bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Antimicrobial Activity of Vancomycin in the Presence and Absence of Sodium Carboxymethyl Starch
Authors: Claudius John S , Neau Steven H , Kenny Michael T , Dulworth Jacqueline K 
Published: October 2002

Abstract
The purpose of this work was to determine any effects the presence of sodium carboxymethyl starch may have on the antimicrobial activity of vancomycin given a previously described interaction between vancomycin and sodium carboxymethyl starch. In particular, the in-vitro activity of vancomycin against two clinically relevant bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis, was studied in the presence of varying concentrations of sodium carboxymethyl starch.
From two independent studies conducted using an agar dilution method, it appeared that the binding of vancomycin to sodium carboxymethyl starch had no effect on the in-vitro antimicrobial activity of vancomycin. The minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against S. aureus in the presence of as much as 1 mg mL−1 sodium carboxymethyl starch was similar to that of the control where no sodium carboxymethyl starch was added (1–4 μg mL−1 vs 1–2 μg mL−1, respectively). Likewise, the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against E. faecalis in the presence of 1 mg mL−1 sodium carboxymethyl starch was also similar to that of the control where no sodium carboxymethyl starch was added (1–4 μg mL−1 vs 1–4 μg mL−1, respectively). However, there may be factors in the in-vitro method, such as high ionic strength, that could disrupt the interaction between vancomycin and sodium carboxymethyl starch. Therefore, the possibility of diminished vancomycin activity in-vivo cannot be ruled out. A small percentage (8–10%) of vancomycin was determined to be bound to sodium carboxymethyl starch in broth media.
Given these results, the impact of sodium carboxymethyl starch on the in-vitro antimicrobial activity of vancomycin is expected to be minimal. Binding studies could not be conducted with gelled agar due to its semi-solid state.
Crystallization of Paracetamol from Ethanol-water Solutions in the Presence of Polymers
Authors: Kachrimanis K , Malamataris S 
Published: October 2002

Abstract
We have examined the effect of polymer nature and concentration on yield and micro-meritic, melting and compression properties of paracetamol crystals obtained from ethanol-water solutions using the solvent-change technique. Agar, gelatin, polyethylene-glycol (PEG) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were the polymers used. These four polymers have different solubility in ethanol and water.
It was found that the yield of crystallization may increase by up to 8% with agar, gelatin and PEG, polymers that are insoluble in ethanol, while the soluble PVP reduces yield by 14%. The size of crystals increased due to the addition of polymers and changed almost in parallel with the crystal yield for agar and gelatin. Gelatin resulted in the biggest crystals, agar in the most equidimensional (aspect ratio 1.45 and roundness 147) and PVP in the most elongated (aspect ratio 1.89 and roundness 2.13). PEG resulted in the most agglomerated crystals. Yield pressure, Py, decreased in the following order: agar &gt; PEG &gt; gelatin &gt; PVP, which is the same order for the enthalpy of fusion. Gelatin and PEG significantly decreased the elastic recovery of tablets (0.05 level), probably due to plastic deformation of crystals and fragmentation of agglomerates, respectively.
Crystallization of paracetamol in the presence of polymers by the solvent-change (ethanol-water) technique may permit increase of crystal yield, alteration of crystal shape and improvement of compression behaviour during tableting.
Renal and Cardiovascular Role of the Neuropeptide Y Y1 Receptor in Ischaemic Heart Failure Rats
Authors: Zhao Xiao-He , Sun Xiang-Ying , Bergdahl Anders , Edvinsson Lars , Hedner Thomas 
Published: October 2002

Abstract
The cardiovascular role of the neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors in-vivo and in-vitro in ischaemic heart failure was evaluated by using the novel neuropeptide Y Y1 selective antagonist BIBP 3226 (R-N2-(diphenylacetyl)-N-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-D-arginine-amide).
In pithed rats, incremental doses of BIBP 3226 inhibited the exogenous neuropeptide Y induced pressor response in a dose-related fashion and a bolus injection of BIBP 3226 (0.5 mg kg−1) significantly shifted the pressor response curve of exogenous neuropeptide Y to the right. The potentiation effect to exogenous neuropeptide Y on the pressor response to preganglionic sympathetic nerve stimulation in ischaemic heart failure rats as well as on the contractile response to noradrenaline in renal arteries in sham-operated animals were also inhibited by the neuropeptide Y Y1 antagonist. In conscious ischaemic heart failure rats, incremental doses of BIBP 3226 (0.125-1 mg kg−1) significantly reduced basal blood pressure and heart rate.
Compared with sham-operated rats, neuropeptide Y by itself induced no contraction and no potentiation on noradrenaline elicited contraction in renal artery of the ischaemic heart failure rat. Furthermore, under in-vivo conditions, BIBP 3226 did not influence basal renal function or the response to exogenous neuropeptide Y on urinary volume, urinary sodium and urinary potassium.
Our results demonstrate that although there is a downregulation of the Y1 receptors by ischaemic heart failure, Y1 receptors are still mainly involved in cardiovascular actions of exogenous neuropeptide Y and play a role in maintaining basal blood pressure and heart rate in ischaemic heart failure. However, our data do not imply any significant role of Y1 receptors on basal renal function in the ischaemic heart failure rat model.
Piping elbows with cracks Part 1: A parametric study of the influence of crack size on limit loads due to pressure and opening bending
Authors: Yahiaoui K , Moffat D G , Moreton D N 
Published: October 2002

Finite element analyses of cracked short-radius piping elbows are reported. Both axial and circumferential cracks, centred about the bend crown or intrados respectively, are considered. The defects are internal, with depth-thickness ratios a/t in the range 0.25 ≤ a/t ≤ 1.0. Since the aim is to assess limit loads, the analysis assumes elastic-perfectly plastic material behaviour with no geometric non-linearities. The loadings considered are (a) opening bending moment, (b) internal pressure and (c) combined loading of steady pressure, set at the design value of the pipe elbow, with a superimposed monotonically increasing opening bending moment. For each type of loading, the general component behaviour, by consideration of the global deformation with increasing load, is reported. Limit load values for each case are presented and the relative reductions in load-carrying capacity, compared with that predicted for a defect free elbow of the same material and dimensions, are given.
Rim and pole failures from elliptical bulging of oriented orthotropic sheet metal
Authors: Rees D W A 
Published: October 2002

Two criteria of instability are required to predict the failure in rolled sheet metal when bulged by lateral pressure through elliptical dies. The attainment of a pressure maximum is observed when the ratio of the lengths of the ellipse axes approaches unity. In nearly circular bulges this marks the onset of failure by diffuse necking under a falling pressure in the polar region. Dies with sharper elliptical apertures produce plane strain failures under a rising pressure in the region of the rim. In stretching flat sheet a local instability occurs when the rim force attains its maximum. The influence of sheet curvature upon plane strain fracture alters the limiting strain. Predictions of the critical pressure are derived for each failure and applied to an automotive aluminium alloy sheet (Alusuisse AC 120). The theory confirms experiments that show plane strain failure as a cut-off point in the plot of pressure versus height. A maximum pressure marks the start of a failure by diffuse pole thinning. In contrast, edge failures occur with uniform thinning from pole to rim along the minor axis of the ellipsoid bulge. A generalized theoretical approach accounts for each failure with an r variation in the plane of the sheet and orientation of the ellipse axes to the rolling direction. The tests reported refer to alignments between the roll direction and both axes of five elliptical dies with different aspect ratios. Pole failures provide positive forming limit strains for biaxial stress ratios between 0.5 and 1. Rim failures supply the limiting plane strains.
The determination of the residual strains and stresses in a tungsten inert gas welded sheet of IN718 superalloy using neutron diffraction
Authors: Dye D , Roberts S. M , Withers P. J , Reed R. C 
Published: October 2002

The residual stress state in a tungsten inert gas (TIG) welded sheet of IN718, a high-strength nickel-based superalloy, has been characterized using neutron diffraction. The measurements were performed using a time-of-flight diffractometer, which allowed lattice strains from the γ-γ′ {111} and γ-γ′ {311} composite peaks to be compared with the Reitveld-refined spectra. Residual stresses were estimated using plane-specific values of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio for the {311} and {111} peaks, and the macroscopic material response for the Reitveld-refined data. These values were obtained from a theoretical analysis of existing data after Kröner. The weld considered was an autogenous TIG weld 180mm long placed centrally on to a 2mm × 100mm × 200mm solution heat-treated sheet of IN718. The strain was mapped over the central 140mm of the plate; within this region, the measured strains were almost constant along the length, with the peak bulk longitudinal strain of 1700 × 10-6 detected 4mm from the weld centre, in the heat-affected zone. The corresponding peak longitudinal stress was 270 MPa, and the tensile region 11 mm wide, with the longitudinal residual stresses typically up to 2.5 times greater than those in the transverse direction. It was also found that, while in-weld stresses derived from analysis of single peaks may be incorrect due to textural and compositional effects, those derived from Reitveld refinement of the entire spectrum showed reasonable agreement with those obtained from incremental hole drilling measurements made with the Matthar-Soete method.
Beneficial residual stress from the cold expansion of large holes in thick light alloy plate
Authors: O'Brien E. W 
Published: October 2002

Beneficial residual compressive stress is induced around fastener holes by the process of cold expansion in civil aircraft. Fatigue performance is enhanced by increasing the allowable fatigue stress levels which are accounted for in the design. Much work exists that explains both the cold-expansion process and its effects when applied to smaller diameter holes and smaller plate thicknesses, i.e. 12mm or less. Since the introduction of larger diameter holes and larger plate thicknesses of 25mm and greater to current large civil aircraft, investigations have revealed that the cold-expansion process has several unique features that are attributable to the larger size. While superficially the two scales of component may appear to have both static and dynamic similitude, in fact the scaling is not total when the complete manufacturing system is considered. All the dimensions are scaled up with the important exception of the flat portion of the mandrel; it is this easily missed feature that gives rise to the significant three-dimensional effect under investigation. This paper is written from an industrial perspective and reviews the result of experimental stress analyses that demonstrate the difference in the process between small and large holes. Strains were measured in the time domain and the strain progression against time indicates definite three-dimensional effects in the process which are compared with a closed-form solution and a three-dimensional finite element analysis.
The interpretation of the strain-dependent Poisson's ratio in auxetic polyethylene
Authors: Alderson K L , Alderson A , Evans K E 
Published: October 2002

The strain-dependent behaviour characteristic of auxetic (i.e. having a negative Poisson's ratio) polymers has been modelled using a simple geometric model which consists of rectangular nodules intecronnected by fibrils. Careful consideration of the correct form of the model to use depending on the experimental method employed to test samples of auxetic ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has resulted in very good agreement between the experimental and theoretical Poisson's ratios and total engineering strain ratios when the deformation is predominantly due to hinging of the fibrils. Auxetic UHMWPE has been processed to yield a very wide range of Poisson's ratios depending on its microstructural parameters (i.e. nodule shape and size, fibril length and the angle between the fibril and nodule). These can be predicted using the model, allowing the possibility of tailoring Poisson's ratio of the material.
A review of automated methods for the collection and analysis of photoelastic data
Authors: Ajovalasit A , Barone S , Petrucci G 
Published: October 2002

Photoelasticity is one of the most widely used full-field methods for experimental stress analysis. However, the collection of photoelastic parameters can be a long and tedious process. The advent of automated photoelastic systems has allowed the experimentalists to speed up the rate of analysis and to perform more complex investigations. This paper provides a survey of recent methods of automated photoelasticity developed in the last 20 years, i.e. methods of the fringe centres, half-fringe photoelasticity, phase-stepping photoelasticity, methods based on the Fourier transform, spectral content analysis (SCA) and RGB (red, green, blue) photoelasticity.
Finite element modelling of the interaction of residual stress with mechanical load for a crack emanating from a cold worked fastener hole
Authors: Pavier M J , Poussard C G C , Smith D J 
Published: October 2002

A three-dimensional finite element simulation has been conducted for the cold working of a fastener hole in an aluminium plate. The simulation predicts the residual stress distribution resulting from the cold working process where an oversize mandrel is pulled though the fastener hole. Following the cold working simulation, unidirectional tensile mechanical load is applied to the plate and the resulting redistribution of stress predicted. Parallel through-the-thickness cracks emanating from the hole are then introduced into the model and crack opening displacements and stress intensity factors are predicted along the crack front as a function of applied mechanical load. The finite element simulation shows that cold working has a beneficial effect by reducing the stress intensity factor for a crack under applied mechanical load compared to a non-cold-worked plate. However, this improvement is less than would be expected if the cold working process is idealized as the application of a uniform radial expansion at the hole edge.
Automatic tool selection for milling operations Part 2: Tool sorting and variety reduction
Authors: Carpenter I D , Maropoulos P G 
Published: October 2002

The first part of this paper introduced a procedure for rapidly calculating optimized cutting data for all the feasible tools for a given milling operation. Having produced this list of tools with associated optimized cutting conditions, the preferred tool is selected by sorting the list by a composite objective function incorporating a combination of four desirable conditions: maximum metal removal rate, maximum tool life, minimum overall cost and minimum overall cutting time. These four criteria are normalized by a constant multiplier and prioritized by user-defined weighting coefficients. The tool selection procedure is implemented in software with a graphical user interface. The system includes material data for more than 750 ferrous alloys and specifications for 35988 possible holder/insert combinations. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the capability of the system and the subtle interplay of technological constraints that makes optimized tool selection a difficult process to perform manually. This automated procedure offers consistent selection of tools with efficient cutting data that can produce considerable reductions in machining cost when compared with non-optimal solutions. This tool selection procedure is designed to select tools and associated cutting conditions for single milling operations. As many machining centres have a limited number of tool positions available for automated tool changing, it is possible that the optimal set of tools for a given component is not the set of tools that are optimal for each operation considered singly. A post-processing method is presented which rationalizes a set of tools so as to reduce the number of unique tools with the minimal decrease in performance when compared with the set of individually optimized tools.
Dynamic measurement accuracy evaluation of coordinate measuring machines
Authors: Lin S-W 
Published: October 2002

The coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is one of the most flexible and versatile inspection machines in the manufacturing industry. Used around the world, the CMM has become a symbol of industrialization. However, there is still no reliable method for evaluating the accuracy of a CMM. The current commonly used method—the static evaluation method—may result in an incorrect assessment owing to the very dynamic nature of the CMM. In order to evaluate CMM dynamic accuracy, in this paper an error separation method for dynamic measuring data is presented to obtain their accuracy evaluation indices. Referring to international evaluating principles of measurement uncertainty, this method was derived through the analysis of dynamic measuring data and dynamic measuring error. To verify the validity of the proposed method, the dynamic accuracy of a CMM was evaluated and was found to be much better than that of the current static evaluation method.
Micromachining of assembled liquid crystal displays
Authors: Yeo S H , Tan E C 
Published: October 2002

Lasers have come into wide use for the repair of liquid crystal displays (LCDs). As displays have become larger, more complex and thus increasingly more expensive, repair has become indispensable. Lasers are used to remove the ‘short’ (unwanted materials) as a form of laser repair. Currently, there are many lasers being used for this application, but they are not able to perform the process efficiently. Green yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) and xenon lasers are not capable of removing indium tin oxide (ITO) in thin-film transistor (TFT) LCDs. Excimer lasers are capable of removing the ITO, but due to their opacity to glass substrates, the removal of the materials is not possible once the LCD is assembled. Therefore, there is a need to study another laser-based micromachining technique to remove the ITO in the assembled LCD. With the unique features of the ultrafast lasers, the femtosecond laser is introduced in this work to perform micromachining of ITO in the assembled LCD. The results clearly show that a femtosecond laser beam is able to penetrate through the glass substrate and polarizer to remove the ITO without damaging the LCD panel.
Development of the machining producibility evaluation method: Quantitative machining producibility evaluation for various processes
Authors: Ohashi T , Arimoto S , Miyakawa S 
Published: October 2002

The machining producibility evaluation model (MEM) was developed to assess design quality quantitatively for easier processing of parts and products. It is constructed on the basis of product and process modelling and covers cutting and grinding, metal working, welding, moulding, die-casting and casting. The main features of the MEM are Quantitative evaluation is carried out by means of an easy-to-understand 100-point scale, and processing cost is estimated within a ±15 per cent error. It is an easy method to both learn and use, employing approximately 20 basic symbols and five supplementary elements. This paper provides a description of the theory, the evaluation procedure and the accuracy of the method, and gives application examples.
Image synthesis methodology for algorithm testing and vision system design
Authors: Parker J M , Lee K-M 
Published: October 2002

Although it is well-recognized and widely accepted that vision adds considerable flexibility, and it has also been shown that numerical simulation can aid in image understanding and vision system design (significantly reducing the engineering time to design and implement such systems), the utilization of image synthesis as an aid in algorithm and system design still remains a largely underexplored area. In machine vision applications, accuracy of the image generally outweighs image appearance. Unfortunately, the focus of most commercially available simulation methods is on photorealistic image synthesis; this is insufficient to design vision systems or evaluate and compare image-processing algorithms for part-presentation tasks: physically accurate, rather than photo-realistic, synthesis methods are necessary to sufficiently simulate captured image grey-scale values. This paper presents a methodology to generate physically accurate synthetic images efficiently in order to provide an accurate, flexible and practical means of evaluating the performance of image-processing algorithms for numerous hardware/software configuration combinations and a wide range of parts. While the synthesis methodology cannot fully compensate for the real environment, it can be used efficiently to study the effects of vision system design parameters on image accuracy. This provides an insight into the efficacy of the design and the ability of suggested image-processing algorithms to perform adequately for specific applications; furthermore, it may provide a means for correcting apparent errors in image-processing results.
A design to cost system for innovative product development
Authors: Shehab E M , Abdalla H S 
Published: October 2002

This research paper presents a prototype object-oriented and rule-based system for product cost modelling and design for automation at an early design stage. The developed system comprises a computer aided design (CAD) solid modelling system, a material selection module, a knowledge-based system (KBS), a process optimization module, a design for assembly module, a cost estimation module and a user interface. The system development process has passed through four major steps: constructing the knowledge-based and process optimization system; developing a design for assembly module; integrating the KBS with both a material selection database and the CAD system; developing and implementing a fuzzy logic approach to generate reliable estimation of cost and to handle the uncertainty in the cost estimation model that cannot be addressed by traditional analytical methods. Two manufacturing processes, namely machining and injection moulding processes, were considered in the developed system. The main function of the system, besides estimating the product cost, is to generate initial process planning, including the generation and selection of machining processes, their sequence and their machining parameters, and to recommend the most economical assembly technique for a product and provide design improvement suggestions based on a design feasibility technique. In addition, a feature-by-feature cost estimation report is generated using the proposed system to highlight the features of high manufacturing cost. Two case studies were used to validate the developed system.