IDENTIFICATION OF CHATTER VIBRATIONS AND ACTIVE VIBRATION CONTROL BY USING THE SLIDING MODE CONTROLLER ON DRY TURNING OF TITANIUM ALLOY (TI6AL4V)

In recent years, with the development of sensor technologies, communication platforms, cyber-physical systems, storage technologies, internet applications and controller infrastructures, the way has been opened to produce competitive products with high quality and low cost. In turning, which is one of the important processes of machining, chatter vibrations are among the biggest problems affecting product quality, productivity and cost. There are many techniques proposed to reduce chatter vibrations for which the exact cause cannot be determined. In this study, an active vibration control based on the Sliding Mode Control (SMC) has been implemented in order to reduce and eliminate chatter vibration, which is undesirable for the turning process. In this context, three-axis acceleration data were collected from the cutting tool during the turning of Ti6Al4V. Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filtering, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis and integral process were carried out in order to use the raw acceleration data collected over the system in control. The system is modeled mathematically and an active control block diagram is created. It is observed that chattering decreased significantly after the application of active vibration control. The surface quality formed by the amplitude of the graph obtained after active control has been compared and verified with the data obtained from the actual manufacturing result

Prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasites in small ruminants in Turkey and diagnostic sensitivity of single-PCR and RLB

Background: Tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases (TBHDs), caused by Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, are common in regions of the world where the distributions of host, pathogen and vector overlap. Many of these diseases threaten livestock production and some also represent a concern to human public health. The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the above-mentioned pathogens in a large number of blood samples (n = 1979) collected from sheep (n = 1727) and goats (n = 252) in Turkey. A secondary aim was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of a number of species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and the reverse line blotting (RLB) assay. DNA samples were screened using species-specific PCR for the presence of Theileria ovis, Theileria sp. MK, T. lestoquardi, T. uilenbergi, T. luwenshuni, Babesia ovis, Anaplasma ovis and A. phagocytophilum while RLB was undertaken to test for the presence of all known Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species. The diagnostic sensitivity of these two approaches was then compared in terms of their ability to detect single species and mixed infections. Results: Overall, 84 and 74.43% of the small ruminants sampled were identified as hosting one or more pathogen(s) by species-specific PCR and RLB respectively. The presence of Theileria sp. OT1, T. luwenshuni and T. uilenbergi in Turkey was revealed for the first time while the presence of Babesia motasi, B. crassa and T. separata in Turkish small ruminants was confirmed using molecular methods. A high prevalence of mixed infection was evident, with PCR and RLB approaches indicating that 52.24 and 35.42% of animals were co-infected with multiple species, respectively. More than 80% of the mixed infections contained T. ovis and/or A. ovis. The RLB approach was found to be capable of detecting mixed infections with species such as Theileria sp. OT1, Theileria sp. OT3, T. separata, B. crassa and Babesia spp. Conclusion: The results indicated that pathogens causing TBHDs are highly prevalent in sheep and goats in Turkey. The diagnostic sensitivity of species-specific single PCR was generally higher than that of RLB. However, the latter approach was still capable of identifying a high proportion of individuals containing mixed-species infections. The use of species-specific single PCR is recommended to accurately estimate pathogen prevalence and to identify co-infected hosts

A review of command shaping techniques for elimination of residual vibrations in flexible-joint manipulators

Command shaping is an important open-loop control method for improving the settling time and positioning accuracy. This technique also minimizes residual vibrations. Shaped command profiles are formed by convolving a sequence of impulses or solving special functions for the desired command signal. To determine the input shaper controller commands, estimated values of the system natural frequency and damping ratio are required to make the necessary calculations. However, real systems cannot be modelled precisely, while robustness of the shaper to modelling errors is an important design consideration. Many robust input shapers have been developed and reported in the literature. It has been observed that the robust shapers typically have longer travelling time durations that lead to slow system response. This makes a relationship between shaper rising/travelling time and robustness. This paper presents a review of command shaping methods and analyses the compromise between duration of motion and shaper robustness for positive and smoothly shaped reference commands

Tuning of LQR controller for an experimental inverted pendulum system based on The Bees Algorithm

Stabilizing of an inverted pendulum (IP) system is a main problem for researchers working on control theory. Balancing of an inverted pendulum system is one of the major benchmark problems in the control system community. This paper presents optimal tuning of linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller with The Bees Algorithm (BA) for a linear inverted pendulum. In this paper, a metaheuristic approach which is a nature-inspired search method that mimics the foraging behavior of honey bees is used for design of LQR controller to obtain optimal performance. In LQR controller design, state (Q) and control (R) weighting matrices are basic parameters of LQR which are tuning by designer using trial and error method in usually. The Bees Algorithm optimizes the weighting matrices of the LQR controller so that it can move the cart to a desired position with the minimum change in pendulum’s angle from vertically upright position during the movement. The tuned LQR controller is benchmarked on the linear inverted pendulum experimental device (IP02) that is manufactured by QUANSER Company. After description of the system and The Bees Algorithm, the paper gives the experimental results obtained from the IP02 system to demonstrating the efficiency of the tuning of the LQR controller. Simulation and experimental results are given graphically to show the success of controller. As a result of the paper, the performance of LQR controller shows the effectiveness of The Bees Algorithm which is a diversity method for provide an efficient solution to conventional trial and error design approach

Infection dynamics of Theileria annulata over a disease season following cell line vaccination

Tropical theileriosis is a tick-borne haemoparasitic disease of cattle caused by the protozoan parasite Theileria annulata. Globally, the economic impact of the disease is immense and enhanced control measures would improve livestock production in endemic regions. Immunisation with a live attenuated vaccine is an effective and widely used control method, however, the repeated use of live vaccines may have an impact on the field parasite population at a genetic level. Additionally, there has been an increasing number of reports of vaccine breakthrough cases in recent years. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the genetic composition of a parasite population over a disease season in a locality where live cell line vaccination is practised. A diverse range of parasite genotypes was identified and every T. annulata positive cattle blood sample harboured multiple parasite genotypes. An alteration in the major genotype and an increasing multiplicity of infection in individual animals was observed over the course of the disease season. Vaccination status was found not to effect within-host multiplicity of infection, while a significantly higher number of genotypes was detected in grazed cattle compared to non-grazed ones. A degree of genetic isolation was evident between parasite populations on a micro-geographic scale, which has not been reported previously for T. annulata. Analysis of parasite genotypes in vaccinated animals suggested only a transient effect of the vaccine genotype on the genetic diversity of the T. annulata population. The vaccine genotype was not detected among clones of two vaccine ‘breakthrough’ isolates and there is no suggestion that it was responsible for disease. The obtained data indicated that in the system studied there is no apparent risk of introducing the vaccine genotype into the population with only a transient effect on the genetic diversity of the parasite population during the disease season

Molecular surveillance of Theileria parasites of livestock in Oman

Background: Theileriosis is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases of livestock in the Arabian Peninsula, and causes high rates of mortality and morbidity in sheep and cattle. However, there is a paucity of information on the distribution of Theileria spp. over the whole region and their impact on different hosts. The present study carried out a country-wide molecular survey for Theileria spp. of livestock in Oman across four governorates. The aim of the survey was to define the prevalence of Theileria spp. in cattle, sheep and goats, highlight risk factors for infection and identify the main tick species involved in parasite transmission. Material and methods: A total of 2020 animals were examined in the survey consisting of sheep [n = 592], goats [n = 981] and cattle [n = 447]. All three species were raised and co-grazed on the same farms. Theileria parasites were detected using PCR-RFLP and RLB of the 18S rRNA gene. Cloning and sequencing of the 18S rRNA was carried out on 11 T. lestoquardi isolates from Ash-Sharqiyah, and Ad-Dhahira governorates, and phylogenetic relationships were inferred using additional sequences of T. lestoquardi, T. annulata and T. ovis available in GenBank. Results: Theileria spp. prevalence was 72.3%, 36.7% and 2.7% among cattle, sheep and goats, respectively. Strong similarity in results was obtained using RLB and PCR-RFLP for detection of Theileria spp. however, RLB detected a higher rate of mixed infection than PCR-RFPL (P < 0.001). Theileria annulata was the only parasite detected in cattle, while sheep and goats carried T. ovis, T. lestoquardi and T. annulata as well as Theileria spp. OT1. Of the four Theileria spp. detected in small ruminants, overall T. ovis was most prevalent (sheep [33.4%], goats [2.0%]), whereas T. lestoquardi was less prevalent (sheep [22.0%], goats [0.5%]). A large proportion of infected sheep (19%) carried mixed infection of T. ovis and T. lestoquardi. However, single T. lestoquardi infections (3.0%) were less prevalent than T. ovis infections (14.5%). Risk of Theileria spp. infection was significantly higher for exotic breeds, relative to native breeds, of cattle (p = 0.00002) and sheep (p = 0.005). Phylogenetic analysis placed T. lestoquardi in Oman in the same clade as other T. lestoquardi strains isolated from the same regional area (Iraq and Iran). The main tick species, identified on the examined animals, Hyalomma anatolicum, was widely distributed and was found in all of the surveyed governorates. Conclusion: Theileria spp. are widespread in Oman with variable prevalence detected in different regions. Two economically important hosts, cattle and sheep are at high risk from virulent T. annulata and T. lestoquardi, respectively. The survey indicates extensive exposure to ticks and transmission of infection that has a significant economic impact. The higher prevalence of T. lestoquardi as mixed rather than single infection requires further investigation

Selection of genotypes harbouring mutations in the cytochrome b gene of Theileria annulata is associated with resistance to buparvaquone

Buparvaquone remains the only effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of tropical theileriosis caused by Theileria annulata. However, an increase in the rate of buparvaquone treatment failures has been observed in recent years, raising the possibility that resistance to this drug is associated with the selection of T. annulata genotypes bearing mutation(s) in the cytochrome b gene (Cyto b). The aim of the present study was: (1) to demonstrate whether there is an association between mutations in the T. annulata Cyto b gene and selection of parasite-infected cells resistant to buparvaquone and (2) to determine the frequency of these mutations in parasites derived from infected cattle in the Aydın region of Türkiye. Susceptibility to buparvaquone was assessed by comparing the proliferative index of schizont-infected cells obtained from cattle with theileriosis before and/or after treatment with various doses of buparvaquone, using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) colourimetric assay. The DNA sequence of the parasite Cyto b gene from cell lines identified as resistant or susceptible was determined. A total of six nonsynonymous and six synonymous mutations were identified. Two of the nonsynonymous mutations resulted in the substitutions V135A and P253S which are located at the putative buparvaquone binding regions of cytochrome b. Allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) analyses detected the V135A and P253S mutations at a frequency of 3.90% and 3.57% respectively in a regional study population and revealed an increase in the frequency of both mutations over the years. The A53P mutation of TaPIN1 of T. annulata, previously suggested as being involved in buparvaquone resistance, was not detected in any of the clonal cell lines examined in the present study. The observed data strongly suggested that the genetic mutations resulting in V135A and P253S detected at the putative binding sites of buparvaquone in cytochrome b play a significant role in conferring, and promoting selection of, T. annulata genotypes resistant to buparvaquone, whereas the role of mutations in TaPIN1 is more equivocal

High genetic diversity and differentiation of the babesia ovis population in Turkey

Babesia ovis is a tick‐transmitted protozoan haemoparasite causing ovine babesiosis in sheep and goats leading to considerable economic loss in Turkey and neighbouring countries. There are no vaccines available, therapeutic drugs leave toxic residues in meat and milk, and tick vector control entails environmental risks. A panel of eight mini‐ and micro‐satellite marker loci was developed and applied to study genetic diversity and substructuring of B. ovis from western, central and eastern Turkey. A high genetic diversity (He = 0.799) was found for the sample of overall B. ovis population (n = 107) analyzed. Principle component analysis (PCoA) revealed the existence of three parasite subpopulations: (a) a small subpopulation of isolates from Aydin, western Turkey; (b) a second cluster predominantly generated by isolates from western Turkey; and (c) a third cluster predominantly formed by isolates from central and eastern Turkey. Two B. ovis isolates from Israel included in the analysis clustered with isolates from central and eastern Turkey. This finding strongly suggests substructuring of a major Turkish population into western versus central–eastern subpopulations, while the additional smaller B. ovis population found in Aydin could have been introduced, more recently, to Turkey. STRUCTURE analysis suggests a limited exchange of parasite strains between the western and the central–eastern regions and vice versa, possibly due to limited trading of sheep. Importantly, evidence for recombinant genotypes was obtained in regionally interchanged parasite isolates. Important climatic differences between the western and the central/eastern region, with average yearly temperatures of 21°C versus 15°C, correspond with the identified geographical substructuring. We hypothesize that the different climatic conditions may result in variation in the activity of subpopulations of Rhipicephalus spp. tick vectors, which, in turn, could selectively maintain and transmit different parasite populations. These findings may have important implications for vaccine development and the spread of drug resistance.Instituto de PatobiologíaFil: Mira, Anabela. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patobiología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Unlu, Ahmet Hakan. Van Yuzuncu Yil University. Vocational School of Gevas; TurquíaFil: Bilgic, Huseyin Bilgin. Aydin Adnan Menderes University. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Parasitology; TurquíaFil: Bakirci, Serkan. Aydin Adnan Menderes University. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Parasitology; TurquíaFil: Hacilarlioglu, Selin. Aydin Adnan Menderes University. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Parasitology; TurquíaFil: Karagenc, Tulin. Aydin Adnan Menderes University. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Parasitology; TurquíaFil: Carletti, Tamara. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patobiología; ArgentinaFil: Weir, William. Universityof Glasgow. College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Shiels, Brian. Universityof Glasgow. College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Shkap, Varda. Kimron Veterinary Institute. Division of Parasitology; IsraelFil: Aktas, Munir. Firat University. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Parasitology; TurquíaFil: Florin-Christensen, Monica. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Schnittger, Leonhard. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Development of a multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of Theileria annulata, Babesia bovis and Anaplasma marginale in cattle

Tropical theileriosis, bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis are tick-borne protozoan diseases that impose serious constraints on the health and productivity of domestic cattle in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. A common feature of these diseases is that, following recovery from primary infection, animals become persistent carriers of the pathogen and continue to play a critical role in disease epidemiology, acting as reservoirs of infection. This study describes development and evaluation of multiplex and single PCR assays for simultaneous detection of Theileria annulata, Babesia bovis and Anaplasma marginale in cattle. Following in silico screening for candidate target genes representing each of the pathogens, an optimised multiplex PCR assay was established using three primer sets, cytob1, MAR1bB2 and bovar2A, for amplification of genomic DNA of T. annulata, A. marginale and B. bovis respectively. The designed primer sets were found to be species-specific, generating amplicons of 312, 265 and 166 base pairs, respectively and were deemed suitable for the development of a multiplex assay. The sensitivity of each primer pair was evaluated using serial dilutions of parasite DNA, while specificity was confirmed by testing for amplification from DNA of different stocks of each pathogen and other Theileria, Babesia and Anaplasma species. Additionally, DNA preparations derived from field samples were used to evaluate the utility of the single and multiplex PCRs for determination of infection status. The multiplex PCR was found to detect each pathogen species with the same level of sensitivity, irrespective of whether its DNA was amplified in isolation or together with DNA representing the other pathogens. Moreover, single and multiplex PCRs were able to detect each species with equal sensitivity in serially diluted DNA representing mixtures of T. annulata, B. bovis and A. marginale, and no evidence of non-specific amplification from non-target species was observed. Validation that the multiplex PCR efficiently detects single and mixed infections from field samples was demonstrated. The developed assay represents a simple and efficient diagnostic for co-detection of tropical theileriosis, bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis, and may be a valuable tool for epidemiological studies aimed at assessing the burden of multiple infection with tick-borne pathogens and improving control of the associated diseases in endemic regions