bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterisation of Croatian honey by physicochemical and microbiological parameters with mold identification
Authors: Kiš Maja , Furmeg Sanja , Jaki Tkalec Vesna , Zadravec Manuela , Denžić Lugomer Marija , Končurat Ana , Benić Miroslav , Pavliček Damir
Published: July 2018

Honey is an important food supplement in the human diet because of its nutritional quality. Therefore, honey should be safe for human consumption. The purpose of this research was to evaluate physicochemical and microbiological properties of 64 honey samples. The physicochemical analysis (water content, hydroxymethylfurfural, electrical conductivity and diastase activity) showed that 95.31% of samples meet Croatian and European standards. Microbiological quality of tested samples was considered good with no pathogenic bacteria detected. In 34.38% of the samples, the yeast and mold count exceeded the limit established by legislation. The presence of yeasts was noted in 17 samples varying from 18 to 1300 CFU/g, whereas mold count ranged from 18 to 182 CFU/g. The study revealed that out of six genera of molds recovered, Cladosporium was the most frequent, followed by Alternaria, Penicillium, Mucor, Aureobasidium, and Stachybotrys. Considering that the majority of molds identified in this study are commonly found in bee hive environment and in digestive tract of honey bees, it can be concluded that the mold contamination of honey in this study derives mainly from primary sources. The presence of Stachybotrys sp. is an indicator of contamination that comes from secondary sources.

Practical applications

Due to continuous expansion of the world honey market and increasing awareness of consumers towards healthy food, the importance of quality control of honey has also grown. In respond to these demands, this study presents physicochemical and microbiological properties of different types of Croatian honey, with special emphasis laid on the identification of the present molds in incompatible samples. The results of this study provide useful data that Croatian honey has good level of quality and contribute to better understanding of the genera of molds present in the honey from this region.
Antiaging efficacy of a retinaldehyde‐based cream compared with glycolic acid peel sessions: A randomized controlled study
Authors: Rouvrais Céline , Baspeyras Martine , Mengeaud Valérie , Rossi Ana Beatris
Published: July 2018

Background

Glycolic acid (GA) chemical peels are a popular treatment for photoaged skin rejuvenation, but retinaldehyde (RAL)‐based cosmetic creams have also demonstrated efficacy in improving photoaging, and are potentially better tolerated than chemical peels.

Aims

To compare the efficacy and safety of an antiaging cream containing 0.1% RAL associated with Glycylglycine Oleamide (GGO, Relastide®) and Pre‐tocopheryl®, to GA peels sessions in the treatment of photoaging.

Patients and methods

Fifty‐five women with photoaging were randomized in 2 treatment groups: (1) Daily application of the antiaging cream for 8 weeks or (2) Three sequential GA peels (20%, 50%, and 70%), 2‐3 weeks apart. Skin surface texture, length of wrinkles, complexion radiance, and evenness of pigmentation and texture were assessed by profilometry using skin replicas, computer image analysis, and self‐assessment.

Results

Efficacy of both treatments was similar in reducing crow's feet wrinkles depth (STm −7.61%, P = .0007 vs −4.34%, P = .0348; P = .3049 intergroup) and volume, crow's feet and periorbital wrinkle length, and number of fine lines and wrinkles at end of treatments. The efficacy of the cream in refining skin texture was superior to the peels (contrast: −5.61%, P = .0025 vs +3.54, P = .08; P intergroup = .0252). The 8‐week treatment with the antiaging cream was well tolerated; adverse events were fewer and of milder intensity than with the peels, (12‐fold lower incidence of physical signs).

Conclusion

A dermocosmetic cream containing 0.1% RAL, GGO (Relastide®) and Pre‐tocopheryl® is as effective as 3 sequential GA peels, better tolerated, and is an alternative in the management of photoaged skin.
Real‐Time Monitoring for Explosive Financial Bubbles
Authors: Astill Sam , Harvey David I. , Leybourne Stephen J. , Sollis Robert , Robert Taylor A. M.
Published: July 2018

We propose new methods for the real‐time detection of explosive bubbles in financial time series. Most extant methods are constructed for a fixed sample of data and, as such, are appropriate only when applied as one‐shot tests. Sequential application of these tests, declaring the presence of a bubble as soon as one of these statistics exceeds the one‐shot critical value, would yield a detection procedure with an unknown false‐positive rate likely to be far in excess of the nominal level. Our approach sequentially applies the one‐shot tests of Astill et al. (), comparing sub‐sample statistics calculated in real time during the monitoring period with the corresponding sub‐sample statistics obtained from a prior training period. We propose two procedures: one based on comparing the real‐time monitoring period statistics with the maximum statistic over the training period, and another that compares the number of consecutive exceedances of a threshold value in the monitoring and training periods, the threshold value obtained from the training period. Both allow the practitioner to determine the false‐positive rate for any given monitoring horizon, or to ensure that this rate does not exceed a specified level by setting a maximum monitoring horizon. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the finite‐sample false‐positive rates lie close to their theoretical counterparts, even in the presence of time‐varying volatility and serial correlation in the shocks. The procedures are shown to perform well in the presence of a bubble in the monitoring period, offering the possibility of rapid detection of an emerging bubble in a real‐time setting. An empirical application to monthly stock market index data is considered.
Fleas of the genusNeotyphlocerasassociated with rodents from Bolivia: new host and distributional records, description of a new species and remarks on the morphology ofNeotyphloceras rosenbergi
Authors: Sanchez J. , Lareschi M. , Salazar‐Bravo J. , Gardner S. L.
Published: July 2018

The flea genusNeotyphlocerasRothschild (Siphonaptera: Ctenophthalmidae) includes five species and two subspecies distributed from Venezuela to southern Chile and Argentina. OnlyNeotyphloceras crassispina hemisusJordan has been registered in Bolivia. The present study examines species ofNeotyphlocerascollected in Bolivian localities in the Departments of La Paz, Cochabamba and Tarija, and describes the morphology of the modified abdominal segments in males and females ofNeotyphloceras rosenbergiRothschild on the basis of type material and specimens collected from Tarija. A new species,Neotyphloceras boliviensisn. sp., is described and new host associations are reported forN. rosenbergi,Neotyphloceras crassispina crassispinaandN. crassispina hemisus.Neotyphloceras c. crassispinaandN. rosenbergiare reported for the first time in Bolivia. The distribution ofN. rosenbergiis extended 1600 km to the south. Given the potential medical and veterinary significance of fleas as disease vectors, and considering that in the Departments of La Paz and Tarija several human cases of plague have been reported, and species of flea have been identified as main vectors of these diseases, the new records of fleas in Bolivia reported herein may be useful for epidemiological studies on flea‐borne diseases.
Restoration of Florida scrub vegetation in an old field through 23 years after planting
Authors: Schmalzer Paul A. , Foster Tammy E.
Published: July 2018

Florida scrub, a fire‐maintained, xeromorphic shrubland, hosts many rare and declining species, but most scrub habitat has been lost to development and agriculture. Formerly cultivated sites offer an opportunity to restore Florida scrub. In this 23‐year study, we test whether scrub species could be restored to an old field and whether scrub vegetation composition and structure could be reestablished over time. Scrub oaks were planted in a section of an old field in 1992 after the site was cleared and treated with herbicide. Additional oaks and other scrub species were planted in 1993. We determined survival and growth annually of a marked sample of scrub species. We sampled vegetation cover in two height strata annually on 10 permanent line‐intercept transects in the old grove and on 20 transects in adjacent, intact scrub. Initial survival of Quercus geminata exceeded that of Q. chapmanii or Q. myrtifolia. Cover of scrub oaks greater than 0.5 m increased from 1.3% in 1992 to 65.2% in 2010. However, the vegetation structure of large Q. geminata did not resemble that of native scrub. Adaptive management led to cutting large oaks in the fall of 2010, and burning the site in early 2011. Cutting and burning appeared to stimulate sprouting and clonal spread of scrub oaks. Ordination analysis indicated directional change related to increasing scrub oak cover and time since planting but the old field still differed from intact scrub. Vegetation has developed toward scrub composition and structure but exotic grasses persist.
Dialysate potassium concentration: Should mass balance trump electrophysiology?
Authors: Pun Patrick H.
Published: July 2018

Nephrologists are faced with a difficult dilemma in choosing the ideal dialysis prescription to maintain neutral potassium mass balance. Should potassium mass balance goals prioritize the normalization of serum potassium levels using low potassium dialysate at the expense of provoking intradialytic arrhythmias, or should mass balance goals favor permissive hyperkalemia using higher dialysate potassium to avoid rapid intradialytic fluxes at the risk of more interdialytic arrhythmias? This review examines the factors that determine potassium mass balance among HD patients, the relationships between serum and dialysate potassium levels and outcomes, and concludes by examining currently available approaches to reducing risk of arrhythmias while managing potassium mass balance.
A Contingent Effect of Trust? Interpersonal Trust and Social Movement Participation in Political Context*
Authors: Suh Hyungjun , Reynolds‐Stenson Heidi
Published: July 2018

Objective

Previous studies on the relationship between interpersonal trust and social movement participation have largely focused on the simple link, without attention to the interaction between trust and aspects of the political context. This study investigates this contingent effect of two types of interpersonal trust (ingroup and outgroup trust) on social movement participation.

Method

The data are drawn from the World Values Survey 6th wave and country‐level Macro Indices from 41 countries. We use multilevel modeling (random coefficient model) to test the contingent effect of trust.

Results

The results reveal a positive association between outgroup trust and protest participation, moderated by both functioning institutions and state repression. Meanwhile, ingroup trust is not significantly associated with protest participation.

Conclusion

This contingent theory of trust could reconcile previous inconsistent empirical findings and explain why trust may have an insignificant or weaker effect on social movement participation in some contexts.
Geometry and topology of the space of Kähler metrics on singular varieties
Authors: Di Nezza Eleonora , Guedj Vincent
Published: July 2018

Let$Y$be a compact Kähler normal space and let$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}\in H_{\mathit{BC}}^{1,1}(Y)$be a Kähler class. We study metric properties of the space${\mathcal{H}}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}}$of Kähler metrics in$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$using Mabuchi geodesics. We extend several results of Calabi, Chen, and Darvas, previously established when the underlying space is smooth. As an application, we analytically characterize the existence of Kähler–Einstein metrics on$\mathbb{Q}$-Fano varieties, generalizing a result of Tian, and illustrate these concepts in the case of toric varieties.
Compressed Air on Demand
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article analyzes that the demand of compressed gas has increased manifold in automobile engineering. A manufacturer of gear motors retrofitted its system to provide a more reliable supply of air, which help reduce its energy bills by over $40,000 a year. When Bodine Electric Co. built a fractional horsepower gear-motor plant in Chicago 35 years ago, management intentionally overbuilt the compressed-air system to serve projected expansion. As it turned out, Bodine’s motor production never came near to stretching its compressed-air system’s capacity, largely because the company replaced its spray-paint delivery system with a powder coating technology. To ensure that compressed-air capacity was more in line with demand, assistance was sought in early 1996 from Chicago-based Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) in purchasing a new compressed-air system. In addition to the annual savings in electricity, the new compressors provide Bodine with a more reliable supply of compressed air. The system is completely backed up, so that even if one air compressor goes completely out of service, production will continue.
Racing from the Great White North
Authors: Morrison Gale
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on Motion Concept Vehicles Inc.’s (MCV) in Mississauga, ON, which is creating a $225,000 supercar. When the idea was born, the car was to run on natural gas, or methane—hence, the car’s original name, CH4, as in the chemical nomenclature for the gas’s operative compound. The prototype has already hit the Toronto streets and runs on natural gas. The engine in the CH4 prototype is a General Motors 4.6-liter, multivalve V8, converted to run on natural gas. The maker of the gasoline engine that will power the first production models is still being determined. MCV had a strong enough story to attract optical scanning leader Steinbichler and alias/wavefront, the Silicon Graphics subsidiary that builds software for designing and refining surfaces. MCV must bring the design geometry up to so-called class A surfaces within the alias/wavefront software environment, which is called SurfaceStudio 9 in its latest release. This process of perfecting a car's surfaces to be both structurally and mechanically sound as well as aesthetically pleasing takes a fraction of the time it took in the days of clay models, the companies point out.
The Virtues of Virtual Products
Authors: Ghee Steve
Published: July 2018

Manufacturing and engineering companies around the world are building virtual products that can communicate across the barriers of time, distance, discipline, and culture. Interactive-product-simulation (IPS) technology complements the processes used to create three-dimensional geometry. IPS software leverages a company's investment in computer-aided design (CAD) design by providing earlier access to prototypes, faster updates than with physical models, enterprise-wide distribution of information in an easy-to-understand format, support for existing processes, and long-term value that extends beyond the finalization of product designs. IPS provides real-time interaction via the virtual product-a simulated version of the final functioning design that can include functional simulations, animations, mechanisms, and simulated humans or ‘manikins.’ IPS has many applications in the concept phase, where one of the most critical challenges for manufacturers is the economic evaluation and frequent review of multiple high-level concepts and configurations. PS enables engineers, manufacturing and maintenance staff, and even customers to visualize and operate complex virtual products so that they can improve the designs' manufacturability, ergonomics, and maintainability.
A New Wave in CFD
Authors: Freeman David J. , Wilkinson Sally
Published: July 2018

The convergence of virtual reality, parallel processing, and Internet access is enabling computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD) codes to model complex problems in the process and petroleum industries. Improved user interfaces are making it easier for non-specialists to use CFD to investigate the conditions under which flammable or poisonous gases, to investigate the conditions under which flammable or poisonous gases, for example, might build up around an oil platform. CFD rests on the sure foundation of the scientific laws that deal with mass, momentum, and energy. Engineers used CFD in the design of a coal-fired furnace whose burners produce a swirling flow, enhancing the efficiency of the combustion process. CFD codes simulate the processes in four key stages: ignition, laminar-flame propagation, turbulence generation, and turbulence-controlled combustion. The ignition process is usually represented by the sudden temperature increase of a small body of gas, such as in a single computational cell. Most CFD codes seeking to simulate explosions use variants of one of these models.
Tilting Trains Shorten Transit Time
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article explains the research work done to study and implement tilling trains. Tilting trains while negotiating curves reduce centrifugal force on passengers yet maintain fast speed on the ride. London-based Virgin Rail has signed one of the largest international railroad contracts ever for a fleet of tilting trains from Fiat Ferroviaria S.p.A. in Savigliano, Italy, to run on Great Britain's high-speed West Coast Main Line. Fiat engineers house the hydraulic or electromechanical actuators of the Pendolino trains in the bogies completely under the cars to preserve space in the passenger compartments. The latest generation of Pendolino train, the ETR 460, was introduced in 1993. This train carries up to 478 passengers at a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour. Each ETR 460 is made up of three traction units, each consisting of two motor cars and one trailer. The Washington State Department of Transportation uses Talgo pendular trains, to cut the travel times of passengers traveling in the Pacific Northwest.
Modeling a Virtual
Authors: Deitz Dan
Published: July 2018

Engineers are using simulation-based design to test the digital prototype of a floating military base that will be the largest structure ever to voyage on the high seas. Consisting of five separate modules joined by a series of hinged connectors, the proposed mobile offshore base (MOB) is planned to provide a mobile, sea-based alternative to fixed land bases outside the United States. The Navy's proposed mobile offshore base includes a 1-mile-long runway, 85 acres of interior space, and facilities for transferring containers and vehicles from cargo ships docked alongside. The self-propelled structure would serve as a semi-stationary base for military operations and humanitarian efforts. Feasibility studies are being performed at McDermott Technology Inc. in Lynchburg, Virginia, a supplier and operator of semisubmersible vessels for the offshore oil industry. Simulations, visualizations, and analyses for these studies are being conducted at the Simulation-Based Design Office of the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Technology Center in Orange, Texas, which was established by the University of New Orleans in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research in Washington, DC.
Preventing Rollover with FEA
Authors: Dietz Dan
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that event-simulation software can help engineers improve the safety of a military transport vehicle, while reducing the number of prototypes and shortening the design cycle. US Army's Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) unit brought the truck's frame design to AM General with recommendations for a rollover protection structure. The AM General design team created plans for a T-shaped configuration to be added to the original truck frame that would protect occupants during a rollover accident. AM General stress analyst performed finite element analysis with Mechanical Event Simulation, including both Linear and Nonlinear Stress Analysis software from Algor Inc. of Pittsburgh. When the prototype asses its laboratory test, AM General will immediately manufacture an additional 20 units for both physical and field testing. This may include an armored variant for field testing in Bosnia, an area with rugged topography. TACOM plans to modify other M 939/A1 / A2 series trucks on an as-needed basis; they will install the rollover protection structures on trucks in use where conditions like rough terrain make rollover accidents more likely.
Two-Way Brush Seals Catch a Wave
Authors: Hendricks Robert C. , Wilson Jack , Wu Tom , Flower Ralph
Published: July 2018

This article explores a set of inner and outer brush seals capable of bidirectionally restricting flows in a wave rotor, which has been successfully fabricated and tested. Advantages cited for the wave rotor include enhanced efficiency, rotor material temperatures lower than the peak gas temperatures, lower speed rotation with reduced stress, simple robust construction, and rapid transient response. A cross-sectional view of the rotor shows the cavities and placement of the brush seals. No definitive tests were undertaken during the break in stage or during the testing; thus, one can only conclude that the bristles wore significantly, and the rotor coating showed little evidence of tracking other than being highly polished with some spottiness. Some powder debris was found in the exhaust port. The principles of bidirectional brush design can be applied to all brush configurations, providing bidirectional capability, controlled seal stiffness/damping, bristle spread, flutter, protection from foreign object damage, and a double labyrinth-orifice at essentially the same cost as a conventional brush seal construction.
Preserving Earth’s Stratosphere
Authors: Newman Paul A.
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that ozone levels in the Arctic and Antarctic should begin to recover due to reductions in chlorofluorocarbon production, but greenhouse warming may exacerbate losses of the gas in the polar region. It is important to understand the life cycle of ozone molecules because it plays such a vital role in screening harmful ultraviolet radiation. The concentrations of certain gases, such as these highly reactive chlorine compounds, have a critical effect on ozone levels. The chlorine found in the stratosphere comes principally from chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). A CFC release becomes well mixed throughout the troposphere in about one year. The CFCs, which enter the stratosphere from the tropical upper-troposphere region, have been measured by the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). Recent research has suggested that greenhouse warming may lead to significant cooling of the polar region. If so, this cooling may exacerbate ozone losses despite decreasing chlorine and bromine levels.
Choosing the Right Refrigerant
Authors: Gopalnarayanan Siva
Published: July 2018

The driving forces in refrigerant development and selection are varied and sometimes conflicting; however, several options are currently available that consider all aspects of the refrigeration system. There are five major factors that design engineers must consider in selecting a refrigerant for a particular application: performance, safety, reliability, environmental acceptability, and simple economics. The reliability of a refrigeration system depends to a large extent on the chemical stability of the refrigerant and its compatibility with the various system components and the compressor lubricant. Among several groups of alternatives, two—the hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—are the most useful. One of the major challenges in identifying halocarbon alternatives to ozone-depleting substances is to strike a balance between the various affecting factors. In the United States, there is considerable resistance to use of hydrocarbons or ammonia in applications that use halocarbons. This is due to liability concerns arising from their flammability and, in the case of ammonia, also toxicity.
Gearing Up With Plastic
Authors: Smith Zan , Fletcher Maribeth
Published: July 2018

This article explains the engineering design concepts behind injection-molded gears that make drives lighter, quieter, and less costly. As the experience base with plastic gears has grown, computer-aided-design (CAD) tools have advanced. The most powerful advantages of plastic gears may be the design opportunities they afford. Gear geometries overlooked by designers used to metal are often easy to mold in plastic, and they can reduce drive size, weight, and cost. The operating speed of plastic gears obviously impacts operating temperature. However, rapid-loading rates can also affect material properties. For some materials, the faster a tooth is loaded, the higher the effective modulus and strength. It is highlighted that designers of plastic gears should also pay special attention to shaft attachment. Bore tolerances naturally impact true center distances, sometimes resulting in loss of proper gear action. Problems with prototypes can also tempt gear designers to change resins—a costly mistake given the different shrinkage characteristics of various plastics. It is better to rework the tooth profile than switch the material, unless it is clear that the wrong material was chosen.
No Breaks for Noise
Authors: Sharke Paul
Published: July 2018

This article highlights the fact that engineers who design and test anti-lock brake systems (ABS) have been trying to come up with ways to minimize the noise and vibration that drivers hear and feel when they stomp on the brake pedals. The ABS engineers want drivers to do during a panic stop is to let their feet off the brakes. According to the engineers, braking should be the concern, because the less time the driver worries about stopping the car, the more time there is to concentrate on steering it. The mechanical components in both systems are functionally identical, consisting of a brake pedal, a master cylinder and booster, hydraulic lines and fluid, wheel calipers, brake pads, and rotors. In fact, unless the system is actuated by hard braking, ABS acts just like an ordinary disc brake system. Engine noise would only mask the ABS noise reaching the binaural head, which sits inside the passenger compartment where a driver would normally be.
Standing Up to the Test
Authors: DeGaspari John
Published: July 2018

This article analyzes changes in sterilization techniques that can substantially increase the life of implants. A result of the work on sterilization methods has led to a related development—crosslinking—that greatly increases the wear resistance of the joints’ polyethylene mating surfaces. The vast majority of the prostheses used in a half-million hip replacement procedures performed worldwide each year are a combination of metal and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene. Some experts believe that the overall effects of gamma radiation in air have been misrepresented. Howmedica recently developed a highly crosslinked polyethylene, called Crossfire, which achieves a 90 percent reduction in wear compared to standard polyethylene. The crosslinking is achieved with an elevated dose of gamma radiation, followed by heating the material close to its melting point. The polyethylene is then machined and packaged in a nitrogen atmosphere, and sterilized with gamma radiation.
Distributed Control
Authors: Prince Daryl
Published: July 2018

This article discusses servo motion systems, which are motion control systems that combine hardware and software, have innumerable applications in compact modules. Some motion controllers operate on multiple platforms and buses, with units providing analog output to a conventional amplifier, as well as units that provide current control and direct pulse width modulation (PWM) output for as many as 32 motors simultaneously. There are amplifiers that still require potentiometers to be adjusted for the digital drives’ position, velocity, and current control. All major value-adding components of motion control systems will soon have to comply with the demands for faster controllers with high-speed multi axis capabilities supplying commands in multitasking applications.
Running Energy
Authors: Brown Alan S.
Published: July 2018

Composite Power Corp., Las Vegas, plans to use composites as a key material in a wind turbine a quarter-mile across that will turn on air or magnetic bearings in breezes as mild as 3 mph. Composite towers cost more than steel, however, are cheaper to transport and easier to assemble on-site, making them cost-competitive, especially in remote areas. Since composite towers have small footprints, they can share rights of way with railroad tracks. The system is designed so even if a car jumps the track and takes out up to three towers, the fiber-reinforced cable will remain intact. Beginning with inexpensive coal fuel, the proposed Montana-Wisconsin line will deliver power for an estimated 3 cents a kilowatt, compared with the 4 to 9 cents a kilowatt it costs other state utilities. The heart of the technology consists of cables made of aluminum strengthened by a composite wrapping. Although aluminum has a generous current-carrying capacity, its poor mechanical strength has curbed its role in power transmission lines.
Net Savings
Authors: Bjoland Lars
Published: July 2018

Engineers at Selantic Industrier performed a drop test simulation with Accupak/VE Mechanical Event Simulation software to determine the limits of a protection net for a new ELF off-shore oil platform currently under development in the North Sea. The finished structure will stand on three legs that can move up and down. With the legs retracted, the platform can float into position; then the legs can be extended, first to touch the seabed and then to raise the platform above the ocean surface. Selantic's engineers decided to study the problem by using engineering software to simulate a steel container landing in the net and bouncing back. They chose Accupak/VE, mechanical event simulation software for virtual prototyping from Algor Inc. of Pittsburgh. The simulation showed that the net would be stretched permanently under the loading used in the model. Selantic expects to conduct small-scale prototype tests to confirm the simulation results. This testing will replace full-scale testing that would have been necessary without the event simulation. This translates into a decrease in the time and cost of materials needed during physical prototype testing.
Recording Oil's Vital Signs
Authors: DeGaspari John
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on efforts that are aimed at developing on-board systems to measure oil quality in real time or, at least, to base predictions on specific, observable conditions. A reliable means of monitoring the condition of engine oil will permit a new kind of just-in-time maintenance, and that, according to some forecasters, could save millions of quarts of oil a year. Although car companies schedule oil changes along conservative time frames, some experts say strictly schedule-based maintenance doesn't solve the problems of premature lubrication failure. The article also highlights that an on-board capacitive sensor developed by Kavlico assesses oil quality by measuring the oil's dielectric constant, which increases as molecules break down and additives deplete with use. It is stressed that a combination of measurements will present a truer picture of oil degradation than just one measurement. A combined approach of monitoring driving conditions and using sensors has been taken by DaimlerChrysler of Stuttgart, Germany. The company has developed a passenger car maintenance system, called Assyst, for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The dielectric number can warn the driver that water is present in the sump or a coolant leak is occurring in the engine.
Filtering for a Lift
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article analyses systems to treat spent machining fluids, which improve productivity by cutting downtime and extending performance life. Machine tool operators are extending the life of their grinding wheels as much as 10 times by processing spent machining coolants with Hydroflow's Star Filter system. Hydroflow Inc., Salem, NH, markets a vacuum-based Star Filter system that provides a large filter area in a relatively small space for industrial applications requiring high flow rate filtration. Hydroflow's engineers designed the Star Filter to compete with rotary drum vacuum filters, which also provide large filter areas in compact space. Machining line operators use the Star Filter as a standalone, central filtration system. Either Hydroflow or the local contractor connects the system to machine tools so the used fluid will pass through baffles in the Star Filter that reduce the fluid's velocity. The successful inaugural installation of the small-scale HTF system at Twin City has opened opportunities for the filtration system in other die casting facilities.
Streamlining Metal Poles
Authors: Giosan Ioan , Brockman Ted
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that an engineering firm is using software to ensure the structural integrity of all types of pole designs. West Coast Engineering (WCE) Group in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, performed several linear stress analyses using software to optimize the insulator bracket, which supports the transmission lines on the tangent poles. Physical testing was used to verify the accuracy of the analysis results. WCE began the structural analyses by analyzing the shafts of each pole type under ultimate loading, which was determined by Ian Hayward International using standard industry calculations. WCE performed linear static stress analyses on the models and evaluated the von Mises stress criteria for ductile materials to assess the stress results. With the pole shaft and base plate structures verified, engineers focused the next analysis on the insulator brackets of the tangent structure to optimize the load bearing capability and material thickness. With the predictable loading capacity requirements confirmed for the designs, WCE expanded the study to include a simulation of the impact loading that can result from a head-on vehicle collision. WCE is continuing the use of Algor software in the design of poles and in the development of new pole manufacturing equipment. Currently, the company is using it to simulate and optimize a roll forming process.
Getting Physical
Authors: Wolcott Barbara
Published: July 2018

Among Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s current research and development projects is an effort to shape the next generation of integrated circuits. Researchers are talking about reducing sixfold the scale of features that can be rendered in silicon, from about 180 nanometers now, down to about 30. Although Livermore’s primary work is research in physics, it is mechanical engineering that moves theory. Now the lab’s precision engineering has leapfrogged from the nuclear arsenal to the public sector, with the development of a cutting-edge manufacturing system for producing computer chips. An ultraclean deposition system, developed by the Livermore Lab and Veeco Industries, is a move toward the next generation of integrated circuits. Intel, AMD, Motorola, Infineon, and Micron Technology formed a holding company, EUV Limited Liability Co. Roughly a quarter-billion dollar from this group is funding work at three national labs together—Sandia, Lawrence Berkeley, and Lawrence Livermore—to develop the technology for producing the next generation of computer chips.
From Wind to Water
Authors: Mutel Cornelia F.
Published: July 2018

A small-scale physical model of a hydropower turbine and its water flow is under study at the University of Iowa’s Institute of Hydraulic Research. The Institute of Hydraulic Research at the University of Iowa has developed a numerical code that accurately predicts the three-dimensional flow of water over the variable bed of a dam’s forebay and into a hydropower plant’s intakes. In addition, fisheries biologists working independently have identified basic behavioral patterns of salmonids. Once computational fluid dynamics models that merge water’s flow with fish behavior patterns are perfected, the effects of flow characteristics at countless points can be measured rapidly and economically, and design decisions can be made accordingly. The code thus promises to become a formidable planning tool that will save power utilities major amounts of both time and money. The codes eventually will allow the results of minute changes in hull or propeller structure to be realized with a few keyboard strokes. Iowa researchers are investigating the flow of moisture through the air as well as over land and through the sea.
The Distance We've Come
Authors: Petroski Henry
Published: July 2018

This article discusses contribution of engineering technologies through years. It is achievements and advances in engineering that changed all. The development of safe drinking water supplies, sanitary sewer systems, and wastewater treatment schemes drastically reduced diseases that were rampant a hundred years ago, and so reduced infant mortality. Mechanical engineering has changed the quality of life significantly from that of a century ago. Air conditioning, which was developed early in the 20th century to control humidity in plants, factories, and mills where manufacturing processes were affected by too damp a sheet of paper or too dry a spool of thread, was widely domesticated in the second half of the century. Air travel is similarly comfortable and even safer, and few of my generation grow anxious even when flying across the country or around the world. The level of engineering accomplishment and dependability embodied in our terrestrial travel seems to be rivalled only by that achieved in space travel, a distinctly 20th-century engineering achievement.
Local Connections
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article discusses integration of microturbines with energy storage systems and fuel cells for the development of new applications in distributed energy generation. Williams Energy Services integrated two Capstone Model 330 microturbines and one PowerBlock energy storage system to power an oil derrick near the Denver airport. A key microturbine component is its recuperator, which transfers heat from exhaust gas to air that is sent to the combustor. Preheating combustion air reduces the fuel consumption of the microturbine and increases its overall efficiency. One hybrid microturbine power plant now in commercial service was developed by Williams Distributed Power Services of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Williams energy conversion unit (ECU) incorporates two Model 330-kilowatt microturbines developed by Capstone Turbine Corp. of Woodland Hills, California, and the PowerBlock energy storage device developed by Powercell Corp. of Burlington, MA. The ECU provides reliable 480-volt power when the grid power to the oil field is interrupted.
FEA ’s Flow to the Future
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article demonstrates the increasing use of finite element analysis (FEA) by engineers. FEA technology from ANSYS lets engineers simulate the airflow over and under an airplane wing. FEA is the use of a complex system of points—called nodes—that form a grid, or mesh, across a model. The engineer assigns nodes at a density throughout the material, depending on the anticipated stress levels of a certain area. Several developers have been working to couple FEA and computer-aided design (CAD) packages tightly, so they share a common database and a single user interface. DuPont used ANSYS simulation software to solve a noise-vibration-harshness problem in the Porsche Boxter exhaust manifold. Professional analysts also are skilled at interpreting results. Plastics analysis has been within financial reach for large companies, but many medium-size and small companies can’t afford to purchase the software needed to analyse CAD solid models of plastic parts. It is stressed that the codes that power FEA software should allow companies to tailor the software to their own processes.
The IC's Surprising Birth
Authors: Rostky George
Published: July 2018

This article reviews the origin and costs of integrated circuits in the semiconductor industry. Sometimes, a significant integrated circuit achievement might not receive history’s recognition because it simply did not work well. The market might politely applaud a new development, but if another came along that was considerably cheaper, it would be seized hungrily. It would become the market leader and later in history's eyes, might appear to have been first. Jean Hoerni from Fairchild Semiconductor, in Mountain View, CA, developed a new transistor with all parts on one plane. He made connections through an insulating and protecting layer of oxide. Fairchild formed two design teams, one under co-founder Cordon Moore, to develop NPN, and one under co-founder Hoerni, who was working for Moore, to develop PNPs. Both projects were successful—Moore’s NPN, the 2N967, the first high-performance silicon transistor, and Hoerni’s PNP, the 2Nl132. But the NPN was easier to make at first, so Moore chose that one for IBM. Today, ICs house millions of transistors at costs of a fraction of a mil per transistor.
Online Design
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that computer-based technologies have greatly influenced the way design engineers work. The first technological innovation was the use of high-powered personal computers. With PCs, engineers had access to high-speed applications of computer-aided design software right at their own desks. Personal computers took the place of rulers and pencils. The second innovation, he said, is the advancing capability of PCs to function as supercomputers, crunching numbers much faster than formerly possible. By taking advantage of this technology, engineers untrained in a mathematical application such as finite element analysis can run an FEA software program that performs calculations automatically and will shave weeks off the design process. Hothouse uses the Spatial technology to repair CAD models brought in from outside sources and to translate CAD files the company sends to its suppliers, collaborators, and clients. Before Hothouse began sending CAD files to the online service, company employees spent days repairing or rebuilding files on their own. Sometimes suppliers or clients that received Hothouse CAD files had to do similar work on their end.
Getting it Right the First Time
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article highlights that quality control at manufacturing companies take many forms. Basically, quality control implies that everyone involved in the manufacture of a product or part makes sure it can be easily manufactured and that after it has been made, it meets certain predetermined specifications. Other industries are following ISO standards and becoming certified to show potential customers that they maintain rigorous quality control standards. Companies interested in quality matters have a host of technologies to help them achieve their goals. Other technologies exist, such as JMP from SAS Institute in Cary, NC, which analyzes data from the shop floor in order to monitor performance. Numbers that do not fit set patterns might alert engineers to a manufacturing problem. The software links graphics, such as charts and graphs, with the statistical data so engineers can better conceptualize the statistics. Quality control is not only about inspecting products after they are produced. In fact, it often begins at the very first step in the manufacturing process—ensuring that design engineers have all the information they need to properly design a part, and making sure they are properly trained on any software they use while creating the design.
Motoring Madness
Authors: Lentinello Richard A.
Published: July 2018

This article highlights that the today automobile remains at the forefront of noteworthy technical achievements. Some of the more recent ideas that have emerged as a result of mankind’s quest for safety, efficiency and performance are the air bag, computer-controlled electronic fuel injection, run-flat tires and compact global positioning systems. Like most remarkable objects that are incessantly redesigned and refined until the end result meets, and often exceeds, the goal of the initial concept, the blueprint for the automobile actually started out as one man’s crusade—in this case, to produce a self-propelled, steam-powered carriage. Due to ever-increasing emission standards, the automobile is forever linked to the catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, air pump, and the electronic control module. The control module is designed to adjust the engine’s ignition tinting thousands of times every second to ensure that the smallest amount of hydrocarbons are released into the atmosphere. The automobile continues to clean up its own act and inspire the development of increasingly sophisticated technology, which underpins the prosperity of North America.
Torque Take Off
Authors: Sharke Paul
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on that helicopters often display a rotor torque reading on their instrument panels to tell pilots how close they are flying to transmission design limits. With no measure of torque, a limit based on engine power is necessarily conservative. Torque monitors can increase a helicopter’s time between overhauls. Mechanical resonance, it seems, developed when the two engines were operated at matched torques. The torque meter lets the pilot split the torque to the two engines by 2 percent, diminishing any resonance. Permitted speculation, the Siemens researchers observed applications for their instrument beyond the traditional realm of torque measurement. In automotive applications, for instance, the researchers envision their torque measurement system one day being used in car engines to provide data in real time to the engine controls.
Prospecting Paydirt
Authors: DeGaspari John
Published: July 2018

Researchers are using nanoparticles of clay to raise polymers to new capabilities. The ongoing interest in nanocomposite polymers is evidenced by two upcoming conferences on the topic scheduled later this year—one sponsored by Principia Partners in Baltimore in June and another hosted by the Canadian National Research Council’s Industrial Materials Institute in Montreal in September. The automotive area represents a lot of potential, particularly for exterior body panels and fascia, and such interior components as instrument panels. One indication of the interest level is the attention being focused on thermoplastic olefins, which is one of the fastest growing plastic groups used in exterior and interior automotive applications. Dow Chemical Co. of Midland, Michigan, and Decoma International of America in Troy, Michigan, are jointly investigating nanocomposites as part of a NIST Advanced Technology Program. The present focus of the project is understanding the fundamentals of processing, developing, and compounding nanocomposites. Dow is also looking at synthetic nanofillers, which may offer advantages in consistency over natural clay feedstocks.
Information Interface
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that developments in communication software promise a robust future for engineering technology. Collaborative technology, the next new thing, links all aspects of a business, including ways to easily marry a company’s engineering technologies to suppliers’ and vendors’ product data management (PDM) systems. The companies selling engineering technology can expect to operate in a rich, fertile market for the next 20 years, according to one technology analyst, especially with the introduction of product process management systems. Some engineers advise caution in heeding the clarion call of collaborative product development technology. The PDM market, valued at $5.8 billion last year, could double and perhaps even quadruple within five years if pursued aggressively and supplemented with collaborative technology, according to one expert. The article also discusses that for a technology as difficult to understand, to assess the need for, and to finance as collaborative systems may prove to be, suppliers should assume some of implementation’s financial risks.