Influence of system dynamics in brake blending strategies for electric vehicles

Regenerative and friction braking blending strategies need to consider both system dynamics in order to optimize their performance. Usually, the priority in electric vehicles is battery regeneration through electric braking instead of friction braking. This work studies the dynamics of both systems and proposes an optimized brake-blending strategy. The goal is to maximize regeneration without affecting safety. Both dynamics are studied separately with commercial systems: electric drivetrain and friction brake-by-wire. The proposed strategy takes into account temporary response as well as the physical limitations of the systems. Therefore, this strategy limits the influence of the slowest system, in our case, the electric one, during the braking process while maximizing battery regeneration.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Glycation is regulated by isoflavones

The effect of soy isoflavones on the Maillard reaction (MR) was investigated. Model systems composed of the soy protein glycinin (10 mg mL -1) and fructose (40 mg mL-1) under basic pH (∼12) conditions were employed for testing the anti-glycative effect of the major antioxidant soy isoflavones (genistin and genistein at 10 μg mL-1) and a soy isoflavone-rich extract. The contents of total phenols (TPCs) and total flavonoids (TFCs) of the isoflavone-rich extract were determined. Glycinin was pre-incubated with isoflavones for 1 h and 16 h at 60 °C prior to MR. The progress of MR was estimated by analysis of free amino groups by OPA assay; carbohydrate covalently bound to the protein backbone using phenol-sulfuric acid assay, protein-bound Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) by UPLC-MS and spectral analysis of fluorescent protein-bound AGEs. Genistin (10 μg mL-1, 23 μM) and its aglycone genistein (10 μg mL-1, 37 μM) did not prevent protein glycation (p > 0.05). The soy isoflavone-rich extract containing 2.5 mg mL-1 of TFC efficiently decreased the amount of carbohydrate bound to the protein skeleton (20%) (p 80%) (p < 0.05). The anti-glycative mechanism of isoflavones may be related to its conjugation to glycation sites of the protein structure (free amino groups), their antioxidant character and trapping of dicarbonyl intermediates. Extracts based on mixtures of isoflavones may be useful for producing glycated conjugates avoiding the substantial formation of AGEs bound to protein. © the Partner Organisations 2014

Unprecedented inequivalent metal coordination environments in a mixed-ligand dicobalt complex

Bimetallic complexes of the transition metals containing mixed diimine and dithiolate ligands are of fundamental interest on account of their intriguing electronic properties. Almost always, such complexes are isolated as species in which both the metal centers are in identical coordination environments - this means that the two metals often have identical redox properties. In contrast, mixed-diimine/dithiolate bimetallic complexes of the first row transition metals where the two metals are in dissimilar coordination environments are exceedingly rare, and are only known for nickel. Herein, we report the first ever example of a mixed-diimine/dithiolate dicobalt complex where the two cobalt centers are in different coordination environments. The synthesis of this compound is straightforward, and produces a complex in which the two cobalt centers display very different redox properties

Sn nanoparticles on gas diffusion electrodes: Synthesis, characterization and use for continuous CO2 electroreduction to formate

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 has been pointed out as an interesting strategy to convert CO2 into useful chemicals. In addition, coupling CO2 electroreduction with renewable energies would allow storing electricity from intermittent renewable sources such as wind or solar power. In this work, an easy and fast method is adapted for the synthesis of pure and carbon supported Sn nanoparticles. The resulting nanoparticles have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy and their electrocatalytic properties towards CO2 reduction evaluated by cyclic voltammetry. Carbon supported Sn nanoparticles have been subsequently used to prepare Gas Diffusion Electrodes (Sn/C-GDEs). The electrodes have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and also by cyclic voltammetry. Finally, the electrodes were tested on a continuous and single pass CO2 electroreduction filter-press type cell system in aqueous solution, to obtain formate at ambient pressure and temperature. These Sn/C-GDEs allow working at high current densities with low catholyte flow. Thus, for instance, at 150 mA cm−2, a 70% Faradaic Efficiency (FE) was obtained with a formate concentration of 2.5 g L−1. Interestingly, by increasing the current density to 200 mA cm−2 and decreasing the flow rate, a concentration over 16 g L−1 was reached. Despite the high concentrations obtained, further research is still required to keep high FE operating at high current densities.This work was conducted under the framework of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness projects CTQ2013-48280-C3-1-R and CTQ2013-48280-C3-3-R. Andrés Del Castillo also acknowledges the research grant from University of Cantabria, co-financed by the Regional Government of Cantabria

Cortisol secretion after adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) and Dexamethasone tests in healthy female and male dogs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>For the conclusive diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome, a stimulating ACTH test or a low suppressive Dexamethasone test is used. Reports in other species than the dog indicate that plasma cortisol concentration after ACTH administration is affected by gender. We investigated the effect of gender on the cortisol response to ACTH and Dexamethasone tests in dogs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seven healthy adult Cocker Spaniels (4 females and 3 males) were assigned to a two by two factorial design: 4 dogs (2 females and 2 males) received IV Dexamethasone 0.01 mg/kg, while the other 3 dogs received an IV saline solution (control group). Two weeks later the treatments were reversed. After one month, ACTH was given IV (250 μg/animal) to 4 dogs (2 female and 2 males) while the rest was treated with saline solution (control group). Cortisol concentrations were determined by a direct solid-phase radioimmunoassay and cholesterol and triglycerides by commercial kits.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>No effect of treatment was observed in metabolite concentrations, but females presented higher cholesterol concentrations. ACTH-treated dogs showed an increase in cortisol levels in the first hour after sampling until 3 hours post injection. Cortisol concentrations in Dexamethasone-treated dogs decreased one hour post injection and remained low for 3 hours, thereafter cortisol concentrations increased. The increase in cortisol levels from one to two hours post ACTH injection was significantly higher in females than males. In Dexamethasone-treated males cortisol levels decreased one hour post injection up to 3 hours; in females the decrease was more pronounced and prolonged, up to 5 hours post injection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have demonstrated that cortisol response to ACTH and Dexamethasone treatment in dogs differs according to sex.</p

The molecular dynamic simulation on impact and friction characters of nanofluids with many nanoparticles system

Impact and friction model of nanofluid for molecular dynamics simulation was built which consists of two Cu plates and Cu-Ar nanofluid. The Cu-Ar nanofluid model consisted of eight spherical copper nanoparticles with each particle diameter of 4 nm and argon atoms as base liquid. The Lennard-Jones potential function was adopted to deal with the interactions between atoms. Thus motion states and interaction of nanoparticles at different time through impact and friction process could be obtained and friction mechanism of nanofluids could be analyzed. In the friction process, nanoparticles showed motions of rotation and translation, but effected by the interactions of nanoparticles, the rotation of nanoparticles was trapped during the compression process. In this process, agglomeration of nanoparticles was very apparent, with the pressure increasing, the phenomenon became more prominent. The reunited nanoparticles would provide supporting efforts for the whole channel, and in the meantime reduced the contact between two friction surfaces, therefore, strengthened lubrication and decreased friction. In the condition of overlarge positive pressure, the nanoparticles would be crashed and formed particles on atomic level and strayed in base liquid

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations at large transverse momenta in p+pp+p and Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}= 200 GeV

Results on high transverse momentum charged particle emission with respect to the reaction plane are presented for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$= 200 GeV. Two- and four-particle correlations results are presented as well as a comparison of azimuthal correlations in Au+Au collisions to those in $p+p$ at the same energy. Elliptic anisotropy, $v_2$, is found to reach its maximum at $p_t \sim 3$ GeV/c, then decrease slowly and remain significant up to $p_t\approx 7$ -- 10 GeV/c. Stronger suppression is found in the back-to-back high-$p_t$ particle correlations for particles emitted out-of-plane compared to those emitted in-plane. The centrality dependence of $v_2$ at intermediate $p_t$ is compared to simple models based on jet quenching.Comment: 4 figures. Published version as PRL 93, 252301 (2004

Azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV

The results from the STAR Collaboration on directed flow (v_1), elliptic flow (v_2), and the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the anisotropic azimuthal distribution of particles from Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV are summarized and compared with results from other experiments and theoretical models. Results for identified particles are presented and fit with a Blast Wave model. Different anisotropic flow analysis methods are compared and nonflow effects are extracted from the data. For v_2, scaling with the number of constituent quarks and parton coalescence is discussed. For v_4, scaling with v_2^2 and quark coalescence is discussed.Comment: 26 pages. As accepted by Phys. Rev. C. Text rearranged, figures modified, but data the same. However, in Fig. 35 the hydro calculations are corrected in this version. The data tables are available at http://www.star.bnl.gov/central/publications/ by searching for "flow" and then this pape