DEM simulation of effect of confining pressure on ballast behaviour

In this paper, an attempt has been made to investigate the influence of confining pressure on deformation and degradation behaviourof railway ballast using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). A novel approach has been employed to model the two dimensionalprojection of field size ballast particles as cluster of bonded particles. Bonded particles are held together by a bond, and debonding isconsidered as particle breakage. A series of cyclic loading simulations using DEM were carried out on an assembly of angular ballast particles at different confining pressures (10 kPa to 240 kPa). The results highlight that the development of axial strain during cyclicloading as a function of initial confining pressure and number of cycles. Very high axial strain and breakage of particles have been observed at low confining pressure (\u3c 30 kPa) owing to dilative volumetric strain behaviour. In terms of particle breakage, there existsan optimum range of confining pressures where breakage is minimal. In addition, the evolution of particle displacement vectors explains the breakage mechanism and associated deformations during cyclic loading

Vibration Analysis of Nonlinear Magneto Flexo Electric Mass Sensor Carbon Nanotube Resting on Elastic Substrate

The present paper is dedicated to study the nonlinear ultrasonic waves in a magneto-flexo-thermo elastic armchairsingle-walled carbon nanotube with mass sensors resting on polymer matrix. Here the small-scale effect is captured by Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity theory. After developing the formal solution of the mathematical model consisting of partial differential equations, the frequency equations have been analyzed numerically by using the nonlinear foundations supported by Winkler-Pasternak model. The solution is obtained by ultrasonic wave dispersion relations. Parametric work is carried out to scrutinize the influence of the non local scaling, magneto-flexo-mechanical loadings, foundation parameters, attached mass, various boundary condition and length on the dimensionless frequency of nanotube. It is noticed that the boundary conditions, nonlocal parameter, attached mass and tube geometrical parameters have significant effects on dimensionless frequency of nano tubes

PROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS IN METHOTREXATE-INDUCED LIVER TOXICITY IN WISTAR RATS

Objectives: Various clinically available drugs along with the beneficial action also have drastic side effects due to chronic exposure. In liver, these resulting side effects can be over production of reactive oxygen species, which will further lead to oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity. Therefore, as a preventive measure, the protective role of herbal extracts is being evaluated because of its high success rate and low toxic effects. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the protective role of Asparagus racemosus is evaluated and studied against methotrexate (MTX)-induced hepatic damage in male Wistar albino rats.Methods: The course of the study was for 14 days. During this experimental study, the animals were categorized into four groups with six rats per group. Group I (positive control) which was treated with normal saline, Group II (negative control) with MTX 20 mg/kg of body weight on 12th day, Group III with A. racemosus 300 mg/kg of body weight + MTX 20 mg/kg on 12th day, and Group IV with A. racemosus 100 mg/kg of body weight + MTX 20 mg/kg on 12th day. On 14th day, the animals were sacrificed, and histopathological as well as antioxidant assays were performed.Results and Conclusion: Assays revealed high lipid peroxidation level and low antioxidant levels in Group II. Meanwhile, in Group III and IV, the levels were restored near to control, which supported the protective role of A. racemosus against MTX-induced hepatic damage. Histopathology evaluation also supported the above-mentioned findings

The role of defects in microwave-assisted synthesis of cubic ZrO2

Microwave radiation (MWR) is capable of inducing rapid, low-temperature crystallization and potential non-equilibrium phase formation in ceramic oxide materials.1 However, the mechanisms by which MWR influences phase transitions and atomic ordering are not well understood. Theories to explain the influence of MWR range from purely thermal effects (e.g., rapid heating rate) to purely MWR-driven, non-thermal effects (e.g., enhanced defect generation).2 To take full advantage of the opportunities provided by field-assisted methods, it is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms. One limiting factor in determining how MWR affects phase formation has been the ability to effectively characterize the effects of an applied field on both long range (crystalline) and short range (amorphous/disordered) atomic order. Here, we utilize synchrotron x-ray pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, coupled with molecular dynamics (MD) and density functional theory (DFT) to explore the role of MWR-induced defects and local atomic disorder on low-temperature cubic phase formation in ZrO2 thin films. PDF analysis is an experimental technique capable of quantitatively characterizing both local and long range atomic order, and thus can characterize the effects of MWR on atomic structure beyond the capabilities of conventional x-ray diffraction. We find the application of MWR can stabilize cubic ZrO2 at temperatures as low as 225°C, about 2000°C lower than conventionally required. Our PDF analysis suggests that distortions in the local atomic structure may be responsible for the stabilization of the cubic phase, and these distortions are consistent with increased oxygen vacancy formation (Fig. 1). Interestingly, higher MWR power levels and faster heating rates do not correspond to more crystalline phase formation, suggesting that thermal effects may not be the sole driving force. To further explore the idea of MWR-induced, defect-mediated phase transitions, we utilize MD and DFT simulations to investigate how oxygen vacancy concentrations affect the relative phase stability of various ZrO2 polymorphs, and compare the resultant simulated structures with our experimental PDF data. Through analysis of both crystalline phase formation and local atomic order, we investigate how defects and local atomic distortions are influenced by MWR exposure, and how these structural effects can impact low-temperature phase transitions. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Forecasting Freight Logistic Needs and INDOT Plans

This project focused on forecasting freight logistics needs and developing and analyzing capacity plans for INDOT to consider. The forecast timeframe ranges from the 2020 to 2045; the commodities considered are those used in the FHWA framework. We considered five SSP (Shared Socio-Economic Pathways) scenarios that are in sync with those used by the IPCC (International Protocol for Climate Change). We also use the IPCC forecasts of world GDP and FHWA forecasts to develop county-level freight forecasts by commodity. A survey of industry participants, primarily in manufacturing, suggests that Indiana industries are tied to the rest of the country and the world for supply of inputs as well as for demand markets. Finally, we focus on three different industries—the recreational vehicle (RV) industry in Elkhart County, the furniture industry in Dubois County, and the Honda plant in Decatur County—to illustrate the impact of bill of materials and growth forecasts on forecasted congestion and potential capacity mitigation. Our results suggest that proactive capacity planning can enable INDOT to anticipate and ease congestion and ensure continued economic competitiveness for Indiana industries

Ontology-driven development of web services to support district energy applications

Current urban and district energy management systems lack a common semantic referential for effectively interrelating intelligent sensing, data models and energy models with visualization, analysis and decision support tools. This paper describes the structure, as well as the rationale that led to this structure, of an ontology that captures the real-world concepts of a district energy system, such as a district heating and cooling system. This ontology (called eedistrict ontology) is intended to support knowledge provision that can play the role of an intermediate layer between high-level energy management software applications and local monitoring and control software components. In order to achieve that goal, the authors propose to encapsulate queries to the ontology in a scalable web service, which will facilitate the development of interfaces for third-party applications. Considering the size of the ee-district ontology once populated with data from a specific district case study, this could prove to be a repetitive and time-consuming task for the software developer. This paper therefore assesses the feasibility of ontology-driven automation of web service development that is to be a core element in the deployment of heterogeneous district-wide energy management software

Planar photonic crystals infiltrated with nanoparticle/polymer composites

© 2007 American Institute of Physics. The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2817964DOI: 10.1063/1.2817964Infiltration of planar two-dimensional silicon photonic crystals with nanocomposites using a simple yet effective melt processing technique is presented. The nanocomposites that were developed by evenly dispersing functionalized TiO₂ nanoparticles into a photoconducting polymer were completely filled into photonic crystals with hole sizes ranging from 90 to 500 nm. The infiltrated devices show tuning of the photonic band gap that is controllable by the adjustment of the nanoparticle loading level. These results may be useful in the development of tunable photonic crystal based devices and hybrid light emitting diodes and solar cells

Last Mile Delivery and Route Planning for Freight

This report analyzes anticipated list mile challenges in Indiana by using a scenario-based approach to develop forecasts of GDP growth and thus freight growth across industry clusters in Indiana counties; potential congestion implied by this growth; and a proactive plan to add capacity to alleviate the congestion. We use a quantitative approach to aggregate ramp level flows, industry cluster locations, county layout, and economic activity to develop our recommendations. We develop forecasts through the year 2050 based on long-term planning approaches used by other states (California, Ohio, and Utah). We use data from global databases that consider different possible geo-political scenarios and regulatory choices to scale it down to county-level impact. At the same time, we track industry cluster locations within each county, ramps from interstates, and distances to travel within the counties to reach freight destinations. The result is a report that combines macro trends with micro detail to develop potential capacity bottlenecks

Socioeconomic Deprivation and Survival After Heart Transplantation in England: An Analysis of the United Kingdom Transplant Registry.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic deprivation (SED) is associated with shorter survival across a range of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular diseases. The association of SED with survival after heart transplantation in England, where there is universal healthcare provision, is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Long-term follow-up data were obtained for all patients in England who underwent heart transplantation between 1995 and 2014. We used the United Kingdom Index of Multiple Deprivation (UK IMD), a neighborhood level measure of SED, to estimate the relative degree of deprivation for each recipient. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between SED and overall survival and conditional survival (dependant on survival at 1 year after transplantation) during follow-up. Models were stratified by transplant center and adjusted for donor and recipient age and sex, ethnicity, serum creatinine, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure cause. A total of 2384 patients underwent heart transplantation. There were 1101 deaths during 17 040 patient-year follow-up. Median overall survival was 12.6 years, and conditional survival was 15.6 years. Comparing the most deprived with the least deprived quintile, adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were 1.27 (1.04-1.55; P=0.021) and 1.59 (1.22-2.09; P=0.001) in the overall and conditional models, respectively. Median overall survival and conditional survival were 3.4 years shorter in the most deprived quintile than in the least deprived. CONCLUSIONS: Higher SED is associated with shorter survival in heart transplant recipients in England and should be considered when comparing outcomes between centers. Future research should seek to identify modifiable mediators of this association.No direct funding was provided for the conduct of this study. JE completed part of this work as part of an academic clinical fellowship, where he spent time at the University of Cambridge, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit receiving training on research methods, supported by SK and EDA. The Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit is funded by the UK Medical Research Council (G0800270), British Heart Foundation (SP/09/002), British Heart Foundation Cambridge Cardiovascular Centre of Excellence, and UK National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Heart Association via https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.116.00265

Donkey milk: chemical make-up, biochemical features, nutritional worth, and possible human health benefits - Current state of scientific knowledge

Milk and milk derivatives are widely consumed because of their high nutritional density. Donkey milk and milk products have been consumed since ancient times. The use of donkey milk in the human diet is gaining popularity. The abundance of antibacterial components and protective elements in donkey milk sets it apart from the milk of other animals. Like human milk, donkey milk has low fat, high lactose, and low casein/whey protein ratio. Donkey milk whey protein's anti-proliferative properties imply lung cancer treatment. Alpha-lactalbumin, a type of protein, has been found to have antiviral, anticancer, and anti-stress properties. Donkey milk, like human milk, includes a low amount of casein and a smaller quantity of beta-lactoglobulin than cow milk. Donkey milk is an alternative for newborns with cow milk protein allergy and lactose intolerance since it has a higher amount of lactose, improves palatability, and prevents allergies. Osteogenesis, arteriosclerosis therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, accelerated aging, and hypocholesterolemic diets are some areas where donkey milk is beneficial. Since it contains probiotic lactobacilli strains, fermented beverages can be made with donkey milk. Donkey milk moisturizes skin due to its high vitamin, mineral, and polyunsaturated fatty acid content. The chemical makeup and potential therapeutic benefits of donkey milk warrant additional research. This has led to a rise in interest in producing dairy goods derived from donkey milk. Donkey milk has been used to make cheese, ice cream, milk powder, and even some experimental useful fermented drinks. The present article summarises what we know about donkey milk's chemical makeup, biological functions, nutritional worth, and possible human health benefits