice Special Grades, Special... designation for coated, granulated brewers, parboiled, undermilled, glutinous, or aromatic milled rice shall...

A static model of a Sendzimir mill for use in shape control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunawardene, G. W. D. M.

The design of shape control systems is an area of current interest in the steel industry. Shape is defined as the internal stress distribution resulting from a transverse variation in the reduction of the strip thickness. The object of shape control is to adjust the mill so that the rolled strip is free from internal stresses. Both static and dynamic models of the mill are required for the control system design.The subject of this thesis is the static model of the Sendzimir cold rolling mill, which is a 1-2-3-4 type cluster mill. The static model derived enables shape profiles to be calculated for a given set of actuator positions, and is used to generate the steady state mill gains. The method of calculation of these shape profiles is discussed. The shape profiles obtained for different mill schedules are plotted against the distance across the strip. The corresponding mill gains are calculated and these relate the shape changes to the actuator changes. These mill gains are presented in the form of a square matrix, obtained by measuring shape at eight points across the strip.

EAST ELEVATION, LTV STEEL (FORMERLY REPUBLIC STEEL), 8" BAR MILL, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

EAST ELEVATION, LTV STEEL (FORMERLY REPUBLIC STEEL), 8" BAR MILL, BUFFALO PLANT. VIEW LOOKING SOUTHWEST FROM ROLL SHOP. 8" BAR MILL DESIGNED AND BUILT BY DONNER STEEL CO. (PREDECESSOR OF REPUBLIC), 1919-1920. FOR DESCRIPTION OF ORIGINAL MILL SEE "IRON AGE", 116\\4 (23 JULY 1925): 201-204. - LTV Steel, 8-inch Bar Mill, Buffalo Plant, Buffalo, Erie County, NY

Remedial action plan and site design for stabilization of the inactive uranium mill tailings sites at Rifle, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-02-01

This appendix assesses the present conditions and data gathered about the two inactive uranium mill tailings sites near Rifle, Colorado, and the designated disposal site six miles north of Rifle in the area of Estes Gulch. It consolidates available engineering, radiological, geotechnical, hydrological, meteorological, and other information pertinent to the design of the Remedial Action Plan (RAP). The data characterize conditions at the mill, tailings, and disposal site so that the Remedial Action Contractor (RAC) may complete final designs for the remedial actions.

An automated rough mill for the production of interior furniture parts

Treesearch

Philip A. Araman; Edwin L. Lucas

1975-01-01

An automated rough mill layout has been designed for manufacturing interior furniture parts. Designed to reduce human decisions and mistakes that can be costly when converting lumber into parts, the mill is based on a manufacturing sequence in which lumber is first gangsaw-ripped into standard-width strips before being crosscut to remove defects and cut to specific...

Rough mill simulator version 3.0: an analysis tool for refining rough mill operations

Treesearch

Edward Thomas; Joel Weiss

2006-01-01

ROMI-3 is a rough mill computer simulation package designed to be used by both rip-first and chop-first rough mill operators and researchers. ROMI-3 allows users to model and examine the complex relationships among cutting bill, lumber grade mix, processing options, and their impact on rough mill yield and efficiency. Integrated into the ROMI-3 software is a new least-...

Effect of Milling Time on the Microstructure, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Al-Al₂O₃ Nanocomposite Synthesized by Ball Milling and Powder Metallurgy.

PubMed

Toozandehjani, Meysam; Matori, Khamirul Amin; Ostovan, Farhad; Abdul Aziz, Sidek; Mamat, Md Shuhazlly

2017-10-26

The effect of milling time on the morphology, microstructure, physical and mechanical properties of pure Al-5 wt % Al₂O₃ (Al-5Al₂O₃) has been investigated. Al-5Al₂O₃ nanocomposites were fabricated using ball milling in a powder metallurgy route. The increase in the milling time resulted in the homogenous dispersion of 5 wt % Al₂O₃ nanoparticles, the reduction of particle clustering, and the reduction of distances between the composite particles. The significant grain refining during milling was revealed which showed as a reduction of particle size resulting from longer milling time. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the nanocomposite powders also showed that designated ball milling contributes to the crystalline refining and accumulation of internal stress due to induced severe plastic deformation of the particles. It can be argued that these morphological and microstructural variations of nanocomposite powders induced by designated ball milling time was found to contribute to an improvement in the density, densification, micro-hardness ( HV ), nano-hardness ( HN ), and Young's modulus ( E ) of Al-5Al₂O₃ nanocomposites. HV , HN , and E values of nanocomposites were increased by ~48%, 46%, and 40%, after 12 h of milling, respectively.

Remedial action plan and site design for stabilization of the inactive uranium mill tailings sites at Rifle, Colorado. Volume 2, Appendices D and E: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-02-01

This appendix assesses the present conditions and data gathered about the two inactive uranium mill tailings sites near Rifle, Colorado, and the designated disposal site six miles north of Rifle in the area of Estes Gulch. It consolidates available engineering, radiological, geotechnical, hydrological, meteorological, and other information pertinent to the design of the Remedial Action Plan (RAP). The data characterize conditions at the mill, tailings, and disposal site so that the Remedial Action Contractor (RAC) may complete final designs for the remedial actions.

ROMI 4.0: Updated Rough Mill Simulator

Treesearch

Timo Grueneberg; R. Edward Thomas; Urs Buehlmann

2012-01-01

In the secondary hardwood industry, rough mills convert hardwood lumber into dimension parts for furniture, cabinets, and other wood products. ROMI 4.0, the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service's ROugh-MIll simulator, is a software package designed to simulate the cut-up of hardwood lumber in rough mills in such a way that a maximum possible component yield...

Assessing the feasibility of yttria-stabilized zirconia in novel designs as mandibular anterior fixed lingual retention following orthodontic treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stout, Matthew

The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) in fixed lingual retention as an alternative to stainless steel. Exploratory Y-TZP specimens were milled to establish design parameters. Next, specimens were milled according to ASTM standard C1161-13 and subjected to four-point flexural test to determine materials properties. Finite Element (FE) Analysis was employed to evaluate nine novel cross-sectional designs and compared to stainless steel wire. Each design was analyzed under the loading conditions to determine von Mises and bond stress. The most promising design was fabricated to assess accuracy and precision of current CAD/CAM milling technology. The superior design had a 1.0 x 0.5 mm semi-elliptical cross section and was shown to be fabricated reliably. Overall, the milling indicated a maximum percent standard deviation of 9.3 and maximum percent error of 13.5 with a cost of $30 per specimen. Y-TZP can be reliably milled to dimensions comparable to currently available metallic retainer wires. Further research is necessary to determine the success of bonding protocol and clinical longevity of Y-TZP fixed retainers. Advanced technology is necessary to connect the intraoral scan to an aesthetic and patient-specific Y-TZP fixed retainer.

Effect of Milling Time on the Microstructure, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Al-Al2O3 Nanocomposite Synthesized by Ball Milling and Powder Metallurgy

PubMed Central

Matori, Khamirul Amin; Ostovan, Farhad; Abdul Aziz, Sidek; Mamat, Md Shuhazlly

2017-01-01

The effect of milling time on the morphology, microstructure, physical and mechanical properties of pure Al-5 wt % Al2O3 (Al-5Al2O3) has been investigated. Al-5Al2O3 nanocomposites were fabricated using ball milling in a powder metallurgy route. The increase in the milling time resulted in the homogenous dispersion of 5 wt % Al2O3 nanoparticles, the reduction of particle clustering, and the reduction of distances between the composite particles. The significant grain refining during milling was revealed which showed as a reduction of particle size resulting from longer milling time. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the nanocomposite powders also showed that designated ball milling contributes to the crystalline refining and accumulation of internal stress due to induced severe plastic deformation of the particles. It can be argued that these morphological and microstructural variations of nanocomposite powders induced by designated ball milling time was found to contribute to an improvement in the density, densification, micro-hardness (HV), nano-hardness (HN), and Young’s modulus (E) of Al-5Al2O3 nanocomposites. HV, HN, and E values of nanocomposites were increased by ~48%, 46%, and 40%, after 12 h of milling, respectively. PMID:29072632

BioNetCAD: design, simulation and experimental validation of synthetic biochemical networks

PubMed Central

Rialle, Stéphanie; Felicori, Liza; Dias-Lopes, Camila; Pérès, Sabine; El Atia, Sanaâ; Thierry, Alain R.; Amar, Patrick; Molina, Franck

2010-01-01

Motivation: Synthetic biology studies how to design and construct biological systems with functions that do not exist in nature. Biochemical networks, although easier to control, have been used less frequently than genetic networks as a base to build a synthetic system. To date, no clear engineering principles exist to design such cell-free biochemical networks. Results: We describe a methodology for the construction of synthetic biochemical networks based on three main steps: design, simulation and experimental validation. We developed BioNetCAD to help users to go through these steps. BioNetCAD allows designing abstract networks that can be implemented thanks to CompuBioTicDB, a database of parts for synthetic biology. BioNetCAD enables also simulations with the HSim software and the classical Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE). We demonstrate with a case study that BioNetCAD can rationalize and reduce further experimental validation during the construction of a biochemical network. Availability and implementation: BioNetCAD is freely available at http://www.sysdiag.cnrs.fr/BioNetCAD. It is implemented in Java and supported on MS Windows. CompuBioTicDB is freely accessible at http://compubiotic.sysdiag.cnrs.fr/ Contact: stephanie.rialle@sysdiag.cnrs.fr; franck.molina@sysdiag.cnrs.fr Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:20628073

The SHOLO mill: return on investment versus mill design

Treesearch

Hugh W. Reynolds; Charles J. Gatchell; Charles J. Gatchell

1971-01-01

The newly developed SHOLO (from SHOrt Log) process can be used to convert low-grade hardwood logs into parts for standard warehouse pallets and pulp chips. Should you build a SHOLO mill? This paper has been prepared to help you decide.

40 CFR 62.4352 - Identification of sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Kentucky Total Reduced Sulfur from Existing Kraft Pulp Mills § 62.4352 Identification of sources. The plan applies to..., Ky. (b) Willamette Industries, Corrugated Medium Mill and Bleached Pulp Mill, Hawesville, Kentucky...

Parametric evaluation of ball milling of SiC in water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiser, J. D.; Herbell, T. P.; Freedman, M. R.

1985-01-01

A statistically designed experiment was conducted to determine optimum conditions for ball milling alpha-SiC in water. The influence of pH adjustment, volume percent solids loading, and mill rotational speed on grinding effectiveness was examined. An equation defining the effect of those milling variables on specific surface area was obtained. The volume percent solids loading of the slurry had the greatest influence on the grinding effectiveness in terms of increase in specific surface area. As grinding effectiveness improved, mill and media wear also increased. Contamination was minimized by use of sintered alpha-SiC milling hardware.

Fabrication of micro-lens array on convex surface by meaning of micro-milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Peng; Du, Yunlong; Wang, Bo; Shan, Debin

2014-08-01

In order to develop the application of the micro-milling technology, and to fabricate ultra-precision optical surface with complex microstructure, in this paper, the primary experimental research on micro-milling complex microstructure array is carried out. A complex microstructure array surface with vary parameters is designed, and the mathematic model of the surface is set up and simulated. For the fabrication of the designed microstructure array surface, a micro three-axis ultra-precision milling machine tool is developed, aerostatic guideway drove directly by linear motor is adopted in order to guarantee the enough stiffness of the machine, and novel numerical control strategy with linear encoders of 5nm resolution used as the feedback of the control system is employed to ensure the extremely high motion control accuracy. With the help of CAD/CAM technology, convex micro lens array on convex spherical surface with different scales on material of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and pure copper is fabricated using micro tungsten carbide ball end milling tool based on the ultra-precision micro-milling machine. Excellent nanometer-level micro-movement performance of the axis is proved by motion control experiment. The fabrication is nearly as the same as the design, the characteristic scale of the microstructure is less than 200μm and the accuracy is better than 1μm. It prove that ultra-precision micro-milling technology based on micro ultra-precision machine tool is a suitable and optional method for micro manufacture of microstructure array surface on different kinds of materials, and with the development of micro milling cutter, ultraprecision micro-milling complex microstructure surface will be achieved in future.

Design of a Computerised Flight Mill Device to Measure the Flight Potential of Different Insects.

PubMed

Martí-Campoy, Antonio; Ávalos, Juan Antonio; Soto, Antonia; Rodríguez-Ballester, Francisco; Martínez-Blay, Victoria; Malumbres, Manuel Pérez

2016-04-07

Several insect species pose a serious threat to different plant species, sometimes becoming a pest that produces significant damage to the landscape, biodiversity, and/or the economy. This is the case of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), Semanotus laurasii Lucas (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), and Monochamus galloprovincialis Olivier (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), which have become serious threats to ornamental and productive trees all over the world such as palm trees, cypresses, and pines. Knowledge about their flight potential is very important for designing and applying measures targeted to reduce the negative effects from these pests. Studying the flight capability and behaviour of some insects is difficult due to their small size and the large area wherein they can fly, so we wondered how we could obtain information about their flight capabilities in a controlled environment. The answer came with the design of flight mills. Relevant data about the flight potential of these insects may be recorded and analysed by means of a flight mill. Once an insect is attached to the flight mill, it is able to fly in a circular direction without hitting walls or objects. By adding sensors to the flight mill, it is possible to record the number of revolutions and flight time. This paper presents a full description of a computer monitored flight mill. The description covers both the mechanical and the electronic parts in detail. The mill was designed to easily adapt to the anatomy of different insects and was successfully tested with individuals from three species R. ferrugineus, S. laurasii, and M. galloprovincialis.

Design of a Computerised Flight Mill Device to Measure the Flight Potential of Different Insects

PubMed Central

Martí-Campoy, Antonio; Ávalos, Juan Antonio; Soto, Antonia; Rodríguez-Ballester, Francisco; Martínez-Blay, Victoria; Malumbres, Manuel Pérez

2016-01-01

Several insect species pose a serious threat to different plant species, sometimes becoming a pest that produces significant damage to the landscape, biodiversity, and/or the economy. This is the case of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae), Semanotus laurasii Lucas (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), and Monochamus galloprovincialis Olivier (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), which have become serious threats to ornamental and productive trees all over the world such as palm trees, cypresses, and pines. Knowledge about their flight potential is very important for designing and applying measures targeted to reduce the negative effects from these pests. Studying the flight capability and behaviour of some insects is difficult due to their small size and the large area wherein they can fly, so we wondered how we could obtain information about their flight capabilities in a controlled environment. The answer came with the design of flight mills. Relevant data about the flight potential of these insects may be recorded and analysed by means of a flight mill. Once an insect is attached to the flight mill, it is able to fly in a circular direction without hitting walls or objects. By adding sensors to the flight mill, it is possible to record the number of revolutions and flight time. This paper presents a full description of a computer monitored flight mill. The description covers both the mechanical and the electronic parts in detail. The mill was designed to easily adapt to the anatomy of different insects and was successfully tested with individuals from three species R. ferrugineus, S. laurasii, and M. galloprovincialis. PMID:27070600

Training mechanical engineering students to utilize biological inspiration during product development.

PubMed

Bruck, Hugh A; Gershon, Alan L; Golden, Ira; Gupta, Satyandra K; Gyger, Lawrence S; Magrab, Edward B; Spranklin, Brent W

2007-12-01

The use of bio-inspiration for the development of new products and devices requires new educational tools for students consisting of appropriate design and manufacturing technologies, as well as curriculum. At the University of Maryland, new educational tools have been developed that introduce bio-inspired product realization to undergraduate mechanical engineering students. These tools include the development of a bio-inspired design repository, a concurrent fabrication and assembly manufacturing technology, a series of undergraduate curriculum modules and a new senior elective in the bio-inspired robotics area. This paper first presents an overview of the two new design and manufacturing technologies that enable students to realize bio-inspired products, and describes how these technologies are integrated into the undergraduate educational experience. Then, the undergraduate curriculum modules are presented, which provide students with the fundamental design and manufacturing principles needed to support bio-inspired product and device development. Finally, an elective bio-inspired robotics project course is present, which provides undergraduates with the opportunity to demonstrate the application of the knowledge acquired through the curriculum modules in their senior year using the new design and manufacturing technologies.

A Low Noise, Microprocessor-Controlled, Internally Digitizing Rotating-Vane Electric Field Mill for Airborne Platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bateman, M. G.; Stewart, M. F.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Podgorny, s. J.; Christian, H. J.; Mach, D. M.; Bailey, J. C.; Daskar, D.

2006-01-01

This paper reports on a new generation of aircraft-based rotating-vane style electric field mills designed and built at NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center. The mills have individual microprocessors that digitize the electric field signal at the mill and respond to commands from the data system computer. The mills are very sensitive (1 V/m per bit), have a wide dynamic range (115 dB), and are very low noise (+/-1 LSB). Mounted on an aircraft, these mills can measure fields from +/-1 V/m to +/-500 kV/m. Once-per-second commanding from the data collection computer to each mill allows for precise timing and synchronization. The mills can also be commanded to execute a self-calibration in flight, which is done periodically to monitor the status and health of each mill.

40 CFR 60.670 - Applicability and designation of affected facility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... mineral processing plants: each crusher, grinding mill, screening operation, bucket elevator, belt... grinding mills at hot mix asphalt facilities that reduce the size of nonmetallic minerals embedded in... or grinding mills above ground; and wet material processing operations (as defined in § 60.671). (b...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raj K. Rajamani; Jose Angel Delgadillo

A research team from the University of Utah is working to make inroads into saving energy in these SAG mills. In 2003, Industries of the Future Program of the Department of Energy tasked the University of Utah team to build a partnership between the University and the mining industry for the specific purpose of reducing energy consumption in SAG mills. A partnership was formed with Cortez Gold Mines, Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, Process Engineering Resources Inc. and Outokumpu Technology. In the current project, Cortez Gold Mines played a key role in facilitating the 26-ft SAG mill at Cortez as amore » test mill for this study. According to plant personnel, there were a number of unscheduled shut downs to repair broken liners and the mill throughput fluctuated depending on ore type. The University team had two softwares, Millsoft and FlowMod to tackle the problem. Millsoft is capable of simulating the motion of charge in the mill. FlowMod calculates the slurry flow through the grate and pulp lifters. Based on this data the two models were fine-tuned to fit the Cortez SAG will. In the summer of 2004 a new design of shell lifters were presented to Cortez and in September 2004 these lifters were installed in the SAG mill. By December 2004 Cortez Mines realized that the SAG mill is drawing approximately 236-kW less power than before while maintaining the same level of production. In the first month there was extreme cycling and operators had to learn more. Now the power consumption is 0.3-1.3 kWh/ton lower than before. The actual SAG mill power draw is 230-370 kW lower. Mill runs 1 rpm lesser in speed on the average. The recirculation to the cone crusher is reduced by 1-10%, which means more efficient grinding of critical size material is taking place in the mill. All of the savings have resulted in reduction of operating cost be about $0.023-$0.048/ ton. After completing the shell lifter design, the pulp lifter design was taken up. Through a series of mill surveys and model calculations it was figured that the radial pulp lifter installed on the mill had less than optimum discharge capacity. A number of alternative designs were evaluated. The final choice was the Turbo Pulp Lifter for which Outukumpu Technology, Centennial, Colorado had filed a patent. After installation of the pulp lifter a 22% increase in throughput rate from 344 stph to 421 stph was realized. A 35% decrease in the SAG mill power draw from 3,908 HP to 2,526 HP (2,915 kW to 1,884 kW) was recorded. This equates to a 47% decrease in SAG unit energy consumption from 8.98 kWh/ton to 4.74 kWh/ton. A 11% decrease in SAG mill speed was observed indicating optimized ball strikes. Also, the ball chip generation from the SAG mill was reduced considerably. Further more, a 7% decrease in ball mill power draw from 4,843 HP to 4,491 HP (3,613 kW to 3,350 kW) was observed. This equates to a 24% decrease in ball mill unit energy consumption from 11.13 kWh/ton to 8.43 kWh/ton.« less

Feasibility study on introduction of the bio-fuel power generation in tropical regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1993-03-01

Study is made on feasibility of introducing the bio-fuel power generation in tropical regions, especially in South East Asia including Okinawa and South America. Biomass promising as bio-fuel is bagasse and palm oil mill dregs; and bagasse is found to be advantageous to the use for large-scaled power generation. Prospective uses of bagasse are a combined use of gasification process and gas turbine power generation, an effective use of gas turbine exhaust heat at sugar cane factories, and a use of the system to be developed which totalizes these two. As to how to carry out the R and D project, since the gasification power generation process itself is a high technology and has partially unknown fields, it is desirable that research and development are conducted in such technologically developed countries as Japan (Okinawa). A developmental plan, therefore, is worked out as such that a pilot plant of approximately 3000kW is to be constructed in Okinawa because the period for bagasse production is at least 3 months there, and a commercial-scale plant is to be constructed and operated in such big bagasse-producing countries as Brazil.

Improved palatability and bio-functionality of super-hard rice by soaking in a barley-koji miso suspension.

PubMed

Nakamura, Sumiko; Nakano, Yohei; Satoh, Hikaru; Ohtsubo, Ken'ichi

2013-01-01

Cooked grains of ae rice cultivars are too hard and non-sticky due to the presence of long-chain amylopectin, and ae rice cultivars are therefore called ``super-hard rice'' and cannot be used as table rice. However, they are promising in terms of their bio-functionality such as preventing diabetes. Miso (soybean paste) is a yeast-fermented food, made from steamed soybeans, salt, and inoculated cereals known as koji, made from rice, barley, or soybeans.We investigated the effects of soaking ae mutant rice cultivars in a miso suspension. Their chemical components, physical properties, and enzyme activities were measured under different conditions (milled rice before or after soaking in a 5% barley-koji miso suspension). Rice grains cooked after soaking in the miso suspension were less hard and more sticky than those cooked after soaking in water. Rice grains cooked after soaking in a 5% barley-koji miso suspension maintained high amounts of resistant starch and dietary fiber, and were fortified with polyphenols and isoflavones. Palatable and bio-functional ae rice could therefore be produced by cooking after soaking in a 5% barley-koji miso suspension.

Introducing Students to Bio-Inspiration and Biomimetic Design: A Workshop Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santulli, Carlo; Langella, Carla

2011-01-01

In recent years, bio-inspired approach to design has gained considerable interest between designers, engineers and end-users. However, there are difficulties in introducing bio-inspiration concepts in the university curriculum in that they involve multi-disciplinary work, which can only possibly be successfully delivered by a team with integrated…

Design of pyrolysis reactor for production of bio-oil and bio-char simultaneously

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aladin, Andi; Alwi, Ratna Surya; Syarif, Takdir

2017-05-01

The residues from the wood industry are the main contributors to biomass waste in Indonesia. The conventional pyrolysis process, which needs a large energy as well as to produce various toxic chemical to the environment. Therefore, a pyrolysis unit on the laboratory scale was designed that can be a good alternative to achieve zero-waste and low energy cost. In this paper attempts to discuss design and system of pyrolysis reactor to produce bio-oil and bio-char simultaneously.

MASCULINIZATION OF FEMALE MOSQUITOFISH IN KRAFT MILL EFFLUENT-CONTAMINATED FENHOLLOWAY RIVER WATER IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANDROGEN RECEPTOR AGONIST ACTIVITY

EPA Science Inventory

Female mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis holbrooki) downstream from Kraft paper mills in Florida display masculinization of the anal fin, an androgen-dependent trait. The current investigation was designed to determine if water contaminated with pulp mill effluent (PME) from the Fe...

Digitally Milled Metal Framework for Fixed Complete Denture with Metal Occlusal Surfaces: A Design Concept.

PubMed

AlBader, Bader; AlHelal, Abdulaziz; Proussaefs, Periklis; Garbacea, Antonela; Kattadiyil, Mathew T; Lozada, Jaime

Implant-supported fixed complete dentures, often referred to as hybrid prostheses, have been associated with high implant survival rates but also with a high incidence of mechanical prosthetic complications. The most frequent of these complications have been fracture and wear of the veneering material. The proposed design concept incorporates the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth as part of a digital milled metal framework by designing the posterior first molars in full contour as part of the framework. The framework can be designed, scanned, and milled from a titanium blank using a milling machine. Acrylic resin teeth can then be placed on the framework by conventional protocol. The metal occlusal surfaces of the titanium-countered molars will be at centric occlusion. It is hypothesized that metal occlusal surfaces in the posterior region may reduce occlusal wear in these types of prostheses. When the proposed design protocol is followed, the connection between the metal frame and the cantilever part of the prosthesis is reinforced, which may lead to fewer fractures of the metal framework.

Implementation of design of experiments approach for the micronization of a drug with a high brittle-ductile transition particle diameter.

PubMed

Yazdi, Ashkan K; Smyth, Hugh D C

2017-03-01

To optimize air-jet milling conditions of ibuprofen (IBU) using design of experiment (DoE) method, and to test the generalizability of the optimized conditions for the processing of another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Bulk IBU was micronized using an Aljet mill according to a circumscribed central composite (CCC) design with grinding and pushing nozzle pressures (GrindP, PushP) varying from 20 to 110 psi. Output variables included yield and particle diameters at the 50th and 90th percentile (D 50 , D 90 ). Following data analysis, the optimized conditions were identified and tested to produce IBU particles with a minimum size and an acceptable yield. Finally, indomethacin (IND) was milled using the optimized conditions as well as the control. CCC design included eight successful runs for milling IBU from the ten total runs due to powder "blowback" from the feed hopper. DoE analysis allowed the optimization of the GrindP and PushP at 75 and 65 psi. In subsequent validation experiments using the optimized conditions, the experimental D 50 and D 90 values (1.9 and 3.6 μm) corresponded closely with the DoE modeling predicted values. Additionally, the optimized conditions were superior over the control conditions for the micronization of IND where smaller D 50 and D 90 values (1.2 and 2.7 μm vs. 1.8 and 4.4 μm) were produced. The optimization of a single-step air-jet milling of IBU using the DoE approach elucidated the optimal milling conditions, which were used to micronize IND using the optimized milling conditions.

Surface morphology study in high speed milling of soda lime glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konneh, Mohamed; Bagum, Mst. Nasima; Ali, Mohammad Yeakub; Amin, A. K. M. Nurul

2018-05-01

Soda lime glass has a wide range of applications in optical, bio-medical and semi-conductor industries. It is undeniably a challenging task to produce micro finish surface on an amorphous brittle solid like soda lime glass due to its low fracture toughness. In order to obtain such a finish surface, ductile machining has been exploited, as this usually cause's plastic flow which control crack propagation. At sub-micro scale cutting parameters, researchers achieved nano finish surface in micro milling operation using coated tool. However it is possible to enhance the rate of material removal (RMR) of soda lime glass at flexible cutting condition. High speed cutting at micro meter level, extend of thermal softening might be prominent than the strain gradient strengthening. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of high cutting speed end milling parameters on the surface texture of soda lime glass using uncoated carbide tool. The spindle speed, depth of cut and feed rate were varied from 20,000 to 40,000 rpm, 10 to 30 mm/min and 30 to 50 µm respectively. Mathematical model of roughness has been developed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Experimental verification confirmed that surface roughness (Ra) 0.38 µm is possible to achieve at increased RMR, 4.71 mm3/min.

Prevalence and associated factors of work related musculoskeletal disorders among commercial milling machine operators in South-Eastern Nigerian markets.

PubMed

Ojukwu, Chidiebele Petronilla; Anyanwu, Godson Emeka; Nwabueze, Augustine Chijindu; Anekwu, Emelie Morris; Chukwu, Sylvester Caesar

2017-01-01

Milling machine operators perform physically demanding tasks that can lead to work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs), but literature on WRMSDs among milling machine operators is scarce. Knowledge of prevalence and risk factors of WRMSDs can be an appropriate base for planning and implementing ergonomics intervention programs in the workplace. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern and associated factors of WRMSDs among commercial milling machine operators in Enugu, Nigeria. This cross-sectional survey involved 148 commercial milling machine operators (74 hand-operated milling machine operators (HOMMO) and 74 electrically-operated milling machine operators (EOMMO)), within the age range of 18-65 years, who were conveniently selected from four markets in Enugu, Nigeria. A standard Nordic questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of WRMSDs among the participants. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) related to prevalence of WRMSDs between HOMMOs (77%) and EOMMOs (50%). All body parts were affected in both groups and shoulders (85.1%) and lower back (46%) had the highest percentage of prevalence. Working in awkward and same postures, working with injury, poor workplace design, repetition of tasks, vibratory working equipments, reduced rest, high job demand and heavy lifting were significantly associated with the prevalence of WRMSDs. WRMSDs are prevalent among commercial milling machine operators with higher occurrence in HOMMOs. Ergonomic interventions, including the re-design of milling machines and appropriate work posture education of machine operators are recommended in the milling industry.

Methodology for Designing and Developing a New Ultra-Wideband Antenna Based on Bio-Inspired Optimization Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-11-01

ARL-TR-8225 ● NOV 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Methodology for Designing and Developing a New Ultra-Wideband Antenna Based...Research Laboratory Methodology for Designing and Developing a New Ultra-Wideband Antenna Based on Bio-Inspired Optimization Techniques by...SUBTITLE Methodology for Designing and Developing a New Ultra-Wideband Antenna Based on Bio-Inspired Optimization Techniques 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER

A bio-NanoRobot design for drosophila therapeutic cloning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chia-Pin; Szu, Harold

2006-04-01

To investigate Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), we choose the Drosophila cloning based on a recent experiment (Haigh, MacDonald, Lioyd, Gen. V.169,1165, 2005) to be improving the adulthood rate in 2-week turn-around time. Original 1% success rate might be due to three less certain key steps: (i) The double membranes of a nucleus has at its pore led to the attached Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), passing the genetic instruction to assemble amino acids, proteins and lipid at its smooth end. Also, any mismatch of nucleus with mitochondria (MT) having own small genome for energy production had led to reprogramming failure. (D. Wallace, UC Irvine, Nature,Vol. 439, pp.653). We ask "whether a guest DNA shall come with its servants, ER, MT, etc or not." It seemed to be logical to have a whole package replaced the embryonic host cell, equipped with all housekeeping, energy production and mitosis functionalities except the genetic information. To answer this hypothesis, we design a bio-NanoRobot having a surgical precision in removing the desired nucleus with or without its attached ER and MT material. The design is based on a real-time multiplexing principle of combining both the soft-contact-vision of the Nobel Laureate Binning called Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and the hard-grasp-action called NanoRobot TM by Xi and Szu, 2004. However, applying it, we must re-design a new bio-NanoRobot, consisting of two parts: (a) multiple resolution analysis (MRA) using AI to control a dual-resolution vision system: the soft-contact-vision AFM co-registered with a on-contact high resolution imaging; and (b) two cantilever arms capable to hold and enucleate a cell. The calibration and automation are controlled by AI Case-Based reasoning (CBR) together with AI Blackboard (BB) of the taxonomy, necessary for integrating different tool's tolerance and resolution at the same location. Moreover, keeping the biological sample in one place, while a set of tools rotates upon it similar to a set of microscopic lenses, we can avoid the non-real-time re-imaging, and inadvertent contamination. Applying an imposing electrical field, we can take the advantage of structure differences in smooth nuclear membranes inducing Van der Waal's forces versus random cytoplasm. (ii) The re-programming of transplanted cells to the ground state is unclear and usually relies on electrochemical means tested systematically in a modified 3D Caltech micro-fluidics. (iii) Our real-time MRA video-manipulator can elucidate the mitosis's tread-mill assembly mechanism in the development course of pluripotent stem cell differentiation into specialized tissue cell engineering. Such a combination bio-NanoRobot and micro-fluidic massive parallel assembly-line approach might not only replace the aspirating pipette with a self- enucleating Drosophila embryonic eggs, but also genetically reproduce a large amount of cloning embryonic eggs repeatedly for various re-programming hypotheses.

Composition of sugar cane, energy cane, and sweet sorghum suitable for ethanol production at Louisiana sugar mills.

PubMed

Kim, Misook; Day, Donal F

2011-07-01

A challenge facing the biofuel industry is to develop an economically viable and sustainable biorefinery. The existing potential biorefineries in Louisiana, raw sugar mills, operate only 3 months of the year. For year-round operation, they must adopt other feedstocks, besides sugar cane, as supplemental feedstocks. Energy cane and sweet sorghum have different harvest times, but can be processed for bio-ethanol using the same equipment. Juice of energy cane contains 9.8% fermentable sugars and that of sweet sorghum, 11.8%. Chemical composition of sugar cane bagasse was determined to be 42% cellulose, 25% hemicellulose, and 20% lignin, and that of energy cane was 43% cellulose, 24% hemicellulose, and 22% lignin. Sweet sorghum was 45% cellulose, 27% hemicellulose, and 21% lignin. Theoretical ethanol yields would be 3,609 kg per ha from sugar cane, 12,938 kg per ha from energy cane, and 5,804 kg per ha from sweet sorghum.

MASCULINIZATION OF FEMALE MOSQUITO FISH IN KRAFT MILL EFFLUENT -CONTAMINATED FENHOLLOWAY RIVER WATER IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANDROGEN RECEPTOR AGONIST ACTIVITY.

EPA Science Inventory

Female mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis holbrooki) downstream from Kraft paper mills in Florida display masculinization of the anal fin, an androgen-dependent trait. The current investigation was designed to determine if water contaminated with pulp-mill effluent (PME) from the Fen...

Design and Development of a Three-Component Force Sensor for Milling Process Monitoring

PubMed Central

Li, Yingxue; Zhao, Yulong; Fei, Jiyou; Qin, Yafei; Zhao, You; Cai, Anjiang; Gao, Song

2017-01-01

A strain-type three-component table dynamometer is presented in this paper, which reduces output errors produced by cutting forces imposed on the different milling positions of a workpiece. A sensor structure with eight parallel elastic beams is proposed, and sensitive regions and Wheastone measuring circuits are also designed in consideration of eliminating the influences of the eccentric forces. To evaluate the sensor decoupling performance, both of the static calibration and dynamic milling test were implemented in different positions of the workpiece. Static experiment results indicate that the maximal deviation between the measured forces and the standard inputs is 4.58%. Milling tests demonstrate that with same machining parameters, the differences of the measured forces between different milling positions derived by the developed sensor are no larger than 6.29%. In addition, the natural frequencies of the dynamometer are kept higher than 2585.5 Hz. All the measuring results show that as a strain-type dynamometer, the developed force sensor has an improved eccentric decoupling accuracy with natural frequencies not much decreased, which owns application potential in milling process monitoring. PMID:28441354

Machinability Study on Milling Kenaf Fiber Reinforced Plastic Composite Materials using Design of Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azmi, H.; Haron, C. H. C.; Ghani, J. A.; Suhaily, M.; Yuzairi, A. R.

2018-04-01

The surface roughness (Ra) and delamination factor (Fd) of a milled kenaf reinforced plastic composite materials are depending on the milling parameters (spindle speed, feed rate and depth of cut). Therefore, a study was carried out to investigate the relationship between the milling parameters and their effects on a kenaf reinforced plastic composite materials. The composite panels were fabricated using vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM) method. A full factorial design of experiments was use as an initial step to screen the significance of the parameters on the defects using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). If the curvature of the collected data shows significant, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is then applied for obtaining a quadratic modelling equation that has more reliable in expressing the optimization. Thus, the objective of this research is obtaining an optimum setting of milling parameters and modelling equations to minimize the surface roughness (Ra) and delamination factor (Fd) of milled kenaf reinforced plastic composite materials. The spindle speed and feed rate contributed the most in affecting the surface roughness and the delamination factor of the kenaf composite materials.

In vitro evaluation of marginal discrepancy of monolithic zirconia restorations fabricated with different CAD-CAM systems.

PubMed

Hamza, Tamer A; Sherif, Rana M

2017-06-01

Dental laboratories use different computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) systems to fabricate fixed prostheses; however, limited evidence is available concerning which system provides the best marginal discrepancy. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the marginal fit of 5 different monolithic zirconia restorations milled with different CAD-CAM systems. Thirty monolithic zirconia crowns were fabricated on a custom-designed stainless steel die and were divided into 5 groups according to the type of monolithic zirconia crown and the CAD-CAM system used: group TZ, milled with an MCXL milling machine; group CZ, translucent zirconia milled with a motion milling machine; group ZZ, zirconia milled with a dental milling unit; group PZ, translucent zirconia milled with a zirconia milling unit; and group BZ, solid zirconia milled using an S1 VHF milling machine. The marginal fit was measured with a binocular microscope at an original magnification of ×100. The results were tabulated and statistically analyzed with 1-way ANOVA and post hoc surface range test, and pairwise multiple comparisons were made using Bonferroni correction (α=.05). The type of CAD-CAM used affected the marginal fit of the monolithic restoration. The mean (±SD) highest marginal discrepancy was recorded in group TZI at 39.3 ±2.3 μm, while the least mean marginal discrepancy was recorded in group IZ (22.8 ±8.9 μm). The Bonferroni post hoc test showed that group TZI was significantly different from all other groups tested (P<.05). Within the limitation of this in vitro study, all tested CAD-CAM systems produced monolithic zirconia restorations with clinically acceptable marginal discrepancies; however, the CAD-CAM system with the 5-axis milling unit produced the best marginal fit. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects.

PubMed

Attisano, Alfredo; Murphy, James T; Vickers, Andrew; Moore, Patricia J

2015-12-10

Flight in insects can be long-range migratory flights, intermediate-range dispersal flights, or short-range host-seeking flights. Previous studies have shown that flight mills are valuable tools for the experimental study of insect flight behavior, allowing researchers to examine how factors such as age, host plants, or population source can influence an insects' propensity to disperse. Flight mills allow researchers to measure components of flight such as speed and distance flown. Lack of detailed information about how to build such a device can make their construction appear to be prohibitively complex. We present a simple and relatively inexpensive flight mill for the study of tethered flight in insects. Experimental insects can be tethered with non-toxic adhesives and revolve around an axis by means of a very low friction magnetic bearing. The mill is designed for the study of flight in controlled conditions as it can be used inside an incubator or environmental chamber. The strongest points are the very simple electronic circuitry, the design that allows sixteen insects to fly simultaneously allowing the collection and analysis of a large number of samples in a short time and the potential to use the device in a very limited workspace. This design is extremely flexible, and we have adjusted the mill to accommodate different species of insects of various sizes.

Effect of High Speed Sintering on the Properties of Zirconia Oxide Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-22

Beam-shaped specimens were designed using an Omnicam (Version 4.4.4; Dentsply Sirona) and milled from CAD/CAM blocks using a MCXL milling unit...8217. . . . . ··~· . IPS e.maxCAD CAD/CAM: block with milled beam RESUE.TS No significant differences were found for any of the properties tested between the

Detection of lesser grain borer larvae in internally infested kernels of brown rice and wheat using an electrically conductive roller mill

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Modifications were made to a small laboratory mill to enable the detection of rice kernels infested by immature, hidden stored-grain insects. The mill, which was originally designed for wheat, monitors the electrical conductance through the grain and detects kernels that are infested with live inse...

1. VIEW OF SUPERINTENDENT'S HOUSE ON ROUTE 29, LOOKING SOUTHWEST. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. VIEW OF SUPERINTENDENT'S HOUSE ON ROUTE 29, LOOKING SOUTHWEST. THIS TWO-STORY, HIPPED-ROOF STRUCTURE WITH A CENTRAL HALL AND CHIMNEY WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STARK MILL, NEW ENGLAND SOUTHERN MILLS IN 1923-24. THE MILL ENGINEERS, LOCKWOOD GREENE COMPANY, ALSO DESIGNED AND BUILT THE NEW MILL HOUSING. THIS HOUSE HAS SEVEN ROOMS, BATH, SCREENED OUTSIDE PORCH AND SLEEPING PORCH, AND GARAGE. IT COST APPROXIMATELY $9,000. - Superintendent's House, Southwest corner of Routes 29 & 100, Hogansville, Troup County, GA

76 FR 53113 - Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-25

.... Information regarding the Federal biobased preferred procurement program (one part of the BioPreferred Program... Request: Extension of a currently approved information collection. Abstract: The USDA BioPreferred Program... that then permit USDA to designate items for preferred procurement under the BioPreferred Program. Once...

Design and fabrication of complete dentures using CAD/CAM technology

PubMed Central

Han, Weili; Li, Yanfeng; Zhang, Yue; lv, Yuan; Zhang, Ying; Hu, Ping; Liu, Huanyue; Ma, Zheng; Shen, Yi

2017-01-01

Abstract The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of using commercially available computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology including 3Shape Dental System 2013 trial version, WIELAND V2.0.049 and WIELAND ZENOTEC T1 milling machine to design and fabricate complete dentures. The modeling process of full denture available in the trial version of 3Shape Dental System 2013 was used to design virtual complete dentures on the basis of 3-dimensional (3D) digital edentulous models generated from the physical models. The virtual complete dentures designed were exported to CAM software of WIELAND V2.0.049. A WIELAND ZENOTEC T1 milling machine controlled by the CAM software was used to fabricate physical dentitions and baseplates by milling acrylic resin composite plates. The physical dentitions were bonded to the corresponding baseplates to form the maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. Virtual complete dentures were successfully designed using the software through several steps including generation of 3D digital edentulous models, model analysis, arrangement of artificial teeth, trimming relief area, and occlusal adjustment. Physical dentitions and baseplates were successfully fabricated according to the designed virtual complete dentures using milling machine controlled by a CAM software. Bonding physical dentitions to the corresponding baseplates generated the final physical complete dentures. Our study demonstrated that complete dentures could be successfully designed and fabricated by using CAD/CAM. PMID:28072686

Assessment of potential life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emission effects from using corn-based butanol as a transportation fuel.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, M.; Wang, M.; Liu, J.

2008-01-01

Since advances in the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process in recent years have led to significant increases in its productivity and yields, the production of butanol and its use in motor vehicles have become an option worth evaluating. This study estimates the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. It employs a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis tool: the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The estimates of life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are based on an Aspen Plus(reg. sign) simulation for a corn-to-butanol production process, which describesmore » grain processing, fermentation, and product separation. Bio-butanol-related WTW activities include corn farming, corn transportation, butanol production, butanol transportation, and vehicle operation. In this study, we also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. Our study shows that driving vehicles fueled with corn-based butanol produced by the current ABE fermentation process could result in substantial fossil energy savings (39%-56%) and avoid large percentage of the GHG emission burden, yielding a 32%-48% reduction relative to using conventional gasoline. On energy basis, a bushel of corn produces less liquid fuel from the ABE process than that from the corn ethanol dry mill process. The coproduction of a significant portion of acetone from the current ABE fermentation presents a challenge. A market analysis of acetone, as well as research and development on robust alternative technologies and processes that minimize acetone while increase the butanol yield, should be conducted.« less

Assessment of potential life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emission effects from using corn-based butanol as a transportation fuel.

PubMed

Wu, May; Wang, Michael; Liu, Jiahong; Huo, Hong

2008-01-01

Since advances in the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process in recent years have led to significant increases in its productivity and yields, the production of butanol and its use in motor vehicles have become an option worth evaluating. This study estimates the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. It employs a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis tool: the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The estimates of life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are based on an Aspen Plus(R) simulation for a corn-to-butanol production process, which describes grain processing, fermentation, and product separation. Bio-butanol-related WTW activities include corn farming, corn transportation, butanol production, butanol transportation, and vehicle operation. In this study, we also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. Our study shows that driving vehicles fueled with corn-based butanol produced by the current ABE fermentation process could result in substantial fossil energy savings (39%-56%) and avoid large percentage of the GHG emission burden, yielding a 32%-48% reduction relative to using conventional gasoline. On energy basis, a bushel of corn produces less liquid fuel from the ABE process than that from the corn ethanol dry mill process. The coproduction of a significant portion of acetone from the current ABE fermentation presents a challenge. A market analysis of acetone, as well as research and development on robust alternative technologies and processes that minimize acetone while increase the butanol yield, should be conducted.

Analysis of the influence of the milling machine throw-out plate surfacing and structure design on throwing material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Yuanbin; Sha, Hongwei; Yu, Yunmin; Chen, Bing

2018-03-01

Material composition, hardness and wear properties of the throw-out plate improved are analysed on a road milling machine. At the same time, analyse the tissue and performance of Fe based alloy named Fe60 cladding layer using the plasma surfacing method. And the original and improved throw-out plates are analysed throwing material effect by the dynamic analysis. Then the throw-out plate samples are verified. The results show that Fe60 powder is selected as surface strengthening material. By the improved structure, the hardness of the throw-out plate increases from 14.6HRC to 57.5HRC, and the wear resistance increases from 0.452g-1 to 16.393g-1. At the same time, it increases from 3263 to 3433 to fall into the collecting material number of milling machine. It provides important guidance for structure design and process design of the milling machine throw-out plate.

Integrated techno-economic and environmental analysis of butadiene production from biomass.

PubMed

Farzad, Somayeh; Mandegari, Mohsen Ali; Görgens, Johann F

2017-09-01

In this study, lignocellulose biorefineries annexed to a typical sugar mill were investigated to produce either ethanol (EtOH) or 1,3-butadiene (BD), utilizing bagasse and trash as feedstock. Aspen simulation of the scenarios were developed and evaluated in terms of economic and environmental performance. The minimum selling prices (MSPs) for bio-based BD and EtOH production were 2.9-3.3 and 1.26-1.38-fold higher than market prices, respectively. Based on the sensitivity analysis results, capital investment, Internal Rate of Return and extension of annual operating time had the greatest impact on the MSP. Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated that EtOH and BD productions could be profitable if the average of ten-year historical price increases by 1.05 and 1.9-fold, respectively. The fossil-based route was found inferior to bio-based pathway across all investigated environmental impact categories, due to burdens associated with oil extraction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanochemistry of Chitosan-Coated Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) Nanocrystals for Bio-imaging Applications.

PubMed

Bujňáková, Zdenka; Dutková, Erika; Kello, Martin; Mojžiš, Ján; Baláž, Matej; Baláž, Peter; Shpotyuk, Oleh

2017-12-01

The ZnS nanocrystals were prepared in chitosan solution (0.1 wt.%) using a wet ultra-fine milling. The obtained suspension was stable and reached high value of zeta potential (+57 mV). The changes in FTIR spectrum confirmed the successful surface coating of ZnS nanoparticles by chitosan. The prepared ZnS nanocrystals possessed interesting optical properties verified in vitro. Four cancer cells were selected (CaCo-2, HCT116, HeLa, and MCF-7), and after their treatment with the nanosuspension, the distribution of ZnS in the cells was studied using a fluorescence microscope. The particles were clearly seen; they passed through the cell membrane and accumulated in cytosol. The biological activity of the cells was not influenced by nanoparticles, they did not cause cell death, and only the granularity of cells was increased as a consequence of cellular uptake. These results confirm the potential of ZnS nanocrystals using in bio-imaging applications.

Lignin Depolymerisation and Lignocellulose Fractionation by Solvated Electrons in Liquid Ammonia.

PubMed

Prinsen, Pepijn; Narani, Anand; Rothenberg, Gadi

2017-03-09

We explored the depolymerisation of several lignins in liquid ammonia at relatively high temperatures and pressures (120 °C and 88 bar). Five different lignins were tested: Indulin AT kraft, Protobind 1000 soda, wheat straw organosolv, poplar organosolv and elephant grass-milled wood lignin (EG MWL). In pure liquid ammonia, all lignins underwent slow incorporation of nitrogen into their structure, resulting in higher molecular weight and polydispersity index. Subsequently, we show a reductive depolymerisation by solvated electrons at room temperature by adding sodium metal to the liquid ammonia without any external hydrogen donor. The netto yields of bio-oil are low for technical lignins (10-23 %), but with higher yields of alkylphenols. In the case of native EG MWL, netto yields of 40 % bio-oil were achieved. Finally, when the room temperature method was applied to poplar wood fibre, we observe improved delignification upon the addition of sodium compared to poplar wood fractionation in pure liquid ammonia. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Mechanochemistry of Chitosan-Coated Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) Nanocrystals for Bio-imaging Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bujňáková, Zdenka; Dutková, Erika; Kello, Martin; Mojžiš, Ján; Baláž, Matej; Baláž, Peter; Shpotyuk, Oleh

2017-05-01

The ZnS nanocrystals were prepared in chitosan solution (0.1 wt.%) using a wet ultra-fine milling. The obtained suspension was stable and reached high value of zeta potential (+57 mV). The changes in FTIR spectrum confirmed the successful surface coating of ZnS nanoparticles by chitosan. The prepared ZnS nanocrystals possessed interesting optical properties verified in vitro. Four cancer cells were selected (CaCo-2, HCT116, HeLa, and MCF-7), and after their treatment with the nanosuspension, the distribution of ZnS in the cells was studied using a fluorescence microscope. The particles were clearly seen; they passed through the cell membrane and accumulated in cytosol. The biological activity of the cells was not influenced by nanoparticles, they did not cause cell death, and only the granularity of cells was increased as a consequence of cellular uptake. These results confirm the potential of ZnS nanocrystals using in bio-imaging applications.

Motion Simulation Analysis of Rail Weld CNC Fine Milling Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Huajie; Shu, Min; Li, Chao; Zhang, Baojun

CNC fine milling machine is a new advanced equipment of rail weld precision machining with high precision, high efficiency, low environmental pollution and other technical advantages. The motion performance of this machine directly affects its machining accuracy and stability, which makes it an important consideration for its design. Based on the design drawings, this article completed 3D modeling of 60mm/kg rail weld CNC fine milling machine by using Solidworks. After that, the geometry was imported into Adams to finish the motion simulation analysis. The displacement, velocity, angular velocity and some other kinematical parameters curves of the main components were obtained in the post-processing and these are the scientific basis for the design and development for this machine.

Upgrading of an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant by adding a moving bed biofilm reactor as pre-treatment and ozonation followed by biofiltration for enhanced COD reduction: design and operation experience.

PubMed

Kaindl, Nikolaus

2010-01-01

A paper mill producing 500,000 ton of graphic paper annually has an on-site wastewater treatment plant that treats 7,240,000 m³ of wastewater per year, mechanically first, then biologically and at last by ozonation. Increased paper production capacity led to higher COD load in the mill effluent while production of higher proportions of brighter products gave worse biodegradability. Therefore the biological capacity of the WWTP needed to be increased and extra measures were necessary to enhance the efficiency of COD reduction. The full scale implementation of one MBBR with a volume of 1,230 m³ was accomplished in 2000 followed by another MBBR of 2,475 m³ in 2002. An ozonation step with a capacity of 75 kg O₃/h was added in 2004 to meet higher COD reduction demands during the production of brighter products and thus keeping the given outflow limits. Adding a moving bed biofilm reactor prior to the existing activated sludge step gives: (i) cost advantages when increasing biological capacity as higher COD volume loads of MBBRs allow smaller reactors than usual for activated sludge plants; (ii) a relief of strain from the activated sludge step by biological degradation in the MBBR; (iii) equalizing of peaks in the COD load and toxic effects before affecting the activated sludge step; (iv) a stable volume sludge index below 100 ml/g in combination with an optimization of the activated sludge step allows good sludge separation--an important condition for further treatment with ozone. Ozonation and subsequent bio-filtration pre-treated waste water provide: (i) reduction of hard COD unobtainable by conventional treatment; (ii) controllable COD reduction in a very wide range and therefore elimination of COD-peaks; (iii) reduction of treatment costs by combination of ozonation and subsequent bio-filtration; (iv) decrease of the color in the ozonated wastewater. The MBBR step proved very simple to operate as part of the biological treatment. Excellent control of the COD-removal rate in the ozone step allowed for economical usage and therefore acceptable operation costs in relation to the paper production.

BioPCD - A Language for GUI Development Requiring a Minimal Skill Set.

PubMed

Alvare, Graham Gm; Roche-Lima, Abiel; Fristensky, Brian

2012-11-01

BioPCD is a new language whose purpose is to simplify the creation of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) by biologists with minimal programming skills. The first step in developing BioPCD was to create a minimal superset of the language referred to as PCD (Pythonesque Command Description). PCD defines the core of terminals and high-level nonterminals required to describe data of almost any type. BioPCD adds to PCD the constructs necessary to describe GUI components and the syntax for executing system commands. BioPCD is implemented using JavaCC to convert the grammar into code. BioPCD is designed to be terse and readable and simple enough to be learned by copying and modifying existing BioPCD files. We demonstrate that BioPCD can easily be used to generate GUIs for existing command line programs. Although BioPCD was designed to make it easier to run bioinformatics programs, it could be used in any domain in which many useful command line programs exist that do not have GUI interfaces.

Dispersion of fine phosphor particles by newly developed beads mill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joni, I. Made; Panatarani, C.; Maulana, Dwindra W.

2016-02-01

Fine phosphor Y2O3:Eu3+ particles has advanced properties compare to conventional particles applied for compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) as three band phosphor. However, suspension of fine particles easily agglomerated during preparation of spray coating of the CFL tube. Therefore, it is introduced newly developed beads mill system to disperse fine phosphor. The beads mill consist of glass beads, dispersing chamber (impellers), separator chamber, slurry pump and motors. The first important performance of beads mill is the performance of the designed on separating the beads with the suspended fine particles. We report the development of beads mill and its separation performance vary in flow rate and separator rotation speeds. The 27 kg of glass beads with 30 µm in size was poured into dispersing chamber and then water was pumped continuously through the slurry pump. The samples for the separation test was obtained every 1 hours vary in rotation speed and slurry flow rate. The results shows that the separation performance was 99.99 % obtained for the rotation speed of >1000 rpm and flow rate of 8 L/minute. The performances of the system was verified by dispersing fine phosphor Y2O3:Eu3+ particles with concentration 1 wt.%. From the observed size distribution of particles after beads mill, it is concluded that the current design of bead mill effectively dispersed fine phosphor Y2O3:Eu3+.

Roll compaction/dry granulation: comparison between roll mill and oscillating granulator in dry granulation.

PubMed

Sakwanichol, Jarunee; Puttipipatkhachorn, Satit; Ingenerf, Gernot; Kleinebudde, Peter

2012-01-01

Different experimental factorial designs were employed to evaluate granule properties obtained from oscillating granulator and roll mill. Four oscillating-granulator parameters were varied, i.e. rotor speed, oscillating angle, aperture of mesh screen and rotor type. Six roll-mill parameters that were throughput, speed ratio in both first and second stages, gap between roll pair in both stages and roll-surface texture were also investigated. Afterwards, the granule properties obtained from two milling types with similar median particle size were compared. All milling parameters in both milling types affected significantly the median particle size, size distribution and amount of fine particles (P < 0.05), except the rotor types of oscillating granulator on fines. Only three milling parameters influenced significantly the flowability (P < 0.05). These were the throughput and the gap size in the first stage of roll mill and the sieve size of oscillating granulator. In comparison between milling types, the differences of granule properties were not practically relevant. However, the roll mill had much higher capacity than the oscillating granulator about seven times, resulting in improving energy savings per unit of product. Consequently, the roll mill can be applied instead of oscillating granulator for roll compaction/dry granulation technique.

Use of Computer Simulation in Designing and Evaluating a Proposed Rough Mill for Furniture Interior Parts

Treesearch

Philip A. Araman

1977-01-01

The design of a rough mill for the production of interior furniture parts is used to illustrate a simulation technique for analyzing and evaluating established and proposed sequential production systems. Distributions representing the real-world random characteristics of lumber, equipment feed speeds and delay times are programmed into the simulation. An example is...

A Tale of Three Campuses: Planning and Design in Response to the Cultural Heritages at Mills College, the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiene, Karen; Sabbatini, Robert

2011-01-01

How do forward-looking institutions with rich landscape and architectural heritages integrate contemporary programming and design? This article explores the evolution of the Mills College campus and compares it with two larger western universities: the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and Leland Stanford, Jr., University (Stanford…

40 CFR 63.860 - Applicability and designation of affected source.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... soda pulp mill. (2) Each new nondirect contact evaporator (NDCE) recovery furnace and associated smelt dissolving tank(s) located at a kraft or soda pulp mill. (3) Each new direct contact evaporator (DCE...

40 CFR 63.860 - Applicability and designation of affected source.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... soda pulp mill. (2) Each new nondirect contact evaporator (NDCE) recovery furnace and associated smelt dissolving tank(s) located at a kraft or soda pulp mill. (3) Each new direct contact evaporator (DCE...

40 CFR 63.860 - Applicability and designation of affected source.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... soda pulp mill. (2) Each new nondirect contact evaporator (NDCE) recovery furnace and associated smelt dissolving tank(s) located at a kraft or soda pulp mill. (3) Each new direct contact evaporator (DCE...

40 CFR 63.860 - Applicability and designation of affected source.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... soda pulp mill. (2) Each new nondirect contact evaporator (NDCE) recovery furnace and associated smelt dissolving tank(s) located at a kraft or soda pulp mill. (3) Each new direct contact evaporator (DCE...

40 CFR 63.860 - Applicability and designation of affected source.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... soda pulp mill. (2) Each new nondirect contact evaporator (NDCE) recovery furnace and associated smelt dissolving tank(s) located at a kraft or soda pulp mill. (3) Each new direct contact evaporator (DCE...

Towards quality by design in pharmaceutical manufacturing: modelling and control of air jet mills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhonsale, Satyajeet; Telen, Dries; Stokbroekx, Bard; Van Impe, Jan

2017-06-01

Milling is an important step in pharmaceutical manufacturing as it not only determines the final formulation of the drug product, but also influences the bioavailability and dissolution rate of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). In this respect, the air jet mill (AJM) is most commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry as it is a non-contaminating and non-degrading self-classifying process capable of delivering narrow particle size distributions (PSD). Keeping the principles of Quality by Design in mind, the Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) of the AJM have been identified to be the pressures at the grinding nozzles, and the feed rate which affect the PSD, surface charge and the morphology of the product (i.e. the Critical Material Attributes (CMAs)). For the purpose of this research, the PSD is considered to be the only relevant CMA. A population balance based model is proposed to simulate the dynamics milling operation by utilizing the concept of breakage functions. This model agrees qualitatively with experimental observations of the air jet mill unit present at Janssen Pharmaceutica but further steps for model validation need to be carried out.

Ultra-high aspect ratio replaceable AFM tips using deformation-suppressed focused ion beam milling.

PubMed

Savenko, Alexey; Yildiz, Izzet; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Bøggild, Peter; Bartenwerfer, Malte; Krohs, Florian; Oliva, Maria; Harzendorf, Torsten

2013-11-22

Fabrication of ultra-high aspect ratio exchangeable and customizable tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM) using lateral focused ion beam (FIB) milling is presented. While on-axis FIB milling does allow high aspect ratio (HAR) AFM tips to be defined, lateral milling gives far better flexibility in terms of defining the shape and size of the tip. Due to beam-induced deformation, it has so far not been possible to define HAR structures using lateral FIB milling. In this work we obtain aspect ratios of up to 45, with tip diameters down to 9 nm, by a deformation-suppressing writing strategy. Several FIB milling strategies for obtaining sharper tips are discussed. Finally, assembly of the HAR tips on a custom-designed probe as well as the first AFM scanning is shown.

BioPCD - A Language for GUI Development Requiring a Minimal Skill Set

PubMed Central

Alvare, Graham GM; Roche-Lima, Abiel; Fristensky, Brian

2016-01-01

BioPCD is a new language whose purpose is to simplify the creation of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) by biologists with minimal programming skills. The first step in developing BioPCD was to create a minimal superset of the language referred to as PCD (Pythonesque Command Description). PCD defines the core of terminals and high-level nonterminals required to describe data of almost any type. BioPCD adds to PCD the constructs necessary to describe GUI components and the syntax for executing system commands. BioPCD is implemented using JavaCC to convert the grammar into code. BioPCD is designed to be terse and readable and simple enough to be learned by copying and modifying existing BioPCD files. We demonstrate that BioPCD can easily be used to generate GUIs for existing command line programs. Although BioPCD was designed to make it easier to run bioinformatics programs, it could be used in any domain in which many useful command line programs exist that do not have GUI interfaces. PMID:27818582

4. Interior of second floor of Dixie Cotton Mill, view ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. Interior of second floor of Dixie Cotton Mill, view facing west. This area is now designated the upstairs yarn storage room. Note the change of column type and roof structure from the first to second column in foreground of photograph. The round columns were used in the 1913 addition to the original 1895 structure. - Dixie Cotton Mill, 710 Greenville Street, La Grange, Troup County, GA

PLYMAP : a computer simulation model of the rotary peeled softwood plywood manufacturing process

Treesearch

Henry Spelter

1990-01-01

This report documents a simulation model of the plywood manufacturing process. Its purpose is to enable a user to make quick estimates of the economic impact of a particular process change within a mill. The program was designed to simulate the processing of plywood within a relatively simplified mill design. Within that limitation, however, it allows a wide range of...

Direct Bio-printing with Heterogeneous Topology Design.

PubMed

Ahsan, Amm Nazmul; Xie, Ruinan; Khoda, Bashir

2017-01-01

Bio-additive manufacturing is a promising tool to fabricate porous scaffold structures for expediting the tissue regeneration processes. Unlike the most traditional bulk material objects, the microstructures of tissue and organs are mostly highly anisotropic, heterogeneous, and porous in nature. However, modelling the internal heterogeneity of tissues/organs structures in the traditional CAD environment is difficult and oftentimes inaccurate. Besides, the de facto STL conversion of bio-models introduces loss of information and piles up more errors in each subsequent step (build orientation, slicing, tool-path planning) of the bio-printing process plan. We are proposing a topology based scaffold design methodology to accurately represent the heterogeneous internal architecture of tissues/organs. An image analysis technique is used that digitizes the topology information contained in medical images of tissues/organs. A weighted topology reconstruction algorithm is implemented to represent the heterogeneity with parametric functions. The parametric functions are then used to map the spatial material distribution. The generated information is directly transferred to the 3D bio-printer and heterogeneous porous tissue scaffold structure is manufactured without STL file. The proposed methodology is implemented to verify the effectiveness of the approach and the designed example structure is bio-fabricated with a deposition based bio-additive manufacturing system.

Cascade use indicators for selected biopolymers: Are we aiming for the right solutions in the design for recycling of bio-based polymers?

PubMed

Hildebrandt, Jakob; Bezama, Alberto; Thrän, Daniela

2017-04-01

When surveying the trends and criteria for the design for recycling (DfR) of bio-based polymers, priorities appear to lie in energy recovery at the end of the product life of durable products, such as bio-based thermosets. Non-durable products made of thermoplastic polymers exhibit good properties for material recycling. The latter commonly enjoy growing material recycling quotas in countries that enforce a landfill ban. Quantitative and qualitative indicators are needed for characterizing progress in the development towards more recycling friendly bio-based polymers. This would enable the deficits in recycling bio-based plastics to be tracked and improved. The aim of this paper is to analyse the trends in the DfR of bio-based polymers and the constraints posed by the recycling infrastructure on plastic polymers from a systems perspective. This analysis produces recommendations on how life cycle assessment indicators can be introduced into the dialogue between designers and recyclers in order to promote DfR principles to enhance the cascading use of bio-based polymers within the bioeconomy, and to meet circular economy goals.

Cascade use indicators for selected biopolymers: Are we aiming for the right solutions in the design for recycling of bio-based polymers?

PubMed Central

Hildebrandt, Jakob; Bezama, Alberto; Thrän, Daniela

2017-01-01

When surveying the trends and criteria for the design for recycling (DfR) of bio-based polymers, priorities appear to lie in energy recovery at the end of the product life of durable products, such as bio-based thermosets. Non-durable products made of thermoplastic polymers exhibit good properties for material recycling. The latter commonly enjoy growing material recycling quotas in countries that enforce a landfill ban. Quantitative and qualitative indicators are needed for characterizing progress in the development towards more recycling friendly bio-based polymers. This would enable the deficits in recycling bio-based plastics to be tracked and improved. The aim of this paper is to analyse the trends in the DfR of bio-based polymers and the constraints posed by the recycling infrastructure on plastic polymers from a systems perspective. This analysis produces recommendations on how life cycle assessment indicators can be introduced into the dialogue between designers and recyclers in order to promote DfR principles to enhance the cascading use of bio-based polymers within the bioeconomy, and to meet circular economy goals. PMID:28097922

Kinetic parameters of grinding media in ball mills with various liner design and mill speed based on DEM modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khakhalev, P. A.; Bogdanov, VS; Kovshechenko, V. M.

2018-03-01

The article presents analysis of the experiments in the ball mill of 0.5x0.3 m with four different liner types based on DEM modeling. The numerical experiment always complements laboratory research and allow obtaining high accuracy output data. An important property of the numerical experiment is the possibility of visualization of the results. The EDEM software allows calculating trajectory of the grinding bodies and kinetic parameters of each ball for the relative mill speed and the different types of mill’s liners.

Recirculation: A New Concept to Drive Innovation in Sustainable Product Design for Bio-Based Products.

PubMed

Sherwood, James; Clark, James H; Farmer, Thomas J; Herrero-Davila, Lorenzo; Moity, Laurianne

2016-12-29

Bio-based products are made from renewable materials, offering a promising basis for the production of sustainable chemicals, materials, and more complex articles. However, biomass is not a limitless resource or one without environmental and social impacts. Therefore, while it is important to use biomass and grow a bio-based economy, displacing the unsustainable petroleum basis of energy and chemical production, any resource must be used effectively to reduce waste. Standards have been developed to support the bio-based product market in order to achieve this aim. However, the design of bio-based products has not received the same level of attention. Reported here are the first steps towards the development of a framework of understanding which connects product design to resource efficiency. Research and development scientists and engineers are encouraged to think beyond simple functionality and associate value to the potential of materials in their primary use and beyond.

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) decortication waste bio-briquette business model canvas with design thinking approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pahlavi, Ghifari Rezka; Purnomo, Dwi; Bunyamin, Anas; Wulandari, Asri Peni

2017-03-01

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is a plant that can produce fibers from its stem but in the production process, it still produces waste containing high lignin and cellulose. The high content of these substances can be used as bio-briquette raw material because they can produce carbon and can offer a business opportunity to establish bio-briquette industry. The purpose of this study is to obtain a ramie decortification waste bio-briquette business model because until now there is no bio-briquette has been made from ramie decortication waste as its raw material. This research uses descriptive analysis method with a design thinking approach. The result of this research shows that the business model canvas is designed based on consumer's experience when interacting with the product via customer journey tool in order to get the business model in accordance with customer expectations.

The FEM Simulation on End Mill of Plastic Doors and Windows Corner Cleaning Based on Deform-3D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guoping; Huang, Zhenyong; Wang, Xiaohui

2017-12-01

In the plastic doors and windows corner cleaning process, the rotating speed, the feed rate and the milling cutter diameter are the main factors that affect the efficiency and quality of the of corner cleaning. In this paper, SolidWorks will be used to establish the 3D model of end mills, and use Deform-3D to research the end mill milling process. And using orthogonal experiment design method to analyze the effect of rotating speed, the feed rate and the milling cutter diameter on the axial force variation, and to get the overall trend of axial force and the selection of various parameters according to the influence of axial force change. Finally, simulate milling experiment used to get the actual axial force data to verify the reliability of the FEM simulation model. And the conclusion obtained in this paper has important theoretical value in improving the plastic doors and windows corner cleaning efficiency and quality.

75 FR 5033 - Departmental Management; Public meeting on BioPreferredSM

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-01

...; Public meeting on BioPreferred\\SM\\ Complex Products and Assemblies Designation and Industry Training on... include: 1. Using BioPreferred tools to position your business to sell or increase sales to the Federal...: Ron Buckhalt, BioPreferred Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Procurement and Property...

75 FR 12492 - Departmental Management; Public Meeting on BioPreferredSM

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-16

...; Public Meeting on BioPreferred\\SM\\ Intermediate Material and Feedstock Product Designation AGENCY... after registering. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Buckhalt, BioPreferred Manager, U.S. Department... program together as the BioPreferred\\SM\\ Program. Due to the changes mandated by the 2008 Farm Bill, and...

Revolutionary Design for Astronaut Exploration — Beyond the Bio-Suit System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, Dava J.; Canina, Marita; Trotti, Guillermo L.

2007-01-01

The Bio-Suit System is designed to revolutionize human space exploration by providing enhanced astronaut extravehicular activity (EVA) locomotion and performance based on the concepts of a `second skin' capability. The novel Bio-Suit concept provides an overall exploration system realized through symbiotic relationships between a suite of advanced technologies, creative design, human modeling and analysis, and new mission operations techniques. By working at the intersection of engineering, design, life sciences and operations, new emergent capabilities and interrelationships result for applications to space missions, medical rehabilitation, and extreme sports activities. In many respects, the Bio-Suit System mimics Nature (biomimetics). For example, the second skin is capable of augmenting our biological skin by providing mechanical counter-pressure. We have designed and tested prototypes that prove mechanical counter-pressure feasibility. The `epidermis' of our second skin suit is patterned from 3D laser scans that incorporate human skin strain field maps for maximum mobility and natural movements, while requiring minimum energy expenditure for exploration tasks. We provide a technology roadmap for future design, pressure production and technology investments for the Bio-Suit System. Woven into the second skin are active materials to enhance human performance as well as to provide necessary performance metrics (i.e., energy expenditure). Wearable technologies will be embedded throughout the Bio-Suit System to place the explorer in an information-rich environment enabling real-time mission planning, prediction, and visualization. The Bio-Suit System concept augments human capabilities by coupling human and robotic abilities into a hybrid of the two, to the point where the explorer is hardly aware of the boundary between innate human performance and robotic activities.

Fabrication of novel cryomill for synthesis of high purity metallic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Nirmal; Biswas, Krishanu

2015-08-01

The successful preparation of free standing metal nanoparticles with high purity in bulk quantity is the pre-requisite for any potential application. This is possible by using ball milling at cryogenic temperature. However, the most of ball mills available in the market do not allow preparing high purity metal nanoparticles by this route. In addition, it is not possible to carry out in situ measurements of process parameters as well as diagnostic of the process. In the present investigation, we present a detailed study on the fabrication of a cryomill, which is capable of avoiding contaminations in the product. It also provides in situ measurements and diagnostic of the low temperature milling process. Online monitoring of the milling temperature and observation of ball motion are the important aspects in the newly designed mill. The nanoparticles prepared using this fabricated mill have been found to be free standing and also free from contaminations.

SynBioSS designer: a web-based tool for the automated generation of kinetic models for synthetic biological constructs

PubMed Central

Weeding, Emma; Houle, Jason

2010-01-01

Modeling tools can play an important role in synthetic biology the same way modeling helps in other engineering disciplines: simulations can quickly probe mechanisms and provide a clear picture of how different components influence the behavior of the whole. We present a brief review of available tools and present SynBioSS Designer. The Synthetic Biology Software Suite (SynBioSS) is used for the generation, storing, retrieval and quantitative simulation of synthetic biological networks. SynBioSS consists of three distinct components: the Desktop Simulator, the Wiki, and the Designer. SynBioSS Designer takes as input molecular parts involved in gene expression and regulation (e.g. promoters, transcription factors, ribosome binding sites, etc.), and automatically generates complete networks of reactions that represent transcription, translation, regulation, induction and degradation of those parts. Effectively, Designer uses DNA sequences as input and generates networks of biomolecular reactions as output. In this paper we describe how Designer uses universal principles of molecular biology to generate models of any arbitrary synthetic biological system. These models are useful as they explain biological phenotypic complexity in mechanistic terms. In turn, such mechanistic explanations can assist in designing synthetic biological systems. We also discuss, giving practical guidance to users, how Designer interfaces with the Registry of Standard Biological Parts, the de facto compendium of parts used in synthetic biology applications. PMID:20639523

Bio-microfluidics: biomaterials and biomimetic designs.

PubMed

Domachuk, Peter; Tsioris, Konstantinos; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G; Kaplan, David L

2010-01-12

Bio-microfluidics applies biomaterials and biologically inspired structural designs (biomimetics) to microfluidic devices. Microfluidics, the techniques for constraining fluids on the micrometer and sub-micrometer scale, offer applications ranging from lab-on-a-chip to optofluidics. Despite this wealth of applications, the design of typical microfluidic devices imparts relatively simple, laminar behavior on fluids and is realized using materials and techniques from silicon planar fabrication. On the other hand, highly complex microfluidic behavior is commonplace in nature, where fluids with nonlinear rheology flow through chaotic vasculature composed from a range of biopolymers. In this Review, the current state of bio-microfluidic materials, designs and applications are examined. Biopolymers enable bio-microfluidic devices with versatile functionalization chemistries, flexibility in fabrication, and biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. Polymeric materials such as alginate, collagen, chitosan, and silk are being explored as bulk and film materials for bio-microfluidics. Hydrogels offer options for mechanically functional devices for microfluidic systems such as self-regulating valves, microlens arrays and drug release systems, vital for integrated bio-microfluidic devices. These devices including growth factor gradients to study cell responses, blood analysis, biomimetic capillary designs, and blood vessel tissue culture systems, as some recent examples of inroads in the field that should lead the way in a new generation of microfluidic devices for bio-related needs and applications. Perhaps one of the most intriguing directions for the future will be fully implantable microfluidic devices that will also integrate with existing vasculature and slowly degrade to fully recapitulate native tissue structure and function, yet serve critical interim functions, such as tissue maintenance, drug release, mechanical support, and cell delivery.

Grain Refinement of Steels through Solidification Modification

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-14

each student work on some type of design project related to the research project. This ranges from new equipment to fixlures. Through the project a...addressed via this process. Finally, the students build their design by themselves or with their peers. This results in immediate feedback on the...using the various CNC mills to create experimental apparatus. Students receive training on bow to use drill presses, grinding benches, lathes. mills

Design description of the Tangaye Village photovoltaic power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martz, J. E.; Ratajczak, A. F.

1982-06-01

The engineering design of a stand alone photovoltaic (PV) powered grain mill and water pump for the village of Tangaye, Upper Volta is described. The socioeconomic effects of reducing the time required by women in rural areas for drawing water and grinding grain were studied. The suitability of photovoltaic technology for use in rural areas by people of limited technical training was demonstrated. The PV system consists of a 1.8-kW (peak) solar cell array, 540 ampere hours of battery storage, instrumentation, automatic controls, and a data collection and storage system. The PV system is situated near an improved village well and supplies d.c. power to a grain mill and a water pump. The array is located in a fenced area and the mill, battery, instruments, controls, and data system are in a mill building. A water storage tank is located near the well. The system employs automatic controls which provide battery charge regulation and system over and under voltage protection. This report includes descriptions of the engineering design of the system and of the load that it serves; a discussion of PV array and battery sizing methodology; descriptions of the mechanical and electrical designs including the array, battery, controls, and instrumentation; and a discussion of the safety features. The system became operational on March 1, 1979.

Design description of the Tangaye Village photovoltaic power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martz, J. E.; Ratajczak, A. F.

1982-01-01

The engineering design of a stand alone photovoltaic (PV) powered grain mill and water pump for the village of Tangaye, Upper Volta is described. The socioeconomic effects of reducing the time required by women in rural areas for drawing water and grinding grain were studied. The suitability of photovoltaic technology for use in rural areas by people of limited technical training was demonstrated. The PV system consists of a 1.8-kW (peak) solar cell array, 540 ampere hours of battery storage, instrumentation, automatic controls, and a data collection and storage system. The PV system is situated near an improved village well and supplies d.c. power to a grain mill and a water pump. The array is located in a fenced area and the mill, battery, instruments, controls, and data system are in a mill building. A water storage tank is located near the well. The system employs automatic controls which provide battery charge regulation and system over and under voltage protection. This report includes descriptions of the engineering design of the system and of the load that it serves; a discussion of PV array and battery sizing methodology; descriptions of the mechanical and electrical designs including the array, battery, controls, and instrumentation; and a discussion of the safety features. The system became operational on March 1, 1979.

BioNetFit: a fitting tool compatible with BioNetGen, NFsim and distributed computing environments

DOE PAGES

Thomas, Brandon R.; Chylek, Lily A.; Colvin, Joshua; ...

2015-11-09

Rule-based models are analyzed with specialized simulators, such as those provided by the BioNetGen and NFsim open-source software packages. Here in this paper, we present BioNetFit, a general-purpose fitting tool that is compatible with BioNetGen and NFsim. BioNetFit is designed to take advantage of distributed computing resources. This feature facilitates fitting (i.e. optimization of parameter values for consistency with data) when simulations are computationally expensive.

Physics-based Morphology Analysis and Adjoint Optimization of Flexible Flapping Wings

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-30

understand the underlying physics of flexible wings in flying insects and birds towards the bio -inspired wing designs with superior aerodynamic...flapping flights have been developed to understand the underlying physics of flexible wings in flying insects and birds towards the bio -inspired wing...been developed to understand the underlying physics of flexible wings in flying insects and birds towards the bio -inspired wing designs with superior

78 FR 66990 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-07

...) [SDNTK] (Linked To: ARRENDADORA TURIN, S.A.; Linked To: DESARROLLOS BIO GAS, S.A. DE C.V.; Linked To: ECA...] (Linked To: BLUE POINT SALT, S.A. DE C.V.; Linked To: DESARROLLOS BIO GAS, S.A. DE C.V.; Linked To: ECA ENERGETICOS, S.A. DE C.V.; Linked To: ORGANIC SALT, S.A. DE C.V.; Linked To: PETRO BIO, S. DE R.L. DE C.V...

The potential of autochthonous microbial culture encapsulation in a confined environment for phenol biodegradation.

PubMed

Azaizeh, Hassan; Kurzbaum, Eyal; Said, Ons; Jaradat, Husain; Menashe, Ofir

2015-10-01

Olive mill wastewater (OMWW) is claimed to be one of the most polluting effluents produced by agro-food industries, providing high contaminants load that encase cytotoxic agents such as phenolic and polyphenolic compounds. Therefore, a significant and continuous stress episode is induced once the mixed liquor of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTP's) is being exposed to OMWW. The use of bio-augmentation treatment procedures can be useful to eliminate or reduce such stress episodes. In this study, we have estimated the use of autochthonous biomass implementation within small bioreactor platform (SBP) particles as a bio-augmentation method to challenge against WWTPs stress episodes. Our results showed that SBP particles significantly reduced the presence of various phenolics: tannic, gallic and caffeic acid in a synthetic medium and in crude OMWW matrix. Moreover, the SBP particles succeeded to biodegrade a very high concentration of phenol blend (3000 mg L(-1)). Our findings indicated that the presence of the SBP microfiltration membrane has reduced the phenol biodegradation rate by 50 % compared to the same suspended culture. Despite the observed reduction in biodegradation rate, encapsulation in a confined environment can offer significant values such as overcoming the grazing forcers and dilution, thus achieving a long-term sufficient biomass. The potential for reducing stress episodes caused by cytotoxic agents through bio-augmentation treatment procedure using the SBP technology is discussed.

Continuous bio-catalytic conversion of sugar mixture to acetone-butanol-ethanol by immobilized Clostridium acetobutylicum DSM 792.

PubMed

Survase, Shrikant A; van Heiningen, Adriaan; Granström, Tom

2012-03-01

Continuous production of acetone, n-butanol, and ethanol (ABE) was carried out using immobilized cells of Clostridium acetobutylicum DSM 792 using glucose and sugar mixture as a substrate. Among various lignocellulosic materials screened as a support matrix, coconut fibers and wood pulp fibers were found to be promising in batch experiments. With a motive of promoting wood-based bio-refinery concept, wood pulp was used as a cell holding material. Glucose and sugar mixture (glucose, mannose, galactose, arabinose, and xylose) comparable to lignocellulose hydrolysate was used as a substrate for continuous production of ABE. We report the best solvent productivity among wild-type strains using column reactor. The maximum total solvent concentration of 14.32 g L(-1) was obtained at a dilution rate of 0.22 h(-1) with glucose as a substrate compared to 12.64 g L(-1) at 0.5 h(-1) dilution rate with sugar mixture. The maximum solvent productivity (13.66 g L(-1) h(-1)) was obtained at a dilution rate of 1.9 h(-1) with glucose as a substrate whereas solvent productivity (12.14 g L(-1) h(-1)) was obtained at a dilution rate of 1.5 h(-1) with sugar mixture. The immobilized column reactor with wood pulp can become an efficient technology to be integrated with existing pulp mills to convert them into wood-based bio-refineries.

Investigation of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics Machining Using 355 nm Picosecond Pulsed Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jun; Zhu, Dezhi

2018-06-01

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) has been widely used in the aircraft industry and automobile industry owing to its superior properties. In this paper, a Nd:YVO4 picosecond pulsed system emitting at 355 nm has been used for CFRP machining experiments to determine optimum milling conditions. Milling parameters including laser power, milling speed and hatch distance were optimized by using box-behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM). Material removal rate was influenced by laser beam overlap ratio which affects mechanical denudation. The results in heat affected zones (HAZ) and milling quality were discussed through the machined surface observed with scanning electron microscope. A re-focusing technique based on the experiment with different focal planes was proposed and milling mechanism was also analyzed in details.

Remedial Action Plan and site design for stabilization of the inactive uranium mill tailings site at Durango, Colorado: Remedial action selection report. Revised final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-12-01

The uranium mill tailings site near Durango, Colorado, was one of 24 inactive uranium mill sites designated to be remediated by the US Department of Energy (DOE) under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 (UMTRCA). Part of the UMTRCA requires that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concur with the DOE`s Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and certify that the remedial action conducted at the site complies with the standards promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Included in the RAP is this Remedial Action Selection Report (RAS), which has been developed to serve a two-fold purpose.more » First, it describes the activities that have been conducted by the DOE to accomplish remediation and long-term stabilization and control of the radioactive materials at the inactive uranium mill processing site near Durango, Colorado. Secondly, this document and the rest of the RAP, upon concurrence and execution by the DOE, the State of Colorado, and the NRC, become Appendix B of the Cooperative Agreement between the DOE and the State of Colorado.« less

Remedial Action Plan and site design for stabilization of the inactive uranium mill tailings site at Durango, Colorado: Remedial action selection report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-12-01

The uranium mill tailings site near Durango, Colorado, was one of 24 inactive uranium mill sites designated to be remediated by the US Department of Energy (DOE) under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 (UMTRCA). Part of the UMTRCA requires that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concur with the DOE's Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and certify that the remedial action conducted at the site complies with the standards promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Included in the RAP is this Remedial Action Selection Report (RAS), which has been developed to serve a two-fold purpose.more » First, it describes the activities that have been conducted by the DOE to accomplish remediation and long-term stabilization and control of the radioactive materials at the inactive uranium mill processing site near Durango, Colorado. Secondly, this document and the rest of the RAP, upon concurrence and execution by the DOE, the State of Colorado, and the NRC, become Appendix B of the Cooperative Agreement between the DOE and the State of Colorado.« less

Effect of CNC-milling on the marginal and internal fit of dental ceramics: a pilot study.

PubMed

Schaefer, Oliver; Kuepper, Harald; Thompson, Geoffrey A; Cachovan, Georg; Hefti, Arthur F; Guentsch, Arndt

2013-08-01

Machined restorations have been investigated for their preciseness before, while detailed information on the milling-step itself are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this laboratory study was to quantify the effect of a novel milling-procedure on the marginal and internal fit of ceramic restorations. An acrylic model of a lower left first molar was prepared to receive a ceramic partial crown and was duplicated by one step dual viscosity impressions. Gypsum casts were formed and laser-scanned to realize virtual datasets, before restorations were designed, exported (PRE) and machined from lithium disilicate blanks. Crowns were digitized by a structure-light-scanner to obtain post-milling-data (POST). PRE and POST were virtually superimposed on the reference tooth and subjected to computer-aided-inspection. Visual fit-discrepancies were displayed with colors, while root mean square deviations (RMSD) and degrees of similarity (DS) were computed and analysed by t-tests for paired samples (n=5, α=0.05). The milling procedure resulted in a small increase of the marginal and internal fit discrepancies (RMSD mean: 3μm and 6μm, respectively). RMSD differences were not statistically significant (p=0.495 and p=0.160 for marginal and internal fit, respectively). These results were supported by the DS data. The products of digital dental workflows are prone to imprecisions. However, the present findings suggest that differences between computer-aided designed and actually milled restorations are small, especially when compared to typical fit discrepancies observed clinically. Imprecisions introduced by digital design or production processes are small. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of experiment (DOE) study of biodegradable magnesium alloy synthesized by mechanical alloying using fractional factorial design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salleh, Emee Marina; Ramakrishnan, Sivakumar; Hussain, Zuhailawati

2014-06-01

The biodegradable nature of magnesium (Mg) makes it a most highlighted and attractive to be used as implant materials. However, rapid corrosion rate of Mg alloys especially in electrolytic aqueous environment limits its performance. In this study, Mg alloy was mechanically milled by incorporating manganese (Mn) as alloying element. An attempt was made to study both effect of mechanical alloying and subsequent consolidation processes on the bulk properties of Mg-Mn alloys. 2k-2 factorial design was employed to determine the significant factors in producing Mg alloy which has properties closes to that of human bones. The design considered six factors (i.e. milling time, milling speed, weight percentage of Mn, compaction pressure, sintering temperature and sintering time). Density and hardness were chosen as the responses for assessing the most significant parameters that affected the bulk properties of Mg-Mn alloys. The experimental variables were evaluated using ANOVA and regression model. The main parameter investigated was compaction pressure.

The aerodynamics of flight in an insect flight-mill

PubMed Central

Barkan, Shay; Soroker, Victoria

2017-01-01

Predicting the dispersal of pest insects is important for pest management schemes. Flight-mills provide a simple way to evaluate the flight potential of insects, but there are several complications in relating tethered-flight to natural flight. We used high-speed video to evaluate the effect of flight-mill design on flight of the red palm weevil (Rynchophorous ferruginneus) in four variants of a flight-mill. Two variants had the rotating radial arm pivoted on the main shaft of the rotation axis, allowing freedom to elevate the arm as the insect applied lift force. Two other variants had the pivot point fixed, restricting the radial arm to horizontal motion. Beetles were tethered with their lateral axis horizontal or rotated by 40°, as in a banked turn. Flight-mill type did not affect flight speed or wing-beat frequency, but did affect flapping kinematics. The wingtip internal to the circular trajectory was always moved faster relative to air, suggesting that the beetles were attempting to steer in the opposite direction to the curved trajectory forced by the flight-mill. However, banked beetles had lower flapping asymmetry, generated higher lift forces and lost more of their body mass per time and distance flown during prolonged flight compared to beetles flying level. The results indicate, that flapping asymmetry and low lift can be rectified by tethering the beetle in a banked orientation, but the flight still does not correspond directly to free-flight. This should be recognized and taken into account when designing flight-mills and interoperating their data. PMID:29091924

The aerodynamics of flight in an insect flight-mill.

PubMed

Ribak, Gal; Barkan, Shay; Soroker, Victoria

2017-01-01

Predicting the dispersal of pest insects is important for pest management schemes. Flight-mills provide a simple way to evaluate the flight potential of insects, but there are several complications in relating tethered-flight to natural flight. We used high-speed video to evaluate the effect of flight-mill design on flight of the red palm weevil (Rynchophorous ferruginneus) in four variants of a flight-mill. Two variants had the rotating radial arm pivoted on the main shaft of the rotation axis, allowing freedom to elevate the arm as the insect applied lift force. Two other variants had the pivot point fixed, restricting the radial arm to horizontal motion. Beetles were tethered with their lateral axis horizontal or rotated by 40°, as in a banked turn. Flight-mill type did not affect flight speed or wing-beat frequency, but did affect flapping kinematics. The wingtip internal to the circular trajectory was always moved faster relative to air, suggesting that the beetles were attempting to steer in the opposite direction to the curved trajectory forced by the flight-mill. However, banked beetles had lower flapping asymmetry, generated higher lift forces and lost more of their body mass per time and distance flown during prolonged flight compared to beetles flying level. The results indicate, that flapping asymmetry and low lift can be rectified by tethering the beetle in a banked orientation, but the flight still does not correspond directly to free-flight. This should be recognized and taken into account when designing flight-mills and interoperating their data.

Fracture Resistance of Implant Abutments Following Abutment Alterations by Milling the Margins: An In Vitro Study.

PubMed

Patankar, Anuya; Kheur, Mohit; Kheur, Supriya; Lakha, Tabrez; Burhanpurwala, Murtuza

2016-12-01

This in vitro study evaluated the effect of different levels of preparation of an implant abutment on its fracture resistance. The study evaluated abutments that incorporated a platform switch (Myriad Plus Abutments, Morse Taper Connection) and Standard abutments (BioHorizons Standard Abutment, BioHorizons Inc). Each abutment was connected to an appropriate implant and mounted in a self-cured resin base. Based on the abutment preparation depths, 3 groups were created for each abutment type: as manufactured, abutment prepared 1 mm apical to the original margin, and abutment prepared 1.5 mm to the original margin. All the abutments were prepared in a standardized manner to incorporate a 0.5 mm chamfer margin uniformly. All the abutments were torqued to 30 Ncm on their respective implants. They were then subjected to loading until failure in a universal testing machine. Abutments with no preparation showed the maximum resistance to fracture for both groups. As the preparation depth increased, the fracture resistance decreased. The fracture resistance of implant abutment junction decreases as the preparation depth increases.

Bionic Manufacturing: Towards Cyborg Cells and Sentient Microbots.

PubMed

Srivastava, Sarvesh Kumar; Yadav, Vikramaditya G

2018-05-01

Bio-inspired engineering applies biological design principles towards developing engineering solutions but is not practical as a manufacturing paradigm. We advocate 'bionic manufacturing', a synergistic fusion of biotic and abiotic components, to transition away from bio-inspiration toward bio-augmentation to address current limitations in bio-inspired manufacturing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Designing Uniquely Addressable Bio-orthogonal Synthetic Scaffolds for DNA and RNA Origami.

PubMed

Kozyra, Jerzy; Ceccarelli, Alessandro; Torelli, Emanuela; Lopiccolo, Annunziata; Gu, Jing-Ying; Fellermann, Harold; Stimming, Ulrich; Krasnogor, Natalio

2017-07-21

Nanotechnology and synthetic biology are rapidly converging, with DNA origami being one of the leading bridging technologies. DNA origami was shown to work well in a wide array of biotic environments. However, the large majority of extant DNA origami scaffolds utilize bacteriophages or plasmid sequences thus severely limiting its future applicability as a bio-orthogonal nanotechnology platform. In this paper we present the design of biologically inert (i.e., "bio-orthogonal") origami scaffolds. The synthetic scaffolds have the additional advantage of being uniquely addressable (unlike biologically derived ones) and hence are better optimized for high-yield folding. We demonstrate our fully synthetic scaffold design with both DNA and RNA origamis and describe a protocol to produce these bio-orthogonal and uniquely addressable origami scaffolds.

Bio-based renewable additives for anti-icing applications (phase one).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-09-04

The performance and impacts of several bio-based anti-icers along with a traditional chloride-based anti-icer (salt brine) were evaluated. : A statistical design of experiments (uniform design) was employed for developing anti-icing liquids consistin...

Preparation of bio-compatible boron nanoparticles and novel mesoporous silica nanoparticles for bio-applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zhe

This dissertation presents the synthesis and characterization of several novel inorganic and hybrid nanoparticles, including the bio-compatible boron nanoparticles (BNPs) for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), tannic acid-templated mesoporous silica nanoparticles and degradable bridged silsesquioxane silica nanoparticles. Chapter 1 provides background information of BNCT and reviews the development of design and synthesizing silica nanoparticles and the study of silica material degradability. Chapter 2 describes the preparation and characterization of dopamine modified BNPs and the preliminary cell study of them. The BNPs were first produced via ball milling, with fatty acid on the surface to stabilize the combustible boron elements. This chapter will mainly focus on the ligand-exchange strategy, in which the fatty acids were replaced by non-toxic dopamines in a facile one-pot reaction. The dopamine-coated BNPs (DA-BNPs) revealed good water dispersibility and low cytotoxicity. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of tannic acid template mesoporous silica nanoparticles (TA-TEOS SiNPs) and their application to immobilize proteins. The monodispersed TA SiNPs with uniform pore size up to approximately 13 nm were produced by utilizing tannic acid as a molecular template. We studied the influence of TA concentration and reaction time on the morphology and pore size of the particles. Furthermore, the TA-TEOS particles could subsequently be modified with amine groups allowing them to be capable of incorporating imaging ligands and other guest molecules. The ability of the TA-TEOS particles to store biomolecules was preliminarily assessed with three proteins of different charge characteristics and dimensions. The immobilization of malic dehydrogenase on TA-TEOS enhanced the stability of the enzyme at room temperature. Chapter 4 details the synthesis of several bridged silsesquioxanes and the preparation of degradable hybrid SiNPs via co-condensation of bridged silsesquioxanes with tetraethoxysilane. In vivo studies show that the solid SiNPs accumulate in many organs due to the lack of degradability. The aim of our work is to address this shortcoming by producing novel degradable SiNPs. Bridged silsesquioxanes were used as the precursors of the particles, and upon cleavage of the carbamate groups when brought into contact with aqueous media, the particles degraded into porous structures.

Biological satellite scientific devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perepech, B. L.; Rumiantsev, V. P.; Galkin, V. M.; Shakhvorostov, S. V.; Rvachev, S. S.

1991-02-01

The paper describes the NA SBS 9 systems developed for the ninth Cosmos-2044 biological test mission. The NA SBS 9 life support systems designed for monkeys and rats follow standard design of BIOS-Vivarium and BIOS-Primate units. The main features of NA SBS 9 include the use of a recently developed HF physiological data recorder Skat-3; the incorporation into BIOS-Primate of two units intended for biorhythmic studies (the BBI-Zh system for studying beetles and the VITALOG developed by NASA for studies on monkeys); and a new version of BIOS-Primate system incorporating a capacitance-link and an inductance-link temperature transmitters and a brain tissue oxygen tension control channel.

DeviceEditor visual biological CAD canvas

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Biological Computer Aided Design (bioCAD) assists the de novo design and selection of existing genetic components to achieve a desired biological activity, as part of an integrated design-build-test cycle. To meet the emerging needs of Synthetic Biology, bioCAD tools must address the increasing prevalence of combinatorial library design, design rule specification, and scar-less multi-part DNA assembly. Results We report the development and deployment of web-based bioCAD software, DeviceEditor, which provides a graphical design environment that mimics the intuitive visual whiteboard design process practiced in biological laboratories. The key innovations of DeviceEditor include visual combinatorial library design, direct integration with scar-less multi-part DNA assembly design automation, and a graphical user interface for the creation and modification of design specification rules. We demonstrate how biological designs are rendered on the DeviceEditor canvas, and we present effective visualizations of genetic component ordering and combinatorial variations within complex designs. Conclusions DeviceEditor liberates researchers from DNA base-pair manipulation, and enables users to create successful prototypes using standardized, functional, and visual abstractions. Open and documented software interfaces support further integration of DeviceEditor with other bioCAD tools and software platforms. DeviceEditor saves researcher time and institutional resources through correct-by-construction design, the automation of tedious tasks, design reuse, and the minimization of DNA assembly costs. PMID:22373390

Design, Development, and Preliminary Validation for a BioContainment System for MSR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fumagalli, A.; Spagnoli, B.; Terribile, A.; Indrigo, D.; Romstedt, J.; Vjendran, S.; Kminek, G.

2018-04-01

A bio-containment system was conceived, designed, and tested by Leonardo S.p.A. and partners under ESA development contract. Results achieved so far are presented, including reports of the several tests performed on development hardware.

The effect of cyclic heat treatment on the physicochemical properties of bio hydroxyapatite from bovine bone.

PubMed

Londoño-Restrepo, S M; Jeronimo-Cruz, R; Rubio-Rosas, E; Rodriguez-García, M E

2018-05-02

This paper focus on physicochemical changes in bio-hydroxyapatite (BIO-HAp) from bovine femur obtained by calcination at high temperatures: 520-620 (each 20 °C) at 7.4 °C/min and from 700 to 1100 °C (each 100 °C) at three heating rates: 7.4, 9.9, and 11.1 °C/min. BIO-HAp samples were obtained using a multi-step process: cleaning, milling, hydrothermal process, calcination in an air atmosphere, and cooling in furnace air. Inductively Couple Plasma (ICP) showed that the presence of Mg, K, S, Ba, Zn, and Na, is not affected by the annealing temperature and heating rate. While Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed the continuous growth of the HAp crystals during the calcination process due to the coalescence phenomenon, and the Full Width at the Half Maximum for the X-ray patterns for temperatures up to 700 is affected by the annealing temperature and the heating rate. Through X-ray diffraction, thermal, and calorimetric analysis (TGA-DSC), a partial dehydroxylation of hydroxyapatite was found in samples calcined up to 900 °C for the three heating rates. Also, Ca/P molar ratio decreased for samples calcined up to 900 °C as a result of the dehydroxylation process. NaCaPO 4 , CaCO 3 , Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 , MgO, and Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 are some phases identified by X-ray diffraction; some of them are part of the bone and others were formed during the calcination process as a function of annealing temperature and heating rate, as it is the case for MgO.

A New Frontier for Cardiac Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

CardioDynamics International Corporation (CDIC) has created the BioZ(TM) System through a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from Johnson Space Center, providing patients and physicians with a cost-effective and highly accurate monitoring system.The BioZ non-invasive heart monitor is based on a technology known as Impedance Cardiography (ICG). BioZ provides the physician with vital information about the heart's ability to deliver blood to the body, the force one's heart exerts with each beat, and the amount of fluid in the chest. Specially designed bioimpedance sensors placed on the neck and chest monitor 12 different parameters, including cardiac output, contractility, systemic vascular resistance, and thoracic fluid content. These sensors monitor the electrical conductivity of the body-information that is converted into blood flow data and is displayed in real time on a monitoring screen. BioZ.com(TM) and BioZ.pc(TM) are two additional products that incorporate the same sensors present in the original BioZ system. The "com" in BioZ.com stands for cardiac output monitor. This fully integrated system is essentially a smaller version of the BioZ, combining the same abilities with a compact, lightweight design, while providing greater portability.

Esthetic Rehabilitation of Anterior Teeth with Copy-Milled Restorations: A Report of Two Cases.

PubMed

Rani, Sapna; Devi, Jyoti; Jain, Chandan; Mutneja, Parul; Verma, Mahesh

2017-01-01

Digitalization has become part and parcel of contemporary prosthodontics with the probability of most of the procedures being based on the digital techniques in the near future. This digital revolution started in the latter half of the 20th century by converting analog objects/signals into digital bits and bytes. Recent developments in all-ceramic materials and systems of computer-aided designing and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), copy milling, and so forth offer excellent esthetics and superb biocompatibility. Copy milling system for ceramics enables milling of the zirconia cores of all-ceramic restorations precisely and also if this system is properly used the procedure for fabricating all-ceramic restorations can be substantially simplified. This case report presents fabrication of all-ceramic Maryland Bridge and post-core with a copy milling system for esthetics and preservation of integrity of tooth. For both of the patients, the use of biologic, all-ceramic, copy-milled restorations resulted in clinical success and recovered function and esthetics.

Esthetic Rehabilitation of Anterior Teeth with Copy-Milled Restorations: A Report of Two Cases

PubMed Central

Jain, Chandan; Mutneja, Parul; Verma, Mahesh

2017-01-01

Digitalization has become part and parcel of contemporary prosthodontics with the probability of most of the procedures being based on the digital techniques in the near future. This digital revolution started in the latter half of the 20th century by converting analog objects/signals into digital bits and bytes. Recent developments in all-ceramic materials and systems of computer-aided designing and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), copy milling, and so forth offer excellent esthetics and superb biocompatibility. Copy milling system for ceramics enables milling of the zirconia cores of all-ceramic restorations precisely and also if this system is properly used the procedure for fabricating all-ceramic restorations can be substantially simplified. This case report presents fabrication of all-ceramic Maryland Bridge and post-core with a copy milling system for esthetics and preservation of integrity of tooth. For both of the patients, the use of biologic, all-ceramic, copy-milled restorations resulted in clinical success and recovered function and esthetics. PMID:28326203

Study design and preliminary data analysis for a streambank fencing project in the Mill Creek Basin, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galeone, Daniel G.; Koerkle, Edward H.

1996-01-01

The Pequea Creek and Mill Creek Basins within Lancaster and Chester Counties in Pennsylvania have been identified as areas needing control of nonpoint-source (NFS) pollution to improve water quality. The two basins are a total of approximately 200 square miles and are primarily underlain by carbonate bedrock. Land use is predominantly agriculture. The most common agricultural NFS pollution-control practices implemented in the Pequea Creek and Mill Creek Basins are barnyard-runoff control and Streambank fencing. To provide land managers information on the effectiveness of Streambank fencing in controlling NFS pollution, a study is being conducted in two small paired watersheds within the Mill Creek Basin.

Milling dynamics. I - Attritor dynamics: Results of a cinematographic study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rydin, R. W.; Maurice, D.; Courtney, T. H.

1993-01-01

The motions of grinding media and powder in an attritor canister were studied by means of filming the agitated charge and frame-by-frame scrutiny of the footage. In conjunction with auxiliary experiments, this permitted semiquantitative analysis of the milling action. In particular, the mill can be divided into several regions characterized by different balances between direct impacts and rolling/sliding of the grinding media. Simple calculations suggest that impacts are more capable of effecting mechanical alloying (MA) than are rolling or sliding events in an attritor. Powder circulation within an operating mill was also investigated. Based on the results and the accompanying analysis, concepts for improved attritor design are presented.

Influencing Factors and Workpiece's Microstructure in Laser-Assisted Milling of Titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiedenmann, R.; Liebl, S.; Zaeh, M. F.

Today's lightweight components have to withstand increasing mechanical and thermal loads. Therefore, advanced materials substitute conventional materials like steel or aluminum alloys. Using these high-performance materials the associated costs become prohibitively high. This paper presents the newest fundamental investigations on the hybrid process 'laser-assisted milling' which is an innovative technique to process such materials. The focus is on the validation of a numerical database for a CAD/CAM process control unit which is calculated by using simulation. Prior to that, the influencing factors on a laser-assisted milling process are systematically investigated using Design of Experiments (DoE) to identify the main influencing parameters coming from the laser and the milling operation.

The design of financial recording system in industrial bio-briquette of Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) decortication waste with design thinking approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irianto, R.; Purnomo, D.; Prima, S.; Wulandari, A.

2017-05-01

The production process of ramie (boehmeria nivea) fibers generates waste which contents 5.95 to 7.83% ash; 1.88 to 2.87% silicate; 30.67 to 31.08% lignin; 33.81 to 35.99% alpha cellulose; 62.95 to 63.78% holoselulosa; 17.43 to 18.14% pentosan, which can be used as raw material of bio-briquette. Those potential can be used to generate a business opportunity, such as industrial bio-briquette of ramie decortication waste. The purpose of this research is to create accounting information which could present an income statement that is easily applied on industrial bio-briquette of ramie decortication waste. This research use descriptive analysis method with design with design thinking approach to gather the information through depth observation on human being as the object to achieve the purpose. The result in this research is financial recording system of industrial bio-briquette of ramie decortication waste in a desktop application. The system is integrated with production activities according to the needs of accounting information particularly at managerial production. The existing applications creates information in the form of financial operations which can be used as a factor in decision-making.

Optimization of Parameters for Manufacture Nanopowder Bioceramics at Machine Pulverisette 6 by Taguchi and ANOVA Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Hoten, Hendri; Gunawarman; Mulyadi, Ismet Hari; Kurniawan Mainil, Afdhal; Putra, Bismantoloa dan

2018-02-01

This research is about manufacture nanopowder Bioceramics from local materials used Ball Milling for biomedical applications. Source materials for the manufacture of medicines are plants, animal tissues, microbial structures and engineering biomaterial. The form of raw material medicines is a powder before mixed. In the case of medicines, research is to find sources of biomedical materials that will be in the nanoscale powders can be used as raw material for medicine. One of the biomedical materials that can be used as raw material for medicine is of the type of bioceramics is chicken eggshells. This research will develop methods for manufacture nanopowder material from chicken eggshells with Ball Milling using the Taguchi method and ANOVA. Eggshell milled using a variation of Milling rate on 150, 200 and 250 rpm, the time variation of 1, 2 and 3 hours and variations the grinding balls to eggshell powder weight ratio (BPR) 1: 6, 1: 8, 1: 10. Before milled with Ball Milling crushed eggshells in advance and calcinate to a temperature of 900°C. After the milled material characterization of the fine powder of eggshell using SEM to see its size. The result of this research is optimum parameter of Taguchi Design analysis that is 250 rpm milling rate, 3 hours milling time and BPR is 1: 6 with the average eggshell powder size is 1.305 μm. Milling speed, milling time and ball to powder weight of ratio have contribution successively equal to 60.82%, 30.76% and 6.64% by error equal to 1.78%.

Low-cost boring mill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hibdon, R. A.

1979-01-01

Portable unit and special fixture serve as boring mill. Machine, fabricated primarily from scrap metal, was designed and set up in about 12 working days. It has reduced setup and boring time by 66 percent as compared with existing boring miles, thereby making latter available for other jobs. Unit can be operated by one man.

Evaluation of internal fit of interim crown fabricated with CAD/CAM milling and 3D printing system.

PubMed

Lee, Wan-Sun; Lee, Du-Hyeong; Lee, Kyu-Bok

2017-08-01

This study is to evaluate the internal fit of the crown manufactured by CAD/CAM milling method and 3D printing method. The master model was fabricated with stainless steel by using CNC machine and the work model was created from the vinyl-polysiloxane impression. After scanning the working model, the design software is used to design the crown. The saved STL file is used on the CAD/CAM milling method and two types of 3D printing method to produce 10 interim crowns per group. Internal discrepancy measurement uses the silicon replica method and the measured data are analyzed with One-way ANOVA to verify the statistic significance. The discrepancy means (standard deviation) of the 3 groups are 171.6 (97.4) µm for the crown manufactured by the milling system and 149.1 (65.9) and 91.1 (36.4) µm, respectively, for the crowns manufactured with the two types of 3D printing system. There was a statistically significant difference and the 3D printing system group showed more outstanding value than the milling system group. The marginal and internal fit of the interim restoration has more outstanding 3D printing method than the CAD/CAM milling method. Therefore, the 3D printing method is considered as applicable for not only the interim restoration production, but also in the dental prosthesis production with a higher level of completion.

Comparison of retention between maxillary milled and conventional denture bases: A clinical study.

PubMed

AlHelal, Abdulaziz; AlRumaih, Hamad S; Kattadiyil, Mathew T; Baba, Nadim Z; Goodacre, Charles J

2017-02-01

Clinical studies comparing the retention values of milled denture bases with those of conventionally processed denture bases are lacking. The purpose of this clinical study was to compare the retention values of conventional heat-polymerized denture bases with those of digitally milled maxillary denture bases. Twenty individuals with completely edentulous maxillary arches participated in this study. Definitive polyvinyl siloxane impressions were scanned (iSeries; Dental Wings), and the standard tessellation language files were sent to Global Dental Science for the fabrication of a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) milled denture base (group MB) (AvaDent). The impression was then poured to obtain a definitive cast that was used to fabricate a heat-polymerized acrylic resin denture base resin (group HB). A custom-designed testing device was used to measure denture retention (N). Each denture base was subjected to a vertical pulling force by using an advanced digital force gauge 3 times at 10-minute intervals. The average retention of the 2 fabrication methods was compared using repeated ANOVA (α=.05). Significantly increased retention was observed for the milled denture bases compared with that of the conventional heat-polymerized denture bases (P<.001). The retention offered by milled complete denture bases from prepolymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) resin was significantly higher than that offered by conventional heat- polymerized denture bases. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SynBioSS-aided design of synthetic biological constructs.

PubMed

Kaznessis, Yiannis N

2011-01-01

We present walkthrough examples of using SynBioSS to design, model, and simulate synthetic gene regulatory networks. SynBioSS stands for Synthetic Biology Software Suite, a platform that is publicly available with Open Licenses at www.synbioss.org. An important aim of computational synthetic biology is the development of a mathematical modeling formalism that is applicable to a wide variety of simple synthetic biological constructs. SynBioSS-based modeling of biomolecular ensembles that interact away from the thermodynamic limit and not necessarily at steady state affords for a theoretical framework that is generally applicable to known synthetic biological systems, such as bistable switches, AND gates, and oscillators. Here, we discuss how SynBioSS creates links between DNA sequences and targeted dynamic phenotypes of these simple systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Creating a Bio-Inspired Solution to Prevent Erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reher, R.; Martinez, A.; Cola, J.; Frost, D.

2016-12-01

Through the study of geophysical sciences, lessons can be developed which allow for the introduction of bio-inspired design and art concepts to K-5 elementary students. Students are placed into an engineering mindset in which they must apply the concepts of bio-geotechnics to observe how we can use nature to prevent and abate erosion. Problems are staged for students using realistic engineering scenarios such as erosion prevention through biomimicry and the study of anchorage characteristics of root structures in regard to stability of soil. Specifically, a lesson is introduced where students research, learn, and present information about bio-inspired designs to understand these concepts. They lean how plant roots differ in size and shape to stabilize soil. In addition, students perform a series of hands-on experiments which demonstrate how bio-cements and roots can slow erosion.

Enhanced Magnetic Properties of Nd15Fe77B8 Alloy Powders Produced by Melt-Spinning Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Öztürk, Sultan; İcin, Kürşat; Öztürk, Bülent; Topal, Uğur; Odabaşı, Hülya Kaftelen; Göbülük, Metin; Cora, Ömer Necati

2017-10-01

Rapidly solidified Nd15Fe77B8 alloy powders were produced by means of melt-spinning method in high-vacuum atmosphere to achieve improved magnetic and thermal properties. To this goal, a vacuum milling apparatus was designed and constructed to ball-mill the melt-spun powders in a surfactant active atmosphere. Various milling times were experimented to reveal the effect of the milling time on the mean particle size and other size-dependent properties such as magnetism and Curie temperature. Grain structure, cooling rate, and phase structure of the produced powders were also investigated. The Curie points shifted to higher temperatures from the ingot condition to surfactant active ball-milling and the values for Nd15Fe77B8 ingot alloy, melt-spun powders, and surfactant active ball-milled powders were 552 K, 595 K, and 604 K (279 °C, 322 °C, and 331 °C), respectively. It was noted that the surfactant active ball-milling process improved the magnetic and thermal properties of melt-spun Nd15Fe77B8 alloy powders. Compared to relevant literature, the coercivity of powders increased significantly with increasing milling time and decreasing in powder size. The coercivity value as high as 3427 kA m-1 was obtained.

Mathematical modelling and numerical simulation of forces in milling process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turai, Bhanu Murthy; Satish, Cherukuvada; Prakash Marimuthu, K.

2018-04-01

Machining of the material by milling induces forces, which act on the work piece material, tool and which in turn act on the machining tool. The forces involved in milling process can be quantified, mathematical models help to predict these forces. A lot of research has been carried out in this area in the past few decades. The current research aims at developing a mathematical model to predict forces at different levels which arise machining of Aluminium6061 alloy. Finite element analysis was used to develop a FE model to predict the cutting forces. Simulation was done for varying cutting conditions. Different experiments was designed using Taguchi method. A L9 orthogonal array was designed and the output was measure for the different experiments. The same was used to develop the mathematical model.

Products Released from Enzymically Active Cell Wall Stimulate Ethylene Production and Ripening in Preclimacteric Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Fruit 1

PubMed Central

Brecht, Jeffrey K.; Huber, Donald J.

1988-01-01

Enzymically active cell wall from ripe tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit pericarp release uronic acids through the action of wall-bound polygalacturonase. The potential involvement of products of wall hydrolysis in the induction of ethylene synthesis during tomato ripening was investigated by vacuum infiltrating preclimacteric (green) fruit with solutions containing pectin fragments enzymically released from cell wall from ripe fruit. Ripening initiation was accelerated in pectin-infiltrated fruit compared to control (buffer-infiltrated) fruit as measured by initiation of climacteric CO2 and ethylene production and appearance of red color. The response to infiltration was maximum at a concentration of 25 micrograms pectin per fruit; higher concentrations (up to 125 micrograms per fruit) had no additional effect. When products released from isolated cell wall from ripe pericarp were separated on Bio-Gel P-2 and specific size classes infiltrated into preclimacteric fruit, ripening-promotive activity was found only in the larger (degree of polymerization >8) fragments. Products released from pectin derived from preclimacteric pericarp upon treatment with polygalacturonase from ripe pericarp did not stimulate ripening when infiltrated into preclimacteric fruit. PMID:16666417

Rotationally Vibrating Electric-Field Mill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkham, Harold

2008-01-01

A proposed instrument for measuring a static electric field would be based partly on a conventional rotating-split-cylinder or rotating-split-sphere electric-field mill. However, the design of the proposed instrument would overcome the difficulty, encountered in conventional rotational field mills, of transferring measurement signals and power via either electrical or fiber-optic rotary couplings that must be aligned and installed in conjunction with rotary bearings. Instead of being made to rotate in one direction at a steady speed as in a conventional rotational field mill, a split-cylinder or split-sphere electrode assembly in the proposed instrument would be set into rotational vibration like that of a metronome. The rotational vibration, synchronized with appropriate rapid electronic switching of electrical connections between electric-current-measuring circuitry and the split-cylinder or split-sphere electrodes, would result in an electrical measurement effect equivalent to that of a conventional rotational field mill. A version of the proposed instrument is described.

Solid-state reactions to synthesize nanostructured lead selenide semiconductor powders by high-energy milling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rojas-Chavez, H., E-mail: uu_gg_oo@yahoo.com.mx; Reyes-Carmona, F.; Jaramillo-Vigueras, D.

2011-10-15

Highlights: {yields} PbSe synthesized from PbO instead of Pb powder do not require an inert atmosphere. {yields} During high-energy milling oxygen has to be chemically reduced from the lead oxide. {yields} Solid-state and solid-gas chemical reactions promote both solid and gaseous products. -- Abstract: Both solid-solid and gas-solid reactions have been traced during high-energy milling of Se and PbO powders under vial (P, T) conditions in order to synthesize the PbSe phase. Chemical and thermodynamic arguments are postulated to discern the high-energy milling mechanism to transform PbO-Se micropowders onto PbSe-nanocrystals. A set of reactions were evaluated at around room temperature.more » Therefore an experimental campaign was designed to test the nature of reactions in the PbO-Se system during high-energy milling.« less

A new milling machine for computer-aided, in-office restorations.

PubMed

Kurbad, Andreas

Chairside computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology requires an effective technical basis to obtain dental restorations with optimal marginal accuracy, esthetics, and longevity in as short a timeframe as possible. This article describes a compact, 5-axis milling machine based on an innovative milling technology (5XT - five-axis turn-milling technique), which is capable of achieving high-precision milling results within a very short processing time. Furthermore, the device's compact dimensioning and state-of-the-art mode of operation facilitate its use in the dental office. This model is also an option to be considered for use in smaller dental laboratories, especially as the open input format enables it to be quickly and simply integrated into digital processing systems already in use. The possibility of using ceramic and polymer materials with varying properties enables the manufacture of restorations covering all conceivable indications in the field of fixed dental prosthetics.

Design improvement and performance evaluation of solar photocatalytic reactor for industrial effluent treatment.

PubMed

Nair, Ranjith G; Bharadwaj, P J; Samdarshi, S K

2016-12-01

This work reports the details of the design components and materials used in a linear compound parabolic trough reactor constructed with an aim to use the photocatalyst for solar photocatalytic applications. A compound parabolic trough reactor has been designed and engineered to exploit both UV and visible part of the solar irradiation. The developed compound parabolic trough reactor could receive almost 88% of UV radiation along with a major part of visible radiation. The performance of the reactor has been evaluated in terms of degradation of a probe pollutant using the parameters such as rate constant, residence time and photonic efficiency. An attempt has been made to assess the performance in different ranges of solar spectrum. Finally the developed reactor has been employed for the photocatalytic treatment of a paper mill effluent using Degussa P25 as the photocatalyst. The paper mill effluent collected from Nagaon paper mill, Assam, India has been treated under both batch mode and continuous mode using Degussa P25 photocatalyst under artificial and natural solar radiation, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation kinetics of the paper mill effluent has been determined using the reduction in total organic carbon (TOC) values of the effluent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combinatorial Nano-Bio Interfaces.

PubMed

Cai, Pingqiang; Zhang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Ming; Wu, Yun-Long; Chen, Xiaodong

2018-06-08

Nano-bio interfaces are emerging from the convergence of engineered nanomaterials and biological entities. Despite rapid growth, clinical translation of biomedical nanomaterials is heavily compromised by the lack of comprehensive understanding of biophysicochemical interactions at nano-bio interfaces. In the past decade, a few investigations have adopted a combinatorial approach toward decoding nano-bio interfaces. Combinatorial nano-bio interfaces comprise the design of nanocombinatorial libraries and high-throughput bioevaluation. In this Perspective, we address challenges in combinatorial nano-bio interfaces and call for multiparametric nanocombinatorics (composition, morphology, mechanics, surface chemistry), multiscale bioevaluation (biomolecules, organelles, cells, tissues/organs), and the recruitment of computational modeling and artificial intelligence. Leveraging combinatorial nano-bio interfaces will shed light on precision nanomedicine and its potential applications.

Determination of Specific Forces and Tool Deflections in Micro-milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using Finite Element Simulations and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farina, Simone; Thepsonti, Thanongsak; Ceretti, Elisabetta; Özel, Tugrul

2011-05-01

Titanium alloys offer superb properties in strength, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility and are commonly utilized in medical devices and implants. Micro-end milling process is a direct and rapid fabrication method for manufacturing medical devices and implants in titanium alloys. Process performance and quality depend upon an understanding of the relationship between cutting parameters and forces and resultant tool deflections to avoid tool breakage. For this purpose, FE simulations of chip formation during micro-end milling of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with an ultra-fine grain solid carbide two-flute micro-end mill are investigated using DEFORM software. At first, specific forces in tangential and radial directions of cutting during micro-end milling for varying feed advance and rotational speeds have been determined using designed FE simulations for chip formation process. Later, these forces are applied to the micro-end mill geometry along the axial depth of cut in 3D analysis of ABAQUS. Consequently, 3D distributions for tool deflections & von Misses stress are determined. These analyses will yield in establishing integrated multi-physics process models for high performance micro-end milling and a leap-forward to process improvements.

Bio-composites from mycelium reinforced agricultural substrates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is a need for biodegradable alternatives to the inert plastics and expanded foams currently used in in manufacturing processes and device components. The material focused on in this report is a bio-composite patented by Ecovative Design, LLC. The bio-composite utilizes the fungus mycelium to i...

Stabilization of Bio-Oil Fractions for Insertion into Petroleum Refineries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Robert C.; Smith, Ryan; Wright, Mark

This project is part of a collaboration effort between Iowa State University (ISU), University of Oklahoma (OK) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The purpose of this project is to stabilize bio-oil fractions and improve their suitability for insertion into petroleum refineries. Bio-oil from fast pyrolysis of biomass is a complex mixture of unstable organic compounds. These organic compounds react under standard room conditions resulting in increases in bio-oil viscosity and water content – both detrimental for bio-oil storage and transportation. This study employed fractionation and upgrading systems to improve the stability of bio-oil. The fractionation system consists of amore » series of condensers, and electrostatic precipitators designed to separate bio-oil into five fractions: soluble carbohydrates (SF1&2), clean phenolic oligomers (CPO) and middle fraction (SF3&4), light oxygenates (SF5). A two-stage upgrading process was designed to process bio-oil stage fractions into stable products that can be inserted into a refinery. In the upgrading system, heavy and middle bio-oil fractions were upgraded into stable oil via cracking and subsequent hydrodeoxygenation. The light oxygenate fraction was steam reformed to provide a portion of requisite hydrogen for hydroprocessing. Hydrotreating and hydrocracking employed hydrogen from natural gas, fuel gas and light oxygenates reforming. The finished products from this study consist of gasoline- and diesel-blend stock fuels.« less

Toward a Bio-Medical Thesaurus: Building the Foundation of the UMLS

PubMed Central

Tuttle, Mark S.; Blois, Marsden S.; Erlbaum, Mark S.; Nelson, Stuart J.; Sherertz, David D.

1988-01-01

The Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is being designed to provide a uniform user interface to heterogeneous machine-readable bio-medical information resources, such as bibliographic databases, genetic databases, expert systems and patient records.1 Such an interface will have to recognize different ways of saying the same thing, and provide links to ways of saying related things. One way to represent the necessary associations is via a domain thesaurus. As no such thesaurus exists, and because, once built, it will be both sizable and in need of continuous maintenance, its design should include a methodology for building and maintaining it. We propose a methodology, utilizing lexically expanded schema inversion, and a design, called T. Lex, which together form one approach to the problem of defining and building a bio-medical thesaurus. We argue that the semantic locality implicit in such a thesaurus will support model-based reasoning in bio-medicine.2

Dual immobilization and magnetic manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S. Y.; Jian, Z. F.; Horng, H. E.; Hong, Chin-Yih; Yang, H. C.; Wu, C. C.; Lee, Y. H.

By suitably bio-functionalizing the surfaces, magnetic nanoparticles are able to bind specific biomolecules, and may serve as vectors for delivering bio-entities to target tissues. In this work, the synthesis of bio-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles with two kinds of bio-probes is developed. Here, the stem cell is selected as a to-be-delivered bio-entity and infarcted myocardium is the target issue. Thus, cluster designation-34 (CD-34) on stem cell and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) (or troponin I) on infarcted myocardium are the specific biomolecules to be bound with bio-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. In addition to demonstrating the co-coating of two kinds of bio-probes on a magnetic nanoparticle, the feasibility of manipulation on bio-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles by external magnetic fields is investigated.

ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF MYCELIUM REINFORCED NATURAL FIBER BIO-COMPOSITES

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is a need for biodegradable alternatives to the inert plastics and expanded foams that are common in both the manufacturing process and device componentry. The material in this study is a bio-composite patented by Ecovative Design LLC. The manufacturer's bio-composite utilizes fungal mycelium ...

Design, fabrication, and high-gradient testing of an X -band, traveling-wave accelerating structure milled from copper halves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argyropoulos, Theodoros; Catalan-Lasheras, Nuria; Grudiev, Alexej; Mcmonagle, Gerard; Rodriguez-Castro, Enrique; Syrachev, Igor; Wegner, Rolf; Woolley, Ben; Wuensch, Walter; Zha, Hao; Dolgashev, Valery; Bowden, Gorden; Haase, Andrew; Lucas, Thomas Geoffrey; Volpi, Matteo; Esperante-Pereira, Daniel; Rajamäki, Robin

2018-06-01

A prototype 11.994 GHz, traveling-wave accelerating structure for the Compact Linear Collider has been built, using the novel technique of assembling the structure from milled halves. The use of milled halves has many advantages when compared to a structure made from individual disks. These include the potential for a reduction in cost, because there are fewer parts, as well as a greater freedom in choice of joining technology because there are no rf currents across the halves' joint. Here we present the rf design and fabrication of the prototype structure, followed by the results of the high-power test and post-test surface analysis. During high-power testing the structure reached an unloaded gradient of 100 MV /m at a rf breakdown rate of less than 1.5 ×10-5 breakdowns /pulse /m with a 200 ns pulse. This structure has been designed for the CLIC testing program but construction from halves can be advantageous in a wide variety of applications.

Contamination risk of stable isotope samples during milling.

PubMed

Isaac-Renton, M; Schneider, L; Treydte, K

2016-07-15

Isotope analysis of wood is an important tool in dendrochronology and ecophysiology. Prior to mass spectrometry analysis, wood must be homogenized, and a convenient method involves a ball mill capable of milling samples directly in sample tubes. However, sample-tube plastic can contaminate wood during milling, which could lead to biological misinterpretations. We tested possible contamination of whole wood and cellulose samples during ball-mill homogenization for carbon and oxygen isotope measurements. We used a multi-factorial design with two/three steel milling balls, two sample amounts (10 mg, 40 mg), and two milling times (5 min, 10 min). We further analyzed abrasion by milling empty tubes, and measured the isotope ratios of pure contaminants. A strong risk exists for carbon isotope bias through plastic contamination: the δ(13) C value of polypropylene deviated from the control by -6.77‰. Small fibers from PTFE filter bags used during cellulose extraction also present a risk as the δ(13) C value of this plastic deviated by -5.02‰. Low sample amounts (10 mg) showed highest contamination due to increased abrasion during milling (-1.34‰), which is further concentrated by cellulose extraction (-3.38‰). Oxygen isotope measurements were unaffected. A ball mill can be used to homogenize samples within test tubes prior to oxygen isotope analysis, but not prior to carbon or radiocarbon isotope analysis. There is still a need for a fast, simple and contamination-free sample preparation procedure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Preliminary Testing of a Compact, Bone-Attached Robot for Otologic Surgery

PubMed Central

Dillon, Neal P.; Balachandran, Ramya; dit Falisse, Antoine Motte; Wanna, George B.; Labadie, Robert F.; Withrow, Thomas J.; Fitzpatrick, J. Michael; Webster, Robert J.

2014-01-01

Otologic surgery often involves a mastoidectomy procedure, in which part of the temporal bone is milled away in order to visualize critical structures embedded in the bone and safely access the middle and inner ear. We propose to automate this portion of the surgery using a compact, bone-attached milling robot. A high level of accuracy is required to avoid damage to vital anatomy along the surgical path, most notably the facial nerve, making this procedure well-suited for robotic intervention. In this study, several of the design considerations are discussed and a robot design and prototype are presented. The prototype is a 4 degrees-of-freedom robot similar to a four-axis milling machine that mounts to the patient’s skull. A positioning frame, containing fiducial markers and attachment points for the robot, is rigidly attached to the skull of the patient, and a CT scan is acquired. The target bone volume is manually segmented in the CT by the surgeon and automatically converted to a milling path and robot trajectory. The robot is then attached to the positioning frame and is used to drill the desired volume. The accuracy of the entire system (image processing, planning, robot) was evaluated at several critical locations within or near the target bone volume with a mean free space accuracy result of 0.50 mm or less at all points. A milling test in a phantom material was then performed to evaluate the surgical workflow. The resulting milled volume did not violate any critical structures. PMID:25477726

Anaerobic treatment for C and S removal in "zero-discharge" paper mills: effects of process design on S removal efficiencies.

PubMed

van Lier, J B; Lens, P N; Pol, L W

2001-01-01

Stringent environmental laws in Europe and Northern America lead to the development towards closure of the process water streams in pulp and paper mills. Application of a "zero-discharge" process is already a feasible option for the board and packaging paper industry, provided in-line treatment is applied. Concomitant energy conservation inside the mill results in process water temperatures of 50-60 degrees C. Thermophilic anaerobic treatment complemented with appropriate post-treatment is considered as the most cost-effective solution to meet re-use criteria of the process water and to keep its temperature. In the proposed closed-cycle, the anaerobic treatment step removes the largest fraction of the biodegradable COD and eliminates "S" as H2S from the process stream, without the use of additional chemicals. The anaerobic step is regarded as the only possible location to bleed "S" from the process water cycle. In laboratory experiments, the effect of upward liquid velocity (Vupw) and the specific gas loading rate (Vgas) on the S removal capacity of thermophilic anaerobic bio-reactors was investigated. Acidifying, sulphate reducing sludge bed reactors were fed with partly acidified synthetic paper mill wastewater and were operated at 55 degrees C and pH 6. The reactors were operated at organic loading rates up to 50 g COD.l-1.day-1 at COD/SO4(2-) ratios of 10. The effect of Vupw was researched by comparing the performance of a UASB reactor operated at 1.0 m.h-1 and an EGSB reactor, operated at 6.8 m.h-1. The Vupw had a strong effect on the fermentation patterns. In the UASB reactor, acidification yielded H2, acetate and propionate, leading to an accumulation of reducing equivalents. These were partly disposed of by the production of n-butyrate and n-valerate from propionate. In the EGSB reactor net acetate consumption was observed as well as high volumetric gas (CO2 and CH4) production rates. The higher gas production rates in the EGSB reactor resulted in higher S-stripping efficiencies. The effect of Vgas was further researched by comparing 2 UASB reactors which were sparged with N2 gas at a specific gas loading rate of 30 m3.m-2.day-1. In contrast to the regular UASB reactors, the gas-supplied UASB showed a more stable performance when the organic loading rates were increased. Also, the H2S stripping efficiency was 3-4 times higher in the gas-supplied UASB, reaching values of 67%. Higher values were not obtained owing to the relatively poor sulphate reduction efficiencies.

Enzymatic corn wet milling: engineering process and cost model

PubMed Central

Ramírez, Edna C; Johnston, David B; McAloon, Andrew J; Singh, Vijay

2009-01-01

Background Enzymatic corn wet milling (E-milling) is a process derived from conventional wet milling for the recovery and purification of starch and co-products using proteases to eliminate the need for sulfites and decrease the steeping time. In 2006, the total starch production in USA by conventional wet milling equaled 23 billion kilograms, including modified starches and starches used for sweeteners and ethanol production [1]. Process engineering and cost models for an E-milling process have been developed for a processing plant with a capacity of 2.54 million kg of corn per day (100,000 bu/day). These models are based on the previously published models for a traditional wet milling plant with the same capacity. The E-milling process includes grain cleaning, pretreatment, enzymatic treatment, germ separation and recovery, fiber separation and recovery, gluten separation and recovery and starch separation. Information for the development of the conventional models was obtained from a variety of technical sources including commercial wet milling companies, industry experts and equipment suppliers. Additional information for the present models was obtained from our own experience with the development of the E-milling process and trials in the laboratory and at the pilot plant scale. The models were developed using process and cost simulation software (SuperPro Designer®) and include processing information such as composition and flow rates of the various process streams, descriptions of the various unit operations and detailed breakdowns of the operating and capital cost of the facility. Results Based on the information from the model, we can estimate the cost of production per kilogram of starch using the input prices for corn, enzyme and other wet milling co-products. The work presented here describes the E-milling process and compares the process, the operation and costs with the conventional process. Conclusion The E-milling process was found to be cost competitive with the conventional process during periods of high corn feedstock costs since the enzymatic process enhances the yields of the products in a corn wet milling process. This model is available upon request from the authors for educational, research and non-commercial uses. PMID:19154623

BioNetFit: a fitting tool compatible with BioNetGen, NFsim and distributed computing environments

PubMed Central

Thomas, Brandon R.; Chylek, Lily A.; Colvin, Joshua; Sirimulla, Suman; Clayton, Andrew H.A.; Hlavacek, William S.; Posner, Richard G.

2016-01-01

Summary: Rule-based models are analyzed with specialized simulators, such as those provided by the BioNetGen and NFsim open-source software packages. Here, we present BioNetFit, a general-purpose fitting tool that is compatible with BioNetGen and NFsim. BioNetFit is designed to take advantage of distributed computing resources. This feature facilitates fitting (i.e. optimization of parameter values for consistency with data) when simulations are computationally expensive. Availability and implementation: BioNetFit can be used on stand-alone Mac, Windows/Cygwin, and Linux platforms and on Linux-based clusters running SLURM, Torque/PBS, or SGE. The BioNetFit source code (Perl) is freely available (http://bionetfit.nau.edu). Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. Contact: bionetgen.help@gmail.com PMID:26556387

An Analytical System Designed to Measure Multiple Malodorous Compounds Related to Kraft Mill Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulik, J. D.; And Others

Reported upon in this research study is the development of two automated chromatographs equipped with flame photometric detectors for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of both low- and high-molecular weight sulfur compounds in kraft mill effluents. In addition the study sought to determine the relationship between total gaseous sulfur and…

System 6 alternatives: an economic analysis

Treesearch

Bruce G. Hansen; Hugh W. Reynolds; Hugh W. Reynolds

1984-01-01

Three System 6 mill-size alternatives were designed and evaluated to determine their overall economic potential for producing standard-size hardwood blanks. Internal rates of return ranged from about 15 to 35 percent after taxes. Cost per square foot of blanks ranged from about $0.88 to $1.19, depending on mill size and the amount of new investment required.

A Virtual Sensor for Online Fault Detection of Multitooth-Tools

PubMed Central

Bustillo, Andres; Correa, Maritza; Reñones, Anibal

2011-01-01

The installation of suitable sensors close to the tool tip on milling centres is not possible in industrial environments. It is therefore necessary to design virtual sensors for these machines to perform online fault detection in many industrial tasks. This paper presents a virtual sensor for online fault detection of multitooth tools based on a Bayesian classifier. The device that performs this task applies mathematical models that function in conjunction with physical sensors. Only two experimental variables are collected from the milling centre that performs the machining operations: the electrical power consumption of the feed drive and the time required for machining each workpiece. The task of achieving reliable signals from a milling process is especially complex when multitooth tools are used, because each kind of cutting insert in the milling centre only works on each workpiece during a certain time window. Great effort has gone into designing a robust virtual sensor that can avoid re-calibration due to, e.g., maintenance operations. The virtual sensor developed as a result of this research is successfully validated under real conditions on a milling centre used for the mass production of automobile engine crankshafts. Recognition accuracy, calculated with a k-fold cross validation, had on average 0.957 of true positives and 0.986 of true negatives. Moreover, measured accuracy was 98%, which suggests that the virtual sensor correctly identifies new cases. PMID:22163766

A virtual sensor for online fault detection of multitooth-tools.

PubMed

Bustillo, Andres; Correa, Maritza; Reñones, Anibal

2011-01-01

The installation of suitable sensors close to the tool tip on milling centres is not possible in industrial environments. It is therefore necessary to design virtual sensors for these machines to perform online fault detection in many industrial tasks. This paper presents a virtual sensor for online fault detection of multitooth tools based on a bayesian classifier. The device that performs this task applies mathematical models that function in conjunction with physical sensors. Only two experimental variables are collected from the milling centre that performs the machining operations: the electrical power consumption of the feed drive and the time required for machining each workpiece. The task of achieving reliable signals from a milling process is especially complex when multitooth tools are used, because each kind of cutting insert in the milling centre only works on each workpiece during a certain time window. Great effort has gone into designing a robust virtual sensor that can avoid re-calibration due to, e.g., maintenance operations. The virtual sensor developed as a result of this research is successfully validated under real conditions on a milling centre used for the mass production of automobile engine crankshafts. Recognition accuracy, calculated with a k-fold cross validation, had on average 0.957 of true positives and 0.986 of true negatives. Moreover, measured accuracy was 98%, which suggests that the virtual sensor correctly identifies new cases.

GROWING ALTERNATIVE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS: BIO-COMPOSITE PRODUCTS FROM NATURAL FIBER, BIODEGRADABLE AND RECYCLABLE POLYMER MATERIALS FOR LOAD-BEARING CONSTRUCTION COMPONENTS

EPA Science Inventory

The project is an integrative educational and research project that will revolutionize design and construction methods towards more sustainable buildings. The project will develop and test new product design concepts using bio-composite materials in load-bearing and fa&cced...

RF Telemetry System for an Implantable Bio-MEMS Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, Rainee N.; Hall, David G.; Miranda, Felix A.

2004-01-01

In this paper, a novel miniature inductor and a pick-up antenna for contact less powering and RF telemetry from implantable bio-MEMS sensors are presented. The design of the inductor and the pick-up antenna are discussed. In addition, the measured characteristics at the design frequency of 330 MHz have been shown.

Development of a multisensor-based bio-botanic robot and its implementation using a self-designed embedded board.

PubMed

Chang, Chung-Liang; Sie, Ming-Fong; Shie, Jin-Long

2011-01-01

This paper presents the design concept of a bio-botanic robot which demonstrates its behavior based on plant growth. Besides, it can reflect the different phases of plant growth depending on the proportional amounts of light, temperature and water. The mechanism design is made up of a processed aluminum base, spring, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and actuator to constitute the plant base and plant body. The control system consists of two micro-controllers and a self-designed embedded development board where the main controller transmits the values of the environmental sensing module within the embedded board to a sub-controller. The sub-controller determines the growth stage, growth height, and time and transmits its decision value to the main controller. Finally, based on the data transmitted by the sub-controller, the main controller controls the growth phase of the bio-botanic robot using a servo motor and leaf actuator. The research result not only helps children realize the variation of plant growth but also is entertainment-educational through its demonstration of the growth process of the bio-botanic robot in a short time.

Programmable bioelectronics in a stimuli-encoded 3D graphene interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parlak, Onur; Beyazit, Selim; Tse-Sum-Bui, Bernadette; Haupt, Karsten; Turner, Anthony P. F.; Tiwari, Ashutosh

2016-05-01

The ability to program and mimic the dynamic microenvironment of living organisms is a crucial step towards the engineering of advanced bioelectronics. Here, we report for the first time a design for programmable bioelectronics, with `built-in' switchable and tunable bio-catalytic performance that responds simultaneously to appropriate stimuli. The designed bio-electrodes comprise light and temperature responsive compartments, which allow the building of Boolean logic gates (i.e. ``OR'' and ``AND'') based on enzymatic communications to deliver logic operations.The ability to program and mimic the dynamic microenvironment of living organisms is a crucial step towards the engineering of advanced bioelectronics. Here, we report for the first time a design for programmable bioelectronics, with `built-in' switchable and tunable bio-catalytic performance that responds simultaneously to appropriate stimuli. The designed bio-electrodes comprise light and temperature responsive compartments, which allow the building of Boolean logic gates (i.e. ``OR'' and ``AND'') based on enzymatic communications to deliver logic operations. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02355j

Detection of bio-signature by microscopy and mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulej, M.; Wiesendanger, R.; Neuland, M., B.; Meyer, S.; Wurz, P.; Neubeck, A.; Ivarsson, M.; Riedo, V.; Moreno-Garcia, P.; Riedo, A.; Knopp, G.

2017-09-01

We demonstrate detection of micro-sized fossilized bacteria by means of microscopy and mass spectrometry. The characteristic structures of lifelike forms are visualized with a micrometre spatial resolution and mass spectrometric analyses deliver elemental and isotope composition of host and fossilized materials. Our studies show that high selectivity in isolation of fossilized material from host phase can be achieved while applying a microscope visualization (location), a laser ablation ion source with sufficiently small laser spot size and applying depth profiling method. Our investigations shows that fossilized features can be well isolated from host phase. The mass spectrometric measurements can be conducted with sufficiently high accuracy and precision yielding quantitative elemental and isotope composition of micro-sized objects. The current performance of the instrument allows the measurement of the isotope fractionation in per mill level and yield exclusively definition of the origin of the investigated species by combining optical visualization of investigated samples (morphology and texture), chemical characterization of host and embedded in the host micro-sized structure. Our isotope analyses involved bio-relevant B, C, S, and Ni isotopes which could be measured with sufficiently accuracy to conclude about the nature of the micro-sized objects.

Marginal discrepancy of noble metal-ceramic fixed dental prosthesis frameworks fabricated by conventional and digital technologies.

PubMed

Afify, Ahmed; Haney, Stephan; Verrett, Ronald; Mansueto, Michael; Cray, James; Johnson, Russell

2018-02-01

Studies evaluating the marginal adaptation of available computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) noble alloys for metal-ceramic prostheses are lacking. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the vertical marginal adaptation of cast, milled, and direct metal laser sintered (DMLS) noble metal-ceramic 3-unit fixed partial denture (FDP) frameworks before and after fit adjustments. Two typodont teeth were prepared for metal-ceramic FDP abutments. An acrylic resin pattern of the prepared teeth was fabricated and cast in nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) alloy. Each specimen group (cast, milled, DMLS) was composed of 12 casts made from 12 impressions (n=12). A single design for the FDP substructure was created on a laboratory scanner and used for designing the specimens in the 3 groups. Each specimen was fitted to its corresponding cast by using up to 5 adjustment cycles, and marginal discrepancies were measured on the master Ni-Cr model before and after laboratory fit adjustments. The milled and DMLS groups had smaller marginal discrepancy measurements than those of the cast group (P<.001). Significant differences were found in the number of adjustments among the groups, with the milled group requiring the minimum number of adjustments, followed by the DMLS and cast groups (F=30.643, P<.001). Metal-ceramic noble alloy frameworks fabricated by using a CAD-CAM workflow had significantly smaller marginal discrepancies compared with those with a traditional cast workflow, with the milled group demonstrating the best marginal fit among the 3 test groups. Manual refining significantly enhanced the marginal fit of all groups. All 3 groups demonstrated marginal discrepancies within the range of clinical acceptability. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wastewater disposal to landfill-sites: a synergistic solution for centralized management of olive mill wastewater and enhanced production of landfill gas.

PubMed

Diamantis, Vasileios; Erguder, Tuba H; Aivasidis, Alexandros; Verstraete, Willy; Voudrias, Evangelos

2013-10-15

The present paper focuses on a largely unexplored field of landfill-site valorization in combination with the construction and operation of a centralized olive mill wastewater (OMW) treatment facility. The latter consists of a wastewater storage lagoon, a compact anaerobic digester operated all year round and a landfill-based final disposal system. Key elements for process design, such as wastewater pre-treatment, application method and rate, and the potential effects on leachate quantity and quality, are discussed based on a comprehensive literature review. Furthermore, a case-study for eight (8) olive mill enterprises generating 8700 m(3) of wastewater per year, was conceptually designed in order to calculate the capital and operational costs of the facility (transportation, storage, treatment, final disposal). The proposed facility was found to be economically self-sufficient, as long as the transportation costs of the OMW were maintained at ≤4.0 €/m(3). Despite that EU Landfill Directive prohibits wastewater disposal to landfills, controlled application, based on appropriately designed pre-treatment system and specific loading rates, may provide improved landfill stabilization and a sustainable (environmentally and economically) solution for effluents generated by numerous small- and medium-size olive mill enterprises dispersed in the Mediterranean region. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal Cutting Theory and Friction Stir Welding Tool Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payton, Lewis N.

2003-01-01

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a relatively new industrial process that was invented at The Weld Institute (TWI, United Kingdom) and patented in 1992 under research funded by in part by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Often quoted advantages of the process include good strength and ductility along with minimization of residual stress and distortion. Less well advertised are the beneficial effects of this solid state welding process in the field of occupational and environmental safety. It produces superior weld products in difficult to weld materials without producing any toxic fumes or solid waste that must be controlled as hazardous waste. In fact, it reduces noise pollution in the workspace as well. In the early days of FSW, most welding was performed on modified machine tools, in particular on milling machines with modified milling cutters. In spite of the obvious milling heritage of the process, the techniques and lessons learned from almost 250 years of successful metalworking with milling machines have not been applied in the field of modern Friction Stir Welding. The goal of the current research was to study currently successful FSW tools and parameterize the process in such a way that the design of new tools for new materials could be accelerated. Along the way, several successful new tooling designs were developed for current issues at the Marshall Space Flight Center with accompanying patent disclosures

Description of photovoltaic village power systems in the United States and Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratajczak, A. F.; Bifano, W. J.

1979-01-01

The paper describes the designs, hardware, and installations of NASA photovoltaic power systems in the village of Schuchuli in Arizona and Tangaye in Upper Volta, Africa. The projects were designed to demonstrate that current photovoltaic system technology can provide electrical power for domestic services for small, remote communities. The Schuchuli system has a 3.5 kW peak solar array which provides power for water pumping, a refrigerator for each family, lights, and community washing and sewing machines. The 1.8 kW Tangaye system provides power for pumping, flour milling, and lights in the milling building. Both are stand-alone systems operated by local personnel, and they are monitored by NASA to measure design adequacy and refine future designs.

Casing window milling with abrasive fluid jet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vestavik, O.M.; Fidtje, T.H.; Faure, A.M.

1995-12-31

Methods for through tubing re-entry drilling of multilateral wells has a large potential for increasing hydrocarbon production and total recovery. One of the bottle-necks of this technology is initiation of the side-track by milling a window in the casing downhole. A new approach to this problem has been investigated in a joint industry project. An experimental set-up has been built for milling a 4 inch window in a 7 inch steel casing at surface in the laboratory. A specially designed bit developed at RIF using abrasive jet cutting technology has been used for the window milling. The bit has anmore » abrasive jet beam which is always directed in the desired side-track direction, even if the bit is rotating uniformly. The bit performs the milling with a combined mechanical and hydraulic jet action. The method has been successfully demonstrated. The experiments has shown that the window milling can be performed with very low WOB and torque, and that only small side forces are required to perform the operation. Casing milling has been performed without a whipstock, a cement plug has been the only support for the tool. The tests indicate that milling operations can be performed more efficiently with less time and costs than what is required with conventional techniques. However, the method still needs some development of the downhole motor for coiled tubing applications. The method can be used both for milling and drilling giving the advantage of improved rate of penetration, improved bit life and increased horizontal reach. The method is planned to be demonstrated downhole in the near future.« less

Bio-jETI: a service integration, design, and provisioning platform for orchestrated bioinformatics processes.

PubMed

Margaria, Tiziana; Kubczak, Christian; Steffen, Bernhard

2008-04-25

With Bio-jETI, we introduce a service platform for interdisciplinary work on biological application domains and illustrate its use in a concrete application concerning statistical data processing in R and xcms for an LC/MS analysis of FAAH gene knockout. Bio-jETI uses the jABC environment for service-oriented modeling and design as a graphical process modeling tool and the jETI service integration technology for remote tool execution. As a service definition and provisioning platform, Bio-jETI has the potential to become a core technology in interdisciplinary service orchestration and technology transfer. Domain experts, like biologists not trained in computer science, directly define complex service orchestrations as process models and use efficient and complex bioinformatics tools in a simple and intuitive way.

Advanced biomass science and technology for bio-based products: proceedings

Treesearch

Chung Hse; Zehui Jiang; Mon-Lin Kuo

2009-01-01

This book was developed from the proceedings of the Advanced Biomass Science and Technology for Bio-Based Products Symposium held in Beijing, China, May 23-25, 2007. The symposium was designed to provide a forum for researchers, producers, and consumers of biomass and bio-based products; to exchange information and ideas; and to stimulate new research and...

Bio-inert interfaces via biomimetic anchoring of a zwitterionic copolymer on versatile substrates.

PubMed

Dizon, Gian Vincent; Chou, Ying-Nien; Yeh, Lu-Chen; Venault, Antoine; Huang, James; Chang, Yung

2018-05-22

Bio-inert biomaterial design is vital for fields like biosensors, medical implants, and drug delivery systems. Bio-inert materials are generally hydrophilic and electrical neutral. One limitation faced in the design of bio-inert materials is that most of the modifiers used are specific to their substrate. In this work, we synthesized a novel zwitterionic copolymer containing a catechol group, a non-substrate dependent biomimetic anchoring segment, that can form a stable coating on various materials. No previous study was conducted using a grafting-to approach and determined the critical amount of catechol groups needed to effectively modify a material. The synthesized copolymers of sulfobetaine acrylamide (SBAA) and dopamine methacrylamide (DMA) in this work contains varying numbers of catechol groups, in which the critical number of catechol groups that had effectively modified substrates to have the bio-inert property was determined. The bio-inert property and capability to do coating on versatile substrates were evaluated in contact with human blood by coating different material groups such as ceramic, metallic, and polymeric groups. The novel structure and the simple grafting-to approach provides bio-inert property on various materials, giving them non-specific adsorption and attachment of biomolecules such as plasma proteins, erythrocytes, thrombocytes, bacteria, and tissue cells (85-95% reduction). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BioNetFit: a fitting tool compatible with BioNetGen, NFsim and distributed computing environments.

PubMed

Thomas, Brandon R; Chylek, Lily A; Colvin, Joshua; Sirimulla, Suman; Clayton, Andrew H A; Hlavacek, William S; Posner, Richard G

2016-03-01

Rule-based models are analyzed with specialized simulators, such as those provided by the BioNetGen and NFsim open-source software packages. Here, we present BioNetFit, a general-purpose fitting tool that is compatible with BioNetGen and NFsim. BioNetFit is designed to take advantage of distributed computing resources. This feature facilitates fitting (i.e. optimization of parameter values for consistency with data) when simulations are computationally expensive. BioNetFit can be used on stand-alone Mac, Windows/Cygwin, and Linux platforms and on Linux-based clusters running SLURM, Torque/PBS, or SGE. The BioNetFit source code (Perl) is freely available (http://bionetfit.nau.edu). Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. bionetgen.help@gmail.com. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Rethinking the design of the furniture rough mill

Treesearch

Charles J. Gatchell; Charles J. Gatchell

1987-01-01

This paper discusses the crosscut-first rough mill with emphasis on the effects of lumber quality, cutting bills, and operator efficiency on yields. Adding a gang-rip-first option is recommended, which will use more of the lower grades of lumber while meeting the needs of the furniture and cabinet industries. Current research that indicates why gang ripping to glueline...

ROMI 4.0: Rough mill simulator 4.0 users manual

Treesearch

R. Edward Thomas; Timo Grueneberg; Urs Buehlmann

2015-01-01

The Rough MIll simulator (ROMI Version 4.0) is a computer software package for personal computers (PCs) that simulates current industrial practices for rip-first, chop-first, and rip and chop-first lumber processing. This guide shows how to set up the software; design, implement, and execute simulations; and examine the results. ROMI 4.0 accepts cutting bills with as...

Estimating sawmill processing capacity for Tongass timber: 2005 and 2006 update

Treesearch

Allen M. Brackley; Lisa K. Crone

2009-01-01

In spring 2006 and 2007, sawmill capacity and wood utilization information was collected for selected mills in southeast Alaska. The collected information is required to prepare information for compliance with Section 705(a) of the Tongass Timber Reform Act. The total estimated design capacity in the region (active and inactive mills) was 289,850 thousand board feet (...

An investigation into the design and performance of an automatic shape control system for a Sendzimir cold rolling mill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutton, Kenneth

Shape (or flatness) control for rolled steel strip is becoming increasingly important as customer requirements become more stringent. Automatic shape control is now more or less mandatory on all new four-high cold mills, but no comprehensive scheme yet exists on a Sendzimir mill. This is due to the complexity of the control system design on such a mill, where many more degrees of freedom for control exist than is the case with the four-high mills.The objective of the current work is to develop, from first principles, such a system; including automatic control of the As-U-Roll and first intermediate roll actuators in response to the measured strip shape. This thesis concerns itself primarily with the As-U-Roll control system. The material presented is extremely wide-ranging. Areas covered include the development of original static and dynamic mathematical models of the mill systems, and testing of the plant by data-logging to tune these models. A basic control system philosophy proposed by other workers is modified and developed to suit the practical system requirements and the data provided by the models. The control strategy is tested by comprehensive multivariable simulation studies. Finally, details are given of the practical problems faced when installing the system on the plant. These include problems of manual control inter-action bumpless transfer and integral desaturation.At the time of presentation of the thesis, system commissioning is still in progress and production results are therefore not yet available. Nevertheless, the simulation studies predict a successful outcome, although performance is expected to be limited until the first intermediate roll actuators are eventually included in the scheme also.

Use of Seawater for Air Conditioning at Waikiki Convention Center

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-01

construct heat exchangers of either titanium or zinc-clad aluminum . It is likely that these could be ordered "off the shelf*. Bio-fouling would not be a...Considerations J. Fouling K. Alternative Design: Directional Drilling System Design A. Seawater Heat Exchangers 1. Materials 2. Bio-fouling 3. Design... Heat exchangers are available in a variety of types, sizes and materials . There are standard models available by many manufactures, however, a single

tmBioC: improving interoperability of text-mining tools with BioC.

PubMed

Khare, Ritu; Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Mao, Yuqing; Leaman, Robert; Lu, Zhiyong

2014-01-01

The lack of interoperability among biomedical text-mining tools is a major bottleneck in creating more complex applications. Despite the availability of numerous methods and techniques for various text-mining tasks, combining different tools requires substantial efforts and time owing to heterogeneity and variety in data formats. In response, BioC is a recent proposal that offers a minimalistic approach to tool interoperability by stipulating minimal changes to existing tools and applications. BioC is a family of XML formats that define how to present text documents and annotations, and also provides easy-to-use functions to read/write documents in the BioC format. In this study, we introduce our text-mining toolkit, which is designed to perform several challenging and significant tasks in the biomedical domain, and repackage the toolkit into BioC to enhance its interoperability. Our toolkit consists of six state-of-the-art tools for named-entity recognition, normalization and annotation (PubTator) of genes (GenNorm), diseases (DNorm), mutations (tmVar), species (SR4GN) and chemicals (tmChem). Although developed within the same group, each tool is designed to process input articles and output annotations in a different format. We modify these tools and enable them to read/write data in the proposed BioC format. We find that, using the BioC family of formats and functions, only minimal changes were required to build the newer versions of the tools. The resulting BioC wrapped toolkit, which we have named tmBioC, consists of our tools in BioC, an annotated full-text corpus in BioC, and a format detection and conversion tool. Furthermore, through participation in the 2013 BioCreative IV Interoperability Track, we empirically demonstrate that the tools in tmBioC can be more efficiently integrated with each other as well as with external tools: Our experimental results show that using BioC reduces >60% in lines of code for text-mining tool integration. The tmBioC toolkit is publicly available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/Demo/tmTools/. Database URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/Demo/tmTools/. Published by Oxford University Press 2014. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Three-dimensional patterning in polymer optical waveguides using focused ion beam milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruse, Kevin; Burrell, Derek; Middlebrook, Christopher

2016-07-01

Waveguide (WG) photonic-bridge taper modules are designed for symmetric planar coupling between silicon WGs and single-mode fibers (SMFs) to minimize photonic chip and packaging footprint requirements with improving broadband functionality. Micromachined fabrication and evaluation of polymer WG tapers utilizing high-resolution focused ion beam (FIB) milling is performed and presented. Polymer etch rates utilizing the FIB and optimal methods for milling polymer tapers are identified for three-dimensional patterning. Polymer WG tapers with low sidewall roughness are manufactured utilizing FIB milling and optically tested for fabrication loss. FIB platforms utilize a focused beam of ions (Ga+) to etch submicron patterns into substrates. Fabricating low-loss polymer WG taper prototypes with the FIB before moving on to mass-production techniques provides theoretical understanding of the polymer taper and its feasibility for connectorization devices between silicon WGs and SMFs.

Bio-functionalization of conductive textile materials with redox enzymes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahoush, M.; Behary, N.; Cayla, A.; Nierstrasz, V.

2017-10-01

In recent years, immobilization of oxidoreductase enzymes on electrically conductive materials has played an important role in the development of sustainable bio-technologies. Immobilization process allows the re-use of these bio-catalysts in their final applications. In this study, different methods of immobilizing redox enzymes on conductive textile materials were used to produce bio-functionalized electrodes. These electrodes can be used for bio-processes and bio-sensing in eco-designed applications in domains such as medicine and pollution control. However, the main challenge facing the stability and durability of these electrodes is the maintenance of the enzymatic activity after the immobilization. Hence, preventing the enzyme’s denaturation and leaching is a critical factor for the success of the immobilization processes.

Demonstrating the Value of Education Through Exploration as a Theory of Digital Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anbar, A. D.; Mead, C.; Bratton, D., III; Horodyskyj, L.; Hayes, J.; Schonstein, D.; Watt, S.; Watt, K.; Ben-Naim, D.; Leon, A.

2017-12-01

We present results from two online college courses - HabWorlds and BioBeyond - that teach introductory science using astrobiology as motivation, according to a new theory of digital learning design that we call "education through exploration" (ETX). ETX design, building on the research-based practices of active learning and guided inquiry, aims to engage and encourage curiosity and to promote higher order thinking skills, in addition to content mastery. Students solve problems and actively discover relationships, supported by an intelligent tutoring system which provides immediate feedback and scaffolds scientific thinking and methods. Here we report the first comparative evidence of the effectiveness of ETX designs. A historical comparative study of HabWorlds was conducted at a community college where two instructors used it to replace an existing introductory astronomy course. Data from five Habitable Worlds and three BAU sections (300 students) show that course grades shifted significantly towards A and B (p = .009). A similar study at a second community college found comparable results for BioBeyond. Here, a single instructor taught introductory biology with and without BioBeyond, totalling five and two sections, respectively (>200 students). Grades on exams using a consistent question pool showed a significant increase in A's and B's when BioBeyond was used (p < .001). In addition to these single-site studies, multi-site data for BioBeyond show improved student outcomes over business as usual (BAU) equivalents. We compared student grades in introductory biology courses using BioBeyond, either as a complete course replacement or as a course supplement in a hybrid or flipped-classroom model, and BAU courses at each institution. A regression analysis controlled for potentially confounding variables, such as cumulative GPA, part-time/full-time status, gender, or race/ethnicity. BioBeyond was associated with a statistically significant positive predictive effect on grades at three of the four schools. The effect at these three schools ranged from +0.26 to +0.46 grade units (0-4.3 scale). Evidence of positive outcomes from two separate courses across multiple colleges and universities is a promising first step. The value of ETX design in promoting higher order thinking is a focus of ongoing study.

Multi-Modalities Sensor Science

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-28

enhanced multi-mode sensor science. bio -sensing, cross-discipling, multi-physics, nano-technology sailing He +46-8790 8465 1 Final Report for SOARD Project...spectroscopy, nano-technology, biophotonics and multi-physics modeling to produce adaptable bio -nanostructure enhanced multi-mode sensor science. 1...adaptable bio -nanostructure enhanced multi-mode sensor science. The accomplishments includes 1) A General Method for Designing a Radome to Enhance

Preparation of a Bimetal Using Mechanical Alloying for Environmental or Industrial Use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, Jacqueline; Geiger, Cherie; Clausen, Christian

2013-01-01

Following the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act ban on their manufacture, PCBs remain an environmental threat. PCBs are known to bio-accumulate and concentrate in fatty tissues. Further complications arise from the potential for contamination of commercial mixtures with other more toxic chlorinated compounds such as polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Until recently, only one option was available for the treatment of PCB-contaminated materials: incineration. This may prove to be more detrimental to the environment than the PCBs themselves due to the potential for formation of PCDDs. Metals have been used for the past ten years for the remediation of halogenated solvents and other contaminants in the environment; however, zero-valent metals alone do not possess the activity required to dehalogenate PCBs. Palladium has been shown to act as an excellent catalyst for the dechlorination of PCBs with active metals. This invention is a method for the production of a palladium/magnesium bimetal capable of dechlorinating PCBs using mechanical milling/mechanical alloying. Other base metals and catalysts may also be alloyed together (e.g., nickel or zinc) to create a similarly functioning catalyst system. Several bimetal catalyst systems currently can be used for processes such as hydrogen peroxide synthesis, oxidation of ethane, selective oxidation, hydrogenation, and production of syngas for further conversion to clean fuels. The processes for making these bimetal catalysts often involve vapor deposition. This technology provides an alternative to vapor deposition that may provide equally active catalysts. A hydrogenation catalyst including a base material coated with a catalytic metal is made using mechanical milling techniques. The hydrogenation catalysts are used as an excellent catalyst for the dehalogenation of contaminated compounds and the remediation of other industrial compounds. The mechanical milling technique is simpler and cheaper than previously used methods for producing hydrogenation catalysts. Preferably, the hydrogenation catalyst is a bimetallic particle formed from a zero-valent iron or zero-valent magnesium particle coated with palladium that is impregnated onto a high-surface-area graphite support. The zero-valent metal particles should be microscale or nanoscale zero-valent magnesium or zero-valent iron particles. Other zero-valent metal particles and combinations may be used. Additionally, the base material may be selected from a variety of minerals including, but not limited to, alumina and zeolites. The catalytic metal is preferably selected from the group consisting of noble metals and transition metals, preferably palladium. The mechanical milling process includes milling the base material with a catalytic metal impregnated into a high-surface-area support to form the hydrogenation catalyst. In a preferred mechanical milling process, a zero-valent metal particle is provided as the base material, preferably having a particle size of less than about 10 microns, preferably 0.1 to 10 microns or smaller, prior to milling. The catalytic metal is supported on a conductive carbon support structure prior to milling. For example, palladium may be impregnated on a graphite support. Other support structures such as semiconductive metal oxides may also be used.

Use of bark-derived pyrolysis oils ass a phenol substitute in structural panel adhesives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Louisiana Pacific Corp

2004-03-01

The main objective of this program was to pilot the world's first commercial-scale production of an acceptable phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin containing natural resin (NR) ingredients, for use as an adhesive in Oriented-Strand Board (OSB) and plywood panel products. Natural Resin products, specifically MNRP are not lignin ''fillers''. They are chemically active, natural phenolics that effectively displace significant amounts of phenol in PF resins, and which are extracted from bark-derived and wood-derived bio-oils. Other objectives included the enhancement of the economics of NR (MNRP) production by optimizing the production of certain Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP{trademark}) byproducts, particularly char and activatedmore » carbon. The options were to activate the char for use in waste-water and/or stack gas purification. The preliminary results indicate that RTP{trademark} carbon may ultimately serve as a feedstock for activated carbon synthesis, as a fuel to be used within the wood product mill, or a fuel for an electrical power generating facility. Incorporation of the char as an industrial heat source for use in mill operations was L-P's initial intention for the carbon, and was also of interest to Weyerhaeuser as they stepped into in the project.« less

Effect of adding brewery wastewater to pulp and paper mill effluent to enhance the photofermentation process: wastewater characteristics, biohydrogen production, overall performance, and kinetic modeling.

PubMed

Hay, Jacqueline Xiao Wen; Wu, Ta Yeong; Juan, Joon Ching; Md Jahim, Jamaliah

2017-04-01

Although a significant amount of brewery wastewater (BW) is generated during beer production, the nutrients in the BW could be reused as a potential bio-resource for biohydrogen production. Therefore, improvements in photofermentative biohydrogen production due to a combination of BW and pulp and paper mill effluent (PPME) as a mixed production medium were investigated comprehensively in this study. The experimental results showed that both the biohydrogen yield and the chemical oxygen demand removal were improved through the combination of BW and PPME. The best biohydrogen yield of 0.69 mol H 2 /L medium was obtained using the combination of 10 % BW + 90 % PPME (10B90P), while the reuse of the wastewater alone (100 % BW and 100 % PPME) resulted in 42.3 and 44.0 % less biohydrogen yields than the highest yield, respectively. The greatest light efficiency was 1.97 % and was also achieved using the combination of both wastewaters at 10B90P. This study revealed the potential of reusing and combining two different effluents together, in which the combination of BW and PPME improved the nutrients and light penetration into the mixed production medium.

Comparative Studies on the Fungi and Bio-Chemical Characteristics of Snake Gourd (Trichosanthes curcumerina Linn) and Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentus Mill) in Rivers State, Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuku, E. C.; Ogbonna, D. N.; Onuegbu, B. A.; Adeleke, M. T. V.

Comparative studies on the fungi and biochemical characteristics of Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentus Mill) and the Snake gourd (Trichosanthes curcumerina Linn) products were investigated in Rivers State using various analytical procedures. Results of the proximate analysis of fresh snake gourd and tomatoes show that the essential minerals such as protein, ash, fibre, lipid, phosphorus and niacin contents were higher in snake gourd but low in carbohydrate, calcium, iron, vitamins A and C when compared to the mineral fractions of tomatoes which has high values of calcium, iron, vitamins A and C. The mycoflora predominantly associated with the fruit rot of tomato were Fusarium oxysporium, Fusarium moniliforme, Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus niger, while other fungi isolates from Snake gourd include Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus tamari, Penicillium ita/icum and Neurospora crassa. Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus niger were common spoilage fungi to both the Tomato and Snake gourd. All the fungal isolates were found to be pathogenic. The duration for storage of the fruits at room temperature (28±1°C) showed that Tomato could store for 5 days while Snake gourd stored for as much as 7 days. Sensory evaluation shows that Snake gourd is preferred to Tomatoes because of its culinary and medicinal importance.

Bio-jETI: a service integration, design, and provisioning platform for orchestrated bioinformatics processes

PubMed Central

Margaria, Tiziana; Kubczak, Christian; Steffen, Bernhard

2008-01-01

Background With Bio-jETI, we introduce a service platform for interdisciplinary work on biological application domains and illustrate its use in a concrete application concerning statistical data processing in R and xcms for an LC/MS analysis of FAAH gene knockout. Methods Bio-jETI uses the jABC environment for service-oriented modeling and design as a graphical process modeling tool and the jETI service integration technology for remote tool execution. Conclusions As a service definition and provisioning platform, Bio-jETI has the potential to become a core technology in interdisciplinary service orchestration and technology transfer. Domain experts, like biologists not trained in computer science, directly define complex service orchestrations as process models and use efficient and complex bioinformatics tools in a simple and intuitive way. PMID:18460173

Alignment of the UMLS semantic network with BioTop: methodology and assessment.

PubMed

Schulz, Stefan; Beisswanger, Elena; van den Hoek, László; Bodenreider, Olivier; van Mulligen, Erik M

2009-06-15

For many years, the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) semantic network (SN) has been used as an upper-level semantic framework for the categorization of terms from terminological resources in biomedicine. BioTop has recently been developed as an upper-level ontology for the biomedical domain. In contrast to the SN, it is founded upon strict ontological principles, using OWL DL as a formal representation language, which has become standard in the semantic Web. In order to make logic-based reasoning available for the resources annotated or categorized with the SN, a mapping ontology was developed aligning the SN with BioTop. The theoretical foundations and the practical realization of the alignment are being described, with a focus on the design decisions taken, the problems encountered and the adaptations of BioTop that became necessary. For evaluation purposes, UMLS concept pairs obtained from MEDLINE abstracts by a named entity recognition system were tested for possible semantic relationships. Furthermore, all semantic-type combinations that occur in the UMLS Metathesaurus were checked for satisfiability. The effort-intensive alignment process required major design changes and enhancements of BioTop and brought up several design errors that could be fixed. A comparison between a human curator and the ontology yielded only a low agreement. Ontology reasoning was also used to successfully identify 133 inconsistent semantic-type combinations. BioTop, the OWL DL representation of the UMLS SN, and the mapping ontology are available at http://www.purl.org/biotop/.

Computerized Design and Analysis of Face-Milled, Uniform Tooth Height Spiral Bevel Gear Drives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litvin, Faydor L.; Wang, Anngwo; Handschuh, R. F.

1996-01-01

Face-milled spiral bevel gears with uniform tooth height are considered. An approach is proposed for the design of low noise and localized bearing contact of such gears. The approach is based on the mismatch of contacting surfaces and permits two types of bearing contact either directed longitudinally or across the surface to be obtained. A Tooth Contact Analysis (TCA) computer program was developed. This analysis was used to determine the influence of misalignment on meshing and contact of the spiral bevel gears. A numerical example that illustrates the developed theory is provided.

Discrete element method based scale-up model for material synthesis using ball milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santhanam, Priya Radhi

Mechanical milling is a widely used technique for powder processing in various areas. In this work, a scale-up model for describing this ball milling process is developed. The thesis is a combination of experimental and modeling efforts. Initially, Discrete Element Model (DEM) is used to describe energy transfer from milling tools to the milled powder for shaker, planetary, and attritor mills. The rolling and static friction coefficients are determined experimentally. Computations predict a quasisteady rate of energy dissipation, E d, for each experimental configuration. It is proposed that the milling dose defined as a product of Ed and milling time, t, divided by the mass of milled powder, mp characterizes the milling progress independently of the milling device or milling conditions used. Once the milling dose is determined for one experimental configuration, it can be used to predict the milling time required to prepare the same material in any milling configuration, for which Ed is calculated. The concept is validated experimentally for DEM describing planetary and shaker mills. For attritor, the predicted Ed includes substantial contribution from milling tool interaction events with abnormally high forces (>103 N). The energy in such events is likely dissipated to heat or plastically deform milling tools rather than refine material. Indeed, DEM predictions for the attritor correlate with experiments when such events are ignored in the analysis. With an objective of obtaining real-time indicators of milling progress, power, torque, and rotation speed of the impeller of an attritor mill are measured during preparation of metal matrix composite powders in the subsequent portion of this thesis. Two material systems are selected and comparisons made between in-situ parameters and experimental milling progress indicators. It is established that real-time measurements can certainly be used to describe milling progress. However, they need to be interpreted carefully depending on hardness of brittle component relative to milling media. To improve the DEM model of the attritor mill, it is desired to avoid the removal of unrealistic, high-force events using an approach that would not predict such events in the first place. It is observed that during experiments in attritor, balls may jam causing an increased resistance to the impeller's rotation. The impeller may instantaneously slow down, quickly returning to its pre-set rotation rate. Previous DEM models did not account for such rapid changes in the impeller's rotation. In this work, this relationship between impeller's torque and rotation rate is obtained experimentally and introduced in DEM. As a result, predicted Ed, are shown to correlate well with the experimental data. Finally, a methodology is proposed combining an experiment and its DEM description enabling one to identify the appropriate interaction parameters for powder systems. The experiment uses a miniature vibrating hopper and can be applied to characterize the powder flow for variety of materials. The hopper is designed to hold up to 20,000 particles of 50-mum diameter, which can be directly described in DEM. Based on comparison of discharge rate from experiments and model, all 6 interaction parameters were analyzed and the ideal conditions identified for Zirconia beads. The values of these parameters for powders are generally not the same as those established for macroscopic bodies. In addition, effects of some other experimental parameters such as particle size distribution and amplitude of vibration are also investigated.

Development of a Multisensor-Based Bio-Botanic Robot and Its Implementation Using a Self-Designed Embedded Board

PubMed Central

Chang, Chung-Liang; Sie, Ming-Fong; Shie, Jin-Long

2011-01-01

This paper presents the design concept of a bio-botanic robot which demonstrates its behavior based on plant growth. Besides, it can reflect the different phases of plant growth depending on the proportional amounts of light, temperature and water. The mechanism design is made up of a processed aluminum base, spring, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and actuator to constitute the plant base and plant body. The control system consists of two micro-controllers and a self-designed embedded development board where the main controller transmits the values of the environmental sensing module within the embedded board to a sub-controller. The sub-controller determines the growth stage, growth height, and time and transmits its decision value to the main controller. Finally, based on the data transmitted by the sub-controller, the main controller controls the growth phase of the bio-botanic robot using a servo motor and leaf actuator. The research result not only helps children realize the variation of plant growth but also is entertainment-educational through its demonstration of the growth process of the bio-botanic robot in a short time. PMID:22247684

Effect of cutting bill requirements on lumber yield in a rip-first rough mill

Treesearch

Urs Buehlmann; Janice K. Wiedenbeck; E. Earl Kline; E. Earl Kline

2003-01-01

In recent years, producers of solid wood dimension parts have emphasized improvements in lumber yield, focusing primarily on lumber grade and cutting technology rather than cutting bill design. Yet, cutting bills have a significant impact on yield. Using rip-first rough mill simulation software, a data bank of red oak lumber samples, and a cutting bill that resembles...

Effect of dilution and ash supplement on the bio-methane potential of palm oil mill effluent (POME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jijai, Sunwanee; Muleng, Saina; Siripatana, Chairat

2017-08-01

This study aimed to evaluate the bio-methane potential of POME at different dilutions (100, 80, 60, 40, and 20 percent of initial POME) and different pH dues to different levels of ash supplement. Five different amounts of ash were added to digesters (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 grams of ash were added to 170 ml of POME respectively). The digesters were operated in batch anaerobic digestion systems at room temperature (28-30 °C) and the experiments were performed in duplicate manner. The results showed that POME without dilution gave highest cumulative biogas (950 ml). However, 80% dilution from original POME gave the highest methane yield (45.83 mL CH4/ gCODadded or 103.13 mL CH4/ gCODremoved). Finally, the results of experiment 2, this adding ash into POME increased pH as well as enhanced the biogas production. It was found that adding ash at the ash:POME ratio of 2 g: 170 ml gave the highest both the cumulative biogas and methane yield (1,520 mL and 218.79 mL CH4/ gCODremoved respectively). The addition of ash in the raw waste of POME gave the pH in the range of criteria and highest bio-methane potential. The modified Gompertz equation, Schnute as well as Monod kinetic models were used to compare the data from the experiments. It was found that the factors that affected included, the bio-methane production and the kinetic parameters (the maximum specific methane production rates (Rm ml/day) and the methane production potential (P, mL)), initial COD, nutrients, levels of dilution, and initial pH (by adding different level of ash). However, λ (lag phase period) was not affected by initial COD and other factors. While Monod kinetics provides valuable insight in explaining what could happen behind the systematic trends.

Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposures During Asphalt Pavement Milling at Eleven Highway Construction Sites

PubMed Central

Hammond, Duane R.; Shulman, Stanley A.; Echt, Alan S.

2016-01-01

Asphalt pavement milling machines use a rotating cutter drum to remove the deteriorated road surface for recycling. The removal of the road surface has the potential to release respirable crystalline silica, to which workers can be exposed. This paper describes an evaluation of respirable crystalline silica exposures to the operator and ground worker from two different half-lane and larger asphalt pavement milling machines that had ventilation dust controls and water-sprays designed and installed by the manufacturers. Manufacturer A completed milling for eleven days at four highway construction sites in Wisconsin, while Manufacturer B completed milling for ten days at seven highway construction sites in Indiana. To evaluate the dust controls, full-shift personal breathing zone air samples were collected from an operator and ground worker during the course of normal employee work activities of asphalt pavement milling at eleven different sites. Forty-two personal breathing zone air samples were collected over 21 days (sampling on an operator and ground worker each day). All samples were below 50 µg/m3 for respirable crystalline silica, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure limit. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 6.2 µg/m3 for the operator and 6.1 µg/m3 for the ground worker for the Manufacturer A milling machine. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 4.2 µg/m3 for the operator and 9.0 µg/m3 for the ground worker for the Manufacturer B milling machine. In addition, upper 95% confidence limits for the mean exposure for each occupation were well below 50 µg/m3 for both studies. The silica content in the bulk asphalt material being milled ranged from 7% to 23% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer A and from 5% to 12% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer B. The results indicate that engineering controls consisting of ventilation controls in combination with water-sprays are capable of controlling occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica generated by asphalt pavement milling machines on highway construction sites. PMID:26913983

Respirable crystalline silica exposures during asphalt pavement milling at eleven highway construction sites.

PubMed

Hammond, Duane R; Shulman, Stanley A; Echt, Alan S

2016-07-01

Asphalt pavement milling machines use a rotating cutter drum to remove the deteriorated road surface for recycling. The removal of the road surface has the potential to release respirable crystalline silica, to which workers can be exposed. This article describes an evaluation of respirable crystalline silica exposures to the operator and ground worker from two different half-lane and larger asphalt pavement milling machines that had ventilation dust controls and water-sprays designed and installed by the manufacturers. Manufacturer A completed milling for 11 days at 4 highway construction sites in Wisconsin, and Manufacturer B completed milling for 10 days at 7 highway construction sites in Indiana. To evaluate the dust controls, full-shift personal breathing zone air samples were collected from an operator and ground worker during the course of normal employee work activities of asphalt pavement milling at 11 different sites. Forty-two personal breathing zone air samples were collected over 21 days (sampling on an operator and ground worker each day). All samples were below 50 µg/m(3) for respirable crystalline silica, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure limit. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 6.2 µg/m(3) for the operator and 6.1 µg/m(3) for the ground worker for the Manufacturer A milling machine. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 4.2 µg/m(3) for the operator and 9.0 µg/m(3) for the ground worker for the Manufacturer B milling machine. In addition, upper 95% confidence limits for the mean exposure for each occupation were well below 50 µg/m(3) for both studies. The silica content in the bulk asphalt material being milled ranged from 7-23% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer A and from 5-12% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer B. The results indicate that engineering controls consisting of ventilation controls in combination with water-sprays are capable of controlling occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica generated by asphalt pavement milling machines on highway construction sites.

SketchBio: a scientist's 3D interface for molecular modeling and animation.

PubMed

Waldon, Shawn M; Thompson, Peter M; Hahn, Patrick J; Taylor, Russell M

2014-10-30

Because of the difficulties involved in learning and using 3D modeling and rendering software, many scientists hire programmers or animators to create models and animations. This both slows the discovery process and provides opportunities for miscommunication. Working with multiple collaborators, a tool was developed (based on a set of design goals) to enable them to directly construct models and animations. SketchBio is presented, a tool that incorporates state-of-the-art bimanual interaction and drop shadows to enable rapid construction of molecular structures and animations. It includes three novel features: crystal-by-example, pose-mode physics, and spring-based layout that accelerate operations common in the formation of molecular models. Design decisions and their consequences are presented, including cases where iterative design was required to produce effective approaches. The design decisions, novel features, and inclusion of state-of-the-art techniques enabled SketchBio to meet all of its design goals. These features and decisions can be incorporated into existing and new tools to improve their effectiveness.

Trueness of four different milling procedures used in dental CAD/CAM systems.

PubMed

Kirsch, Corinna; Ender, Andreas; Attin, Thomas; Mehl, Albert

2017-03-01

Milling is a crucial step in producing restorations using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems. In this study the trueness of currently available milling devices was evaluated. Thirty clinical cases (ten inlays, ten crowns, ten onlays) were milled from ceramic blocks using four different milling approaches: five axis with IMES CORiTEC 450i, four axis with CEREC MCXL, four axis with CEREC MCXL-EF and five axis with inLab MCX5. The milled restorations were scanned and the occlusal and inner surfaces compared to the originally calculated 3D surface using difference analysis software. The (90-10 %) / 2 percentile of the distances were calculated and analysed using one-way ANOVA with the post hoc Scheffé test (α = 0.05). Chipping of marginal areas were visually examined and analysed using one-way ANOVA with a post hoc Tamhane test (α = 0.05). At inner surfaces, the milling trueness of IMES (33.9 ± 16.3 μm), X5 (32.3 ± 9.7 μm) and MCXL-EF (34.4 ± 7.5 μm) was significantly better (p < 0.001) than that of MCXL (62.1 ± 17.1 μm). At occlusal surfaces, MCXL-EF (25.7 ± 9.3 μm) showed significant higher accuracy (p < 0.001) than MCXL (48.7 ± 23.3 μm) and X5 (40.9 ± 20.4 μm). IMES produced the most chipping (p < 0.001). Five-axis milling devices yield high trueness. MCXL-EF is competitive and may allow chairside fabrication with good milling results. Accurate milling is required for well-fitting restorations and thereby requires fewer manual finishing steps, yields smaller marginal gaps, resistance to secondary caries and longevity of restorations.

Comparison of five-axis milling and rapid prototyping for implant surgical templates.

PubMed

Park, Ji-Man; Yi, Tae-Kyoung; Koak, Jai-Young; Kim, Seong-Kyoon; Park, Eun-Jin; Heo, Seong-Joo

2014-01-01

This study aims to compare and evaluate the accuracy of surgical templates fabricated using coordinate synchronization processing with five-axis milling and design-related processing with rapid prototyping (RP). Master phantoms with 10 embedded gutta-percha cylinders hidden under artificial gingiva were fabricated and imaged using cone beam computed tomography. Vectors of the hidden cylinders were extracted and transferred to those of the planned implants through reverse engineering using virtual planning software. An RP-produced template was fabricated by stereolithography in photopolymer at the RP center according to planned data. Metal sleeves were bonded after holes were bored (group RP). For the milled template, milling coordinates were synchronized using the conversion process for the coordinate synchronization platform located on the model's bottom. Metal bushings were set on holes milled on the five-axis milling machine, on which the model was fixed through the coordinate synchronization plate, and the framework was constructed on the model using orthodontic resin (group CS). A computed tomography image was taken with templates firmly fixed on models using anchor pins (RP) or anchor screws (CS). The accuracy was analyzed via reverse engineering. Differences between the two groups were compared by repeated measures two-factor analysis. From the reverse-engineered image of the template on the experimental model, RP-produced templates showed significantly larger deviations than did milled surgical guides. Maximum deviations of the group RP were 1.58 mm (horizontal), 1.68 mm (vertical), and 8.51 degrees (angular); those of the group CS were 0.68 mm (horizontal), 0.41 mm (vertical), and 3.23 degrees (angular). A comparison of milling and RP template production methods showed that a vector-milled surgical guide had significantly smaller deviations than did an RP-produced template. The accuracy of computer-guided milled surgical templates was within the safety margin of previous studies.

Design for Additive Bio-Manufacturing: From Patient-Specific Medical Devices to Rationally Designed Meta-Biomaterials.

PubMed

Zadpoor, Amir A

2017-07-25

Recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in terms of accuracy, reliability, the range of processable materials, and commercial availability have made them promising candidates for production of functional parts including those used in the biomedical industry. The complexity-for-free feature offered by AM means that very complex designs become feasible to manufacture, while batch-size-indifference enables fabrication of fully patient-specific medical devices. Design for AM (DfAM) approaches aim to fully utilize those features for development of medical devices with substantially enhanced performance and biomaterials with unprecedented combinations of favorable properties that originate from complex geometrical designs at the micro-scale. This paper reviews the most important approaches in DfAM particularly those applicable to additive bio-manufacturing including image-based design pipelines, parametric and non-parametric designs, metamaterials, rational and computationally enabled design, topology optimization, and bio-inspired design. Areas with limited research have been identified and suggestions have been made for future research. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the practical aspects of DfAM and the potential of combining AM with subtractive and formative manufacturing processes in so-called hybrid manufacturing processes.

Design for Additive Bio-Manufacturing: From Patient-Specific Medical Devices to Rationally Designed Meta-Biomaterials

PubMed Central

Zadpoor, Amir A.

2017-01-01

Recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in terms of accuracy, reliability, the range of processable materials, and commercial availability have made them promising candidates for production of functional parts including those used in the biomedical industry. The complexity-for-free feature offered by AM means that very complex designs become feasible to manufacture, while batch-size-indifference enables fabrication of fully patient-specific medical devices. Design for AM (DfAM) approaches aim to fully utilize those features for development of medical devices with substantially enhanced performance and biomaterials with unprecedented combinations of favorable properties that originate from complex geometrical designs at the micro-scale. This paper reviews the most important approaches in DfAM particularly those applicable to additive bio-manufacturing including image-based design pipelines, parametric and non-parametric designs, metamaterials, rational and computationally enabled design, topology optimization, and bio-inspired design. Areas with limited research have been identified and suggestions have been made for future research. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the practical aspects of DfAM and the potential of combining AM with subtractive and formative manufacturing processes in so-called hybrid manufacturing processes. PMID:28757572

Recent progress in making protein microarray through BioLP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Rusong; Wei, Lian; Feng, Ying; Li, Xiujian; Zhou, Quan

2017-02-01

Biological laser printing (BioLP) is a promising biomaterial printing technique. It has the advantage of high resolution, high bioactivity, high printing frequency and small transported liquid amount. In this paper, a set of BioLP device is design and made, and protein microarrays are printed by this device. It's found that both laser intensity and fluid layer thickness have an influence on the microarrays acquired. Besides, two kinds of the fluid layer coating methods are compared, and the results show that blade coating method is better than well-coating method in BioLP. A microarray of 0.76pL protein microarray and a "NUDT" patterned microarray are printed to testify the printing ability of BioLP.

Comparative study of remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated soil using electrokinetics combined with bioremediation.

PubMed

He, Jiaying; He, Chiquan; Chen, Xueping; Liang, Xia; Huang, Tongli; Yang, Xuecheng; Shang, Hai

2018-06-01

The purpose of this research is to design a new bioremediation-electrokinetic (Bio-EK) remediation process to increase treatment efficiency of chromium contamination in soil. Upon residual chromium analysis, it is shown that traditional electrokinetic-PRB system (control) does not have high efficiency (80.26%) to remove Cr(VI). Bio-electrokinetics of exogenous add with reduction bacteria Microbacterium sp. Y2 and electrokinetics can enhance treatment efficiency Cr(VI) to 90.67% after 8 days' remediation. To optimize the overall performance, integrated bio-electrokinetics were designed by synergy with 200 g humic substances (HS) into the systems. According to our results, Cr(VI) (98.33%) was effectively removed via electrokinetics. Moreover, bacteria and humic substances are natural, sustainable, and economical enhancement agents. The research results indicated that the use of integrated bio-electrokinetics is an effective method to remediate chromium-contaminated soils.

Cycles of Exploration, Reflection, and Consolidation in Model-Based Learning of Genetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Beaumie; Pathak, Suneeta A.; Jacobson, Michael J.; Zhang, Baohui; Gobert, Janice D.

2015-12-01

Model-based reasoning has been introduced as an authentic way of learning science, and many researchers have developed technological tools for learning with models. This paper describes how a model-based tool, BioLogica™, was used to facilitate genetics learning in secondary 3-level biology in Singapore. The research team co-designed two different pedagogical approaches with teachers, both of which involved learner-centered "exploration and reflection" with BioLogica and teacher-led "telling" or "consolidation." One group went through the stand-alone BioLogica units for all topics prior to a series of teacher-led instructions, whereas the other group was engaged in teacher-led activities after using BioLogica for each topic. Based on the results of a series of tests on genetics, the groups performed differently from what the teacher had expected. We explore how the design of the two approaches and interactions among students might have contributed to the results.

Design and Development of Non-Contact Bio-Potential Electrodes for Pervasive Health Monitoring Applications.

PubMed

Portelli, Anthony J; Nasuto, Slawomir J

2017-01-01

For the advent of pervasive bio-potential monitoring, it will be necessary to utilize a combination of cheap, quick to apply, low-noise electrodes and compact electronics with wireless technologies. Once available, all electrical activity resulting from the processes of the human body could be actively and constantly monitored without the need for cumbersome application and maintenance. This could significantly improve the early diagnosis of a range of different conditions in high-risk individuals, opening the possibility for new treatments and interventions as conditions develop. This paper presents the design and implementation of compact, non-contact capacitive bio-potential electrodes utilising a low impedance current-to-voltage configuration and a bootstrapped voltage follower, demonstrating results applicable to research applications for capacitive electrocardiography and capacitive electromyography. The presented electrodes use few components, have a small surface area and are capable of acquiring a range of bio-potential signals.

Design and Development of Non-Contact Bio-Potential Electrodes for Pervasive Health Monitoring Applications

PubMed Central

Portelli, Anthony J.; Nasuto, Slawomir J.

2017-01-01

For the advent of pervasive bio-potential monitoring, it will be necessary to utilize a combination of cheap, quick to apply, low-noise electrodes and compact electronics with wireless technologies. Once available, all electrical activity resulting from the processes of the human body could be actively and constantly monitored without the need for cumbersome application and maintenance. This could significantly improve the early diagnosis of a range of different conditions in high-risk individuals, opening the possibility for new treatments and interventions as conditions develop. This paper presents the design and implementation of compact, non-contact capacitive bio-potential electrodes utilising a low impedance current-to-voltage configuration and a bootstrapped voltage follower, demonstrating results applicable to research applications for capacitive electrocardiography and capacitive electromyography. The presented electrodes use few components, have a small surface area and are capable of acquiring a range of bio-potential signals. PMID:28045439

Dynamic Model of the BIO-Plex Air Revitalization System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finn, Cory; Meyers, Karen; Duffield, Bruce; Luna, Bernadette (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The BIO-Plex facility will need to support a variety of life support system designs and operation strategies. These systems will be tested and evaluated in the BIO-Plex facility. An important goal of the life support program is to identify designs that best meet all size and performance constraints for a variety of possible future missions. Integrated human testing is a necessary step in reaching this goal. System modeling and analysis will also play an important role in this endeavor. Currently, simulation studies are being used to estimate air revitalization buffer and storage requirements in order to develop the infrastructure requirements of the BIO-Plex facility. Simulation studies are also being used to verify that the envisioned operation strategy will be able to meet all performance criteria. In this paper, a simulation study is presented for a nominal BIO-Plex scenario with a high-level of crop growth. A general description of the dynamic mass flow model is provided, along with some simulation results. The paper also discusses sizing and operations issues and describes plans for future simulation studies.

Pioneering In Situ Recrystallization during Bead Milling: A Top-down Approach to Prepare Zeolite A Nanocrystals.

PubMed

Anand, Chokkalingam; Yamaguchi, Yudai; Liu, Zhendong; Ibe, Sayoko; Elangovan, Shanmugam P; Ishii, Toshihiro; Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi; Endo, Akira; Okubo, Tatsuya; Wakihara, Toru

2016-07-05

Top-down approach has been viewed as an efficient and straightforward method to prepare nanosized zeolites. Yet, the mechanical breaking of zeolite causes amorphization, which usually requires a post-milling recrystallization to obtain fully crystalline nanoparticles. Herein we present a facile methodology to prepare zeolite nanocrystals, where milling and recrystallization can be performed in situ. A milling apparatus specially designed to work under conditions of high alkalinity and temperature enables the in situ recrystallization during milling. Taking zeolite A as an example, we demonstrate its size reduction from ~3 μm to 66 nm in 30 min, which is quite faster than previous methods reported. Three functions, viz., miniaturization, amorphization and recrystallization were found to take effect concurrently during this one-pot process. The dynamic balance between these three functions was achieved by adjusting the milling period and temperature, which lead to the tuning of zeolite A particle size. Particle size and crystallinity of the zeolite A nanocrystals were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and water adsorption-desorption. This work presents a pioneering advancement in this field of nanosized zeolites, and will facilitate the mass production as well as boost the wide applications of nanosized zeolites.

Pioneering In Situ Recrystallization during Bead Milling: A Top-down Approach to Prepare Zeolite A Nanocrystals

PubMed Central

Anand, Chokkalingam; Yamaguchi, Yudai; Liu, Zhendong; Ibe, Sayoko; Elangovan, Shanmugam P.; Ishii, Toshihiro; Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi; Endo, Akira; Okubo, Tatsuya; Wakihara, Toru

2016-01-01

Top-down approach has been viewed as an efficient and straightforward method to prepare nanosized zeolites. Yet, the mechanical breaking of zeolite causes amorphization, which usually requires a post-milling recrystallization to obtain fully crystalline nanoparticles. Herein we present a facile methodology to prepare zeolite nanocrystals, where milling and recrystallization can be performed in situ. A milling apparatus specially designed to work under conditions of high alkalinity and temperature enables the in situ recrystallization during milling. Taking zeolite A as an example, we demonstrate its size reduction from ~3 μm to 66 nm in 30 min, which is quite faster than previous methods reported. Three functions, viz., miniaturization, amorphization and recrystallization were found to take effect concurrently during this one-pot process. The dynamic balance between these three functions was achieved by adjusting the milling period and temperature, which lead to the tuning of zeolite A particle size. Particle size and crystallinity of the zeolite A nanocrystals were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and water adsorption-desorption. This work presents a pioneering advancement in this field of nanosized zeolites, and will facilitate the mass production as well as boost the wide applications of nanosized zeolites. PMID:27378145

The Emergence and Challenging Growth of the Bio-Ethanol Innovation System in Taiwan (1949-2015).

PubMed

Chung, Chao-Chen; Yang, Siang-Cing

2016-02-19

This study explores the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan from the perspective of a technology innovation system (TIS). Taiwan is a newly industrialized country and is not currently a main producer of bio-ethanol. This study analyzes the evolution of bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan and places a particular emphasis on challenges that present policies face in the context of potential long-term bio-ethanol development. Through an evaluation of the consistency of the present research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI) policies as well as the influence of these policies on the functional dynamics of bio-ethanol innovation system, mechanisms prohibiting the system from flourishing are determined. It is suggested that the production of bio-ethanol in Taiwan would be achieved if the government: (1) fixes long-term targets for both domestic bio-ethanol development and emission reduction; and (2) comprehensively designs a set of interrelated RTDI policies in accordance with the functional pattern of the bio-ethanol innovation system and consistently implements these policies. If such measures were implemented, it is considered that the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan would flourish.

The Emergence and Challenging Growth of the Bio-Ethanol Innovation System in Taiwan (1949–2015)

PubMed Central

Chung, Chao-Chen; Yang, Siang-Cing

2016-01-01

This study explores the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan from the perspective of a technology innovation system (TIS). Taiwan is a newly industrialized country and is not currently a main producer of bio-ethanol. This study analyzes the evolution of bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan and places a particular emphasis on challenges that present policies face in the context of potential long-term bio-ethanol development. Through an evaluation of the consistency of the present research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI) policies as well as the influence of these policies on the functional dynamics of bio-ethanol innovation system, mechanisms prohibiting the system from flourishing are determined. It is suggested that the production of bio-ethanol in Taiwan would be achieved if the government: (1) fixes long-term targets for both domestic bio-ethanol development and emission reduction; and (2) comprehensively designs a set of interrelated RTDI policies in accordance with the functional pattern of the bio-ethanol innovation system and consistently implements these policies. If such measures were implemented, it is considered that the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan would flourish. PMID:26907306

Closed-mill delignification by design using polyoxometalates

Treesearch

C. J. Houtman; R. S. Reiner; S. E. Reichel; M. J. Birchmeier; C. E. Sullivan; L. A. Weinstock; R. H. Atalla

1999-01-01

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are a class of delignification agents that promise to provide the basis for a new closed-mill bleaching technology. The results presented here are based on the use of Na6SiV2W10O40, which is effective in reducing the Kappa number of softwood Kraft pulp from 30 to below 10 with minimal loss in viscosity. A critical part of a viable POM process is...

Shear Roll Mill Reactivation

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-13

pneumatically operated paste dumper and belt conveyor system, the loss in weight feeder system, the hydraulically operated shear roll mill, the pellet...out feed belt conveyor , and the pack out system comprised of the metal detector, scale, and pack out empty and full drum roller conveyors . Page | 4...feed hopper and conveyor supplying the loss in weight feeder were turned on, and it was verified that these items functioned as designed . The

Interaction Structures for Narrow-Band Millimeter-Wave Communications TWTs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-01

comb would be cut from a single piece of copper, probably by a reliable but inexpensive technique such as electroerosion or "chemical milling". All...dimensional. These features would facilitate fabrication by chemical (photo-lithographic) or laser milling as well as by electroerosion with traveling...c, d) has also been implemented since this design should be more robust as well as compatible with electroerosion cutting using a traveling-wire

The Rocket Electric Field Sounding (REFS) program: Prototype design and successful first launch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, J. C.; Curtis, D. C.; Driesman, A. R.; Longstreth, R. K.; Rison, W.; Winn, W. P.; Jones, J. J.

1992-01-01

The motivation, design, and successful first flight of a sounding rocket to measure profiles of vector electrostatic field in the lower troposphere are described. The design employs eight shutter field mills amd a corona-charging system in a manner similar to aircraft previously instrumented for the measurement of electric fields. A rocket offers significant advantages over an aircraft in simplicity and calibration. A single cylindrical rotor covering most of the payload acts as the shutter for all eight mills in this design. The cylindrical symmetry and circular cross sections of the vehicle facilitate straightforward calibration. Also included in the payload are a pressure sensor, a longitudinal accelerometer, a transverse magnometer, and a novel cloud-penetration detector. A fair-weather test flight at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility demonstrated the workability of the basic design and identified a few necessary modifications.

Paracoccus denitrificans possesses two BioR homologs having a role in regulation of biotin metabolism.

PubMed

Feng, Youjun; Kumar, Ritesh; Ravcheev, Dmitry A; Zhang, Huimin

2015-08-01

Recently, we determined that BioR, the GntR family of transcription factor, acts as a repressor for biotin metabolism exclusively distributed in certain species of α-proteobacteria, including the zoonotic agent Brucella melitensis and the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. However, the scenario is unusual in Paracoccus denitrificans, another closely related member of the same phylum α-proteobacteria featuring with denitrification. Not only does it encode two BioR homologs Pden_1431 and Pden_2922 (designated as BioR1 and BioR2, respectively), but also has six predictive BioR-recognizable sites (the two bioR homolog each has one site, whereas the two bio operons (bioBFDAGC and bioYB) each contains two tandem BioR boxes). It raised the possibility that unexpected complexity is present in BioR-mediated biotin regulation. Here we report that this is the case. The identity of the purified BioR proteins (BioR1 and BioR2) was confirmed with LC-QToF-MS. Phylogenetic analyses combined with GC percentage raised a possibility that the bioR2 gene might be acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Gel shift assays revealed that the predicted BioR-binding sites are functional for the two BioR homologs, in much similarity to the scenario seen with the BioR site of A. tumefaciens bioBFDAZ. Using the A. tumefaciens reporter system carrying a plasmid-borne LacZ fusion, we revealed that the two homologs of P. denitrificans BioR are functional repressors for biotin metabolism. As anticipated, not only does the addition of exogenous biotin stimulate efficiently the expression of bioYB operon encoding biotin transport/uptake system BioY, but also inhibits the transcription of the bioBFDAGC operon resembling the de novo biotin synthetic pathway. EMSA-based screening failed to demonstrate that the biotin-related metabolite is involved in BioR-DNA interplay, which is consistent with our former observation with Brucella BioR. Our finding defined a complex regulatory network for biotin metabolism in P. denitrificans by two BioR proteins. © 2015 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Paracoccus denitrificans possesses two BioR homologs having a role in regulation of biotin metabolism

PubMed Central

Feng, Youjun; Kumar, Ritesh; Ravcheev, Dmitry A; Zhang, Huimin

2015-01-01

Recently, we determined that BioR, the GntR family of transcription factor, acts as a repressor for biotin metabolism exclusively distributed in certain species of α-proteobacteria, including the zoonotic agent Brucella melitensis and the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. However, the scenario is unusual in Paracoccus denitrificans, another closely related member of the same phylum α-proteobacteria featuring with denitrification. Not only does it encode two BioR homologs Pden_1431 and Pden_2922 (designated as BioR1 and BioR2, respectively), but also has six predictive BioR-recognizable sites (the two bioR homolog each has one site, whereas the two bio operons (bioBFDAGC and bioYB) each contains two tandem BioR boxes). It raised the possibility that unexpected complexity is present in BioR-mediated biotin regulation. Here we report that this is the case. The identity of the purified BioR proteins (BioR1 and BioR2) was confirmed with LC-QToF-MS. Phylogenetic analyses combined with GC percentage raised a possibility that the bioR2 gene might be acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Gel shift assays revealed that the predicted BioR-binding sites are functional for the two BioR homologs, in much similarity to the scenario seen with the BioR site of A. tumefaciens bioBFDAZ. Using the A. tumefaciens reporter system carrying a plasmid-borne LacZ fusion, we revealed that the two homologs of P. denitrificans BioR are functional repressors for biotin metabolism. As anticipated, not only does the addition of exogenous biotin stimulate efficiently the expression of bioYB operon encoding biotin transport/uptake system BioY, but also inhibits the transcription of the bioBFDAGC operon resembling the de novo biotin synthetic pathway. EMSA-based screening failed to demonstrate that the biotin-related metabolite is involved in BioR-DNA interplay, which is consistent with our former observation with Brucella BioR. Our finding defined a complex regulatory network for biotin metabolism in P. denitrificans by two BioR proteins. PMID:26037461

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raj K. Rajamani; Sanjeeva Latchireddi; Sravan K. Prathy

The U.S. mining industry operates approximately 80 semi-autogenesis grinding mills (SAG) throughout the United States. Depending on the mill size the SAG mills draws between 2 MW and 17 MW. The product from the SAG mill is further reduced in size using pebble crushers and ball mills. Hence, typical gold or copper ore requires between 2.0 and 7.5 kWh per ton of energy to reduce the particle size. Considering a typical mining operation processes 10,000 to 100,000 tons per day the energy expenditure in grinding is 50 percent of the cost of production of the metal. A research team frommore » the University of Utah is working to make inroads into saving energy in these SAG mills. In 2003, Industries of the Future Program of the Department of Energy tasked the University of Utah team to build a partnership between the University and the mining industry for the specific purpose of reducing energy consumption in SAG mills. A partnership was formed with Cortez Gold Mines, Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, Process Engineering Resources Inc. and others. In the current project, Cortez Gold Mines played a key role in facilitating the 26-ft SAG mill at Cortez as a test mill for this study. According to plant personnel, there were a number of unscheduled shut downs to repair broken liners and the mill throughput fluctuated depending on ore type. The University team had two softwares, Millsoft and FlowMod to tackle the problem. Millsoft is capable of simulating the motion of charge in the mill. FlowMod calculates the slurry flow through the grate and pulp lifters. Based on this data the two models were fine-tuned to fit the Cortez SAG will. In the summer of 2004 a new design of shell lifters were presented to Cortez and in September 2004 these lifters were installed in the SAG mill. By December 2004 Cortez Mines realized that the SAG mill is drawing approximately 236-kW less power than before while maintaining the same level of production. In the first month there was extreme cycling and operators had to learn more. Now the power consumption is 0.3-1.3 kWh/ton lower than before. The actual SAG mill power draw is 230-370 kW lower. Mill runs 1 rpm lesser in speed on the average. The re-circulation to the cone crusher is reduced by 1-10%, which means more efficient grinding of critical size material is taking place in the mill. All of the savings have resulted in reduction of operating cost be about $0.023-$0.048/ ton.« less

Modeling Separate and Combined Atmospheres in BIO-Plex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry; Finn, Cory; Kwauk, Xianmin; Blackwell, Charles; Luna, Bernadette (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We modeled BIO-Plex designs with separate or combined atmospheres and then simulated controlling the atmosphere composition. The BIO-Plex is the Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex, a large regenerative life support test facility under development at NASA Johnson Space Center. Although plants grow better at above-normal carbon dioxide levels, humans can tolerate even higher carbon dioxide levels. Incinerator exhaust has very high levels of carbon dioxide. An elaborate BIO-Plex design would maintain different atmospheres in the crew and plant chambers and isolate the incinerator exhaust in the airlock. This design easily controls the crew and plant carbon dioxide levels but it uses many gas processors, buffers, and controllers. If all the crew's food is grown inside BIO-Plex, all the carbon dioxide required by the plants is supplied by crew respiration and the incineration of plant and food waste. Because the oxygen mass flow must balance in a closed loop, the plants supply all the oxygen required by the crew and the incinerator. Using plants for air revitalization allows using fewer gas processors, buffers, and controllers. In the simplest design, a single combined atmosphere was used for the crew, the plant chamber, and the incinerator. All gas processors, buffers, and controllers were eliminated. The carbon dioxide levels were necessarily similar for the crew and plants. If most of the food is grown, carbon dioxide can be controlled at the desired level by scheduling incineration. An intermediate design uses one atmosphere for the crew and incinerator chambers and a second for the plant chamber. This allows different carbon dioxide levels for the crew and plants. Better control of the atmosphere is obtained by varying the incineration rate. Less gas processing storage and control is needed if more food is grown.

Modeling Separate and Combined Atmospheres in BIO-Plex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry; Finn, Cory; Kwauk, Xian-Min; Blackwell, Charles; Luna, Bernadette (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We modeled BIO-Plex designs with separate or combined atmospheres and then simulated controlling the atmosphere composition. The BIO-Plex is the Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex, a large regenerative life support test facility under development at NASA Johnson Space Center. Although plants grow better at above-normal carbon dioxide levels, humans can tolerate even higher carbon dioxide levels. incinerator exhaust has very high levels of carbon dioxide. An elaborate BIO-Plex design would maintain different atmospheres in the crew and plant chambers and isolate the incinerator exhaust in the airlock. This design easily controls the crew and plant carbon dioxide levels but it uses many gas processors, buffers, and controllers. If all the crew's food is grown inside BIO-Plex, all the carbon dioxide required by the plants is supplied by crew respiration and the incineration of plant and food waste. Because the oxygen mass flow must balance in a closed loop, the plants supply all the oxygen required by the crew and the incinerator. Using plants for air revitalization allows using fewer gas processors, buffers, and controllers. In the simplest design, a single combined atmosphere was used for the crew, the plant chamber, and the incinerator. All gas processors, buffers, and controllers were eliminated. The carbon dioxide levels were necessarily similar for the crew and plants. If most of the food is grown, carbon dioxide can be controlled at the desired level by scheduling incineration. An intermediate design uses one atmosphere for the crew and incinerator chambers and a second for the plant chamber. This allows different carbon dioxide levels for the crew and plants. Better control of the atmosphere is obtained by varying the incineration rate. Less gas processing, storage, and control is needed if more food is grown.

The robust design for improving crude palm oil quality in Indonesian Mill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maretia Benu, Siti; Sinulingga, Sukaria; Matondang, Nazaruddin; Budiman, Irwan

2018-04-01

This research was conducted in palm oil mill in Sumatra Utara Province, Indonesia. Currently, the main product of this mill is Crude Palm Oil (CPO) and hasn’t met the expected standard quality. CPO is the raw material for many fat derivative products. The generally stipulated quality criteria are dirt count, free fatty acid, and moisture of CPO. The aim of this study is to obtain the optimal setting for factor’s affect the quality of CPO. The optimal setting will result in an improvement of product’s quality. In this research, Experimental Design with Taguchi Method is used. Steps of this method are identified influence factors, select the orthogonal array, processed data using ANOVA test and signal to noise ratio, and confirmed the research using Quality Loss Function. The result of this study using Taguchi Method is to suggest to set fruit maturity at 75.4-86.9%, digester temperature at 95°C and press at 21 Ampere to reduce quality deviation until 42.42%.

Integrated Bio-Entity Network: A System for Biological Knowledge Discovery

PubMed Central

Bell, Lindsey; Chowdhary, Rajesh; Liu, Jun S.; Niu, Xufeng; Zhang, Jinfeng

2011-01-01

A significant part of our biological knowledge is centered on relationships between biological entities (bio-entities) such as proteins, genes, small molecules, pathways, gene ontology (GO) terms and diseases. Accumulated at an increasing speed, the information on bio-entity relationships is archived in different forms at scattered places. Most of such information is buried in scientific literature as unstructured text. Organizing heterogeneous information in a structured form not only facilitates study of biological systems using integrative approaches, but also allows discovery of new knowledge in an automatic and systematic way. In this study, we performed a large scale integration of bio-entity relationship information from both databases containing manually annotated, structured information and automatic information extraction of unstructured text in scientific literature. The relationship information we integrated in this study includes protein–protein interactions, protein/gene regulations, protein–small molecule interactions, protein–GO relationships, protein–pathway relationships, and pathway–disease relationships. The relationship information is organized in a graph data structure, named integrated bio-entity network (IBN), where the vertices are the bio-entities and edges represent their relationships. Under this framework, graph theoretic algorithms can be designed to perform various knowledge discovery tasks. We designed breadth-first search with pruning (BFSP) and most probable path (MPP) algorithms to automatically generate hypotheses—the indirect relationships with high probabilities in the network. We show that IBN can be used to generate plausible hypotheses, which not only help to better understand the complex interactions in biological systems, but also provide guidance for experimental designs. PMID:21738677

Ammonia-nitrogen and Phosphate Reduction by Bio-Filter using Factorial Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasmuri, Norhafezah; Ashikin Mat Damin, Nur; Omar, Megawati

2018-02-01

Untreated landfill leachate is known to have endangered the environment. As such new treatment must be sought to ensure its cost-effective and sustainable treatment. Thus this paper reports the effectiveness of bio-filter to remove pollutants. In this research, the reduction of nutrients concentration was evaluated in two conditions: using bio-filter and without bio-filter. Synthetic wastewater was used in the batch culture. It was conducted within 21 days in the initial mediums of 100 mg/L ammonia-nitrogen. The nitrification medium consisted of 100 mg/L of ammonia-nitrogen while the nitrite assay had none. The petri dish experiment was also conducted to observe the existence of any colony. The results showed 22% of ammonia- nitrogen reduction and 33% phosphate in the nitrification medium with the bio-filter. The outcome showed that the bio-filter was capable to reduce the concentration of pollutants by retaining the slow growing bacteria (AOB and NOB) on the plastic carrier surface. The factorial design was applied to study the effect of the initial ammonia-nitrogen concentration and duration on nitrite-nitrogen removal. Finally, a regression equation was produced to predict the rate of nitrite-nitrogen removal without conducting extended experiments and to reduce the number of trials experiment.

Design and preparation of bi-functionalized short-chain modified zwitterionic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Hu, Fenglin; Chen, Kaimin; Xu, Hong; Gu, Hongchen

2018-05-01

An ideal nanomaterial for use in the bio-medical field should have a distinctive surface capable of effectively preventing nonspecific protein adsorption and identifying target bio-molecules. Recently, the short-chain zwitterion strategy has been suggested as a simple and novel approach to create outstanding anti-fouling surfaces. In this paper, the carboxyl end group of short-chain zwitterion-coated silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 -ZWS) was found to be difficult to functionalize via a conventional EDC/NHS strategy due to its rapid hydrolysis side-reactions. Hence, a series of bi-functionalized silica nanoparticles (SiO 2 -ZWS/COOH) were designed and prepared by controlling the molar ratio of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to short-chain zwitterionic organosiloxane (ZWS) in order to achieve above goal. The synthesized SiO 2 -ZWS/COOH had similar excellent anti-fouling properties compared with SiO 2 -ZWS, even in 50% fetal bovine serum characterized by DLS and turbidimetric titration. Subsequently, SiO 2 -ZWS/COOH 5/1 was chosen as a representative and then demonstrated higher detection signal intensity and more superior signal-to-noise ratios compare with the pure SiO 2 -COOH when they were used as a bio-carrier for chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA). These unique bi-functionalized silica nanoparticles have many potential applications in the diagnostic and therapeutic fields. Reducing nonspecific protein adsorption and enhancing the immobilized efficiency of specific bio-probes are two of the most important issues for bio-carriers, particularly for a nanoparticle based bio-carrier. Herein, we designed and prepared a bi-functional nanoparticle with anti-fouling property and bio conjugation capacity for further bioassay by improving the short-chain zwitterionic modification strategy we have proposed previously. The heterogeneous surface of this nanoparticle showed effective anti-fouling properties both in model protein solutions and fetal bovine serum (FBS). The modified nanoparticles can also be successfully functionalized with a specific antibody for CLEIA assay with a prominent bio-detection performance even in 50% FBS. In this paper, we also investigated an unexpectedly fast hydrolysis behavior of NHS-activated carboxylic groups within the pure short-chain zwitterionic molecule that led to no protein binding in the short-chain zwitterion modified nanoparticle. Our findings pave a new way for the designing of high performance bio-carriers, demonstrating their strong potential as a robust platform for diagnosis and therapy. Copyright © 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct measures of mechanical energy for knife mill size reduction of switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover.

PubMed

Bitra, Venkata S P; Womac, Alvin R; Igathinathane, C; Miu, Petre I; Yang, Yuechuan T; Smith, David R; Chevanan, Nehru; Sokhansanj, Shahab

2009-12-01

Lengthy straw/stalk of biomass may not be directly fed into grinders such as hammer mills and disc refiners. Hence, biomass needs to be preprocessed using coarse grinders like a knife mill to allow for efficient feeding in refiner mills without bridging and choking. Size reduction mechanical energy was directly measured for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.), and corn stover (Zea mays L.) in an instrumented knife mill. Direct power inputs were determined for different knife mill screen openings from 12.7 to 50.8 mm, rotor speeds between 250 and 500 rpm, and mass feed rates from 1 to 11 kg/min. Overall accuracy of power measurement was calculated to be +/-0.003 kW. Total specific energy (kWh/Mg) was defined as size reduction energy to operate mill with biomass. Effective specific energy was defined as the energy that can be assumed to reach the biomass. The difference is parasitic or no-load energy of mill. Total specific energy for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover chopping increased with knife mill speed, whereas, effective specific energy decreased marginally for switchgrass and increased for wheat straw and corn stover. Total and effective specific energy decreased with an increase in screen size for all the crops studied. Total specific energy decreased with increase in mass feed rate, but effective specific energy increased for switchgrass and wheat straw, and decreased for corn stover at increased feed rate. For knife mill screen size of 25.4 mm and optimum speed of 250 rpm, optimum feed rates were 7.6, 5.8, and 4.5 kg/min for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover, respectively, and the corresponding total specific energies were 7.57, 10.53, and 8.87 kWh/Mg and effective specific energies were 1.27, 1.50, and 0.24 kWh/Mg for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover, respectively. Energy utilization ratios were calculated as 16.8%, 14.3%, and 2.8% for switchgrass, wheat straw, and corn stover, respectively. These data will be useful for preparing the feed material for subsequent fine grinding operations and designing new mills.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, Dave; Miller, David; Kautsky, Mark

A uranium- and vanadium-ore-processing mill operated from 1954 to 1968 within the Navajo Nation near Shiprock, New Mexico. By September 1986, all tailings and structures on the former mill property were encapsulated in a disposal cell built on top of two existing tailings piles on the Shiprock site (the site) [1]. Local groundwater was contaminated by multiple inorganic constituents as a result of the milling operations. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) took over management of the site in 1978 as part of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project. The DOE Office of Legacy Management currently manages ongoingmore » activities at the former mill facility, including groundwater remediation. Remediation activities are designed primarily to reduce the concentrations and total plume mass of the mill-related contaminants sulfate, uranium, and nitrate. In addition to contaminating groundwater in alluvial and bedrock sediments directly below the mill site, ore processing led to contamination of a nearby floodplain bordering the San Juan River. Groundwater in a shallow alluvial aquifer beneath the floodplain is strongly influenced by the morphology of the river channel as well as changing flows in the river, which provides drainage for regional runoff from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. As part of a recent study of the floodplain hydrology, a revised conceptual model was developed for the alluvial aquifer along with an updated status of contaminant plumes that have been impacted by more than 10 years of groundwater pumping for site remediation purposes. Several findings from the recent study will be discussed here.« less

Technical and technological solution for vegetal bio-stimulants obtaining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anghelache, D. G.; Diaconescu, I.; Pătraşcu, R.

2017-08-01

The paper presents a modern technology for bio fertilizers resulted from waste plant mass after harvesting crops Experimental products were obtained rich in nutrients, but unstable in terms of existing microorganisms. Therefore, they conducted further studies to obtaining bio fungicide herb, so in all investigations undertaken so far in the laboratory, were able to conclude that the introduction of medicinal plant extracts with fungicidal effect into the bio fertilizers obtained by degradation of plant material post-harvest can get various bio-stimulants with nourishing effect upon the plants. Following this technology the paper’s objective is to identify a flux scheme for experimental equipment which can produce as final outcome this type of bio-stimulant. Also, in this work, this equipment will be chosen and will be designed following and obeying to the request of every step of the above technology.

Bio-oil production from palm fronds by fast pyrolysis process in fluidized bed reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinaldi, Nino; Simanungkalit, Sabar P.; Kiky Corneliasari, S.

2017-01-01

Fast pyrolysis process of palm fronds has been conducted in the fluidized bed reactor to yield bio-oil product (pyrolysis oil). The process employed sea sand as the heat transfer medium. The objective of this study is to design of the fluidized bed rector, to conduct fast pyrolysis process to product bio-oil from palm fronds, and to characterize the feed and bio-oil product. The fast pyrolysis process was conducted continuously with the feeding rate around 500 g/hr. It was found that the biomass conversion is about 35.5% to yield bio-oil, however this conversion is still minor. It is suggested due to the heating system inside the reactor was not enough to decompose the palm fronds as a feedstock. Moreover, the acids compounds ware mostly observed on the bio-oil product.

Fabrication and characterization of rice husk charcoal bio briquettes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryaningsih, S.; Nurhilal, O.; Yuliah, Y.; Salsabila, E.

2018-02-01

Rice husk is the outermost part of the rice seed which is a hard layer and a waste material from rice milling. Rice husk includes biomass that can be exploited for various requirements such as industrial raw materials as well as energy sources or fuel but only a small group of people use it. This research is conducted utilizing the rice husk as an alternative fuel by making it as a charcoal briquette. To make the treatment easy, firstly the rice husk biomass was converted into charcoal powder by carbonization method using two kinds of furnace which have different heating behavior. The best carbonization results are obtained from the furnace, which has a constant temperature heating behavior. The process of making briquettes is prepared by adding tapioca starch of 6% concentration by weight as charcoal adhesive and then printed with the aid of pressing tools using loads at 1,000 kg/cm2. The resulting briquette has a calorific value about 3.126 cal/g, mass density is 0.86 g/cm3 and compressive strength is about 2.02 kg/cm2, so that the bio-briquette of charcoal produced can be used as alternative energy to replace the fossil fuel for domestic or household purposes.

Template-mediated synthesis and bio-functionalization of flexible lignin-based nanotubes and nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caicedo, Hector M.; Dempere, Luisa A.; Vermerris, Wilfred

2012-03-01

Limitations of cylindrical carbon nanotubes based on the buckminsterfullerene structure as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents include their chemical inertness, sharp edges and toxicological concerns. As an alternative, we have developed lignin-based nanotubes synthesized in a sacrificial template of commercially available alumina membranes. Lignin is a complex phenolic plant cell wall polymer that is generated as a waste product from paper mills and biorefineries that process lignocellulosic biomass into fuels and chemicals. We covalently linked isolated lignin to the inner walls of activated alumina membranes and then added layers of dehydrogenation polymer onto this base layer via a peroxidase-catalyzed reaction. By using phenolic monomers displaying different reactivities, we were able to change the thickness of the polymer layer deposited within the pores, resulting in the synthesis of nanotubes with a wall thickness of approximately 15 nm or nanowires with a nominal diameter of 200 nm. These novel nanotubes are flexible and can be bio-functionalized easily and specifically, as shown by in vitro assays with biotin and Concanavalin A. Together with their intrinsic optical properties, which can also be varied as a function of their chemical composition, these lignin-based nanotubes are expected to enable a variety of new applications including as delivery systems that can be easily localized and imaged after uptake by living cells.

Optimizing Clinical Drug Product Performance: Applying Biopharmaceutics Risk Assessment Roadmap (BioRAM) and the BioRAM Scoring Grid.

PubMed

Dickinson, Paul A; Kesisoglou, Filippos; Flanagan, Talia; Martinez, Marilyn N; Mistry, Hitesh B; Crison, John R; Polli, James E; Cruañes, Maria T; Serajuddin, Abu T M; Müllertz, Anette; Cook, Jack A; Selen, Arzu

2016-11-01

The aim of Biopharmaceutics Risk Assessment Roadmap (BioRAM) and the BioRAM Scoring Grid is to facilitate optimization of clinical performance of drug products. BioRAM strategy relies on therapy-driven drug delivery and follows an integrated systems approach for formulating and addressing critical questions and decision-making (J Pharm Sci. 2014,103(11): 3777-97). In BioRAM, risk is defined as not achieving the intended in vivo drug product performance, and success is assessed by time to decision-making and action. Emphasis on time to decision-making and time to action highlights the value of well-formulated critical questions and well-designed and conducted integrated studies. This commentary describes and illustrates application of the BioRAM Scoring Grid, a companion to the BioRAM strategy, which guides implementation of such an integrated strategy encompassing 12 critical areas and 6 assessment stages. Application of the BioRAM Scoring Grid is illustrated using published literature. Organizational considerations for implementing BioRAM strategy, including the interactions, function, and skillsets of the BioRAM group members, are also reviewed. As a creative and innovative systems approach, we believe that BioRAM is going to have a broad-reaching impact, influencing drug development and leading to unique collaborations influencing how we learn, and leverage and share knowledge. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Characterizing the reliability of a bioMEMS-based cantilever sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhalerao, Kaustubh D.

2004-12-01

The cantilever-based BioMEMS sensor represents one instance from many competing ideas of biosensor technology based on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. The advancement of BioMEMS from laboratory-scale experiments to applications in the field will require standardization of their components and manufacturing procedures as well as frameworks to evaluate their performance. Reliability, the likelihood with which a system performs its intended task, is a compact mathematical description of its performance. The mathematical and statistical foundation of systems-reliability has been applied to the cantilever-based BioMEMS sensor. The sensor is designed to detect one aspect of human ovarian cancer, namely the over-expression of the folate receptor surface protein (FR-alpha). Even as the application chosen is clinically motivated, the objective of this study was to demonstrate the underlying systems-based methodology used to design, develop and evaluate the sensor. The framework development can be readily extended to other BioMEMS-based devices for disease detection and will have an impact in the rapidly growing $30 bn industry. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a systems-based framework for design and development of object-oriented information systems which has potential application for use in systems designed to interact with biological environments. The UML has been used to abstract and describe the application of the biosensor, to identify key components of the biosensor, and the technology needed to link them together in a coherent manner. The use of the framework is also demonstrated in computation of system reliability from first principles as a function of the structure and materials of the biosensor. The outcomes of applying the systems-based framework to the study are the following: (1) Characterizing the cantilever-based MEMS device for disease (cell) detection. (2) Development of a novel chemical interface between the analyte and the sensor that provides a degree of selectivity towards the disease. (3) Demonstrating the performance and measuring the reliability of the biosensor prototype, and (4) Identification of opportunities in technological development in order to further refine the proposed biosensor. Application of the methodology to design develop and evaluate the reliability of BioMEMS devices will be beneficial in the streamlining the growth of the BioMEMS industry, while providing a decision-support tool in comparing and adopting suitable technologies from available competing options.

Three-dimensionally printed biological machines powered by skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Cvetkovic, Caroline; Raman, Ritu; Chan, Vincent; Williams, Brian J; Tolish, Madeline; Bajaj, Piyush; Sakar, Mahmut Selman; Asada, H Harry; Saif, M Taher A; Bashir, Rashid

2014-07-15

Combining biological components, such as cells and tissues, with soft robotics can enable the fabrication of biological machines with the ability to sense, process signals, and produce force. An intuitive demonstration of a biological machine is one that can produce motion in response to controllable external signaling. Whereas cardiac cell-driven biological actuators have been demonstrated, the requirements of these machines to respond to stimuli and exhibit controlled movement merit the use of skeletal muscle, the primary generator of actuation in animals, as a contractile power source. Here, we report the development of 3D printed hydrogel "bio-bots" with an asymmetric physical design and powered by the actuation of an engineered mammalian skeletal muscle strip to result in net locomotion of the bio-bot. Geometric design and material properties of the hydrogel bio-bots were optimized using stereolithographic 3D printing, and the effect of collagen I and fibrin extracellular matrix proteins and insulin-like growth factor 1 on the force production of engineered skeletal muscle was characterized. Electrical stimulation triggered contraction of cells in the muscle strip and net locomotion of the bio-bot with a maximum velocity of ∼ 156 μm s(-1), which is over 1.5 body lengths per min. Modeling and simulation were used to understand both the effect of different design parameters on the bio-bot and the mechanism of motion. This demonstration advances the goal of realizing forward-engineered integrated cellular machines and systems, which can have a myriad array of applications in drug screening, programmable tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biomimetic machine design.

Fine root production and carbohydrate concentrations of mature longleaf pine (Pinus palustris P. Mill.) as affected by season of prescribed fire and drought

Treesearch

Mary Anne Sword Sayer; James D. Haywood

2005-01-01

The historical range of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris P. Mill) has been greatly reduced, in part, by lack of fire. Recently, the application of fire has become an accepted practice for the restoration of longleaf pine to former parts of its natural range. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of season of prescribed fire on the root growth...

Development of advanced technologies for biomass pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ran

The utilization of biomass resources as a renewable energy resource is of great importance in responding to concerns over the protection of the environment and the security of energy supply. This PhD research focuses on the investigation of the conversion of negative value biomass residues into value-added fuels through flash pyrolysis. Pyrolysis Process Study. A pilot plant bubbling fluidized bed pyrolyzer has been set up and extensively used to thermally crack various low or negative value agricultural, food and biofuel processing residues to investigate the yields and quality of the liquid [bio-oil] and solid (bio-char] products. Another novel aspect of this study is the establishment of an energy balance from which the thermal self-sustainability of the pyrolysis process can be assessed. Residues such as grape skins and mixture of grape skins and seeds, dried distiller's grains from bio-ethanol plants, sugarcane field residues (internal bagasse, external and whole plant) have been tested. The pyrolysis of each residue has been carried out at temperatures ranging from 300 to 600°C and at different vapor residence times, to determine its pyrolysis behavior including yields and the overall energy balance. The thermal sustainability of the pyrolysis process has been estimated by considering the energy contribution of the product gases and liquid bio-oll in relation to the pyrolysis heat requirements. The optimum pyrolysis conditions have been identified in terms of maximizing the liquid blo-oil yield, energy density and content of the product blo-oil, after ensuring a self-sustainable process by utilizing the product gases and part of char or bio-oil as heat sources. Adownflow pyrolyzer has also been set up. Preliminary tests have been conducted using much shorter residence times. Bio-oil Recovery. Bio-oil recovery from the pyrolysis unit includes condensation followed by demisting. A blo-oil cyclonic condensing system is designed A nearly tangential entry forces the entering vapors and gases to spin, providing good heat transfer and driving the condensed droplets to the wall through cyclonic action. This condenser design has been successfully demonstrated for the application on the pilot fluidized bed pyrolysis unit. After condensation, a stable aerosol is also typically formed which is difficult to be efficiently captured with conventional technologies. A pilot scale helicoidal rotary demister, a novel technology for removing persistent fine bio-oil droplets from gases using dynamic centrifugal forces, has been developed. The demister uses a helicoidal element, which consists of a metal sheet wound as a spiral, designed to rotate at high speeds within a cyclone body. Larger droplets are separated as they enter the cyclone housing, while the smaller droplets are carried by the gas into the helicoidal path of the rotating element, where they are centrifuged towards the outer collecting walls and, as a result of a specially designed baffle, may flow counter-currently to the gas and are drained out from the bottom of the rotating element. The mist-free gas leaves through a channel located at the center of the spiral. This unique demister design has demonstrated a high separation efficiency when tested offline with artificial submicron mist and tested online for demisting bio-oil aerosol on the pyrolysis unit. Bio-oil Upgrading: Very often, phase separation of bio-oil occurs naturally upon condensation of the bio-oil vapors, typically through the use of cyclonic condensers. The bio-oil is separated into an organic phase and an aqueous phase. Research has been conducted on the possibility to enhance the fuel properties and energy performance of the organic phase by reducing its water content, enhancing its heating value and improving its stability. Through the use of drying agents, a remarkable reduction of water content and an increase of heating value can be achieved. Moreover, the volumetric energy density can be greatly enhanced. Besides, the energy yield of the process has also been investigated. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Computerized Design of Low-noise Face-milled Spiral Bevel Gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litvin, Faydor L.; Zhang, YI; Handschuh, Robert F.

1994-01-01

An advanced design methodology is proposed for the face-milled spiral bevel gears with modified tooth surface geometry that provides a reduced level of noise and has a stabilized bearing contact. The approach is based on the local synthesis of the gear drive that provides the 'best' machine-tool settings. The theoretical aspects of the local synthesis approach are based on the application of a predesigned parabolic function for absorption of undesirable transmission errors caused by misalignment and the direct relations between principal curvatures and directions for mating surfaces. The meshing and contact of the gear drive is synthesized and analyzed by a computer program. The generation of gears with the proposed geometry design can be accomplished by application of existing equipment. A numerical example that illustrates the proposed theory is presented.

Computerized design of low-noise face-milled spiral bevel gears

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litvin, Faydor L.; Zhang, Yi; Handschuh, Robert F.

1994-08-01

An advanced design methodology is proposed for the face-milled spiral bevel gears with modified tooth surface geometry that provides a reduced level of noise and has a stabilized bearing contact. The approach is based on the local synthesis of the gear drive that provides the 'best' machine-tool settings. The theoretical aspects of the local synthesis approach are based on the application of a predesigned parabolic function for absorption of undesirable transmission errors caused by misalignment and the direct relations between principal curvatures and directions for mating surfaces. The meshing and contact of the gear drive is synthesized and analyzed by a computer program. The generation of gears with the proposed geometry design can be accomplished by application of existing equipment. A numerical example that illustrates the proposed theory is presented.

BioMaS: a modular pipeline for Bioinformatic analysis of Metagenomic AmpliconS.

PubMed

Fosso, Bruno; Santamaria, Monica; Marzano, Marinella; Alonso-Alemany, Daniel; Valiente, Gabriel; Donvito, Giacinto; Monaco, Alfonso; Notarangelo, Pasquale; Pesole, Graziano

2015-07-01

Substantial advances in microbiology, molecular evolution and biodiversity have been carried out in recent years thanks to Metagenomics, which allows to unveil the composition and functions of mixed microbial communities in any environmental niche. If the investigation is aimed only at the microbiome taxonomic structure, a target-based metagenomic approach, here also referred as Meta-barcoding, is generally applied. This approach commonly involves the selective amplification of a species-specific genetic marker (DNA meta-barcode) in the whole taxonomic range of interest and the exploration of its taxon-related variants through High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) technologies. The accessibility to proper computational systems for the large-scale bioinformatic analysis of HTS data represents, currently, one of the major challenges in advanced Meta-barcoding projects. BioMaS (Bioinformatic analysis of Metagenomic AmpliconS) is a new bioinformatic pipeline designed to support biomolecular researchers involved in taxonomic studies of environmental microbial communities by a completely automated workflow, comprehensive of all the fundamental steps, from raw sequence data upload and cleaning to final taxonomic identification, that are absolutely required in an appropriately designed Meta-barcoding HTS-based experiment. In its current version, BioMaS allows the analysis of both bacterial and fungal environments starting directly from the raw sequencing data from either Roche 454 or Illumina HTS platforms, following two alternative paths, respectively. BioMaS is implemented into a public web service available at https://recasgateway.ba.infn.it/ and is also available in Galaxy at http://galaxy.cloud.ba.infn.it:8080 (only for Illumina data). BioMaS is a friendly pipeline for Meta-barcoding HTS data analysis specifically designed for users without particular computing skills. A comparative benchmark, carried out by using a simulated dataset suitably designed to broadly represent the currently known bacterial and fungal world, showed that BioMaS outperforms QIIME and MOTHUR in terms of extent and accuracy of deep taxonomic sequence assignments.

A bio-molecular inspired electronic architecture: bio-based device concepts for enhanced sensing (Invited Paper)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woolard, Dwight L.; Luo, Ying; Gelmont, Boris L.; Globus, Tatiana; Jensen, James O.

2005-05-01

A biological(bio)-molecular inspired electronic architecture is presented that offers the potential for defining nanoscale sensor platforms with enhanced capabilities for sensing terahertz (THz) frequency bio-signatures. This architecture makes strategic use of integrated biological elements to enable communication and high-level function within densely-packed nanoelectronic systems. In particular, this architecture introduces a new paradigm for establishing hybrid Electro-THz-Optical (ETO) communication channels where the THz-frequency spectral characteristics that are uniquely associated with the embedded bio-molecules are utilized directly. Since the functionality of this architecture is built upon the spectral characteristics of bio-molecules, this immediately allows for defining new methods for enhanced sensing of THz bio-signatures. First, this integrated sensor concept greatly facilitates the collection of THz bio-signatures associated with embedded bio-molecules via interactions with the time-dependent signals propagating through the nanoelectronic circuit. Second, it leads to a new Multi-State Spectral Sensing (MS3) approach where bio-signature information can be collected from multiple metastable state conformations. This paper will also introduce a new class of prototype devices that utilize THz-sensitive bio-molecules to achieve molecular-level sensing and functionality. Here, new simulation results are presented for a class of bio-molecular components that exhibit the prescribed type of ETO characteristics required for realizing integrated sensor platforms. Most noteworthy, this research derives THz spectral bio-signatures for organic molecules that are amenable to photo-induced metastable-state conformations and establishes an initial scientific foundation and design blueprint for an enhanced THz bio-signature sensing capability.

Pharmacokinetics and correlation between in vitro release and in vivo absorption of bio-adhesive pellets of panax notoginseng saponins.

PubMed

Li, Ying; Zhang, Yun; Zhu, Chun-Yan

2017-02-01

The present study was designed to prepare and compare bio-adhesive pellets of panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) with hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), chitosan, and chitosan : carbomer, explore the influence of different bio-adhesive materials on pharmacokinetics behaviors of PNSbio-adhesive pellets, and evaluate the correlation between in vivo absorption and in vitro release (IVIVC). In order to predict the in vivo concentration-time profile by the in vitro release data of bio-adhesive pellets, the release experiment was performed using the rotating basket method in pH 6.8 phosphate buffer. The PNS concentrations in rat plasma were analyzed by HPLC-MS-MS method and the relative bioavailability and other pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using Kinetica4.4 pharmacokinetic software. Numerical deconvolution method was used to evaluate IVIVC. Our results indicated that, compared with ordinary pellets, PNS bio-adhesive pellets showed increased oral bioavailability by 1.45 to 3.20 times, increased C max , and extended MRT. What's more, the release behavior of drug in HPMC pellets was shown to follow a Fickian diffusion mechanism, a synergetic function of diffusion and skeleton corrosion. The in vitro release and the in vivo biological activity had a good correlation, demonstrating that the PNS bio-adhesive pellets had a better sustained release. Numerical deconvolution technique showed the advantage in evaluation of IVIVC for self-designed bio-adhesive pellets with HPMC. In conclusion, the in vitro release data of bio-adhesive pellets with HPMC can predict its concentration-time profile in vivo. Copyright © 2017 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production

DOE PAGES

Carrasco, Jose L.; Gunukula, Sampath; Boateng, Akwasi A.; ...

2017-04-01

Here, the techno-economics for producing liquid fuels from Maine forest residues were determined from a combination of: (1) laboratory experiments at USDA-ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center using hog fuel (a secondary woody residue produced from mill byproducts such as sawdust, bark and shavings) as a feedstock for pyrolysis to establish product yields and composition, and (2) Aspen Plus® process simulation for a feed rate of 2000 dry metric tons per day to estimate energy requirements and equipment sizes. The simulated plant includes feedstock sizing and drying, pyrolysis, hydrogen production and hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oils. The biomass is converted into bio-oilmore » (61% yield), char (24%) and gases (15%) in the pyrolysis reactor, with an energy demand of 17%. The bio-oil is then hydrotreated to remove oxygen, thereby producing hydrocarbon fuels. The final mass yield of gasoline/diesel hydrocarbons is 16% with a 40% energy yield based on the dry biomass fed, this yield represents a fuel production of 51.9 gallons per dry metric ton of feedstock. A unique aspect of the process simulated herein is that pyrolysis char and gases are used as sources for both thermal energy and hydrogen, greatly decreasing the need to input fossil energy. The total capital investment for a grass-roots plant was estimated to be US$427 million with an annual operational cost of US$154 million. With a 30 year project life, a minimum fuel selling price was determined to be US$6.25 per gallon. The economic concerns are related to high capital costs, high feedstock costs and short hydrotreating catalyst lifetimes.« less

Suitability of Secondary PEEK Telescopic Crowns on Zirconia Primary Crowns: The Influence of Fabrication Method and Taper.

PubMed

Merk, Susanne; Wagner, Christina; Stock, Veronika; Eichberger, Marlis; Schmidlin, Patrick R; Roos, Malgorzata; Stawarczyk, Bogna

2016-11-08

This study investigates the retention load (RL) between ZrO₂ primary crowns and secondary polyetheretherketone (PEEK) crowns made by different fabrication methods with three different tapers. Standardized primary ZrO₂ crowns were fabricated with three different tapers: 0°, 1°, and 2° ( n = 10/group). Ten secondary crowns were fabricated (i) milled from breCam BioHPP blanks (PM); (ii) pressed from industrially fabricated PEEK pellets (PP) (BioHPP Pellet); or (iii) pressed from granular PEEK (PG) (BioHPP Granulat). One calibrated operator adjusted all crowns. In total, the RL of 90 secondary crowns were measured in pull-off tests at 50 mm/min, and each specimen was tested 20 times. Two- and one-way ANOVAs followed by a Scheffé's post-hoc test were used for data analysis ( p < 0.05). Within crowns with a 0° taper, the PP group showed significantly higher retention load values compared with the other groups. Among the 1° taper, the PM group presented significantly lower retention loads than the PP group. However, the pressing type had no impact on the results. Within the 2° taper, the fabrication method had no influence on the RL. Within the PM group, the 2° taper showed significantly higher retention load compared with the 1° taper. The taper with 0° was in the same range value as the 1° and 2° tapers. No impact of the taper on the retention value was observed between the PP groups. Within the PG groups, the 0° taper presented significantly lower RL than the 1° taper, whereas the 2° taper showed no differences. The fabrication method of the secondary PEEK crowns and taper angles showed no consistent effect within all tested groups.

Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carrasco, Jose L.; Gunukula, Sampath; Boateng, Akwasi A.

Here, the techno-economics for producing liquid fuels from Maine forest residues were determined from a combination of: (1) laboratory experiments at USDA-ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center using hog fuel (a secondary woody residue produced from mill byproducts such as sawdust, bark and shavings) as a feedstock for pyrolysis to establish product yields and composition, and (2) Aspen Plus® process simulation for a feed rate of 2000 dry metric tons per day to estimate energy requirements and equipment sizes. The simulated plant includes feedstock sizing and drying, pyrolysis, hydrogen production and hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oils. The biomass is converted into bio-oilmore » (61% yield), char (24%) and gases (15%) in the pyrolysis reactor, with an energy demand of 17%. The bio-oil is then hydrotreated to remove oxygen, thereby producing hydrocarbon fuels. The final mass yield of gasoline/diesel hydrocarbons is 16% with a 40% energy yield based on the dry biomass fed, this yield represents a fuel production of 51.9 gallons per dry metric ton of feedstock. A unique aspect of the process simulated herein is that pyrolysis char and gases are used as sources for both thermal energy and hydrogen, greatly decreasing the need to input fossil energy. The total capital investment for a grass-roots plant was estimated to be US$427 million with an annual operational cost of US$154 million. With a 30 year project life, a minimum fuel selling price was determined to be US$6.25 per gallon. The economic concerns are related to high capital costs, high feedstock costs and short hydrotreating catalyst lifetimes.« less

Human Performance and Biosystems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-08

carbon nanotube binding peptides *A mutant laccase designed at UW self- assembles into active crystals Leucine βroll Linker (S) α-helix (H...cognitive functions, bio-molecular repair and bio- resiliency Bioenergy: • Portable H2 Fuel Generated from H2O or Cellulose : - Cheap, self

Design of Superhydrophobic Ultraoleophobic NyCo (POSTPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

angles [3, 4]. Recently, the wetting behavior of soft mate- rials has been studied intensively using nanotechnology and bio - mimicry . This interest...extends beyond the bio -inspired, lotus leaf property of superhydrophobicity to materials that exhibit similar properties to oils, thus dubbed ultraoleo

Pioneering Partnerships for Progress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borden, Sam

2006-01-01

This paper presents a brief description of the Center for Bioscience and the Integration of Computer and Telecommunications Technology (BioCATT) at Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. BioCATT is designed to serve as a catalyst for innovation in educational programming, business services, and technology applications.

Hybrid Enhanced Epidermal SpaceSuit Design Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jessup, Joseph M.

A Space suit that does not rely on gas pressurization is a multi-faceted problem that requires major stability controls to be incorporated during design and construction. The concept of Hybrid Epidermal Enhancement space suit integrates evolved human anthropomorphic and physiological adaptations into its functionality, using commercially available bio-medical technologies to address shortcomings of conventional gas pressure suits, and the impracticalities of MCP suits. The prototype HEE Space Suit explored integumentary homeostasis, thermal control and mobility using advanced bio-medical materials technology and construction concepts. The goal was a space suit that functions as an enhanced, multi-functional bio-mimic of the human epidermal layer that works in attunement with the wearer rather than as a separate system. In addressing human physiological requirements for design and construction of the HEE suit, testing regimes were devised and integrated into the prototype which was then subject to a series of detailed tests using both anatomical reproduction methods and human subject.

A brief review of extrusion-based tissue scaffold bio-printing.

PubMed

Ning, Liqun; Chen, Xiongbiao

2017-08-01

Extrusion-based bio-printing has great potential as a technique for manipulating biomaterials and living cells to create three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for damaged tissue repair and function restoration. Over the last two decades, advances in both engineering techniques and life sciences have evolved extrusion-based bio-printing from a simple technique to one able to create diverse tissue scaffolds from a wide range of biomaterials and cell types. However, the complexities associated with synthesis of materials for bio-printing and manipulation of multiple materials and cells in bio-printing pose many challenges for scaffold fabrication. This paper presents an overview of extrusion-based bio-printing for scaffold fabrication, focusing on the prior-printing considerations (such as scaffold design and materials/cell synthesis), working principles, comparison to other techniques, and to-date achievements. This paper also briefly reviews the recent development of strategies with regard to hydrogel synthesis, multi-materials/cells manipulation, and process-induced cell damage in extrusion-based bio-printing. The key issue and challenges for extrusion-based bio-printing are also identified and discussed along with recommendations for future, aimed at developing novel biomaterials and bio-printing systems, creating patterned vascular networks within scaffolds, and preserving the cell viability and functions in scaffold bio-printing. The address of these challenges will significantly enhance the capability of extrusion-based bio-printing. Copyright © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Bio-oil production from biomass pyrolysis in molten salt].

PubMed

Ji, Dengxiang; Cai, Tengyue; Ai, Ning; Yu, Fengwen; Jiang, Hongtao; Ji, Jianbing

2011-03-01

In order to investigate the effects of pyrolysis conditions on bio-oil production from biomass in molten salt, experiments of biomass pyrolysis were carried out in a self-designed reactor in which the molten salt ZnCl2-KCl (with mole ratio 7/6) was selected as heat carrier, catalyst and dispersion agent. The effects of metal salt added into ZnCl2-KCl and biomass material on biomass pyrolysis were discussed, and the main compositions of bio-oil were determined by GC-MS. Metal salt added into molten salt could affect pyrolysis production yields remarkably. Lanthanon salt could enhance bio-oil yield and decrease water content in bio-oil, when mole fraction of 5.0% LaCl3 was added, bio-oil yield could reach up to 32.0%, and water content of bio-oil could reduce to 61.5%. The bio-oil and char yields were higher when rice straw was pyrolysed, while gas yield was higher when rice husk was used. Metal salts showed great selectivity on compositions of bio-oil. LiCl and FeCl2 promoted biomass to pyrolyse into smaller molecular weight compounds. CrCl3, CaCl2 and LaCl3 could restrain second pyrolysis of bio-oil. The research provided a scientific reference for production of bio-oil from biomass pyrolysis in molten salt.

Accuracy evaluation of dental models manufactured by CAD/CAM milling method and 3D printing method.

PubMed

Jeong, Yoo-Geum; Lee, Wan-Sun; Lee, Kyu-Bok

2018-06-01

To evaluate the accuracy of a model made using the computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) milling method and 3D printing method and to confirm its applicability as a work model for dental prosthesis production. First, a natural tooth model (ANA-4, Frasaco, Germany) was scanned using an oral scanner. The obtained scan data were then used as a CAD reference model (CRM), to produce a total of 10 models each, either using the milling method or the 3D printing method. The 20 models were then scanned using a desktop scanner and the CAD test model was formed. The accuracy of the two groups was compared using dedicated software to calculate the root mean square (RMS) value after superimposing CRM and CAD test model (CTM). The RMS value (152±52 µm) of the model manufactured by the milling method was significantly higher than the RMS value (52±9 µm) of the model produced by the 3D printing method. The accuracy of the 3D printing method is superior to that of the milling method, but at present, both methods are limited in their application as a work model for prosthesis manufacture.

Research kinetic of motion of milling bodies in ball mill, outfit heat-exchange unit and calculation of its energy performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanovich, A. A.; Romanovich, M. A.; Apukhtina, I. V.

2018-03-01

The article considers topical issues of energy saving in cement production with the use of a technological grinding complex, which includes a press roller grinder and a ball mill. Rational conditions of grinding are proposed for pre-shredded material through the installation of blade energy exchange devices (BEED) in the mill drum. The loading level in the first chamber varies periodically depending on the drum rotation angle, equipped with BEED. In the zone of BEED’s active action, there is a “scooping” of a part of grinding bodies together with crushed material, raising them to a height and giving them a longitudinally transverse movement, which is different from movement created in the mill without BEED. At the same time, additional work that consumes engine power is being done. A technique is proposed for calculating the additional engine power consumption of a mill, equipped with a BEED. This power is spent on creating a longitudinal-transverse motion of grinding bodies and its first and second chambers in areas of active influence of the BEED. Comparative analysis of results obtained experimentally and calculations of proposed equations show a high convergence of results. These analytical dependencies may be interest to Russian and foreign organizations that carry out their activities in the field of design and manufacture of cement equipment, as well as to cement producers.

Carotenoid Stability during Dry Milling, Storage, and Extrusion Processing of Biofortified Maize Genotypes.

PubMed

Ortiz, Darwin; Ponrajan, Amudhan; Bonnet, Juan Pablo; Rocheford, Torbert; Ferruzzi, Mario G

2018-05-09

Translation of the breeding efforts designed to biofortify maize ( Z. mays) genotypes with higher levels of provitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) content for sub-Saharan Africa is dependent in part on the stability of carotenoids during postharvest through industrial and in-home food processing operations. The purpose of this study was to simulate production of commercial milled products by determining the impact of dry milling and extrusion processing on carotenoid stability in three higher pVAC maize genotypes (C17xDE3, Orange ISO, Hi27xCML328). Pericarp and germ removal of biofortified maize kernels resulted in ∼10% loss of total carotenoids. Separating out the maize flour fraction (<212 μm) resulted in an additional ∼15% loss of total carotenoids. Carotenoid degradation was similar across milled maize fractions. Dry-milled products of Orange ISO and Hi27xCML328 genotypes showed ∼28% pVAC loss after 90-days storage. Genotype C17xDE3, with highest levels of all- trans-β-carotene, showed a 68% pVAC loss after 90-day storage. Extrusion processing conditions were optimal at 35% extrusion moisture, producing fully cooked instant maize flours with high pVAC retention (70-93%). These results support the notion that postharvest losses in maize milled fractions may be dependent, in part, on genotype and that extrusion processing may provide an option for preserving biofortified maize products.

Nouvelle methode d'integration energetique pour la retro-installation des procedes industriels et la transformation des usines papetieres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonhivers, Jean-Christophe

The increase in production of goods over the last decades has led to the need for improving the management of natural resources management and the efficiency of processes. As a consequence, heat integration methods for industry have been developed. These have been successful for the design of new plants: the integration principles are largely employed, and energy intensity has dramatically decreased in many processes. Although progress has also been achieved in integration methods for retrofit, these methods still need further conceptual development. Furthermore, methodological difficulties increase when trying to retrofit heat exchange networks that are closely interrelated to water networks, such as the case of pulp and paper mills. The pulp and paper industry seeks to increase its profitability by reducing production costs and optimizing supply chains. Recent process developments in forestry biorefining give this industry the opportunity for diversification into bio-products, increasing potential profit margins, and at the same time modernizing its energy systems. Identification of energy strategies for a mill in a changing environment, including the possibility of adding a biorefinery process on the industrial site, requires better integration methods for retrofit situations. The objective of this thesis is to develop an energy integration method for the retrofit of industrial systems and the transformation of pulp and paper mills, ant to demonstrate the method in case studies. Energy is conserved and degraded in a process. Heat can be converted into electricity, stored as chemical energy, or rejected to the environment. A systematic analysis of successive degradations of energy between the hot utilities until the environment, through process operations and existing heat exchangers, is essential in order to reduce the heat consumption. In this thesis, the "Bridge Method" for energy integration by heat exchanger network retrofit has been developed. This method is the first that considers the analysis of these degradations. The fundamental mechanism to reduce the heat consumption in an existing network has been made explicit; it is the basis of the developed method. The Bridge Method includes the definition of "a bridge", which is a set of modifications leading to heat reduction in a heat exchanger network. It is proven that, for a given set of streams, only bridges can lead to heat savings. The Bridge Method also includes (1) a global procedure for heat exchanger network retrofit, (2) a procedure to enumerate systematically the bridges, (3) "a network table" to easily evaluate them, and (4) an "energy transfer diagram" showing the effect of the two first principles of thermodynamics of energy conservation and degradation in industrial processes in order to identify energy savings opportunities. The Bridge Method can be used for the analysis of networks including several types of heat transfer, and site-wide analysis. The Bridge Method has been applied in case studies for retrofitting networks composed of indirect-contact heat exchangers, including the network of a kraft pulp mill, and also networks of direct-contact heat exchangers, including the hot water production system of a pulp mill. The method has finally been applied for the evaluation of a biorefinery process, alone or hosted in a kraft pulp mill. Results show that the use of the method significantly reduces the search space and leads to identification of the relevant solutions. The necessity of a bridge to reduce the inputs and outputs of a process is a consequence of the two first thermodynamics principles of energy conservation and increase in entropy. The concept of bridge alone can also be used as a tool for process analysis, and in numerical optimization-based approaches for energy integration.

Disposable amperometric biosensor based on nanostructured bacteriophages for glucose detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yu Ri; Hwang, Kyung Hoon; Kim, Ju Hwan; Nam, Chang Hoon; Kim, Soo Won

2010-10-01

The selection of electrode material profoundly influences biosensor science and engineering, as it heavily influences biosensor sensitivity. Here we propose a novel electrochemical detection method using a working electrode consisting of bio-nanowires from genetically modified filamentous phages and nanoparticles. fd-tet p8MMM filamentous phages displaying a three-methionine (MMM) peptide on the major coat protein pVIII (designated p8MMM phages) were immobilized on the active area of an electrochemical sensor through physical adsorption and chemical bonding. Bio-nanowires composed of p8MMM phages and silver nanoparticles facilitated sensitive, rapid and selective detection of particular molecules. We explored whether the composite electrode with bio-nanowires was an effective platform to detect the glucose oxidase. The current response of the bio-nanowire sensor was high at various glucose concentrations (0.1 µm-0.1 mM). This method provides a considerable advantage to demonstrate analyte detection over low concentration ranges. Especially, phage-enabled bio-nanowires can serve as receptors with high affinity and specificity for the detection of particular biomolecules and provide a convenient platform for designing site-directed multifunctional scaffolds based on bacteriophages and may serve as a simple method for label-free detection.

ROMI-RIP: Rough mill rip-first simulator. Forest Service general technical report (Final)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, R.E.

1995-07-01

The ROugh Mill Rip-First Simulator (ROMI-RIP) is a computer software package that simulates the gang-ripping of lumber. ROMI-RIP was designed to closely simulate current machines and industrial practice. This simulator allows the user to perform `what if` analyses on various gang-rip-first rough mill operations with fixed, floating outer blade and all-movable blade arbors. ROMI-RIP accepts cutting bills with up to 300 different part sizes. Plots of processed boards are easily viewed or printed. Detailed summaries of processing steps (number of rips and crosscuts) and yields (single boards or entire board files) can also be viewed of printed. ROMI-RIP requires IBMmore » personal computers with 80286 of higher processors.« less

Improving the geotechnical properties of expansive soils by mixture with olive mill wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ureña, C.; Azañón, J. M.; Corpas, F.; Nieto, F.; León-Buendía, C.

2012-04-01

In Southern Spain, Olive grove is an artificial forest which has a surface of 18.000 km2, representing more than 25% of olive oil world production. During the manufacturing process of this oil, different types of residues are generated. The most important is a biomass called olive mill wastewater. It is a dark colored liquid which can not be directly poured onto natural watercourses. On the one hand, part of this biomass is burnt to produce electrical energy or treated to make a bio-diesel. On the other hand, we propose the use of olive mill wastewater as a stabilization agent for expansive clayey soils. Using raw biomass as a stabilization agent two objectives are achieved: adding value to biomass and reducing the problems of expansive soils. Moreover, an important reduction of economic costs can take place. A pure bentonite clay was chosen as a sample of original expansive soil. It is abundant in Southern Spain and its main component is Na-Montmorillonite. Bentonite is very susceptible to changes in the environmental available moisture and very unsuitable for its use in civil engineering due to its low bearing capacity, high plasticity and volume changes. Several dosages (5%, 10%, 15%) of olive mill wastewater were added to the original sample of bentonite. To study eventual improvements in the mechanical properties of soil, Proctor, Atterberg Limits, California Bearing Ratio, Swelling Pressure and X-Ray Diffraction tests were carried out, following Spanish standards UNE by AENOR. Both geotechnical and mineralogical characterizations were developed at two different curing times: 15 and 30 days. The Plasticity Index (PI) of the original bentonite soil was 251 (High Plasticity). The addition of 15% of olive mill wastewater yielded reductions of PI similar to those produced by the addition of 5% of Portland cement. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values increased slightly after the treatment with biomass leading to very similar values to those obtained after the conventional treatment with coal fly ash. One of the most important parameters to evaluate the swelling potential, swelling pressure, dramatically decreased in samples treated with olive mill wastewater, from 220kPa in the original sample of bentonite to values under 60kPa after 30 days. Regarding the mineralogy of the treated soil, X-ray Diffraction tests suggested a noticeable reduction in the amount of smectite within the crystalline structure of treated soils. Moreover, the smectite 001 peak shifted to right indicating a smaller d-spacing and hence a more stable mineral structure. To sum up, the improvements achieved by adding olive mill wastewater were, to some extent, similar to those produced by lower dosages of conventional additives (Portland cement or coal fly ash). The first results obtained in this work therefore indicate promising properties of biomass for its use in stabilization of expansive soils. A further research is still necessary. Finally, it must be pointed out that the use of raw biomass proceeding from olive grove might considerably improve the waste management in olive oil industry while offering new opportunities to civil works.

bioWidgets: data interaction components for genomics.

PubMed

Fischer, S; Crabtree, J; Brunk, B; Gibson, M; Overton, G C

1999-10-01

The presentation of genomics data in a perspicuous visual format is critical for its rapid interpretation and validation. Relatively few public database developers have the resources to implement sophisticated front-end user interfaces themselves. Accordingly, these developers would benefit from a reusable toolkit of user interface and data visualization components. We have designed the bioWidget toolkit as a set of JavaBean components. It includes a wide array of user interface components and defines an architecture for assembling applications. The toolkit is founded on established software engineering design patterns and principles, including componentry, Model-View-Controller, factored models and schema neutrality. As a proof of concept, we have used the bioWidget toolkit to create three extendible applications: AnnotView, BlastView and AlignView.

Gravity flow operated small electricity generator retrofit kit to flour mill industry.

PubMed

Shekara, Prithivi; Kumar V, Pavan; Hosamane, Gangadharappa Gundabhakthara

2013-10-01

Flour milling is a grinding process to produce flour from wheat through comprehensive stages of grinding and separation. The primary energy is required to provide power used in grinding of wheat. In wheat milling, tempering is the process of adding water to wheat before milling to toughen the bran and mellow the endosperm. Gravity flow of the wheat is utilized to rotate the dampener wheel with cups to add water. Low cost gravity flow operated small electricity generator retrofit kit for dampener was designed and developed to justify low cost energy production without expensive solutions. Results of statistical analysis indicated that there was significant difference in mean values for voltage, rpm and flow rate at the 95% probability level. The resulted maximum mechanical power and measured electrical power were 5.1 W and 4.9 W respectively at wheat flow rate of 1.6 Kg/s and dampener wheel rotational velocity of 4.4 rad/s.

Application of dragonfly algorithm for optimal performance analysis of process parameters in turn-mill operations- A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vikram, K. Arun; Ratnam, Ch; Lakshmi, VVK; Kumar, A. Sunny; Ramakanth, RT

2018-02-01

Meta-heuristic multi-response optimization methods are widely in use to solve multi-objective problems to obtain Pareto optimal solutions during optimization. This work focuses on optimal multi-response evaluation of process parameters in generating responses like surface roughness (Ra), surface hardness (H) and tool vibration displacement amplitude (Vib) while performing operations like tangential and orthogonal turn-mill processes on A-axis Computer Numerical Control vertical milling center. Process parameters like tool speed, feed rate and depth of cut are considered as process parameters machined over brass material under dry condition with high speed steel end milling cutters using Taguchi design of experiments (DOE). Meta-heuristic like Dragonfly algorithm is used to optimize the multi-objectives like ‘Ra’, ‘H’ and ‘Vib’ to identify the optimal multi-response process parameters combination. Later, the results thus obtained from multi-objective dragonfly algorithm (MODA) are compared with another multi-response optimization technique Viz. Grey relational analysis (GRA).

Effects of Processing and Powder Size on Microstructure and Reactivity in Arrested Reactive Milled Al + Ni

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

reactive milled (RM) experiments forming nickel aluminides [3,4,6,8–10,12,15,16,18,19], titanium - based alloys [5] and combustion reactions in metal...highly heterogeneous and is refined during processing until reaction occurs. The refinement process consists of the cold welding of powder grains within... welding at the surface of deforming particles, which pro-Table 2 Sample preparation measurements corresponding to the designed exper- iments presented

Integrating Fenton's process and ion exchange for olive mill wastewater treatment and iron recovery.

PubMed

Reis, Patrícia M; Martins, Pedro J M; Martins, Rui C; Gando-Ferreira, Licínio M; Quinta-Ferreira, Rosa M

2018-02-01

A novel integrated methodology involving Fenton's process followed by ion exchange (IE) was proposed for the treatment of olive mill wastewater. Fenton's process was optimized and it was able to remove up to 81% of chemical oxygen demand when pH 3.5, reaction time 1 h, [Fe 2+ ] = 50 mg L -1 and [Fe 2+ ]/[H 2 O 2 ] = 0.002 were applied. In spite of the potential of this treatment approach, final iron removal from the liquid typically entails pH increase and iron sludge production. The integration of an IE procedure using Lewatit TP 207 resin was found to be able to overcome this important environmental shortcoming. The resin showed higher affinity toward Fe 3+ than to Fe 2+ . However, the iron removal efficiency of an effluent coming from Fenton's was independent of the type of the initial iron used in the process. The presence of organic matter had no significant effect over the resin iron removal efficiency. Even if some efficiency decrease was observed when a high initial iron load was applied, the adsorbent mass quantity can be easily adapted to reach the desired iron removal. The use of IE is an interesting industrial approach able to surpass Fenton's peroxidation drawback and will surely boost its full-scale application in the treatment of bio-refractory effluents.

Custom CAD-CAM healing abutment and impression coping milled from a poly(methyl methacrylate) block and bonded to a titanium insert.

PubMed

Proussaefs, Periklis

2016-11-01

This article describes a technique in which a custom-made computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) healing abutment milled from a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) block is fabricated and bonded to a titanium metal insert. An impression is made during dental implant surgery, and the CAD-CAM custom-made healing abutment is fabricated before second-stage surgery while appropriate healing time is allowed for the dental implant to osseointegrate. The contours of the healing abutment are based on the contours of a tentatively designed definitive prosthesis. The healing tissue obtains contours that will be compatible with the contours of the definitive prosthesis. After the milling process is complete, a titanium metal insert is bonded to the healing abutment. Placement of the custom-made CAD-CAM healing abutment at second-stage surgery allows the tissue to obtain contours similar to those of the definitive prosthesis. A custom-made CAD-CAM impression coping milled from a PMMA block and with a titanium insert is used for the definitive impression after the soft tissue has healed. This technique allows guided soft tissue healing by using a custom-made CAD-CAM healing abutment and impression coping. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acoustic beam control in biomimetic projector via velocity gradient

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, Xiaowei; Dong, Erqian; Song, Zhongchang

A biomimetic projector (BioP) based on computerized tomography of pygmy sperm whale's biosonar system has been designed using gradient-index (GRIN) material. The directivity of this BioP device was investigated as function of frequency and the velocity gradient of the GRIN material. A strong beam control over a broad bandwidth at the subwavelength scale has been achieved. Compared with a bare subwavelength source, the main lobe pressure of the BioP is about five times as high and the angular resolution is one order of magnitude better. Our results indicate that this BioP has excellent application potential in miniaturized underwater sonars.

Acoustic beam control in biomimetic projector via velocity gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xiaowei; Zhang, Yu; Cao, Wenwu; Dong, Erqian; Song, Zhongchang; Li, Songhai; Tang, Liguo; Zhang, Sai

2016-07-01

A biomimetic projector (BioP) based on computerized tomography of pygmy sperm whale's biosonar system has been designed using gradient-index (GRIN) material. The directivity of this BioP device was investigated as function of frequency and the velocity gradient of the GRIN material. A strong beam control over a broad bandwidth at the subwavelength scale has been achieved. Compared with a bare subwavelength source, the main lobe pressure of the BioP is about five times as high and the angular resolution is one order of magnitude better. Our results indicate that this BioP has excellent application potential in miniaturized underwater sonars.

A bio-hybrid DNA rotor-stator nanoengine that moves along predefined tracks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valero, Julián; Pal, Nibedita; Dhakal, Soma; Walter, Nils G.; Famulok, Michael

2018-06-01

Biological motors are highly complex protein assemblies that generate linear or rotary motion, powered by chemical energy. Synthetic motors based on DNA nanostructures, bio-hybrid designs or synthetic organic chemistry have been assembled. However, unidirectionally rotating biomimetic wheel motors with rotor-stator units that consume chemical energy are elusive. Here, we report a bio-hybrid nanoengine consisting of a catalytic stator that unidirectionally rotates an interlocked DNA wheel, powered by NTP hydrolysis. The engine consists of an engineered T7 RNA polymerase (T7RNAP-ZIF) attached to a dsDNA nanoring that is catenated to a rigid rotating dsDNA wheel. The wheel motor produces long, repetitive RNA transcripts that remain attached to the engine and are used to guide its movement along predefined ssDNA tracks arranged on a DNA nanotube. The simplicity of the design renders this walking nanoengine adaptable to other biological nanoarchitectures, facilitating the construction of complex bio-hybrid structures that achieve NTP-driven locomotion.

A bio-hybrid DNA rotor-stator nanoengine that moves along predefined tracks.

PubMed

Valero, Julián; Pal, Nibedita; Dhakal, Soma; Walter, Nils G; Famulok, Michael

2018-06-01

Biological motors are highly complex protein assemblies that generate linear or rotary motion, powered by chemical energy. Synthetic motors based on DNA nanostructures, bio-hybrid designs or synthetic organic chemistry have been assembled. However, unidirectionally rotating biomimetic wheel motors with rotor-stator units that consume chemical energy are elusive. Here, we report a bio-hybrid nanoengine consisting of a catalytic stator that unidirectionally rotates an interlocked DNA wheel, powered by NTP hydrolysis. The engine consists of an engineered T7 RNA polymerase (T7RNAP-ZIF) attached to a dsDNA nanoring that is catenated to a rigid rotating dsDNA wheel. The wheel motor produces long, repetitive RNA transcripts that remain attached to the engine and are used to guide its movement along predefined ssDNA tracks arranged on a DNA nanotube. The simplicity of the design renders this walking nanoengine adaptable to other biological nanoarchitectures, facilitating the construction of complex bio-hybrid structures that achieve NTP-driven locomotion.

7 CFR 868.211 - Grade designation and other certificate information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Rough Rice Principles Governing Application of Standards § 868.211 Grade designation and other certificate information. (a) Rough rice. The grade designation for all classes of Rough rice shall be included... statement of the milling yield. (b) Mixed rough rice information. For the class Mixed Rough rice, the...

7 CFR 868.211 - Grade designation and other certificate information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Rough Rice Principles Governing Application of Standards § 868.211 Grade designation and other certificate information. (a) Rough rice. The grade designation for all classes of Rough rice shall be included... statement of the milling yield. (b) Mixed rough rice information. For the class Mixed Rough rice, the...

Chemistry Based on Renewable Raw Materials: Perspectives for a Sugar Cane-Based Biorefinery

PubMed Central

Villela Filho, Murillo; Araujo, Carlos; Bonfá, Alfredo; Porto, Weber

2011-01-01

Carbohydrates are nowadays a very competitive feedstock for the chemical industry because their availability is compatible with world-scale chemical production and their price, based on the carbon content, is comparable to that of petrochemicals. At the same time, demand is rising for biobased products. Brazilian sugar cane is a competitive feedstock source that is opening the door to a wide range of bio-based products. This essay begins with the importance of the feedstock for the chemical industry and discusses developments in sugar cane processing that lead to low cost feedstocks. Thus, sugar cane enables a new chemical industry, as it delivers a competitive raw material and a source of energy. As a result, sugar mills are being transformed into sustainable biorefineries that fully exploit the potential of sugar cane. PMID:21637329

Chemistry based on renewable raw materials: perspectives for a sugar cane-based biorefinery.

PubMed

Villela Filho, Murillo; Araujo, Carlos; Bonfá, Alfredo; Porto, Weber

2011-01-01

Carbohydrates are nowadays a very competitive feedstock for the chemical industry because their availability is compatible with world-scale chemical production and their price, based on the carbon content, is comparable to that of petrochemicals. At the same time, demand is rising for biobased products. Brazilian sugar cane is a competitive feedstock source that is opening the door to a wide range of bio-based products. This essay begins with the importance of the feedstock for the chemical industry and discusses developments in sugar cane processing that lead to low cost feedstocks. Thus, sugar cane enables a new chemical industry, as it delivers a competitive raw material and a source of energy. As a result, sugar mills are being transformed into sustainable biorefineries that fully exploit the potential of sugar cane.

Do frogs have to croak? Comparing academic performance of students in traditional dissection labs on campus with students using virtual simulations via distance education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humphries, Susie Annette

This quantitative study was designed to determine whether there were any significant differences in students and their understanding of animal anatomy and basic physiology in introductory biology and anatomy courses when instructed using self-directed, virtual simulation dissections in a distance-learning format rather than by teacher-directed, hands-on dissections in traditional on-campus classes. Two different courses at Snead State Community College, a small, rural 2-year institution in north Alabama, participated in this study. Principles of Biology II (BIO 104) was a course taken by students not planning a career in a health field, while Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 201) was a course designed for students who plan to pursue a health-related degree. A total of 44 students participated in the online versions of their respective anatomy courses, 11 in BIO 104 and 33 in BIO 201, whereas a total of 132 students participated in the on-campus versions of their anatomy courses, 28 in BIO 104 and 104 in BIO 201. At the outset of their anatomy courses, all participants were given a presurvey to obtain basic demographics and background information used in the final analyses. A pretest/posttest laboratory practicum evaluation was used to determine students' academic performance in their anatomy courses over a semester. The results indicated that for the BIO 104 students there were no significant differences between those students taking the course online and those taking the course on campus. The BIO 201 students, on the other hand, did indicate a significant difference in the overall academic performance on their laboratory practicums, with the on-campus students achieving statistically higher than the online students. However, it is important to note that the BIO 104 students were not taking their exams as a part of their course grade as were the BIO 201 students. It was also ascertained through this study that students with prior online experience and/or with moderate to substantial dissection experience did not perform statistically better than students without these experiences. Additionally, various characteristics and qualities associated with the success of students in anatomy courses were discovered.

New Single Piece Blast Hardware design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ulrich, Andri; Steinzig, Michael Louis; Aragon, Daniel Adrian

W, Q and PF engineers and machinists designed and fabricated, on the new Mazak i300, the first Single Piece Blast Hardware (unclassified design shown) reducing fabrication and inspection time by over 50%. The first DU Single Piece is completed and will be used for Hydro Test 3680. Past hydro tests used a twopiece assembly due to a lack of equipment capable of machining the complex saddle shape in a single piece. The i300 provides turning and milling 5-axis machining on one machine. The milling head on the i300 can machine past 90 relative to the spindle axis. This makes itmore » possible to machine the complex saddle surface on a single piece. Going to a single piece eliminates tolerance problems, such as tilting and eccentricity, that typically occurred when assembling the two pieces together« less

Mechanical properties of cobalt-chromium 3-unit fixed dental prostheses fabricated by casting, milling, and additive manufacturing.

PubMed

Øilo, Marit; Nesse, Harald; Lundberg, Odd Johan; Gjerdet, Nils Roar

2018-04-25

New additive manufacturing techniques for nonprecious alloys have made the fabrication of metal-ceramic fixed partial dentures (FPDs) less expensive and less time-consuming. However, whether the mechanical properties produced by these techniques are comparable is unclear. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the mechanical properties of cobalt-chromium frameworks for FPDs fabricated by 3 different techniques. Thirty frameworks for 3-unit FPDs were fabricated by traditional casting, computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) milling, and selective laser melting (SLM), with n=10 in each group. The frameworks were weighed, and distal and mesial connector areas measured. The frameworks were cemented and loaded centrally (0.5 mm/s) until deformation above 1 mm occurred. Stiffness was measured as the slope of the axis between 500 and 2000 N. Microhardness was measured on sectioned specimens by Vickers indentation. The microstructure was also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc analysis was used to compare the groups (α=.05). The framework design differed among the groups, making a comparison of strength impossible. The milled frameworks appeared bulky, while the cast and SLM frameworks were more slender. Statistically significant differences were found in microhardness, stiffness, wall thickness, weight, and connector size (P<.05), and a significant correlation was found between hardness and stiffness (-0.4, P<.005). Fabrication method affects the design, stiffness, microhardness, and microstructure of cobalt-chromium FPD frameworks. The SLM frameworks were stiffer and harder than the cast and milled specimens. Copyright © 2018 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3D bio-printing technology for body tissues and organs regeneration.

PubMed

Biazar, Esmaeil; Najafi S, Masoumeh; Heidari K, Saeed; Yazdankhah, Meysam; Rafiei, Ataollah; Biazar, Dariush

2018-04-01

In the last decade, the use of new technologies in the reconstruction of body tissues has greatly developed. Utilising stem cell technology, nanotechnology and scaffolding design has created new opportunities in tissue regeneration. The use of accurate engineering design in the creation of scaffolds, including 3D printers, has been widely considered. Three-dimensional printers, especially high precision bio-printers, have opened up a new way in the design of 3D tissue engineering scaffolds. In this article, a review of the latest applications of this technology in this promising area has been addressed.

Process modeling and supply chain design for advanced biofuel production based on bio-oil gasification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qi

As a potential substitute for petroleum-based fuel, second generation biofuels are playing an increasingly important role due to their economic, environmental, and social benefits. With the rapid development of biofuel industry, there has been an increasing literature on the techno-economic analysis and supply chain design for biofuel production based on a variety of production pathways. A recently proposed production pathway of advanced biofuel is to convert biomass to bio-oil at widely distributed small-scale fast pyrolysis plants, then gasify the bio-oil to syngas and upgrade the syngas to transportation fuels in centralized biorefinery. This thesis aims to investigate two types of assessments on this bio-oil gasification pathway: techno-economic analysis based on process modeling and literature data; supply chain design with a focus on optimal decisions for number of facilities to build, facility capacities and logistic decisions considering uncertainties. A detailed process modeling with corn stover as feedstock and liquid fuels as the final products is presented. Techno-economic analysis of the bio-oil gasification pathway is also discussed to assess the economic feasibility. Some preliminary results show a capital investment of 438 million dollar and minimum fuel selling price (MSP) of $5.6 per gallon of gasoline equivalent. The sensitivity analysis finds that MSP is most sensitive to internal rate of return (IRR), biomass feedstock cost, and fixed capital cost. A two-stage stochastic programming is formulated to solve the supply chain design problem considering uncertainties in biomass availability, technology advancement, and biofuel price. The first-stage makes the capital investment decisions including the locations and capacities of the decentralized fast pyrolysis plants and the centralized biorefinery while the second-stage determines the biomass and biofuel flows. The numerical results and case study illustrate that considering uncertainties can be pivotal in this supply chain design and optimization problem. Also, farmers' participation has a significant effect on the decision making process.

One Primer To Rule Them All: Universal Primer That Adds BBa_B0034 Ribosomal Binding Site to Any Coding Standard 10 BioBrick

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Here, we present a universal, simple, efficient, and reliable way to add small BioBrick parts to any BioBrick via PCR that is compatible with BioBrick assembly standard 10. As a proof of principle, we have designed a universal primer, rbs_B0034, that contains a ribosomal binding site (RBS; BBa_B0034) and that can be used in PCR to amplify any coding BioBrick that starts with ATG. We performed test PCRs with rbs_B0034 on 31 different targets and found it to be 93.6% efficient. Moreover, when supplemented with a complementary primer, addition of RBS can be accomplished via whole plasmid site-directed mutagenesis, thus reducing the time required for further assembly of composite parts. The described method brings simplicity to the addition of small parts, such as regulatory elements to existing BioBricks. The final product of the PCR assembly is indistinguishable from the standard or 3A BioBrick assembly. PMID:25524097

Advanced Nanoporous Materials for Micro-Gravimetric Sensing to Trace-Level Bio/Chemical Molecules

PubMed Central

Xu, Pengcheng; Li, Xinxin; Yu, Haitao; Xu, Tiegang

2014-01-01

Functionalized nanoporous materials have been developed recently as bio/chemical sensing materials. Due to the huge specific surface of the nano-materials for molecular adsorption, high hopes have been placed on gravimetric detection with micro/nano resonant cantilevers for ultra-sensitive sensing of low-concentration bio/chemical substances. In order to enhance selectivity of the gravimetric resonant sensors to the target molecules, it is crucial to modify specific groups onto the pore-surface of the nano-materials. By loading the nanoporous sensing material onto the desired region of the mass-type transducers like resonant cantilevers, the micro-gravimetric bio/chemical sensors can be formed. Recently, such micro-gravimetric bio/chemical sensors have been successfully applied for rapid or on-the-spot detection of various bio/chemical molecules at the trace-concentration level. The applicable nanoporous sensing materials include mesoporous silica, zeolite, nanoporous graphene oxide (GO) and so on. This review article focuses on the recent achievements in design, preparation, functionalization and characterization of advanced nanoporous sensing materials for micro-gravimetric bio/chemical sensing. PMID:25313499

BioNetSim: a Petri net-based modeling tool for simulations of biochemical processes.

PubMed

Gao, Junhui; Li, Li; Wu, Xiaolin; Wei, Dong-Qing

2012-03-01

BioNetSim, a Petri net-based software for modeling and simulating biochemistry processes, is developed, whose design and implement are presented in this paper, including logic construction, real-time access to KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes), and BioModel database. Furthermore, glycolysis is simulated as an example of its application. BioNetSim is a helpful tool for researchers to download data, model biological network, and simulate complicated biochemistry processes. Gene regulatory networks, metabolic pathways, signaling pathways, and kinetics of cell interaction are all available in BioNetSim, which makes modeling more efficient and effective. Similar to other Petri net-based softwares, BioNetSim does well in graphic application and mathematic construction. Moreover, it shows several powerful predominances. (1) It creates models in database. (2) It realizes the real-time access to KEGG and BioModel and transfers data to Petri net. (3) It provides qualitative analysis, such as computation of constants. (4) It generates graphs for tracing the concentration of every molecule during the simulation processes.

Evaluation of mycelium reinforced agricultural fiber biocomposites for diverse applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is a genuine need for new biodegradable alternatives to the inert plastics and expanded foams that are common in both manufacturing processes and device componentry. The material emphasized in this report is a bio-composite patented by Ecovative Design, LLC. The bio-composite utilizes fungus m...

A Recombinant Platform for Prioritizing Aerolysin Molecular Grenades for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

the extracellular microenvironment at cancer sites. The objective for this proposal is to use a bio -engineering approach to produce recombinant pro...ominous diagnosis. The objective for this project is to use a bio -engineering approach to produce recombinant pro-toxins designed for specific cleavage

Modelling of End Milling of AA6061-TiCp Metal Matrix Composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijay Kumar, S.; Cheepu, Muralimohan; Venkateswarlu, D.; Asohan, P.; Senthil Kumar, V.

2018-03-01

The metal-matrix composites (MMCs) are used in various applications hence lot of research has been carried out on MMCs. To increase the properties of Albased MMCs many ceramic reinforcements have been identified, among which TiC is played vital role because of its properties like high hardness, stiffness and wear resistance. In the present work, a neural network and statistical modelling approach is going to use for the prediction of surface roughness (Ra) and cutting forces in computerised numerical control milling machine. Experiments conducted on a CNC milling machine based on the full factorial design and resulted data used to train and checking the network performance. The sample prepared from in-situ technique and heat treated to get uniform properties. The ANN model has shown satisfactory performance comparatively.

Modelling of End Milling of AA6061-TiCp Metal Matrix Composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijay Kumar, S.; Cheepu, Muralimohan; Venkateswarlu, D.; Asohan, P.; Senthil Kumar, V.

2018-03-01

The metal-matrix composites (MMCs) are used in various applications hence lot of research has been carried out on MMCs. To increase the properties of Al-based MMCs many ceramic reinforcements have been identified, among which TiC is played vital role because of its properties like high hardness, stiffness and wear resistance. In the present work, a neural network and statistical modelling approach is going to use for the prediction of surface roughness (Ra) and cutting forces in computerised numerical control milling machine. Experiments conducted on a CNC milling machine based on the full factorial design and resulted data used to train and checking the network performance. The sample prepared from in-situ technique and heat treated to get uniform properties. The ANN model has shown satisfactory performance comparatively.

Quenching of reactive intermediates during mechanochemical depolymerization of lignin

DOE PAGES

Brittain, Alex D.; Chrisandina, Natasha J.; Cooper, Rachel E.; ...

2017-05-10

Mechanochemical reactions are performed to depolymerize organosolv lignin with sodium hydroxide in a mixer ball mill. GPC analysis reveals that rapid depolymerization into small oligomers occurs within minutes of milling time, followed by a slower reduction in average relative molecular mass over the next 8 h of milling. Monomeric products are identified by GC–MS and quantified by GC-FID. The extent of depolymerization appears to be limited by repolymerization reactions that form bonds between products. Suppression of these repolymerization reactions can be achieved through the addition of methanol as a scavenger or adjustment of the moisture content of the feedstock. Thesemore » modifications result in lower average relative molecular masses and higher yields of monomers. These results are an important step towards designing an efficient pathway for lignin valorization.« less

Programmable bioelectronics in a stimuli-encoded 3D graphene interface.

PubMed

Parlak, Onur; Beyazit, Selim; Tse-Sum-Bui, Bernadette; Haupt, Karsten; Turner, Anthony P F; Tiwari, Ashutosh

2016-05-21

The ability to program and mimic the dynamic microenvironment of living organisms is a crucial step towards the engineering of advanced bioelectronics. Here, we report for the first time a design for programmable bioelectronics, with 'built-in' switchable and tunable bio-catalytic performance that responds simultaneously to appropriate stimuli. The designed bio-electrodes comprise light and temperature responsive compartments, which allow the building of Boolean logic gates (i.e."OR" and "AND") based on enzymatic communications to deliver logic operations.

Printed Multi-Turn Loop Antenna for RF Bio-Telemetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simons, Rainee N.; Hall, David G.; Miranda, Felix A.

2004-01-01

In this paper, a novel printed multi-turn loop antenna for contact-less powering and RF telemetry from implantable bio- MEMS sensors at a design frequency of 300 MHz is demonstrated. In addition, computed values of input reactance, radiation resistance, skin effect resistance, and radiation efficiency for the printed multi-turn loop antenna are presented. The computed input reactance is compared with the measured values and shown to be in fair agreement. The computed radiation efficiency at the design frequency is about 24 percent.

Cause and cure for high volatile coal and corrosive gases at TXI, Midlothian Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shahid, A.; Bottelberghe, B.; Crowther, J.

2007-07-01

The plant has raw materials which are high in pyritic sulfur. The coal mill uses the preheater exhaust gases, which have elevated amounts of SO{sub 2}. The coal being used is highly volatile. Therefore the coal mill bag filter had few occurrences of smoldered bags causing potentially unsafe conditions. This problem was solved by implementing some operational changes like reducing the mill exit temperature based on dewatering curve of coal and making the system more inert. To achieve this water had to be added into the system. When the mill exit temperature was reduced, the operating temperatures were below themore » sulfuric and hydrochloric acid dew points. Because of this corrosive acid stream in the gas flow, the bag filter started corroding. En route to solving these issues, the plant neutralized the acid by adding the raw meal dust and changing the bag filter into a stainless steel construction. Furthermore, the requirement to spray water in the system was removed by adding a heat exchanger to the coal mill inlet. Also, there were some design changes made to the coal mill bag filter, which helped in stable operation and extended bag life in the bag filter. This paper discusses these issues and how these problems were solved. This paper would be of beneficial use for other plants, which have to deal with high volatile coal and highly corrosive gases.« less

Development of the first force-controlled robot for otoneurosurgery.

PubMed

Federspil, Philipp A; Geisthoff, Urban W; Henrich, Dominik; Plinkert, Peter K

2003-03-01

In some surgical specialties (eg, orthopedics), robots are already used in the operating room for bony milling work. Otological surgery and otoneurosurgery may also greatly benefit from the enhanced precision of robotics. Experimental study on robotic milling of oak wood and human temporal bone specimen. A standard industrial robot with a six-degrees-of-freedom serial kinematics was used, with force feedback to proportionally control the robot speed. Different milling modes and characteristic path parameters were evaluated to generate milling paths based on computer-aided design (CAD) geometry data of a cochlear implant and an implantable hearing system. The best-suited strategy proved to be the spiral horizontal milling mode with the burr held perpendicular to the temporal bone surface. To reduce groove height, the distance between paths should equal half the radius of the cutting burr head. Because of the vibration of the robot's own motors, a high oscillation of the SD of forces was encountered. This oscillation dropped drastically to nearly 0 Newton (N) when the burr head made contact with the dura mater, because of its damping characteristics. The cutting burr could be kept in contact with the dura mater for an extended period without damaging it, because of the burr's blunt head form. The robot moved the burr smoothly according to the encountered resistances. The study reports the first development of a functional robotic milling procedure for otoneurosurgery with force-based speed control. Future plans include implementation of ultrasound-based local navigation and performance of robotic mastoidectomy.

Respiratory Morbidity among Rice Mill Workers in an Urban Area of Burdwan District, West Bengal: A Cross-sectional Study.

PubMed

Rana, Madhab Ch; Naskar, Somnath; Roy, Ramaprasad; Das, Dilip Kr; Das, Soumya

2018-01-01

Rice mill workers constitute a special group from the perspective of occupational health. Unprotected dust exposure among them adversely affects their respiratory health, which needs to be evaluated. Adequate evidence is still lacking in many parts of India including West Bengal. Burdwan is one of the main rice-producing districts in the state with abundant rice mills. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence and pattern of respiratory morbidity and associated background characteristics of rice mill workers. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Burdwan municipality area during July-December 2016. Considering 44.2% prevalence, 95% confidence interval, 15% allowable error, 10% non-response, a sample of 252 directly engaged rice mill workers were selected through multistage random sampling. With prior consent, the subjects were interviewed, clinically examined, and underwent spirometry; relevant records were also reviewed using a pre-designed schedule. Any abnormal spirometry finding was considered as respiratory morbidity. Ethical approval was obtained from institutional ethics committee. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were applied. Prevalence of respiratory morbidity was 40.73% with obstructive and restrictive respiratory morbidity being 24.60% and 16.13%, respectively. Non-use of any protective measure, duration (years) of working in rice mill and average daily working hours were significant predictors of respiratory morbidity. Respiratory morbidity is quite high in the area. Proper health education and provision of personal protective equipments need to be provided.

Multiphysics of bio-hybrid systems: shape control and electro-induced motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucantonio, Alessandro; Nardinocchi, Paola; Pezzulla, Matteo; Teresi, Luciano

2014-04-01

We discuss the control of the bending pattern of a bio-hybrid system made using the muscular thin film technique. We study the medusoid presented in Nawroth et al (2012 Nature Biotechnol. 30 792-7) as a prototypical bio-hybrid system. Specifically, we evaluate the contraction field within the biological layer that is necessary to produce a target curvature of the system, and determine an admissible range of the design parameters that correspond to the same bending solution. We also propose an electromechanical model of the bio-hybrid system and study the propagation of the action potential. Our results compare well with the experimental data reported in Nawroth et al (2012 Nature Biotechnol. 30 792-7).

Simultaneous qualitative and quantitative determination of phenolic compounds in Aloe barbadensis Mill by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-ion trap-time-of-flight and high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaofang; Ding, Wenjing; Zhong, Jiasheng; Wan, Jinzhi; Xie, Zhiyong

2013-06-01

An effective and comprehensive method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of phenolic compounds in the dried exudate of Aloe barbadensis Mill by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-ion trap-time-of-flight (LCMS-IT-TOF) and high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Qualitative analysis of all the compounds presented in A. barbadensis Mill was performed on LCMS-IT-TOF, and the diagnostic fragmentation patterns of different types of phenolic compounds (chromones, phenyl pyrones, naphthalene derivative, anthrones and anthraquinones) were discussed on the basis of ESI-IT-TOF MS of components in A. barbadensis Mill and eleven authentic standards. Under the optimal HPLC-DAD chromatographic conditions, quantification of 11 typical phenolic compounds in 15 batches of A. barbadensis Mill was achieved on an Agilent TC-C18 column using gradient elution with a solvent system of methanol and water at a flow rate of 1.0mLmin(-1) and detected at 230nm. All calibration curves exhibited good linear relationship (r(2)>0.9991). The relative standard deviation values for intraday precision were less than 2% with accuracies between 98.21% and 104.57%. The recoveries of the eleven analytes ranged from 97.53 to 105.00% with RSDs less than 2%. This is the first simultaneous characterization and quantitative determination of multiple phenolic compounds in A. barbadensis Mill from locally grown cultivars in China by LCMS-IT-TOF and HPLC-DAD, which can be applied to standardize the quality of A. barbadensis Mill and the future design of nutraceutical and cosmetic preparations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of Zn(BH4)2 and diborane and hydrogen release properties of Zn(BH4)2+xMgH2 (x=1, 5, 10, and 15)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwak, Young Jun; Kwon, Sung Nam; Song, Myoung Youp

2015-09-01

Zn(BH4)2 was prepared by milling ZnCl2 and NaBH4 in a planetary ball mill under Ar atmosphere, and Zn(BH4)2+xMgH2 (x=1, 5, 10, and 15) samples were prepared. Diborane (B2H6) and hydrogen release characteristics of the Zn(BH4)2 and Zn(BH4)2+xMgH2 samples were studied. The samples synthesized by milling ZnCl2 and NaBH4 contained Zn(BH4)2 and NaCl, together with small amounts of ZnCl2 and NaBH4. We designated these samples as Zn(BH4)2(+NaCl). The weight loss up to 400 °C of the Zn(BH4)2(+NaCl) sample synthesized by milling 4 h was 11.2 wt%. FT-IR analysis showed that Zn(BH4)2 was formed in the Zn(BH4)2(+NaCl) samples. MgH2 was also milled in a planetary ball mill, and mixed with the Zn(BH4)2(+NaCl) synthesized by milling for 4 h in a mortar and pestle. The weight loss up to 400 °C of Zn(BH4)2(+NaCl)+MgH2 was 8.2 wt%, corresponding to the weight % of diborane and hydrogen released from the Zn(BH4)2(+NaCl)+MgH2 sample, with respect to the sample weight. DTA results of Zn(BH4)2(+NaCl)+xMgH2 showed that the decomposition peak of Zn(BH4)2 was at about 61 °C, and that of MgH2 was at about 370-389 °C.

The BioDyn facility on ISS: Advancing biomaterial production in microgravity for commercial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, Niki; Wessling, Francis; Deuser, Mark; Anderson, C. D.; Lewis, Marian

1999-01-01

The primary goals of the BioDyn program are to foster use of the microgravity environment for commercial production of bio-materials from cells, and to develop services and processes for obtaining these materials through space processing. The scope of products includes commercial bio-molecules such as cytokines, other cell growth regulatory proteins, hormones, monoclonal antibodies and enzymes; transplantable cells or tissues which can be improved by low-G processes, or which cannot be obtained through standard processes in earth gravity; agriculture biotechnology products from plant cells; microencapsulation for diabetes treatment; and factors regulating cellular aging. To facilitate BioDyn's commercial science driven goals, hardware designed for ISS incorporates the flexibility for interchange between the different ISS facilities including the glovebox, various thermal units and centrifuges. By providing a permanent research facility, ISS is the critical space-based platform required by scientists for carrying out the long-term experiments necessary for developing bio-molecules and tissues using several cell culture modalities including suspension and anchorage-dependent cell types.

OMERO and Bio-Formats 5: flexible access to large bioimaging datasets at scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Josh; Linkert, Melissa; Blackburn, Colin; Carroll, Mark; Ferguson, Richard K.; Flynn, Helen; Gillen, Kenneth; Leigh, Roger; Li, Simon; Lindner, Dominik; Moore, William J.; Patterson, Andrew J.; Pindelski, Blazej; Ramalingam, Balaji; Rozbicki, Emil; Tarkowska, Aleksandra; Walczysko, Petr; Allan, Chris; Burel, Jean-Marie; Swedlow, Jason

2015-03-01

The Open Microscopy Environment (OME) has built and released Bio-Formats, a Java-based proprietary file format conversion tool and OMERO, an enterprise data management platform under open source licenses. In this report, we describe new versions of Bio-Formats and OMERO that are specifically designed to support large, multi-gigabyte or terabyte scale datasets that are routinely collected across most domains of biological and biomedical research. Bio- Formats reads image data directly from native proprietary formats, bypassing the need for conversion into a standard format. It implements the concept of a file set, a container that defines the contents of multi-dimensional data comprised of many files. OMERO uses Bio-Formats to read files natively, and provides a flexible access mechanism that supports several different storage and access strategies. These new capabilities of OMERO and Bio-Formats make them especially useful for use in imaging applications like digital pathology, high content screening and light sheet microscopy that create routinely large datasets that must be managed and analyzed.

Cryo-Milling and the Hydrogen Storage Properties of NaAlH4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feller, Kevin; Dobbins, Tabbetha

2013-03-01

High energy ball milling of metal hydrides is a common way to both introduce catalysts (e.g. TiCl3) and to simultaneously increase the surface area. Both catalysis and increased surface area improve hydrogen storage capacity of the material. Nanostructuring of hydrides by depositing them into mesoporous templates (such as anodized alumina, MOFs, and SBA-15) has become a common way to increase surface area. However, the mesoporous template does not add hydrogen storage capacity--and thus, tends to decreased overall storage weight percent for the nanostructured hydride material. As with most materials, hydrides become brittle at low temperatures and will tend to fracture more readily. We will process Sodium Aluminum Hydride (NaAlH4) using cryogenic high energy ball milling using an in-house modified chamber SPEX Certiprep M8000 mixer/mill in order to gain a nanostructured hydride without mesoporous template material. Details of the modified mixer mill design will be presented. Ultimately, our planned future work is to study the resultant material using x-ray diffraction (Scherrer method for crystallite size), absorption/desorption temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and ultrasmall-angle x-ray scattering (USAXS) microstructural quantification to understand the role of cryomilling on enhancing the material's ability to store (and release) hydrogen.

On the bistable zone of milling processes

PubMed Central

Dombovari, Zoltan; Stepan, Gabor

2015-01-01

A modal-based model of milling machine tools subjected to time-periodic nonlinear cutting forces is introduced. The model describes the phenomenon of bistability for certain cutting parameters. In engineering, these parameter domains are referred to as unsafe zones, where steady-state milling may switch to chatter for certain perturbations. In mathematical terms, these are the parameter domains where the periodic solution of the corresponding nonlinear, time-periodic delay differential equation is linearly stable, but its domain of attraction is limited due to the existence of an unstable quasi-periodic solution emerging from a secondary Hopf bifurcation. A semi-numerical method is presented to identify the borders of these bistable zones by tracking the motion of the milling tool edges as they might leave the surface of the workpiece during the cutting operation. This requires the tracking of unstable quasi-periodic solutions and the checking of their grazing to a time-periodic switching surface in the infinite-dimensional phase space. As the parameters of the linear structural behaviour of the tool/machine tool system can be obtained by means of standard modal testing, the developed numerical algorithm provides efficient support for the design of milling processes with quick estimates of those parameter domains where chatter can still appear in spite of setting the parameters into linearly stable domains. PMID:26303918

Interface design for CMOS-integrated Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) biosensors.

PubMed

Manickam, Arun; Johnson, Christopher Andrew; Kavusi, Sam; Hassibi, Arjang

2012-10-29

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is a powerful electrochemical technique to detect biomolecules. EIS has the potential of carrying out label-free and real-time detection, and in addition, can be easily implemented using electronic integrated circuits (ICs) that are built through standard semiconductor fabrication processes. This paper focuses on the various design and optimization aspects of EIS ICs, particularly the bio-to-semiconductor interface design. We discuss, in detail, considerations such as the choice of the electrode surface in view of IC manufacturing, surface linkers, and development of optimal bio-molecular detection protocols. We also report experimental results, using both macro- and micro-electrodes to demonstrate the design trade-offs and ultimately validate our optimization procedures.

Towards sustainable agricultural production: Growth and production of three varieties of shallot with some various Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saharuddin; Dungga, N. E.; Syam’un, E.; Amin, A. R.

2018-05-01

Organic production is important for health and eliminates the risk of chemical residues. Taking part on sustainable agriculture production, this research was conducted in January to March 2017. Located in Palajau Village, in Jeneponto Regency, altitude 120 m above sea level, South Sulawesi. The research was aimed to determine the growth and production of shallot varieties and their interaction with Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer. The study conducted in the form of a two-factor factorial experiment using Randomized Block Design as environmental design. The first factor was varieties (Bima, Bangkok and Tajuk), and the second factor was concentration of Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer; control-without fertilizer, 30 and 60 mL of fertilizer per 3000 mL of water. Results show that the varietal treatment of Tajuk gave a good response to the observed parameters, and the Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer treatment of 60 mL of fertilizer 3000 mL of water gave good results on the number of bulbs per cluster, bulbs and dried bulbs per plot (of tons per ha bulbs). Bangkok variety combined with Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer concentration of 60 mL of fertilizer per 3000 mL of water per plot showed the highest yield of bulb that is 9.13 tons per ha compared with Bima and Tajuk varieties.

Roof structural system, similar in design to peaked roofs of ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Roof structural system, similar in design to peaked roofs of rolling mill, yet note abandonment of phoenix columns for compression members. - Phoenix Iron Company, Girder Shop No. 6, North of French Creek, west of Gay Street, Phoenixville, Chester County, PA

A novel method for multifactorial bio-chemical experiments design based on combinational design theory.

PubMed

Wang, Xun; Sun, Beibei; Liu, Boyang; Fu, Yaping; Zheng, Pan

2017-01-01

Experimental design focuses on describing or explaining the multifactorial interactions that are hypothesized to reflect the variation. The design introduces conditions that may directly affect the variation, where particular conditions are purposely selected for observation. Combinatorial design theory deals with the existence, construction and properties of systems of finite sets whose arrangements satisfy generalized concepts of balance and/or symmetry. In this work, borrowing the concept of "balance" in combinatorial design theory, a novel method for multifactorial bio-chemical experiments design is proposed, where balanced templates in combinational design are used to select the conditions for observation. Balanced experimental data that covers all the influencing factors of experiments can be obtianed for further processing, such as training set for machine learning models. Finally, a software based on the proposed method is developed for designing experiments with covering influencing factors a certain number of times.

Flash Pyrolysis and Fractional Pyrolysis of Oleaginous Biomass in a Fluidized-bed Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urban, Brook

Thermochemical conversion methods such as pyrolysis have the potential for converting diverse biomass feedstocks into liquid fuels. In particular, bio-oil yields can be maximized by implementing flash pyrolysis to facilitate rapid heat transfer to the solids along with short vapor residence times to minimize secondary degradation of bio-oils. This study first focused on the design and construction of a fluidized-bed flash pyrolysis reactor with a high-efficiency bio-oil recovery unit. Subsequently, the reactor was used to perform flash pyrolysis of soybean pellets to assess the thermochemical conversion of oleaginous biomass feedstocks. The fluidized bed reactor design included a novel feed input mechanism through suction created by flow of carrier gas through a venturi which prevented plugging problems that occur with a more conventional screw feeders. In addition, the uniquely designed batch pyrolysis unit comprised of two tubes of dissimilar diameters. The bottom section consisted of a 1" tube and was connected to a larger 3" tube placed vertically above. At the carrier gas flow rates used in these studies, the feed particles remained fluidized in the smaller diameter tube, but a reduction in carrier gas velocity in the larger diameter "disengagement chamber" prevented the escape of particles into the condensers. The outlet of the reactor was connected to two Allihn condensers followed by an innovative packed-bed dry ice condenser. Due to the high carrier gas flow rates in fluidized bed reactors, bio-oil vapors form dilute aerosols upon cooling which that are difficult to coalesce and recover by traditional heat exchange condensers. The dry ice condenser provided high surface area for inertial impaction of these aerosols and also allowed easy recovery of bio-oils after natural evaporation of the dry ice at the end of the experiments. Single step pyrolysis was performed between 250-610°C with a vapor residence time between 0.3-0.6s. At 550°C or higher, 70% of the initial feed mass was recovered as bio-oil. However, the mass of high calorific lipid-derived components in the collected bio-oils remained nearly constant at reaction temperatures above 415°C; between 80-90% of the feedstock lipids were recovered in the bio-oil fraction. In addition, multi-step fractional flash pyrolysis experiments were performed to assess the possibility of producing higher quality bio-oils since a large fraction of protein and carbohydrates degrade at lower temperatures (320-400°C). A low temperature pyrolysis step was first performed and was followed by pyrolysis of the residues at higher temperature. This fractional pyrolysis approach which produced higher quality bio-oil with low water- and nitrogen- content from the higher temperature steps.

Label-Free Aptasensors for the Detection of Mycotoxins

PubMed Central

Rhouati, Amina; Catanante, Gaelle; Nunes, Gilvanda; Hayat, Akhtar; Marty, Jean-Louis

2016-01-01

Various methodologies have been reported in the literature for the qualitative and quantitative monitoring of mycotoxins in food and feed samples. Based on their enhanced specificity, selectivity and versatility, bio-affinity assays have inspired many researchers to develop sensors by exploring bio-recognition phenomena. However, a significant problem in the fabrication of these devices is that most of the biomolecules do not generate an easily measurable signal upon binding to the target analytes, and signal-generating labels are required to perform the measurements. In this context, aptamers have been emerged as a potential and attractive bio-recognition element to design label-free aptasensors for various target analytes. Contrary to other bioreceptor-based approaches, the aptamer-based assays rely on antigen binding-induced conformational changes or oligomerization states rather than binding-assisted changes in adsorbed mass or charge. This review will focus on current designs in label-free conformational switchable design strategies, with a particular focus on applications in the detection of mycotoxins. PMID:27999353

BioPartsBuilder: a synthetic biology tool for combinatorial assembly of biological parts.

PubMed

Yang, Kun; Stracquadanio, Giovanni; Luo, Jingchuan; Boeke, Jef D; Bader, Joel S

2016-03-15

Combinatorial assembly of DNA elements is an efficient method for building large-scale synthetic pathways from standardized, reusable components. These methods are particularly useful because they enable assembly of multiple DNA fragments in one reaction, at the cost of requiring that each fragment satisfies design constraints. We developed BioPartsBuilder as a biologist-friendly web tool to design biological parts that are compatible with DNA combinatorial assembly methods, such as Golden Gate and related methods. It retrieves biological sequences, enforces compliance with assembly design standards and provides a fabrication plan for each fragment. BioPartsBuilder is accessible at http://public.biopartsbuilder.org and an Amazon Web Services image is available from the AWS Market Place (AMI ID: ami-508acf38). Source code is released under the MIT license, and available for download at https://github.com/baderzone/biopartsbuilder joel.bader@jhu.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

Real-time particle size analysis using focused beam reflectance measurement as a process analytical technology tool for a continuous granulation-drying-milling process.

PubMed

Kumar, Vijay; Taylor, Michael K; Mehrotra, Amit; Stagner, William C

2013-06-01

Focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) was used as a process analytical technology tool to perform inline real-time particle size analysis of a proprietary granulation manufactured using a continuous twin-screw granulation-drying-milling process. A significant relationship between D20, D50, and D80 length-weighted chord length and sieve particle size was observed with a p value of <0.0001 and R(2) of 0.886. A central composite response surface statistical design was used to evaluate the effect of granulator screw speed and Comil® impeller speed on the length-weighted chord length distribution (CLD) and particle size distribution (PSD) determined by FBRM and nested sieve analysis, respectively. The effect of granulator speed and mill speed on bulk density, tapped density, Compressibility Index, and Flowability Index were also investigated. An inline FBRM probe placed below the Comil-generated chord lengths and CLD data at designated times. The collection of the milled samples for sieve analysis and PSD evaluation were coordinated with the timing of the FBRM determinations. Both FBRM and sieve analysis resulted in similar bimodal distributions for all ten manufactured batches studied. Within the experimental space studied, the granulator screw speed (650-850 rpm) and Comil® impeller speed (1,000-2,000 rpm) did not have a significant effect on CLD, PSD, bulk density, tapped density, Compressibility Index, and Flowability Index (p value > 0.05).

Effect of natural Bayah zeolite particle size reduction to physico-chemical properties and absortion against potassium permanganate (KMnO4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widayanti, Siti Mariana; Syamsu, Khaswar; Warsiki, Endang; Yuliani, Sri

2016-02-01

Recently, researches on nanotechnology have been developed very rapid, as well as the utilization of nano-zeolites. Nano-sized material has several advantages which are expanding absorptive surfaces so it will enhance the material absorption and shorten the absorption time. Zeolite as a KMnO4 binder, has been widely recognized for its ability to extend the shelf life of vegetables and fruits. This study was conducted to determine zeolites physico-chemical characters from different particle size and the effect on KMnO4 absorption. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is a strong oxidizer for reducing the quantity of ethylene in storage process of fresh horticultural products. The treatment consisted of (1) different length of milling time (10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 minutes) and (2) the duration of chemical activation with 1 N KOH solution. Physical and chemical characters of zeolite were analyzed using BET, PSA, XRD and SEM. The research design was randomized design. The result implied that milling time was significantly affecting the zeolite particle size, material surface area, and the size of pore diameter and volume. Milling treatment for 40 minutes produced higher zeolite surface area and pore volume than other treatments. While the duration of chemical activation using 1 N KOH solution gives different effect on zeolite absorption to KMnO4 solution. Milling time for 60 minutes and activated for 48 hours has higher initial adsorption than other treatments.

Finding of Correction Factor and Dimensional Error in Bio-AM Model by FDM Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manmadhachary, Aiamunoori; Ravi Kumar, Yennam; Krishnanand, Lanka

2018-06-01

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the swift manufacturing process, in which input data can be provided from various sources like 3-Dimensional (3D) Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and 3D scanner data. From the CT/MRI data can be manufacture Biomedical Additive Manufacturing (Bio-AM) models. The Bio-AM model gives a better lead on preplanning of oral and maxillofacial surgery. However manufacturing of the accurate Bio-AM model is one of the unsolved problems. The current paper demonstrates error between the Standard Triangle Language (STL) model to Bio-AM model of dry mandible and found correction factor in Bio-AM model with Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technique. In the present work dry mandible CT images are acquired by CT scanner and supplied into a 3D CAD model in the form of STL model. Further the data is sent to FDM machine for fabrication of Bio-AM model. The difference between Bio-AM to STL model dimensions is considered as dimensional error and the ratio of STL to Bio-AM model dimensions considered as a correction factor. This correction factor helps to fabricate the AM model with accurate dimensions of the patient anatomy. These true dimensional Bio-AM models increasing the safety and accuracy in pre-planning of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The correction factor for Dimension SST 768 FDM AM machine is 1.003 and dimensional error is limited to 0.3 %.

Finding of Correction Factor and Dimensional Error in Bio-AM Model by FDM Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manmadhachary, Aiamunoori; Ravi Kumar, Yennam; Krishnanand, Lanka

2016-06-01

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the swift manufacturing process, in which input data can be provided from various sources like 3-Dimensional (3D) Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and 3D scanner data. From the CT/MRI data can be manufacture Biomedical Additive Manufacturing (Bio-AM) models. The Bio-AM model gives a better lead on preplanning of oral and maxillofacial surgery. However manufacturing of the accurate Bio-AM model is one of the unsolved problems. The current paper demonstrates error between the Standard Triangle Language (STL) model to Bio-AM model of dry mandible and found correction factor in Bio-AM model with Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technique. In the present work dry mandible CT images are acquired by CT scanner and supplied into a 3D CAD model in the form of STL model. Further the data is sent to FDM machine for fabrication of Bio-AM model. The difference between Bio-AM to STL model dimensions is considered as dimensional error and the ratio of STL to Bio-AM model dimensions considered as a correction factor. This correction factor helps to fabricate the AM model with accurate dimensions of the patient anatomy. These true dimensional Bio-AM models increasing the safety and accuracy in pre-planning of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The correction factor for Dimension SST 768 FDM AM machine is 1.003 and dimensional error is limited to 0.3 %.

Bio-TDS: bioscience query tool discovery system.

PubMed

Gnimpieba, Etienne Z; VanDiermen, Menno S; Gustafson, Shayla M; Conn, Bill; Lushbough, Carol M

2017-01-04

Bioinformatics and computational biology play a critical role in bioscience and biomedical research. As researchers design their experimental projects, one major challenge is to find the most relevant bioinformatics toolkits that will lead to new knowledge discovery from their data. The Bio-TDS (Bioscience Query Tool Discovery Systems, http://biotds.org/) has been developed to assist researchers in retrieving the most applicable analytic tools by allowing them to formulate their questions as free text. The Bio-TDS is a flexible retrieval system that affords users from multiple bioscience domains (e.g. genomic, proteomic, bio-imaging) the ability to query over 12 000 analytic tool descriptions integrated from well-established, community repositories. One of the primary components of the Bio-TDS is the ontology and natural language processing workflow for annotation, curation, query processing, and evaluation. The Bio-TDS's scientific impact was evaluated using sample questions posed by researchers retrieved from Biostars, a site focusing on BIOLOGICAL DATA ANALYSIS: The Bio-TDS was compared to five similar bioscience analytic tool retrieval systems with the Bio-TDS outperforming the others in terms of relevance and completeness. The Bio-TDS offers researchers the capacity to associate their bioscience question with the most relevant computational toolsets required for the data analysis in their knowledge discovery process. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Bio-Response Operational Testing and Evaluation (BOTE) ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report and technical brief and informational video The Bio-response Operational Testing and Evaluation (BOTE) Project was a multi-agency effort designed to operationally test and evaluate, at the scale of a moderately sized building, a response to a B. anthracis spore release from initial public health and law enforcement investigation through environmental remediation.

Environmental Learning Experiences: Bio-Physical, Senior High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Junglas, Mary R.; And Others

This environmental education curriculum guide was developed for teacher use at the senior high school level. Although the guide deals with the bio-physical aspects of the environment, it is designed to encourage an integration of the disciplines into an inter-disciplinary approach. The volume consists of a set of ideas, activities, and opinions…

Biology Intensive Orientation for Students (BIOS): A Biology "Boot Camp"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wischusen, Sheri Maples; Wischusen, E. William

2007-01-01

The Biology Intensive Orientation for Students (BIOS) Program was designed to assess the impact of a 5-d intensive prefreshman program on success and retention of biological science majors at Louisiana State University. The 2005 pilot program combined content lectures and examinations for BIOL 1201, Introductory Biology for Science Majors, as well…

Development of a Biological Science Quantitative Reasoning Exam (BioSQuaRE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanhope, Liz; Ziegler, Laura; Haque, Tabassum; Le, Laura; Vinces, Marcelo; Davis, Gregory K.; Zieffler, Andrew; Brodfuehrer, Peter; Preest, Marion; Belitsky, Jason M.; Umbanhowar, Charles, Jr.; Overvoorde, Paul J.

2017-01-01

Multiple reports highlight the increasingly quantitative nature of biological research and the need to innovate means to ensure that students acquire quantitative skills. We present a tool to support such innovation. The Biological Science Quantitative Reasoning Exam (BioSQuaRE) is an assessment instrument designed to measure the quantitative…

Interactive Learning Environment for Bio-Inspired Optimization Algorithms for UAV Path Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duan, Haibin; Li, Pei; Shi, Yuhui; Zhang, Xiangyin; Sun, Changhao

2015-01-01

This paper describes the development of BOLE, a MATLAB-based interactive learning environment, that facilitates the process of learning bio-inspired optimization algorithms, and that is dedicated exclusively to unmanned aerial vehicle path planning. As a complement to conventional teaching methods, BOLE is designed to help students consolidate the…

Fermentation of Anaerobic Cow Waste as Bio-Slurry Organic Fertilizer and Nitrogen Chemical Fertilizer on Soybean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yafizham; Sutarno

2018-02-01

The study aimed was to evaluate the effect of bio-slurry organic fertilizer and urea chemical fertilizer combination on fresh material weight, phosphorus and potassium soybean straw, and seed weight per soybean plant plot. The experiment was conducted with a randomized block design with a single treatment repeated 5 times consisting of P0: control (without fertilizer), P1: bio-slurry 10 t/ha + 25 kg of N/ha, P2: bio-slurry 10 t/ha + 50 kg of N/ha, P3: bio-slurry 10 t/ha + 75 kg of N/ha, P4: bio-slurry 10 t/ha + 100 kg of N/ha and P5: bio-slurry 10 t/ha. The results showed that bio-slurry treatment of 10 t/ha + 25 kg of N/ha resulted in the highest fresh weight and dry weight of soybean plants, respectively of 240.7 g and 22.33 g, but not significantly different from the bio-slurry treatment of 10 t/ha + 50 kg of N/ha which yielded fresh weight of 197.7 g and a dry weight of 19.08 g. P production of 10.23 g per plant was significantly higher than other treatments but didn’t differ significantly between P2 and P4 treatments of 8.05 and 7.17 g per plant. The bio-slurry treatment of 10 t/ha + 25 kg of N/ha also yielded K of 6.46 g per plant butn’t unlike the bio-slurry treatment of 10 t/ha + 50 kg of N/ha. While the number of pods per plant and weight of 100 grains of the highest soybean seeds were also produced from bio-slurry treatment of 10 t/ha + 25 kg of N/ha.

Flank wears Simulation by using back propagation neural network when cutting hardened H-13 steel in CNC End Milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazza, Muataz Hazza F. Al; Adesta, Erry Y. T.; Riza, Muhammad

2013-12-01

High speed milling has many advantages such as higher removal rate and high productivity. However, higher cutting speed increase the flank wear rate and thus reducing the cutting tool life. Therefore estimating and predicting the flank wear length in early stages reduces the risk of unaccepted tooling cost. This research presents a neural network model for predicting and simulating the flank wear in the CNC end milling process. A set of sparse experimental data for finish end milling on AISI H13 at hardness of 48 HRC have been conducted to measure the flank wear length. Then the measured data have been used to train the developed neural network model. Artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to predict the flank wear length. The neural network contains twenty hidden layer with feed forward back propagation hierarchical. The neural network has been designed with MATLAB Neural Network Toolbox. The results show a high correlation between the predicted and the observed flank wear which indicates the validity of the models.

Bio-mimicking galactose oxidase and hemocyanin, two dioxygen-processing copper proteins.

PubMed

Gamez, Patrick; Koval, Iryna A; Reedijk, Jan

2004-12-21

The modelling of the active sites of metalloproteins is one of the most challenging tasks in bio-inorganic chemistry. Copper proteins form part of this stimulating field of research as copper enzymes are mainly involved in oxidation bio-reactions. Thus, the understanding of the structure-function relationship of their active sites will allow the design of effective and environmental friendly oxidation catalysts. This perspective illustrates some outstanding structural and functional synthetic models of the active site of copper proteins, with special attention given to models of galactose oxidase and hemocyanin.

BioMart: a data federation framework for large collaborative projects.

PubMed

Zhang, Junjun; Haider, Syed; Baran, Joachim; Cros, Anthony; Guberman, Jonathan M; Hsu, Jack; Liang, Yong; Yao, Long; Kasprzyk, Arek

2011-01-01

BioMart is a freely available, open source, federated database system that provides a unified access to disparate, geographically distributed data sources. It is designed to be data agnostic and platform independent, such that existing databases can easily be incorporated into the BioMart framework. BioMart allows databases hosted on different servers to be presented seamlessly to users, facilitating collaborative projects between different research groups. BioMart contains several levels of query optimization to efficiently manage large data sets and offers a diverse selection of graphical user interfaces and application programming interfaces to ensure that queries can be performed in whatever manner is most convenient for the user. The software has now been adopted by a large number of different biological databases spanning a wide range of data types and providing a rich source of annotation available to bioinformaticians and biologists alike.

Aromatics and phenols from catalytic pyrolysis of Douglas fir pellets in microwave with ZSM-5 as a catalyst

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Lu; Lei, Hanwu; Ren, Shoujie

Microwave assisted catalytic pyrolysis was investigated to convert Douglas fir pellets to bio-oils by a ZSM-5 Zeolite catalyst. A central composite experimental design (CCD) was used to optimize the catalytic pyrolysis process. The effects of reaction time, temperature and catalyst to biomass ratio on the bio-oil, syngas, and biochar yields were determined. GC/MS analysis results showed that the bio-oil contained a series of important and useful chemical compounds. Phenols, guaiacols, and aromatic hydrocarbons were the most abundant compounds which were about 50-82 % in bio-oil depending on the pyrolysis conditions. Comparison between the bio-oils from microwave pyrolysis with and withoutmore » catalyst showed that the catalyst increased the content of aromatic hydrocarbons and phenols. A reaction pathway was proposed for microwave assisted catalyst pyrolysis of Douglas fir pellets.« less

On-chip visual perception of motion: a bio-inspired connectionist model on FPGA.

PubMed

Torres-Huitzil, César; Girau, Bernard; Castellanos-Sánchez, Claudio

2005-01-01

Visual motion provides useful information to understand the dynamics of a scene to allow intelligent systems interact with their environment. Motion computation is usually restricted by real time requirements that need the design and implementation of specific hardware architectures. In this paper, the design of hardware architecture for a bio-inspired neural model for motion estimation is presented. The motion estimation is based on a strongly localized bio-inspired connectionist model with a particular adaptation of spatio-temporal Gabor-like filtering. The architecture is constituted by three main modules that perform spatial, temporal, and excitatory-inhibitory connectionist processing. The biomimetic architecture is modeled, simulated and validated in VHDL. The synthesis results on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device show the potential achievement of real-time performance at an affordable silicon area.

Modules for in vitro metabolic engineering: Pathway assembly for bio-based production of value-added chemicals.

PubMed

Taniguchi, Hironori; Okano, Kenji; Honda, Kohsuke

2017-06-01

Bio-based chemical production has drawn attention regarding the realization of a sustainable society. In vitro metabolic engineering is one of the methods used for the bio-based production of value-added chemicals. This method involves the reconstitution of natural or artificial metabolic pathways by assembling purified/semi-purified enzymes in vitro . Enzymes from distinct sources can be combined to construct desired reaction cascades with fewer biological constraints in one vessel, enabling easier pathway design with high modularity. Multiple modules have been designed, built, tested, and improved by different groups for different purpose. In this review, we focus on these in vitro metabolic engineering modules, especially focusing on the carbon metabolism, and present an overview of input modules, output modules, and other modules related to cofactor management.

Mathematical Modelling of Bacterial Populations in Bio-remediation Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasiliadou, Ioanna A.; Vayenas, Dimitris V.; Chrysikopoulos, Constantinos V.

2011-09-01

An understanding of bacterial behaviour concerns many field applications, such as the enhancement of water, wastewater and subsurface bio-remediation, the prevention of environmental pollution and the protection of human health. Numerous microorganisms have been identified to be able to degrade chemical pollutants, thus, a variety of bacteria are known that can be used in bio-remediation processes. In this study the development of mathematical models capable of describing bacterial behaviour considered in bio-augmentation plans, such as bacterial growth, consumption of nutrients, removal of pollutants, bacterial transport and attachment in porous media, is presented. The mathematical models may be used as a guide in designing and assessing the conditions under which areas contaminated with pollutants can be better remediated.

Evaluation of BioFM liquid medium for culture of cerebrospinal fluid in tuberculous meningitis to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Kashyap, R S; Ramteke, S S; Gaherwar, H M; Deshpande, P S; Purohit, H J; Taori, G M; Daginawala, H

2010-01-01

The present study was designed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of liquid culture medium (BioFM broth) for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF samples from 200 patients (TBM group = 150 and non-TBM group = 50) were tested for culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in BioFM liquid culture medium. Out of 150 TBM cases, 120 were found to be culture positive, indicating a sensitivity of 80% in BioFM broth within 2-3 weeks of inoculation. Positive cultures were also observed for CSF from 32 (64%) out of 50 non-TBM patients in BioFM liquid culture medium within 4 days of sample inoculation. Therefore, according to our study, BioFM broth system yielded 80% sensitivity [95% confidence interval (CI): 67-93%] and 36% specificity (95% CI: 57-98%) for TBM diagnosis. Our results indicate that although BioFM broth allows the detection of positive cultures within a shorter time, it has a high potential for contamination or for the coexistence of M. tuberculosis and non-tuberculous meningitis (NTM). This coexistence may go undetected or potentially lead to erroneous reporting of results.

Computational design and multiscale modeling of a nanoactuator using DNA actuation.

PubMed

Hamdi, Mustapha

2009-12-02

Developments in the field of nanobiodevices coupling nanostructures and biological components are of great interest in medical nanorobotics. As the fundamentals of bio/non-bio interaction processes are still poorly understood in the design of these devices, design tools and multiscale dynamics modeling approaches are necessary at the fabrication pre-project stage. This paper proposes a new concept of optimized carbon nanotube based servomotor design for drug delivery and biomolecular transport applications. The design of an encapsulated DNA-multi-walled carbon nanotube actuator is prototyped using multiscale modeling. The system is parametrized by using a quantum level approach and characterized by using a molecular dynamics simulation. Based on the analysis of the simulation results, a servo nanoactuator using ionic current feedback is simulated and analyzed for application as a drug delivery carrier.

Environmentally friendly cellulose-based polyelectrolytes in wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Grenda, Kinga; Arnold, Julien; Gamelas, José A F; Rasteiro, Maria G

2017-09-01

Natural-based polyelectrolytes (PELs), with all the advantages coming from being produced from renewable and biodegradable sources, are a potential solution for the removal of dyes from wastewater. In this work, surplus Eucalyptus bleached cellulose fibres from a paper mill were modified to increase the charge and solubility of cellulose. First, reactive aldehyde groups were introduced in the cellulose backbone by periodate oxidation of cellulose. Further modification with alkylammonium produced positively charged cellulose-based PELs. The final products were characterized by several analytical techniques. The PEL with the highest substitution degree of cationic groups was evaluated for its performance in decolouration processes, bentonite being used as aid. This was found to be effective for colour removal of either anionic or cationic dyes. Bio-PELs can thus be considered as very favourable eco-friendly flocculation agents for decolouration of harsh effluents from several industries, considering their biodegradable nature and thus the ability to produce less sludge.

Digital evaluation of the fit of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate crowns with a new three-dimensional approach.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Moritz; Valcanaia, Andre; Neiva, Gisele; Mehl, Albert; Fasbinder, Dennis

2017-11-30

Several methods for the evaluation of fit of computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM)-fabricated restorations have been described. In the study, digital models were recorded with an intraoral scanning device and were measured using a new three-dimensional (3D) computer technique to evaluate restoration internal fit. The aim of the study was to evaluate the internal adaptation and fit of chairside CAD/CAM-fabricated zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramic crowns fabricated with different post-milling protocols. The null hypothesis was that different post-milling protocols did not influence the fitting accuracy of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate restorations. A master all-ceramic crown preparation was completed on a maxillary right first molar on a typodont. Twenty zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramic crowns (Celtra Duo, Dentsply Sirona) were designed and milled using a chairside CAD/CAM system (CEREC Omnicam, Dentsply Sirona). The 20 crowns were randomly divided into two groups based on post-milling protocols: no manipulation after milling (Group MI) and oven fired-glazing after milling (Group FG). A 3D computer method was used to evaluate the internal adaptation of the crowns. This was based on a subtractive analysis of a digital scan of the crown preparation and a digital scan of the thickness of the cement space over the crown preparation as recorded by a polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) impression material. The preparation scan and PVS scan were matched in 3D and a 3D difference analysis was performed with a software program (OraCheck, Cyfex). Three areas of internal adaptation and fit were selected for analysis: margin (MA), axial wall (AX), and occlusal surface (OC). Statistical analysis was performed using 80% percentile and one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Scheffé test (P = .05). The closest internal adaptation of the crowns was measured at the axial wall with 102.0 ± 11.7 µm for group MI-AX and 106.3 ± 29.3 µm for group FG-AX. The largest internal adaptation of the crowns was measured for the occlusal surface with 258.9 ± 39.2 µm for group MI-OC and 260.6 ± 55.0 µm for group FG-OC. No statistically significant differences were found for the post-milling protocols (P > .05). The 3D difference pattern was visually analyzed for each area with a color-coded scheme. Post-milling processing did not affect the internal adaptation of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate crowns fabricated with a chairside CAD/CAM technique. The new 3D computer technique for the evaluation of fit of restorations may be highly promising and has the opportunity to be applied to clinical studies.

Highly Productive Tools For Turning And Milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasilko, Karol

2015-12-01

Beside cutting speed, shift is another important parameter of machining. Its considerable influence is shown mainly in the workpiece machined surface microgeometry. In practice, mainly its combination with the radius of cutting tool tip rounding is used. Options to further increase machining productivity and machined surface quality are hidden in this approach. The paper presents variations of the design of productive cutting tools for lathe work and milling on the base of the use of the laws of the relationship among the highest reached uneveness of machined surface, tool tip radius and shift.

Impact of design features on pavement response and performance in rehabilitated flexible and rigid pavements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-01

The primary focus of this research was to determine the effects of design and construction features, such as overlay : thickness and mix type, presence of milling, and type of restoration, on pavement response and performance and to : establish their...

An environmentally friendly ball milling process for recovery of valuable metals from e-waste scraps.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhi-Yuan; Zhang, Fu-Shen; Yao, TianQi

2017-10-01

The present study reports a mechanochemical (MC) process for effective recovery of copper (Cu) and precious metals (i.e. Pd and Ag) from e-waste scraps. Results indicated that the mixture of K 2 S 2 O 8 and NaCl (abbreviated as K 2 S 2 O 8 /NaCl hereafter) was the most effective co-milling reagents in terms of high recovery rate. After co-milling with K 2 S 2 O 8 /NaCl, soluble metallic compounds were produced and consequently benefit the subsequent leaching process. 99.9% of Cu and 95.5% of Pd in the e-waste particles could be recovered in 0.5mol/L diluted HCl in 15min. Ag was concentrated in the leaching residue as AgCl and then recovered in 1mol/L NH 3 solution. XRD and XPS analysis indicated that elemental metals in the raw materials were transformed into their corresponding oxidation state during ball milling process at low temperature, implying that solid-solid phase reactions is the reaction mechanism. Based on the results and thermodynamic parameters of the probable reactions, possible reaction pathways during ball milling were proposed. Suggestion on category of e-waste for ball milling process was put forward according to the experiment results. The designed metal recovery process of this study has the advantages of highly recovery rate and quick leaching speed. Thus, this study offers a promising and environmentally friendly method for recovering valuable metals from e-waste. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost and Performance Report: Bioaugmentation for Aerobic Bioremediation of RDX-Contaminated Groundwater

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Scenario 2 (15 yrs, $K) Cost Element Sub Element 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Total Cost Remedial Design Lagoon Area Anaerobic Bio ...Scenario 4 (15 yrs, $K) Cost Element Sub Element 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Total Cost Remedial Design Lagoon Area Anaerobic Bio ...in aerobic groundwater and typically forms large, dilute plumes that are difficult and costly to remediate using conventional technologies such as

Surface Roughness Optimization of Polyamide-6/Nanoclay Nanocomposites Using Artificial Neural Network: Genetic Algorithm Approach

PubMed Central

Moghri, Mehdi; Omidi, Mostafa; Farahnakian, Masoud

2014-01-01

During the past decade, polymer nanocomposites attracted considerable investment in research and development worldwide. One of the key factors that affect the quality of polymer nanocomposite products in machining is surface roughness. To obtain high quality products and reduce machining costs it is very important to determine the optimal machining conditions so as to achieve enhanced machining performance. The objective of this paper is to develop a predictive model using a combined design of experiments and artificial intelligence approach for optimization of surface roughness in milling of polyamide-6 (PA-6) nanocomposites. A surface roughness predictive model was developed in terms of milling parameters (spindle speed and feed rate) and nanoclay (NC) content using artificial neural network (ANN). As the present study deals with relatively small number of data obtained from full factorial design, application of genetic algorithm (GA) for ANN training is thought to be an appropriate approach for the purpose of developing accurate and robust ANN model. In the optimization phase, a GA is considered in conjunction with the explicit nonlinear function derived from the ANN to determine the optimal milling parameters for minimization of surface roughness for each PA-6 nanocomposite. PMID:24578636

Integrated use of residues from olive mill and winery for lipase production by solid state fermentation with Aspergillus sp.

PubMed

Salgado, José Manuel; Abrunhosa, Luís; Venâncio, Armando; Domínguez, José Manuel; Belo, Isabel

2014-02-01

Two-phase olive mill waste (TPOMW) is presently the major waste produced by the olive mill industry. This waste has potential to be used as substrate for solid state fermentation (SSF) despite of its high concentration of phenolic compounds and low nitrogen content. In this work, it is demonstrated that mixtures of TPOMW with winery wastes support the production of lipase by Aspergillus spp. By agar plate screening, Aspergillus niger MUM 03.58, Aspergillus ibericus MUM 03.49, and Aspergillus uvarum MUM 08.01 were chosen for lipase production by SSF. Plackett-Burman experimental design was employed to evaluate the effect of substrate composition and time on lipase production. The highest amounts of lipase were produced by A. ibericus on a mixture of TPOMW, urea, and exhausted grape mark (EGM). Urea was found to be the most influent factor for the lipase production. Further optimization of lipase production by A. ibericus using a full factorial design (3(2)) conducted to optimal conditions of substrate composition (0.073 g urea/g and 25 % of EGM) achieve 18.67 U/g of lipolytic activity.

Towards integrated drug substance and drug product design for an active pharmaceutical ingredient using particle engineering.

PubMed

Kougoulos, Eleftherios; Smales, Ian; Verrier, Hugh M

2011-03-01

A novel experimental approach describing the integration of drug substance and drug production design using particle engineering techniques such as sonocrystallization, high shear wet milling (HSWM) and dry impact (hammer) milling were used to manufacture samples of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with diverse particle size and size distributions. The API instability was addressed using particle engineering and through judicious selection of excipients to reduce degradation reactions. API produced using a conventional batch cooling crystallization process resulted in content uniformity issues. Hammer milling increased fine particle formation resulting in reduced content uniformity and increased degradation compared to sonocrystallized and HSWM API in the formulation. To ensure at least a 2-year shelf life based on predictions using an Accelerated Stability Assessment Program, this API should have a D [v, 0.1] of 55 μm and a D [v, 0.5] of 140 μm. The particle size of the chief excipient in the drug product formulation needed to be close to that of the API to avoid content uniformity and stability issues but large enough to reduce lactam formation. The novel methodology described here has potential for application to other APIs. © 2011 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

Synchrotron X-ray characterization of mackinawite and uraninite relevant to bio-remediation of groundwater contaminated with uranium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, J.; Hyun, S.; Hayes, K. F.

2010-12-01

Uranium (U) originating from mining operations for weapon manufacturing and nuclear energy production is a significant radionuclide contaminant in groundwater local to uranium mining, uranium milling, and uranium mill tailing (UMT) storage sites. In the USA, the Department of Energy (DOE) is currently overseeing approximately 24 Uranium Mill Tailing Remediation Action (UMTRA) sites which have collectively processed over 27 million tons of uranium ore1,2. In-Situ microbial bio-reduction of the highly mobile U6+ ion into the dramatically less mobile U4+ ion has been demonstrated as an effective remedial process to inhibit uranium migration in the aqueous phase3. The resistance of this process to oxidization and possible remobilization of U when bioremediation stops (and oxidants such as oxygen from the air or nitrate in water diffuse into the formation) in the long term is not known. UMTRA site studies3 have shown that iron sulfide solids are produced by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) during U bioremediation, and some forms of these iron sulfide solids are known to be effective oxidant scavengers, potentially protecting against re-oxidation and thus remobilization of U. This work is investigating the role of iron sulfide solids in the long-term immobilization of reduced U compounds after bioremediation is completed in groundwater local to UMTRA sites. Re-oxidation tests are being performed in packed media columns loaded with both FeS and U solids. High quality mackinawite (FeS), and uraninite (UO2) have been synthesized in our laboratory via a wet chemistry approach. These synthetic materials are expected to mimic the naturally occurring and biogenic materials present in biologically stimulated UMTRA sites. In order to establish the initial conditions of the prepared experimental columns and to compare synthetic and biogenic FeS and UO2, these synthesized materials have been characterized with synchrotron radiation at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource using synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction (SXRD) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). SXRD data were collected and analyzed with profile fitting to determine lattice parameters and crystallite size for comparison with published values for both biogenic and synthetic materials. This is particularly of interest for UO2, as there is very little information on particle size and lattice parameters for synthetic UO2 in the literature. Profile fitting of the SXRD data for FeS gives lattice parameters of a = b = 3.668 and a mean crystallite size of 5 to 8 nm. Both of these values are in good agreement with published values. For fresh UO2, lattice parameters were determined as a = b = c = 5.4 nm for both freshly synthesized and aged (3 months) UO2 and particle size was determined to be 3.5 nm for fresh UO2 and 5.83 nm for aged UO2. This suggests a growth mechanism for crystallites over time, and an inferred decrease in reactivity.

Bio-energy generation in an affordable, single-chamber microbial fuel cell integrated with adsorption hybrid system: effects of temperature and comparison study.

PubMed

Tee, Pei-Fang; Abdullah, Mohammad Omar; Tan, Ivy A W; Amin, Mohamed A M; Nolasco-Hipolito, Cirilo; Bujang, Kopli

2018-04-01

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) integrated with adsorption system (MFC-AHS) is tested under various operating temperatures with palm oil mill effluent as the substrate. The optimum operating temperature for such system is found to be at ∼35°C with current, power density, internal resistance (R in ), Coulombic efficiency (CE) and maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 2.51 ± 0.2 mA, 74 ± 6 mW m -3 , 25.4 Ω, 10.65 ± 0.5% and 93.57 ± 1.2%, respectively. Maximum current density increases linearly with temperature at a rate of 0.1772 mA m -2  °C -1 , whereas maximum power density was in a polynomial function. The temperature coefficient (Q 10 ) is found to be 1.20 between 15°C and 35°C. Present studies have demonstrated better CE performance when compared to other MFC-AHSs. Generally, MFC-AHS has demonstrated higher COD removals when compared to standalone MFC regardless of operating temperatures. ACFF: activated carbon fiber felt; APHA: American Public Health Association; CE: Coulombic efficiency; COD: chemical oxygen demand; ECG: electrocardiogram; GAC: granular activated carbon; GFB: graphite fiber brush; MFC: microbial fuel cell; MFC-AHS: microbial fuel cell integrated with adsorption hybrid system; MFC-GG: microbial fuel cell integrated with graphite granules; POME: palm oil mill effluent; PTFE: polytetrafluoroethylene; SEM: scanning electron microscope.

Catalytic pyrolysis of olive mill wastewater sludge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdellaoui, Hamza

From 2008 to 2013, an average of 2,821.4 kilotons/year of olive oil were produced around the world. The waste product of the olive mill industry consists of solid residue (pomace) and wastewater (OMW). Annually, around 30 million m3 of OMW are produced in the Mediterranean area, 700,000 m3 year?1 in Tunisia alone. OMW is an aqueous effluent characterized by an offensive smell and high organic matter content, including high molecular weight phenolic compounds and long-chain fatty acids. These compounds are highly toxic to micro-organisms and plants, which makes the OMW a serious threat to the environment if not managed properly. The OMW is disposed of in open air evaporation ponds. After evaporation of most of the water, OMWS is left in the bottom of the ponds. In this thesis, the effort has been made to evaluate the catalytic pyrolysis process as a technology to valorize the OMWS. The first section of this research showed that 41.12 wt. % of the OMWS is mostly lipids, which are a good source of energy. The second section proved that catalytic pyrolysis of the OMWS over red mud and HZSM-5 can produce green diesel, and 450 °C is the optimal reaction temperature to maximize the organic yields. The last section revealed that the HSF was behind the good fuel-like properties of the OMWS catalytic oils, whereas the SR hindered the bio-oil yields and quality.

Bio-oil Stabilization by Hydrogenation over Reduced Metal Catalysts at Low Temperatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Huamin; Lee, Suh-Jane; Olarte, Mariefel V.

Biomass fast pyrolysis integrated with bio-oil upgrading represents a very attractive approach for converting biomass to hydrocarbon transportation fuels. However, the thermal and chemical instability of bio-oils presents significant problems when they are being upgraded, and development of effective approaches for stabilizing bio-oils is critical to the success of the technology. Catalytic hydrogenation to remove reactive species in bio-oil has been considered as one of the most efficient ways to stabilize bio-oil. This paper provides a fundamental understanding of hydrogenation of actual bio-oils over a Ru/TiO2 catalyst under conditions relevant to practical bio-oil hydrotreating processes. Bio-oil feed stocks, bio-oils hydrogenatedmore » to different extents, and catalysts have been characterized to provide insights into the chemical and physical properties of these samples and to understand the correlation of the properties with the composition of the bio-oil and catalysts. The results indicated hydrogenation of various components of the bio-oil, including sugars, aldehydes, ketones, alkenes, aromatics, and carboxylic acids, over the Ru/TiO2 catalyst and 120 to 160oC. Hydrogenation of these species significantly changed the chemical and physical properties of the bio-oil and overall improved its thermal stability, especially by reducing the carbonyl content, which represented the content of the most reactive species (i.e., sugar, aldehydes, and ketones). The change of content of each component in response to increasing hydrogen additions suggests the following bio-oil hydrogenation reaction sequence: sugar conversion to sugar alcohols, followed by ketone and aldehyde conversion to alcohols, followed by alkene and aromatic hydrogenation, and then followed by carboxylic acid hydrogenation to alcohols. Hydrogenation of bio-oil samples with different sulfur contents or inorganic material contents suggested that sulfur poisoning of the reduced Ru metal catalysts was significant during hydrogenation; however, the inorganics at low concentrations had minimal impact at short times on stream, indicating that sulfur poisoning was the primary deactivation mode for the bio-oil hydrogenation catalyst. Reducing the sulfur content in bio-oil could significantly increase the lifetime of the hydrogenation catalyst used. The knowledge gained during this work will allow rational design of more effective catalysts and processes for stabilizing and upgrading bio-oils.« less

Bio-Social Variables as Predictors of Teacher Union Leaders' Adherence to Democratic Principles in Ogun State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fejoh, Johnson

2016-01-01

This study investigated the influence of bio-social variables - educational status, age and family socio-economic background on teacher union leaders' adherence to democratic principles in Ogun State of Nigeria. The study employed the ex-post-facto research design. Five hypotheses were generated and tested using an instrument titled "union…

Aerodynamic Performance and Particle Image Velocimetery of Piezo Actuated Biomimetic Manduca Sexta Engineered Wings Towards the Design and Application of a Flapping Wing Flight Vehicle

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

95 3.3. Displacement sensor ... Bio vs. engineered wing modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 3.1. High speed camera specifications...expanding and evolving mission areas, especially in the arena of bio -inspired Flap- ping Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FWMAV). This chapter will introduce the

Studies on the effects of storage stability of bio-oil obtained from pyrolysis of Calophyllum inophyllum deoiled seed cake on the performance and emission characteristics of a direct-injection diesel engine.

PubMed

Rajamohan, Sakthivel; Kasimani, Ramesh

2018-04-19

The highly unbalanced nature of bio-oil composition poses a serious threat in terms of storage and utilization of bio-oil as a viable fuel in engines. So it becomes inevitable to study the variations in physicochemical properties of the bio-oil during storage to value its chemical instability, for designing stabilization methodologies. The present study aims to investigate the effects of storage stability of bio-oil extracted from pyrolyzing Calophyllum inophyllum (CI) deoiled seed cake on the engine operating characteristics. The bio-oil is produced in a fixed bed reactor at 500 °C under the constant heating rate of 30 °C/min. All the stability analysis methods involve an accelerated aging procedure based on standards established by ASTM (D5304 and E2009) and European standard (EN 14112). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to analytically characterize the unaged and aged bio-oil samples. The results clearly depict that stabilizing Calophyllum inophyllum bio-oil with 10% (w/w) methanol improved its stability than that of the unstabilized sample thereby reducing the aging rate of bio-oil to 0.04 and 0.13 cst/h for thermal and oxidative aging respectively. Engine testing of the bio-oil sample revealed that aged bio-oil samples deteriorated engine performance and increased emission levels at the exhaust. The oxidatively aged sample showed the lowest BTE (24.41%), the highest BSEC (20.14 MJ/kWh), CO (1.51%), HC (132 ppm), NOx (1098 ppm) and smoke opacity (34.8%).

Variation of the characteristics of biofilm on the semi-suspended bio-carrier produced by a 3D printing technique: Investigation of a whole growing cycle.

PubMed

Tang, Bing; Zhao, Yiliang; Bin, Liying; Huang, Shaosong; Fu, Fenglian

2017-11-01

The presented investigation focused on exploring the characteristics of the biofilm formed on a novel semi-suspended bio-carrier and revealing their variation during the whole growing cycle. This used semi-suspended bio-carrier was designed to be a spindle shape, and then fabricated by using a 3D printing technique. Results indicated the bio-carrier provided a suitable environment for the attachment of diverse microorganisms. During the experimental period lasted for 45days, the biofilm quickly attached on the surface of the bio-carrier and grew to maturity, but its characteristics, including the chemical compositions, adhesion force, surface roughness, structure of microbial communities, varied continuously along with the operational time, which greatly influenced the performance of the bioreactor. The shape and structure of bio-carrier, and the shearing force caused by the aeration are important factors that influence the microbial community and its structure, and also heavily affect the formation and growth of biofilm. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 61.190 - Designation of facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., Lewiston, New York; the Weldon Spring Site, Weldon Spring, Missouri; the Middlesex Sampling Plant, Middlesex, New Jersey; the Monticello Uranium Mill Tailings Pile, Monticello, Utah. This subpart does not...

BioSig3D: High Content Screening of Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Models

PubMed Central

Bilgin, Cemal Cagatay; Fontenay, Gerald; Cheng, Qingsu; Chang, Hang; Han, Ju; Parvin, Bahram

2016-01-01

BioSig3D is a computational platform for high-content screening of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models that are imaged in full 3D volume. It provides an end-to-end solution for designing high content screening assays, based on colony organization that is derived from segmentation of nuclei in each colony. BioSig3D also enables visualization of raw and processed 3D volumetric data for quality control, and integrates advanced bioinformatics analysis. The system consists of multiple computational and annotation modules that are coupled together with a strong use of controlled vocabularies to reduce ambiguities between different users. It is a web-based system that allows users to: design an experiment by defining experimental variables, upload a large set of volumetric images into the system, analyze and visualize the dataset, and either display computed indices as a heatmap, or phenotypic subtypes for heterogeneity analysis, or download computed indices for statistical analysis or integrative biology. BioSig3D has been used to profile baseline colony formations with two experiments: (i) morphogenesis of a panel of human mammary epithelial cell lines (HMEC), and (ii) heterogeneity in colony formation using an immortalized non-transformed cell line. These experiments reveal intrinsic growth properties of well-characterized cell lines that are routinely used for biological studies. BioSig3D is being released with seed datasets and video-based documentation. PMID:26978075

7 CFR 868.310 - Grades and grade requirements for the classes Long Grain Milled Rice, Medium Grain Milled Rice...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Grain Milled Rice, Medium Grain Milled Rice, Short Grain Milled Rice, and Mixed Milled Rice. (See also Â... Milled Rice Principles Governing Application of Standards § 868.310 Grades and grade requirements for the classes Long Grain Milled Rice, Medium Grain Milled Rice, Short Grain Milled Rice, and Mixed Milled Rice...

7 CFR 868.310 - Grades and grade requirements for the classes Long Grain Milled Rice, Medium Grain Milled Rice...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Grain Milled Rice, Medium Grain Milled Rice, Short Grain Milled Rice, and Mixed Milled Rice. (See also Â... Milled Rice Principles Governing Application of Standards § 868.310 Grades and grade requirements for the classes Long Grain Milled Rice, Medium Grain Milled Rice, Short Grain Milled Rice, and Mixed Milled Rice...

3D-engineering of Cellularized Conduits for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yu; Wu, Yao; Gou, Zhiyuan; Tao, Jie; Zhang, Jiumeng; Liu, Qianqi; Kang, Tianyi; Jiang, Shu; Huang, Siqing; He, Jiankang; Chen, Shaochen; Du, Yanan; Gou, Maling

2016-08-01

Tissue engineered conduits have great promise for bridging peripheral nerve defects by providing physical guiding and biological cues. A flexible method for integrating support cells into a conduit with desired architectures is wanted. Here, a 3D-printing technology is adopted to prepare a bio-conduit with designer structures for peripheral nerve regeneration. This bio-conduit is consisted of a cryopolymerized gelatin methacryloyl (cryoGelMA) gel cellularized with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). By modeling using 3D-printed “lock and key” moulds, the cryoGelMA gel is structured into conduits with different geometries, such as the designed multichannel or bifurcating and the personalized structures. The cryoGelMA conduit is degradable and could be completely degraded in 2-4 months in vivo. The cryoGelMA scaffold supports the attachment, proliferation and survival of the seeded ASCs, and up-regulates the expression of their neurotrophic factors mRNA in vitro. After implanted in a rat model, the bio-conduit is capable of supporting the re-innervation across a 10 mm sciatic nerve gap, with results close to that of the autografts in terms of functional and histological assessments. The study describes an indirect 3D-printing technology for fabricating cellularized designer conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration, and could lead to the development of future nerve bio-conduits for clinical use.

Load Handling and Repetitive Movements Are Associated with Chronic Low Back Pain among Jute Mill Workers in India

PubMed Central

Goswami, S.; Dasgupta, S.; Samanta, A.; Talukdar, G.; Chanda, A.; Ray Karmakar, P.; Bhattacharya, D.

2016-01-01

Introduction. WHO recognizes low back pain as one of the most important ergonomic stressors. Therefore, the present study was designed to find out the magnitude of the problem among jute mill workers in India and identify possible associations. Methodology. This cross-sectional workplace based study was conducted among eight (8) selected jute mills of India. Subjects with self-reported back pain for at least last 12 weeks were included and n = 717 male jute mill workers actively engaged in work entered the study and completed all assessments. Results. Among all participants 55% (n = 392) had current chronic low back pain. Age was an important association with subjects in the age group of 40–59 years more likely to have pain (p = 0.02, OR 1.44). Regarding ergonomic risk factors lifting of load of more than 20 kg (p = 0.04, OR 1.42) and repetitive movements of limbs (p = 0.03, OR 0.67) were significant associations of chronic low back pain. Conclusion. This study identified a significant prevalence of current chronic low back pain among jute mill workers. Regarding ergonomic risk factors the present study has identified two significant associations: lifting of load above 20 kg and repetitive movements of limbs. Therefore, this study has identified need for workplace interventions in this occupational group employing approximately 3,50,000 workers in India. PMID:27563463

Numerical and experimental hydrodynamic analysis of suction cup bio-logging tag designs for marine mammals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Mark; Shorter, Alex; Howle, Laurens; Johnson, Mark; Moore, Michael

2012-11-01

The improvement and miniaturization of sensing technologies has made bio-logging tags, utilized for the study of marine mammal behavior, more practical. These sophisticated sensing packages require a housing which protects the electronics from the environment and provides a means of attachment to the animal. The hydrodynamic forces on these housings can inadvertently remove the tag or adversely affect the behavior or energetics of the animal. A modification to the original design of a suction cup bio-logging tag housing was desired to minimize the adverse forces. In this work, hydrodynamic loading of two suction cup tag designs, original and modified designs, were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and validated experimentally. Overall, the simulation and experimental results demonstrated that a tag housing that minimized geometric disruptions to the flow reduced drag forces, and that a tag housing with a small frontal cross-sectional area close to the attachment surface reduced lift forces. Preliminary results from experimental work with a common dolphin cadaver indicates that the suction cups used to attach the tags to the animal provide sufficient attachment force to resist failure at predicted drag and lift forces in 10 m/s flow.

BioXSD: the common data-exchange format for everyday bioinformatics web services.

PubMed

Kalas, Matús; Puntervoll, Pål; Joseph, Alexandre; Bartaseviciūte, Edita; Töpfer, Armin; Venkataraman, Prabakar; Pettifer, Steve; Bryne, Jan Christian; Ison, Jon; Blanchet, Christophe; Rapacki, Kristoffer; Jonassen, Inge

2010-09-15

The world-wide community of life scientists has access to a large number of public bioinformatics databases and tools, which are developed and deployed using diverse technologies and designs. More and more of the resources offer programmatic web-service interface. However, efficient use of the resources is hampered by the lack of widely used, standard data-exchange formats for the basic, everyday bioinformatics data types. BioXSD has been developed as a candidate for standard, canonical exchange format for basic bioinformatics data. BioXSD is represented by a dedicated XML Schema and defines syntax for biological sequences, sequence annotations, alignments and references to resources. We have adapted a set of web services to use BioXSD as the input and output format, and implemented a test-case workflow. This demonstrates that the approach is feasible and provides smooth interoperability. Semantics for BioXSD is provided by annotation with the EDAM ontology. We discuss in a separate section how BioXSD relates to other initiatives and approaches, including existing standards and the Semantic Web. The BioXSD 1.0 XML Schema is freely available at http://www.bioxsd.org/BioXSD-1.0.xsd under the Creative Commons BY-ND 3.0 license. The http://bioxsd.org web page offers documentation, examples of data in BioXSD format, example workflows with source codes in common programming languages, an updated list of compatible web services and tools and a repository of feature requests from the community.

Understanding the growth of the bio-struvite production Brevibacterium antiquum in sludge liquors.

PubMed

Simoes, Francisco; Vale, Peter; Stephenson, Tom; Soares, Ana

2017-12-21

Biological struvite (bio-struvite) production through biomineralization has been suggested as an alternative to chemically derived struvite production to recover phosphorus from wastewater streams. In this study, statistical experimental design techniques were used to find the optimal growth rate (μ) of Brevibacterium antiquum in sludge liquors. Acetate, oleic acid, NaCl, NH 4 -N, and Ca 2+ were shown to affect the growth rate of B. antiquum. The growth rate reached 3.44 1/d when the bacteria were supplemented with 3.0% w/v NaCl and 1124 mg chemical oxygen demand/L as acetate. However, NaCl was found to hinder the biomineralization of bio-struvite. A two-stage experiment demonstrated that bio-struvite was produced in the presence of acetate. Bio-struvite production was confirmed with X-ray spectroscopy and crystal morphology (prismatic, tabular, and twinned crystal habit) through electron microscope analysis. The bio-struvite production was estimated by measuring phosphate content of the recovered precipitates, reaching 9.6 mg P/L as bio-struvite. Overall, these results demonstrated the optimal conditions required to achieve high growth rates as well as bio-struvite production with B. antiquum. The results obtained in this study could be used to develop a process to grow B. antiquum in wastewater streams in mixed cultures and recover phosphorus-rich products such as struvite.

BrisSynBio: a BBSRC/EPSRC-funded Synthetic Biology Research Centre.

PubMed

Sedgley, Kathleen R; Race, Paul R; Woolfson, Derek N

2016-06-15

BrisSynBio is the Bristol-based Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)/Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-funded Synthetic Biology Research Centre. It is one of six such Centres in the U.K. BrisSynBio's emphasis is on rational and predictive bimolecular modelling, design and engineering in the context of synthetic biology. It trains the next generation of synthetic biologists in these approaches, to facilitate translation of fundamental synthetic biology research to industry and the clinic, and to do this within an innovative and responsible research framework. © 2016 The Author(s).

Catalytic biorefining of plant biomass to non-pyrolytic lignin bio-oil and carbohydrates through hydrogen transfer reactions.

PubMed

Ferrini, Paola; Rinaldi, Roberto

2014-08-11

Through catalytic hydrogen transfer reactions, a new biorefining method results in the isolation of depolymerized lignin--a non-pyrolytic lignin bio-oil--in addition to pulps that are amenable to enzymatic hydrolysis. Compared with organosolv lignin, the lignin bio-oil is highly susceptible to further hydrodeoxygenation under low-severity conditions and therefore establishes a unique platform for lignin valorization by heterogeneous catalysis. Overall, the potential of a catalytic biorefining method designed from the perspective of lignin utilization is reported. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Combining bio- and chemo-catalysis: from enzymes to cells, from petroleum to biomass.

PubMed

Marr, Andrew C; Liu, Shifang

2011-05-01

In the future, biomass will continue to emerge as a viable source of chemicals. The development of new industries that utilize bio-renewables provides opportunities for innovation. For example, bio- and chemo-catalysts can be combined in 'one pot' to prepare chemicals of commercial value. This has been demonstrated using isolated enzymes and whole cells for a variety of chemical transformations. The one-pot approach has been successfully adopted to convert chemicals derived from biomass, and, in our opinion, it has an important role to play in the design of a more sustainable chemical industry. To implement new one-pot bio- and chemo-catalytic processes, issues of incompatibility must be overcome; the strategies for which are discussed in this opinion article. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiphysical FE-analysis of a front-end bending phenomenon in a hot strip mill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilmola, Joonas; Seppälä, Oskari; Leinonen, Olli; Pohjonen, Aarne; Larkiola, Jari; Jokisaari, Juha; Putaansuu, Eero

2018-05-01

In hot steel rolling processes, a slab is generally rolled to a transfer bar in a roughing process and to a strip in a hot strip rolling process. Over several rolling passes the front-end may bend upward or downward due to asymmetrical rolling conditions causing entry problems in the next rolling pass. Many different factors may affect the front-end bending phenomenon and are very challenging to measure. Thus, a customized finite element model is designed and built to simulate the front-end bending phenomenon in a hot strip rolling process. To simulate the functioning of the hot strip mill precisely, automated controlling logic of the mill must be considered. In this paper we studied the effect of roll bite friction conditions and amount of reduction on the front-end bending phenomenon in a hot strip rolling process.

Remedial Action Plan and site design for stabilization of the inactive uranium mill tailings site at Durango, Colorado: Attachment 3, Groundwater hydrology report. Revised final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-12-01

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established health and environmental protection regulations to correct and prevent groundwater contamination resulting from processing activities at inactive uranium milling sites. According to the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, (UMTRCA) the US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for assessing the inactive uranium processing sites. The DOE has determined this assessment shall include information on hydrogeologic site characterization. The water resources protection strategy that describes how the proposed action will comply with the EPA groundwater protection standards is presented in Attachment 4. Site characterization activities discussed in this section include:more » Characterization of the hydrogeologic environment; characterization of existing groundwater quality; definition of physical and chemical characteristics of the potential contaminant source; and description of local water resources.« less

An experimental analysis of process parameters to manufacture micro-channels in AISI H13 tempered steel by laser micro-milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teixidor, D.; Ferrer, I.; Ciurana, J.

2012-04-01

This paper reports the characterization of laser machining (milling) process to manufacture micro-channels in order to understand the incidence of process parameters on the final features. Selection of process operational parameters is highly critical for successful laser micromachining. A set of designed experiments is carried out in a pulsed Nd:YAG laser system using AISI H13 hardened tool steel as work material. Several micro-channels have been manufactured as micro-mold cavities varying parameters such as scanning speed (SS), pulse intensity (PI) and pulse frequency (PF). Results are obtained by evaluating the dimensions and the surface finish of the micro-channel. The dimensions and shape of the micro-channels produced with laser-micro-milling process exhibit variations. In general the use of low scanning speeds increases the quality of the feature in both surface finishing and dimensional.

PathwayAccess: CellDesigner plugins for pathway databases.

PubMed

Van Hemert, John L; Dickerson, Julie A

2010-09-15

CellDesigner provides a user-friendly interface for graphical biochemical pathway description. Many pathway databases are not directly exportable to CellDesigner models. PathwayAccess is an extensible suite of CellDesigner plugins, which connect CellDesigner directly to pathway databases using respective Java application programming interfaces. The process is streamlined for creating new PathwayAccess plugins for specific pathway databases. Three PathwayAccess plugins, MetNetAccess, BioCycAccess and ReactomeAccess, directly connect CellDesigner to the pathway databases MetNetDB, BioCyc and Reactome. PathwayAccess plugins enable CellDesigner users to expose pathway data to analytical CellDesigner functions, curate their pathway databases and visually integrate pathway data from different databases using standard Systems Biology Markup Language and Systems Biology Graphical Notation. Implemented in Java, PathwayAccess plugins run with CellDesigner version 4.0.1 and were tested on Ubuntu Linux, Windows XP and 7, and MacOSX. Source code, binaries, documentation and video walkthroughs are freely available at http://vrac.iastate.edu/~jlv.

BioSentinel: Enabling CubeSat-Scale Biogical Research Beyond Low Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sorgenfrei, Matt; Lewis, Brian S.

2014-01-01

The introduction of the Space Launch System will provide NASA with a new means of access to space beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), creating opportunities for scientific research in a range of spacecraft sizes. This presentation describes the preliminary design of the BioSentinel spacecraft, a CubeSat measuring 10cm x 20cm x 30cm, which has been manifested for launch on the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System in 2017. BioSentinel will provide the first direct experimental data from a biological study conducted beyond LEO in over forty years, which in turn will help to pave the way for future human exploration missions. The combination of an advanced biology payload with standard spacecraft bus components required for operation in deep space within a CubeSat form factor poses a unique challenge, and this paper will describe the early design trades under consideration. The baseline spacecraft design calls for the biology payload to occupy four cube-units of volume (denoted 4U), with all spacecraft bus components occupying the remaining 2U.

Design of nanostructured-based glucose biosensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komirisetty, Archana; Williams, Frances; Pradhan, Aswini; Konda, Rajini B.; Dondapati, Hareesh; Samantaray, Diptirani

2012-04-01

This paper presents the design of glucose sensors that will be integrated with advanced nano-materials, bio-coatings and electronics to create novel devices that are highly sensitive, inexpensive, accurate, and reliable. In the work presented, a glucose biosensor and its fabrication process flow have been designed. The device is based on electrochemical sensing using a working electrode with bio-functionalized zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-rods. Among all metal oxide nanostructures, ZnO nano-materials play a significant role as a sensing element in biosensors due to their properties such as high isoelectric point (IEP), fast electron transfer, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and chemical stability which are very crucial parameters to achieve high sensitivity. Amperometric enzyme electrodes based on glucose oxidase (GOx) are used due to their stability and high selectivity to glucose. The device also consists of silicon dioxide and titanium layers as well as platinum working and counter electrodes and a silver/silver chloride reference electrode. Currently, the biosensors are being fabricated using the process flow developed. Once completed, the sensors will be bio-functionalized and tested to characterize their performance, including their sensitivity and stability.

Estimation of Stormwater Interception Rate for various LID Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S.; Lee, O.; Choi, J.

2017-12-01

In this study, the stormwater interception rate is proposed to apply in the design of LID facilities. For this purpose, EPA-SWMM is built with some areas of Noksan National Industrial Complex where long-term observed stormwater data were monitored and stormwater interception rates for various design capacities of various LID facilities are estimated. While the sensitivity of stormwater interception rate according to design specifications of bio-retention and infiltration trench facilities is not large, the sensitivity of stormwater interception rate according to local rainfall characteristics is relatively big. As a result of comparing the present rainfall interception rate estimation method which is officially operated in Korea with the one proposed in this study, it will be presented that the present method is highly likely to overestimate the performance of the bio-retention and infiltration trench facilities. Finally, a new stormwater interception rate formulas for the bio-retention and infiltration trench LID facilities will be proposed. Acknowledgement This research was supported by a grant (2016000200002) from Public Welfare Technology Development Program funded by Ministry of Environment of Korean government.

The Impact of Biofuels on Climate Change from Marginal Land over East Asia using the RegCM4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S.; Lee, O.; Choi, J.

2016-12-01

In this study, the stormwater interception rate is proposed to apply in the design of LID facilities. For this purpose, EPA-SWMM is built with some areas of Noksan National Industrial Complex where long-term observed stormwater data were monitored and stormwater interception rates for various design capacities of various LID facilities are estimated. While the sensitivity of stormwater interception rate according to design specifications of bio-retention and infiltration trench facilities is not large, the sensitivity of stormwater interception rate according to local rainfall characteristics is relatively big. As a result of comparing the present rainfall interception rate estimation method which is officially operated in Korea with the one proposed in this study, it will be presented that the present method is highly likely to overestimate the performance of the bio-retention and infiltration trench facilities. Finally, a new stormwater interception rate formulas for the bio-retention and infiltration trench LID facilities will be proposed. Acknowledgement This research was supported by a grant (2016000200002) from Public Welfare Technology Development Program funded by Ministry of Environment of Korean government.

Enhanced photocurrent production by bio-dyes of photosynthetic macromolecules on designed TiO2 film

PubMed Central

Yu, Daoyong; Wang, Mengfei; Zhu, Guoliang; Ge, Baosheng; Liu, Shuang; Huang, Fang

2015-01-01

The macromolecular pigment-protein complex has the merit of high efficiency for light-energy capture and transfer after long-term photosynthetic evolution. Here bio-dyes of A. platensis photosystem I (PSI) and spinach light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) are spontaneously sensitized on three types of designed TiO2 films, to assess the effects of pigment-protein complex on the performance of bio-dye sensitized solar cells (SSC). Adsorption models of bio-dyes are proposed based on the 3D structures of PSI and LHCII, and the size of particles and inner pores in the TiO2 film. PSI shows its merit of high efficiency for captured energy transfer, charge separation and transfer in the electron transfer chain (ETC), and electron injection from FB to the TiO2 conducting band. After optimization, the best short current (JSC) and photoelectric conversion efficiency (η) of PSI-SSC and LHCII-SSC are 1.31 mA cm-2 and 0.47%, and 1.51 mA cm-2 and 0.52%, respectively. The potential for further improvement of this PSI based SSC is significant and could lead to better utilization of solar energy. PMID:25790735

Machinability of CAD-CAM materials.

PubMed

Chavali, Ramakiran; Nejat, Amir H; Lawson, Nathaniel C

2017-08-01

Although new materials are available for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) fabrication, limited information is available regarding their machinability. The depth of penetration of a milling tool into a material during a timed milling cycle may indicate its machinability. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the tool penetration rate for 2 polymer-containing CAD-CAM materials (Lava Ultimate and Enamic) and 2 ceramic-based CAD-CAM materials (e.max CAD and Celtra Duo). The materials were sectioned into 4-mm-thick specimens (n=5/material) and polished with 320-grit SiC paper. Each specimen was loaded into a custom milling apparatus. The apparatus pushed the specimens against a milling tool (E4D Tapered 2016000) rotating at 40 000 RPM with a constant force of 0.98 N. After a 6-minute timed milling cycle, the length of each milling cut was measured with image analysis software under a digital light microscope. Representative specimens and milling tools were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The penetration rate of Lava Ultimate (3.21 ±0.46 mm/min) and Enamic (2.53 ±0.57 mm/min) was significantly greater than that of e.max CAD (1.12 ±0.32 mm/min) or Celtra Duo (0.80 ±0.21 mm/min) materials. SEM observations showed little tool damage, regardless of material type. Residual material was found on the tools used with polymer-containing materials, and wear of the embedding medium was seen on the tools used with the ceramic-based materials. Edge chipping was noted on cuts made in the ceramic-based materials. Lava Ultimate and Enamic have greater machinability and less edge chipping than e.max CAD and Celtra Duo. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE-INES New Planet Bioenergy Technical Report Final Public Version 7-22-16

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Niederschulte, Mark; Russell, Kelly; Connors, Keith

INEOS Bio and New Planet Energy Florida formed a joint venture company called INEOS New Planet BioEnergy (“INPB”) in 2009. This venture’s intent was to demonstrate at commercial scale INEOS Bio’s third-generation technology (the “Bio Process”) that converts a variety of lignocellulosic feedstocks into bioethanol and renewable electricity. INPB applied for and was awarded a $50,000,000 Department of Energy (“DOE”) grant in 2009 to support the construction of the commercial demonstration plant. The grant was a cost-sharing arrangement requiring at least 50% equity participation by the grantee. INPB completed construction of the Indian River BioEnergy Center in Vero Beach, Floridamore » in June, 2012. The facility is designed to produce 8 million gallons per year of fuel-grade bioethanol and 6MW of electrical power, with upwards of 2MW exported to the electrical grid. Construction of the Indian River BioEnergy Center was completed on-time and within its capital budget of $121 million.« less

A Comprehensive Evaluation System for Military Hospitals' Response Capability to Bio-terrorism.

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Jiang, Nan; Shao, Sicong; Zheng, Tao; Sun, Jianzhong

2015-05-01

The objective of this study is to establish a comprehensive evaluation system for military hospitals' response capacity to bio-terrorism. Literature research and Delphi method were utilized to establish the comprehensive evaluation system for military hospitals' response capacity to bio-terrorism. Questionnaires were designed and used to survey the status quo of 134 military hospitals' response capability to bio-terrorism. Survey indicated that factor analysis method was suitable to for analyzing the comprehensive evaluation system for military hospitals' response capacity to bio-terrorism. The constructed evaluation system was consisted of five first-class and 16 second-class indexes. Among them, medical response factor was considered as the most important factor with weight coefficient of 0.660, followed in turn by the emergency management factor with weight coefficient of 0.109, emergency management consciousness factor with weight coefficient of 0.093, hardware support factor with weight coefficient of 0.078, and improvement factor with weight coefficient of 0.059. The constructed comprehensive assessment model and system are scientific and practical.

WE-H-BRA-04: Biological Geometries for the Monte Carlo Simulation Toolkit TOPASNBio

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McNamara, A; Held, K; Paganetti, H

2016-06-15

Purpose: New advances in radiation therapy are most likely to come from the complex interface of physics, chemistry and biology. Computational simulations offer a powerful tool for quantitatively investigating radiation interactions with biological tissue and can thus help bridge the gap between physics and biology. The aim of TOPAS-nBio is to provide a comprehensive tool to generate advanced radiobiology simulations. Methods: TOPAS wraps and extends the Geant4 Monte Carlo (MC) simulation toolkit. TOPAS-nBio is an extension to TOPAS which utilizes the physics processes in Geant4-DNA to model biological damage from very low energy secondary electrons. Specialized cell, organelle and molecularmore » geometries were designed for the toolkit. Results: TOPAS-nBio gives the user the capability of simulating biological geometries, ranging from the micron-scale (e.g. cells and organelles) to complex nano-scale geometries (e.g. DNA and proteins). The user interacts with TOPAS-nBio through easy-to-use input parameter files. For example, in a simple cell simulation the user can specify the cell type and size as well as the type, number and size of included organelles. For more detailed nuclear simulations, the user can specify chromosome territories containing chromatin fiber loops, the later comprised of nucleosomes on a double helix. The chromatin fibers can be arranged in simple rigid geometries or within factual globules, mimicking realistic chromosome territories. TOPAS-nBio also provides users with the capability of reading protein data bank 3D structural files to simulate radiation damage to proteins or nucleic acids e.g. histones or RNA. TOPAS-nBio has been validated by comparing results to other track structure simulation software and published experimental measurements. Conclusion: TOPAS-nBio provides users with a comprehensive MC simulation tool for radiobiological simulations, giving users without advanced programming skills the ability to design and run complex simulations.« less

Hydrocarbon bio-jet fuel from bioconversion of poplar biomass: life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Budsberg, Erik; Crawford, Jordan T; Morgan, Hannah; Chin, Wei Shan; Bura, Renata; Gustafson, Rick

2016-01-01

Bio-jet fuels compatible with current aviation infrastructure are needed as an alternative to petroleum-based jet fuel to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Cradle to grave life cycle analysis is used to investigate the global warming potential and fossil fuel use of converting poplar biomass to drop-in bio-jet fuel via a novel bioconversion platform. Unique to the biorefinery designs in this research is an acetogen fermentation step. Following dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, poplar biomass is fermented to acetic acid and then distilled, hydroprocessed, and oligomerized to jet fuel. Natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification are proposed to meet hydrogen demands at the biorefineries. Separate well to wake simulations are performed using the hydrogen production processes to obtain life cycle data. Both biorefinery designs are assessed using natural gas and hog fuel to meet excess heat demands. Global warming potential of the natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification bio-jet fuel scenarios range from CO2 equivalences of 60 to 66 and 32 to 73 g MJ(-1), respectively. Fossil fuel usage of the natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification bio-jet fuel scenarios range from 0.78 to 0.84 and 0.71 to 1.0 MJ MJ(-1), respectively. Lower values for each impact category result from using hog fuel to meet excess heat/steam demands. Higher values result from using natural gas to meet the excess heat demands. Bio-jet fuels produced from the bioconversion of poplar biomass reduce the global warming potential and fossil fuel use compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. Production of hydrogen is identified as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel use in both the natural gas steam reforming and lignin gasification bio-jet simulations. Using hog fuel instead of natural gas to meet heat demands can help lower the global warming potential and fossil fuel use at the biorefineries.

CEBS object model for systems biology data, SysBio-OM.

PubMed

Xirasagar, Sandhya; Gustafson, Scott; Merrick, B Alex; Tomer, Kenneth B; Stasiewicz, Stanley; Chan, Denny D; Yost, Kenneth J; Yates, John R; Sumner, Susan; Xiao, Nianqing; Waters, Michael D

2004-09-01

To promote a systems biology approach to understanding the biological effects of environmental stressors, the Chemical Effects in Biological Systems (CEBS) knowledge base is being developed to house data from multiple complex data streams in a systems friendly manner that will accommodate extensive querying from users. Unified data representation via a single object model will greatly aid in integrating data storage and management, and facilitate reuse of software to analyze and display data resulting from diverse differential expression or differential profile technologies. Data streams include, but are not limited to, gene expression analysis (transcriptomics), protein expression and protein-protein interaction analysis (proteomics) and changes in low molecular weight metabolite levels (metabolomics). To enable the integration of microarray gene expression, proteomics and metabolomics data in the CEBS system, we designed an object model, Systems Biology Object Model (SysBio-OM). The model is comprehensive and leverages other open source efforts, namely the MicroArray Gene Expression Object Model (MAGE-OM) and the Proteomics Experiment Data Repository (PEDRo) object model. SysBio-OM is designed by extending MAGE-OM to represent protein expression data elements (including those from PEDRo), protein-protein interaction and metabolomics data. SysBio-OM promotes the standardization of data representation and data quality by facilitating the capture of the minimum annotation required for an experiment. Such standardization refines the accuracy of data mining and interpretation. The open source SysBio-OM model, which can be implemented on varied computing platforms is presented here. A universal modeling language depiction of the entire SysBio-OM is available at http://cebs.niehs.nih.gov/SysBioOM/. The Rational Rose object model package is distributed under an open source license that permits unrestricted academic and commercial use and is available at http://cebs.niehs.nih.gov/cebsdownloads. The database and interface are being built to implement the model and will be available for public use at http://cebs.niehs.nih.gov.

Correcting ligands, metabolites, and pathways

PubMed Central

Ott, Martin A; Vriend, Gert

2006-01-01

Background A wide range of research areas in bioinformatics, molecular biology and medicinal chemistry require precise chemical structure information about molecules and reactions, e.g. drug design, ligand docking, metabolic network reconstruction, and systems biology. Most available databases, however, treat chemical structures more as illustrations than as a datafield in its own right. Lack of chemical accuracy impedes progress in the areas mentioned above. We present a database of metabolites called BioMeta that augments the existing pathway databases by explicitly assessing the validity, correctness, and completeness of chemical structure and reaction information. Description The main bulk of the data in BioMeta were obtained from the KEGG Ligand database. We developed a tool for chemical structure validation which assesses the chemical validity and stereochemical completeness of a molecule description. The validation tool was used to examine the compounds in BioMeta, showing that a relatively small number of compounds had an incorrect constitution (connectivity only, not considering stereochemistry) and that a considerable number (about one third) had incomplete or even incorrect stereochemistry. We made a large effort to correct the errors and to complete the structural descriptions. A total of 1468 structures were corrected and/or completed. We also established the reaction balance of the reactions in BioMeta and corrected 55% of the unbalanced (stoichiometrically incorrect) reactions in an automatic procedure. The BioMeta database was implemented in PostgreSQL and provided with a web-based interface. Conclusion We demonstrate that the validation of metabolite structures and reactions is a feasible and worthwhile undertaking, and that the validation results can be used to trigger corrections and improvements to BioMeta, our metabolite database. BioMeta provides some tools for rational drug design, reaction searches, and visualization. It is freely available at provided that the copyright notice of all original data is cited. The database will be useful for querying and browsing biochemical pathways, and to obtain reference information for identifying compounds. However, these applications require that the underlying data be correct, and that is the focus of BioMeta. PMID:17132165

Evaluation of marginal fit of single implant-supported metal-ceramic crowns prepared by using presintered metal blocks.

PubMed

Pasali, Baris; Sarac, Duygu; Kaleli, Necati; Sarac, Yakup Sinasi

2018-02-01

Recently, presintered metal blocks for nonprecious and precious metal implant-supported restorations have gained popularity in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) systems. However, few studies have evaluated the marginal discrepancy of implant-supported restorations made with these new alloy systems. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the milling-sintering method with the lost-wax and milling methods in terms of the marginal fit of implant-supported metal-ceramic restorations. Thirty implant abutments screwed to implant analogs were embedded into acrylic resin to investigate marginal fit and then divided according to fabrication methods into the following 3 groups (n=10): lost-wax (LW; control group), milling (M), and milling-sintering (MS). Porcelain material was applied to all specimens after completion of the fabrication process. Subsequently, all specimens were cemented to implant abutments for the measurement of marginal discrepancies. Twelve marginal discrepancy measurements were recorded on each implant abutment by using a stereomicroscope. The arithmetic mean of these 12 measurements was considered the mean marginal discrepancy value of each abutment. Data were statistically analyzed by using 1-way ANOVA and Tukey honest significant difference tests (α=.05). The lowest mean marginal discrepancy values (81 ±2 μm) were observed in the M group, which was significantly different (P<.001) from the other methods. The highest mean marginal discrepancy values (99 ±2 μm) were observed in the MS group. The results revealed that restorations prepared by the milling-sintering method provided clinically acceptable results (<120 μm); however, this new technique was not found to be as precise as the milling method in terms of marginal fit. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Visible light induced electropolymerization of suspended hydrogel bioscaffolds in a microfluidic chip.

PubMed

Li, Pan; Yu, Haibo; Liu, Na; Wang, Feifei; Lee, Gwo-Bin; Wang, Yuechao; Liu, Lianqing; Li, Wen Jung

2018-05-23

The development of microengineered hydrogels co-cultured with cells in vitro could advance in vivo bio-systems in both structural complexity and functional hierarchy, which holds great promise for applications in regenerative tissues or organs, drug discovery and screening, and bio-sensors or bio-actuators. Traditional hydrogel microfabrication technologies such as ultraviolet (UV) laser or multiphoton laser stereolithography and three-dimensional (3D) printing systems have advanced the development of 3D hydrogel micro-structures but need either expensive and complex equipment, or harsh material selection with limited photoinitiators. Herein, we propose a simple and flexible hydrogel microfabrication method based on a ubiquitous visible-light projection system combined with a custom-designed photosensitive microfluidic chip, to rapidly (typically several to tens of seconds) fabricate various two-dimensional (2D) hydrogel patterns and 3D hydrogel constructs. A theoretical layer-by-layer model that involves continuous polymerizing-delaminating-polymerizing cycles is presented to explain the polymerization and structural formation mechanism of hydrogels. A large area of hydrogel patterns was efficiently fabricated without the usage of costly laser systems or photoinitiators, i.e., a stereoscopic mesh-like hydrogel network with intersecting hydrogel micro-belts was fabricated via a series of dynamic-changing digital light projections. The pores and gaps of the hydrogel network are tunable, which facilitates the supply of nutrients and discharge of waste in the construction of 3D thick bio-models. Cell co-culture experiments showed the effective regulation of cell spreading by hydrogel scaffolds fabricated by the new method presented here. This visible light enabled hydrogel microfabrication method may provide new prospects for designing cell-based units for advanced biomedical studies, e.g., for 3D bio-models or bio-actuators in the future.

Compact surface plasmon resonance biosensor utilizing an injection-molded prism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, How-Foo; Chen, Chih-Han; Chang, Yun-Hsiang; Chuang, Hsin-Yuan

2016-05-01

Targeting at a low cost and accessible diagnostic device in clinical practice, a compact surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor with a large dynamic range in high sensitivity is designed to satisfy commercial needs in food safety, environmental bio-pollution monitoring, and fast clinical diagnosis. The core component integrates an optical coupler, a sample-loading plate, and angle-tuning reflectors is injection-molded as a free-from prism made of plastic optics. This design makes a matching-oil-free operation during operation. The disposability of this low-cost component ensures testing or diagnosis without cross contamination in bio-samples.

Quantum design of photosynthesis for bio-inspired solar-energy conversion.

PubMed

Romero, Elisabet; Novoderezhkin, Vladimir I; van Grondelle, Rienk

2017-03-15

Photosynthesis is the natural process that converts solar photons into energy-rich products that are needed to drive the biochemistry of life. Two ultrafast processes form the basis of photosynthesis: excitation energy transfer and charge separation. Under optimal conditions, every photon that is absorbed is used by the photosynthetic organism. Fundamental quantum mechanics phenomena, including delocalization, underlie the speed, efficiency and directionality of the charge-separation process. At least four design principles are active in natural photosynthesis, and these can be applied practically to stimulate the development of bio-inspired, human-made energy conversion systems.

31. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 18761889. Threeroll sugar mill: oneton ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

31. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 1876-1889. Three-roll sugar mill: one-ton daily processing capacity. Manufactured by Edwin Maw, Liverpool, England, ca. 1855-1870. View: View down at the mill from top of the mill's circular masonry enclosure. Mill animals circling above the mill, on top of the enclosure, dragged booms radiating from the drive shaft to power the mill. The drive-shaft is no longer in its upright positon but is lying next to the mill in the foreground. - R. W. Meyer Sugar Mill, State Route 47, Kualapuu, Maui County, HI

Design Problems With Renovating And Adapting An Old Mill On The Example Of The Execution Of An Original Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grzonka, Aleksandra

2015-12-01

Nowadays, postindustrial areas and buildings are becoming more and more valuable. Very popular are those with special historical and architectural values, which are additionally located in large cities. The situation of those possessing fewer attributes encouraging their adaptation is worse. Sometimes, however, there are reasons why a decision is made to invest in such buildings despite the many difficulties connected with the implementation of these investments. This situation was presented on the example of the renovation and adaptation of an old electric mill in Łaziec into a restaurant.

BioXSD: the common data-exchange format for everyday bioinformatics web services

PubMed Central

Kalaš, Matúš; Puntervoll, Pæl; Joseph, Alexandre; Bartaševičiūtė, Edita; Töpfer, Armin; Venkataraman, Prabakar; Pettifer, Steve; Bryne, Jan Christian; Ison, Jon; Blanchet, Christophe; Rapacki, Kristoffer; Jonassen, Inge

2010-01-01

Motivation: The world-wide community of life scientists has access to a large number of public bioinformatics databases and tools, which are developed and deployed using diverse technologies and designs. More and more of the resources offer programmatic web-service interface. However, efficient use of the resources is hampered by the lack of widely used, standard data-exchange formats for the basic, everyday bioinformatics data types. Results: BioXSD has been developed as a candidate for standard, canonical exchange format for basic bioinformatics data. BioXSD is represented by a dedicated XML Schema and defines syntax for biological sequences, sequence annotations, alignments and references to resources. We have adapted a set of web services to use BioXSD as the input and output format, and implemented a test-case workflow. This demonstrates that the approach is feasible and provides smooth interoperability. Semantics for BioXSD is provided by annotation with the EDAM ontology. We discuss in a separate section how BioXSD relates to other initiatives and approaches, including existing standards and the Semantic Web. Availability: The BioXSD 1.0 XML Schema is freely available at http://www.bioxsd.org/BioXSD-1.0.xsd under the Creative Commons BY-ND 3.0 license. The http://bioxsd.org web page offers documentation, examples of data in BioXSD format, example workflows with source codes in common programming languages, an updated list of compatible web services and tools and a repository of feature requests from the community. Contact: matus.kalas@bccs.uib.no; developers@bioxsd.org; support@bioxsd.org PMID:20823319

40 CFR 63.1201 - Definitions and acronyms used in this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Definitions and acronyms used in this... manager, and other necessary components and electrical circuitry designed, operated and maintained to stop... kiln raw mill means a hazardous waste burning cement kiln design whereby kiln gas is ducted through the...

40 CFR 63.1201 - Definitions and acronyms used in this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 12 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Definitions and acronyms used in this... manager, and other necessary components and electrical circuitry designed, operated and maintained to stop... kiln raw mill means a hazardous waste burning cement kiln design whereby kiln gas is ducted through the...

Conceptual Green Infrastructure Design for Washington Street, City of Sanford

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Summary of the Sanford Mill Yard Complex presents an opportunity to include green infrastructure practices in a land redevelopment initiative with relative ease while providing multiple benefits to the surrounding community.

Towards a high yield recovery of polyphenols from olive mill wastewater on activated carbon coated with milk proteins: Experimental design and antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Yangui, Asma; Abderrabba, Manef

2018-10-01

Activated carbon coated with milk proteins was used for the removal and recovery of phenolic compounds from actual olive mill wastewater (OMW). The extraction of polyphenols using the new adsorbent based on natural coating agent has significant potential compared with traditional extraction methods, as it significantly increases the extraction yield (80%) and overall efficiencies of the process for total phenols (75.4%) and hydroxytyrosol (90.6%) which is the most valuable compound. Complete discussions on the adsorption isotherms, kinetic and thermodynamic were performed and the optimum adsorption variables were investigated using the response surface methodology and the central composite experimental design. The extracted polyphenols exhibited a high antioxidant activity and a fast scavenging effect on DPPH free radical. The strategy devised in this work for polyphenol extraction using modified activated carbon with biological coating agent is of simple design, very effective and ensure the recovery of highly antioxidant extract. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Designing deoxidation inhibiting encapsulation of metal oxide nanostructures for fluidic and biological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Moumita; Ghosh, Siddharth; Seibt, Michael; Schaap, Iwan A. T.; Schmidt, Christoph F.; Mohan Rao, G.

2016-12-01

Due to their photoluminescence, metal oxide nanostructures such as ZnO nanostructures are promising candidates in biomedical imaging, drug delivery and bio-sensing. To apply them as label for bio-imaging, it is important to study their structural stability in a bio-fluidic environment. We have explored the effect of water, the main constituent of biological solutions, on ZnO nanostructures with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence (PL) studies which show ZnO nanorod degeneration in water. In addition, we propose and investigate a robust and inexpensive method to encapsulate these nanostructures (without structural degradation) using bio-compatible non-ionic surfactant in non-aqueous medium, which was not reported earlier. This new finding is an immediate interest to the broad audience of researchers working in biophysics, sensing and actuation, drug delivery, food and cosmetics technology, etc.

Development of a Biological Science Quantitative Reasoning Exam (BioSQuaRE)

PubMed Central

Stanhope, Liz; Ziegler, Laura; Haque, Tabassum; Le, Laura; Vinces, Marcelo; Davis, Gregory K.; Zieffler, Andrew; Brodfuehrer, Peter; Preest, Marion; M. Belitsky, Jason; Umbanhowar, Charles; Overvoorde, Paul J.

2017-01-01

Multiple reports highlight the increasingly quantitative nature of biological research and the need to innovate means to ensure that students acquire quantitative skills. We present a tool to support such innovation. The Biological Science Quantitative Reasoning Exam (BioSQuaRE) is an assessment instrument designed to measure the quantitative skills of undergraduate students within a biological context. The instrument was developed by an interdisciplinary team of educators and aligns with skills included in national reports such as BIO2010, Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians, and Vision and Change. Undergraduate biology educators also confirmed the importance of items included in the instrument. The current version of the BioSQuaRE was developed through an iterative process using data from students at 12 postsecondary institutions. A psychometric analysis of these data provides multiple lines of evidence for the validity of inferences made using the instrument. Our results suggest that the BioSQuaRE will prove useful to faculty and departments interested in helping students acquire the quantitative competencies they need to successfully pursue biology, and useful to biology students by communicating the importance of quantitative skills. We invite educators to use the BioSQuaRE at their own institutions. PMID:29196427

A review on robotic fish enabled by ionic polymer-metal composite artificial muscles.

PubMed

Chen, Zheng

2017-01-01

A novel actuating material, which is lightweight, soft, and capable of generating large flapping motion under electrical stimuli, is highly desirable to build energy-efficient and maneuverable bio-inspired underwater robots. Ionic polymer-metal composites are important category of electroactive polymers, since they can generate large bending motions under low actuation voltages. IPMCs are ideal artificial muscles for small-scale and bio-inspired robots. This paper takes a system perspective to review the recent work on IPMC-enabled underwater robots, from modeling, fabrication, and bio-inspired design perspectives. First, a physics-based and control-oriented model of IPMC actuator will be reviewed. Second, a bio-inspired robotic fish propelled by IPMC caudal fin will be presented and a steady-state speed model of the fish will be demonstrated. Third, a novel fabrication process for 3D actuating membrane will be introduced and a bio-inspired robotic manta ray propelled by two IPMC pectoral fins will be demonstrated. Fourth, a 2D maneuverable robotic fish propelled by multiple IPMC fin will be presented. Last, advantages and challenges of using IPMC artificial muscles in bio-inspired robots will be concluded.

Fabrication of Composite Microneedle Array Electrode for Temperature and Bio-Signal Monitoring.

PubMed

Sun, Yiwei; Ren, Lei; Jiang, Lelun; Tang, Yong; Liu, Bin

2018-04-13

Body temperature and bio-signals are important health indicators that reflect the human health condition. However, monitoring these indexes is inconvenient and time-consuming, requires various instruments, and needs professional skill. In this study, a composite microneedle array electrode (CMAE) was designed and fabricated. It simultaneously detects body temperature and bio-signals. The CMAE consists of a 6 × 6 microneedles array with a height of 500 μm and a base diameter of 200 μm. Multiple insertion experiments indicate that the CMAE possesses excellent mechanical properties. The CMAE can pierce porcine skin 100 times without breaking or bending. A linear calibration relationship between temperature and voltage are experimentally obtained. Armpit temperature (35.8 °C) and forearm temperature (35.3 °C) are detected with the CMAE, and the measurements agree well with the data acquired with a clinical thermometer. Bio-signals including EII, ECG, and EMG are recorded and compared with those obtained by a commercial Ag/AgCl electrode. The CMAE continuously monitors bio-signals and is more convenient to apply because it does not require skin preparation and gel usage. The CMAE exhibits good potential for continuous and repetitive monitoring of body temperature and bio-signals.

Multi-agent-based bio-network for systems biology: protein-protein interaction network as an example.

PubMed

Ren, Li-Hong; Ding, Yong-Sheng; Shen, Yi-Zhen; Zhang, Xiang-Feng

2008-10-01

Recently, a collective effort from multiple research areas has been made to understand biological systems at the system level. This research requires the ability to simulate particular biological systems as cells, organs, organisms, and communities. In this paper, a novel bio-network simulation platform is proposed for system biology studies by combining agent approaches. We consider a biological system as a set of active computational components interacting with each other and with an external environment. Then, we propose a bio-network platform for simulating the behaviors of biological systems and modelling them in terms of bio-entities and society-entities. As a demonstration, we discuss how a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network can be seen as a society of autonomous interactive components. From interactions among small PPI networks, a large PPI network can emerge that has a remarkable ability to accomplish a complex function or task. We also simulate the evolution of the PPI networks by using the bio-operators of the bio-entities. Based on the proposed approach, various simulators with different functions can be embedded in the simulation platform, and further research can be done from design to development, including complexity validation of the biological system.

Bio-inspired passive actuator simulating an abalone shell mechanism for structural control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Henry T. Y.; Lin, Chun-Hung; Bridges, Daniel; Randall, Connor J.; Hansma, Paul K.

2010-10-01

An energy dispersion mechanism called 'sacrificial bonds and hidden length', which is found in some biological systems, such as abalone shells and bones, is the inspiration for new strategies for structural control. Sacrificial bonds and hidden length can substantially increase the stiffness and enhance energy dissipation in the constituent molecules of abalone shells and bone. Having been inspired by the usefulness and effectiveness of such a mechanism, which has evolved over millions of years and countless cycles of evolutions, the authors employ the conceptual underpinnings of this mechanism to develop a bio-inspired passive actuator. This paper presents a fundamental method for optimally designing such bio-inspired passive actuators for structural control. To optimize the bio-inspired passive actuator, a simple method utilizing the force-displacement-velocity (FDV) plots based on LQR control is proposed. A linear regression approach is adopted in this research to find the initial values of the desired parameters for the bio-inspired passive actuator. The illustrative examples, conducted by numerical simulation with experimental validation, suggest that the bio-inspired passive actuator based on sacrificial bonds and hidden length may be comparable in performance to state-of-the-art semi-active actuators.

Effect of filter media size, mass flow rate and filtration stage number in a moving-bed granular filter on the yield and properties of bio-oil from fast pyrolysis of biomass.

PubMed

Paenpong, Chaturong; Inthidech, Sudsakorn; Pattiya, Adisak

2013-07-01

Fast pyrolysis of cassava rhizome was performed in a bench-scale fluidised-bed reactor unit incorporated with a cross-flow moving-bed granular filter. The objective of this research was to examine several process parameters including the granular size (425-1160 μm) and mass flow rate (0-12 g/min) as well as the number of the filtration stages (1-2 stages) on yields and properties of bio-oil. The results showed that the bio-oil yield decreased from 57.7 wt.% to 42.0-49.2 wt.% when increasing the filter media size, the mass flow rate and the filtration stage number. The effect of the process parameters on various properties of bio-oil is thoroughly discussed. In general, the bio-oil quality in terms of the solids content, ash content, initial viscosity, viscosity change and ageing rate could be enhanced by the hot vapour granular filtration. Therefore, bio-oil of high stability could be produced by the pyrolysis reactor configuration designed in this work. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of Composite Microneedle Array Electrode for Temperature and Bio-Signal Monitoring

PubMed Central

Sun, Yiwei; Ren, Lei; Jiang, Lelun; Tang, Yong; Liu, Bin

2018-01-01

Body temperature and bio-signals are important health indicators that reflect the human health condition. However, monitoring these indexes is inconvenient and time-consuming, requires various instruments, and needs professional skill. In this study, a composite microneedle array electrode (CMAE) was designed and fabricated. It simultaneously detects body temperature and bio-signals. The CMAE consists of a 6 × 6 microneedles array with a height of 500 μm and a base diameter of 200 μm. Multiple insertion experiments indicate that the CMAE possesses excellent mechanical properties. The CMAE can pierce porcine skin 100 times without breaking or bending. A linear calibration relationship between temperature and voltage are experimentally obtained. Armpit temperature (35.8 °C) and forearm temperature (35.3 °C) are detected with the CMAE, and the measurements agree well with the data acquired with a clinical thermometer. Bio-signals including EII, ECG, and EMG are recorded and compared with those obtained by a commercial Ag/AgCl electrode. The CMAE continuously monitors bio-signals and is more convenient to apply because it does not require skin preparation and gel usage. The CMAE exhibits good potential for continuous and repetitive monitoring of body temperature and bio-signals. PMID:29652837

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, Kommunist, No. 7, May 1987

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-13

to the Editors Party Work and Education (V. Shirshov) 50 Scientific Research Institute or Design Bureau? (Yu. Belyayev) 52 The Artist and... research institutes are actual design or technological bureaus judging by the nature of their work and the qualifications of their personnel. In...bureaus while rolling mills or construction machinery are designed by scientific research institutes? This lowers the responsibility of the

Stability of hard plates on soft substrates and application to the design of bioinspired segmented armor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, R.; Barthelat, F.

2016-07-01

Flexible natural armors from fish, alligators or armadillo are attracting an increasing amount of attention from their unique and attractive combinations of hardness, flexibility and light weight. In particular, the extreme contrast of stiffness between hard plates and surrounding soft tissues give rise to unusual and attractive mechanisms, which now serve as model for the design of bio-inspired armors. Despite a growing interest in bio-inspired flexible protection, there is little guidelines as to the choice of materials, optimum thickness, size, shape and arrangement for the protective plates. In this work, we focus on a failure mode we recently observed on natural and bio-inspired scaled armors: the unstable tilting of individual scales subjected to off-centered point forces. We first present a series of experiments on this system, followed by a model based on contact mechanics and friction. We condense the result into a single stability diagram which capture the key parameters that govern the onset of plate tilting from a localized force. We found that the stability of individual plates is governed by the location of the point force on the plate, by the friction at the surface of the plate, by the size of the plate and by the stiffness of the substrate. We finally discuss how some of these parameters can be optimized at the design stage to produce bio-inspired protective systems with desired combination of surface hardness, stability and flexural compliance.

Low grade bioethanol for fuel mixing on gasoline engine using distillation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abikusna, Setia; Sugiarto, Bambang; Suntoro, Dedi; Azami

2017-03-01

Utilization of renewable energy in Indonesia is still low, compared to 34% oil, 20% coal and 20% gas, utilization of energy sources for water 3%, geothermal 1%, 2% biofuels, and biomass 20%. Whereas renewable energy sources dwindling due to the increasing consumption of gasoline as a fuel. It makes us have to look for alternative renewable energy, one of which is bio ethanol. Several studies on the use of ethanol was done to the researchers. Our studies using low grade bio ethanol which begins with the disitillation independently utilize flue gas heat at compact distillator, produces high grade bio ethanol and ready to be mixed with gasoline. Stages of our study is the compact distillator design of the motor dynamic continued with good performance and emission testing and ethanol distilled. Some improvement is made is through the flue gas heat control mechanism in compact distillator using gate valve, at low, medium, and high speed engine. Compact distillator used is kind of a batch distillation column. Column design process using the shortcut method, then carried the tray design to determine the overall geometry. The distillation is done by comparing the separator with a tray of different distances. As well as by varying the volume of the feed and ethanol levels that will feed distilled. In this study, we analyzed the mixing of ethanol through variation between main jet and pilot jet in the carburetor separately interchangeably with gasoline. And finally mixing mechanism bio ethanol with gasoline improved with fuel mixer for performance.

Programmable bio-nano-chip system for saliva diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christodoulides, Nicolaos; De La Garza, Richard; Simmons, Glennon W.; McRae, Michael P.; Wong, Jorge; Kosten, Thomas R.; Miller, Craig S.; Ebersole, Jeffrey L.; McDevitt, John

2014-06-01

This manuscript describes programmable Bio-Nano-Chip (p-BNC) approach that serves as miniaturized assay platform designed for the rapid detection and quantitation of multiple analytes in biological fluids along with the specific applications in salivary diagnostics intended for the point of need (PON). Included here are oral fluid-based tests for local periodontal disease, systemic cardiac disease and multiplexed tests for drugs of abuse.

Low HAP Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

Use maleinized triglycerides to replace UPE • Use novel bio-based reactive diluent to replace styrene Bio-Based Carbon Fibers and Thermosetting Resins...SERDP proposed new start, FY10 • Microbially breakdown lignin into oligomers that can be melt spun and carbonized • Modify renewable...D5045-93 • Designed plant oil-based toughening agents • Uses phase separation to capture MFA reactive diluent • Increases toughness while decreasing

BpWrapper: BioPerl-based sequence and tree utilities for rapid prototyping of bioinformatics pipelines.

PubMed

Hernández, Yözen; Bernstein, Rocky; Pagan, Pedro; Vargas, Levy; McCaig, William; Ramrattan, Girish; Akther, Saymon; Larracuente, Amanda; Di, Lia; Vieira, Filipe G; Qiu, Wei-Gang

2018-03-02

Automated bioinformatics workflows are more robust, easier to maintain, and results more reproducible when built with command-line utilities than with custom-coded scripts. Command-line utilities further benefit by relieving bioinformatics developers to learn the use of, or to interact directly with, biological software libraries. There is however a lack of command-line utilities that leverage popular Open Source biological software toolkits such as BioPerl ( http://bioperl.org ) to make many of the well-designed, robust, and routinely used biological classes available for a wider base of end users. Designed as standard utilities for UNIX-family operating systems, BpWrapper makes functionality of some of the most popular BioPerl modules readily accessible on the command line to novice as well as to experienced bioinformatics practitioners. The initial release of BpWrapper includes four utilities with concise command-line user interfaces, bioseq, bioaln, biotree, and biopop, specialized for manipulation of molecular sequences, sequence alignments, phylogenetic trees, and DNA polymorphisms, respectively. Over a hundred methods are currently available as command-line options and new methods are easily incorporated. Performance of BpWrapper utilities lags that of precompiled utilities while equivalent to that of other utilities based on BioPerl. BpWrapper has been tested on BioPerl Release 1.6, Perl versions 5.10.1 to 5.25.10, and operating systems including Apple macOS, Microsoft Windows, and GNU/Linux. Release code is available from the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) at https://metacpan.org/pod/Bio::BPWrapper . Source code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/bioperl/p5-bpwrapper . BpWrapper improves on existing sequence utilities by following the design principles of Unix text utilities such including a concise user interface, extensive command-line options, and standard input/output for serialized operations. Further, dozens of novel methods for manipulation of sequences, alignments, and phylogenetic trees, unavailable in existing utilities (e.g., EMBOSS, Newick Utilities, and FAST), are provided. Bioinformaticians should find BpWrapper useful for rapid prototyping of workflows on the command-line without creating custom scripts for comparative genomics and other bioinformatics applications.

Effect of ball milling materials and methods on powder processing of Bi2223 superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yavuz, M.; Maeda, H.; Vance, L.; Liu, H. K.; Dou, S. X.

1998-10-01

Various milling systems consisting of agate and polypropylene grinding containers, agate and YSZ balls, and dry and wet milling were used in planetary ball-milling and YSZ balls and YSZ container were used in wet and dry attrition milling. The differently milled powders were then evaluated by measurements of particle size, surface area, porosity, size distribution and chemical analysis of the Si, Zr and C contents. The results show that dry milling is much more efficient for particle size reduction in planetary milling than wet milling, whereas wet milling and dry milling gave quite similar results in attrition milling. Meanwhile 0953-2048/11/10/056/img6 contamination was found in powder milled with an agate container with agate balls. Some C contamination from the polypropylene container was detected after milling, but negligible Zr from YSZ balls and C from the grinding carrier (hexane). It was found that after 1 h milling in the planetary mill fracture mechanisms transform from the elastic to the plastic region. Therefore, further milling is not very effective. It was also shown that the Bi2212 phase decomposes into several non-superconducting oxides such as 0953-2048/11/10/056/img7, CuO and a main amorphous phase after extensive dry milling.

Research activities of biomedical magnesium alloys in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yufeng; Gu, Xuenan

2011-04-01

The potential application of Mg alloys as bioabsorable/biodegradable implants have attracted much recent attention in China. Advances in the design and biocompatibility evaluation of bio-Mg alloys in China are reviewed in this paper. Bio-Mg alloys have been developed by alloying with the trace elements existing in human body, such as Mg-Ca, Mg-Zn and Mg-Si based systems. Additionally, novel structured Mg alloys such as porous, composited, nanocrystalline and bulk metallic glass alloys were tried. To control the biocorrosion rate of bio-Mg implant to match the self-healing/regeneration rate of the surrounding tissue in vivo, surface modification layers were coated with physical and chemical methods.

Bio-Inspired Metal-Coordination Dynamics: A Unique Tool for Engineering Soft Matter Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holten-Andersen, Niels

Growing evidence supports a critical role of metal-coordination in soft biological material properties such as self-healing, underwater adhesion and autonomous wound plugging. Using bio-inspired metal-binding polymers, initial efforts to mimic these properties with metal-coordination crosslinked polymer materials have shown promise. In addition, with polymer network mechanics strongly coupled to coordinate crosslink dynamics material properties can be easily tuned from visco-elastic fluids to solids. Given their exploitation in desirable material applications in Nature, bio-inspired metal-coordinate complex crosslinking provides an opportunity to further advance synthetic polymer materials design. Early lessons from this pursuit are presented.

Bio-Functional Design, Application and Trends in Metallic Biomaterials

PubMed Central

Yang, Ke; Zhou, Changchun; Fan, Hongsong; Fan, Yujiang; Jiang, Qing; Song, Ping; Fan, Hongyuan; Chen, Yu; Zhang, Xingdong

2017-01-01

Introduction of metals as biomaterials has been known for a long time. In the early development, sufficient strength and suitable mechanical properties were the main considerations for metal implants. With the development of new generations of biomaterials, the concepts of bioactive and biodegradable materials were proposed. Biological function design is very import for metal implants in biomedical applications. Three crucial design criteria are summarized for developing metal implants: (1) mechanical properties that mimic the host tissues; (2) sufficient bioactivities to form bio-bonding between implants and surrounding tissues; and (3) a degradation rate that matches tissue regeneration and biodegradability. This article reviews the development of metal implants and their applications in biomedical engineering. Development trends and future perspectives of metallic biomaterials are also discussed. PMID:29271916

Holarchical Systems and Emotional Holons : Biologically-Inspired System Designs for Control of Autonomous Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ippolito, Corey; Plice, Laura; Pisanich, Greg

2003-01-01

The BEES (Bio-inspired Engineering for Exploration Systems) for Mars project at NASA Ames Research Center has the goal of developing bio-inspired flight control strategies to enable aerial explorers for Mars scientific investigations. This paper presents a summary of our ongoing research into biologically inspired system designs for control of unmanned autonomous aerial vehicle communities for Mars exploration. First, we present cooperative design considerations for robotic explorers based on the holarchical nature of biological systems and communities. Second, an outline of an architecture for cognitive decision making and control of individual robotic explorers is presented, modeled after the emotional nervous system of cognitive biological systems. Keywords: Holarchy, Biologically Inspired, Emotional UAV Flight Control

Bio-Functional Design, Application and Trends in Metallic Biomaterials.

PubMed

Yang, Ke; Zhou, Changchun; Fan, Hongsong; Fan, Yujiang; Jiang, Qing; Song, Ping; Fan, Hongyuan; Chen, Yu; Zhang, Xingdong

2017-12-22

Introduction of metals as biomaterials has been known for a long time. In the early development, sufficient strength and suitable mechanical properties were the main considerations for metal implants. With the development of new generations of biomaterials, the concepts of bioactive and biodegradable materials were proposed. Biological function design is very import for metal implants in biomedical applications. Three crucial design criteria are summarized for developing metal implants: (1) mechanical properties that mimic the host tissues; (2) sufficient bioactivities to form bio-bonding between implants and surrounding tissues; and (3) a degradation rate that matches tissue regeneration and biodegradability. This article reviews the development of metal implants and their applications in biomedical engineering. Development trends and future perspectives of metallic biomaterials are also discussed.

Design and implementation of a wireless (Bluetooth) four channel bio-instrumentation amplifier and digital data acquisition device with user-selectable gain, frequency, and driven reference.

PubMed

Cosmanescu, Alin; Miller, Benjamin; Magno, Terence; Ahmed, Assad; Kremenic, Ian

2006-01-01

A portable, multi-purpose Bio-instrumentation Amplifier and Data AcQuisition device (BADAQ) capable of measuring and transmitting EMG and EKG signals wirelessly via Bluetooth is designed and implemented. Common topologies for instrumentation amplifiers and filters are used and realized with commercially available, low-voltage, high precision operational amplifiers. An 8-bit PIC microcontroller performs 10-bit analog-to-digital conversion of the amplified and filtered signals and controls a Bluetooth transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting the data to any Bluetooth enabled device. Electrical isolation between patient/subject, circuitry, and ancillary equipment is achieved by optocoupling components. The design focuses on simplicity, portability, and affordability.

A High Performance Torque Sensor for Milling Based on a Piezoresistive MEMS Strain Gauge

PubMed Central

Qin, Yafei; Zhao, Yulong; Li, Yingxue; Zhao, You; Wang, Peng

2016-01-01

In high speed and high precision machining applications, it is important to monitor the machining process in order to ensure high product quality. For this purpose, it is essential to develop a dynamometer with high sensitivity and high natural frequency which is suited to these conditions. This paper describes the design, calibration and performance of a milling torque sensor based on piezoresistive MEMS strain. A detailed design study is carried out to optimize the two mutually-contradictory indicators sensitivity and natural frequency. The developed torque sensor principally consists of a thin-walled cylinder, and a piezoresistive MEMS strain gauge bonded on the surface of the sensing element where the shear strain is maximum. The strain gauge includes eight piezoresistances and four are connected in a full Wheatstone circuit bridge, which is used to measure the applied torque force during machining procedures. Experimental static calibration results show that the sensitivity of torque sensor has been improved to 0.13 mv/Nm. A modal impact test indicates that the natural frequency of torque sensor reaches 1216 Hz, which is suitable for high speed machining processes. The dynamic test results indicate that the developed torque sensor is stable and practical for monitoring the milling process. PMID:27070620

Design and Validation of a 150 MHz HFFQCM Sensor for Bio-Sensing Applications

PubMed Central

Fernández, Román; García, Pablo; García, María; Jiménez, Yolanda; Arnau, Antonio

2017-01-01

Acoustic wave resonators have become suitable devices for a broad range of sensing applications due to their sensitivity, low cost, and integration capability, which are all factors that meet the requirements for the resonators to be used as sensing elements for portable point of care (PoC) platforms. In this work, the design, characterization, and validation of a 150 MHz high fundamental frequency quartz crystal microbalance (HFF-QCM) sensor for bio-sensing applications are introduced. Finite element method (FEM) simulations of the proposed design are in good agreement with the electrical characterization of the manufactured resonators. The sensor is also validated for bio-sensing applications. For this purpose, a specific sensor cell was designed and manufactured that addresses the critical requirements associated with this type of sensor and application. Due to the small sensing area and the sensor’s fragility, these requirements include a low-volume flow chamber in the nanoliter range, and a system approach that provides the appropriate pressure control for assuring liquid confinement while maintaining the integrity of the sensor with a good base line stability and easy sensor replacement. The sensor characteristics make it suitable for consideration as the elemental part of a sensor matrix in a multichannel platform for point of care applications. PMID:28885551

Response of Surface Soil Hydrology to the Micro-Pattern of Bio-Crust in a Dry-Land Loess Environment, China

PubMed Central

Wei, Wei; Yu, Yun; Chen, Liding

2015-01-01

The specific bio-species and their spatial patterns play crucial roles in regulating eco-hydrologic process, which is significant for large-scale habitat promotion and vegetation restoration in many dry-land ecosystems. Such effects, however, are not yet fully studied. In this study, 12 micro-plots, each with size of 0.5 m in depth and 1 m in length, were constructed on a gentle grassy hill-slope with a mean gradient of 8° in a semiarid loess hilly area of China. Two major bio-crusts, including mosses and lichens, had been cultivated for two years prior to the field simulation experiments, while physical crusts and non-crusted bare soils were used for comparison. By using rainfall simulation method, four designed micro-patterns (i.e., upper bio-crust and lower bare soil, scattered bio-crust, upper bare soil and lower bio-crust, fully-covered bio-crust) to the soil hydrological response were analyzed. We found that soil surface bio-crusts were more efficient in improving soil structure, water holding capacity and runoff retention particularly at surface 10 cm layers, compared with physical soil crusts and non-crusted bare soils. We re-confirmed that mosses functioned better than lichens, partly due to their higher successional stage and deeper biomass accumulation. Physical crusts were least efficient in water conservation and erosion control, followed by non-crusted bare soils. More importantly, there were marked differences in the efficiency of the different spatial arrangements of bio-crusts in controlling runoff and sediment generation. Fully-covered bio-crust pattern provides the best option for soil loss reduction and runoff retention, while a combination of upper bio-crust and lower bare soil pattern is the least one. These findings are suggested to be significant for surface-cover protection, rainwater infiltration, runoff retention, and erosion control in water-restricted and degraded natural slopes. PMID:26207757

Response of Surface Soil Hydrology to the Micro-Pattern of Bio-Crust in a Dry-Land Loess Environment, China.

PubMed

Wei, Wei; Yu, Yun; Chen, Liding

2015-01-01

The specific bio-species and their spatial patterns play crucial roles in regulating eco-hydrologic process, which is significant for large-scale habitat promotion and vegetation restoration in many dry-land ecosystems. Such effects, however, are not yet fully studied. In this study, 12 micro-plots, each with size of 0.5 m in depth and 1 m in length, were constructed on a gentle grassy hill-slope with a mean gradient of 8° in a semiarid loess hilly area of China. Two major bio-crusts, including mosses and lichens, had been cultivated for two years prior to the field simulation experiments, while physical crusts and non-crusted bare soils were used for comparison. By using rainfall simulation method, four designed micro-patterns (i.e., upper bio-crust and lower bare soil, scattered bio-crust, upper bare soil and lower bio-crust, fully-covered bio-crust) to the soil hydrological response were analyzed. We found that soil surface bio-crusts were more efficient in improving soil structure, water holding capacity and runoff retention particularly at surface 10 cm layers, compared with physical soil crusts and non-crusted bare soils. We re-confirmed that mosses functioned better than lichens, partly due to their higher successional stage and deeper biomass accumulation. Physical crusts were least efficient in water conservation and erosion control, followed by non-crusted bare soils. More importantly, there were marked differences in the efficiency of the different spatial arrangements of bio-crusts in controlling runoff and sediment generation. Fully-covered bio-crust pattern provides the best option for soil loss reduction and runoff retention, while a combination of upper bio-crust and lower bare soil pattern is the least one. These findings are suggested to be significant for surface-cover protection, rainwater infiltration, runoff retention, and erosion control in water-restricted and degraded natural slopes.

Coupled sensor/platform control design for low-level chemical detection with position-adaptive micro-UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwin, Thomas; Carr, Ryan; Mitra, Atindra K.; Selmic, Rastko R.

2009-05-01

We discuss the development of Position-Adaptive Sensors [1] for purposes for detecting embedded chemical substances in challenging environments. This concept is a generalization of patented Position-Adaptive Radar Concepts developed at AFRL for challenging conditions such as urban environments. For purposes of investigating the detection of chemical substances using multiple MAV (Micro-UAV) platforms, we have designed and implemented an experimental testbed with sample structures such as wooden carts that contain controlled leakage points. Under this general concept, some of the members of a MAV swarm can serve as external position-adaptive "transmitters" by blowing air over the cart and some of the members of a MAV swarm can serve as external position-adaptive "receivers" that are equipped with chemical or biological (chem/bio) sensors that function as "electronic noses". The objective can be defined as improving the particle count of chem/bio concentrations that impinge on a MAV-based position-adaptive sensor that surrounds a chemical repository, such as a cart, via the development of intelligent position-adaptive control algorithms. The overall effect is to improve the detection and false-alarm statistics of the overall system. Within the major sections of this paper, we discuss a number of different aspects of developing our initial MAV-Based Sensor Testbed. This testbed includes blowers to simulate position-adaptive excitations and a MAV from Draganfly Innovations Inc. with stable design modifications to accommodate our chem/bio sensor boom design. We include details with respect to several critical phases of the development effort including development of the wireless sensor network and experimental apparatus, development of the stable sensor boom for the MAV, integration of chem/bio sensors and sensor node onto the MAV and boom, development of position-adaptive control algorithms and initial tests at IDCAST (Institute for the Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technologies), and autonomous positionadaptive chem/bio tests and demos in the MAV Lab at AFRL Air Vehicles Directorate. For this particular MAV implementation of chem/bio sensors, we selected miniature Methane, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Carbon Monoxide sensors. To safely simulate the behavior of chem/bio substances in our laboratory environment, we used either cigarette smoke or incense. We present a set of concise parametric results along with visual demonstration of our new position-adaptive sensor capability. Two types of experiments were conducted: with sensor nodes screening the chemical contaminant (cigarette smoke or incense) without MAVs, and with a sensor node integrated with the MAV. It was shown that the MOS-based chemical sensors could be used for chemical leakage detection, as well as for position-adaptive sensors on air/ground vehicles as sniffers for chemical contaminants.

Virtually optimized insoles for offloading the diabetic foot: A randomized crossover study.

PubMed

Telfer, S; Woodburn, J; Collier, A; Cavanagh, P R

2017-07-26

Integration of objective biomechanical measures of foot function into the design process for insoles has been shown to provide enhanced plantar tissue protection for individuals at-risk of plantar ulceration. The use of virtual simulations utilizing numerical modeling techniques offers a potential approach to further optimize these devices. In a patient population at-risk of foot ulceration, we aimed to compare the pressure offloading performance of insoles that were optimized via numerical simulation techniques against shape-based devices. Twenty participants with diabetes and at-risk feet were enrolled in this study. Three pairs of personalized insoles: one based on shape data and subsequently manufactured via direct milling; and two were based on a design derived from shape, pressure, and ultrasound data which underwent a finite element analysis-based virtual optimization procedure. For the latter set of insole designs, one pair was manufactured via direct milling, and a second pair was manufactured through 3D printing. The offloading performance of the insoles was analyzed for forefoot regions identified as having elevated plantar pressures. In 88% of the regions of interest, the use of virtually optimized insoles resulted in lower peak plantar pressures compared to the shape-based devices. Overall, the virtually optimized insoles significantly reduced peak pressures by a mean of 41.3kPa (p<0.001, 95% CI [31.1, 51.5]) for milled and 40.5kPa (p<0.001, 95% CI [26.4, 54.5]) for printed devices compared to shape-based insoles. The integration of virtual optimization into the insole design process resulted in improved offloading performance compared to standard, shape-based devices. ISRCTN19805071, www.ISRCTN.org. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential of biogenic hydrogen production for hydrogen driven remediation strategies in marine environments.

PubMed

Hosseinkhani, Baharak; Hennebel, Tom; Boon, Nico

2014-09-25

Fermentative production of bio-hydrogen (bio-H2) from organic residues has emerged as a promising alternative for providing the required electron source for hydrogen driven remediation strategies. Unlike the widely used production of H2 by bacteria in fresh water systems, few reports are available regarding the generation of biogenic H2 and optimisation processes in marine systems. The present research aims to optimise the capability of an indigenous marine bacterium for the production of bio-H2 in marine environments and subsequently develop this process for hydrogen driven remediation strategies. Fermentative conversion of organics in marine media to H2 using a marine isolate, Pseudoalteromonas sp. BH11, was determined. A Taguchi design of experimental methodology was employed to evaluate the optimal nutritional composition in batch tests to improve bio-H2 yields. Further optimisation experiments showed that alginate-immobilised bacterial cells were able to produce bio-H2 at the same rate as suspended cells over a period of several weeks. Finally, bio-H2 was used as electron donor to successfully dehalogenate trichloroethylene (TCE) using biogenic palladium nanoparticles as a catalyst. Fermentative production of bio-H2 can be a promising technique for concomitant generation of an electron source for hydrogen driven remediation strategies and treatment of organic residue in marine ecosystems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of preplant seed bio-invigoration techniques using Bacillus sp. CKD061 to improving seed viability and vigor of several local upland rice cultivars of Southeast Sulawesi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutariati, G. A. K.; Bande, L. O. S.; Khaeruni, A.; Muhidin; Mudi, L.; Savitri, R. M.

2018-02-01

Research was aimed to evaluate the bio-invigoration techniques using Bacillus sp. CKD061 in improving seed viability and vigor of local upland rice. The research is arranged in factorial with completely randomized design (CRD). The different upland rice cultivars as first factor that consists of 11 cultivars, namely: Pae Tinangge, Pae Rowu, Pae Uwa, Pae Tanta, Pae Waburi-Buri, Pae Mornene, Pae Indalibana, Pae Lawarangka, Pae Huko, Pae Wagamba and Pae Momea. The second factor is the seed bio-invigoration technique, consists of 5 treatments, namely: without seed bio-invigoration (B0), NaCl + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B1), KNO3 + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B2), Ground burned-rice husk + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B3), and Ground brick + Bacillus sp. CKD061 (B4). The results showed that seed bio-invigoration using Bacillus sp. CKD061 gave effect on the seed viability and vigor. Interaction of the seed bio-invigoration and upland rice cultivars were able to improve seed viability and vigor. Seed bio-invigoration ttreatment using ground brick + Bacillus sp. CKD061 was the best treatment, which could improve the viability and vigor of Pae Waburi-Buri, Pae Mornene and Pae Indalibana. The treatment increased vigor index by 133% in Pae Waburi-Buri and 127% in Pae Mornene, and Pae Indalibana compared with control.

Mastering multi-depth bio-chip patterns with DVD LBRs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carson, Doug

2017-08-01

Bio chip and bio disc are rapidly growing technologies used in medical, health and other industries. While there are numerous unique designs and features, these products all rely on precise three-dimensional micro-fluidic channels or arrays to move, separate and combine samples under test. These bio chip and bio disc consumables are typically manufactured by molding these parts to a precise three-dimensional pattern on a negative metal stamper, or they can be made in smaller quantities using an appropriate curable resin and a negative mold/stamper. Stampers required for bio chips have been traditionally made using either micro machining or XY stepping lithography. Both of these technologies have their advantages as well as limitations when it comes to creating micro-fluidic patterns. Significant breakthroughs in continuous maskless lithography have enabled accurate and efficient manufacturing of micro-fluidic masters using LBRs (Laser Beam Recorders) and DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching). The important advantages of LBR continuous lithography vs. XY stepping lithography and micro machining are speed and cost. LBR based continuous lithography is >100x faster than XY stepping lithography and more accurate than micro machining. Several innovations were required in order to create multi-depth patterns with sub micron accuracy. By combining proven industrial LBRs with DCA's G3-VIA pattern generator and DRIE, three-dimensional bio chip masters and stampers are being manufactured efficiently and accurately.

Improvements in survival of the uncemented Nottingham Total Shoulder prosthesis: a prospective comparative study

PubMed Central

Rosenberg, Nahum; Neumann, Lars; Modi, Amit; Mersich, Istvan J; Wallace, Angus W

2007-01-01

Background The uncemented Nottingham Total Shoulder Replacement prosthesis system (Nottingham TSR) was developed from the previous BioModular® shoulder prosthesis taking into consideration the causes of the initial implant's failure. We investigated the impact of changes in the design of Nottingham TSR prosthesis on its survivorship rate. Methods Survivorship analyses of three types of uncemented total shoulder arthroplasty prostheses (BioModular®, initial Nottingham TSR and current Nottingham TSR systems with 11, 8 and 4 year survivorship data respectively) were compared. All these prostheses were implanted for the treatment of disabling pain in the shoulder due to primary and secondary osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Each type of the prosthesis studied was implanted in consecutive group of patients – 90 patients with BioModular® system, 103 with the initial Nottingham TSR and 34 patients with the current Nottingham TSR system. The comparison of the annual cumulative survivorship values in the compatible time range between the three groups was done according to the paired t test. Results The 8-year and 11-year survivorship rates for the initially used modified BioModular® uncemented prosthesis were relatively low (75.6% and 71.7% respectively) comparing to the reported survivorship of the conventional cemented implants. The 8-year survivorship for the uncemented Nottingham TSR prosthesis was significantly higher (81.8%), but still not in the desired range of above 90%, that is found in other cemented designs. Glenoid component loosening was the main factor of prosthesis failure in both prostheses and mainly occurred in the first 4 postoperative years. The 4-year survivorship of the currently re-designed Nottingham TSR prosthesis, with hydroxylapatite coating of the glenoid baseplate, was significantly higher, 93.1% as compared to 85.1% of the previous Nottingham TSR. Conclusion The initial Nottingham shoulder prosthesis showed significantly higher survivorship than the BioModular® uncemented prosthesis, but lower than expected. Subsequently re-designed Nottingham TSR system presented a high short term survivorship rate that encourages its ongoing use PMID:17683577

Gas flow parameters in laser cutting of wood- nozzle design

Treesearch

Kali Mukherjee; Tom Grendzwell; Parwaiz A.A. Khan; Charles McMillin

1990-01-01

The Automated Lumber Processing System (ALPS) is an ongoing team research effort to optimize the yield of parts in a furniture rough mill. The process is designed to couple aspects of computer vision, computer optimization of yield, and laser cutting. This research is focused on optimizing laser wood cutting. Laser machining of lumber has the advantage over...

Improve homology search sensitivity of PacBio data by correcting frameshifts.

PubMed

Du, Nan; Sun, Yanni

2016-09-01

Single-molecule, real-time sequencing (SMRT) developed by Pacific BioSciences produces longer reads than secondary generation sequencing technologies such as Illumina. The long read length enables PacBio sequencing to close gaps in genome assembly, reveal structural variations, and identify gene isoforms with higher accuracy in transcriptomic sequencing. However, PacBio data has high sequencing error rate and most of the errors are insertion or deletion errors. During alignment-based homology search, insertion or deletion errors in genes will cause frameshifts and may only lead to marginal alignment scores and short alignments. As a result, it is hard to distinguish true alignments from random alignments and the ambiguity will incur errors in structural and functional annotation. Existing frameshift correction tools are designed for data with much lower error rate and are not optimized for PacBio data. As an increasing number of groups are using SMRT, there is an urgent need for dedicated homology search tools for PacBio data. In this work, we introduce Frame-Pro, a profile homology search tool for PacBio reads. Our tool corrects sequencing errors and also outputs the profile alignments of the corrected sequences against characterized protein families. We applied our tool to both simulated and real PacBio data. The results showed that our method enables more sensitive homology search, especially for PacBio data sets of low sequencing coverage. In addition, we can correct more errors when comparing with a popular error correction tool that does not rely on hybrid sequencing. The source code is freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/frame-pro/ yannisun@msu.edu. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Use of a Bioactive Scaffold to Stimulate ACL Healing Also Minimizes Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis after Surgery

PubMed Central

Murray, Martha M.; Fleming, Braden C.

2013-01-01

Background While ACL reconstruction is the treatment gold standard for ACL injury, it does not reduce the risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Therefore, new treatments that minimize this postoperative complication are of interest. Bio-enhanced ACL repair, in which a bioactive scaffold is used to stimulate healing of an ACL transection, has shown considerable promise in short term studies. The long-term results of this technique and the effects of the bio-enhancement on the articular cartilage have not been previously evaluated in a large animal model. Hypothesis 1) The structural (tensile) properties of the porcine ACL at 6 and 12 months after injury are similar when treated with bio-enhanced ACL repair, bio-enhanced ACL reconstruction, or conventional ACL reconstruction, and all treatments yield results superior to untreated ACL transection. 2) After one year, macroscopic cartilage damage following bio-enhanced ACL repair is similar to bio-enhanced ACL reconstruction and less than conventional ACL reconstruction and untreated ACL transection. Study Design Controlled laboratory study (porcine model) Methods Sixty-two Yucatan mini-pigs underwent ACL transection and randomization to four experimental groups: 1) no treatment, 2) conventional ACL reconstruction, 3) “bio-enhanced” ACL reconstruction using a bioactive scaffold, and 4) “bio-enhanced” ACL repair using a bioactive scaffold. The biomechanical properties of the ligament or graft and macroscopic assessments of the cartilage surfaces were performed after 6 and 12 months of healing. Results The structural properties (i.e., linear stiffness, yield and maximum loads) of the ligament following bio-enhanced ACL repair were not significantly different from bio-enhanced ACL reconstruction or conventional ACL reconstruction, but were significantly greater than untreated ACL transection after 12 months of healing. Macroscopic cartilage damage after bio-enhanced ACL repair was significantly less than untreated ACL transection and bio-enhanced ACL reconstruction, and there was a strong trend (p=.068) that it was less than conventional ACL reconstruction in the porcine model at 12 months. Conclusions Bio-enhanced ACL repair produces a ligament that is biomechanically similar to an ACL graft and provides chondroprotection to the joint following ACL surgery. Clinical Relevance Bio-enhanced ACL repair may provide a new less invasive treatment option that reduces cartilage damage following joint injury. PMID:23857883

Bio-inspired Ni2+-polyphenol hydrophilic network to achieve unconventional high-flux nanofiltration membranes for environmental remediation.

PubMed

You, Fangjie; Xu, Yanchao; Yang, Xiaobin; Zhang, Yanqiu; Shao, Lu

2017-06-01

A novel Ni 2+ -polyphenol network was designed as an excellent bio-coating by a one-step strategy to obtain nanofiltration membranes, possessing unconventional high water flux up to 56.1 L m -2 h -1 bar -1 with rose bengal (RB) rejection above 95%. This study provides a facile approach to prepare highly-efficient nanofiltration membranes for wastewater remediation.

Biophysical analysis of bacterial and viral systems. A shock tube study of bio-aerosols and a correlated AFM/nanosims investigation of vaccinia virus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gates, Sean Damien

2013-05-01

The work presented herein is concerned with the development of biophysical methodology designed to address pertinent questions regarding the behavior and structure of select pathogenic agents. Two distinct studies are documented: a shock tube analysis of endospore-laden bio-aerosols and a correlated AFM/NanoSIMS study of the structure of vaccinia virus.

A new biarticular actuator design facilitates control of leg function in BioBiped3.

PubMed

Sharbafi, Maziar Ahmad; Rode, Christian; Kurowski, Stefan; Scholz, Dorian; Möckel, Rico; Radkhah, Katayon; Zhao, Guoping; Rashty, Aida Mohammadinejad; Stryk, Oskar von; Seyfarth, Andre

2016-07-01

Bioinspired legged locomotion comprises different aspects, such as (i) benefiting from reduced complexity control approaches as observed in humans/animals, (ii) combining embodiment with the controllers and (iii) reflecting neural control mechanisms. One of the most important lessons learned from nature is the significant role of compliance in simplifying control, enhancing energy efficiency and robustness against perturbations for legged locomotion. In this research, we investigate how body morphology in combination with actuator design may facilitate motor control of leg function. Inspired by the human leg muscular system, we show that biarticular muscles have a key role in balancing the upper body, joint coordination and swing leg control. Appropriate adjustment of biarticular spring rest length and stiffness can simplify the control and also reduce energy consumption. In order to test these findings, the BioBiped3 robot was developed as a new version of BioBiped series of biologically inspired, compliant musculoskeletal robots. In this robot, three-segmented legs actuated by mono- and biarticular series elastic actuators mimic the nine major human leg muscle groups. With the new biarticular actuators in BioBiped3, novel simplified control concepts for postural balance and for joint coordination in rebounding movements (drop jumps) were demonstrated and approved.

Final Report: Conceptual Design of an Electron Accelerator for Bio-Solid Waste Treatment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooper, Charles

Several studies have identified electron beam (EB) irradiation of municipal wastewater and bio-solids as an effective and promising approach to the environmental remediation of the enormous quantities of human waste created by a growing world-wide population and increased urbanization. However, despite the technical success of experimental and pilot programs over the last several decades, the technique is still not in commercial use anywhere in the world. In addition, the report also identifies the need for “Financial and infrastructure participation from a utility for demonstration project” and “Education and awareness of safety of utilizing electron beam technology” as two additional roadblocksmore » preventing technology adoption of EB treatment for bio-solids. In this concept design, we begin to address these barriers by working with Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) and by the applying the latest accelerator technologies developed at Fermilab and within the DOE Office of Science laboratory complex.« less

Two-dimensional honeycomb network through sequence-controlled self-assembly of oligopeptides.

PubMed

Abb, Sabine; Harnau, Ludger; Gutzler, Rico; Rauschenbach, Stephan; Kern, Klaus

2016-01-12

The sequence of a peptide programs its self-assembly and hence the expression of specific properties through non-covalent interactions. A large variety of peptide nanostructures has been designed employing different aspects of these non-covalent interactions, such as dispersive interactions, hydrogen bonding or ionic interactions. Here we demonstrate the sequence-controlled fabrication of molecular nanostructures using peptides as bio-organic building blocks for two-dimensional (2D) self-assembly. Scanning tunnelling microscopy reveals changes from compact or linear assemblies (angiotensin I) to long-range ordered, chiral honeycomb networks (angiotensin II) as a result of removal of steric hindrance by sequence modification. Guided by our observations, molecular dynamic simulations yield atomistic models for the elucidation of interpeptide-binding motifs. This new approach to 2D self-assembly on surfaces grants insight at the atomic level that will enable the use of oligo- and polypeptides as large, multi-functional bio-organic building blocks, and opens a new route towards rationally designed, bio-inspired surfaces.

Bio hydrogen production from cassava starch by anaerobic mixed cultures: Multivariate statistical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tien, Hai Minh; Le, Kien Anh; Le, Phung Thi Kim

2017-09-01

Bio hydrogen is a sustainable energy resource due to its potentially higher efficiency of conversion to usable power, high energy efficiency and non-polluting nature resource. In this work, the experiments have been carried out to indicate the possibility of generating bio hydrogen as well as identifying effective factors and the optimum conditions from cassava starch. Experimental design was used to investigate the effect of operating temperature (37-43 °C), pH (6-7), and inoculums ratio (6-10 %) to the yield hydrogen production, the COD reduction and the ratio of volume of hydrogen production to COD reduction. The statistical analysis of the experiment indicated that the significant effects for the fermentation yield were the main effect of temperature, pH and inoculums ratio. The interaction effects between them seem not significant. The central composite design showed that the polynomial regression models were in good agreement with the experimental results. This result will be applied to enhance the process of cassava starch processing wastewater treatment.

Development of a bioaerosol single particle detector (BIO IN) for the fast ice nucleus chamber FINCH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bundke, U.; Reimann, B.; Nillius, B.; Jaenicke, R.; Bingemer, H.

2009-10-01

In this work we present the setup and first tests of our new BIO IN detector. This detector is designed to classify atmospheric ice nuclei (IN) for their biological content. Biological material is identified via its auto-fluorescence (intrinsic fluorescence) after irradiation with UV radiation. Ice nuclei are key substances for precipitation development via the Bergeron-Findeisen process. The level of scientific knowledge regarding origin and climatology (temporal and spatial distribution) of IN is very low. Some biological material is known to be active as IN even at relatively high temperatures of up to -2°C (e.g. pseudomonas syringae bacteria). These biological IN could have a strong influence on the formation of clouds and precipitation. We have designed the new BIO IN sensor to analyze the abundance of IN of biological origin. The instrument will be flown on one of the first missions of the new German research aircraft ''HALO'' (High Altitude and LOng Range).

Smart, Sustainable, and Ecofriendly Chemical Design of Fully Bio-Based Thermally Stable Thermosets Based on Benzoxazine Chemistry.

PubMed

Froimowicz, Pablo; R Arza, Carlos; Han, Lu; Ishida, Hatsuo

2016-08-09

A smart synthetic chemical design incorporating furfurylamine, a natural renewable amine, into a partially bio-based coumarin-containing benzoxazine is presented. The versatility of the synthetic approach is shown to be flexible and robust enough to be successful under more ecofriendly reaction conditions by replacing toluene with ethanol as the reaction solvent and even under solventless conditions. The chemical structure of this coumarin-furfurylamine-containing benzoxazine is characterized by FTIR, (1) H NMR spectroscopy and two-dimensional (1) H-(1) H nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (2D (1) H-(1) H NOESY). The thermal properties of the resin toward polymerization are characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the thermal stability of the resulting polymers by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results reveal that the furanic moiety induces a co-operative activating effect, thus lowering the polymerization temperature and also contributes to a better thermal stability of the resulting polymers. These results, in addition to those of natural renewable benzoxazine resins reviewed herein, highlight the positive and beneficial implication of designing novel bio-based polybenzoxazine and possibly other thermosets with desirable and competitive properties. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Explorative Analyses of Nursing Research Data.

PubMed

Kim, Hyeoneui; Jang, Imho; Quach, Jimmy; Richardson, Alex; Kim, Jaemin; Choi, Jeeyae

2016-10-26

As a first step of pursuing the vision of "big data science in nursing," we described the characteristics of nursing research data reported in 194 published nursing studies. We also explored how completely the Version 1 metadata specification of biomedical and healthCAre Data Discovery Index Ecosystem (bioCADDIE) represents these metadata. The metadata items of the nursing studies were all related to one or more of the bioCADDIE metadata entities. However, values of many metadata items of the nursing studies were not sufficiently represented through the bioCADDIE metadata. This was partly due to the differences in the scope of the content that the bioCADDIE metadata are designed to represent. The 194 nursing studies reported a total of 1,181 unique data items, the majority of which take non-numeric values. This indicates the importance of data standardization to enable the integrative analyses of these data to support big data science in nursing. © The Author(s) 2016.

BioServe space technologies: A NASA Center for the Commercial Development of Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Center for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), was established in 1987. As is characteristic of each CCDS designated by NASA, the goals of this commercial center are aimed at stimulating high technology research that takes advantage of the space environment and at leading in the development of new products and services which have commercial potential or that contribute to possible new commercial ventures. BioServe's efforts in these areas focus upon space life science studies and the development of enabling devices that will facilitate ground-based experiments as well as the conversion of such to the microgravity environment. A direct result of BioServe's hardware development and life sciences studies is the training of the next generation of bioengineers who will be knowledgeable and comfortable working with the challenges of the space frontier.

Introducing bio- and micro-technology into undergraduate thermal-fluids courses: investigating pipe pressure loss via atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Müller, Marcus; Traum, Matthew J

2012-01-01

To introduce bio- and micro-technologies into general undergraduate thermal-fluids classes, a hands-on interdisciplinary in-class demonstration is described that juxtaposes classical pressure loss pipe flow experiments against a modern micro-characterization technique, AFM profilometry. Both approaches measure surface roughness and can segue into classroom discussions related to material selection and design of bio-medical devices to handle biological fluids such as blood. Appealing to the range of engineering students populating a general thermal-fluids course, a variety of pipe/hose/tube materials representing a spectrum of disciplines can be tested using both techniques. This in-class demonstration relies on technical content already available in standard thermal-fluids textbooks, provides experimental juxtaposition between classical and micro-technology-enabled approaches to the same experiment, and can be taught by personnel with no specialized micro- or bio-technology expertise.

Direct conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene on nanosized Zn(x)Zr(y)O(z) mixed oxides with balanced acid-base sites.

PubMed

Sun, Junming; Zhu, Kake; Gao, Feng; Wang, Chongmin; Liu, Jun; Peden, Charles H F; Wang, Yong

2011-07-27

We report the design and synthesis of nanosized Zn(x)Zr(y)O(z) mixed oxides for direct and high-yield conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene (~83%). ZnO is addded to ZrO(2) to selectively passivate zirconia's strong Lewis acidic sites and weaken Brönsted acidic sites, while simultaneously introducing basicity. As a result, the undesired reactions of bio-ethanol dehydration and acetone polymerization/coking are suppressed. Instead, a surface basic site-catalyzed ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde to acetone conversion via a complex pathway including aldol-condensation/dehydrogenation, and a Brönsted acidic site-catalyzed acetone-to-isobutene reaction pathway dominates on the nanosized Zn(x)Zr(y)O(z) mixed oxide catalyst, leading to a highly selective process for direct conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene.

Catalytic Hydrogenation of Bio-Oil for Chemicals and Fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Douglas C.

2006-02-14

The scope of work includes optimizing processing conditions and demonstrating catalyst lifetime for catalyst formulations that are readily scaleable to commercial operations. We use a bench-scale, continuous-flow, packed-bed, catalytic, tubular reactor, which can be operated in the range of 100-400 mL/hr., from 50-400 C and up to 20MPa (see Figure 1). With this unit we produce upgraded bio-oil from whole bio-oil or useful bio-oil fractions, specifically pyrolytic lignin. The product oils are fractionated, for example by distillation, for recovery of chemical product streams. Other products from our tests have been used in further testing in petroleum refining technology at UOPmore » and fractionation for product recovery in our own lab. Further scale-up of the technology is envisioned and we will carry out or support process design efforts with industrial partners, such as UOP.« less

Process modelling of biomass conversion to biofuels with combined heat and power.

PubMed

Sharma, Abhishek; Shinde, Yogesh; Pareek, Vishnu; Zhang, Dongke

2015-12-01

A process model has been developed to study the pyrolysis of biomass to produce biofuel with heat and power generation. The gaseous and solid products were used to generate heat and electrical power, whereas the bio-oil was stored and supplied for other applications. The overall efficiency of the base case model was estimated for conversion of biomass into useable forms of bio-energy. It was found that the proposed design is not only significantly efficient but also potentially suitable for distributed operation of pyrolysis plants having centralised post processing facilities for production of other biofuels and chemicals. It was further determined that the bio-oil quality improved using a multi-stage condensation system. However, the recycling of flue gases coming from combustor instead of non-condensable gases in the pyrolyzer led to increase in the overall efficiency of the process with degradation of bio-oil quality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Biological evaluation within a risk management process].

PubMed

Zhuang, Fei; Ding, Biao

2007-07-01

Bio-evaluation within the medical device quality/risk management system is a risk analyzing and assessing process. On the basis of data from characterization of materials, scientific literatures, application history, bio-toxicology testing and so on, weighing the benefit and the risk, bio-evaluation does a conclusion to "take" or "quit" the product design. There is no "zero risk" though "no toxicity" always is the most desirable conclusion in a testing report. The application history data is the most comprehensive among the information available, since no testing system can "clone" the human body. In addition, the capital cost has to be taken into account when bringing the sophisticated testing technologies into the evaluating system. Investigating the #G95-1 of FDA CDRH and the changes of ISO 10993-1, the trend to integrate bio-evaluation into a quality/risk management process can be figured out.

Analysis of the bacterial community changes in soil for septic tank effluent treatment in response to bio-clogging.

PubMed

Nie, J Y; Zhu, N W; Zhao, K; Wu, L; Hu, Y H

2011-01-01

Soil columns were set up to survey the bacterial community in the soil for septic tank effluent treatment. When bio-clogging occurred in the soil columns, the effluent from the columns was in poorer quality. To evaluate changes of the soil bacterial community in response to bio-clogging, the bacterial community was characterized by DNA gene sequences from soil samples after polymerase chain reaction coupled with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis process. Correspondence analysis showed that Proteobacteria related bacteria were the main bacteria within the soil when treating septic tank effluent. However, Betaproteobacteria related bacteria were the dominant microorganisms in the normal soil, whereas Alphaproteobacteria related bacteria were more abundant in the clogged soil. This study provided insight into changes of the soil bacterial community in response to bio-clogging. The results can supply some useful information for the design and management of soil infiltration systems.

Alternative Natural Energy Sources in Building Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Albert J.; Schubert, Robert P.

This publication provides a discussion of various energy conserving building systems and design alternatives. The information presented here covers alternative space and water heating systems, and energy conserving building designs incorporating these systems and other energy conserving techniques. Besides water, wind, solar, and bio conversion…

Sequencing of Dust Filter Production Process Using Design Structure Matrix (DSM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, R. M.; Matondang, A. R.; Syahputri, K.; Anizar; Siregar, I.; Rizkya, I.; Ursula, C.

2018-01-01

Metal casting company produces machinery spare part for manufactures. One of the product produced is dust filter. Most of palm oil mill used this product. Since it is used in most of palm oil mill, company often have problems to address this product. One of problem is the disordered of production process. It carried out by the job sequencing. The important job that should be solved first, least implement, while less important job and could be completed later, implemented first. Design Structure Matrix (DSM) used to analyse and determine priorities in the production process. DSM analysis is sort of production process through dependency sequencing. The result of dependency sequences shows the sequence process according to the inter-process linkage considering before and after activities. Finally, it demonstrates their activities to the coupled activities for metal smelting, refining, grinding, cutting container castings, metal expenditure of molds, metal casting, coating processes, and manufacture of molds of sand.

Development of flow systems by direct-milling on poly(methyl methacrylate) substrates using UV-photopolymerization as sealing process.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Eunice R G O; Lapa, Rui A S

2009-03-01

An alternative process for the design and construction of fluidic devices is presented. Several sealing processes were studied, as well as the hydrodynamic characteristics of the proposed fluidic devices. Manifolds were imprinted on polymeric substrates by direct-write milling, according to Computer Assisted Design (CAD) data. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was used as substrate due to its physical and chemical properties. Different bonding approaches for the imprinted channels were evaluated and UV-photopolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) was selected. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the proposed flow devices were assessed and compared to those obtained in similar flow systems using PTFE reactors and micro-pumps as propulsion units (multi-pumping approach). The applicability of the imprinted reactors was evaluated in the sequential determination of calcium and magnesium in water samples. Results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained by the reference procedure.

Investigation of 1-Dimensional ultrasonic vibration compliance mechanism based on finite element analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latif, A. Afiff; Ibrahim, M. Rasidi; Rahim, E. A.; Cheng, K.

2017-04-01

The conventional milling has many difficulties in the processing of hard and brittle material. Hence, ultrasonic vibration assisted milling (UVAM) was proposed to overcome this problem. The objective of this research is to study the behavior of compliance mechanism (CM) as the critical part affect the performance of the UVAM. The design of the CM was investigated and focuses on 1-Dimensional. Experimental result was obtained from a portable laser digital vibrometer. While the 1-Dimensional value such as safety factor, deformation of hinges and stress analysis are obtained from finite elements simulation. Finally, the findings help to find the best design judging from the most travelled distance of the piezoelectric actuators. In addition, this paper would provide a clear picture the behavior of the CM embedded in the UVAM, which can provide good data and to improve the machining on reducing tool wear, and lower cutting force on the workpiece surface roughness.

30. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 18761889. Threeroll sugar mill: oneton ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

30. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 1876-1889. Three-roll sugar mill: one-ton daily processing capacity. Manufactured by Edwin Maw, Liverpool, England, ca. 1885-1870. View: Masonry-lined passage-way leading to the mill at the center of its circular masonry enclosure. The passageway permitted cane to be carried to the mill and cane trash (bagasse) to be carried away. Bridges over the passageways, no longer in place, permitted the mill animals to circle and power the mill from above. - R. W. Meyer Sugar Mill, State Route 47, Kualapuu, Maui County, HI

The 3rd DBCLS BioHackathon: improving life science data integration with Semantic Web technologies.

PubMed

Katayama, Toshiaki; Wilkinson, Mark D; Micklem, Gos; Kawashima, Shuichi; Yamaguchi, Atsuko; Nakao, Mitsuteru; Yamamoto, Yasunori; Okamoto, Shinobu; Oouchida, Kenta; Chun, Hong-Woo; Aerts, Jan; Afzal, Hammad; Antezana, Erick; Arakawa, Kazuharu; Aranda, Bruno; Belleau, Francois; Bolleman, Jerven; Bonnal, Raoul Jp; Chapman, Brad; Cock, Peter Ja; Eriksson, Tore; Gordon, Paul Mk; Goto, Naohisa; Hayashi, Kazuhiro; Horn, Heiko; Ishiwata, Ryosuke; Kaminuma, Eli; Kasprzyk, Arek; Kawaji, Hideya; Kido, Nobuhiro; Kim, Young Joo; Kinjo, Akira R; Konishi, Fumikazu; Kwon, Kyung-Hoon; Labarga, Alberto; Lamprecht, Anna-Lena; Lin, Yu; Lindenbaum, Pierre; McCarthy, Luke; Morita, Hideyuki; Murakami, Katsuhiko; Nagao, Koji; Nishida, Kozo; Nishimura, Kunihiro; Nishizawa, Tatsuya; Ogishima, Soichi; Ono, Keiichiro; Oshita, Kazuki; Park, Keun-Joon; Prins, Pjotr; Saito, Taro L; Samwald, Matthias; Satagopam, Venkata P; Shigemoto, Yasumasa; Smith, Richard; Splendiani, Andrea; Sugawara, Hideaki; Taylor, James; Vos, Rutger A; Withers, David; Yamasaki, Chisato; Zmasek, Christian M; Kawamoto, Shoko; Okubo, Kosaku; Asai, Kiyoshi; Takagi, Toshihisa

2013-02-11

BioHackathon 2010 was the third in a series of meetings hosted by the Database Center for Life Sciences (DBCLS) in Tokyo, Japan. The overall goal of the BioHackathon series is to improve the quality and accessibility of life science research data on the Web by bringing together representatives from public databases, analytical tool providers, and cyber-infrastructure researchers to jointly tackle important challenges in the area of in silico biological research. The theme of BioHackathon 2010 was the 'Semantic Web', and all attendees gathered with the shared goal of producing Semantic Web data from their respective resources, and/or consuming or interacting those data using their tools and interfaces. We discussed on topics including guidelines for designing semantic data and interoperability of resources. We consequently developed tools and clients for analysis and visualization. We provide a meeting report from BioHackathon 2010, in which we describe the discussions, decisions, and breakthroughs made as we moved towards compliance with Semantic Web technologies - from source provider, through middleware, to the end-consumer.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of biotin decorated inulin-based polymeric micelles as long-circulating nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery.

PubMed

Mandracchia, Delia; Rosato, Antonio; Trapani, Adriana; Chlapanidas, Theodora; Montagner, Isabella Monia; Perteghella, Sara; Di Franco, Cinzia; Torre, Maria Luisa; Trapani, Giuseppe; Tripodo, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

Here, long-circulating behaviors of Inulin-based nanomicelles are demonstrated for the first time in vivo. We show the synthesis and evaluation of biotin (BIO)-decorated polymeric INVITE micelles constituted of substances of natural origin, Inulin (INU) and Vitamin E (VITE), as long-circulating carriers for receptor-mediated targeted drug delivery. The resulting INVITE or INVITE-BIO micelles, nanometrically sized, did not reveal any cytotoxicity after 24h of incubation with Caco-2 cells. Moreover, in vitro studies on Caco-2 cells monolayers indicated that the transport of INVITE-BIO micelles was faster than surface unmodified INVITE micelles. In vivo optical imaging studies evidenced that, upon intravenous administration, INVITE-BIO micelles were quantitatively present in the body up to 48h. Instead, after oral administration, the micelles were not found in the systemic circulation but eliminated with the normal intestinal content. In conclusion, INVITE-BIO micelles may enhance drug accumulation in tumor-cells over-expressing the receptor for biotin through receptor mediated endocytosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A bio-image sensor for simultaneous detection of multi-neurotransmitters.

PubMed

Lee, You-Na; Okumura, Koichi; Horio, Tomoko; Iwata, Tatsuya; Takahashi, Kazuhiro; Hattori, Toshiaki; Sawada, Kazuaki

2018-03-01

We report here a new bio-image sensor for simultaneous detection of spatial and temporal distribution of multi-neurotransmitters. It consists of multiple enzyme-immobilized membranes on a 128 × 128 pixel array with read-out circuit. Apyrase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), as selective elements, are used to recognize adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and acetylcholine (ACh), respectively. To enhance the spatial resolution, hydrogen ion (H + ) diffusion barrier layers are deposited on top of the bio-image sensor and demonstrated their prevention capability. The results are used to design the space among enzyme-immobilized pixels and the null H + sensor to minimize the undesired signal overlap by H + diffusion. Using this bio-image sensor, we can obtain H + diffusion-independent imaging of concentration gradients of ATP and ACh in real-time. The sensing characteristics, such as sensitivity and detection of limit, are determined experimentally. With the proposed bio-image sensor the possibility exists for customizable monitoring of the activities of various neurochemicals by using different kinds of proton-consuming or generating enzymes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The 3rd DBCLS BioHackathon: improving life science data integration with Semantic Web technologies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background BioHackathon 2010 was the third in a series of meetings hosted by the Database Center for Life Sciences (DBCLS) in Tokyo, Japan. The overall goal of the BioHackathon series is to improve the quality and accessibility of life science research data on the Web by bringing together representatives from public databases, analytical tool providers, and cyber-infrastructure researchers to jointly tackle important challenges in the area of in silico biological research. Results The theme of BioHackathon 2010 was the 'Semantic Web', and all attendees gathered with the shared goal of producing Semantic Web data from their respective resources, and/or consuming or interacting those data using their tools and interfaces. We discussed on topics including guidelines for designing semantic data and interoperability of resources. We consequently developed tools and clients for analysis and visualization. Conclusion We provide a meeting report from BioHackathon 2010, in which we describe the discussions, decisions, and breakthroughs made as we moved towards compliance with Semantic Web technologies - from source provider, through middleware, to the end-consumer. PMID:23398680

Concepts for the Design of a Diagnostic Device to Detect Malignancies in Human Tissues Final Report CRADA No. TSB-2023-00

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DaSilva, L.; Marion, J.; Chase, C.

BioLuminate, Inc. planned to develop, produce and market a revolutionary diagnostic device for early breast cancer diagnosis. The device was originally invented by NASA; and exclusively licensed to BioLuminate for commercialization. At the time of the CRADA, eighty-five percent (85%) of all biopsies in the United States were found negative each year. The number of biopsies cost the health care system $23 billio n annually. A multi-sensor probe would allow surgeons to improve breast cancer scre ening and significantly reduce the number of biopsies. BioLuminate was developing an in-vivo system for the detection of cancer using a multi-sensor needle/probe. Themore » first system would be developed for the detection of breast cancer. LLNL, in collaboration with BioLuminate worked toward a detailed concept specification for the prototype multi-sensor needle/probe suitable for breast cancer analysis. BioLuminate in collaboration with LLNL, worked to develop a new version of the needle probe that would be the same size as needles commonly used to draw blood.« less

Marginal and internal fit of pressed lithium disilicate inlays fabricated with milling, 3D printing, and conventional technologies.

PubMed

Homsy, Foudda R; Özcan, Mutlu; Khoury, Marwan; Majzoub, Zeina A K

2018-05-01

The subtractive and additive computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) of lithium disilicate partial coverage restorations is poorly documented. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the marginal and internal fit accuracy of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic inlays fabricated with conventional, milled, and 3-dimensional (3D) printed wax patterns. A dentoform mandibular first molar was prepared for a mesio-occlusal ceramic inlay. Five groups of 15 inlays were obtained through conventional impression and manual wax pattern (group CICW); conventional impression, laboratory scanning of the stone die, CAD-CAM milled wax blanks (group CIDW) or 3D printed wax patterns (group CI3DW); and scanning of the master preparation with intraoral scanner and CAD-CAM milled (group DSDW) or 3D printed wax patterns (group DS3DW). The same design was used to produce the wax patterns in the last 4 groups. The replica technique was used to measure marginal and internal adaptation by using stereomicroscopy. Mixed-model ANOVA was used to assess differences according to the groups and discrepancy location (α=.05). Group DSDW showed the smallest marginal discrepancy (24.3 μm) compared with those of groups CICW (45.1 μm), CIDW (33.7 μm), CI3DW (39.8 μm), and DS3DW (39.7 μm) (P<.001). No statistically significant differences were detected among groups CICW, CIDW, CI3DW, and DS3DW relative to the marginal discrepancy. The internal discrepancy was significantly larger than the marginal discrepancy within all groups (P<.001). Lithium disilicate glass-ceramic inlays produced from digital scans and subtractive milling of wax patterns resulted in better marginal and internal fit accuracy than either conventional impression/fabrication or additive 3D manufacturing. Three-dimensional printed wax patterns yielded fit values similar to those of the conventionally waxed inlays. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN ASSESSMENT FOR THE CO-FIRING OF BIO-REFINERY SUPPLIED LIGNIN PROJECT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ted Berglund; Jeffrey T. Ranney; Carol L. Babb

2001-10-01

The major aspects of this project are proceeding toward completion. Prior to this quarter, design criteria, tentative site selection, facility layout, and preliminary facility cost estimates were completed and issued. Processing of bio-solids was completed, providing material for the pilot operations. Pilot facility design, equipment selection, and modification were completed during the fourth quarter of 2000. Initial pilot facility shakedown was completed. After some unavoidable delays, a suitable representative supply of MSW feed material was procured. During this first quarter of 2001, shredding of the feed material and final feed conditioning were completed. Pilot facility hydrolysis production was completed tomore » produce lignin for co-fire testing and the lignin fuel was washed and dewatered. Both the lignin and bio-solids fuel materials for co-fire testing were sent to the co-fire facility (EERC) for evaluation and co-firing. EERC has received coal typical of the fuel to the TVA-Colbert boilers. This material will be used at EERC as baseline material and for mixing with the bio-fuel for combustion testing. EERC combustion testing of the bio-based fuels is scheduled to begin in October of 2001. The TVA-Colbert facility has neared completion of the task to evaluate co-location of the Masada facility on the operation of the power generation facility. The TVA-Colbert fossil plant is fully capable of providing a reliable steam supply. The preferred steam supply connection points and steam pipeline routing have been identified. The environmental review of the pipeline routing has been completed and no major impacts have been identified. Detailed assessment of steam export impacts on the Colbert boiler system have been completed and a cost estimate for steam supply system was completed. The cost estimate and the output and heat rate impacts will be used to determine a preliminary price for the exported steam.« less

A microcomputed tomography evaluation of the marginal fit of cobalt-chromium alloy copings fabricated by new manufacturing techniques and alloy systems.

PubMed

Kim, Eun-Ha; Lee, Du-Hyeong; Kwon, Sung-Min; Kwon, Tae-Yub

2017-03-01

Although new digital manufacturing techniques are attracting interest in dentistry, few studies have comprehensively investigated the marginal fit of fixed dental prostheses fabricated with such techniques. The purpose of this in vitro microcomputed tomography (μCT) study was to evaluate the marginal fit of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) alloy copings fabricated by casting and 3 different computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM)-based processing techniques and alloy systems. Single Co-Cr metal crowns were fabricated using 4 different manufacturing techniques: casting (control), milling, selective laser melting, and milling/sintering. Two different commercial alloy systems were used for each fabrication technique (a total of 8 groups; n=10 for each group). The marginal discrepancy and absolute marginal discrepancy of the crowns were determined with μCT. For each specimen, the values were determined from 4 different regions (sagittal buccal, sagittal lingual, coronal mesial, and coronal distal) by using imaging software and recorded as the average of the 4 readings. For each parameter, the results were statistically compared with 2-way analysis of variance and appropriate post hoc analysis (using Tukey or Student t test) (α=.05). The milling and selective laser melting groups showed significantly larger marginal discrepancies than the control groups (70.4 ±12.0 and 65.3 ±10.1 μm, respectively; P<.001), whereas the milling/sintering groups exhibited significantly smaller values than the controls (P=.004). The milling groups showed significantly larger absolute marginal discrepancy than the control groups (137.4 ±29.0 and 139.2 ±18.9 μm, respectively; P<.05). In the selective laser melting and milling/sintering groups, the absolute marginal discrepancy values were material-specific (P<.05). Nonetheless, the milling/sintering groups yielded statistically comparable (P=.935) or smaller (P<.001) absolute marginal discrepancies to the control groups. The findings of this in vitro μCT study showed that the marginal fit values of the Co-Cr alloy greatly depended on the fabrication methods and, occasionally, the alloy systems. Fixed dental prostheses produced by using the milling/sintering technique can be considered clinically acceptable in terms of marginal fit. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hot fire test results of subscale tubular combustion chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazaroff, John M.; Jankovsky, Robert S.; Pavli, Albert J.

1992-01-01

Advanced, subscale, tubular combustion chambers were built and test fired with hydrogen-oxygen propellants to assess the increase in fatigue life that can be obtained with this type of construction. Two chambers were tested: one ran for 637 cycles without failing, compared to a predicted life of 200 cycles for a comparable smooth-wall milled-channel liner configuration. The other chamber failed at 256 cycles, compared to a predicted life of 118 cycles for a comparable smooth-wall milled-channel liner configuration. Posttest metallographic analysis determined that the strain-relieving design (structural compliance) of the tubular configuration was the cause of this increase in life.

A field experiment on Rn flux from reclaimed uranium mill tailings.

PubMed

Hinton, T G; Whicker, F W

1985-04-01

Design and construction techniques are described for a 1.6 ha experimental reclamation plot consisting of a 1-m-thick slab of uranium mill tailings covered with various depths of overburden. A passive, activated charcoal device was developed and used for measurements of Rn flux at the soil surface. Observations on Rn flux vs overburden depth indicated that tailings covered with 1.5 m of revegetated or 0.3 m of bare overburden had Rn exhalation rates comparable to background. Vegetated subplots exhibited a significantly higher (often an order of magnitude) flux than the bare subplots. A positive correlation was observed between precipitation quantities and Rn flux.

3D-printed and CNC milled flow-cells for chemiluminescence detection.

PubMed

Spilstead, Kara B; Learey, Jessica J; Doeven, Egan H; Barbante, Gregory J; Mohr, Stephan; Barnett, Neil W; Terry, Jessica M; Hall, Robynne M; Francis, Paul S

2014-08-01

Herein we explore modern fabrication techniques for the development of chemiluminescence detection flow-cells with features not attainable using the traditional coiled tubing approach. This includes the first 3D-printed chemiluminescence flow-cells, and a milled flow-cell designed to split the analyte stream into two separate detection zones within the same polymer chip. The flow-cells are compared to conventional detection systems using flow injection analysis (FIA) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with the fast chemiluminescence reactions of an acidic potassium permanganate reagent with morphine and a series of adrenergic phenolic amines. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study on the Classification of the Uranium Mineral of Venta de Cardena; ESTUDIO SOBRE LA CLASIFICACION DEL MINERAL DE VENTA DE CARDENA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Otero, A.R.

1959-01-01

The behavior of uranium mineral from Venta de Cardena in a spiral classifier which operates in a closed system with a ball mill was studied to obtain data for the design of a milling-classification system with a production capacity of 200 tons per day with a particle size less than 0.417 mm. The characteristics of such a system, the problems in normal operation, the inconveriences which these cause, and their solution were investigated. Correlations between these tests and the results obtained with long glass tubes are presented. (J.S.R.)

Mechanical Alloying of W-Mo-V-Cr-Ta High Entropy Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Sujit; Robi, P. S.

2018-04-01

Recent years have seen the emergence of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) consisting of five or more elements in equi-atomic or near equi-atomic ratios. These alloys in single phase solid solution exhibit exceptional mechanical properties viz., high strength at room and elevated temperatures, reasonable ductility and stable microstructure over a wide range of temperatures making it suitable for high temperature structural materials. In spite of the attractive properties, processing of these materials remains a challenge. Reports regarding fabrication and characterisation of a few refractory HEA systems are available. The processing of these alloys have been carried out by arc melting of small button sized materials. The present paper discusses the development of a novel refractory W-Mo-V-Cr-Ta HEA powder based on a new alloy design concept. The powder mixture was milled for time periods up to 64 hours. Single phase alloy powder having body centred cubic structure was processed by mechanical alloying. The milling characteristics and extent of alloying during the ball milling were characterized using X-ray diffractiometre (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). A single phase solid solution alloy powder having body-centred cubic (BCC) structure with a lattice parameter of 3.15486 Å was obtained after milling for 32 hours.

Niobium Carbide-Reinforced Al Matrix Composites Produced by High-Energy Ball Milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Travessa, Dilermando Nagle; Silva, Marina Judice; Cardoso, Kátia Regina

2017-06-01

Aluminum and its alloys are key materials for the transportation industry as they contribute to the development of lightweight structures. The dispersion of hard ceramic particles in the Al soft matrix can lead to a substantial strengthening effect, resulting in composite materials exhibiting interesting mechanical properties and inspiring their technological use in sectors like the automotive and aerospace industries. Powder metallurgy techniques are attractive to design metal matrix composites, achieving a homogeneous distribution of the reinforcement into the metal matrix. In this work, pure aluminum has been reinforced with particles of niobium carbide (NbC), an extremely hard and stable refractory ceramic. Its use as a reinforcing phase in metal matrix composites has not been deeply explored. Composite powders produced after different milling times, with 10 and 20 vol pct of NbC were produced by high-energy ball milling and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and by X-ray diffraction to establish a relationship between the milling time and size, morphology, and distribution of the particles in the composite powder. Subsequently, an Al/10 pct NbC composite powder was hot extruded into cylindrical bars. The strength of the obtained composite bars is comparable to the commercial high-strength, aeronautical-grade aluminum alloys.

Interactions Forces and the Flow-Induced Coalescence of Drops and Bubbles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leal, L. Gary; Israelachvili, J.

2004-01-01

In order to accomplish the proposed macroscale experimental goals, we designed and built a pair of miniaturized computer-controlled four-roll mills, similar but much smaller than the 4-roll mill that had been develop earlier in Prof. Leal's group for studies of drop deformation and breakup. This unique experimental facility allows for controlled experiments on the breakup and coalescence of very small drops in the size range of 20-200 micrometers in diameter for a wide variety of flows and under a wide range of flow conditions including time-dependent flows, etc. The small size of this device is necessary for coalescence studies, since coalescence occurs in viscous fluids at capillary numbers that are large enough to be experimentally accessible only for drops that are smaller than approximately 100_m in diameter. Using these miniaturized 4-roll mills, we have obtained the first quantitative data (so far as we are aware) on the flow-induced coalescence process.

Results of the independent verification of radiological remedial action at 397 East 3rd South Street, Monticello, Utah (MS00168)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, M.J.; Crutcher, J.W.

1991-07-01

In 1980 the site of a vanadium and uranium mill at Monticello, Utah, was accepted into the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Surplus Facilities Management Program, with the objectives of restoring the government-owned mill site to safe levels of radioactivity, disposing of or containing the tailings in an environmentally safe manner, and performing remedial actions on off-site (vicinity) properties that had been contaminated by radioactive material resulting from mill operations. During 1987 and 1988, UNC Geotech, the remedial action contractor designated by DOE, performed remedial action on the vicinity property at 397 East 3rd South Street, Monticello, Utah. The Pollutantmore » Assessments Group (PAG) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory was assigned the responsibility of verifying the data supporting the adequacy of remedial action and confirming the site's compliance with DOE guidelines. The PAG found that the site successfully meets the DOE remedial action objectives. Procedures used by PAG are described. 3 refs., 2 tabs.« less

Results of the independent verification of radiological remedial action at 464 South 1st East Street, Monticello, Utah (MS00071)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, M.J.; Crutcher, J.W.

1991-07-01

In 1980 the site of a vanadium and uranium mill at Monticello, Utah, was accepted into the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Surplus Facilities Management Program, with the objectives of restoring the government-owned mill site to safe levels of radioactivity, disposing of or containing the tailings in an environmentally safe manner, and performing remedial actions on off-site (vicinity) properties that had been contaminated by radioactive material resulting from mill operations. During 1986 and 1987, UNC Geotech, the remedial action contractor designated by DOE, performed remedial action on the vicinity property at 464 South 1st East Street, Monticello, Utah. The Pollutantmore » Assessments Group (PAG) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory was assigned the responsibility of verifying the data supporting the adequacy of remedial action and confirming the site's compliance with DOE guidelines. The PAG found that the site successfully meets the DOE remedial action objectives. Procedures used by PAG are described. 3 refs., 2 tabs.« less

Results of the independent verification of radiological remedial action at 87 East 500 South Street, Monticello, Utah (MS00153)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, M.J.; Crutcher, J.W.

1991-07-01

In 1980 the iste of a vanadium and uranium mill at Monticello, Utah, was accepted into the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Surplus Facilities Management Program, with the objectives of restoring the government-owned mill site to safe levels of radioactivity, disposing of or containing the tailings in an environmentally safe manner, and performing remedial actions on off-site (vicinity) properties that had been contaminated by radioactive material resulting from mill operations. During 1987 and 1988, UNC Geotech, the remedial action contractor designated by DOE, performed remedial action on the vicinity property at 87 East 500 South Street, Monticello, Utah. The Pollutantmore » Assessments Group (PAG) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory was assigned the responsibility of verifying the data supporting the adequacy of remedial action and confirming the site's compliance with DOE guidelines. The PAG found that the site successfully meets the DOE remedial action objectives. Procedures used by PAG are described. 3 refs., 2 tabs.« less

Results of the independent verification of radiological remedial action at 16 East 5th South Street, Monticello, Utah (MS00075)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, M.J.; Crutcher, J.W.

1991-07-01

In 1980 the site of a vanadium and uranium mill at Monticello, Utah, was accepted into the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Surplus Facilities Management Program, with the objectives of restoring the government-owned mill site to safe levels of radioactivity, disposing of or containing the tailings in an environmentally safe manner, and performing remedial actions on off-site (vicinity) properties that had been contaminated by radioactive material resulting from mill operations. During 1984 UNC Geotech, the remedial action contractor designated by DOE, performed remedial action on the vicinity property at 16 East 5th South Street, Monticello, Utah. The Pollutant Assessments Groupmore » (PAG) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory was assigned the responsibility of verifying the data supporting the adequacy of remedial action and confirming the site's compliance with DOE guidelines. The PAG found that the site successfully meets the DOE remedial action objectives. Procedures used by PAG are described. 3 refs., 2 tabs.« less

Bio-Inspired Controller on an FPGA Applied to Closed-Loop Diaphragmatic Stimulation

PubMed Central

Zbrzeski, Adeline; Bornat, Yannick; Hillen, Brian; Siu, Ricardo; Abbas, James; Jung, Ranu; Renaud, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Cervical spinal cord injury can disrupt connections between the brain respiratory network and the respiratory muscles which can lead to partial or complete loss of ventilatory control and require ventilatory assistance. Unlike current open-loop technology, a closed-loop diaphragmatic pacing system could overcome the drawbacks of manual titration as well as respond to changing ventilation requirements. We present an original bio-inspired assistive technology for real-time ventilation assistance, implemented in a digital configurable Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The bio-inspired controller, which is a spiking neural network (SNN) inspired by the medullary respiratory network, is as robust as a classic controller while having a flexible, low-power and low-cost hardware design. The system was simulated in MATLAB with FPGA-specific constraints and tested with a computational model of rat breathing; the model reproduced experimentally collected respiratory data in eupneic animals. The open-loop version of the bio-inspired controller was implemented on the FPGA. Electrical test bench characterizations confirmed the system functionality. Open and closed-loop paradigm simulations were simulated to test the FPGA system real-time behavior using the rat computational model. The closed-loop system monitors breathing and changes in respiratory demands to drive diaphragmatic stimulation. The simulated results inform future acute animal experiments and constitute the first step toward the development of a neuromorphic, adaptive, compact, low-power, implantable device. The bio-inspired hardware design optimizes the FPGA resource and time costs while harnessing the computational power of spike-based neuromorphic hardware. Its real-time feature makes it suitable for in vivo applications. PMID:27378844

Biological and mechanical evaluation of a Bio-Hybrid scaffold for autologous valve tissue engineering.

PubMed

Jahnavi, S; Saravanan, U; Arthi, N; Bhuvaneshwar, G S; Kumary, T V; Rajan, S; Verma, R S

2017-04-01

Major challenge in heart valve tissue engineering for paediatric patients is the development of an autologous valve with regenerative capacity. Hybrid tissue engineering approach is recently gaining popularity to design scaffolds with desired biological and mechanical properties that can remodel post implantation. In this study, we fabricated aligned nanofibrous Bio-Hybrid scaffold made of decellularized bovine pericardium: polycaprolactone-chitosan with optimized polymer thickness to yield the desired biological and mechanical properties. CD44 + , αSMA + , Vimentin + and CD105 - human valve interstitial cells were isolated and seeded on these Bio-Hybrid scaffolds. Subsequent biological evaluation revealed interstitial cell proliferation with dense extra cellular matrix deposition that indicated the viability for growth and proliferation of seeded cells on the scaffolds. Uniaxial mechanical tests along axial direction showed that the Bio-Hybrid scaffolds has at least 20 times the strength of the native valves and its stiffness is nearly 3 times more than that of native valves. Biaxial and uniaxial mechanical studies on valve interstitial cells cultured Bio-Hybrid scaffolds revealed that the response along the axial and circumferential direction was different, similar to native valves. Overall, our findings suggest that Bio-Hybrid scaffold is a promising material for future development of regenerative heart valve constructs in children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

12. TROJAN MILL, INTERIOR SHOWING PRIMARY MILL No. 1 (MONADNOCK ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

12. TROJAN MILL, INTERIOR SHOWING PRIMARY MILL No. 1 (MONADNOCK CHILEAN) FROM EAST, c. 1912. ELEVATOR No. 1 ADJACENT TO MILL. CREDIT WR. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

A scoping review on bio-aerosols in healthcare and the dental environment.

PubMed

Zemouri, Charifa; de Soet, Hans; Crielaard, Wim; Laheij, Alexa

2017-01-01

Bio-aerosols originate from different sources and their potentially pathogenic nature may form a hazard to healthcare workers and patients. So far no extensive review on existing evidence regarding bio-aerosols is available. This study aimed to review evidence on bio-aerosols in healthcare and the dental setting. The objectives were 1) What are the sources that generate bio-aerosols?; 2) What is the microbial load and composition of bio-aerosols and how were they measured?; and 3) What is the hazard posed by pathogenic micro-organisms transported via the aerosol route of transmission? Systematic scoping review design. Searched in PubMed and EMBASE from inception to 09-03-2016. References were screened and selected based on abstract and full text according to eligibility criteria. Full text articles were assessed for inclusion and summarized. The results are presented in three separate objectives and summarized for an overview of evidence. The search yielded 5,823 studies, of which 62 were included. Dental hand pieces were found to generate aerosols in the dental settings. Another 30 sources from human activities, interventions and daily cleaning performances in the hospital also generate aerosols. Fifty-five bacterial species, 45 fungi genera and ten viruses were identified in a hospital setting and 16 bacterial and 23 fungal species in the dental environment. Patients with certain risk factors had a higher chance to acquire Legionella in hospitals. Such infections can lead to irreversible septic shock and death. Only a few studies found that bio-aerosol generating procedures resulted in transmission of infectious diseases or allergic reactions. Bio-aerosols are generated via multiple sources such as different interventions, instruments and human activity. Bio-aerosols compositions reported are heterogeneous in their microbiological composition dependent on the setting and methodology. Legionella species were found to be a bio-aerosol dependent hazard to elderly and patients with respiratory complaints. But all aerosols can be can be hazardous to both patients and healthcare workers.

Fracture behavior of metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses with frameworks from cast or a newly developed sintered cobalt-chromium alloy.

PubMed

Krug, Klaus-Peter; Knauber, Andreas W; Nothdurft, Frank P

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the fracture behavior of metal-ceramic bridges with frameworks from cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo), which are manufactured using conventional casting or a new computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) milling and sintering technique. A total of 32 metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses (FDPs), which are based on a nonprecious metal framework, was produced using a conventional casting process (n = 16) or a new CAD/CAM milling and sintering process (n = 16). Eight unveneered frameworks were manufactured using each of the techniques. After thermal and mechanical aging of half of the restorations, all samples were subjected to a static loading test in a universal testing machine, in which acoustic emission monitoring was performed. Three different critical forces were revealed: the fracture force (F max), the force at the first reduction in force (F decr1), and the force at the critical acoustic event (F acoust1). With the exception of the veneered restorations with cast or sintered metal frameworks without artificial aging, which presented a statistically significant but slightly different F max, no statistically significant differences between cast and CAD/CAM sintered and milled FDPs were detected. Thermal and mechanical loading did not significantly affect the resulting forces. Cast and CAD/CAM milled and sintered metal-ceramic bridges were determined to be comparable with respect to the fracture behavior. FDPs based on CAD/CAM milled and sintered frameworks may be an applicable and less technique-sensitive alternative to frameworks that are based on conventionally cast frameworks.

A comparative study of gold UCLA-type and CAD/CAM titanium implant abutments

PubMed Central

Park, Ji-Man; Lee, Jai-Bong; Heo, Seong-Joo

2014-01-01

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the interface accuracy of computer-assisted designed and manufactured (CAD/CAM) titanium abutments and implant fixture compared to gold-cast UCLA abutments. MATERIALS AND METHODS An external connection implant system (Mark III, n=10) and an internal connection implant system (Replace Select, n=10) were used, 5 of each group were connected to milled titanium abutment and the rest were connected to the gold-cast UCLA abutments. The implant fixture and abutment were tightened to torque of 35 Ncm using a digital torque gauge, and initial detorque values were measured 10 minutes after tightening. To mimic the mastication, a cyclic loading was applied at 14 Hz for one million cycles, with the stress amplitude range being within 0 N to 100 N. After the cyclic loading, detorque values were measured again. The fixture-abutment gaps were measured under a microscope and recorded with an accuracy of ±0.1 µm at 50 points. RESULTS Initial detorque values of milled abutment were significantly higher than those of cast abutment (P<.05). Detorque values after one million dynamic cyclic loadings were not significantly different (P>.05). After cyclic loading, detorque values of cast abutment increased, but those of milled abutment decreased (P<.05). There was no significant difference of gap dimension between the milled abutment group and the cast abutment group after cyclic loading. CONCLUSION In conclusion, CAD/CAM milled titanium abutment can be fabricated with sufficient accuracy to permit screw joint stability between abutment and fixture comparable to that of the traditional gold cast UCLA abutment. PMID:24605206

Optical and laser spectroscopic diagnostics for energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Markandey Mani

The continuing need for greater energy security and energy independence has motivated researchers to develop new energy technologies for better energy resource management and efficient energy usage. The focus of this dissertation is the development of optical (spectroscopic) sensing methodologies for various fuels, and energy applications. A fiber-optic NIR sensing methodology was developed for predicting water content in bio-oil. The feasibility of using the designed near infrared (NIR) system for estimating water content in bio-oil was tested by applying multivariate analysis to NIR spectral data. The calibration results demonstrated that the spectral information can successfully predict the bio-oil water content (from 16% to 36%). The effect of ultraviolet (UV) light on the chemical stability of bio-oil was studied by employing laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy. To simulate the UV light exposure, a laser in the UV region (325 nm) was employed for bio-oil excitation. The LIF, as a signature of chemical change, was recorded from bio-oil. From this study, it was concluded that phenols present in the bio-oil show chemical instability, when exposed to UV light. A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)-based optical sensor was designed, developed, and tested for detection of four important trace impurities in rocket fuel (hydrogen). The sensor can simultaneously measure the concentrations of nitrogen, argon, oxygen, and helium in hydrogen from storage tanks and supply lines. The sensor had estimated lower detection limits of 80 ppm for nitrogen, 97 ppm for argon, 10 ppm for oxygen, and 25 ppm for helium. A chemiluminescence-based spectroscopic diagnostics were performed to measure equivalence ratios in methane-air premixed flames. A partial least-squares regression (PLS-R)-based multivariate sensing methodology was investigated. It was found that the equivalence ratios predicted with the PLS-R-based multivariate calibration model matched with the experimentally measured equivalence ratios within 7 %. A comparative study was performed for equivalence ratios measurement in atmospheric premixed methane-air flames with ungated LIBS and chemiluminescence spectroscopy. It was reported that LIBS-based calibration, which carries spectroscopic information from a "point-like-volume," provides better predictions of equivalence ratios compared to chemiluminescence-based calibration, which is essentially a "line-of-sight" measurement.

Lightweight coaxial cable connector reduces signal loss

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brejcha, A. G., Jr.

1965-01-01

Connectors with milled interface surfaces for perfect electrical contact eliminate secondary- emission discharge and low signal loss in RF coaxial cables. the connectors which contain alignment and centering components for proper joint concentricity are used in communications systems designs.

12. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 18761889. Threeroll sugar mill: oneton ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

12. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 1876-1889. Three-roll sugar mill: one-ton daily processing capacity. Manufactured by Edwin Maw, Liverpool, England, ca. 1855-1870. View: Historical view, 1934, T.T. Waterman Collection, Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association, Oahu, Hawaii. Masonry-lined passageway leading to the mill at the center of its circular masonry enclosure. The passageway permitted cane to be carried to the mill and cane trash (bagasse) to be carried away after milling. Bridges over the passageways, not in place, permitted the mill animals to circle and power the mill from above. View shows area prior to substantial overgrowth existing in 1978 views of the area. - R. W. Meyer Sugar Mill, State Route 47, Kualapuu, Maui County, HI

Fast Pyrolysis Behavior of Banagrass as a Function of Temperature and Volatiles Residence Time in a Fluidized Bed Reactor

DOE PAGES

Morgan, Trevor James; Turn, Scott Q.; George, Anthe

2015-08-26

A reactor was designed and commissioned to study the fast pyrolysis behavior of banagrass as a function of temperature and volatiles residence time. Four temperatures between 400 and 600°C were examined as well as four residence times between ~1.0 and 10 seconds. Pyrolysis product distributions of bio-oil, char and permanent gases were determined at each reaction condition. The elemental composition of the bio-oils and chars was also assessed. The greatest bio-oil yield was recorded when working at 450°C with a volatiles residence time of 1.4 s, ~37 wt% relative to the dry ash free feedstock (excluding pyrolysis water). The amountsmore » of char (organic fraction) and permanent gases under these conditions are ~4 wt% and 8 wt% respectively. The bio-oil yield stated above is for 'dry' bio-oil after rotary evaporation to remove solvent, which results in volatiles and pyrolysis water being removed from the bio-oil. The material removed during drying accounts for the remainder of the pyrolysis products. The 'dry' bio-oil produced under these conditions contains ~56 wt% carbon which is ~40 wt% of the carbon present in the feedstock. The oxygen content of the 450°C, 1.4 s 'dry' bio-oil is ~38 wt%, which accounts for ~33 wt% of the oxygen in the feedstock. At higher temperature or longer residence time less bio-oil and char is recovered and more gas and light volatiles are produced. Increasing the temperature has a more significant effect on product yields and composition than increasing the volatiles residence time. At 600°C and a volatiles residence time of 1.2 seconds the bio-oil yield is ~21 wt% of the daf feedstock, with a carbon content of 64 wt% of the bio-oil. The bio-oil yield from banagrass is significantly lower than from woody biomass or grasses such as switchgrass or miscanthus, but is similar to barley straw. In conclusion, the reason for the low bio-oil yield from banagrass is thought to be related to its high ash content (8.5 wt% dry basis) and high concentration of alkali and alkali earth metals (totaling ~2.8 wt% relative to the dry feedstock) which are catalytic and increase cracking reactions during pyrolysis.« less

Fast Pyrolysis Behavior of Banagrass as a Function of Temperature and Volatiles Residence Time in a Fluidized Bed Reactor

PubMed Central

Morgan, Trevor James; Turn, Scott Q.; George, Anthe

2015-01-01

A reactor was designed and commissioned to study the fast pyrolysis behavior of banagrass as a function of temperature and volatiles residence time. Four temperatures between 400 and 600°C were examined as well as four residence times between ~1.0 and 10 seconds. Pyrolysis product distributions of bio-oil, char and permanent gases were determined at each reaction condition. The elemental composition of the bio-oils and chars was also assessed. The greatest bio-oil yield was recorded when working at 450°C with a volatiles residence time of 1.4 s, ~37 wt% relative to the dry ash free feedstock (excluding pyrolysis water). The amounts of char (organic fraction) and permanent gases under these conditions are ~4 wt% and 8 wt% respectively. The bio-oil yield stated above is for 'dry' bio-oil after rotary evaporation to remove solvent, which results in volatiles and pyrolysis water being removed from the bio-oil. The material removed during drying accounts for the remainder of the pyrolysis products. The 'dry' bio-oil produced under these conditions contains ~56 wt% carbon which is ~40 wt% of the carbon present in the feedstock. The oxygen content of the 450°C, 1.4 s 'dry' bio-oil is ~38 wt%, which accounts for ~33 wt% of the oxygen in the feedstock. At higher temperature or longer residence time less bio-oil and char is recovered and more gas and light volatiles are produced. Increasing the temperature has a more significant effect on product yields and composition than increasing the volatiles residence time. At 600°C and a volatiles residence time of 1.2 seconds the bio-oil yield is ~21 wt% of the daf feedstock, with a carbon content of 64 wt% of the bio-oil. The bio-oil yield from banagrass is significantly lower than from woody biomass or grasses such as switchgrass or miscanthus, but is similar to barley straw. The reason for the low bio-oil yield from banagrass is thought to be related to its high ash content (8.5 wt% dry basis) and high concentration of alkali and alkali earth metals (totaling ~2.8 wt% relative to the dry feedstock) which are catalytic and increase cracking reactions during pyrolysis. PMID:26308860

Fast Pyrolysis Behavior of Banagrass as a Function of Temperature and Volatiles Residence Time in a Fluidized Bed Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morgan, Trevor James; Turn, Scott Q.; George, Anthe

A reactor was designed and commissioned to study the fast pyrolysis behavior of banagrass as a function of temperature and volatiles residence time. Four temperatures between 400 and 600°C were examined as well as four residence times between ~1.0 and 10 seconds. Pyrolysis product distributions of bio-oil, char and permanent gases were determined at each reaction condition. The elemental composition of the bio-oils and chars was also assessed. The greatest bio-oil yield was recorded when working at 450°C with a volatiles residence time of 1.4 s, ~37 wt% relative to the dry ash free feedstock (excluding pyrolysis water). The amountsmore » of char (organic fraction) and permanent gases under these conditions are ~4 wt% and 8 wt% respectively. The bio-oil yield stated above is for 'dry' bio-oil after rotary evaporation to remove solvent, which results in volatiles and pyrolysis water being removed from the bio-oil. The material removed during drying accounts for the remainder of the pyrolysis products. The 'dry' bio-oil produced under these conditions contains ~56 wt% carbon which is ~40 wt% of the carbon present in the feedstock. The oxygen content of the 450°C, 1.4 s 'dry' bio-oil is ~38 wt%, which accounts for ~33 wt% of the oxygen in the feedstock. At higher temperature or longer residence time less bio-oil and char is recovered and more gas and light volatiles are produced. Increasing the temperature has a more significant effect on product yields and composition than increasing the volatiles residence time. At 600°C and a volatiles residence time of 1.2 seconds the bio-oil yield is ~21 wt% of the daf feedstock, with a carbon content of 64 wt% of the bio-oil. The bio-oil yield from banagrass is significantly lower than from woody biomass or grasses such as switchgrass or miscanthus, but is similar to barley straw. In conclusion, the reason for the low bio-oil yield from banagrass is thought to be related to its high ash content (8.5 wt% dry basis) and high concentration of alkali and alkali earth metals (totaling ~2.8 wt% relative to the dry feedstock) which are catalytic and increase cracking reactions during pyrolysis.« less

13. TROJAN MILL, INTERIOR SHOWING PRIMARY MILL No. 1 (ALLIS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. TROJAN MILL, INTERIOR SHOWING PRIMARY MILL No. 1 (ALLIS CHALMERS BALL MILL) FROM EAST, c. 1919. ELECTRIC MOTOR AND DRIVE SHAFT CLEARLY VISIBLE. CREDIT WR. - Bald Mountain Gold Mill, Nevada Gulch at head of False Bottom Creek, Lead, Lawrence County, SD

Cereal bran fractionation: processing techniques for the recovery of functional components and their applications to the food industry.

PubMed

Soukoulis, Christos; Aprea, Eugenio

2012-04-01

Bran is the outer part of cereal grains that is separated during the cereals de-hulling and milling processes. It was considered in the past a by-product of cereal industry employed mainly as animal feed. Cereal bran, being particularly rich in different functional biopolymers, bio-active compounds and essential fatty acids, attracted the interest of pharmaceutical and food industry. Furthermore, the peculiar techno-functional properties of brans together with their particular physiological and nutritional aspects have led to a great interest in their incorporation as main or secondary components in different groups of food products including bakery and confectionery products, breakfast cereals and extruded foodstuffs, emulsions and functional dairy products and pasta products. In the first part of the present work the main fractionation processes, bran fractions properties and their physicochemical and technological properties are briefly reviewed. In the second part, relevant applications, with emphasis on patents, in food industry are reviewed as well.

Characterization of biomass residues and their amendment effects on water sorption and nutrient leaching in sandy soil.

PubMed

Wang, Letian; Tong, Zhaohui; Liu, Guodong; Li, Yuncong

2014-07-01

In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of two types of biomass residues (fermentation residues from a bioethanol process, FB; brown mill residues from a papermaking process, BM) as amendments for a sandy soil. The characteristics of these residues including specific surface areas, morphologies and nutrient sorption capacity were measured. The effects of biorefinery residues on water and nutrient retention were investigated in terms of different particle sizes and loadings. The results indicated that bio-based wastes FB and BM were able to significantly improve water and nutrient retention of sandy soil. The residues with larger surface areas had better water and nutrient retention capability. Specifically, in the addition of 10% loading, FB and BM was able to improve water retention by approximately 150% and 300%, while reduce 99% of ammonium and phosphate concentration in the leachate compare to the soil control, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 2409 - Proclaiming Certain Lands, Lot 32 Acquisition, as an Addition to the Bay Mills Indian Reservation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-13

..., as an Addition to the Bay Mills Indian Reservation for the Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan..., more or less, to be added to the Bay Mills Indian Reservation for the Bay Mills Indian Community of... Mills Indian Reservation and part of the Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan for the exclusive use of...

Fracture resistance and marginal discrepancy of porcelain laminate veneers influenced by preparation design and restorative material in vitro.

PubMed

Lin, Tai-Min; Liu, Perng-Ru; Ramp, Lance C; Essig, Milton E; Givan, Daniel A; Pan, Yu-Hwa

2012-03-01

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate marginal discrepancy and fracture resistance of two veneering materials using two preparation designs. Two veneer preparation designs (full and traditional) were restored with leucite-reinforced ceramic (ProCAD, Ivoclar Vivadent, Amherst, NY) milled by CAD/CAM (Cerec 3D milling system, Serona Dental Systems), and conventional sintered feldspathic porcelain (Noritake Super Porcelain EX3, Noritake Dental Supply Co). Forty-eight specimens were analysed with a sample size of n=12 per group. The thickness of each veneer was measured on four specific surfaces. Marginal discrepancy was evaluated with a replica technique and cross-sectional view using a digital microscope. The fracture resistance of veneers cemented on standardised composite resin dies was evaluated using a universal testing machine. Results were analysed with ANOVA, Tukey-Kramer post hoc testing, and linear regression. The results of this investigation revealed no correlation between the thickness and marginal discrepancy of the veneers. The full preparation design with ProCAD and the traditional preparation design with feldspathic porcelain manifested smaller gap. Fracture resistance was decreased for the full preparation design with feldspathic porcelain. In terms of marginal discrepancy and fracture resistance, the most favourable combination was a traditional veneer preparation design with conventional sintered feldspathic porcelain. For the full veneer preparation, a stronger ceramic material such as ProCAD is suggested. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Understanding and Writing G & M Code for CNC Machines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loveland, Thomas

2012-01-01

In modern CAD and CAM manufacturing companies, engineers design parts for machines and consumable goods. Many of these parts are cut on CNC machines. Whether using a CNC lathe, milling machine, or router, the ideas and designs of engineers must be translated into a machine-readable form called G & M Code that can be used to cut parts to precise…

Combined Stereophotogrammetry and Laser-Sintered, Computer-Aided Milling Framework for an Implant-Supported Mandibular Prosthesis: A Case History Report.

PubMed

Suarez, Maria J; Paisal, Iria; Rodriguez-Alonso, Veronica; Lopez-Suarez, Carlos

This study compared the marginal gaps of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM)-fabricated all-ceramic crowns constructed from scanned impressions and models and with two different occlusal reduction designs. Two typodont mandibular first molars were prepared to receive CAD/CAM-fabricated all-ceramic crowns. Both molars were prepared to ideal crown reduction, the first with anatomical occlusal reduction (AOR) and the second with completely flat occlusal reduction (FOR). Nine polyvinyl siloxane impressions (PVS) were taken, and nine stone replicas fabricated for each preparation. All impressions and stone models were scanned using a laser scanner (Planmeca Planscan, E4D technologies), and 36 lithium disilicate (IPS e.max CAD) crowns were milled. The marginal gap was measured in four locations using a light stereomicroscope. Crowns constructed from preparations with both occlusal reduction designs demonstrated similar marginal gaps (FOR = 97.98; AOR = 89.12; P = .739). However, all crowns constructed from scanned impressions presented significantly larger marginal gaps than the crowns fabricated from scanned models (impressions = 109.26; models = 77.84; P = .002). Scanning stone models produced all-ceramic crowns with significantly smaller marginal gaps than scanning impressions, irrespective of the occlusal reduction design.

33. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 18761889. Threeroll sugar mill, oneton ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

33. RW Meyer Sugar Mill: 1876-1889. Three-roll sugar mill, one-ton daily processing capacity. Manufactured by Edwin Maw, Liverpool, England, ca. 1855-1870. View: From above the mill showing the three 15' x 22' horizontal rolls, mill frame or cheeks, portland cement foundation, and lower part of vertical drive shaft lying next mill in foreground. The loose metal piece resting on top of the mill frame matched the indented portion of the upper frame to form a bracket and bearing for the drive shaft when it was in its proper upright position. - R. W. Meyer Sugar Mill, State Route 47, Kualapuu, Maui County, HI