Integration of knowledge-based system, artificial neural networks and multimedia for gear design

Design is a complicated area consisting of a combination of rules, technical information and personal judgement. The quality of design depends highly on the designer's knowledge and experience. This system attempts to simulate the design process and to capture design expertise by combining artificial neural networks (ANNs) and knowledge based system (KBS) together with multi-media (MM). It has been applied to the design of gears. Within the system the knowledge based system handles clearly defined design knowledge, the artificial neural networks capture knowledge which is difficult to quantify and multi-media provides a user-friendly interface prompting the user to input information and to retrieve results during design process. The finished system illustrates how features of different Artificial Intelligence techniques, KBS, ANNs and MM, are combined in a hybrid manner to conduct complicated design tasks

Sugars of pearl millet [Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke] grains

The sugars in the grains of nine pearl millet cultivars were fractionated through a Biogel column. Five different sugars‘(stachyose, raffinose, sucrose, glucose, and fructose) were identified. Sucrose was predominant in all the cultivars. Raffinose content was high as compared to other cereals, and maltose was absen

Genetic and mechanistic analysis of heterochromatin spreading in the yeast S.cerevisiae

RNA Polymerase III transcribed tRNA genes are implicated in a wide variety of chromosome organizational functions that includes the ability to act as a boundary to heterochromatic silencing. A tRNA gene has been shown to be a major component of the barrier that prevents spreading of silencing from the HMR locus to the downstream GIT1 gene on chromosome III in S.cerevisiae. Our results suggest that additional proteins are involved in maintaining the boundary function of this tRNA gene. Mutations or deletions of the genes coding for these additional proteins have been shown to either weaken the boundary or enhance silencing. This mutational analysis identified YTA7, a novel bromodomain containing gene, as being required for full barrier activity of the HMR tRNA gene. This provided some of the first evidence demonstrating a role for bromodomain proteins in boundary function. RPD3, a histone deacetylase gene was also identified by our mutational analysis, as when deleted caused an increase in the spread of silencing downstream of the boundary tRNA gene. Our results suggest that this spreading of heterochromatic silencing occurs in spite of this tRNA gene remaining transcriptionally active. This suggests that heterochromatic silencing can bypass active regions along a chromosome to silence downstream genes

Martin Sinacore Award Lectures - Accelerated process development and commercialization - Bringing life- saving drugs to market

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Evaluation of Mechanical Properties and Microstructure for Laser Deposition Process and Welding Process

Laser Aided Manufacturing Process (LAMP) can be applied to repair steel die/molds which are currently repaired using traditional welding process in industry. In order to fully understand the advantages of laser deposition repair process over traditional welded-repair process, the mechanical properties such as tensile strength and hardness of H13 tool steel samples produced by these two processes were investigated. The microstructure and fracture surface of the samples were analyzed using optical microscope and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). Moreover, depositions on substrates with different shapes were studied to evaluate the performance of LAMP on damaged parts with complicated geometric shape.Mechanical Engineerin

A Multi-electrode Electrochemical and Scanning Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry Study of Methanol Oxidation on Electrodeposited PtxRuy

Methanol electro-oxidation was studied on a series of electrodeposited PtxRuy catalysts constructed as multielement band electrodes. A combination of electrochemical and scanning differential electrochemical mass spectrometry measurements were performed to evaluate the composition-dependence of methanol oxidation, methanol decomposition, CO2 current efficiency, and the product distribution at 25 and 50 °C. At 25 °C, cyclic voltammetry revealed that the presence of Ru led to enhanced methanol oxidation rates over that of pure Pt. Methanol decomposition showed a similar composition-dependence. Mass spectrometry measurements revealed the evolution of HCOOH and CO2 during methanol oxidation and allowed indirect determination of H2CO produced. Notably, these products were not observed during methanol decomposition. The most active electrode compositions and the highest instantaneous current efficiencies for the formation of CO2 were found to depend on several factors. At 25 °C, the maximum activity was 10% Ru, while at 50 °C the most active composition increased to 25% Ru. Pure Pt had the highest instantaneous current efficiency for CO2 at both temperatures. The product distribution reflected high CO2 evolution for Pt, with an increasing fraction of the product emerging as H2CO at higher Ru content. Increasing the temperature improved the CO2 current efficiency for all electrode compositions. These results confirm that methanol oxidation occurs though a parallel reaction pathway on PtxRuy electrodes. In addition, the balance between the different reaction pathways depends on several factors, including Ru composition and temperature

Groundnut quality report of work: January 1987-December 1988

The utility potential of groundnut (Arachis hypoqaea L.) has increased considerably as nova1 ways for its utilisation are being investigated..

Engineering nonphosphorylative metabolism for the biosynthesis of sustainable chemicals

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. December 2016. Major: Chemical Engineering. Advisor: Kechun Zhang. 1 computer file (PDF); xii, 211 pages.Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the largest sources of organic carbon on Earth with the potential to replace fossil fuels for the production of transportation fuels and chemicals. The two biggest challenges facing biosynthesis is the limited natural metabolic capacity of microorganisms and the effective utilization of lignocellulosic biomass. To overcome the first obstacle, over the past several decades researchers have successfully expanded the natural metabolic pathways of microorganisms to allow biosynthesis of a wide array of compounds with applications as advanced biofuels, industrial chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Most industrial fermentations convert glucose, the major sugar present in biomass, into a value added chemical but are unable to utilize pentose sugars which make up ~30% of a typical biomass feedstock. To improve the overall economics of fermentation process, it is important to ensure that all major sugars present in the feedstock are efficiently converted to target chemicals. This work addresses both these challenges by establishing a novel alterative pathway called nonphosphorylative pathway in Escherichia coli which enables the utilization of underutilized pentose sugars such as D-xylose and L-arabinose using fewer steps and with higher theoretical yields than conventional glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways (PPP). This nonphosphorylative pathway can convert D-xylose and L-arabinose to 2-ketoglutarate (2-KG), an important TCA cycle intermediate, using less than 6 steps. A growth selection platform based on 2-ketoglutarate (2-KG) auxotrophy was designed in E. coli to confirm the functionality of nonphosphorylative metabolism in host organism. The growth selection platform was also used to mine nonphosphorylative gene clusters from other organisms with improved activity. The pathway was then expanded to allow biosynthesis of two commercially important chemicals, 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). To improve production titers and yields of the process, protein engineering was used to reduce by-product formation and metabolic engineering was used to eliminate competing pathways and increase carbon flux towards the target compound. Furthermore, to improve uptake of pentoses by E. coli, pentose transporter was overexpressed to allow better carbon utilization. This nonphosphorylative metabolism serves as an efficient platform for biosynthesis and can be extended to produce a variety of compounds derived from TCA cycle including, but not limited to, L-glutamate, mesaconate, 5-aminolevulinic acid, and glutaconate. While the nonphosphorylative pathway has been successfully used for conversion of simple pentose sugars into important chemicals like BDO and GABA, the breakdown of biomass into these pentoses is the bigger challenge. This work also briefly addresses this challenge by comparing different acid hydrolysis treatment conditions to breakdown arabinoxylans in wheat bran into sugars - glucose, D-xylose, and L-arabinose - which can then be used in fermentation via nonphosphorylative metabolism