Novel Approaches in Optimal Control and Their Application to Find Analytical Solutions for Minimum-Time Ascending Maneuver

Of utmost importance to development of UAVs, is an automatic flight system. Minimum-time maneuvers however, are most challenging due to the fact that dynamic and kinematic constraints should not be violated while conservative assumptions on actuator limits, compromise optimality. A major hindrance in minimum time to climb is that the kinematic constraint introduces a redundant state which makes the Hamiltonian quite difficult to handle while numerical methods are distrustful for that the resulting system of two-point boundary value problem is unbounded. To overcome these, a novel approach to a class of problems will be suggested. It is proved herein how this method allows the cost functional to be changed so that the number of state variables is reduced. These results facilitate the finding of the analytical optimal solution to reaching a waypoint with any initial but no final boundary conditions on the angle of trajectory. For when the final angle of the trajectory is specified, a method will be proposed. The solutions found here can be used by an RHPC method

Particulate starch, its effects as a filler in high density polyethylene

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Rapid advances continue in the acquisition 6f new fundamental knowledge of starch and a vigorous expansion in the use of starch is proceeding in both food and non-food applications. Results are here reported on starch-filled high density polyethylene which reveal reinforcement effects of starch on the thermoplastic. This significant development makes starch a most promising organic filler. This work is primarily a study of the mechanical and thermal properties of starch-filled high density polyethylene and attempts to identify changes caused in the structure of this polymer due to starch filler. Particular attention has also been given to changes in crystallinity and microscopic appearance. Because preliminary studies showed that enhanced effects were obtained when using starches of small particle size, much effort was given to developing a simple method of extraction of starches from the many varieties of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) plants in order to get the best possible yield and freedom from agglomerates. Because of the absence of recorded data it was necessary to study the physical properties of these starches. The theory and application of small-angle light scattering was reviewed because of its value as a technique for the characterization of starches and spherulitic polymer studies. One hundred and twelve Taro starches were characterized in terms of average particle sizes by the above technique. Starches with particle sizes ranging from 3 micron to 50 micron were investigated in order to establish the size/effect relationship in starch polymer composites. Methods of increasing the adhesion between filler and polymer matrix have also been studied, as has also the stripping of amylopectin from starch grains by cold acid treatment. Acid treatment, surprisingly, produced composites of increased mechanical strength in high density polyethylene, implying that a true reinforcing filler has been created. Results from differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray diffraction studies revealed that an increase in degree of crystallinity in high density polyethylene was associated with the presence of starch

Issues of seismic response and retrofit for critical substation equipment

This study focuses on means to reduce the seismic hazard for transformer-bushing systems and different issues of the response and rehabilitation of transformers. The primary means of seismic mitigation investigated is the use of the Friction Pendulum System (FPS) bearings to seismically isolate transformers. This is done by developing a finite element model representing the behavior of FPS bearings and implementing this model on to ADINA finite element package for further use in analytical studies. This model is used to study the behavior of isolated primary-secondary systems and the effects of parameters like different FPS radii or vertical excitations. Also studied are the effects of isolation on forces applied to the foundations and the corresponding design of foundations compared to the commonly used fixed-base forces. Further, the interaction of transformer-bushings with interconnecting equipment in the substation is studied and corresponding graphs indicating the amount of required slack in connecting cables are presented. Finally, the behavior of internal components of transformers under seismic excitation has been studied. Possible failure and damage modes are identified and a model is developed and analyzed to assess damage risk

The effect of moderate intensity endurance training and lipid lowering genistein in Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

زمینه و هدف: دیابت بیماری مزمنی است که موجب افزایش پروفایل لیپیدی می شود. هدف از تحقیق حاضر بررسی تأثیر تمرین استقامتی با شدت متوسط و کاهنده لیپیدی جنستئین در موش های دیابتی بود. روش بررسی: 48 سر موش دیابتی انتخاب و در 6 گروه 8 سری (1) کنترل هفته اول، (2) کنترل هفته آخر، (3) تمرین استقامتی با شدت متوسط، (4) مصرف جنستئین، (5) تمرین استقامتی همراه با جنستئین و (6) شم تقسیم شدند و جهت بررسی اثرات القای دیابت 16 سر موش سالم در 2 گروه کنترل هفته اول و کنترل هفته آخر تقسیم شدند. در مدت 8 هفته موش های گروه های 3 و 5 سه جلسه در هفته و هر جلسه 60 دقیقه با سرعت 10 تا 17 متر بر دقیقه روی نوارگردان دویدند و گروه های 4 و 5 روزانه 30 میلی گرم بر کیلوگرم وزن بدن جنستئین مصرف نمودند. جهت تحلیل یافته­ ها از آنالیز واریانس یکطرفه و آزمون تعقیبی توکی استفاده شد (0/05≥P). یافته ها: القای دیابت اثر معنی داری بر کاهش HDL و افزایش TG، Cho، LDL و VLDL موش های صحرایی دارد (05/0≥P)؛ تمرین استقامتی، مصرف جنستئین و تمرین استقامتی همراه با جنستئین اثر معنی داری بر افزایش HDL و کاهش TG، Cho، LDL و VLDL موش های صحرایی دیابتی دارد (0/05≥P). همچنین تمرین استقامتی همراه با جنستئین نسبت به مصرف جنستئین اثر بیشتری بر کاهش LDL و افزایش HDL دارد (0/05≥P). نتیجه گیری: تمرین استقامتی با شدت متوسط و کاهنده لیپیدی جنستئین دارای اثرات تعاملی در موش های دیابتی شده با استروپتوزوتوسین می باشند

Assessment of Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitory Effect of Crocin in MCF-7 Cell Line

Introduction: Farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs) are a new class of drugs which are under clinical trial examinations for cancer treatment. Saffron extracted components have been reported to be of pharmaceutical properties when are applied in vivo/ in vitro against variety of diseases including cancer. Crocin is one the main chemicals in saffron which is suggested to be of cytotoxic effects against cancer cell lines. However, the exact mechanism of function of crocin against cancer cell lines is still remained to be illustrated by more research. In the present study the effect of crocin in inhibition of lamin B farnesylation was examined. Methods and Results: Crocin was extracted from saffron and purified by column chromatography as described by bathaie et.al. MCF-7 was cultured on DMEM media containing 10% FBS. Using 96-well-plates, cells treated with an increasing concentration range of 10-5000 ug/ml of crocin. After 24h, MTT assay was carried out to determine the IC50. Cells were treated with crocin (IC50) for 24h to induce cell death, and expression of Lamin B, as well as pernylated/ unprenylated Lamin B was assessed by western blotting, using primary antibody against lamin B (Santacruz, USA) and secondary HRP-tagged anti-rabbit (Sigma, Germany). Our results indicated that 3500ug/ml of crocin induced cell death in half of cell population upon 24h. We also observed that treatment of MCF-7 cells with 3500ug/ml for 24h results in an obviously significant decrease in lamin B protein expression. Data from gel shift assay analysis also showed that crocin induces prenyl-transferase- inhibitory mechanism in cells which is seen as a two separated bands of lamin B (including prenylated and unprenylated forms) compared to single band pattern in control. Conclusions: In conclusion, our results proposed that crocin induces prenyl transferase inhibition in MCF-7 cell line of breast cancer and therefore, it could be suggested as a potent phyto-compound for research and developing FTIs

On Finite Element Vibration Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes

In this chapter, a finite element formulation is proposed to study the natural frequencies of double-walled carbon nanotubes modeled as, both, local and nonlocal Euler-Bernoulli beams, coupled with van der Waals interaction forces. The formulation uses Galerkin-weighted residual approach and employs Hermite cubic polynomial function to derive the linear eigenvalue problem. Natural frequencies are found for clamped-free, clamped-clamped and simply supported-simply supported boundary conditions. The results are in good agreement with the formulations found in the literature. The effect of nonlocal factor on the natural frequencies of the system is found out by comparing local and nonlocal results. Additionally, the universality of the proposed model is proven by application to a double-elastic Euler-Bernoulli beam. This formulation paves way for Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis of multi-walled CNTs—either locally or nonlocally

The Principle of Dominance and the Limitation of Changing the Use of Agricultural and Garden Lands

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the principle of dominance and limitations imposed on changing the use of agricultural and garden lands. The former and latter are considered as important subjects continuously debated and discussed. Changing the use of garden and agricultural lands is a theoretically argued subject and is followed by the principal question of: how in the face of the dominance principle, the legal limitations in changing the use of agricultural and garden lands are justifiable? In terms of the method of study.the present research falls into the category of descriptive-analytic researches, and library studies have been conducted to answer the mentioned question. The results of the present study indicate that illegal change of use of agricultural lands is an obvious instance of conflict between personal and societal rights. Because the owner of an agricultural land, due to his/her personal rights is allowed to use the land in any legitimate and legal way he/she desires; however, the rights of the society and the future humans forbids the owner to use the land in ways that would harm the public/society. Based on the stated content, it is concluded that the ownership right is absolutely preserved for the real owner based on the principle of dominance, but in cases where this right is conflictual with societal rights, the societal rights would be counted prioritized over the former, and therefore it would be necessary to control personal rights. This preference has a clear and obvious instance in the context of changing the use of agricultural and garden lands; and it is rational that the society’s right will be dominant over the rights of the owner of agricultural and garden lands